Be brave — not perfect

Hi guys! I’m AJ, and I was your ASB president. To start off, I’m so proud to say: We’ve officially survived the Middle School Olympics.

That included: growth spurts, group projects, and fire drills … in the rain. There were hallway traffic jams, and arrows that tried to fix them — but could not. Honestly, just finding your first period class on the first day of 7th grade should’ve earned us all a medal.

We competed in supply drives, where the winning class earned a visit from the donut fairy, which was actually Mr. Mansfield. And even our parents survived the hardships of middle school, like turning left out of the parking lot during pick up and drop off.

As we reminisce on the good and even the bad experiences, I want to share the most important thing I realized in middle school: that we should be Brave, not Perfect.

About six months ago, I started working out with a group of elite high school athletes — think varsity football, basketball, and soccer players. I played competitive soccer for years, so I thought I was in pretty good shape — but everyone there could out-lift, out-sprint, and out-jump me.

So I had two options:
Quit … or be willing to suck for a while.

After a solid month of aching muscles and embarrassing myself, I talked to my mom on the way home from one of the 6 a.m. workouts, because I was still afraid of failing. She helped me see that the only cure for my fear is having a greater ambition. That my goals are more important than the embarrassment, or pain, of messing up in front of people who were (in my mind) “better” than me.

One thing I know for sure is that nobody starts out great. I mean, remember our first band concert and sports game? They were, honestly, truly terrible. Even Taylor Swift didn’t start out writing perfect songs, and I’m pretty sure Lionel Messi wasn’t born dribbling through defenders— He probably missed a few shots, just like we will.

The point is, only the people who are brave enough to be bad at something will have the opportunity to get better. And that’s what middle school is kinda about, right? Trying and failing. Messing up until we get it right.

In elementary school, we learned to do what we’re told. In middle school, we started to think for ourselves. In elementary school, we tried lots of things. At View Ridge, we started to figure out where we want to excel — like in clubs, classes, sports, or music. We went from having casual friends in elementary school, to finding close friends who really understand us.

And we need that support. Because being brave isn’t going skydiving or wrestling a bear — it’s putting yourself out there. You might crush it, fail miserably, or land somewhere in between.

Bravery is also being willing to push through the tough stuff. Even if you’re embarrassed. Even if you’re afraid. You just have to decide if you want to win — MORE than you’re afraid to lose.

So as we move on to high school — and everything that follows — remember this:
Don’t chase perfection. It’s exhausting. And it will keep you from taking the risks that could get you to your goals.

Instead: Be brave. Even if it’s messy. Especially if it’s awkward. And most importantly: be someone you would be proud of. Congratulations, View Ridge eighth graders!