Throughout my life, I have followed my belief that hard work pays off. There is nothing more satisfying than the feeling of accomplishment. Knowing that you gave every ounce of yourself to something and to watch yourself succeed is the most rewarding experience. Hard work, in its fullest form, is nothing short of exhausting, but in the end it’s worth it. 

While there’s a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow so to speak, there is a journey to be traveled prior to reaching this reward. And that takes hard work. Applying yourself to something so thoroughly can be somewhat regretful. While it does result in success, it takes a lot out of a person. I have spent countless hours on projects, studying vigorously for important exams, and pushing myself to pile as much on myself as is possible in order to reach my goals, none of which feels rewarding right now. But as I have learned throughout my sixteen years of life, hard work pays off. The more you put into something, the more you get out. It isn’t necessarily fun running around and driving myself insane in order to accomplish something seemingly unreachable, but I know that I will rise above the hardships and do great things because of it. 

Being hardworking, at least in my opinion, is either given hereditarily or is earned. For me it didn’t come very easily. I wasn’t always the brightest and I wasn’t always the most dedicated. But because I have made the effort to apply myself, I am getting more out of my experiences. I find myself wondering why I do what I do. A voice in the back of my head constantly reminds me that hard work isn’t optional, it’s obligatory. That motivation is agonizing. It pushes you into difficult situations, sleepless nights, and turning stomachs. It isn’t easy to simply “try harder”. You give up a lot when you hyperfocus on things. You lose out on school functions, parties, and even friendships. For me however, it is more important to focus on what really matters to you. I give up a lot to be who I am. To believe what I believe in. But I am grateful for it. I am a dedicated student. I am prepared for the next step in my education at all moments and I am unafraid of challenges because I know that as long as I stay true to myself, as long as I always swear to work my hardest, I will reach the unreachable, I will be the impossible, and I will never cease to achieve my dreams. 

Things don’t get done if you simply choose not to do them. Deciding that the math homework is too difficult, or studying for the exam takes too long, you won’t achieve your potential. But, applying yourself changes this dynamic. The harder you work, the more you attain. The more you put in, the more you get out. In this, I believe.