My Own Problems

I could have not said it any better than Duke Ellington. He said, “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” and I completely agree with that statement. Ellington is saying that whenever a problem or issue comes your way there is a chance to learn and better yourself. Whether this happens in a good situation or a bad situation there are always things to reflect on and make you a better version of yourself. I think that is what Ellington is trying to say here, or at least that is what I take away from that quote. Not only does it mean you have a chance to learn, but problems also bring out the best and worst sides of people. Ellington is talking about those good sides of people that come out during problems. There’s a chance to show who you are and how you handle those problems. But, if things don’t go exactly your way and you aren’t your best self, then you have a chance to reflect, learn, and not make the same mistake twice. I have not always believed in this, however.

I used to be a very troubled kid. No matter what I was doing, I found some way to get in trouble. I am not saying I am perfect now by any means. We all have our rough edges. But, my edges were a little rougher when I was younger, especially in sports. I would yell at my teammates, coaches, and officials. If anyone knows me at all, that is still a work in progress, but it is also light-years better than what it used to be. Not only was it bad in sports, but in school also. I was always finding ways to get in trouble and it usually wasn’t my actions. I had and still have, quite the mouth on me. I was one to talk back and that was usually the reason I would get myself in trouble because I always had to get in the last word. I just didn’t know when to shut up. 7th grade is when I hit my peak though. I had gotten in trouble more than I ever had. Then 8th grade rolled around. I started to mature and grow up a little bit. Not much, but a noticeable difference. Around this time is when I learned there’s always room for improvement and areas to learn and better yourself. In any issue or problem, there are always ways to learn and show your best self. Like I said before, in no way am I perfect or do everything the right way, but I try to learn and make myself better from the mistakes I make. I think that is exactly what Ellington was talking about in that quote as well. No one is going to be perfect but as long as you try to be your best and when you are not, you learn from those mistakes.

We look back at when I had those problems in sports and we fast forward to today. My best friend and I just won the coach’s award in football and that to me shows how much I have grown. 5 years ago there was not a chance of me getting that award. But adopting that mindset of you can always be better has really helped me. That award was not something I wanted to get by myself either. I had talked to my friend earlier in the season about getting the award together. It was not something I would have wanted to get unless we shared it together. He has always been by my side throughout the years and I have always been by his. Getting that award was truly a confidence booster and helped show me that what Ellington says is true.

“Basketball” by mvongrue is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0