I sometimes take a look around at some of my classmates and end up wondering to myself, “Why do they not care? Don’t they want to succeed at life?” I think the answer to  the latter question is simple: people do want to succeed, but the problem is they want that success without having to exert any effort.

Most people find success by discovering a passion and working hard at it to succeed in it. Bill Mills, the only American to win an Olympic gold in the 10,000 meter run, did not settle for mediocrity. He trained every day to achieve that success. In his words, “Every passion has its destiny. Run to your destiny.”

I do not think that many students in our classrooms truly understand the idea of consequence. Teenagers tend to get into their mind that they are invincible, and no matter what they do, their life will work out in their favor. This is far from the truth. The most successful people always have a great work ethic and are not afraid to take on new challenges. Too often in our school I see students complaining to their teachers about the coursework. Well, sometimes in life you will have to suck it up, and you can only get out of it what you put into it. The same thing goes for school. Strive for mediocrity in school, and you will be pleased to find that you have a mediocre life.

I am sending out a call for everyone to step it up. Do good in school. Try hard in all aspects of life, and there is no way you can fail. The greatest achievements are those that come with hard work and effort, so strive for greatness and you will not let yourself down.