Every time I hit that shining, spinning diamond question mark I wonder what I am about to receive. It could be anything: a slippery yellow banana, a rainbow star, or even a destructive red turtle shell. All of these items can help you achieve your goal, but they can be used against you too. There are eleven other drivers vying for the lead, and it is mandatory that you use these aids at the right moments. Timing is essential, because if you use the enhancing items incorrectly you lose valuable speed while Mario is coming up quickly on your tail.
While it may sound somewhat strange, I have learned ways to live life more productively by playing the thrilling video game of Mario Kart. The rewarding feeling of succeeding and the ability to overcome adversity can be derived from this infamous Nintendo pastime. Discovering how to achieve some of your life’s goals can be difficult, but if you learn to proceed step by step the process becomes more methodical. The different levels in Mario Kart are 50cc, 100cc, and 150cc. When I first played the game I attempted to circumvent the learning process by playing the most difficult level. After finishing in seventh place I understood that I needed to work my way up to a certain level of expertise before challenging the more seasoned competitors.
I decided to go back to the basics and play 50cc. My character, Yoshi, began whizzing by the other players trying to win. Every time we would pass by someone he would get excited, and so would I. This newfound confidence was doomed when I accidentally steered Yoshi towards the upside down diamond question mark. As the front end of my “Classic Dragster” kart tipped and rolled I felt that failure was imminent. When Yoshi’s kart drastically flipped in the air that I had suffered a set back, but failure was not an option. Even though Luigi, Toad, Wario, and Baby Mario had passed us there was still one lap left and the finish line was still in sight. I took off as fast as...