Answering The Question Of Why We Have Missions
The gold medal, a chance for life, to prove your worth. Those are all missions. In all stories are rises and falls. What drives a person to accomplish these dreams? Fame. Survival. To prove yourself. Who reached these goals, and how did they do it?
Fame. Who doesn’t want to be famous? Since Micheal Phelps was young, he dreamed of fame. “Phelps continued his lessons to become stronger and faster in the water, and a few years later, when he saw the swimmers compete at the 1996 Olympics in Athens, Georgia, he started to dream about becoming a champion himself.” When Micheal Phelps was 7 his mission started, to swim faster than anyone else. He believed he could win, and indeed he did. He became the most decorated Olympian ever. The dreams he had as a child came true, because of how hard he tried. Maya Angelou also wished to be famous, and to prove someone wrong. “Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise” She wants to be her best, because she knows that her ancestors were never given the option to be who they wanted to be. Her slave ancestors wished to be free, and she wished to be free of someone who is judging her. Angelou said, “With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt”. She wishes to be free of judgment and to be free of those people that are dragging her down.
To prove someone wrong is also a powerful motivating force. It pushes you to be the best, although there were other reasons for them to try. The protagonist in Still I Rise has to prove that she is better without the antagonist. Angelou wrote: “You may write me down in history, With your bitter, twisted lies,...” She is saying that he is a liar about who she is, and that what he thinks, and what he used to feel and say about her are lies. She wants to prove those lies wrong and be the best person that she can be. Asnath Mahapa has wanted to be a pilot since she was little, although her family didn’t support the idea. “"When I told my father I wanted to become a pilot, he never even entertained the idea, "she explained.” She wanted to prove her father wrong for thinking that she couldn’t do it. She wanted to be a pilot already, but her family's feelings towards it made her try even harder. Your self-worth can be a powerful driver in accomplishing goals.
The mission to survive the day is one of the most basic missions to have. Farah Ahmedi had to pass into Pakistan if they wanted the survive the hostile situation in Afghanistan, although to try to go through the gate at the border was dangerous in itself. Ahmedi says: “Big strong men were running up to the gate in vain. The guards had clubs, and they had carbines, too, which they turned around and used as weapons.” It was dangerous to try to get through the gate, yet they stayed if they ever did get the chance to get through. Annie Johnson needed to survive. She was a single black woman in 1903, with 2 young sons. “In 1903 the late Mrs. Annie Johnson of Arkansas found herself with two toddling sons, very little money, a slight ability to read and add simple numbers. To this picture add a disastrous marriage and the burdensome fact that Mrs. Johnson was a Negro.” This quote represents the disastrous situation she was in. She had to try to support this complicated family.
Three things that drive people to accomplish missions include fame, survival, and self-worth. Micheal Phelps reached his goal to reach the gold medal. Asnath Mahapa got to fly. Farah Ahmedi got to Pakistan. Missions come true every day.
