By: Amanda G.
There are plenty of people out there
that don’t give their best. In fact, everyone experiences a downfall at some
point or another. But why do something if you aren’t going to put any effort
into it? Why bother showing up to school every day until you’re 16 to just
quit? Or, why even go on to college to say, “I’ll do enough to pass, or maybe
enough to get a C” because you don’t feel like doing better quality work?
What’s the reason in that?
I personally grew up being
“forced” to take tae kwon do during my childhood. I got my black belt
(willingly, after some fights) in August 2011 and it taught me several things.
One of the values that became drilled in my head as a result of approximately 7
years of training was effort. The moment I decided I wanted to get my black
belt, I started giving 110% of my best every day. Now, that doesn’t mean I was
always wonderful, but if I was feeling at maybe 50%, I still gave 110% of
everything I had. I always did my best from that point onward.
This lesson on effort doesn’t
just apply to my tae kwon do either. People every day just drag through their
lives thinking, “Well, it’ll get better once this happens, and I’ll try then.
But for now, I’ll just wait like this...” But this way of thinking has a few faults.
First, what if what you’re waiting for never comes and you spend the rest of
your life just being blah? I would hate that for myself. I wouldn’t want to
bother going through life like that. We all have to go through the ups and
downs of life, but I am taking something good out of it to carry with me.
Or, maybe you just don’t feel like
putting your best effort into school because you’re extremely athletic. Putting
your all into sports seems logical, right? But then why go to school? Why not
just be a professional athlete? And if you’re this person, you might say, “Well
we’re required to go to school until 16.” But think about this for a minute. If
you’re going to attend school for 16 years, which is a very long time, why not
go and make the most out of it?
I can’t make you do your best
in everything and I sometimes slack off on things myself. But, if you’re going
to spend a long time doing something, you should probably figure out how to
utilize every moment of it. School is a huge chunk of the teen life, so it’s
probably the best idea to go ahead and find a way to enjoy it.
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI love your philosophy on life to give your best by putting 100%+ effort in everything you do. I believe if we all did that, we would have more fulfilled lives. This article will not only help to inspire students, but teachers as well. I know that you have helped me to realize even on the days I don't seem to be up for doing my best, I need to give my best effort anyway. Thanks for your inspiring words.
Without taking opportunities, you'll get stuck in ruts! And the attitude that you go into the activity with will ultimately decide your experience with it. One of the IB learner profiles is being open minded, which is what we should all strive to be with both people and experiences. Thank you for your thoughts on how to really get the most out of life!
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes it's easy to say- I'm forced to take this class, have this schedule, do this work. I think it's just as easy to forget that these classes, schedules, workloads all have positive effects. Whether it's better preparation for college, college credit, or the creation of good habits. It's important to realize the opportunities you're offered.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that everyone must do many things they are not willing/able to do. Your attitude of sticking with it and understanding the bigger picture is definitely a mature attitude that will pay dividends in the future.
ReplyDeleteI admire your philosophy and attitude. It is easy to just sit back and do nothing or just go through the motions.
ReplyDeleteOne's success in academic/professional world is often strongly influenced by so-called "hobbies". Martial arts is an excellent one, teaching the student skills that will enhance his or her whole life. An opposite example - if a person spends time watching sports on TV, it would be hard for that person to get into philosophy of perseverance.
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