Ema Qoku, Period 6, 10/ 25/2022

 Ema Qoku, Period 6, 10/ 25/2022

At this point in time, I have many high standards set for myself. College is rapidly approaching, and with this big upcoming change I need to make sure I remain aligned with my goals. My main standards deal with organization, patience, and hard work. Organization is key, especially at this point in my life, because I’m balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities, a baking business, and college applications. I achieve this standard by laying out my schedule for the week and completing things as the day goes on. The next standard is patience, because with organization comes time management. I’ve learned time and time again that patience is indeed a virtue, and balance is definitely key. When things tend to go wrong, I take a step back and assess the situation. By being patient, I arrive at a solution quicker, relieving stress and improving the situation at hand. Last but certainly not least is the standard of hard work. Being determined to achieve my goals, as well as being a very competitive person, hard work has always come easy to me. I refuse to not put my full effort into anything I do, and if it isn’t perfect, it isn’t right. These three standards I’ve set for myself work hand in hand, and make me a better person each and every day.

I’ve created these standards for myself because I strive to achieve greatness. Greatness for me is being able to look back on life and being proud of what I’ve accomplished. I wish to one day be able to teach my kids what I’ve learned and to be their biggest role model, and that all starts with these standards. Imagine how accomplished I’ll feel once I’ve graduated college, have a great job in the field of medicine, and these silly high school worries are only memories. Being blessed with amazing parents who give nothing but their all for my siblings and I has been the biggest motivator, because like everyone else, I wish to make my parents proud. They’ve been the best form of inspiration, always reassuring me that I am destined for greatness. I wish to be that same role model for not only my future kids, but for my siblings as well. Being the oldest sibling comes with its own special challenges, but the biggest one has to be the feeling of needing to be that sister that my siblings can always look up to. I hope that since I’m going through life first out of the three of us, I get to teach them the lessons I’m learning. 

I constantly demonstrate resilience towards achieving these standards, as no matter what challenge may arise, I’m able to come out as a better person. I’m constantly learning and changing, and the biggest key to resilience is accepting the fact that change is not a bad thing. I used to be so afraid of change, like when I cried when I was 10 because I was moving, but I only moved a few blocks away. Now I embrace change because it always leads to a lesson learned. 

I assess my standards very often, as those big three aren’t the only keys to life. With each challenge comes a new alteration to a standard, or another standard added. As I grow older, however, I find that it is okay to not meet my standards all the time. Everyone deserves a break now and then, and no one is perfect. As long as I gear back to my goals and reevaluate what exactly said goals are, everything will work out greatly. Realizing that it is okay to make mistakes has been the biggest challenge, but I work on that every day. While I will always have high standards, I must constantly remind myself that there is not anything I can’t achieve. All I need to do is be patient, stay organized, and work hard.