My First Short Story

When I just graduated from middle school and started life in high school. At that time, I still didn’t think that I was already in high school, I still remember how my mother used to take me when I entered kindergarten, it made me realize that time flies so fast. After realizing this, I started to think more seriously than before, serious here in terms of reducing playing time and increasing productive activities. The productive activities that I will do in high school are making plans to get achievements by studying diligently, doing assignments well, and always asking the teacher or friends if there is something you don’t understand about school lessons. Then, there is a desire to increase friendship relations by participating in organizations and extracurriculars that match their talents and interests, as well as being active students in the class. The activities that I had planned at first went smoothly and according to what I wanted. Although there were some mistakes that I experienced, but actually those mistakes were experiences and lessons for me so that I could be better in the future.

At first, I was happy in doing all the activities that I did. However, as time goes on I feel bored because of my reduced rest time, feel that the results I receive are not in accordance with the fatigue I get, and doubt my abilities. I always think, “Can I reach my dream to become a successful person and make my parents proud?”, and it’s as if my mind is answering, “Your chances of reaching that dream are very small, Ra. Many of them are more prepared than you”. I feel stressed, insecure, and easy to complain. Because of that my mood was easily broken at that time. I think that the life I live is bleak and feel that everything I have done so far is all in vain. Without realizing it, tears fell and touched my cheeks. Then it made me overthink again and become a weak person. I know that to achieve this dream is very difficult because I will be faced with those who have high intellectual intelligence, privilege, and their competitive environment so that they are trained in competing and have many opportunities to become successful people, whereas I am just a a dreamer who only has plans and tries to carry out those plans in preparation to compete with them. Judging from that, it’s true that the chances of me being able to pursue that dream are slim or even non-existent. Because in my opinion, I cannot exceed and even equate their standardization as students who want to be successful and those who have prepared their plans in a neat and structured manner. In addition, coupled with soft skills that will be a weapon in facing the world of competition in the future.

After contemplating this, I cried profusely, because I felt that I had no hope anymore to pursue my dream. I feel that what I am doing is all in vain because I think that the plans I made are nothing compared to the plans they are doing. Aside from that. I envy my smarter rivals, who easily understand lessons without studying hard. I envy my rivals who have the ability to communicate or talk to other people unlike myself who has an introverted attitude. I feel that what I have done so far will not be enough as a provision to face life in the future. Even I can’t imagine if I have to compete with those who will later become my rivals in achieving that dream.

Although my parents do not have ambitions for their children to be successful. However, surely a child wants to see his parents proud and happy for their child. My parents always support what I plan, as long as it doesn’t burden me and doesn’t have a negative impact on me. My mother once said, “I don’t force you to be successful according to your view. I just want you to be happy in life and be a virtuous woman”. As for my father, he always tried to convince me that I was capable of achieving the dreams I wanted and he also advised, “To be a successful person you must also have good manners and ethics. It’s useless if you are successful but don’t know good behavior towards other people. Respect others if you want to be respected”. I don’t know why, after I remember what my parents said it can make me optimistic in pursuing my dreams and trying to do what they want.

The next day, I tried to breathe calmly while looking in the mirror and said, “You can be successful, Ra! You can do it! You just have to work harder and put more effort than what they do and convince yourself that you can compete with them!”. I know that reaching the dream of becoming a successful person is not easy, in reaching it there must be obstacles and challenges that must be faced. That way, we should not feel that we are not capable. But, think otherwise, that we are capable of dealing with these obstacles and don’t have to compare ourselves with others, but compare ourselves with our previous selves, by not repeating the mistakes we’ve made and becoming a better person in the future. Because we and them are different, and each of us has advantages and disadvantages. So, don’t feel inferior by assuming that we are not better than them, just because we see their strengths and don’t know their weaknesses, even though they also have weaknesses that we don’t know about. And in the end we are the same, no one is better and no one is worse. If we continue to think that we are weak and always feel inferior, or in this day and age commonly referred to as “potatoes” which means less useful humans, it will actually make us not grow and become pessimistic individuals. Therefore, we should always be optimistic about what we do if it is useful and not have doubts about the abilities we have. Always do your best and don’t limit yourself! And of course also, don’t forget to always be grateful for what God has given because we as humans can only try and who knows what is best and worst for us, only God knows so that we as His servants should not have bad thoughts about what will be our destiny.

#shortstory #motivation #teenagers