Since we were born, numbers have been a part of our daily lives. You were five years old. Your mom gave you three dollars for ice-cream. You learned to count to ten. Numbers were something that helped to explain the world.

But then one day, numbers became a defining factor as to who we are.

You failed to get a 4.0. Your strive to keep your rank in the top 50. You just can’t seem to raise your ACT score past a 25. Education continues to use numbers to define us. It requires aspiring students to kill themselves to get the grade and achieve that number so as to be the best, because hey who cares about effort anymore. These numbers can become the sole focus of our learning career and take away all the joy of becoming a more a capable human being. Numbers and grades are now the only thing that people focus on rather than learning actual material and skills. Whether it’s on college admissions, job applications, or anything beyond, what our numbers are continues to take precedence over who we are and makes us forget what really matters.

Character. Work ethic. Attitude. Human traits that separate those who can rise above the pack and have the tenacity to succeed. It is these things, the things that can’t be defined by a number, that truly determine someone's ability to reach their goals. And that isn’t to say that grades and scores aren’t important. They are. But they aren’t the most important thing. Work ethic is what drives a person to get good grades and good scores. When this healthy and positive drive becomes an obsession and the only thing that suffices a job well done, is when it is time to step back from the numbers and realize those aren’t the end all be all of happiness and success.

So don’t let those numbers define you. Push past the limitations that are put upon you. Continue to work hard and find where your true talents lie. Be the person that doesn’t rest upon a score or a number but works to have positive outcomes. Be more than a number.