3 Quotes to Live By

In high school, I had tried out for several sports teams, yet I was never good enough. The constant rejections impacted my self-esteem and made me question my self-worth. In grade 10, I tried out for the field hockey team but was nervous because I had absolutely no clue how to play. (Most people didn’t know how to play, and the coaches said that you didn’t need to have any experience to try out). During tryouts, I tried my best, but I couldn’t shake the little voice of doubt in my mind telling me that I wasn’t good enough. I ended up making it past first cuts but then was cut during the second round. In grade eleven, I decided that I desperately wanted to be on the team, more so than I had in grade 10. When I tried out in grade 11, the voice of doubt crept in again, but this time I not only told myself that I was going to make the team, but I believed that I could. I believed in myself and gave it my all. Then I waited for the results and was ecstatic and relieved that I had made the team.  It was astonishing to see how having confidence in myself can make an immense difference. From this quote, I have learned that instead of overthinking and doubting myself, I need to believe in myself.

Ever since I was little, I have always enjoyed reading. In grades one and two, I really liked the Rainbow Magic series by Daisy Meadows, but I think the key to me falling in love with reading stemmed from the series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riodan. As I grew up, I was always reading, and I often turned to reading as a way to keep myself occupied. It was grade eight that I realized that English was my favourite subject, and then grade eleven, where I realized that I loved English and I might pursue it. However, throughout high school, my idea of going into English was only an idea. My thoughts about studying English wavered as doubts and fears came flooding into my mind. Thoughts such as, “What happens if I can’t find a job afterward?” What else can I do with an English degree, besides being a teacher, since teaching isn’t something I am particularly interested in. English wasn’t something I was sure that I wanted to study because society places greater importance on math and science, and most of my friends were going into those fields. During the second semester of grade twelve, each grade twelve had to pick a quote that would go beside their photo in the yearbook. I ended up using this quote because I decided that I was going to university to study English. I realized that I wanted to pursue English, despite everyone saying that there are no jobs in the field, despite everyone saying it’s useless, and despite everyone saying that people who pursue English aren’t smart or aren’t as good as people who take math or science.

This is a quote that I often revisit when I am feeling discouraged because it reminds me that even in times of despair, I am in control of my life and that the next day can be better. It is an optimistic perspective that I wish I could constantly have. It’s a quote that I want to try to live by in university, as it reminds me that I can do anything I want and that every day is a fresh start waiting to happen. Although we can’t control everything that happens in life, we can control the way we react. Just because I have one bad day, doesn’t mean that the next day has to be like that, unless I make it so. The world is full of opportunities and sometimes we just have to stop moping around, be optimistic, and embrace all that life has to offer.