When did we as a society decide that not trying and not participating is cool? It’s not embarrassing to know the answers and raise your hand; it’s not embarrassing to join clubs and be involved. The stigma around the label “try hard” is upsetting when it’s viewed as a bad thing.
Caring deeply about everything you do should be celebrated, not mocked, and passion should not be judged. Doing things to the best of your ability is what I believe makes life fulfilling, whether it’s trying hard in school, in sports, in art or just being kind. Be a try hard.
Successful people are driven by wanting to be the best. They’re not afraid of failure because failure means they are trying. We should be more scared of not trying at all than trying and failing. The people that fill up their resumes with all sorts of extracurriculars, sports, jobs, leadership roles, etc. go a lot farther in life than the people that skip class. The feeling of accomplishment and knowing that you are setting yourself up for success is more rewarding than the temporary comfort of taking the easy way out. Hard work makes up who you are as a person. It builds confidence and resilience.
All the “try hards” are setting themselves up for a great life, no matter how old they are. Challenging yourself is what makes you better in whatever you are doing. Take sports, for example. You will only get better if you are playing with people that are better than you. This is true in any field. If you want to be a better student, study with people who are smarter than you. Inspire yourself to be better.
Try hards are passionate. Passion is such a beautiful thing; loving what you do is your sole purpose in life. Waking up every morning excited to do whatever it is you do with your time gives you a sense of purpose that not everyone gets to experience. Finding joy in your day-to-day life is not easy; you have to put in the effort and do everything with your whole heart until you find your thing.
Yet, the world continues to push the narrative that effort is uncool, that being nonchalant is desirable and the worst thing you can be is cringe, but what if to be cringe is to be free? Stop telling people that they are “doing too much” because all that really means is that you’re not doing enough. You’ll never fully experience life until you throw yourself in it head first.
Don’t worry about embarrassing yourself; regret nothing. Regrets fill our heads with worries and anxiety so much that we forget to look ahead and remember how much life we have left, killing our passion to try. Getting stuck in the past and regretting things you’ve done will always be your biggest regret in the end.
Looking forward to what you can accomplish next is what will push you beyond your limits and keep your passion alive. Don’t be cool. Be a try hard.
