It's hard for me to narrow just one time when I was the best. I mean, there are just so many times when I have been better than everyone else. I hate to use a double negative, but I'd like to think that I've never not been the best. Some might call this arrogant. I however, simply refer to it as being confident.
That being said, the time that I most vividly remember when I was at my best would have to be my junior year at state track. It had been a very good track season for me thus far; and I, as well as the rest of team, was performing exceptionally well. Our 4x4 relay was our best event. We were dominating every meet, and soon we had posted the fastest time in the state in class 1A.
When districts rolled around we were feeling very confident that we would make it to state. Sure enough, we came in first place at districts and punched our ticket to the state meet. Not only had we qualified our 4x4 relay, but also the 4x2, shuttle hurdle, and distance medley relays. None of which would have made it without me of course.
And so there we were, coming into state with the fastest qualifying time and only three seconds off our school record. We had high hopes, and when the time came around for the preliminary heats we were feeling very confident in ourselves. After the preliminary heats we sitting in first place out of eight teams. There was a good chance that we could walk away state champions.
The finals were the next day, and there was much hype surrounding the race. We were sitting three seconds ahead of the next fastest team. It was a good race. It came down to the final home stretch. For a second it looked like we were going to be state champions. My hopes were soon dashed however, when in the final seconds our last leg of the race was passed by another team. I could have sworn I saw my life flash before my eyes.
Although devastated, I kept my head up. As a team we ran our fastest time, and I myself ran my personal best time. Second place wasn't so bad when you stopped to think that some people never get to experience that moment ever. I had done something meaningful and worthwhile with my high school career. It was definitely a day to be proud of, and a time when I was at my best.
Well I am glad you are confident in yourself, confidence is key. It's pretty cool that you guys got second at state. It's definitely something to be proud of.
ReplyDeleteThat was you guys at state track?! (Just kidding, I really don't remember:P)Well...You are just the little jokester, with quite the humor! That's great! That is also something that will get you far in life! (A good attitude!) It's great to look back on our successes and see how blessed we really are, and the opportunities we have had, and how they have shaped our lives.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your story Jacob. Winning isn't always the most important thing in life. The experiences along the way are what make the end result satisfying.
ReplyDeleteNice post Jacob! I completely agree with Mak; it's the experiences along the way that make the end result worthwhile, even if it's not exactly first place. Having confidence in yourself is very important and will take you far, but just be careful to not confuse it with arrogance. It's easy to learn from great triumphs, but it's excellent when you are able to recognize success from times when you didn't necessarily get the gold. Keep up the great work! :)
ReplyDeleteThat is a great experience to have! nice job
ReplyDeleteBeing confident in yourself is something that someone needs to succeed in life and your that much in head of the game.
ReplyDeleteIts such a great thing to stay confident. You accomplished a lot in track, and that's something you'll never forget.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit winning isn't everything. Sometimes in a loss you can find so much more and learn more about yourself and the others around you if in a team sport. How you react to that loss can tell you a lot about a person or yourself.
ReplyDeleteIf your not first your last. ;)
ReplyDeleteGood to see your confident, its something that a lot of people in our world today could work on.
It is great that you are so confident. Sometimes that confidence is all you need to be able to accomplish something.
ReplyDeleteGood story, I enjoyed reading about it. I'm glad you have confidence in yourself. Now, if only you had this confidence in talking to people or talking in public haha.
ReplyDeleteThat was truly inspirational. I love hearing a good tall-tale. We all know what really happened that day, Jacob....
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