LITERARY| JOURNEY TO THE SUMMIT

JOURNEY TO THE SUMMIT

Eileen Mendez

“A sense of wonder and fulfillment await those who enjoy the journey of life’s failures and successes. For we live a life full of peculiarity, disappointments, and satisfaction until we choose to live what we want to be and define who we want to portray to the world.”

An intense yearning for success is never an easy journey. It is a process of constant learning and sound understanding to every element present around. Before reaching the top, one should start below. Before gaining something valuable, one should lose something very important.

Life may sometimes seem so unfair but it is a battle and a labyrinth that we need to figure out. It is a game that we can somehow predict its result and for us to come up with a positive one, we have to hold on to our choices and embrace the process of coming out from our comfort zones including acknowledgment of our weaknesses and failures along the way.

For so many instances, I have experienced circumstances where my faith was put on a test. It was a demanding effort to sustain motivation in a challenging way but the choice of being strong should be my persistent guide. When I first started the Nursing journey, I had to choose whether I would stop working and continue being a full-time student.

However, I made a choice to do it both because I found myself in a situation where I have to support myself alone. The thought of no one will be there to help me in supplying my resources, daily, weekly or monthly bills, or even from buying groceries to school supplies, made me a stronger determined individual. I must admit that I have cried a lot during quizzes and examinations because I have to work first before attending my reviews or doing my home works.

I often find myself asking the questions, “When will I stop working?”, “When will I feel freedom of being a full- time student?”, or “I wish there would be people who can just provide my allowance and everything just like others so I just have to study or rest if I feel exhausted.”

But, there’s no one. I should understand that sometimes, life molds people on a hard way to become refined. I believe that the more hardship one experiences, the stronger he or she will become. For, success is not a cheap journey to be attained. It is priceless and someone who is patiently directed enough to take the narrow path will soon succeed.

Further, we have to be comfortable with uncomfortable. Because uncomfortable circumstances teach precious lessons of life. It is a part of the process. If we experience failures and makes us uncomfortable, know that it is part of the plan. If in any part of the process makes us feel unhappy, understand that it may soon pass. What is not okay is to give up and let go of our dreams and aspirations in life. Because if you do not feel pressured, you will never learn the most valuable lessons. So yes, I have also failed quizzes or even examinations just like other students.

But I am still grateful for everything because for me to know what is right, I have to deal with what is wrong and the quest of gaining lessons will be from the reminders of my failures. So, next time, I know what to do and how to do things in a right way. I have to acknowledge my weaknesses so I can turn these into strengths. This is the only way for me to be a better me. Being responsible for myself, for my needs, and in my studies are also prompts.

When I started recognizing my situations, pressures, and failures, I have started gaining success and soon experienced victories both in study and work. Hence, choose to believe and put your faith on a stronger ground. A sense of wonder and fulfillment await those who enjoy the journey of life’s failures and successes. For we live a life full of peculiarity, disappointments, and satisfaction until we choose to live what we want to be and define who we want to portray to the world. It is a great motivator to think that we need to lose our fear of failure because failure is part of the plan. Without failure, one never learns to try. Sometimes, we have to fail and encounter wrong to get things right. Learning comes from failures and victories provide comfort and stagnant life. So, be strong and lowly at heart.