You're in Charge of Your Own Success

 

First, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I want to share a personal story about my journey at Stanstead. Four years ago, I decided that I wanted to study abroad in Canada. Being an only child, it was not an easy decision for me and my parents. When I first came here in Grade 10, I was not able to speak English fluently. Because of this, I was timid, uncomfortable and afraid to talk to others. Being in a completely different environment away from my parents scared me a lot. I was even kicked out of my room because my roommate complained about me. At that time, I had a lot of doubts in my mind. It seemed that coming to Canada and studying aboard was a mistake.

 

Yet after two years studying here in Canada, I can confidently say that it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. If I was afraid to make mistakes, I wouldn’t speak English at all because I would be making mistakes in every sentence. But because I was willing to learn from those mistakes, I was soon able to have a fluent conversation with people from around the world, who I could never talk to before. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

 

Second, don’t care about other’s opinions. I believe that everybody has that one time when they did not make the step towards their goal or dream because of fear, the fear of how others might think about you. However, the truth is that in certain ways we are all selfish. When it comes to your personal dreams and goals, we only care about ourselves. Yes, we might be hearing judgement about it, but it is just their opinions. At the end of the day, nobody cares about what you do. So go outside, chase your dreams. If you want to be a professional hockey player, a business person or ask someone on a date, go for it. Don’t care what other people might think.

 

When I’m 60 years old, on a Sunday morning, and I wake up, my biggest fear would be realizing that I lived a life to become what other’s want me to be. So go out today, and enjoy your life to the fullest.