Let me preface this by stating I am not insane. I am not obsessive, and there is no need to place a restraining order on me.
I am simply a determined person.
Determination comes in numerous and varied fashions. I am a firm believer that determination has the power and ability to lead to great success. A few weekends ago, while watching Saturday Night Live, I was reminded of one of my personal feats of success caused by an undeniable sense of determination.
Over the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college, my parents flew me out to New York City to visit my best friend. Although I was traveling to arguably the greatest city in the world, all I wanted to do was to attend a live taping of The Tonight Show Staring Jimmy Fallon. My adoration with the late night talk show host began when I was nine years old and saw the (what I consider) cinematic masterpiece, Fever Pitch staring Drew Barrymore and the one and only, Jimmy Fallon. After my first introduction to the comedian, my infatuation with the Saturday Night Live alum and talk show host only grew. While in New York, rather than the common eagerness of going to the Statue of Liberty or spending the afternoon strolling through Central Park, I simply watned to watch a live taping of The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.
Without having purchased tickets a year in advance, our only option of getting a seat at a live taping was by way of the stand-by ticket line. To clarify, stand-by tickets do not ensure a seat, but instead the opportunity of a seat in the case of a person with a ticket not coming to the taping. As the stand-by ticket line is open to the general public, it was important we were the first in line so we chose to take drastic measures.
Some might call us crazy as we decided to camp out in front of the Rockefeller Center at 9 p.m. the evening prior to the 9 a.m. ticket distribution.
On Sunday night, after purchasing folding chairs, extra blankets, a blow-up mattress, and snacks, we began our twelve hour journey awaiting ticket distribution. The process was cold, and during the late hours of the night, quite scary. However, we had no trouble making friends with Saturday Night Live stagehands, the owner of a 24-hour deli around the corner who kindly let us use his restroom, the security guard, Ken, and the kind man who mistook us for homeless women and tried to give us money.
Finally, around 5 a.m, other fans began to show up and wait in line. At 9 a.m., we were handed the first two stand-by tickets as we were the first two in line. Only a few short hours later we were ushered onto the soundstage where The Tonight Show is filmed. We followed an intern down the stairs, etching closer and closer to the stage, and were finally gestured to our seats in the second row where we sat at a live taping of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
I am determined to do well in school, be handed a diploma on graduation day, become a powerful professional, and lead a happy, impactful and meaningful life. I am determined to achieve greatness and success. On that warm summer night, surrounded by the hustle of New York City, I was determined to obtain tickets to a live taping of The Tonight Show. My doing so goes to show that determination exists in all aspects of one’s life. That evening, our determination paid off as we laughed, cried, and sat in utter awe while watching Jimmy Fallon live.
If you are determined, not matter how big or small your determination is, I believe if you work hard, keep your eye on the prize, and honestly believe in yourself, no matter how silly or unrealistic your goals might be, you have the capacity to succeed and achieve greatness.