These are some catch phrases that used to echo in mind when I was going through tough times in my life.....
PERSPECTIVE
Positivity is the key
Trust yourself
Be the change
These are some catch phrases that used to echo in mind when I was going through tough times in my life. But, I never found them helpful. I remember when I used to freak out before exam, my friends would say, “You’re a genious; you will do great!”My phone would constantly beep with “good luck” messages the night before my exam. But unfortunately, neither friends’ encouragement nor messages made me feel motivated.
Even though sometimes I resorted to illicit means, it was hard work that got me through exams. I survived all the years of academic life filled with fear and anxiety and managed to get a decent degree. Attaining goals and developing a positive attitude towards life was a daunting task for me.
Motivational blogs and self-help books were also useless in my case because I just couldn’t set my life according to the principles suggested by the writers. Now, after going through this bumpy ride, I discovered the wisdom behind these life-changing quotations. A thought-provoking status on Facebook from a renowned philosopher about life doesn’t transform your present circumstances.
The first rule, as stated by Stephen Covey in his book Seven Habits of Highly successful People, is to be proactive and be the catalyst of change. You will not become Bryan Adams by just listening to him. Reading J.K Rowling and admiring her will not make you a good writer. By simply reading Steve Jobs’ quotes, you can’t develop a giant company like Apple. You will have to understand that these champs faced their own struggles; their journey was full of obstacles, but they never got discouraged; instead, they made the best use of the resources they had.
In this pursuit of discovering one’s self, one has to determine his/her own life and learn to improvise. We all are blessed in different ways; we focus too much on our weaknesses and don’t realize that we live in the world of endless possibilities. You have to identify your potentials and make use of the opportunities.
In school, Arts was never my subject; I would just run away from paint and crayons. In fact, I enjoyed Mathematics more. Sums and algebra never bored me. I was scolded badly for not completing my art projects and never appreciated for scoring highest marks in Mathematics exam in my class. My strength was ignored and I began to doubt my abilities; for me, the only credible opinions and sound pieces of advice came from other people. I stopped listening to myself.
Later, I was forced to study Medicine like my other cousins. I also realized I was not good at Maths anymore and I felt completely lost. Up to that point, I had believed things would turn out great in the end and I would eventually get what I want. But, I was wrong. I learned my lesson: nothing changes until you put in an effort.
Be an artist of your own story. Make it a beautiful one. You can be a millionaire. Or you can run your cozy coffee shop with a booker’s corner. Dream big and keep discovering yourself; and, don’t be afraid to fail.
