I think of myself as fairly successful in life. I’m not rich or famous, but I wouldn’t want neither of that. I’m happy with what I have achieved in life and I am working on doing more of it. Up to this point, I have always achieved the things I have wanted to achieve (going to university, getting a degree, getting a job I like, etc.). The only thing that I would still like to achieve is to live in the United States for a while. Unfortunately, this can be rather difficult if you have no prior ties to the USA. In order to achieve this wish or dream or w/e you want to call it, I think I would need two things: a bit of luck and a good, healthy dose of perseverance. And it’s perseverance that has gotten me this far to begin with.
Source: weheartit.com
I think that from an outsider’s point of view, it may seem that life has been and still is fairly easy for me. In a way it is. I haven’t had a hard life at all, to be honest, but I have had a few hurdles to tackle to get to where I am today. First of all, I am the only person in my entire family to have ever gone to university. That may not seem like a big deal to many of you, but in a way I have always felt left out and different. I can’t talk about the things that I am truly passionate about with anyone in my family, as they simply wouldn’t understand half of the stuff. On top of that, I’m the oldest person of my generation in my family. In my point of view, that (combined with the fact that I’m a girl) has led everyone in my family to raise me very protectively.
In that sense, I’m the odd one out. I always have been. My ‘smarts’ have always led to doubt and misunderstandings. I’ll never forget my mom saying: I never thought one of my own could go to university! In a way that isn’t a bad thing to say about your child, but I always felt like I had to prove myself and it took some time for everyone to accept and realize I was actually capable of handling this thing called life.
And that’s where perseverance comes in. Yes, in order to go to university, get multiple degrees and a job that matches your education takes a good set of brains. But that’s not the only thing that you need. I’d say it’s just the tip of the iceberg. What you really need is a positive outlook on life and knowing you can do what you want to do, even if everyone around you thinks and tells you you can’t do something. You should just flick everyone THE finger and think: F&%$ this! This is my life and I’m going to do what I want.
You should believe in yourself. If you believe in yourself, you can do anything. If you believe in yourself, it becomes easier to figure out what it is what you want in life. It also becomes easier to figure out how to deal with people who are dead set on trying to bring you down (which is what you don’t want, nor need). Another advantage would be that you feel more confident which makes it easier to level your head and the effect people may have on you. You will be a stronger person who knows what’s good for themselves, and base your choices in life on that.
In other words, I believe that the way I live my life and the way I see the world has truly contributed to my success (and my happiness!!!) in life. If I had listened to everyone around me when I was a teenager, I’d now be stuck in some nameless town, bored out of my mind with a job I wouldn’t like and a life that I would most likely hate. I believe that pushing through whatever it is you’re going through, however good or bad the experience, is the only way to deal with life. It will sometimes take pissing people off, ignoring their best intentions or simply leaving everything behind you know, but in the long run it will help you as an individual and eventually as a person.
Q: what is your drive in life?