“I finish what I start. I dare to be great each day. Be a man of principle. Keep your word. Live with integrity. Give something back. Lead from the front. Be brave. Believe in something bigger than yourself. Fight for what you believe in. I set daily goals. Achieve the impossible everyday. I fear no one on earth.” These statements can be found on the stairwell that leads to the wrestling gym.
I first saw this stairwell this past weekend as I was working the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship games. I stopped myself before I walked up them, and decided to take a photo of it and post it on Instagram. It is funny how something as simple as words put on a set of stairs can have an impact on someone’s life. It inspired me to the point where I took each statement as my daily creed.
I started writing each point in a notebook alongside something that I would do related to that point either that day or in the near future. It helps me reflect on what I should aim to do with my life at that point, almost like a spiritual daily planner. Each morning I wake up and I say aloud the creed and my plan of action. Sometimes it has been a cathartic experience, especially after a night of libations.
Sometimes I’m able to complete most of the list, other times it’s difficult to get past three. However, I know that I do my best with what I set out to do. When we live in a community that’s powered by benchmarks, ranks, and hard cuts, it can be difficult to feel like you’ve achieved something or fulfilled. This is what most of us are used to as engineering, business, science, or any student in general.
I think in the bigger scheme of things it’s simpler than benchmarks. Sure, you may have certain criteria you need to reach for your project, but what is the end goal of it? Why do you do what you do?
A thought that keeps coming up in my mind when I talk to my friends that are graduating is what impact we have on everything around us. I believe that if you can say that you are leaving something better than it was before, you’ve done your duty. You gave something back. You lead from the front. You believed in something bigger than yourself. You were brave.
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