A Lesson on Achieving Success Through Self-Improvement: Be Courageous
Imagine yourself in this situation; You are a young recruit at the Virginia Military School for Cadets, you have never experienced war, but you are being trained for one. The Confederate forces are on the brink of defeat, losses are heavy, then the call comes from headquarters: “Send all recruits to the front immediately.” How would you react to this news?
During the Civil War, prior to the Battle of New Market, Virginia military cadets (age range 12-18) were called to join the battle. They faced a powerful union army; they were not supported by the older Confederate soldiers, in fact, they were mocked for their age.
These cadets made a difference:
1. The older Confederate soldiers ran while the cadets stood in formation; bombs exploding around him.
2. The cadets were the first group to charge the Union army line under heavy fire, they fought valiantly, capturing the hill and forcing the Union army to retreat.
No one thought these guys would be the reason the Confederate Army was victorious in the Battle of New Market. In our own personal lives, we are fighting a different battle; we are waging a war against self-destruction. We strive every day to find happiness and success, but the armies of self-destruction are always attacking; That’s why we need to be brave and continue fighting our personal battles until we are victorious, just like the cadets. This is an important lesson on how to achieve success through self-improvement.
1. Don’t be afraid of taking hits. In the movie “Rocky Balboa”, there was a moment when Rocky was talking to his son about not being a coward or making excuses when things are not going well in our lives. Life is about getting up after failing; this is how ordinary people succeed and find happiness in this life. They keep moving forward, especially when times are dark and sad. You have 2 options in life; you can stay down and let life knock you down continuously or you can get up, dust yourself off and fight, the latter is what makes ordinary people winners.
2. Don’t let your weaknesses get you down. Being brave simply means that you know what your weaknesses are and that you are doing everything in your power to strengthen them. Tony Horton, creator of P90X, once said, and I quote, “Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was your body…just show yourself…keep pressing play.” end quote. If you’re having trouble writing an article, keep practicing until you become an expert. If you have a dream of becoming a doctor, do whatever it takes to study and learn all the material until you become an expert. If you have a weakness for speaking in front of a large group of people, practice in front of your family or a small group of people until you become an expert.
Be brave every day of your life and you will find happiness, you will become a better person. In conclusion of this article, I hope you have learned this important lesson on how to achieve success through self-improvement.