Push Through Your Hardest Times

When I was 3 years old, before I could even read or write, I started Tae Kwon Do. My dad and older brother were both elite members of the sport so naturally I followed suit. Within three years of starting I achieved my black belt (6 years old). I quickly loved the competitive side of the sport and competed at State, National and International level. By the time I was 12, I was three time National Champion and a Bronze medalist at the Korean Open International. All that achievement aside, I still had to work for what I wanted. I had a vision, a goal... To compete at the Olympic level. I wanted to experience the pinnacle of my sport. Isn't that what sport is all about? Having something that you're trying to attain. Aiming for that peak of your field.

When talking about my achievements or my goals back then, I always got the same sort of questions. "Wow, wasn't that hard?" or "That must have been tough","How did you do that?". The answer simple I WANTED TO! When you are hell bent on achieving your goal, it's not seen as 'work', or 'being difficult'. It's a necessary process to attain what you want.

“First simple rule in life: If you don't go after what you want... you'll never have it." - Nora Roberts

When I look back I come to realise that I've done harder things. The physical stuff was easy in comparison. The hardest thing that I've ever had to do wasn't waking up at 5 a.m. to train for the fifth time that week. It wasn't the late night workouts practicing the same moves over and over again to make them autonomous. The seemingly endless pounding of shin on shin collisions. Arms, legs, whole body battered and bruised from 'light' sparring. It wasn't competing against people bigger, stronger and faster than me. These things weren't hard... In fact I do them all again.

Hard work, Hustle and Grind

The hardest thing I've done was Education. It was putting in the time to study to work my ass off and not getting the result I thought I deserved. The hours spent on a paper weeks after weeks, going over and making sure everything was in the right spot and still getting a 70% or 50%. In the library for hours going through certain areas of study because the explanation of the teachers weren't good enough. Teaching myself new concepts as I just knew that if I didn't it'll be on the test and then i'm screwed!!

That's hard!

“The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.”- Les Brown

Every student out there right now is experiencing this. Make no mistake you are going through one of the hardest points in your life. But that's what it needs to be. It needs to be hard now, so that you can enjoy and experience the later. When you hate a subject because you think you just don't get it, but you push through anyway. That feeling when you get that mark back that you wanted or it's more!

It's all worth it in the end. When you can push through the hardest times and come out the other end, knowing that you can persevere past your limits.

Knowing that you can do it!