You used to be a stubborn child, do you remember?
If someone said a thing couldn’t be done
You would do it just to prove them wrong
But also to see if it couldn’t actually be done
You didn’t know what impossible meant then
Now you know there are some things
You just cannot do, in life
But most things are just difficult
Not impossible, no, just difficult
With most difficult things,
Success isn’t guaranteed in the first go
You really have to struggle
You really, really have to struggle sometimes
You may even fail a few times
Even if it’s just in a practice test
You’ve been struggling these past few months, right?
You’ve started hoarding up doubt
You’re getting fearful
You’ve started hoarding up others’ worries too
(Like your parents’)
You’re doubting your ability to succeed
Now that you are aware
Of the difficult task that lies ahead
But courage is showing strength in the face of doubt
Courage is clenching your teeth in determination
The determination to finish the journey that YOU started
To reach the future that you wish to achieve
If it’s getting too overwhelming
Take a break and call your friends
Talk to them about your dreams
Ask them about theirs
Give each other some hope
They might be doubting themselves too, you know?
Give them some hope
And maybe they’ll give you some hope back
Talk about what you’ll do when you become a Lawyer
Or a doctor or a dancer or a pilot
Or an engineer or a writer or a historian
Or anything you want to be,
Talk about what you’ll do when you become all those things
This is why you’re studying
You are not studying to pass an exam
You’re studying to build that future of yours
It is tempting to give up in the face of difficulty
But true grit is an art.
It mostly involves saying to your mind:
Don’t give up, too soon