"Someone who courageously survives one's life, is a person who braves the big waves of the ocean, and has never been afraid of failures. No obstacles would hamper his way to success."-anonymousCambridge Dictionary defines the word, ‘challenge’ as ‘(the situation of being faced with) something needing great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully and which therefore tests a person's ability’.
Does the above definition apply to life? Yes, it does. In fact every bit of it does. Let’s look at few examples. When you first opened your eyes to this world, you were as helpless as you could ever be. You depended on someone to meet all your needs. As you grew older you learnt to take your very first step, of course, with great difficulty. You must have fallen a number of times before you were able to do it correctly and move forward, one step at a time. It was a great challenge for you, but you never gave up. And the result was rewarding. When you first started eating, were you able to do it perfectly? No, you were in a big mess. But did it stop you from doing it again? Did you care about what others might think about you? No, the reason might have been your innocence. You overcame all the challenges and became an independent person.
Now, let’s look at what happens to us once we grow up, once we are no longer innocent and care free. We worry about everything, even the smallest things. We worry about what people would think about us, we worry about failing or we worry about not doing it right and so and on. And the worst thing we are doing here is doubting our capabilities and potential. ‘No’, ‘can’t’ and ‘don’t know’ are words which we find at the tip of our tongues and they define us to some extent. This is indeed, disappointing.
As adults we stop trying new things or taking challenges. We stick to the familiar things. We stop exploring and being curious. We stop testing our potential. We stay stuck in our comfort zone like a stick in the mud. In short, our life becomes dull and boring with no variety in it. To top it all, we fail the challenges life brings our way.
It’s time to stop being cowards. Life is a challenge, it is not always easy. It has ups and downs. It brings sunshine as well as rain. Be prepared to take everything it has to offer, the beauty and the ugliness, the happiness and the sorrows, the victories and failures. Don’t expect it to be forever smooth because it won’t be. It is your ability to overcome the challenges and obstacles which reveal your true self. You are victorious when you defeat your fears, destroy the hurdles standing in your way to success, do whatever it takes to fulfill your dreams. You are an ACHIEVER if you can make your dreams a reality, you are a HERO if you can fight the battles of life with courage, and you are a WINNER if you can run till you reach the finishing line.
Get up every time you fall. Be like a kid. Believe in yourself. Never let failures stand between you and your dreams. You have everything that it takes to win, to be happy and to be successful. You can do it! Most importantly life is beautiful, enjoy it!
“Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” Joshua J. Marine
