NCHThis I Believe...
I Believe in Perseverance
Avante Upshaw
I believe that you can do anything that you put your mind to. If you really want it and if you are really serious in persuing your goal, then there’s no reason in not accomplishing that ambition. Anything that is worth having is worth working for, but if you doubt your self then yes it will be beyond your reach. I understand that it’s easy to be skeptical or not have faith in your own ability, but all that just means that you have a have a spirit of fear. Just as it may be natural to have an “I don’t know if I can do it” type attitude, its also human nature to fully accept and welcome a challenge. No one said that life would be easy, which is something that I have come to accept as I am going through my first year in college.
I remember when I was ten years old and just learning how to ride a bike. It was a big deal for me because at the time I considered that riding a 12 speed made you certified cool person. Plus everyone I knew had been riding their bikes without training wheels long before the 5th grade, which presumably made me a late bloomer. It was agonizing to know that I could not enjoy the utmost birthday gift a ten year old could ask for, and that I would never be able to enjoy it as long as I had needed those God forsaking training wheels. My parents at first did not help alleviate the problem due to their backwards thinking. When they gave me my new bike, it really didn’t dawn on them that the oldest son had not yet learn how to ride a bike. They had this perceived notion that I would miraculously get on the top of the seat, magically balance myself, and inexplicably start riding the bike as though I was Lance Armstrong. Unfortunately, we all realized that that was not going to happen. Historically I was a quick leaner when it came to things like this, but this was a completely different situation. My first time trying to get on the bike was a complete disaster, as gravity threw me to ground signifying that I wasn’t a worthy candidate for the twelve speed HUFFY.
I tried again the next day in my driveway, and the same result occurred with the addition of a bloody knee and scraped hands. Every time I tried to ride the bike I fell, and I became more and more discouraged. My parents eventually came to my rescue, but the more they tried teaching me, the least I improved. Seeing all my fellow peers riding around the neighborhood popping wheelies just made me more flustered. I was ten years and I couldn’t ride down the street without training wheels. Jut that fact motivated me to keep getting back on that bike and learn how to ride. I stop complaining about how I couldn’t do it, and instead started to convince myself that I could do it. When I started believing in myself I saw what I wanted to accomplish and concentrated on that goal. Every time I fell I got back up and tried again. I knew that I would soon learn how to ride my bike if I really put my mind to it. Eventually, I finally was riding side by side with the other kids in the neighborhood, which was probably one of the most significant days of my life.
As I look back on that event I recognize how foolish I acted towards the whole situation. It was unnecessary for me to automatically give up when I didn’t see immediate success. But I knew that I had to eventually learn no matter how long it took me. If I really wanted to enjoy my new bike then I knew that I would have stop doubting and preserver. I put faith in my efforts and saw that I could do it if I really put my mind to it. Anything that is worth having is worth working for. Not everything comes easy, but if you put your heart and mind into it then you will reap the rewards. Whether it is learning how to ride a bike, earning a 4.0 G.P.A at Tech, or becoming an owner of your own business, you must realize that it’s not impossible to achieve. I believe that you can do any of these things if you put your mind to it.