Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Yes we can! Yes I can?
After spending the last 7 torturous days thinking, preparing, analyzing, finding and writing for my SC2101 term paper, I finally get to rest now.
Finally I'm done with all my mid-terms, presentations, website and term paper!
Well, taking six modules is tough, and I'm proud to say (in the clubroom just now) that I'm still kicking and alive.
Doing this term paper, to me, has pushed my current limits.
A while ago, Kaiwei was telling me about a friend of hers feeling stressed due to studies.
However, I said to her I'm not worried, as this is part of the neccessary "labour pains", when you aim for higher things, and you work extra hard.
That conversation reminded me how working in AK a few months back changed my mindset towards things.
In the past, I was like many other people - doing their perceived 'best', and hope for the 'best' outcome. Like in the chats I had with some people during the semester, they refused to take in the notion that anything could be achieved, and instead emphasise on the concept of being "realistic".
Perhaps, this is the difference I saw in me. When I worked, I heard about the story of Sylvester Stallone. On how despite his stonic expression and blurred speech, he fought all his way (even selling his beloved dog at one point) to become an actor, and a very famous one indeed. I watched a film on how an African American man battled racial prejudice to become a marine, and how he fought to be reinstated after the loss of his leg. I saw how a little boy born with deadly sickness fulfilled his 3 dreams within his very short lifespan (he died at the age 11). He published a book spreading messages of peace, he met ex-US president Jimmy Carter, and he appeared on the Oprah Winfrey (whose own life is an inspiration to us all) show.
And many other such stories.
They inspired me. If these people can battle such circumstances to achieve what they have achieved, many things in this world cannot be termed as 'impossible'.
After learning the lessons of such stories, being 'realistic', to me, becomes just an excuse for people to judge future outcome based on the status quo, or the refusal to pin-point the reasons that caused these unwanted 'realities' in the first place.
You know, as mentioned before, it's funny for me to hear how many people supported Obama, without knowing what his polices are, and what he stands for. It's even funnier to hear people marvelling about how a Black president would signify the beginning of the end of racism in USA, when they themselves are racists.
Anyway, that's not the point. If we were to find Obama's speeches so-called 'inspiring', we have to know what it stands for. Yes we can! Everybody can shout that, but do people apply that 'Yes I can!' spirit in their very own lives?
People cheered Obama said that cynicism and doubts will not stop what they can achieve, yet when faced with their own lives, they use the exact doubts and self-cynicism to restrict what they can achieve.
If Obama was being perfectly 'realistic' 1 to 2 years ago, he would have told himself, "Come on, I'm just one of the 100 senators in the Senate, barely 3 years into my office. Hillary Clinton is tauted as the 'inevitable democratic candidate', has the political clout of being a former First Lady, has massive political resume and experience, of course I stand absolutely no chance of clinching the nomination, not to say the presidency!".
But he believed, he planned, and he got it. For him, it was relatively 'smooth', as he fought a brilliant publicity campaign, and I applaud him for that.
However, for those who are not so 'lucky', it is the response to failure that decides whether success will ultimately be achieved.
1. Some people give up at the first signs of failure, citing 'being realistic' as the reason.
2. Some people continue to work hard, but continue using the methods of failure, without bothering to find out how successful people achieve success. Belief is strong, but the method is wrong.
And the sieving will continue. Along the way, some people who keep working hard, but keep using the methods of failure, will one day give up, and join number 1.
Ultimately, only people who accepts that failure as the result of wrongly-employed methods, rather than the lack of ability, will take actions to change (does this word sound familiar? =P) , learn from the best, and achieve success.
Well, what I want to achieve for this semester is tough, really tough. But I'll continue to believe, continue to be motivated, and continue to learn from the great mistakes learnt from the flop last sem.
Yes I can!
(but only with the correct strategy)
lowtide blogged @
1:10 am
