Never changing who I am.
So this past weekend was our final robotics competition of the season in Ft. Lauderdale. Long story short, we lost.
Yes, we were the only team the entire weekend to climb to the top of the pyramid (and consistently for that matter), we brought home the Excellence in Engineering award for our "King Kong-like" climbing mechanism, we remained the only alliance the entire weekend to bring down last year's world champions, we ranked 9th out of 46, and we captained our own alliance heading into the elimination rounds. Yes, this was our best season ever. But, our goal was to make it to the championships in St. Louis and we came up a bit short. No matter the cause (ahem, string) we failed to win it all.
And early today, I wrote a depressed little entry about this, but decided to hold it off.
Often times, we seem to be surrounded by those who aim high and seem to always achieve their goals, often landing even higher. It's discouraging to fall short of things that you've spent weeks, months, or years trying to achieve and perfect. And there's kind of a hollow feeling when you miss a goal. Was it worth it to even try?
Well yeah it was. In the end, it's not about how many awards collect dust on your dresser, or how many A's grace your report card, or whatever it may be. None of us are perfect, and we all have things to learn. Take each experience and learn from it. For example, okay you want good grades so what did you do before that prevented those? You want to be a state champ in whatever, what's the hurdle in your way? You want to be closer to God, your family, your friends, what distanced you from them in the first place?
Every experience we have should be a learning one. Even the greatest successes of modern history have overcome roadblocks. Thomas Edison, when questioned about multiple failed attempts at the invention of the light bulb, replied:
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Title from "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons
Yes, we were the only team the entire weekend to climb to the top of the pyramid (and consistently for that matter), we brought home the Excellence in Engineering award for our "King Kong-like" climbing mechanism, we remained the only alliance the entire weekend to bring down last year's world champions, we ranked 9th out of 46, and we captained our own alliance heading into the elimination rounds. Yes, this was our best season ever. But, our goal was to make it to the championships in St. Louis and we came up a bit short. No matter the cause (ahem, string) we failed to win it all.
And early today, I wrote a depressed little entry about this, but decided to hold it off.
Often times, we seem to be surrounded by those who aim high and seem to always achieve their goals, often landing even higher. It's discouraging to fall short of things that you've spent weeks, months, or years trying to achieve and perfect. And there's kind of a hollow feeling when you miss a goal. Was it worth it to even try?
Well yeah it was. In the end, it's not about how many awards collect dust on your dresser, or how many A's grace your report card, or whatever it may be. None of us are perfect, and we all have things to learn. Take each experience and learn from it. For example, okay you want good grades so what did you do before that prevented those? You want to be a state champ in whatever, what's the hurdle in your way? You want to be closer to God, your family, your friends, what distanced you from them in the first place?
Every experience we have should be a learning one. Even the greatest successes of modern history have overcome roadblocks. Thomas Edison, when questioned about multiple failed attempts at the invention of the light bulb, replied:
"I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I havesucceeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work."Michael Jordan, 6-time NBA champion and 5-time MVP, is quoted to say:
I have failed over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed.The failures we come upon in life are not a means of end, but a starting point of successes in the future. Learn and go on, not changing or yielding to any conceived feelings of failure.
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Title from "It's Time" by Imagine Dragons
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