LIFE STORIES
From doubts to dreams.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been someone who dreamt big.
Lying in bed at night as a child, my room lit only by the soft glow of a nightlight, I would imagine the most fantastic future for myself.
Astronaut, scientist, inventor – the possibilities stretched like the universe itself, endless and exhilarating.
My heartbeat matched the rhythm of my dreams, each thump reaffirming the potential I believed I held.
“Someday, you’re going to make us all proud,” my mom would say with a smile, her words a gentle nudge towards an undefined greatness.
I believed her, and more importantly, I believed in myself.
My ambitions were not just dreams; they were inevitable realities waiting for me just over the horizon.
But as the years passed, the horizon seemed to stretch further away, and the path grew rocky.
The school was my first real battleground.
I remember sitting in my sixth-grade classroom, staring at a math test as though it were written in an alien script.
Numbers danced mockingly before my eyes, refusing to make sense.
“I’m not good enough for this,” I whispered to myself, a despair mantra that began eating away at the edges of my confidence.
That day, I took my first taste of failure, bitter and lingering.
High school wasn’t any kinder.
Social dynamics, more challenging courses, and an ever-growing awareness of my family’s financial limitations compounded my daily struggles.
Dreams of space and science gave way to more immediate concerns: passing tests, fitting in, and making it through without drawing too much attention to myself.
“It’s all just a little too hard, isn’t it?” I’d mutter under my breath, the weight of adolescent angst pressing down on me.
My dreams felt childish now, foolish in the face of real-world pressures.
The ambition that had once fueled me was now just another source of pain, a reminder of how far I was from where I wanted to be.
Entering the workforce did little to alleviate these feelings.
Entry-level jobs were grindingly mundane, each day resembling the one before.
I watched my peers, some of whom had struggled alongside me, climb their way up, their successes seeming both deserved and distant.
“Why them and not me? What am I missing?” The questions haunted me, echoes of doubt that filled my quieter moments.
I saw friends innovate and advance, while I felt stuck, incapable of shaking the sense that I was meant for more, yet unable to reach it.
Then, something shifted.
It could be the accumulation of seeing others rise despite their battles or the weariness of carrying negativity that had become too heavy.
I began to look at my challenges differently.
“Maybe this isn’t a blockade; maybe it’s just a detour,” I told myself.
Each setback and disappointment became less of a stop sign and more of a redirection, a nudge towards a different path that might ultimately lead to a destination I had always hoped to reach.
I started taking night classes, pushing through the fatigue of full workdays to expand my skills.
During one of these classes, I found it – my passion for digital design, a field that married creativity with technology in ways I hadn’t imagined possible.
“See? There’s always something new to discover, a new dream to chase,” I’d say to my reflection, a newfound determination lighting up my features.
Slowly, I built a portfolio, took on small freelance projects, and began to see progress.
Each completed assignment was a stepping stone, each client meeting a boost to my confidence.
As I moved forward, I realized that the light at the end of the tunnel wasn’t a distant, external light but something within me all along, waiting to be burned into flame by perseverance and a shift in perspective.
Success, I learned, isn’t about eradicating struggles; it’s about growing through them, harnessing them to propel you forward.
Looking back, I can see the tapestry of my life – every thread of difficulty woven in with those of triumph. “You’ve made it, and you’ll keep making it,” I often remind myself, a smile playing on my lips.
To anyone out there feeling beaten down by life’s relentless challenges, remember this: do not give up.
Your dreams do not have expiration dates, and your struggles are not roadblocks but invitations to rise, reshape your journey, and find success in ways you might never have imagined.
The light at the end of the tunnel is not an illusion; it’s the product of your enduring spirit.
Keep moving, keep dreaming, and keep reaching for that light.
It’s closer than you think.
How’s your life journey? Share your stories.
Dr. Mazlan Abbas 