Mind Expansion
March 31, 2019 Uncategorized 3 comments alapointe19
Since I was a kid I loved the outdoors and just like a lot of other kids my age at the time, I loved to build forts inside and outside. This love for survival tactics and fort making started a phase in my life of binge watching survival videos along with fort building videos online. I was impressed with the YouTubers’ work and wanted to learn more about survival tactics so I could someday be as prepared as them in case something happened to our world. I also really wanted to build a huge fort for no reason.
After weeks of watching daily videos on homemade shelters being built with tools made from the wild, I thought I would test my skills. I went outside with no supplies and built an outrageous fort for someone my age. I took in what I learned and created a masterpiece fort with two rooms, benches, a trip wire, and more. I was very proud of myself and used it as motivation to learn more after seeing what I could create with having the right education on something.
This fuel to learn more about this specific hobby and get better knowledge of how to survive in the woods without anything lit a fire in me with a want to learn more. As W.B. Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but rather the lighting of a fire”, it can spark endless possibility. Knowledge is power.
I was still young, but was slowly beginning to realize how important and powerful knowledge really was. In this case I was educating myself on something that someday could save my life. The research I did on my own set me apart from many others in a different category of knowledge on that topic. I feel prepared because I wanted to learn more. In school I really have trouble in finding the true meaning behind a lot of the tedious work we do, but I know in the long run all this education really does pay off, as I learned from my work with fort education, you and I can accomplish anything if we put our minds to it and engage in learning about it.
I used this attitude when it came to lacrosse as well. Starting lacrosse in sixth grade I soon realized I had a love for the sport more than I had for any other. I wanted to excel on the field and get to a skill set that would set me apart from competition. This want for new learning led to my investment of time into a summer travel team to better me as a player.
This attitude has been something I stuck with since then all my life. Putting effort towards things I know will change my life in a positive way in the future. Exerting energy on things that will better myself rather than be a waste of time. Learn about something you have interests in to completely value and take advantage of it.
Photo on Foter.com
3 Comments
Loved the level of determination and persistence you described, and how you applied that to your interests to become better and better at them, like lacrosse. It would seem that your passion also led you to new opportunities that wouldn’t have arisen had you not put in the effort, like the summer travel team. Awesome, 10/10.
It was awesome to read this story and recall all the times we spent making forts or watching those videos together. It was like re-living our younger summer days for sure. It is truly awesome to see your passion for that turned into a drive and passion for something in your life now such as lacrosse. Having a drive and persistence in learning new things is always an awesome attribute to have for sure.
I love how you could find something like fort building to drive you to become the person you are today. It is amazing that something you would never think about having a big impact on your life did. I can definitely see your drive to become better at lacrosse through playing travel together and just working hard everyday at practice. Glad this experience was a good learning lesson on how to look at school.