I began my studies and auditioned a year later. The task of getting into Juilliard Pre-College would be a lot less daunting for my sister because she started when she was six. I felt cheated. Why should my sister get so many more opportunities when I worked just as hard, if not harder, as she did when I was young? By the time I learned of opportunities, it was already too late to change my whole life and fully commit to my goals. I felt like my sister got these advantages simply because she was born after me.
Many times I wanted to pull my hair out! But as school got busier, I did not have the time or energy to feel spiteful of my adorable sister. Expecting good marks in a significant number of AP courses, my mild overbearing nature was dimmed. My ultimate focus became the destination, not the looming obstacles. I am not the victim. We are all victims of our own lives if we choose to live so calculatingly. I took what I got from my one year of training as a grain of salt and brought my musical abilities to a new level. Essentially I practiced three hours daily. The day I got the call from Juilliard was by far the happiest day of my life. This feeling of fulfilling my dream effaced traces of envy. Had I let my moments of envy blind me with darkness, many obstacles would have tripped me. Musical accomplishments, academic excellence, and development of character would have been my obstacles. I very easily could have grown into an angered adolescent as opposed to a compassionate lady.
With everything I did in life, I gave more than a hundred percent commitment. Most of the time, it paid off. Now I realize it’s good to have such a versatile sister because she understands what I went through. There is definitely room for two shining gems in my family. I’m really glad I learned to have an open mind to my sister’s successes early in life, because the pettiness would have greatly hindered my potential. It would be more traumatic if I were to learn one day that it was my over-calculating nature that inhibited my performance level in everything that I excel in now. I’ve learned for the future to never feel jealous and small for any length of time. I have to be competitive, perceptive, and ambitious but never angry and deprived. Yes! This is what drives success. My sister is the greatest friend I’ll ever have. As I go through this rigorous rat race of college applications, I feel more connected and grateful to my sister than I ever have.