I came back to the States, happy and so grateful for such a trip. And I knew that it was not only a trip for fun and adventure but one of self-reflection and inspiration. I took a leap – I did something for myself, by myself. And amongst the crazy stories I also have extraordinary ones – like an unplanned dinner with three of the five 2010 Rolex Young Laureates or standing at the top of the Eiffel Tower with a personal view of the entire city of Paris or standing in Anne Frank’s bedroom of the Secret Annex and being able to feel and understand her journey from a time not that long ago.
You see, I created a goal for myself a little over a year ago and that was to see more of the world - to experience life outside of the neighborhoods and streets which are familiar to me; to allow myself to learn not through textbooks but through experiences, through conversations, and through exploring the unknown.
And in reflection of my recent trip, what has emerged for me as a personal truth is this: That in life I always go after what I want and at times I’d get it and become victorious. But other times frustration arose when I didn’t get it. When with all my might and power I did my best, but still my best just wasn’t good enough. And I had defined those times as failures but now I know different – they were opportunities for growth; my lessons of “If at first you don’t succeed; try, try again.”
So now when the hurdles are too large or the race is too long and I get tired, I know I always have two options to winning. Either take that break, regain my energy and finish the race or simply change my focus, pave out a new path and finish a whole new race. Because my truth states that I define what my victory will look like not for the crowds but for me. And amongst the talk and even the judgments, I know that in the end, you can’t say I didn’t try.
Me at the top of the Eiffel Tower - Paris, France
