Winning is an exhilarating high that everyone chases. However, we should not only pursue victory. As crazy as it sounds, we should pursue our awaiting failures instead of trying to change the outcomes. Restricting ourselves to only seeking victory limits the open-mindedness we need as we become adults. To succeed in life, we must embrace failure to overcome the obstacles we will undoubtedly encounter. I believed that winning was everything, it meant that I had to be the best or number one, whether it was my education or sports. Winning always seemed to determine my success. I always felt as if I were not excelling in some way, shape, or form, I wasn't winning. This was due to how my parents pushed me to succeed and reach my fullest potential. It was an intense drive for perfection that left no room for mistakes. This mindset I developed from such a young age has limited the open-mindedness required now that I am entering a significant chapter in my life: going to college. In 2022, during my sophomore year, I had the opportunity to join my school's varsity soccer team, and I eagerly accepted it. My mindset of always aiming for victory seemed to have served me well until it didn't. We suffered a 16-0 defeat against a highly experienced team our first game. I was more disappointed with my performance than the loss at hand. I joined a sport with no experience, naively expecting us to win. As the season progressed, our losses piled up. I became disheartened and even contemplated quitting, but my desire to taste victory still burned with me, so I persevered. In 2023, I played in my junior year. My team and I improved our skills, but our mentality failed to do so. We won only one game, which was better than the previous year, but it wasn't enough for me. Even though we won that game, I didn't feel like I won. I didn't score, make a pass, or assist. I felt like I needed to be the one making the difference to feel accomplished. This selfish mindset disregarded the effort my team put in. I took time to reflect and adopted a new mindset. I decided to focus more on personal growth and validation rather than seeking external validation. I believe that success is not just about the wins we achieve but also the failures we endure. It's about the process, not just the outcome. We will never truly learn and grow if we focus solely on winning. Limiting ourselves to just winning will never result in sustainable growth. We should focus more on the journey, not the destination. We should strive to be better and expand our knowledge and skills. I was never an athlete, but failure has allowed me to become who I am today. Failure has allowed me to become resilient and strong. Soccer has allowed me to stop letting others dictate my goals and focus solely on winning. I started setting my own goals, which challenged me to embrace change and push myself. Whether I was the best or worst player on the field or whether or not we were winning, all that mattered to me was my personal growth. This change in perspective has profoundly impacted my life, not just as an athlete but as a person. It has allowed me to become more open and accepting and has allowed me to cope with the outcomes of the challenges I face, whether positive or negative. It's liberating when success isn't determined by a grade, certificate, or trophy.

Winning is an exhilarating high that everyone chases. However, we should not only pursue victory. As crazy as it sounds, we should pursue our awaiting failures instead of trying to change the outcomes. Restricting ourselves to only seeking victory limits the open-mindedness we need as we become adults. To succeed in life, we must embrace failure to overcome the obstacles we will undoubtedly encounter. I believed that winning was everything, it meant that I had to be the best or number one, whether it was my education or sports. Winning always seemed to determine my success. I always felt as if I were not excelling in some way, shape, or form, I wasn't winning. This was due to how my parents pushed me to succeed and reach my fullest potential. It was an intense drive for perfection that left no room for mistakes. This mindset I developed from such a young age has limited the open-mindedness required now that I am entering a significant chapter in my life: going to college. In 2022, during my sophomore year, I had the opportunity to join my school's varsity soccer team, and I eagerly accepted it. My mindset of always aiming for victory seemed to have served me well until it didn't. We suffered a 16-0 defeat against a highly experienced team our first game. I was more disappointed with my performance than the loss at hand. I joined a sport with no experience, naively expecting us to win. As the season progressed, our losses piled up. I became disheartened and even contemplated quitting, but my desire to taste victory still burned with me, so I persevered. In 2023, I played in my junior year. My team and I improved our skills, but our mentality failed to do so. We won only one game, which was better than the previous year, but it wasn't enough for me. Even though we won that game, I didn't feel like I won. I didn't score, make a pass, or assist. I felt like I needed to be the one making the difference to feel accomplished. This selfish mindset disregarded the effort my team put in. I took time to reflect and adopted a new mindset. I decided to focus more on personal growth and validation rather than seeking external validation. I believe that success is not just about the wins we achieve but also the failures we endure. It's about the process, not just the outcome. We will never truly learn and grow if we focus solely on winning. Limiting ourselves to just winning will never result in sustainable growth. We should focus more on the journey, not the destination. We should strive to be better and expand our knowledge and skills. I was never an athlete, but failure has allowed me to become who I am today. Failure has allowed me to become resilient and strong. Soccer has allowed me to stop letting others dictate my goals and focus solely on winning. I started setting my own goals, which challenged me to embrace change and push myself. Whether I was the best or worst player on the field or whether or not we were winning, all that mattered to me was my personal growth. This change in perspective has profoundly impacted my life, not just as an athlete but as a person. It has allowed me to become more open and accepting and has allowed me to cope with the outcomes of the challenges I face, whether positive or negative. It's liberating when success isn't determined by a grade, certificate, or trophy.