By Steven Rosas, former candidate for Amarillo City Council Place 4

Anxiety, stress, fatigue, and uncertainty will be the unwritten feeling of discomfort I experienced while running my first political campaign, like the overwhelming feelings of tension, self-doubt, and fear that David felt before he defeated a giant or the months of blood, sweat, and tears Rocky endured before his legendary fights against Apollo, Clubber Lang, or Ivan Drago, vivid stories of characters that faced seemingly impossible odds and not only overcame those obstacles, but conquered the challenges necessary to ready themselves for the main event!

As many know a project, obstacle, or challenge never start at the finish line and even the most talented among us needs to be coached and conditioned for years before they can they can retire, satisfied. Over the past year I made the decision to run for Amarillo City Council. A choice that involved my entire family, tested my will, required much of my time and spare energy. Yet, while I gave everything I had, the elections ended in a 28%, 4,485 votes, loss.

A loss that I’m thankful for! Writer Jason Reynolds says, “Be not afraid of discomfort. If you can't put yourself in a situation where you are uncomfortable, then you will never grow. You will never change. You'll never learn.” In the few months that I campaigned for a municipal seat in my local government I experienced a high level of expectations, judgements, assumptions from concerned citizens that needed to feel (or would never feel) confidence in my abilities to serve them, in a way that I’ve never felt before. Which taught me to listen more closely to my supporters and colleges offering words of encouragement and helpful advice. Additionally, my own perception of how qualified I was for the job led me to doubt myself and I often felt like I wasn’t worthy or qualified, teaching me to persevere and thrive, even if my mind was telling me to do otherwise! Thanks to my supporters and sheer power of will and stamina, I made it, fully intact, to see my work on television as thousands of Amarillo citizens placed their confidence and vote for me!

Like David or Rocky, while I had something to prove to the folks (and to myself) that didn’t expect me to come out swinging, that I also had supporters that believed in my abilities, my virtues, and my WILL to succeed. Like these characters of legend, I’m grateful for hard times that push me out of my comfort zones, for the late nights that test my patience, and for the expectations that build my confidence! For without the grueling discomfort of the training you force upon yourself ahead of the match, you couldn’t endure the test of battle you find yourself in, and you wouldn’t rise to the levels of success that victory will bring.

To all the lesson I’ve learned through the contests I’ve lost, I’m grateful. Happy Thanksgiving!