Life is often compared to everyday objects through metaphors. It's like a box of chocolates, according to the classic movie Forrest Gump, due to its unpredictability. For modern audiences, life is equated to a rollercoaster, with its ups and downs. Let's disregard all the metaphors and symbolism for once. Let's keep it simple, just like life should be.
Life can be difficult.
"When you try your best but you don't succeed" ~Fix You, Coldplay
There is no avoiding that truth. Life throws curveballs at you. Sometimes you can take action to avoid them, sometimes you cannot. Sometimes you just have to do your best, and leave the outcome to fate. At times, it will not be enough. Realize, that not everything can be or will be in your control. Sometimes you will succeed. Sometimes you will fail. You will stumble. You will fall.
You will make a desperate attempt to latch onto something. Maybe, for a while, it will support you, giving you hope that everything will be alright. But eventually, the burden will become unbearable. You will feel your grasp slipping, the support cracking. You will panic, and feel yourself drifting away from what used to be. You will feel yourself falling.
You keep falling. It feels like an eternity, as time seems to slow down to a crawl. You look around you, and you see everyone on the ascent, going upwards and onwards. You begin to feel afraid. And then, you land. It's a rough landing.
Take a deep breath. Relax. Focus. Take stock of the situation. Evaluate your options.
You feel better prepared, more confident about climbing this mountain now. You begin the climb. And then… you slip and fall again, and again. And again.
You feel like giving up. Alone, surrounded by darkness. All hope seems lost. You cannot see a way out.
You sit down, close your eyes, and think. You sit quietly for hours, just thinking about life and your past. You look back on your memories, and you remember one particular night. The night you were a little boy. The night you truly witnessed what perseverance meant, while watching The Dark Knight Rises. Watching Bruce Wayne return, against all odds, and accomplish his mission.
It was an epiphanic moment. You realized you don't have to be afraid. You get up. You embrace the fear, instead of running away from it. You shake off the shackles holding you back, just as Bruce Wayne did. Use it to motivate yourself, to push yourself. Stop being afraid of failure.
Look towards the light, as it guides you. Rise. Persevere.
The road to success is riddled with obstacles. You will stumble. You will fall. But you will not give up. There's a reason behind it.
Why do we fall?
So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.
