I used to think that the word “success” only meant working hard to achieve a dream and reaping the rewards once you get there. Although I had an understanding of what a challenge meant, back then, I did not factor in that there might be obstacles and failures along the way that could greatly affect a person. That was until I heard the following:
“You will never work in an office. That’s your reality”
Those words sting as much as they did when I first heard them two years ago. It was during an interview for an internship position that I really wanted, and after a long, gruelling day of anxiety and anticipation, I sat in a large empty staff training room with an interviewer who just wanted me out. The interviewer, who was not much older than I was, nonchalantly said those words in a way that was akin to saying that I should stop hoping to succeed in the direction I wanted to go at the time, laughing with his colleague after concluding our session as I left the interview venue. Up until then, I had always wanted to work in an office or have my own office space, but it was all crushed after hearing those words and I felt that there was no longer any hope in succeeding in that area.
However, as time went by, it was those exact words that made me understand that in order to somehow succeed, we have to take certain failures and obstacles and work through them in order to triumph over them. Whether it is to prove your worth or overcome a large obstacle, it will always be important to stay motivated and look ahead. As we take on more challenges with time and get through the most difficult ones, we may really find success through a sense of triumph when we finally overcome an obstacle.
Since then, I have also learnt never to belittle the chances of success in any context, whether academic, hobby or career-related. It is also notable to not to let negativity completely get in the way as every person may experience a different challenge where they may feel like they cannot succeed or find triumph over a particular obstacle or failure. However, regardless of how considerable a challenge might be, there will always be a way back up and keep trying.
I am not, by any means, a success story, especially considering that I am still relatively new to the workforce and have yet to clock in the necessary hours to actually see what success really looks like. However, if it were anything that I can be proud of since that interview two years ago, it is the feeling of triumph over the things that were initially felt and said, as well as finally proving that person wrong. “Triumph”, to me, is now a feeling one can get when succeeding in something that one may have been struggling with. It means success attained after doing your absolute best over doubts and difficult circumstances. Moreover, it means more than just what lies at the end of a journey, but what happens all throughout.
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