Kelcey Billingslea

Mrs. Davis

Honors Comp 11

31 January 2019

Competitiveness Leads to Success

Usually when people hear the word “competitive,” they think of sports or some type of

competition. The mental image that society has drilled into our minds is a little twisted, in my

opinion. People tend to think that competitive people only care about winning some type of title.

However, when I think of being competitive, I think of my own mental and physical health and

what I would do to protect it. I always want to do better, pushing myself to be the best person I

can be for myself and for others. I do not want to just have potential. I want to prevail. Being

competitive is far more than just competing; it is a mindset.

A few years ago, I truly grasped the idea about my drive for competitiveness. It started

when I made the decision to move away from my mom because of her battle with drugs. I had

lived with my mom since I was a young girl when my parents divorced. Deciding to live with my

dad was the toughest decision I ever made. My mom was my rock; she had always been there for

me through challenging situations within our family. My mother was the only one who really

understood the struggle I dealt with. However, within a short period of time, everything changed

with a few careless decisions.

The decisions my mother made not only took her down a dark path but me as well. The

drugs took over my mom fast, too fast. The drugs quickly consumed her life. The mother I knew
was gone instantly as she chose drugs over me and everything that was important to her. Her

choices left me to deal with a tremendous amount of pain. The pain ultimately led me to the

hardest decision of my life, moving into my father’s house. This wasn’t a spontaneous decision.

But I had to decide for myself. I decided from that day forward, I would never again allow

myself to go down an empty path. I made the decision to succeed in life. My mom’s poor

decisions led me to be competitive with my decisions.

The foolish choices my mother made resulted in a drive to be deliberate with my

decisions and be a better person. Many times, I asked myself, “Why me?” Hadn’t I already dealt

with enough by losing my father at a young age. I can finally see the bigger picture. Everything

truly does happen for a reason. Even odds are against me, you still get to decide to compete and

change the outcome. Going through these life changing events has caused me to push myself to

make the best decisions in all aspects of my life. Moving into my father’s house was a hard

decision for me. However, I had to choose. I had to put myself first. Choosing to leave my mom

was difficult, but I couldn’t go down the same dark paths as her. I wanted a better life, and I

would not let my past stop me.

In conclusion, the decisions I make are vital to my future; therefore, I believe that I need

to have a competitive attitude for the best outcome in my life. Seeing the terrible decisions my

mother made taught me to be competitive with my choices. It gave me the drive to succeed. I

know that I cannot let my past define my future. I’m thankful for what this journey has brought

into my life and what it continues to bring. I know that this experience will help prepare me for

more difficult challenges in my future. The possibilities are endless.

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