Personal Narrative: The Biggest Lessons Learned In High School

The biggest lessons I've learned in high school is to never give up and accepting failure. As a kid in middle school I played basketball. I was always one of the best players. I was always in the starting lineup. I was always shooting three-pointers and averaging 23 points per game. Then I graduated and went to high school. I wanted to branch out and try other sports. Given my tall, long-limbed stature, I thought I should join cross country. Cross country is a sport in which a person runs for long distances. Endurance is key in cross country and that was a weakness of mine. I jumped into this sport with no prior knowledge of it, which depending on how one sees it, could be courageous or a mistake. Anyway, in a nutshell my first few weeks were hell. I couldn't keep up with everyone else: I would lose my breath after a quarter of a mile, struggled with maintaining schoolwork and sports, and I got very painful shin splints. However, I was informed by my running mates that it is …show more content…
When I began high school, I felt like a stranger in a strange place and tried desperately to control my surroundings and make things feel familiar which was being the best at whatever I did. When I failed, my perception of myself was damaged. It took me a while to be okay with not being the best athlete or top student- two things I was used to in middle school. When I finally learned how to be okay with failure, I was no longer a child. I was no longer in the bondage of perfection; I was free. Failure is apart of life and everyone will fail. Being okay with failure marks maturity and strength in a person because it is a truth everyone must accept to build strong self esteem. I discovered abilities I didn't even know I had and found plenty of things I'm good at. Now that I am older and wiser, I tisk at my younger self, but when you know better, you do