It is no secret that I take pride in my accomplishments, but I do not seek validation from others. I only aspire to inspire, mostly those who think life has dealt them with a bad hand of cards.
A bad circumstance is like a gloomy cumulonimbus cloud looming over you. It may hover there for a while, but know that it is not permanent. In the meantime, you get that bright yellow polka dot umbrella and do something to get out of the oncoming downpour.
Just remember this:
Life circumstances are not life sentences.
The only person who can determine the outcome of your life is you.
Don’t believe me?
Here are a few facts about my life to illustrate my point.
If I had long accepted the fact that life simply wants me to live the raw deal I was dealt with, the following things about me would have hindered me from achieving the goals I have reached today:
1. I grew up as an only child from a broken family.
2. I moved from house to house. I lived with my grandparents, then with my aunts and cousins and so on. And I am never ashamed of this fact. I can even recall a high school teacher joked that she heard a rumor I owned many houses because I tend to move from one house to another. No offense taken.
3. I didn’t have the nicest things in elementary school and got bullied/mocked for this. My mother tried her best to sustain my education during those years, but I wasn’t actually living with her (long story).
4. My father was an alcoholic.
5. I grew up experiencing what being poor is like.
This is not to solicit a pity party — I hate being pitied actually. This is about showing how you can turn your circumstances around, no matter how bad the cards life has dealt you. They neither determine your worth nor the future that awaits you. The choices you make and the confidence and grit you got will matter the most.
How did I get where I am today?
-I worked hard for it and I always strive for excellence in whatever it is that I am doing.
-I embraced risks and was grateful for them as it allowed me to explore a world full of possibilities.
-I push myself to constantly grow and evolve. I do not contain myself into any box because I believe I can be all that I can be. Do I want to be a writer? Check! Do I want to be an artist? Check! Do I want to be a graphics designer? Check! Do I want to be a leader? Check!
– Lastly, success is where the heart is. It doesn’t matter whether you are a big shot CEO or a home-based businessman; a dedicated teacher or a motivating principal; an avant garde artist or an expressive poet; a loving hands-on mom or a caring nurse. Success is whatever it is that brings you joy.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
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