If someone were to ask about an extraordinary American whose bravery and dedication forced millions of people to wake up and unite, how would people respond? If someone were to ask about a man who stood like steel and boulders in the face of seemingly indomitable opposition, with whose name would people reply? And, if someone were to ask about a man who --nearly40 years after his passing -- people still gather to honor all that he represented, what would people say? Now, if there is, indeed, one man who represents true ambition, true love of everything in this great universe and all that the world desires and strives to be, undoubtedly we know him best as Martin Luther King Jr.

And although his death has gone down in history as an unjustified and tragic event, we must -- instead of focusing all of our energy on the devastation --embrace all of King's teachings and embrace the life he led with the same ambition, love and hope.

Therefore, although I do indeed love sharing stories about King, I have come to realize that if we want to learn about his life, we can simply ask Jeeves, because this month, ladies and gentlemen, is to remind us of a celebration. And the best way to celebrate Martin Luther King is to discuss ways we can maintain the flame of his dream.

Although many people are too afraid to follow through with it consistently, King has taught us a very valuable lesson. He taught us to stand up for what we believe in because if there is something out there that we want badly enough, we owe it to ourselves to fight for it. But we cannot do it alone -- in fact, turning a dream into reality is a game of follow-the-leader.

As a man named Nixon -- who was rarely mentioned, but who was really the brains behind the magic --demonstrated, we cannot be successful without a little push. Nixon desired a change in the Civil Rights approach as much as King did; however, being a disgraceful speaker, he knew that although he had the passion, he could not strike the courage into people to follow. Stripped of the red cape, King landed with the voice of truth. Honestly, Nixon needed King as a partner, and King needed us -- people to believe in him and to support his cause. Without these factors, his dream may have remained as such.

Being a prime example of a hero, King has dodged the most devastating of obstacles, proving time and time again that passion and incentive can defeat any villain, be it the Green Goblin or our own fear. As the violent pictures and stories have demonstrated, King, because of his controversial appearance and beliefs, stared danger straight in the face. However, with the little support he had and his whole-hearted efforts, King acknowledged the opposition, but refused to give in; he knew what he had to do.

But the sad truth is that too many people who cherish the symbol of King are blind to his true meaning. The people of whom I speak are the oneswho disagree with things surrounding them, yet refuse to stand up and to speak their opposing views. If Martin Luther King Jr. was a dictionary definition, the passage would read: v. to charge through challenges in order to give a message that needs to be heard, to stop at nothing, to resist all distraction, and to forever dream. If something is truly important to us, do not accept defeat; only accept challenges for mere obstacles to overcome.

And, there is no doubt in my mind that if King were physically alive today, he would be standing in front of a podium, chiding each and every one of us for every single time we allowed other people's perspective of us to shape our lives to the point that we withdraw ourselves from reality, concealing our beliefs and hopes. With that beautifully passionate voice, King would tell us to be strong and to take a risk, not just for ourselves, but for the world. King had a dream -- a dream in which few people had faith in becoming a reality. But, look at what that one person -- that one dream has done for our world.

There is no denying that our world needs help, not just on King's day of celebration, but each day that passes with unabated discrimination and violence. And it is up to us to aspire and to mend the segregation we face, be it religiously, racially, sexually or otherwise. Imagine what our universe can become if together we dream just like Martin Luther King Jr. did. It all starts with hope and ends with unity.

True leaders inspire by example. Therefore, allow us to lead with ambition, love and hope, keeping Martin Luther King Jr. forever alive.