I've been thinking about this a lot as school gets more intense, as college letters start to come, and as standardized test scores make their way to my mailbox. I'm focusing my ambitions more and more, and setting certain goals, like being valedictorian, attending MIT or a comparable school, keeping my GPA about 4.0. However, I'm starting to worry what will happen if (and when) I fail at one of my lofty goals. I'm sure some will be accomplished, but I know that failure at even one could be crushing. I'm imagining situations- who could get valedictorian instead of me, or what course could be the downfall of my GPA.
"Reach for the Stars." It's all over posters in classrooms and is a regular proverb of inspirational speakers. But is it really beneficial? Our lives are already so short and insignificant. Is it worth it to waste a life with worry and inevitable failure by setting impossible goals? Would it be better to simply be resigned to our incompetence and do nothing? Maybe I should just give up, stop setting myself up for disappointment.
Then I think of the benefits of educations. Sometimes I get so stressed that I forget how much I actually LIKE school and learning. (I know, I know, I'm a nerd) I think of how much I WANT to achieve these goals I have set for myself. Furthermore, in my experience, the more ambition you have, the farther you get in life. Some of the smartest people I know, such as my father, don't try at all, and end up failing. Some less intelligent people have achieved moderate success through hard work and determination.
Unless I end up working for NASA, reaching for the stars is bound to result in failure. However, I might make it halfway. If you simply reach for the remote, even if you succeed, you have barely done anything. So even if I don't achieve everything I want to, perhaps I can have some of it. Because if I don't try, I won't even come close.
Back to studying for finals, then.
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