Perseverance as a Tool to Overcome Obstacles

Weightlifting has been a passion of mine for the better part of six years. Although, it was not until I began high school that it became a staple in my everyday life. In the gym I come across challenges, setbacks and failures every day. For example, I have recently dealt with a minor setback due to severe wrist pain that only seemed to get worse even though proper precautions were taken to ensure a rapid recovery. An injury such as this one was hard to overcome mentally because it was a small drawback that greatly hindered my ability to perform. A necessary three month recovery period felt like an enormous blow to my personal growth. As time progressed, I began to realize that my years of dedication were not wasted, and that I had earned a rest period. From this experience, I learned that with a proper mindset and persistence, I will not fall short of reaching my goals.

A can-do attitude launched all aspects of my life to new levels of success. Only three months after my wrist pain came to be, I surpassed most of my previous weightlifting accomplishments. I no longer felt lost and disappointed because a vital dream of mine became a reality. A proper mindset has also allowed me to find true discipline that has consequently yielded positive results in both my schooling and personal life. However, the driving force for me to find this new mentality could not have been established had it not been for previous dilemmas. I have since become familiar with the concept that I must go through what seems like negative experiences when, in fact, so many positives can be pulled from the situation.

Persistence has been an equally important tool for me to triumph over obstacles. I have dealt with a lot of subconscious self-sabotage so that I do not reach my objectives. It took the realization that I wanted to be the best at something to alter my toxic thinking process for the better. I used my wrist injury as an opportunity to mentally prepare for a grand return to the sport. When I did return, the motivation was there and I used it to steadily reach my gym goals through months of vigorous effort. As a result, I found myself happier and healthier. Also, consistency was a prime source in assisting me to form bonds with like-minded people that push me to be the best version of myself. The combination of persistence and healthy thinking when hurting my wrist turned out to be a blessing in disguise for my future success.