It takes time
Have you had that moment in your life when you pause, catch yourself staring at the ceiling, and notice the things that you barely pay attention to during busy days, like the tick-tock of the clock, the soft hush of the air from the fan, the odd sound your feet make when your rub them together? And you simply think about what you’ve been through, and ask yourself what you could possibly do to make your life better, to escape the monotony of daily routine?
Recently I experienced that moment.
As I was lying in bed, thoughts rushed in my mind: So many things I want to achieve and every day I think of ways to achieve them one by one, but I don’t know where to begin. I have many moments of “what if” and “how I wish.” And, most often than not, I end up thinking of other people’s lives and their successes, and simply wish that I am like them.
Admit it or not, we all have insecurities. We always compare ourselves with others and imagine what life could be if we were born in their shoes. Would it make us happier, more content? I don’t know.
What I do know is that in doing so, we unconsciously force ourselves to be like them in ways both uncaring and careless, and subsequently find ourselves back to where we started after hearing the thud of failure. Most of us have been through this phase. Lucky for some, they came out of it early enough and managed to get a life of their own. But for the others, I hope they snap out of it soon.
What we want to happen with our life doesn’t always happen according to how we want it. There are reasons things happen as they do. There are ways to make what we want to happen really happen. But it takes time. As they say, what is worth having is worth waiting for.
Remember what we were told when we were young because they all have surpassed the test of time: Learn to appreciate the simplest things. Find solace in your own corner for it’ll keep you grounded. Motivate yourself to do better. Believe in yourself. Be the captain of your ship. Row it gently. Go with the flow if you must, but with proper guidance, soon you’ll find your own wave, your own current, in the sea of life. It will direct you to where you’re destined to go.
There are things that need to be done at their pace and not at your own. Life is not a race that needs things done fast. Just enjoy every moment. Love yourself and learn from each mistake. In this way, you will never go wrong.
Earl Kim L. Franco, 21, is a fourth year math student at Assumption College of Davao.
