Dethroned by Cydne

Dethroned by Cydne - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

My heart was nearly escaping out of my chest. A wave of anxiety rushed over my body and I was ready to leave. This day had finally arrived—my role in this group would finally be revealed. I had just performed a dance, which I labored over for countless hours, and I was about to learn if I earned a solo for our performance. My teacher walked forward. A hush fell across the room and in my mind I heard a drum roll.
My teacher announced the first soloist. The name called was not mine. First strike. Then the second soloist was revealed. It still was not me— strike two. Finally, my teacher told us who the last soloist was. Would I win the solo that I had prepared for? Would I rise to the top again? Neither of those situations happened and the third strike appeared. I was out. A rush of hot tears filled my eyes. The heat of embarrassment consumed me and the cheers of excitement from the soloists did nothing but increase my despair. Why wasn’t I good enough?
Losing had never been easy for me, especially when it involved something that I truly enjoyed. I will admit, I was extremely bitter after I lost. It felt like I had been dethroned from this imaginary pedestal I had put myself on due to my previous successes. After nearly drowning in self-pity, I remember what my teacher once told me. She stated, “Failure happens in everyone's lives, but using those moments when success eludes you to better yourself can make it all worthwhile.”
I began to use my failure as a motivation to change myself and become a stronger dancer and a better person. I practiced even harder than before and focused on dancing, rather than on receiving a solo and gaining attention. I realized that my need for attention caused a lack of passion for the sport. I was dancing for the spotlight, not for the joy of it. My teacher’s advice resulted in my desire to dance again and my discovery that I can fail successfully. It's possible to make those not-so-happy moments into great ones. In the words of Bill Gates, "It's fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure."