Article from Asia One News
The Star/Asia News Network
Sunday, Feb 26, 2012
Ever since I was a boy, I had visions of becoming a prominent person.
I admired a lot of icons and thought about their motivation and perseverance in accomplishing their dreams.
However, I realise the gap between them and me keeps widening. I can hardly accomplish my ambition although I've tried my best.
I envy people who are brilliant and capable of being successful. Compared to them, I am so average and dim-witted.
I have to put in lots of effort to improve myself so that I can be outstanding. But the going is tougher than I expected.
This has caused me to feel desperate and have low self-esteem.
I'm really tired of forcing myself day after day.
I also have doubts about the quotes by famous people that endeavour is more important than talent.
I cannot tolerate the hell I'm going through now and am thinking of giving up.
I have considered suicide, but I cannot end my life when I still have not achieved my dream.
-Desperate
I think you are too quick to pass judgment on yourself.
The fact that you have aspirations and have tried to work towards them is evidence of your tenacity.
Perhaps you should relook your expectations and taper them down to reflect reality.
I am not saying you are less than anyone else, but sometimes when we aspire to be like other people, we forget that our circumstances are different.
You need to be more resilient.
Resilience is the ability to adapt oneself in the face of difficulty and stress. It means bouncing back from a tough spot.
I am sure that all the idols you admire have faced their share of challenges, but what sets them apart from others is perhaps their ability to recover from these experiences and become stronger for it.
One tip to becoming more resilient is to make realistic plans and actually carry them out.
You say you want to be a prominent person.
Be specific.
What exactly do you want to excel in? Then, list the steps you need to take to get there.
It could be that you need more education and to get another degree.
Or, you need to change jobs or move elsewhere.
Once you have identified these, you must make realistic plans and take adequate steps to carry them out.
Give yourself a realistic time frame.
Surely, it will not happen in a matter of days or weeks.
If you think you cannot take the steps that the plan requires, you may have to think of another.
Don't envy people who are successful.
Instead, learn from them. How did they get where they are? What setbacks did they face, and how did they overcome them?
Also, you need to figure out what you mean by being successful.
Different people define success differently, and you want to be sure you are clear about your definition.
Another aspect you will need to work on is problem-solving.
When you face a difficult situation, do not give up. Instead, work on ways to overcome the obstacles.
You do not have to give up your ambition, nor do you have to end your life.
It may seem bleak now, but when you put things in perspective you will see that there are options.
It is important to use famous quotes to inspire and guide us.
But, you still need to work on building your self-confidence.
One way to do this is to take some time and count all your achievements, no matter how small or insignificant you think they are.
Remind yourself about these when you feel low.
I think there is some truth to the saying that endeavour is more important that talent. Without hard work, talent alone is worth nothing.
You say you have tried your best. You work hard, and you should pat yourself on the back for that.
Article from Asia One News
