Abilities are Limitless by Victory

Abilities are Limitless by Victory - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve,” – Napoleon Hill

It is commonly heard that as a person grows with age, they also grow with wisdom. In my time as a high school student I have learned a lot both in the classroom and not, and it has shaped me into the person that I have become today. I have seen the endless bounds of laughter and opportunity that education, sports, and clubs have to offer. I have also seen the blood, sweat, and tears that come from hours and hours of hard work and determination to become successful and learn how to manage the things that must be done, with the things we want to do. As my time of free education is quickly coming to an end, I know I still have much more to learn and to experience. However, in knowing what I know now from my own experiences and of those around me, there is a single piece of advice I would share to younger students. Simply put, it is this: Never let anyone hinder your ability to achieve your dreams.
In reflection to the opening quote by Napoleon Hill, there is a notion that one’s ability is limitless. From this quote is where my advice to young students was adapted. There are crucial moments throughout high school, for example, when choices must be made to determine the rest of one’s life. Within these moments dreams are born. I can personally say that I have been told a countless amount of times that the personal dreams and goals that I have made for myself aren’t achievable. I have also heard about others who have been told that they aren’t good enough, or it just won’t happen. As a young student, hearing these things can sometimes be one of the hardest things to hear. This is why I cannot stress this piece of advice enough. The only limiting factor to achieving success is oneself. If someone has a dream that they want to become the next top chemical engineer, then they can absolutely do it, no matter what.
According to a social psychologist at the University of California-Davis, Alison Ledgerwood, when negativity comes into one’s life, it is very hard to get it to leave whether or not positivity strikes it (this can be heard in the TED Talk “Getting Stuck in the Negatives”). This reflects then with the mindset of the individual. And, especially in high school, I know that there is a lot of negativity floating around both academically and socially whether a student wants it or not. If someone tells a young student that they cannot be the next top chemical engineer, I urge them to ignore the negativity. Do not let, in other words, the “haters” hinder any facet of the said dream. With that, to all the young students: you can do anything you set your mind to, and you are more than the words of someone who doesn’t share your passion and drive to be your version of successful. Thus, as my one piece of advice, please do not ever let anyone hinder in your ability to achieve whatever your dream or dreams may be.