In ENGL 212 class (Rhetoric and Civilization) at BYU we talked about Francisco Petrarch and his climb up Mount Ventoux which lead him to do many of the great works that he accomplished. Our blog post assignment had us share our personal climb up “Mount Ventoux.”
After returning from my mission in Mexico, I was a walking bag of ignorant optimism…
I was sure of what I was going to do: study translation at BYU and play on the baseball team. In preparation for my plans, I had applied to BYU and begun a workout program in order to get back in game shape. In only a few short months, I was rejected by BYU and all my plans were crushed. I thought I could get a job in the translation industry and work until I was accepted the following semester but that turned out not to be a possibility either. It seemed like everything I wanted would not be possible for me and caused me to doubt myself and my future.
I ended up finally finding a sales job that later would help me make enough money to go to community college. After a couple months on the job I was one of the top sellers and was invited to a regional seminar. During the seminar, we watched a video that hit me like a 95 mph fastball. It was an inspirational video from YouTube that ended up being the reason that I quit my job and started to pursue my dreams again.
Drown out the voice of uncertainty with
the sound of your own heartbeat.
Burn away your self-doubt with a fire lit beneath you.
Remember what we are fighting for.”
These words led me to tryout and make the CC team, to apply twice more to BYU and to be admitted to the exact program I was wanting to get into, and to believe in myself in a way that even the mission hadn’t prepared me for. Although I didn’t climb a mountain or travel a great distance to have my eyes opened, I experienced a moment of self-evaluation that brought me to a belief that I am better than letting someone else decide what I can do. And I have worked hard to embark on my own path.
Kekoa Riggin 