Writing Prompt #2

What does the following quote mean to you?  "You don’t get to pick where you’re from, but you always have control of where you’re going."

I think this quote is pretty self-explanatory. We don't have the ability to pick where we start out our lives, but you have the option of what you plan to do with your future. The beginning of your life is paved by your parents, but the future is really up to you. Sure, it is likely to be more difficult for a person who came up in a poor family with minimal connections to pursue their dream when compared to a person raised in a wealthy and well connected family, however, under either circumstance the future can be bright if you want it to be. It is annoying constantly hearing people complain about not going anywhere in life because they grew up in small town Iowa. It bothers me because they have the ability to leave the nest, but they’re so caught up in the fact that they started somewhere they consider to be “the bottom” that they don’t seize their opportunity to make it to “the top.” 

Prompt #2

Describe a significant setback, challenge or opportunity in your life and the impact that it has had on you.

I have been lucky enough to have many different opportunities to better myself as a student, athlete, and person. Some of the best experiences I have had in my young life would be qualifying for state in tennis, volleyball, and basketball. Each trip was different, but I won't forget any of them.
Tennis has always been a highlighted sport in Red Oak, so coming in there was always a lot of pressure and a certain expectation of success, but I never felt as if there was too much pressure because tennis teams are more like families. I would say my freshman year at state was a humbling experience for our team. It really showed us there were other teams like us who had a tradition of excellence and we left with a fourth place finish. The fourth place finish lit a fire in us and we worked even harder the next season and our team was able to finish as state runner-ups. We were also state runner-ups last year, but it was a much more competitive match than the year before. Our improvement each year taught my teammates and me that if you put your mind to something, your goals can become more attainable.
Success was also common for our volleyball teams in Red Oak. My freshman year we lost in the Regional finals and that was one of the worst feelings. After the loss our team was determined not to let that happen again. We qualified for state my sophomore, junior, and senior years, and they were some of the best times of my life. The best experience for me had to have been this year, not only because we won our first match, but because the team itself was so much fun. We worked extra hard this off season, at camps, open gyms, and weight sessions. The hard work paid off because we made it to the semifinals and gave the #1 seed a run for their money. Without all of the success we had in volleyball I'm not sure I would have wanted to continue playing in college and coach when I am older.
Now basketball is a different story. Red Oak had a tradition of being bad at basketball, so when our team won six games my freshman year that was fairly good and not appalling, but no one would have expected us to qualify for state the next year. State basketball was a new experience, and although we got killed in our game to the eventual state champions it was something I will never forget. Our basketball team was an example of a team that may not have had the most talent, but I remember we always played with a lot of heart. Sometimes enough heart and dedication is all that you need to find success.
Success in the sports I love, shows hard work really does pay off. Trips to state in tennis, volleyball, and basketball are full of memories I'm forever grateful for.

Prompt #1

If a handful of people can change the world for the worse, then I am certain that a handful of people can change the world for the better.

What will you do to make this world of ours, which feels so broken right now, a better place?

I think one of the easiest ways to make the world seem like a better place is to have a positive attitude, and once the world seems like a better place to enough people, it will actually become one.  Sometimes being positive is nearly impossible, and I will admit that at times I am as negative as everyone else. However, I really do try to stay positive most of the time and hope that as I get older I become an even more positive person, and the goal is to spread it to as many people as possible, and that is one reason I'd love to be a coach in the future. I think it'd be great to be a positive impact in teenagers' lives because they're some of the people who need it the most. Being positive truly makes things much more enjoyable, so I don't know why you wouldn't spread positive energy to everyone you interact with?