Winning

A win's a win, no matter how big.

In the process of getting a car I've had to take out my first loan ever; kind of scary, very much a grown-up thing, and something I didn't understand until I was in the thick of it. It's definitely a process, and approval isn't only based on having an awesome credit score. Living on a grad school stipend is pretty great; not tons of dollars, but enough. Unfortunately, for this first year I don't get a W2 so proving my income for this process has been super tricky. I was told I was approved, then I wasn't, then if I gt them one piece of info I'd be good, then I wasn't. I finally got fed up, talked to another individual, and won. I got my pre-approval. I'm all on track to get a car. What's more, this whole process has been a learning and growth experience. I got my first loan ever, without requiring a cosigner, and after crunching numbers. Definitely feeling like an adult, which is so weird and so awesome.

We encounter things like this everyday; these opportunities to shine, even in things smaller than getting a loan. It's the battles we choose in which winning means more than just the win itself; it's when we can prove to ourselves and others that we can do what we set our minds to, and sometimes so much more.

In skiing it's hitting that big line or boot-packing up or catching that one air or dropping in or even just getting on the lift and not putting the bar down. Everyone's battle is just that: their own. And their triumph is theirs as well. As outsiders, we cannot judge the importance of small accomplishments or how they will change a person. A problem is that so many people will discount our small conquests, and unfortunately too many people listen to these naysayers and don't relish the importance of what they've just done for themselves.

On top of this car loan, I've done so much this year, especially in my skiing. I've launched myself headlong into so many different things, getting more comfortable in the air (not much air, but enough to get the sensation), staying loose in tricky situations, boot-packing to a line for the first time, actually dropping in to lines, it goes on. Living in Salt Lake, and skiing the Bird, makes these little things seem so much less impressive; I mean, I live in one of the factories of great skiers, what am I in comparison? Well, I'm a highly capable skier with expert skills who's conquering a fear of heights in order to step on the mountain every time and I'm pushing myself further than I ever believed I could, that's what I am. I'm passionate about skiing and every little win I get only makes me that much more so.

So in every endeavor, push yourself for that win. If you are passionate about achieving something, let  yourself relish it if you actually achieve that outcome. Don't let anyone else affect how you perceive the outcome because they can't understand what it means to you. Keep pushing, keep climbing, and keep looking for the steeper side. You only need to believe in yourself; keep your conviction.