“Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?” This line was going through my mind after one of the greatest Superbowl games in history. It is so easy to look back at decisions that we have made in our lives and what we could have done to change the outcome. I cannot imagine the disappointment and sadness Pete Carroll and company must be feeling right now after their loss. This is something that will definitely haunt them for a long time.
However, I have been in Coach Carroll’s shoes, making a decision in a very high pressure situation that you judged to be the correct call. It isn’t easy being the person to make the tough calls. Leaders are risk takers and sometimes it pays out big, other times it will leave you in the dust. One example that comes to mind is my leadership experience in a large campus organization. I proposed some changes to the way the organization functioned with the mindset that it would greatly improve retention. Sadly, it didn’t do much and possibly hurt the organization.
Was failure the intended outcome? No, clearly not. I do believe though that it is important to note that some great things came out of it. It got people thinking about how they interact with each other. Members were able to grow and develop their skills even further to make the organization better than it was. From these mistakes came growth, wisdom, and perseverance.
I believe that it is important to look at the decisions we have made in the past. The trials that we have been through serve as a measurement of who we are today. There will always be times when we wish that we have done something different; not skipping the class where a pop quiz was given, foregoing the mixer before midterms, saying something when you felt that someone was in danger. These are experiences that we can learn from, but it is important not to dwell on them for too long. Having such negative thoughts in the back of your mind can cloud all the great deeds that you have done.
If you are willing to learn from your mistakes and choices, you will continue to improve as a person. Sure, you may have gotten a D in a few classes or got caught drinking with friends in your room, but these things don’t define you as a person. It is what you do afterwards that does. Going to the library to study a few more hours or just playing video games instead of getting wasted may seem like small, easy decisions to make, but in the end it can make a difference between maintaining your scholarship and getting hired, or dropping out and being fired. Stevens is your Superbowl, that diploma is your trophy. Do your job.
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