All You Need to Know

There is a beauty in perseverance, and the ability to keep going with a smile on your face is nothing less than inspiring. Whether it is a hard practice, a big let down, or a hard fall I believe that it is important to get up and keep going. Failure is something that plays an important role in my life. That may sound pessimistic but it is entirely true; failure is how you get better. I am a level 10 gymnast so failure is something I have had plenty of time to get comfortable with, and the further I get in this sport the more I have learned to embrace imperfection. Less than desirable experiences have made me who I am. "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep movie forward..." for the past few months I have lived by this statement. I have realized that a 'perfect gymnastics career', while still impressive, does not leave as much of an impact as the gymnast who has been through hell and back to get where she is. Failure and  imperfection mean you are changing something, they are signs that you are trying to get better. Failure does not define a person; it is simply a necessary step to success. 

One single flower on a run down house is almost more beautiful than an entire garden of bright, colorful, perfectly planted flowers. The organic nature of the flower makes its growth mean so much more because its not the same as its surroundings.  Standing alone makes the flower more vulnerable, delicate, and real. The same can be said about people; the people that do what they want instead of worrying about the people around them are often more beautiful than the people who try to fit in. Vulnerability shows courage and it brings confidence. This is something I have struggled with, but over the past couple of years I have been surrounded with people who have helped me find the truth in it. The person I am today is not even close to the person I used to pretend to be. I still have trouble walking through a crowd of people alone or getting up in front of the class, but I am not as dependent on what other people say about me as I used to be.  I realized the beauty in being comfortable and stopped trying so hard to be liked.  

 The two people in this picture mean the entire world to me. My older sister Brittney has been my best friend for a number of years. Growing up, I was always at practice and when I was home she was usually hanging out with her boyfriend. My freshman year was when that all changed. She was a senior and had to drive me to and from school everyday. Soon she was sharing her closet, food, and free time with me. She is the first person I go to if I need advice, a pep talk, or just a good laugh. Last November she moved out and for the first time I was an only child, that change has made me appreciate her even more than I already did. The other person is my dad. He has been my biggest supporter since day one. He knows exactly what to say whether its right before we get to a meet, on the drive home from a bad one, or if I am just really stressed out. He can make me smile on what seems to be the worst day of my life and I am incredibly lucky to have such a fantastic dad.