Successful athletes often talk about the hardest moments they’ve faced during their careers. Whether it’s a rough team loss or a personal experience, the common theme that follows these stories is the recovery. If you don’t hear a solution story, it’s probably because they don’t have one. 

Each day, we’re faced with hard decisions, and each day, we have a choice. A choice to find a solution to the problems we are facing or a choice to give up. Though some days it may seem as though there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, it’s important to dig your way out of the rut you’re in and change the outcome. 

You’re going to come across people in the world who look down on you, and you’re going to face challenges that make you work harder than you have ever worked before, but, in a way, that’s one of the most unique human experiences we can face. Without challenges, we lose progress, and without progress we miss out on acts of innovation and discovery.

On a college campus, we’re surrounded by sources of inspiration. From your fellow classmate who gets a higher grade than you to the work being done by college students across the nation, there are opportunities for incentive. Instead of getting discouraged by the accomplishments of those around you, use them as your motivators. It’s almost a guarantee that those people you envy didn’t get there by wallowing. 

Some things might come easier to you than others. Maybe you’re great at math, but writing is really your passion. Don’t give up, and don’t  stop chasing your end goals until you’ve reached what you want. It’s important that even if you feel like you’re having the worst day of your life, you know that there are sunnier skies ahead and you just have to push through the storm.

Reflect on your accomplishments and the battles you have faced and use those skills and experiences and use them to show others what you truly are capable of doing. Embrace the qualities that separate you from other people, ones you may never have thought of as an advantage, and gear them in a way that’s productive to your future careers, relationships, etc. We all have different qualities and challenges to face, but this doesn’t have to be an endpoint. It’s all about how you spin it.

Think of all that you have overcome. Each person faces their own battles, scars they often don’t show, and each one of us is a warrior for doing so. 

So, as you face challenges in your classes, in your personal life and in your professional ambitions, remember that you have a choice. Take the time to look at situations as opportunities instead of as roadblocks and work to make your recovery story front page worthy.