To set yourself apart in any venture, intensity and passion are vital. This is relevant in any experience, whether it's on the basketball court, at the podium, on the stage, or in the operating room. Regardless of your credentials, skill level, or expertise, the first impression you make on others is primarily based on the attitude that you put forth. A positive, high-energy attitude engages the individual (or group) to whom you are trying to convey a message. As a result the skills you bring to the table will have a greater impact simply because of the demeanor change. So you may ask, how does this apply to scholarship applications?
First, when you sit down and open up your laptop, or notebook, and begin to fill out a scholarship application, you have to check your state of mind. Are you tired from a long day of test taking and sports practice? Are you in a passive state of mind after a negative encounter with a group of individuals that you are trying to shake off? Once this is done, you must put this all behind and begin a mental pump up song, chant, exhortation, or scenario. You must have positive energy flowing in order to start and complete scholarship applications in a sharp mental state. Once strong mental energy has been established, the physical energy will come along and will enable you to write sharp, beautiful concise essays and personal statements. You must remember that mental and physical power are inextricably connected, and the more energy on both ends, the greater the quality of the scholarship applications.
Furthermore, you should take the steps needed during the scholarship application process to keep energy high. This may involve taking short breaks to listen to your favorite Daft Punk song ("Get Lucky" is mine). It may also involve working on your scholarship essay at sporadic times when, let's say you are getting a little tired of that physics homework or right after a stimulating conversation with your mother who just got home from work. If you ever feel like you are simply going through the motions and not actively thinking about what you are working on and that pep talk just is not working, back away for a few days. The time off will give you time to think about other things and to remember why that scholarship is important. This renewed thirst will serve you well moving forward.
Overall, in life, whether or not you reach a certain goal is for the most part dependent on your state of mind. The amount of energy you bring forth equates to the effort you bring to the table, which, in turn, determines how successful you are. In the scholarship application process just like in life you will inevitably face failure, but what matters is that regardless of how many times you fail, you must bounce back, full steam ahead, with the energy to take on that next application!
