How have you overcome failure and what did you learn from it? (250-500)
It is all too easy to give up on something when it gets hard. Admittedly, I have given up on so many activities that I have lost count. Every time I give up, regret fills me. I often wonder: if I had continued, how far could I have gone? The one activity that I regret giving up the most is Tae Kwon Do.
I started Tae Kwon Do in the fourth grade and continued the martial art until the end of middle school when I got my purple belt, marking the halfway point to black belt. The master even got me a custom-made black belt with my name on it from South Korea, and hung it up with other belts that were waiting to be earned. The higher level belt I received, the more I wanted to obtain that black belt. I loved Taekwondo: it was not only a way to exercise and relieve stress, but also a way to learn more about this important aspect of Korean culture. I learned many historical facts about Korean, and even learned some of the language. In all my years of martial arts, I never imagined stopping.
However, this changed quickly. When I started high school, I found that my daily workload increased, so much that it became impossible just to go to class, let alone prepare for belt testing. I had to stop, or allow my grades to suffer the consequences. I stopped Taekwondo, and just like that, my small yet important dream of getting a black belt was crushed. Now that I will be leaving for college soon, I know it is pointless to go back and try to get the belt; there just is not enough time for me to relearn the techniques and race through the belt obtaining process to get seven belts in one year. To this day, whenever I see someone do martial arts, I think back to that black belt on the wall with my name on it, never earned. I think about my master, who had such high hopes for me that she had a belt made for me. And when I do, I feel guilty for never going back. I failed myself for giving up and allowing my dream to be crushed.
What I wish I had done is rather than go three times a week as I had done for years, go once a week, and slowly work my way up to black belt. I did not have to keep going as often as I did before, as long as I made progress towards getting that black belt. Though I know I cannot get my black belt here, I want to do Taekwondo in the future, and this time, I refuse to give up. This experience has also taught me not to give up on what I love just because I cannot find the time for it. As long as I make progress and am happy with what I am doing, I can go at my own pace to accomplish my goals and fulfil my dreams. This is how I plan to go through college.