Aaron--Work

As I sit here writing this now, I struggle to formulate my thoughts and put them on paper. I have several experiences in which I want to convey to you the reader, hoping that you will walk away with just a little bit of knowledge gained. But my experiences are mine, and while I may think you can feel the emotion I felt in each of them just by reading about it, you can’t. In life we are on a journey of our own. Sure, we may see people along the way and receive support and guidance and help along the way, but at the end of the day the only person that is held accountable for your actions is you.

I believe that each and every individual is put on this earth with a purpose. Some find it and fulfill it, some don’t find it and their purpose dies along with them. However, the people I feel most sorry for are the ones who do find their purpose, but do not fulfill it. To have success right in your grasp and to not make it is a terrible thing. If you ever find your purpose in life, if you ever think up some outrageous and daring dream, chase it. Don’t let the opportunity to do something great pass you by. Don’t let in the moment priorities and actions destroy your chance to be something great down the road. You can’t go through life living in the moment, but should always think of the objective that lies ahead. Maybe you are tired, but what if getting up that much earlier to go for a run makes you better? You do want to hang out with friends, but what if staying home and studying turns that B into an A? The question is, “what are you willing to do to ensure no stone goes unturned in order to be the best you?”

But you see, this journey of reaching our full potential is more than just taking an opportunity. You have to work for it. You have to put in grueling hours to get better and sometimes it isn’t going to happen or something won’t go your way. But that does not mean to quit. The worst thing a person can do is work towards a goal and when it gets tough, throw in the towel and walk away. Failures build success. It’s that simple. You can’t learn from a mistake and work to be better without failing not once, not twice, but multiple times. So how do you stay on the grind when it gets tough? You keep that end, that goal, that dream in sight. You zero in on what is to come of all the blood, sweat, and tears and you push through. Les Brown, a motivational speaker, once said, “When life knocks you down, try and land on your back because if you can look up, you can get up.”

As I conclude this writing, I hope to have reached some of you. But the fact of the matter is, I most likely didn’t. In life, you have to walk your own path. You have to see the mistakes, the pain, the trials and the errors all on your own before you can understand what it means to work towards a purpose. And the greatest thing of all is that we can never stop growing. There is always a new path, a new goal, and a new dream to work towards each offering a new lesson.