How Do Problems Offer Opportunities?

Duke Ellington once said, “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” This quote means that if you have a problem, you should try your very best to solve it. I completely agree with this statement and there are multiple ways to prove his statement. There are many people who have failed to achieve something and tried their very best to succeed.

The first person that has failed at something and has succeeded in the end is Henry Ford. Henry Ford’s business failed the first time because he was unable to stabilize his finances while still trying to change the mechanics of his vehicles. He was unable to pay his investors, so he was forced into bankruptcy. He fixed his business in 1903. He overcame his obstacles by improving the mass production of his ford motor vehicles. This example follows the quote because Henry Ford failed and still decided to keep pushing towards his dreams and he succeeded, and his business is still successful today.

The second person who has failed at something and then tried even harder to succeed at it is Michael Jordan. The quote which is from Michael Jordan says, “I failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” In high school Michael Jordan was cut from the varsity team for basketball. He never gave up. His goal was to not get cut from the varsity team the following year. He worked extra hard every chance he got to improve his skill. Now he is a basketball player for the NBA and is a great basketball player. He never once gave up, even after he failed.

A situation that happened to me was when I first started to play ice hockey. When I first started out I was very bad at it and could barely skate, But as the season went on I improved tremendously. I moved up a line because of skill level improvement. I also decided to play the next season as well. Ice Hockey is definitely something I do not regret playing. It has helped me even as a person, meeting new people, trying something new, and even believing in myself more. This citation connects to the quote which says, “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”, because when I first started to play ice hockey I didn’t believe in myself at all, I didn’t think I would be able to do it. I may have not been the best on the team, but at least I tried my very best.

The main meaning of this quote is to always try your very hardest no matter what people say. Whether they tell you that you won’t be able to do it or if they say you will be bad at it. Always follow your dream if you believe that you can do it. A lot of people put too much pressure on themselves and do not believe that they can do something even if they are fully capable of doing it.

“Question Mark Cookies 1” by Scott McLeod is licensed under CC BY 2.0.