Ben Franklin once said, "All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move."
Which are you?
With hands on the steering wheel of my destiny and ambition in the passenger seat, I am a mover. I know what I desire, and I trust in hard work to achieve my aspirations. I don’t like to sit still and let things happen to me. True, sometimes things do fall into place with a little luck, but I would rather play a role in creating my success. I take pride in accomplishments, and even failures, because I know my initiative created the opportunities.
I missed track season my sophomore year due to an injury, and my goal of winning Sectional Title in Triple Jump was deferred. Like sitting at a red light, I revved my engine as I anticipated the next opportunity. Resolutely, I trained all winter with my goal in mind. When spring rolled around my hard work had transformed me into a stronger, faster and more determined athlete. I improved by leaps and bounds, literally. I was on the road and switching gears as my success propelled me to undertake a new event, long jump. Accepting the slight risk of humiliation, I decided to compete in both jumps for sectionals. My hard work paid off as I walked away with two gold medals that day. As a mover, I worked hard and created my own fate and it didn’t stop there. As Newton would state, “An object in motion tends to stay in motion.” I continued to push my limits and wound up winning a state title in long jump. Taking initiative and risks to make aspirations become realities is the essence of being a mover.
However, Ben Franklin overlooked a crucial aspect of movers; great movers integrate the best characteristics of immovables and movables into themselves. I have the flexibility of a movable when it comes to being open minded and cooperative with others. Far from being a pushover or waving the white flag, this skill is just as valuable as independently pushing forth my own agenda. My core values which were set in concrete from my childhood are immovable. My parents gave me a strong sense of integrity and a blue-collar work ethic that will never change. These characteristics are crucial in accomplishing anything worthwhile. Would the University of Pennsylvania exist if William Penn hadn’t adopted an unwavering conviction in the Quaker set of values? What if he hadn’t compromised with the king to repay his debt to the Penn family by giving them land in the New World? It’s undisputed that William Penn was a mover; however he implemented the best traits of the immovables and movables to achieve his goal of creating a community of democracy and freedom. With my initiative, motivation, values and flexibility, I know I am unstoppable. I am a mover; no roadblocks, speed bumps or red lights will stop me from reaching my destination as I drive down my path in life.
I missed track season my sophomore year due to an injury, and my goal of winning Sectional Title in Triple Jump was deferred. Like sitting at a red light, I revved my engine as I anticipated the next opportunity. Resolutely, I trained all winter with my goal in mind. When spring rolled around my hard work had transformed me into a stronger, faster and more determined athlete. I improved by leaps and bounds, literally. I was on the road and switching gears as my success propelled me to undertake a new event, long jump. Accepting the slight risk of humiliation, I decided to compete in both jumps for sectionals. My hard work paid off as I walked away with two gold medals that day. As a mover, I worked hard and created my own fate and it didn’t stop there. As Newton would state, “An object in motion tends to stay in motion.” I continued to push my limits and wound up winning a state title in long jump. Taking initiative and risks to make aspirations become realities is the essence of being a mover.
However, Ben Franklin overlooked a crucial aspect of movers; great movers integrate the best characteristics of immovables and movables into themselves. I have the flexibility of a movable when it comes to being open minded and cooperative with others. Far from being a pushover or waving the white flag, this skill is just as valuable as independently pushing forth my own agenda. My core values which were set in concrete from my childhood are immovable. My parents gave me a strong sense of integrity and a blue-collar work ethic that will never change. These characteristics are crucial in accomplishing anything worthwhile. Would the University of Pennsylvania exist if William Penn hadn’t adopted an unwavering conviction in the Quaker set of values? What if he hadn’t compromised with the king to repay his debt to the Penn family by giving them land in the New World? It’s undisputed that William Penn was a mover; however he implemented the best traits of the immovables and movables to achieve his goal of creating a community of democracy and freedom. With my initiative, motivation, values and flexibility, I know I am unstoppable. I am a mover; no roadblocks, speed bumps or red lights will stop me from reaching my destination as I drive down my path in life.