I would like to begin by quoting, "the purpose of life is to know yourself, create yourself, experience yourself as who you really are." A boy succumbed to his own despair and drowned in his own thoughts. Surrounded by peer and societal pressure to excel in his forthcoming endeavors, it was tough to gather the strength and courage to face the challenges that life had planned. On top of that, being a complete introvert added to the problems. Yes, that's exactly the person I used to be a few years back.
A handful of friends, four to be precise, and a few bare minimum resources got me through my day. And how can I forget about the icing on the cake – my decision to pick up an entirely unknown and unexplored field – my decision to join the merchant navy. How did I manage it all? How did I cope with all the situations life threw at me? I'll be addressing these questions in the next few lines.
I was a pretty shy person. I kept to myself and hated the idea of interacting with people around. My only interactions came when I needed something from someone. I picked up a few like-minded people from school and thought they were the only people I required in life.
Little did I know that my world was about to change. After finishing my school, I moved to Pune and joined the merchant navy, a field that me, my friends, my family, rather everyone was unaware of. This field not only required people with a good intelligence quotient but also people who were physically fit. And I was nearly ninety kilograms at that time. I could hardly run for five straight minutes. I was told by my friends and relatives that it's something I am not made for. I am unworthy of making a professional career in this field and that even if I joined this field, I would leave it within a month and return back home.
I felt disheartened on hearing such compliments. Shattered and broken, I was about to withdraw my application. That's when my mother whispered the most stirring words I've ever heard. She said, "the only thing holding you back from achieving your dreams is your mind; the day you learn to conquer your mind would be the day you learn to conquer the world." And from that day, I started working on myself.
Even on days when I had zero support, I motivated myself and pushed myself to work hard. Through thick and thin, I got myself through the adversities life threw at me and successfully completed my merchant navy course. The advice I would like to offer to individuals is that even in times when you feel nothing's going your way, keep yourself motivated. Don't let any situation or circumstance define you, for the comeback is always bigger than the setback.