Graphic by Katie Grace Upchurch
Freshman and Journalism I student Gretchen Hinger shares her perspective on trying new things, and how she always tries her best and keeps a persistent attitude.
Throughout my life, I have always wanted to succeed in everything I have done and always do my best to get over any obstacles thrown at me. To get over these obstacles I think of my mantra or motto which stems from the movie “Finding Nemo” because in the movie a fish named Dory says the famous quote, “Just keep swimming.” This quote may be from a children’s movie, but it keeps me going because truly, I believe I’m a fish.
I’ve always believed that if you’re not putting forth your best effort then you won’t ever get any better. Like Yoda once famously said, “Do or do not. There is no try.” If you just try to do something, you aren’t using your full capability and just simply “trying”, but if you are actually doing something, you are showing your best self.
Sometimes when I am attempting something new and putting forth my utmost effort it can be hard to keep going. In sixth grade, I decided to participate in the Community Problem Solving Competition and was discouraged when I saw that I had to write a seven-page report about the process and our project. At first, I thought about quitting and not pulling through, but with help from my team and my mom I finished the report. The next year, I ended up going to the international competition and getting third place. Instead of backing down from the challenge and pulling out of the competition, I thought about my mantra and just kept swimming.
One of the most known fish that faces challenges is the salmon. Every year, salmon start their journeys upstream to their freshwater birthplace to hatch their eggs. During this journey, salmon have to deal with dams, other man-made obstacles, and predators, which can all hinder their progress. But, because hatching their eggs is so important, the salmon make the dangerous journey every year.
Just like salmon, sometimes I have to swim upstream, too. At my first varsity softball game starting as the pitcher, there were a lot of ups and downs. The game lasted for almost three hours and in the middle of the game it started pouring down rain, but I kept going. Throughout the game, there were times where we were winning. There were also times when we were losing. But eventually, after pushing through the long game, we finally made it through and ended up winning.
Along with this, so much of the salmon’s lifestyle reminds me of mine. I go to school, swim for two hours for my club swim team, go home, do schoolwork and then repeat, just like the fish that do their part in the ecosystem every day. Sometimes in my life, there are roadblocks like the dams the fish encounter that can interrupt my normal lifestyle, but just like the fish getting around the dams, oil spills and trash piles, I get over my small roadblock to keep going on my path to success.
By believing that I am a fish, I can do anything. Instead of just “trying” I can put forth my best effort and “just keep swimming” over the complication to get back on my path to my future and to my successful lifestyle that hopefully one day will lead me to fulfill my hopes and dreams.
