I will start off by saying that most of the time, difficult situations can lead a person to lose themselves. Most human beings have felt this; the question is, have they really gotten over it? The fact of the matter is that many can decide not to let that happen. This is the story of how I overcame a situation that changed my perspective on life.
Spring 2020 was really one for the books. I came back to Tallahassee to start my fourth year at the university. I was happy, and this was the beginning of a new semester and I felt that this was going to be the semester where I focused on myself. As corny as it sounds, I wanted to be happy. Do not misunderstand me, I was happy, however, I obviously had a lot on my mind about the future. January came and everything was going perfectly. I started working out more and focusing a lot more on my studies and what was yet to come. Nonetheless, while I was happy, my family was not. COVID started spreading and soon enough, their lives were affected.
Being honest, this was the moment my emotions started getting out of control. I could not focus in school because clearly, I did not see the point anymore. I was more worried about my family than my grades. March came and Spring Break was happening, and we were sent home for “3 weeks.” Much to everyone’s surprise, that did not turn out the way we’d expected. Our semester was cut short, and most of us felt uneasy about the whole situation. To cut the story short, I did not pass one of my classes. I remember receiving that email from my professor and feeling like my world was crumbling. That was the moment I questioned whether there was really a purpose in doing what I was doing.
For a week, I questioned whether getting my bachelor’s degree was actually worth it. However, when the summer semester started, I decided that nothing was going to stop me from passing that class that I had previously failed. Let’s all be honest; there have been several instances in our lives where we question everything we are doing. Finding ourselves is quite the challenge, but for some, it may be easy. Long story short, I landed up passing the class, and believe me when I say this, I have never felt more accomplished in my life.
Many would think that this is something “dumb” and that failing a class isn’t the end of the world. Well, the point of this was not failing or not, it was about how I questioned myself and what I have been studying for three years. The reason I am finally saying this out loud is to let you guys understand that failure can lead to bigger things. I strongly believe that if I hadn’t failed that class and lost myself in the process, I would have never really understood what I wanted for myself. I understood that sometimes, people or situations will test you. Do not let situations or people like these bring you down. In that moment that you fail, know that you are one step closer to success. Nowadays, I live one day at a time. It’s all I can really do at this point. COVID-19 has really made us all understand that nothing is for certain. The only thing we can control is ourselves and the way we react to the situations we encounter. We decide our place in the world and must learn from experiences that ultimately make us stronger.
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