Reflection

I know it is cliché, but the kids story “The Tortoise and the Hare” had an enormous impact on my life. In the story, a tortoise and a hare are to compete in a race. The hare is heavily favored because tortoises are known for being slow, whereas hares are quick. The hare taunts the tortoise relentlessly and tells him there is no way he can win. Halfway through the race the hare is far ahead and decides to take a nap. The tortoise ends up winning the race because the hare got lazy and overconfident. This story has affected me a lot and has shaped me into the person I am today, because I want to be like the tortoise, and not like the hare. I have tried to emulate, in my everyday life, the qualities in the tortoise, such as perseverance, determination, and a steady work habit. On the other hand I try to avoid the qualities of the hare, such as overconfidence, laziness, and a taunting attitude. The story also shows how you can do amazing things despite the odds, as long as you do not give up. Giving up will get you nowhere and will guarantee that you do not succeed in what you are trying to accomplish. Just like laziness will tend to make you fail, even in situations where you should easily succeed. Laziness is a bad character trait to have, because even if you do succeed, it likely caused you more stress than you would have had to deal with if you had not been lazy and had succeeded with hard work and perseverance.