Sometimes in life,
it’s the little things that matter. Different things mean different things to
different people.
When we triumph in
something, we feel good about ourselves, and encouraged to do it again, or try
something even more challenging, or beat our own record. Even if it’s something
small, like walking to school instead of getting a lift, it can make a whole
world of difference to someone’s outlook on a particular thing; walking, in
this scenario.
Today, I found a
recipe for a ‘Mug Brownie’, which instructed you on how to bake a brownie in a
mug. Rather self-explanatory, really. Upon showing said recipe to my mother, I
was doubted and disbelieved. This spurred me on to prove my mother wrong (and
partly to disband my own, secret doubts), and succeed in baking my mug brownie.
I gathered the few ingredients required, and microwaved the mixture in my mug.
The result wasn’t mind blowing, but considering the amount of time and effort
it took to create (very little), it was rather nice; certainly something I
shall try again in the future.
So sometimes it’s
little, silly things like this, that don’t really mean anything in the real
world, but can mean rather a lot to an individual. Another anecdote I might use
would be my success in KKS Sports Night, from when I was in Years 7 and 9. In
Year 7, I won the 1500m race, and Year 9, I won the 800m. I think the 800m
meant more to me, as I had really prepared for this race as I really doubted my
chances of winning; I was up against some great competitors, and I thought it
to be highly unlikely that I would win. But I did. It was a really pleasant
surprise, and has given me more confidence for the possible events of this
year. Little confidence boosts like these can be real table-turners, inspiring
all kinds of people to have a go at things they would previously never have
thought about.
Some people might be
enthused by good grades, and the good feelings that come with them. Others may
be motivated by nerve-wracking situations going well, resulting in the
confidence to glide through scary situations.
But for other people,
it’s the big things; imagine how Usain Bolt felt, winning the 100m twice over?
Or how Jessica Ennis felt, Britain’s gold medal heptathlete, winning her medal
at the home Olympics. These are tasks ordinary people could never hope to achieve,
but it’s something these people have been training for their whole lives. Day
in, day out, striving to stand on that podium in front of the world, and being
able to say they are and Olympic gold medallist. That, for them, is the
achievement of a lifetime. Obviously, not everyone is expected to become a gold
medallist, but perhaps we can be inspired by their success.
Sometimes it’s the
combinations of self-doubt beforehand, and the surge of pride after that adds
up to more than the achievement its self, whatever it is. Whether it’s making a
mug brownie, or winning a gold medal, it matters for its own reasons. Today,
people withhold a whole lot of self-doubt, with no real logic and justification
behind it. But when this reservation, this scepticism is proved wrong, it
suddenly seems a whole lot easier to keep it at bay.
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| Sportsnight 2012 - myself with Ricardo Blas Jr. and one of the Olympic Torches |
