Words to live by, really.

"If you're doing your best, you won't have any time to worry about failure."

- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

This year, I wasted many precious minutes...worrying about failure. When you take AP classes, I suppose it comes with the territory. The people in my grade, at the top of our class at least, are so incredibly competitive. It's not like I don't try my best, but with the way the classes are designed, sometimes I feel that I'm just missing something. For example, in my history class, there are so many questions on tests that people got wrong that we never even went over. Considering these tests are designed to make you internally cringe in agony over whether the answer is A or C, I suppose this isn't the best example. The thing is, I don't enjoy getting Bs at all (albeit mid-high Bs, but that is not the point). However, if that was the grade I earned in a particular class by doing my best, I really shouldn't be complaining. When I took karate classes when I was younger, my instructors told the class to give "110 percent" effort. It's just when you're working that hard, you want some kind of reward, some sign that you are not, indeed, a failure. At this point, I think of the people who don't even challenge themselves with these classes. I don't take college-level courses for bragging rights, because my parents force me, etc. I take them for the challenge, and for an environment in which a higher-level thought process can be fostered. I enjoy the discussions. I enjoy being with classmates who care about learning just as much as I do. Well, I suppose this is where the reward lies. It's like getting a job (though I have yet to have that experience). You like your co-workers, but you don't always like the way your boss handles the business. If everyone could learn this lesson about doing your best, if nothing else, the world would be a happier, less-stressed out place. And learn it when you're young.