Health and Performance

The biggest factor in human growth is the ability not only to move past our mistakes, but to take responsibility for them and use them as opportunities to learn. Whether we like to admit it or not, deep down we are all glorified monkeys with monkey brains. As a result of our situation, it is common for us to make mistakes. The most successful people are those who learn the most from their mistakes and move on from them quickly.

I made a huge mistake during my sophomore year because I thought it would help me succeed. I began participating in wrestling during my freshman year because of pressures from family members, but I quickly fell in love with the sport. However, my first year I competed in the 195 lb weight class because I was largely overweight. This and my inexperience made competing very difficult, and I did not do very well. By my sophomore year, I became determined to compete in a lighter weight class and began trying to lose weight in any way I could. I virtually stopped eating and drank very little water except when I was at practice. I exercised relentlessly, sometimes running on a treadmill for thirty minutes in thick clothing to sweat as much as possible. This was extremely unhealthy and a mistake I regret to this day.

Despite my efforts, I was not yielding even close to the results I desired. After making myself very unhealthy, I was not losing weight nearly as fast as I had hoped. My metabolism tested very normally and so I began researching more and more. My discoveries led me to find I was doing everything all wrong. Instead of not eating, I changed my diet to be healthier. I selected foods based on a number of factors and tracked calories to make sure I was getting a desired amount. I put extensive research into changing my exercise routine to better assist with weight loss. Sweating a lot was not yielding long-term results, so I began a weight-lifting routine along with more manageable cardio exercises. Not only did this yield better results, but it allowed me to gain the strength I required to better compete in my sport.

After learning from my mistake, I was able to change my life for the better. I lost a total of 45 lbs over my journey and was able to compete in the 152 lb weight class for my junior year of wrestling. Having a better diet allowed me to feel more energized during my matches and my performance increased exponentially. Being able to compete in a lighter weight class allowed me to compete against opponents with similar muscle mass as well, and I was eventually posted in the newspaper as the second best wrestler in my region. Not only did my mistake make me a better competitor, it forever changed my lifestyle. Now that my living situation includes me buying and preparing my own meals, I am able to maintain a healthy diet which leads to better performance at work and in my personal life. I don’t exercise as much as I would like to, but the physical nature of my work keeps me in shape. After a short time, I learned that when treating my mistake as a learning experience it had a positive effect on my life as a whole.

With the possible exception of Jesus Christ himself, nobody is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes, but that does not define who we are. My mistake taught me that growth is the most important part of the human experience. Without growth, people become complacent, and the absurd causes despair to grow within their hearts. When people take responsibility and utilize their mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow, they forge for themselves a purpose. It is only when we work to fulfill our derived purpose that we can truly be content with the situation of human existence.

“Wrestling” by slagheap is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0