Essay On Secrets To Success

When considering our actions now, it is important to consider our future actions as well. Many young people go through high school without giving their future much thought until their final years but that is a foolish approach to achievement. Preparation is important to our progress as young people- we must have a destination in mind if we are hoping to get there safely and successfully. Imagine, if you will, how a similar approach could result if the captain of a ship did not plan his journey thoroughly beforehand: he must check the projected weather forecast, the path his ship will need to take, the aim of the journey, the preparation of the crew and the readiness of the ship for habitation- is there enough food, water and other supplies? A ship’s captain will plan his journey carefully to ensure that the journey’s aim is met. It is imperative that we do the same: where do we want to drop our anchors and how can we achieve a safe passage to get there?
Successes and failures are often measured by achievement but that is often a really ‘black and white’ view of the world. We have our entire lives ahead of us and now is the time to be making our mistakes- how can a teenager be told that he or she has failed when really, we haven’t even begun trying yet. Life is like the sea- sometimes it is calm and easy to navigate and at other times, it is rough and waves crash into us- knocking us off course. It is our readiness to handle these situations which defines as successes or failures and like a ship captain will tell you- it is the preparation prior to the journey which truly defines the success of a person. Many of us will be heading off to college in the next year or two; how prepared do you feel? Asking yourself questions like this now will save you a lot of trouble in the long run because although it may seem like a nuisance having to spend time on such matters now, it will greatly benefit you in the long run.
Many people endeavor to achieve their goals without giving it any prior thought- it is the arrogance of youth which, many of us are guilty of, but it is also this arrogance which will occasionally knock the wind out of our sails and cause us to drift on to the rocks. We are young people and we have a lot to learn and sometimes, the best way to learn is to find that you are shipwrecked and back at the drawing board. It is all too easy to just give up at these times and allow this ‘failure’ to define us but, the true measure of a person is what he does next. One of life’s greatest lessons is how to ride the waves and how to work with what is thrown at you- whether that is smelly seaweed or long-lost, buried treasure! Anyone can sail a paddle boat around a pond but it takes a truly strong person to sail a ship through a storm. But, it is also important to recognize that even if the ship goes down, it still showed a great deal of character to attempt it in the first place and that despite a failure, it is a life lesson well learned; next time - you will have that added experience to succeed. Strength of character is something that cannot be taught and it is something which will stand you in excellent stead throughout your life – professionally and personally, and it is our mistakes which help to build our characters as we stride towards adulthood. It was Colin Powell who said “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” These are wise words and by learning from our mistakes, they cease to be failings and instead become life lessons.
Therefore, I put it to you that as young people, we should not be afraid of failure but rather, we should fear the lack of preparation which will immediately put us at odds with our chances of success. Failure is just another lesson and so, rather than wallow in our defeats; we should be welcoming our next challenge, experience lessons and preparation in hand. The truth of the matter is, nobody gets everything right first time and so instead of fighting against making mistakes, we should prepare for the worst and welcome the lessons that we learn along the way – whether they arrive in positive or negative forms. Our journey through life will be accompanied by regular trials and school is the best time to learn how to deal with these – make your mistakes, learn your lessons and feel prepared for your future experiences. Like the sea is choppy and dangerous, so is life – its unpredictable nature is what makes it exciting and scary but preparation is the key to surviving it at all costs.