It’s been four years since I left school. While writing this article, some words and images crossed my mind that I never thought would have any meaning at all in my life.
“Dare and Soar”
During every morning assembly I used to see this huge banner in school, but the words never rang a bell in my head. Now, amidst new crests and troughs, in the middle of a pause in my life, these words have reappeared.
There has always been a time when we’ve wanted to show up and do our best, but something got in the way. All the preparation, hard work, and efforts went wasted. We get clouded by self-doubt and the fear of a repulsive reaction — of failure — holds us back, We begin to ask ourselves: What if I fail?
It’s a shared part of human existence and is inherent in every process. I have been grappling with stress, pressure, anxiety and uncertainty, and at times have miserably failed to work out things according to ‘my plan’. I have doubted my efforts on several occasions, but with time, I have realised to not let any negative thought get in my way. My failures never became a reason for me to give up on my dreams.
Truth is, we’ve tripped and fallen many times, but that’s okay because our failures have taught us more than what success could ever have. Let us all rise above our inhibitions and trust ourselves to be good enough. We must evolve ourselves because it is what we shall do always. Let there not be any fear of failure.
Failure is only a delay and not a defeat. It is only a temporary detour and not a dead-end to our dreams. Let our spirits urge us to get up and show up despite all odds.
So, let us take the failures in our stride, do better and find a solution to make things right. In the face of massive adversity, when we choose to drive forward, we realise it’s not the end but a new beginning. Then, even the hardest moments become the greatest opportunities and the phoenix is reborn from the ashes.
Life requires short-term pain for a long-term gain. It will take sweat and action to realise our aspirations. So, let us get off our pains to not just survive, but thrive. Let us trust our struggles because someday, the dots will join and we all will find our way. The opportunity will come and we all just have to be ready for it.
While reading, it all seems very easy or just like any other motivational write-up. I also felt the same. But when we are going through a crisis of any kind, when life seems to be a mess, ‘To dare and soar’ is the only way out.