This Alone
No matter how hard we try in life, it will be hard to achieve our full potential all by ourselves and under our own power. I have had a number of experiences this year that have taught me this - from a 100-mile bike ride over the summer to finding success as a new college student. From these experiences, the reality of working with others has been reinforced so many times this year.
I had set a goal early this year to complete a 100-mile bike ride before heading off to college, but I didn’t realize how hard that would be. (As a piece of background, my whole family is big into cycling so this wasn’t too crazy for us, but it was still a big goal and my parents were more than happy to support me through this.) However, I found that through all my training and preparation for the big ride, I struggled to remain motivated because the goal still seemed so dauntingly large. That’s when my dad helped me realize that if we just went step by step, mile by mile, the 100 miles would slowly go down to zero. So when it came to the day of my attempt, my dad and I did exactly that, and it was awesome! We rode side-by-side for the whole 100 miles and encouraged each other when things got hard, and we reached our goal together!
Returning to college after my mission has been a big change for me, and it’s been a humbling experience, but I am learning that this is another area that I must reach out to others to reach my full potential as a student. I came into the semester under the idea that I could do this all by myself, but I have learned very quickly how wrong that idea was! There is a whole community built to support us and magnify our success, so we might as well take advantage of it!
We have all had a time where someone else has helped us become greater than we would have been all on our own, and we are so grateful for that person. So, as we remember how grateful we are for that person who helped us, let’s be ready and willing to help someone else when they come to us looking to achieve their full potential!