There was a day I’ll never forget in my life. That moment made me decide that no matter what happens, I must make it in this life.
I think we all have those kind of days, where everything just feel like a slap to your face. Mine happened one evening when I was in a public bus. It was raining heavily and I didn’t have enough money to enter a proper cab, so I was squeezed in a danfo bus with water dripping from my cloth and my shoes soaked through. I looked around and saw this woman in a fine car with her daughter, both of them eating ice cream, smiling and warm inside the car.
I don’t know why that moment hit me different, but it did. I told myself, "I don’t want to live this kind life again." Not just because of the rain or the wet clothes, but because of how powerless I felt. Like I didn’t have control over anything around me. It was from that point something in me changed. I became more intentional with how I do things. I started asking myself questions like, where exactly am I going in life, and what steps am I taking to reach there?
Since then, I don't just live anyhow again. I think before I move. I try to stay consistent, I read more, I reduce wasting time online, and I surround myself with people that are not just talking but actually doing. The hunger to succeed became real.
But truth is, wanting to succeed is not enough. Sometimes we have to sacrifice something to move forward.
If I’m being honest, the thing I feel like I need to sacrifice right now is comfort. I have been too comfortable with the little things I know and the small circle I’m used to. Sometimes I don’t push myself to take new steps or enter uncomfortable zones just because I feel safe where I am. But that’s not growth. Comfort can become a prison if you’re not careful.
Even now as I write this, I know there’s more I can be doing. More I should be doing. But fear of failure or even the stress of starting something new always try to hold me down. I feel like I have ideas in my head but I'm always scared they won’t work out or I might look stupid. But the truth is, if I don’t make that move, I’ll remain where I am.
So now, I’m trying to let go of that comfort, even if it means sleeping less sometimes, or spending more time learning than relaxing. I want to be proud of myself in the next 5 years and not feel like I wasted time.
Life no balance, I know. But I also know that the difference between those that make it and those that don’t, is usually in the sacrifices they’re willing to make.
That evening in the rain might have looked like just another normal day to people around me, but for me, it was the day my eyes opened. And since then, I’ve been chasing something better.
If you’re reading this and you’ve had your own “I must make it” moment, don’t ignore it. Let it push you. Let it drive you. And ask yourself today, what do I need to sacrifice to move forward?
Thanks for reading.
