Finding Inspiration in my own Failures by Leah

Finding Inspiration in my own Failures by Leah - November 2022 Scholarship Essay

I can find inspiration in many things, even my own failures. From my freshman to junior year I was the best on my cross country team. That changed my senior year when two of my teammates ran faster times than me and I became the third-best runner. This was really hard on me mentally and I just had to keep going and keep pushing myself. This eventually led me to newfound motivation to be a better leader and teammate.
The beginning of my senior season was a very hard time for my mental health because I was happy that my teammates were doing well and at the same time I was sad and confused about why I wasn’t performing as well as them. I am so thankful for my coach, as in the midst of my struggles, he made sure to remind me that being a leader doesn't mean being the fastest runner, it means you are the most encouraging and loving teammate you can possibly be no matter the circumstances. Those words truly resonated and really inspired me. They inspired me to be the best version of myself; I made sure to always tell my teammates how well they were doing and to provide them with whatever help they needed . Whether the help is with running advice, or just needing a friend to talk to, I made sure to be there for all of them.
Even though I wasn't the best runner on the team anymore, I made sure to be the best leader I could be for my teammates. I can thank my personal failure for providing inspiration and motivation for myself to improve as a person. Even if the season didn’t quite play out how I would have liked, I could not be more grateful for the memories and friends.