Taking my chances

"Sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves...that even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying."

These are lines from one of my favorite shows - Grey's Anatomy. I have always believed that each one of us needs to make our own mistakes in life. That is the best & most effective way to learn. For this very reason, I never gave my little sister, and later my cousin sister, any advice on the do's & don'ts of living on their own - when they left home for college. My parents, aunts & uncles urged me to do so on numerous occasions (since I'd already lived on my own for a few years by then & had apparently managed quite well) but I refrained from doing so. Sure, I gave them advice when they asked for it but the final decision was always theirs.

One thing is for sure - we can't live borrowed lives. We have to sculpt our own lives, make our own mistakes, carve our own victories, battle our own failures. The above mentioned quote aptly summarizes this. There are some people who never take chances in life, and some who take their chance but give up the moment they hit rough weather. My point is, sometimes it's not enough to simply take your chance. You need to stick it out as well. Most good things in life require a lot of perseverance, hard work & patience, and we will never get them if we quit at the slightest sign of trouble.

Billy Jean King, a six time Wimbledon winner, says "Champions take chances, and pressue is a privilege".

The future looks bleak from where I'm standing right now - fraught with uncertainties. It's going to be a long-winded difficult journey that would require tons of patience, maturity & emotional restraint, but I'm hopeful & optimistic.I am taking my chance in life & am willing to stick it out...because I believe what I'll get in the end would be worth every bit of effort. At least I stand a chance....because I'm choosing not to walk away.