So many times in life do we set high standards for ourselves to achieve. We want to be a doctor, we want to make the Olympic team, we want to do this and that, but so often do we get so caught up in the process we end up falling short of our goals and sufficing with less than desired. Often said... if there is a will, there is a way.
Just the other day, I returned from traveling to Asia and went to practice with my home swim team for the first time. In many of my old teammates, I had seen a lack in effort and passion. Attitude seemed negative and effort seemed low. Even though I saw potential in my teammates, they lacked a sort of passion that was needed to get them going again. They needed to encourage each other to push each other through the practice. Over the years, I myself have experienced the slump that many athletes go through at one time or another. What I had learned is that, success is not solely based on how hard you train, but also the attitude and mentality that you train with. When you change your attitude at practice, your positivity directly reflects in what you do and the success you achieve.
Everyone has the potential to be successful, but what separates the good from the great, is the road they take to get there.
Settling does not only apply to sport, its a prevalent issue with academics as well. As a student at a university with a fairly rigorous curriculum for the STEM subjects, I found myself in a slump halfway through my second semester of college. Never in my life had school been a serious challenge, one that I felt like I couldn't handle. I was taking physics at the time, and we had just finished taking our second test. I had felt prepared and ready. All the students anxiously waited for the results to be released.
When I saw my score, I about died, because after that test I was failing the class, badly. I contemplated what I would have to do, failure was not an option. When the third test came around, I had studied till I felt comfortable with the concepts and actually understood what I was doing. I had gotten an A on that test and went from failing to passing with flying colors. The difference between the first and second tests was not the amount of time I studied, but rather the attitude I studied with. Attitude plays such a key role.
Some people are just naturally talented and smart, but for the majority of people, effort is required to achieve our goals.
Sometimes, we falter and loose sigh of our goals, but never should it be an option to give up. There are people to help you along the way, people who have been where you are and people to support and guide you. They are often right in front of you, you just have to reach out to them and ask for help. Set sight on what you want, and run after it with passion.
