Persuasion

I don't use persuasion much, therefore I am HORRIBLE at trying to persuade others or maybe I am horrible at persuading and therefore I refuse to try. What came first: The chicken or the egg? Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I can persuade my parents to let me go somewhere. So, persuasion isn't huge in my book.

Will persuasion ever be a skill I try to master? Probably not.

I see companies trying to persuade to use their product everywhere, especially on television. Call America stubborn, but a lot of us are just annoyed.

That's what persuasion is for a lot of people: annoying someone or tempting someone until the moment they break and do whatever the persuader was persuading them to do. Others, are actually worth listening to. Very few people can convince me to do something I wouldn't do already.

What It Means to be a Winner

(Writer's Notebook)
Naturally, people want to be better than someone at something. It's called being competitive. Winning doesn't always prove that you're better than someone else at whatever it is you're competing at, just as losing doesn't mean you're not as good as others at whatever it is you're competing at. Remember: We all have are bad days and good days.

Winning is just a good feeling for most. The prize doesn't have to be tangible, it could be pride itself. Too much pride, however, causes someone to be an egomaniac. That type of a person is never fun to be around. I admit, sometimes I sometimes get a bit cocky when I compete in chair tests, but I never let it go to my head.

I've "won" spots in all-region and all-state and first chair in our little school band back in my junior high days. I felt accomplished, because I felt as if I deserved it.

Winning could either mean being lucky or very determined.

I guess you can pick up vibes that I have REALLY mixed feelings on the topic.

Olympic Athletes vs. Every Day People

Olympic athletes get credited for their hard work and determination when competing in the Olympics. Some athletes' multiple hours of practice pay of when they get the honor and glory of being a medalist. They give athletes someone to look up to and aspire to be like.

Maybe everyone sees people with the determination and commitment of an Olympic athlete every day without knowing it. People who aspire to work in the medical field must have a load of determination to get astounding grades to get into good universities and excel there to go to medical school and do well there to be a trusted surgeon.

That doesn't apply to doctors only. It applies to everyone with dreams. I dream to keep music in my life and have the honor of teaching other minds about music or at least be a pro musician and play in random symphonies.

I have been "training" since 6th grade to reach that goal. I think it's going well, because I've been honored with making all-state band. Okay...so it was a low chair in, but still an accomplishment! I want to do better, though. Not to be able say that I'm better than a lot of clarinet players, but to reach this mental goal I have: do well at what I love doing.