Trying Is Not Going To Destroy You

Student Blogger Vitoria (Vic) is from Brazil! Vitoria is a junior at Waukesha High School and lives in Waukesha, Wisconsin, with her host family on the Academic Year Program. 

By AYP Student Blogger Vitoria

Jack Canfield once said: “Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.”

Provided that you are not prejudicing anyone and you are following the rules, do what you heart wants.

Going in to do a cheerleading tryout, what I had never experienced in Brazil before, took me so much courage, but I made it!

The musical auditions took me even more courage. I was freaking out. I’m serious. Did I make it? Nope. Yes, you did read it right. I didn’t make it. So why do I still say it was worth it? Because it was one of the highlights of my exchange year. After that, I have so much more confidence in me that I didn’t even know I had.

Maybe trying doesn’t make any sense for you now. Maybe you’re thinking: “Wow, failing doesn’t do any good to my self-confidence”. But I’m telling you, trying made the difference for me. By trying, you are proving to yourself that you at least made an attempt and it’s okay you didn’t make it. That’s life. That’s what keeps you trying to improve. I was still alive after “failing”. Nothing bad happened because I didn’t make it into the musical.

We all have a lifetime of learning ahead. Each try, succeeding or failing, it’s a beginning of something new. It’s a beginning of learning. A beginning of your improvement. Don’t keep yourself stuck at your comfort point. Your exchange year is the right time to start challenging yourself. You already did when you decided do be an exchange student. You came all the way here. It’s not easy, but you made it, and you will thank yourself in the future for that. Take this opportunity as a push point and go fight for what you want to do.

You get no bad things for trying. I mean it. What would you consider bad? Not making it? Well, if you aren’t trying, not “succeeding” is not even a possibility, that’s what you are getting.

So, that’s what I am telling you: go for it! You can make the best memories in your year here, and you don’t even have to always win. You are improving yourself with each try.