ALWAYS REMEMBER WHY YOU MUST DEFINITELY TRY YOUR BEST

In a seminar nearly a decade ago that I had the opportunity to attend, a Master’s degree holder in civil engineering shared a perspective that has stayed with me for a long time. She said, “Do you know why, despite having advanced degrees and good monthly incomes, my husband and I still strive to achieve even more every day? It is because I want my daughter to understand how precious effort truly is. I often tell her: You must always work hard in your studies and your job because that will determine who you are and where you stand in society. It is better to be heartbroken and cry in a car than to be caught in the pouring rain on a motorcycle.”

After the Master’s degree holder finished delivering her closing statement, the entire auditorium erupted in applause and cheers, with whistles echoing throughout the room as if to express unanimous agreement with her viewpoint. And honestly, I also shared the sentiment. When I was younger, I was truly eager to earn money because I always wanted to improve my life. Driven by the desire for a better quality of life, I put in relentless effort every day in all the jobs I took on. Even now, though life has become somewhat stabler and markedly different from those earlier days, I still remind myself to strive every day, because I still have:

• My loved ones to care for
• Personal growth to pursue
• Dreams to fulfil and opportunities to help others more

I also have a close friend whom I affectionately call the “money enthusiast.” Just the other day, she messaged me, “I’m so sleep-deprived, I didn’t get a full 8 hours of sleep today, and my mind is all over the place.” I replied, “Well, isn’t that because someone is so enthusiastic about money? If you want to chase money, you have to endure and keep striving, what’s the point of complaining now?”

I know this young girl probably just wanted to chat with me for a little while, and she is not a negative person at heart, and I understand that even after those messages, she will continue to be caught in the never-ending whirlwind of a busy life as she has to juggle multiple jobs, with dreams of improving her quality of life and repaying debts to her parents.

Each one of us, despite our vastly different backgrounds, shares a common aspiration – to create a better life for ourselves and our loved ones. However, the journey towards that change is a long one, sometimes taking an entire lifetime to find such a thing like respite. Of course, some people give up before they even begin, but others tirelessly strive to turn their dreams into reality. Do you know why some quit early while others persist until the end? The sole difference lies in having a compelling reason and enough motivation to keep going! I also believe that, among those who never give up, whether few or many, there are moments when they too feel like faltering, wanting to leave everything behind, to escape the daily responsibilities and pressures that surround them.

Every life is a unique story, and if you find yourself in the process of crafting your own narrative amidst the chaos of life, allow me to offer you a firm hand to hold onto. As someone who is also striving and persevering every day, I would like to share some small words of encouragement, hoping they might be of use to you:

1. If you are feeling overwhelmed, know that it is totally okay to pause for a moment, catch your breath, and then keep moving forward. Do not worry; you will never fall behind as long as you do not give up halfway.
2. The world out there is filled with people who are putting in massive effort. The talented ones are constantly enhancing their skills. The wealthy ones are tirelessly seeking ways to make their lives even wealthier and better. Those less fortunate than you are on a journey of self-improvement and life conquest. So, what reason do you have to slow down and refuse to strive?
3. Keep striving, because not everyone has the opportunities like you do, and because not many possess the conditions to put in effort like what you possess at this moment.
4. When you strive and achieve, you gain many better choices in life. Especially when choosing a life partner, you will have the privilege of selecting someone outstanding. When you are feeling down, you can buy yourself a large bouquet of flowers. When you face heartbreaks in your love life, you can book a plane ticket to a beautiful place, even if it is just to change where you lie down and cry your pain out. When your parents encounter difficulties, you can lend a helping hand instead of shedding tears of helplessness. Ultimately, when unpleasant things happen, you can still find inner peace because you know you still have money in your wallet, a career in your hands, and a bright future in your life.

When you put in enough effort and strive, of course you are not guaranteed to become someone grand just straight away, but you are certainly on your way to becoming a more superior version of yourself compared to yesterday. Remember that your parents deserve to find joy in their old age, and you deserve to encounter more accomplished individuals in your life.

Your task now is to earnestly contemplate and establish a compelling reason, strong enough to propel you forward! You, I, and many of us might have ventured far from our homeland to seek our fortunes, harbouring numerous dreams in our hearts, and it is not merely about making just enough money to pay rent and put ordinary food on the table every day, am I right?

As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” If you have a dream today, wake up and transform it into reality!

Much love,
Truly Inspired