We all grow up from mistakes
Everyone has his or her strengths and weaknesses, and when people ask me what my strengths are, believe me, I have plenty to state. I mean, I know I’m capable of doing things like writing a speech, making presentations in front of people, and not to mention, I love bragging about myself. However, if people ask me what my weakness is, without doubt, I would say I definitely lack the personal will power to persevere till the end – and that is one of the most important virtues that one must have to at least get a step closer to one’s goal. And that’s where all the chaotic situations start, for no perseverance means procrastination.
As a teacher, I am quite humiliated to publicly declare that my weakness is procrastination, because I always tell my students not to do so, because I know once I decide to put off things until the last minute, everything will be delayed and cause inevitable catastrophe. But, although I know how devastating it is as it sounds, I still procrastinate. Why? Because I’m too full of myself that I expect the world to wait for me if I’m late or incomplete. I mean, come on, who doesn’t make mistakes? We all grow up from them, don’t we?
No, I was wrong.
The world not only doesn’t wait, but continuously has been waking me up by giving me different signals – my mom nagging me to wake up early, my online class instructor warning me the due date for my assignments, my mentor regularly checking on my daily reports, and lastly, the author of“Are You Happy?”, constantly encouraging me to give my best at all times through his life, his message, and his never-ending hope.
Until I have finished reading the book, the world around me was nothing more than my surroundings. When I was born, my world around was already formed, and I thought there was nothing I could do to change it. However, the author proved me wrong – he not only changed his world around him, but also tried to fit himself to his world that only gave him struggles, misery, and tragedy. By overcoming those unbearable difficulties through his self-built willpower and perseverance, he showed through his actions and words, that if the world doesn’t await you, then you should just let it be and shove yourself into it. But, his readers are very well aware of how to intelligently and wisely shove themselves into the world – it’s not about crumbling yourself into pieces to embrace the world -- it’s about learning from your mistakes, trying not to repeat them, and never regretting your choices. That’s how we all grow up and truly become “us” who finally have the absolute power over our lives and expect for the greatest, called hope.
You know, people don’t change instantly. I guess I can also say that people just can’t, because it takes time for us to learn something and absorb it. So yes, I admit that I still procrastinate even after I read the book. But, what I can assure you is that now I know that the world doesn’t revolve around me and that if I don’t get myself together, then I will eventually fall into the trap of being at ease. So I’m still in the process of developing myself to be a better part of the society who remains hopeful despite difficulties and learns how to prioritize my life more than anything else so that I can do my utmost. I mean, I should at least show my students that I’m trying, so I can tell them that they can do it since I did it, right?
