What truly leads to success? The opinion of many is that having “real success” means that you have to be solely independent. What most people miss is that success is mostly collaborative and built thanks to the work of others. Accomplishing something comes with a network of people who inspire your success and give you motivation to reach your goals. Everyone has someone or something that inspires their goals. When you look at influential figures, you can also see that their success is guided in some way by the help and support from others. True success is not just about individual achievement, but instead a shared journey that grows through the support and motivation of a community. When people help and uplift each other, everyone can succeed together!
Who inspires your successes and your wins? For me, there are many people depending on the situation. Since I was three, I have been training in ballet, jazz, and modern dance. Throughout my career, my dance friends and teachers have always been there to support my goals and give me motivation. Dance is my passion; like any sport or activity, it takes a lot of effort and repetitiveness. Having to learn a new series of turns, a new skill en pointe, or choreography for shows, it takes hard work, many hours, and lots of patience, which does not happen being solely independent. My teachers and my friends are the ones who motivate both my small successes and my big successes in dance.
A big accomplishment was when I was cast as Clara in my studio’s version of The Nutcracker. It was a big role to tackle mentally and physically on my own. The training, support, and encouragement from my studio helped me embody Clara as a character. There were so many people cheering me on, not just my close friends and family, but older girls and alumni at my studio. One thing that helped was when one of my close dance friends gave me a pep talk the morning of the show. She reminded me of how hard I had worked and how many people were supporting me. All that preparation allowed me to feel confident going on stage. This support impacted me mentally and made the show and my role a great success.
When you consider current and influential athletes of our time, Katie Ledecky could not have accomplished what she has without the support of her teammates and coaches. Katie Ledecky is the most decorated women’s swimmer in history. She has won 14 medals in the Olympics, including nine gold medals. According to studies, swimming is a massive mental game because it requires extreme focus and self-confidence. It also thrives on collaboration, especially when teammates provide mental support to one another. Katie Ledecky talks about how her teammates and her coaches have kept her going. They have helped keep her inner joy throughout the years, keeping swimming fun and helping her achieve success. She talks about how her love for her community drives her successes. “I love being around my team, being around my coaches, and knowing they have goals that they’re working towards. Even though our goals can be different at times, we’re all trying to achieve big things, especially with some of the swimmers that I train with on a regular basis” (Ledecky, Katie). Clearly, Ledecky enjoys the people around her who provide support and motivation when competing!
In conclusion, our achievements in life result from much more than just our own efforts. True success is fueled by support, inspiration, and motivation from others. Support serves as the backbone that keeps us moving forward. Whether it’s my dance community, my family and friends, or my Pingry community, these individuals have played a vital role in my journey, helping me to pursue larger goals and make a positive impact. Their encouragement drives me to strive for success, even in small victories, like finally learning a hard dance step. As a reminder, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” (Keller, Helen).
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To contact the author: Alexandra Hefner '30
Photo credit: Chris Birrittella '28