Distinguished Young Women
Day 1. "Oh my goodness, why is this fitness routine so hard? Should I drop out? Do I have time every Tuesday and Thursday? Wait no, I should keep trying!! ... Wait what was that move again? I'm literally so lost..."
Day 2. "Okay okay I got this. Wait wait wait there was a kick there? Oh my gosh why is everyone so flexible? Ah I'm so tired. Okay let's get it together."
Day 3. "Okay I'm sort of getting the routine now. It doesn't seem that bad... Gotta polish this part, gotta learn this part again, gotta keep going. Remember to breathe! Oh shoot, I forgot to breathe."
Day 4. "Slowly getting there! Oh my, one more week until the last practice. Can I get this? Okay, let's be confident! I can't wait for DCON this weekend... Wait no FOCUS!"
Day 5. "2nd to last practice! Almost show day! I can't wait!! Okay, the fitness routine seems easier, the interview doesn't seem that scary... Oh wait shoot, I have to give a speech. At least we got our prompts today! YouTube prompt? Pretty cool. What would my YouTube video be about? Hm.."
Day 6. "LAST PRACTICE!! I know the routine FINALLY! Wait what about the formations? Oh no... We're not ready. We should practice outside of school. Friday & Saturday it is! Let's go! RED GROUP WE GOT THIS!"
Day 7 (Day of DYW). "Oh my goodness gracious it's today. Remember to breathe. Remember the formations. Remember my speech. Remember the pitch I'm singing at. Remember to calm down. Remember to keep my hair looking alright. Remember to ask for make up. Remember to bring my dresses. Remember to do homework at the end of it all. And most importantly, remember to be confident."
I had the amazing opportunity to be a part of Distinguished Young Women yesterday night and I'll have to admit, DYW really pushed me out of my comfort zone. I realized that I've been inside my comfort zone for so long that trying to get out of it was a lot harder than I thought it would be: in 9th grade, I was so willing to leave the simple for the different, for the new, but in 11th grade I grew too complacent and was willing to continue doing what made me feel only comfortable. DYW was a wake up call for me to remember that the only way I'll improve myself is to continuously push my limits. Being the potato that I am, I never really liked exercising: PE used to be a bore for me and it was just another class I needed to get through, but when I began to learn the fitness routine for DYW, I learned that I actually enjoyed exercising and building up my stamina. I might not have been the best at moving swiftly and smoothly during those turns, kicks, and push ups, but I definitely tried my best to keep up with the routine. As for singing, I have sung in front of my church before when I was younger but as I grew up, I stopped sharing my voice with others and instead merely hummed along to Disney songs at home. But yesterday, for the first time in forever, I had the chance to sing one of my favorite songs from my childhood, no matter how nervewracking it was. I'll admit, it was really intimidating to sing in front of a music judge and all of my friends and family, but I'm glad I mustered up the courage to do so because I was able to expose a part of myself I otherwise never would have before I graduated.
I am honestly so proud of all of the girls who were formally recognized on stage for their talents in music, speaking, interviewing, dancing, etc. But honestly, when I take a step back and look at all the girls who participated in DYW this year I am absolutely stunned and amazed at the quality of these young ladies. They are all so talented, dedicated, hardworking, intelligent, and mature. All of their talents exceed anybody's expectations and their level of maturity & intelligence is one to be admired by many! I can't believe I was able to work alongside such crazy talented people. I know that these girls are going to go on in life to do bigger and better things day by day: they all deserved to win last night, and we did. We won friendship, confidence, and new memories - all irreplaceable moments and experiences. The moments we shared and the laughs we had together are all precious and I wouldn't trade them for anything because these ladies helped me see the best in myself when I really haven't been able to these past few months. They inspired and are still inspiring me to try my best in everything that I do no matter how difficult the case may be because it's all a journey to "be my best self." But above all, something I learned yesterday that I'll remember forever is that "be your best self" does not mean "be a perfect self": rather, it means that we must try our hardest in all that we do - we may not be perfect, but we are definitely the best versions of ourselves... It's just a matter of finding it.