What drives me?

On Wednesday I played this commercial for my students. They had to tell me where they saw formal and informal balance along with how lines impacted the final piece. Let me tell you, when I played this video it was the first time my class of 40+ students were still and silent. That never really is my goal in class, but for the first time I had 100% of their attention.

You have on idea how cool it was to watch them watch the video. (make sure to watch it below!)

At the end of the video there is a quote from Kobe Bryant where he says....

"This is what drives me". Referring to playing in the NBA.

So, I asked my students for their "exit ticket" (they have to do one of these everyday to get out of my class) to write me a few sentences on what drives them.

Here are what some of my students said:

What drives me is a want to succeed and be great at everything I do. I never want to be the absolute best at anything because I have a desire to learn and grow and whenever I do something the second time I want it to be better than when I did it the second time. That’s what drives me.

What drives me is my determinations to do whatever I put my mind to. Especially basketball. Although I’ve stopped playing for the moment, I won’t let it stop me forever.

Every person has a passion. Personally, mine is anything that makes me feel alive. Whether it is camping, music, or anything physical that pushes me to the edge of my limits, I try my hardest. Specifically there are two things that force me to do almost anything: money and proving people wrong. In the real world, money equals power. Also, obviously things cost money and as a young man with expensive taste there must be a source of income. Having a desire to prove a person wrong is the biggest driving force behind anything I do. No one dictates my motives and I make it my mission to prove an untamed, free-thinking individual.

What drives me? My little brother. He drives me because I’m all he has. My dad is in prison and his mother is hooked on drugs.

My determination to be independent drives me. My want to have the better things in life and not struggle. Also to never have to ask anybody for anything drives me.

Basketball drives me because of the motivation and the cheer of the crowd. Knowing that everybody is depending on me to make the basket. Basketball is my outlet in life whenever I get mad, depend on it because it’s my future.

Education is what drives me. I feel that without education I cannot be the person God desired me to be. I know that I can do far with education.

My passion to be a lawyer is what drives me. Without a goal or a dream my life would be incomplete.

Winning drives me. Greatness and power also drive me. Everyday I work hard at practice to achieve these.

Being able to be a breadwinner for my family is what drives me. I strive hard and plan on being successful. One of my favorite quotes is “Pay now, so that you can play later”. I aspire to attend a 4 year University after high school. I want to be able to provide for my family and give my mother whatever she wants.

Confidence drives me. It drives me because I feel like I can do any and everything. It drives me to be the best.

What drives me is to be myself. The fact that I like to follow in my own footsteps and do what makes me happy. I love not wanting to uphold a certain image because its not me. I love being myself and doing me.

What drives me? My little sister drives me. She drives me to be a better big brother and to be a role model for her.

The arts drive me. Any kind, rather it be music, dance, theatre, art, etc. I love the creativity and unique value that all artistic media has. The arts have always influenced me and have made me who I am today. I guess you could say life drives me, but arts drive my life.