Outdoors Victory: Learning How to Listen to Success.
In a heated argument, with a friend’s name long forgotten, the words struck me like a bullet between the eyes: ‘Your problem JoAnna is that you are just as afraid to succeed as you are of failing.’ Waves of incredulous disbelief crash over me, as I realize how true these poignant words are. How many times in life, do we set ourselves up for failure, while on the converse we sabotage our successes? The words were spoken to me in a moment of passionate anger. I forgot how exactly the conflict started. The sentence uttered to me trumped whatever chances I had of ever effectively rebutting the statement. I did not have the desire to win the petty debate with my friend, because the words however painful, were true.
Adversity, much like disappointment in life does two things: It either teaches us or keeps us from doing our absolute best. I started my quest to become an Outdoors Person; I did not realize that it simply was not a journey but a transformation. The desire to succeed in what I enjoy so much helps me battle the monstrous demons of self-doubt, even though the war is not won. I face adversity whenever I go out, and so many times whether it is a particular stand, at the skeet course, drawing my bow, or something simple like the pistol range: It always dons on me… You are just beginning. There are so many things for you to learn. This is what goes through my head. What is going on externally is also a fight of epic proportions: You are just a girl…in a man’s sport. The later is not entirely accurate. I am not just a girl in a man’s sport, but it is what I have been told. It is my choice if I am going to believe this, and accept it as truth.
Succeeding in anything, not just shooting sports or the outdoors, involves a desire to which you must be true, and often more daunting than the prospect of failure; especially if you do not know how. This statement does not make me an expert: I am not an authority of anything, except for my own experiences and how they relate to my actions. I know in order to succeed I must want to learn the task. Success requires practice and discipline. I cannot shoot 100 on the sporting clays course, not even close to it. My success is I choose to go out there and do it, despite being told by others that I cannot. I believe I can, and I will. If you want something bad enough, you will find a way in which to do it. Do not allow others to dictate whether you will or will not do something. They are wishing failure upon you. Allow yourself to become one in thinking outside of the realms of ordinary. You will succeed. You may not be the best at whatever is out there, especially when you are learning or new at something. You will however, be the best at succeeding over failure, simply by doing it.
Life has many lessons to teach us through both our failures and our victories. It is imperative that one listens to their inner- voice. Plan what you will do when you reach your goal. Treasure your worth and savor each win, no matter how small. Success may whisper to you softly, if the inner voice is screaming self-doubt, you may not hear what success beseeches you. Still your mind and get out there: You will silence your critics and succeed by doing it and you will prove to yourself everything worth having in life is worth working
for.
by JoAnna Zurinsky @12gabrowninggal
~By seeing the seed of failure in every success, we remain humble. By seeing the seed of success in every failure we remain hopeful~ Unknown
