People often tell me I’m always smiling, or that I’m the most positive one in the room. But what they don’t see is the side of me that questions everything—the quiet thoughts I keep to myself. When I was younger, I would often get upset with myself, wondering why I even existed when I struggled to achieve anything.  Sometimes, even today, I feel as if I am not moving forward. 

In the midst of these heavy moments, I often pause and try to think about my past, and the dreams I had as a kid. I realized that I am the version of myself who I aspired to be as a kid. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a person who could make others feel safe, confident, and be willing to help others when the time calls for it.

When I say this, I am not saying that I am perfect, but that I have become the person that I once aspired to be.  Previously, I wrote an article about the top 10 lessons I learned in 2024, and one of them was to write more letters. I used a website to write letters to the future, and I did receive some of them in the past. Last year, I remember thinking that I could not perform well academically in America and that I would never make friends. But now, I have accomplished both, maintaining my grades while also building on my friendships. I even thought that I would never speak English, but I proved myself wrong, as I have continued to move forward in my understanding of english.

So anytime you feel discouraged, stop for a moment and think about everything you have done. It is completely fine to not be there just yet, as long as you keep going towards your goals.