The Personal Essay that got me into UGA

So I actually did not end up going to UGA #lolz, but this is the essay that I used to apply to colleges that required a personal essay. And yes, it is about my water bottle. Here it is:

Author Vivian Greene once said, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” This quote occupied my brain as I embarked on a 90-day growth journey. I wasn’t satisfied with waiting for the current day to end and the next one to begin. Each day I had to journal, stick to a diet, go to the gym, read 10 pages of a book, focus on spiritual growth, and take a progress picture. After my challenge, my mind returned to the Vivian Greene quote I had stumbled upon. I concluded that my challenge was not best represented by a storm. Instead, my trial most closely resembled a gallon of water. As part of sticking to my diet, I had to carry around a gallon water jug and drink it by the end of the day. This gallon of water is representative of the boldness, dedication, and ambition that I acquired throughout my journey.

Why does a gallon of water attract so much attention? Comments, turning of heads, and stares follow behind my water bottle and I. Everywhere I go I can expect to hear, “Wow, that’s a big water bottle.” Even when I joined a new gym, my gallon of water was not allowed inside because it was said to be “too intimidating.” Maybe those people are right. Maybe it was unnecessarily large and intimidating. But maybe a lot of things are unnecessarily large and intimidating. What about my dreams, my goals, and my plans for the future? Am I really just going to give up on those because others have deemed them to be too absurd? If I would have let their original comments impact my boldness to complete this challenge, I wouldn’t have been able to receive the rewards in the end. A gallon of water is representative of how my boldness led to my accomplishments.

Sometimes I joke that my right arm is stronger than my left because of how heavy my water bottle is. Luckily for me, it gets lighter as the day goes on if I actually drink it as often as I am supposed to. In the same way, my burdens will get easier to carry if I am dedicated enough to tackle them each day. I previously struggled with voicing my honest opinion. To combat this, I utilized the “countdown method” to force myself to speak up by the time I counted down from five. This method didn’t give me time to talk myself out of staying silent. By the end of my challenge, the burden of keeping silent became much lighter because of my dedication. A gallon of water is representative of how my obstacles can only be overcome through dedication.

If I went to the gym in the morning, I had no trouble finishing the gallon by early afternoon. I could have stopped there since my initial goal had already been reached, but I would refill the gallon instead. This habit carries over into my other goals as well. When I accomplish one goal, I don’t stop there. I find a new goal to work towards immediately after one is completed. It is this ambition that sets me apart from others. Though others may stop after the work is done, I find new work to complete. A gallon of water represents my ambitious attitude.

When I carry around my gallon of water, I am carrying more than just a liquid-filled container. I am carrying around my boldness, dedication, and ambition. Since the completion of those 90 days, I have built a website dedicated to helping others start their own challenge. Although my challenge has ended, the habits I acquired have remained. I continue to carry around my gallon of water, and I look forward to doing so on my first day at the University of Georgia.