Meghan F., Incarnation Catholic School
Always Keep Trying
Every day provides a new opportunity to improve yourself and your impact on others. Changing your outlook on these opportunities takes determination. When something is hard, it is easy to let the matter go and give up, but in life, that will never be the best option. Using my own personal strengths and motivation, I have learned how to use these tools to overcome any challenges I face.
I recently had an audition for Clara in The Nutcracker, a role I have dreamed of receiving since I was 6 years old. Last year, I wanted a callback and didn’t get one, but this year, I was trying for the role. For weeks leading up to the audition, I trained nonstop. I knew if I worked extremely hard, I could have a chance. There has never been a Clara as young as me before, so I was aware that the chances of me getting the role were slim. Despite these odds, I still practiced the choreography every day, and improved every time. I motivated myself to keep going, because I knew that if I did, the reward would be huge. I practiced with my best friend, because the role was open to two people, and we both set out minds on it. Together, we motivated each other to keep working hard and being determined. I used my positive attitude to motivate both of us to do our best.
When the time finally came to audition, I poured my heart and soul into the dance. I knew that all I had trained for had led up to this. When I got a callback, I was beyond thrilled. Just like I had done in the audition, I put everything I had into the callback. The next day, I got the role. When I found out, I was ecstatic. All of my family and friends were so supportive of me. And when my best friend, who worked just as hard as I did, also got the role, we celebrated together. We used our personal strengths to lift each other up and motivate each other all the way through, and in the end, it paid off. This experience taught me that whatever I set my mind to, I can achieve using my personal strengths of hard work and determination.
Overall, the experience of me getting my dream role taught me valuable lessons, such as how having a positive attitude can motivate you to work hard at achieving whatever kind of goals you have set. I learned that no matter the odds, when something is challenging, taking a shot at it will always have the most rewarding outcome.
