Rising Strong Sparknotes

For one of the few times in my life, I let myself down. At my interview for Phillips Exeter, the admissions director asked me how I would face disappointment, given that it would surely occur over the next four years. I thought I knew, but as it turns out, I overestimated my abilities to face it head on. During those first two years, disappointment hurt me. By concentrating on that period of time, you would perceive me incorrectly. But please know this: I am stronger than ever, more aware of my ability to overcome something that hit me

Esperanza’s situation is a reminder that shame can have a positive effect on people’s lives by being a source of motivation and inspiration.

People are challenged with many of life’s obstacles every day leaving them emotionally damaged and left feeling helpless. How one copes with these feelings depends on how he/she was raised in terms of solving problems. Success must occur in physical, social, emotional, moral, and intellectual aspects in order for one to achieve his/her full potential. Through the deprivation of emotional and social support in one’s early years, levels of self-esteem are lowered; one is then prevented from achieving his/her full potential. Over time, the accumulation of traumatic experiences can lead an individual to overwhelming guilt and depression; this unhealthy state of mind contributes to lower self-esteem. In order to reach one’s full potential, he/she must meet every need leading up to self-actualization; lacking self-confidence prohibits a person from becoming the best version of his/herself. Richard Wagamese’s Medicine Walk explores how childhood experiences and relationships, whether positive or negative, fundamentally shape an individual; later on in one’s life, healing may allow relationships to be mended, allowing people to become better versions of themselves.

In “Blue Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose, Rose describes his observations of his mother 's career as a waitress and his uncle 's career at a motor company. He noticed different behaviors, conversations, responses, and customs that both conveyed in their field of work. Rose’s mother was a hard working woman. She was consistent and accurate with her orders, had a great memory, knew how to communicate with her customers efficiently depending on their needs, and had no problem carrying two arms of plates and drinks. Now that is skill. On the other hand, his uncle managed his time wisely, got things done the right way, and never failed to do his job. Rose states that work involves both the body and the brain no matter what the occupation.

The book Unbroken details the struggles and hardships Louie Zamperini found as a P.O.W. in Japan during World War Two. Laura Hillenbrand wrote ths nonfiction novel about Zamperini's life as a troublemaking youth, a soldier, and his post bellum life as a family man and community leader.         Louie Zamperini was born in Olean, New York to parents native to Italy. His family moved to Torrance, California, where he became a troublemaking youth who was always fighting and getting into trouble. Zamperini was known as a public nuisance to the town, until his brother, Pete, put him on the right track.

Dr. Sandra D. Wilson (2001) asks, “Have you ever felt as if you were the only caterpillar in a butterfly world? Do you often feel as if you have to do twice as much to be half as good as other” (p. 16)? If you answered, yes, then that is what Wilson (2001) calls binding shame. “Shame is the soul-deep belief that something is horribly wrong with me that is not wrong with anyone else in the entire world. If I am bound by shame, I feel hopelessly, distinguishingly different and worthless (p. 16).

People like Cole who have gone through hard times and struggles know that facing adversity and succeeding is a hard process but it is possible. In the book Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen Cole has been facing adversity for a long time and taking his feelings out on others but after he beats up Peter Driscal his parents and the police think it's time for him to change. So they send him to an island but Cole doesn't want to change and causes problems for himself that he must solve later. Relationships, experiences, and the mindset of a person can be the difference between failing and succeeding in the face of Adversity. Everyone knows having positive relationships with people is vital to survival in the world.

Indubitably, Louie Zamperini faced an extraordinary and life saving change in his lifetime. Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand tells Louie's story and how religion saved his life. The story takes place primarily during the mid-20th century, where the United States fully engaged in war against the Axis Powers.

In the novel ,The Natural by Bernard Malamud,Roy Hobbs a soon to be baseball player with his whole life ahead of him thinks his baseball career will skyrocket and will become a well known baseball player,but he let is love life interfere with his career. Roy Hobbs was shot at nineteen years old and lost his best friend all because of the same girl.His career skyrocketed but it was at the time where his age did not do him so good.The protagonist Roy Hobbs is a progressive character because although he was shot at nineteen and forced to take a fifteen year leave out of the big league baseball,he overcame his injuries and was determined to be the best.

The biggest takeaway from this is that the greatest shame in life simply comes from not being able to rise above hitting rock-bottom. “But if you live your life without feeling and compassion for your fellowman--you are as an animal-- ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ & happiness & peace of mind is not attained by living thus” Page

“ If there is no struggles, there is no progress.” This famous quote was stated by Frederick Douglas. He was an african american abolitionist, civil rights leader, and social reformer that was born into slavery and faced many hardships in his life but eventually he overcame his difficulties and became a very famous colored man in a world full of slavery. In the book “Hope Was Here”, also several characters face struggles that require inner strength to overcome. Some examples are Braverman, Addie, and Hope. All of them had struggles but still overcame them. My great-grandmother had many obstacles in her life, but she still overcame them.

Journalist Alexandra Robbins, in her book, The Overachievers, follows the lives of various high school students in order to demonstrate that students today are under extensive pressure from sports, standardized tests, the college application process, and school itself. Robbins effectively argues that the overachiever culture in America and throughout the world is severely detrimental to students and society as a whole. First, she uses logos and examples to prove her point. Her use of many anecdotes of varied characters from different areas of the country portrays the widespread effects of overachiever society.

It is human nature that every day we are forced to overcome an obstacle, an obstacle that we may see as a failure. It is the lesson that we take away from that failure that contributes to our success as individuals. Our success stems from our willingness to overcome failure. One quote that helps to reinforce this idea comes from Vince Lombardi who said, “The difference between a successful person and others is not the lack of strength, lack of knowledge, but the lack of will.” After facing a tough loss early in the season, the Middletown Lions football team had to rally and overcome our failures to get back on track for a successful season.

These are some experiences that have shaped my self-esteem. I do not portend to make excuses for myself; I only want to illustrate that you can let these experiences either motivate you or de-motivate you, the choice is always yours. I let these life experiences de-motivate until I came to the realization that you should not let others determine your fate or what you can achieve.

     There is not one person alive who has not encountered a less than desirable situation in life. Nobody is flawless and everyone has made at least one mistake that they wish they could take back. However, a problem many encounter is they worsen these mistakes by lingering on them instead of learning from them. They worry that others may see them as less than they really are and that they are inadequate because they are not perfect. Albert Ellis, the creator of RET, says people, “upset themselves about their seriousness upsetness. In fact, they may have biological tendencies that encourage them to make a ‘magical’…jump from ‘I badly failed’ to ‘I am a failure-a bad person!’”.