My Greatest Testimony

I thank myself for not giving up and never letting others tear me down.

Growing up is not easy; you will take on different hardships and circumstances in life. You will meet different types of people who inspire you, but worse, you will meet some people who will tear you down and be happy to see you break down.

While studying, I've faced many struggles along the way. I suffered emotionally, intellectually, and financially. My family is suffering too hard from debt and poverty, the reason why supporting my studies is not that easy, and I witnessed everything.

Along the way, it was so heartbreaking for me to see all the sacrifices of my parents to pursue me and to graduate during that time, and I can't wait to finish my studies so I can help them and ease their burden for a long time.

My journey is not as smooth as others; there are a lot of bumpy roads that make me stumble how many times. One thing that makes it worse is the people who have nothing to do but drag me down with their words. It's okay if they say it through my face, but what hurts is seeing my mother crying because she listened to the term:

"Your daughter cannot make it."

*"She will never graduate," *

"You're just wasting all your efforts and money."

"Dream on; you will never have a teacher."

"Give up; it's a tough road for you to take; you will not get there."

But I never fight back; it's not because I can't but because I still respect them as a human. I fought back through silence. I spent all my time and effort studying hard to achieve the finish line.

For me to succeed:

I set my goals and find my purpose:

A life without goals and no purpose is worthless. If you want to make things worth it, you need to find their meaning and why you need to achieve them. Of course, my life goals during that time are to graduate and make my parents proud. I want to graduate to have a job, help my parents, and return the things they invested in me; this is not an obligation, but to show them how I appreciate and love them, so I want to bring back all the fruits of their labor.

I exerted effort and patience:

As a student, aside from facing mental and financial struggles, there are specific tasks, projects, lessons, and performances that you need to pass to gain knowledge and, of course, graduate. I need to exert a lot of effort in studying to understand further. Patience in all things is a must. There are things we cannot learn as quickly as it is; you need to have your patience to try and try until you achieve something you need to complete.

Believing in myself and trusting the process:

You need to be the first one who will believe that you can make it to the end. If you never think that you can, then no one will. It's okay to fail and feel discouraged sometimes, but remember that it will always be a part of the process. Trust every step, and every step matters. You might get demotivated many times, but your purpose must empower you. All the hardships, struggles, and challenges are part of the process; this is God's way for you to be solid and unbeatable despite all the difficulties that will come along the way. Trust all the process.

I never let others define my future:

I never fight back against all the things they threw at me to show them that I'm not affected, and I am not defeated just because they say so. I want to show them that their words will never beat me in achieving all my dreams in life. They have no power over me; I am who I am, and let my success will slap them so hard.

These things helped me to survive; yes, I survived!

I've been teaching for almost five years with a Master's Degree. I also built my own house for my parents, helping them live their lives to the fullest. I ensure that I give all things that make them happy and be proud to know that they never waste their efforts and hardships on me.

And now, I'm thanking myself for not giving up, and my journey is the greatest testimony of my life.

This is me; TeacherLynlyn reminds you that:

Nobody will do the work for you, and no one else will get you up when you're down. Nothing will be there to work out for you when life gets hard, and no one will fight for the life you want. It's you! You will push through and decide to keep going despite all the struggles. No one can change your life but you. You have all the power to control the life you want to be and what you become.

One day you will look back and see that you are worth all the fight!