Que Sera, Sera by Joshua Wiely

I believe in the words and entire concept embodied in the phrase, "Que sera, sera," meaning, What will be, will be. For me, this phrase defines how to continue to move forward, to strive for what is to come and, while still anticipating events and circumstances that you can control, not to worry about incidents that are out of your hands. This is how I view life. I believe that one can still try to learn from the past and to have other focuses than the future, but ultimately, one must fall forward to continue.

I apply the aspect of "Que sera, sera" to every situation, even short-term ones. One instance this is utilized is in band. When playing in a large band, individual mistakes are often muffled, if not muted, by the rest of band. However, when one is playing in a small ensemble or a solo, if he or she makes a little mistake, it is known instantly to the people listening. If that person is dwelling on the fact that he or she made a blatant mistake and that they think they made a fool of themselves, the continuously thinking of that mistake simply forces the person to continue to make more mistakes, which is the opposite desire of the person performing. The ideal solution is not to make mistakes in the first place, but this is not practical to expect perfection. The solution that I have found is, in the famous words of my band director, simply "keep on truckin," or to follow in accordance to my belief of "Que sera, sera," letting go of the mistakes and continuing to play.

While "Que sera, sera" can apply to a short situation such as a performance, it can also apply to larger circumstances and goals. In my school career, I strive very hard to achieve good grades. However, life does not always stop for you, and you sometimes receive lemons. You score badly on a test, you forget to do a piece of homework, or your group project blows up in your face. What I simply do is I just keep moving forward. I will try to learn from my mistakes, but by no means will my mind dwell on those incidents. They happen, sometimes sparingly and sometimes frequently, but in the long run, they mean nothing at all. "Que sera, sera" helps me keep a good outlook on my grades not just in that day but also in the every approaching future.

Even though the phrase "Que sera, sera" is not a well-known mentality with respect to its name, that does not mean people other than me do not have the same philosophy. One such example is a story told to me by my Spanish teacher. When she visited a particular Spanish-speaking country, she found an amazing feature. On a town's hillsides, the residents grew rice on staggered stepped hills called terraces. To plow, maintain, and create the steps, they used an old-fashion wooden plow driven by an ox. What truly astonished my Spanish teacher is that each step was flawless perfectly leveled, perfectly spaced, perfectly formed. She asked one of the townspeople how they had created such wonderful terraces; the man that she asked said (in Spanish), You just look straight forward [as you move]. If you look to the side, you veer sideways. If you look behind you, you veer sideways. Just keep a straight look in front and you will be fine. They also used the concept of "Que sera, sera" to survive. They live a very simple life, but they are still able to do amazing feats by simply staying focused and heading forward on the path of life.

"Que sera, sera" is my foundation for my perspective of life my hope, if you will. I have used it for both my short-term and my long-term achievements; also, others around the world have used the same concept to continue to strive with their lives. With this phrase and mentality, you should not dwell on the past (which does not give you an excuse to tell your history teacher). "Que sera, sera" will always force me to look forward, embrace life, and most importantly, ask the bartender for a Shirley Temple with a lemon slice when life gives me lemon.