The Achiever

Dear KNOT,

Naranasan mo na bang maging honor student? Yung feeling na lahat ng tao ay expecting you to be the best, to always ace everything? Yung tingin nila, kaya mo lahat dahil you’re smart and flexible? Kung oo, siguro makakarelate ka sa storya ko. Ako si Paul J., isang graduate school student. Master’s degree undergrad, kumbaga. 2015 pa ako nagsimulang mag-aral ng masters, ngunit hanggang ngayon, I am not yet done. I need to pass the comprehensive exam to start my thesis. Ang problema, takot akong magtake ng comprehensive exam kasi takot ako na bumagsak. “Bakit ka naman babagsak? Ikaw si Paul! Impossible!” – Ito madalas sinasabi nila, ngunit akoy nahihirapan na. I’m having difficulty balancing my work, higher studies, and my responsibility as the acting-father in the family. I don’t have time to review. Kapag babagsak ako, then everyone knows I fail, siguro madedepress ako at maging ineffective. Ano ba ang dapat gawin ng isang taong takot sa failures? Hindi lamang sa comprehensive exam, ngunit sa isang napakalaking exam ng BUHAY?

Daghang Salamat
Paul J.

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Dear Paul J.,

Praise and thank God you are gifted with this intelligence while journeying in your education as a consistent honor student. Madalas na nangyayari ang tendency to be pressured just to maintain or even surpass that level of achievement. Kung minsan naman nanggaling din sa sarili ang pressure upang mag excel just to live up to others’ expectations. Ipinapakita mo na kaya mo pa rin na laging nangunguna, at magiging the best pa, sa kabila ng katotohanan na nahihirapan ka na pala.

Fear of failure puts one at a standstill. Sino ba ang hindi takot? Lahat tayo ay nakakaranas ng kabiguan sa buhay. Ito ay hindi maiiwasang bahagi ng ating paglalakbay sa mundong ito. Ang mahalaga meron tayong natutunan sa bawat karanasan dahil, ayon sa kasabihan, experience is the best teacher. Walang sinuman ang perpekto sa mundong ito. Failure does not make you less of a person. Huwag magpatalo dito. Sa halip, isaalang-alang ang sarili na mas malaki ka pa sa nararamdaman mong takot.

Sa totoo lang, ang pagmamalaki (pride) ang kailaliman nito. Kung isipin nating mabuti, deeper than failure is the PAIN that comes with it. Kung tutuusin, hindi nman talaga tayo takot sa failure. Takot tayong masaktan kaya kung maari lang, we avoid what hurts. Kaya kung maari lang, ayaw mo sanang maranasan ang scenario na ito…“Kapag babagsak ako, then everyone knows I fail, siguro madedepress ako at maging ineffective.” This hurts one’s pride actually.

However, what does failure make of you? Each failure is really a humbling experience. People who fail but who get up usually become better persons. You grow because you have learned where your weakness lies. You can build on that and consequently come out much stronger and more confident than before.

Kung pag-uusapan ang iyong comprehensive exam, mawawala lang o di kaya mababawasan ang takot kung ikaw ay nakapaghanda nang mabuti. Ngunit kung sa kabila nito ay meron pa ring hindi naipasa na mga subject/s, then try again! Walang dapat ikabahala kung sa tingin mo ay ginawa mo ang iyong best. Take this as a challenge instead of giving up. You really have to invest time, hence, you may need to take a leave so you can focus more on your review. Meron ka talagang dapat isasakripisyo kapalit ng ibang priority na gusto mong makamtan.

There were some famous individuals who failed before they succeeded, and were considered successful failures: Walt Disney had been fired because the editor says he lacks imagination and had no good ideas; Stephen King whose successful book, Carrie, had been rejected by 30 publishers; Oprah Winfrey was told by her producer on her first job that she was unfit for TV; JK Rowling, author of Harry Potter was rejected by 12 major publishers; Colonel Sanders, rejected by 1,009 people, put up Kentucky Fried Chicken at age 62; Jack Ma failed entrance exams, was rejected by Harvard… You see, these guys did not let fear of failure defeat them! Successful peoples’ lives are not always smooth but they did not quit, instead, they hurdled the challenges along the way. (Michael Yardney’s Property.com.au)

Ang ating paglalakbay sa mundong ito ay isang panghabangbuhay na EXAM na kung saan minsan tayo ay magtatagumpay, minsan naman makakaranas ng kabiguan. Tanggapin ang SAKIT na kaagapay ng bawat kabiguan tulad sa paglasap ng TAMIS na kaagapay ng tagumpay. Ating tandaan, sa gitna nang lahat ng ito, hindi natutulog ang Diyos, bagkus, nariyan lang Siya sa lahat ng pagkakataon, hawak-hawak ang ating mga kamay upang tayo ay gabayan, bigyan ng lakas at tapang na maharap ang lahat. Bawat karanasan ay may taglay na mga aral na siyang magiging guiding stars natin sa daan patungo sa tagumpay na nilalaan Niya para sa atin. Magtiwala lang sa Kanya, He knows what’s best for everyone.

Take note, success is failure turned inside out, stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit. It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit…rest if you must, but don’t you quit. (DON’T QUIT, by Edgar A. Guest)

God bless you more.
Ate Emz

Note: Meron ba kayong kwento sa buhay na nais niyong ibahagi? Email lang sa likjam@yahoo.com