Hello, welcome to my final blog post of grade twelve. We finally made it to the end of high school. It has been an absolute grind to get to this point. I’m both excited and scared for what’s next, so let’s just focus on the present. The latest project we just finished, my final project of PLP 12, was pretty enjoyable. The exhibition we presented at was super chill and fun. It might have been the first exhibition I properly enjoyed. Anyway, after all of that and a busy week, now comes the time for me to reflect.
During this project, we had to read a self-help book of our choosing. I chose a book written by David Goggins called Can’t Hurt Me. It’s a story about his life and the challenges he overcame to become “the hardest man on planet Earth.” We had to read our books and then present them at a comic-con panel. Our panels were made up of five people. My panel consisted of Logan, Ryder, Ryan, Nathan, and me. It was a really good group to work with, and I think we did a really good job. Our discussion was thorough, and we got some awesome questions from the audience at the end, which was super cool. Overall, the panel went well and flowed perfectly. There were imperfections, but nothing to get upset about; everything in life has imperfections.
After reading David’s book, I found it quite useful. He may have taken most things to the extreme, but he always found the strength and power within himself. When it came to interpreting his message and lessons, you kind of had to keep a level head. It’s easy to get wrapped up in his G.I. Joe persona. However, even with all the military glory and extremes, there are still valuable lessons that I think a lot of people need. The main takeaway I pulled from David’s story was his unrelenting spirit. This was the key to every success he had—the never-ending drive to push past your limits and exceed your expectations. I have taken this idea to heart and have tried applying it in the gym. To get that last rep no matter what, to try to push past and hold a plank for just a little longer. After doing this over the last month or so, I can say it does help. Mentally, you feel more fulfilled; you feel as if you have grown more and worked harder. Physically, it helps your muscles when you push that little bit farther. I learned a lot from this book and throughout our actual project. It taught me so much about success and how different people view it.
Anyway, let’s flip the switch a little and talk about the driving question. That question would be: What can we learn from authors about achieving personal and professional success? David overcame everything to reach his goals. He never stopped pushing. There is a lot to take away from David’s climb to success. David taught me that discipline and perseverance are the biggest keys to climbing the mountain of success. Using discipline as a responsibility manager is key. Make sure you keep on track and don’t start slipping. Even when things get difficult, giving up is the easiest way to fail. Perseverance is the other key part. Learning to push and push and never give up no matter how difficult the challenge is. These are also the aspects that I have been working on the most. Taking accountability for my actions, like skipping P.E. because I’m tired. I have to realize that even if I’m tired, I still need to push and fight to work hard in P.E. These are the first steps that I think everyone needs to master. Once you master discipline and perseverance, you really can achieve anything.
Moving on from the driving question, let’s focus on the core competency for this project. We were being evaluated on the competency of decision-making. Decision-making is key when talking about success. Throughout this project, we were tested on our ability to make decisions. During the exhibition, we were asked to use our decision-making skills to plan and pull off the exhibition. We did it! We made a great comic-con panel.
Alright, to wrap this post up with a quick conclusion. During my years at Seycove, I have grown so much. Each step I took changed me in different ways. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the amazing people at the Performance Learning Program. Anyway, I have been talking for way too long at the time I’m writing this, so I think it’s time to end. I appreciate every reader who has followed me along my journey through PLP. I can’t thank you enough for being interested in my life and world. I love you all, but that will be all. Have a good night, everyone.