As a 20 year old male who grew up as did many kids--being rambunctious, thick-skulled, curious, and often stupid--I have made my fair share of bad mistakes in life. But with the idea of nostalgia in mind, going to Disney World a few months back served as an obscure epiphany that changed my outlook on life. After touring what I expected to be a boring exhibit, the presentation on the life of Walt Disney crippled me when I heard one quote: "We all need one major mess up in life to realize our true potential."

To some of us, there is one vivid and paramount event that we can pinpoint as our screw up. For others, it was compiling choices that eventually led to a wake-up call. My experience with school has been one that is rather unorthodox. In High School I attended three different schools. One charter school, one private school, and one public school. I was never really able to settle in and find my niche in each school. Then, when Freshman year of college came around I found myself in a similar situation. Attending CSU Chico, I made it a very mundane experience for myself. I remained rather complacent in my mindset from High School in that I didn't branch out too much and find my niche. The problem with my ambition for finding this niche is that I was looking for stability, predictability, and the biggest bane of all, comfort. After spending a year and a half at this College that contained many kids from my High School, and was a mere 2 hour drive from home, I realized it was time for a change. After talking with my parents, I decided I wanted to transfer schools; the first time that moving schools was based on my owe prerogative.

Now, after I completed my first year of school at TCU, a school 1500 miles away from my home where I knew no one coming in, I have had more success in all aspects of life that I thought possible. I have made more friends in one year than I had at the two years at my prior university. I have achieved a better gpa despite the academics being more rigorous at my new school. And I have a newfound spring in my step that was galvanized only by taking a jump into the deep end. Something clicked in my head when I switched schools that changed the whole dynamic of my outlook on life. And I believe that this mindset came to me the second I went from my complacent, comfortable life in California, to a more lively and zealous life that would be miserable unless I decided to be more forthright and dedicated in all areas of my life.

I believe that the truth in Mr. Disney's quote is most evident when you are able to look at the mistake you made in your life with a level head, assimilate the issue, and carry on with the mindset that things can only get better from here on out. If you can throw yourself in a situation where your success is dependent upon acting quick, or being swept away, coming from a situation of failure into an atmosphere like this only catalyzes success. The hardest things in life generally lends to it being difficult in the early stages, the pivotal point in which just taking those first few steps could be the difference between your success, or a blunder. Instead of hesitating to do something due to internal strife or disagreement, taking the leap of faith is not only usually the most rewarding avenue, but the one that you feel most confident in yourself about.