The Time I Beat Addiction by Joseph

The Time I Beat Addiction by Joseph - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

Experiencing failure can lead to personal growth in character and in my case this is exactly what happened. Failing to make my high school soccer team during my junior year opened my eyes to the importance of hard work and dedication. It also taught me an invaluable lesson.
Failure oftentimes is the result of a lack of motivation, determination and prioritization. Before experiencing disappointment, I was able to easily float through just about anything I liked and still excel at it. As a young adult, I spent my entire summer indoors, barely eating enough food to survive, coupled with 6-8 hours a day of playing video games. My mindset abruptly changed when I showed up to soccer tryouts and realized that I did not physically and mentally condition my body correctly for becoming a team member. After three days of what should've been routine practice for me, I was notified by the coaches that I was not at the fitness or skill level that I should be for my age and consequently, I did not make the team. Following this rejection was a doctor’s appointment the next day that my mother had scheduled for me months ago. The doctor addressed my very low weight level and his tone was serious. This was the first real wake-up call for me that life is not handed to you, and you must work for what you want.
The realization of failing to make the soccer team and the concerns about my low weight were very troubling and I immediately began to turn things around. I attended the gym on a daily basis and followed a strict high-calorie diet regimen. With hard work and consistency, I began to see positive results and change in my body. Seeing these changes gave me a feeling of satisfaction that I was really very unfamiliar with. I then began to apply the same mindset of planning out my meals and workouts ahead of time, and carried it over to develop better habits that would help me in school. Building effective time management skills when working on papers and projects led to better results in my homework assignments and grades. Following these positive changes consistently in my life produced the most productive year ever and when this summer began, I was out practicing soccer on a constant basis. I was elated to make the team as a senior.
From this experience, I realize that it's much better to know that you have tried your hardest, rather than knowing that you have failed in achieving your goal without even trying. Failure can act as the catalyst that provides someone with that extra push that is needed. It also helps to encourage the individual to make a drastic change in order to succeed. The feeling of accomplishing success after applying yourself is indescribable, especially when comparing it to something that shows no effort at all. What a person can earn will far surpass what you’re given, but the individual must be willing to make effective changes.
Although it was a disappointment, I am thankful that I didn’t make the soccer team in junior year. The impact that it created was eye-opening to me in a positive way. It was beneficial for me in the long-run to understand the importance of putting in effort in order to achieve the goals I was reaching for. The transformation in character and attitude has provided me with a newfound enjoyment and stronger mindset. When moving forward in college I know I will apply myself in a strong and consistent manner, and now I’m very excited about my future, because it will be what I make of it: successful.