Thomas Edison once said that "genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration". I believe his statement can be applied to other instances as well since perseverance and an assiduous mindset are the basic keys to success in any field. For example, I am proud of learning to play a difficult music piece on piano, performing it in front of the public, and receiving a strong approval from them. I am proud of my achievement because I've never had the chance to hire a formal piano tutor and the piece, Canon in D, was relatively complex and challenging to play but despite these obstacles, I managed to learn it and perform the piece flawlessly through dedication and hard work.
I practiced playing everyday, sometimes repeating a difficult segment for countless times. If I encountered a part that I could not comprehend no matter how hard I tried to, I would ask my friends, who are proficient with the piano, for assistance. There were times that I felt like quitting, thinking that it was impossible for me to learn such a complex piece, but my friends and family were very supportive of me and offered to help me whenever they could. Encouraged by their caring support, I told myself, " while I still have a long way to go, I am closer to my goal then I was yesterday" and reapplied myself to learning how to play Canon in D.
After around half a year, I finally learned how to play the piece without any mistakes. Coincidentally, the Boys and Girls Club in San Pedro decided to host a recital on Thanksgiving Day. I signed up in order to entertain the kids there. As I sat down on the bench, under the gaze of a hundred or so people, my heart seemed to jump out of my throat. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I started playing. It appeared as if my hands were gliding automatically above the keys of the piano: I practiced so hard playing
