We Fall So We Rise by Alejandro

We Fall So We Rise by Alejandro - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” - Vince Lombardi. This quote resonates with me in every fiber of my being. This was undoubtedly the most important thing I have learned in high school. It followed me in every aspect in life whether it was beating a challenge, finishing something, or even doing a sport. They all taught me that same lesson Lombardi had said.

Some of you already know that it is hard, it’s not easy. It’s hard changing your life. I myself incurred a lot of disappointment, a lot of failure, a lot of pain. I had times were all I could do was to believe in myself and walk forth. Now you know that I, you, or nobody is going to hit hard as life. But it is not how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. We all fall down in life the question is who gets back up. Most people won’t be successful because when it starts getting hard they quit. Once you quit you can never get it back. They don’t have that indomitable will to keep them going. We learn about it in the history books. We learn about it in the sports we play. We learn about it in real life situations. Do you think Martin Luther King gave up on equality? The inches we need are all around us that can only be reached by will.

Successful people aren’t made in offices. They are from something they have deep inside them a desire, a dream, a vision, a strong will. “Greatness is not this wonderful esoteric, illusive god life feature that only the special among us will ever taste. It is something that truly exists in all of us” – Will Smith. That quote could not have been said in a better way. You don’t need this or that to define you. All you need is an iron will. That was my sudden realization in life. My greatest lesson I learned in highschool. My greatest lesson I learned period.