I am feeling good, really good. My son scored the big 45 in his IB exams. It was something that he really wanted, something that he worked hard towards. I went along with his goal, hoping that he gets it, after all his school’s predicted score was the same, but when he finally did, the first thought that struck me was – “Really? Are you sure?”
Yes, we have all seen and heard that hard work pays off. But does it for everybody? Isn’t there an element of luck in it too? Haven’t we all worked really hard towards getting something in life and finally ended up with our hopes being crushed and our dreams not being fulfilled? Leaving us with this heavy, disappointed feeling – the why me? The what could I have done more?
What does it take to become successful in life? Personal characteristics such as talent, skill, hard work, traits such as optimism, perseverance, mental toughness? But look around you. Do you see people having all these traits always being successful? Most likely not.
What is the difference between someone like a Tony Robbins and an ordinary life coach where both have worked equally hard, for equally long and shares similar traits? Is it opportunity, being at the right place at the right time, is that a part of this invisible something called Luck that becomes as important as having the above traits when it comes to being successful? YES!
And that is life as we know it.
In my 47 years on this planet, I have seen some ups and downs. Going through that tide is one thing but learning how to accept the tide is another. Trouble is when you start getting fixated over one single, maybe slightly difficult goal and you work with all your heart and soul towards attaining it. Your days and nights are filled with hopes and dreams of getting there, so much so that you stop thinking about what would happen if you don’t achieve it.
Life needs Plan B.
One thing I have realized with my hopes being crushed is that you always need Plan B. Plan B is the backup that is more real, more practical and usually luck has little to do with it. Plan B will not let your confidence down, will be that silent friend who you need and will lift you up and get you back on your feet when Plan A does not work out despite your best efforts. Plan B is that balance that you need.
Life is all about balance.
Imagine a life filled with successes. One success after another and another till you can’t feel the elation anymore, the happiness, the accolades, the joy at having attained something great just won’t be there. People will stop congratulating you, after all how often can they keep doing the same thing. Life will become a dull, monotonous straight line, with nothing to fight for, nothing to work hard towards because success has become too easy to achieve.
Success comes from within.
No, I am not trying to downplay my son’s achievement, in fact I am basking in its glory, being his mother, as people all over the world, friends, family, complete strangers too are congratulating me. Honestly it feels amazing, feels too good to be true, I am feeling blessed and happy for my son, for all of us who supported him through these last two years where besides studying hard, he also had to keep his sanity through the craziness of covid! And he did well. Not because he got a 45 but because he feels fulfilled. And that fulfillment could have come at 44, 43, 42….who knows? While my first reaction was of disbelief, five seconds later I wanted to jump up in joy, wanted to dance, wanted to shout out from the roof. My son’s reaction was internal. He knew his score at least five minutes before we did, but he did not tell us as he just sat there reading his subject scores in detail, processing, understanding, before he finally accepted his success, he looked up and gave us a big smile. That smile came from his achievement, from the satisfaction that he derived after all his hard work and perseverance and also with the realization that luck had favoured him this time.
I felt happy. I felt blessed.
Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash
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