Success

I saw a very inspirational and motivational video today. Ironically, it was because I was on Facebook that I saw this video.

It’s called: How Bad do You Want It?

A motivational video on success. Don’t be fooled by it’s cliché really-buff-guy-working-out-because-he-wants-to-play-football montage. It’s the story that’s being told in the background that’s inspiring.

It really brought back a lot. A while back, I wrote on how I used to put in so much more effort, tried so much harder. Back in IB, the motto was “Sleep is an Addiction”. I could, everyone in our graduating class could, go nights on nights with less than 5 hours of sleep or none at all and still make it through the day; still make it to volunteer work; still make it to extra-curricular activities.

A few weeks ago, someone asked a question, “Do you guys ever get so busy or so engaged that you forget to eat?” I chuckled at that question, thinking who would forget to eat. Watching this video reminded me that this actually happens. We used to be so caught up on doing TOK presentations, writing World Lits, doing case studies that there would be no time to eat. I used to power through 18-hour days and eat half my meals in the car. Now, I don’t even work up enough motivation to do half of that. I’m not saying it’s a great lifestyle to live. But when you want to succeed, it’s what it takes.

IB bred that kind of environment for me and I feel as though I’ve let it go coming to university. You hear everyone talk about just getting above the average to be bell curved up. Or that they only need the credit, doesn’t matter what mark they get.

A lot of people say university is very competitive and it’s true, it can be. But I feel it would only be very competitive if you, yourself, make it that way. I feel as though it’s more of a competition with yourself. People complain a lot on how they don’t succeed or how they can’t do something. I’m guilty for being one of those. I tell myself I can’t do it before I even start.

I remember in high school on a math test, there was one question at the very end I just couldn’t get the answer to. I kept trying and trying, but eventually in the end I just said, “I can’t do it.” I still remember very distinctively what my math teacher said to me that moment. Mr. Harwood, “Don’t tell yourself that. You’ve already lost if you think like that to begin with.” It was very true. I got the test back and it was an incredibly simple method that I knew and even did it on a previous question on the same test.

I won’t spoil the video for anyone who wants to watch it, but one line that really touched me, “When you want to succeed as much as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.”

My parents are always saying, opportunities are only available for the prepared. It’s nice to dream about that one-in-a-million shot, but even for those that get the opportunity, they had what it takes to make that one-in-a-million shot count.

If you are going to do anything, make it count. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.

piece.lemur

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