Triumph over tribulation
By: Morillo, Erwin
A pleasant day to everyone, it is very often that I get an opportunity such as this to speak in front of you. This moment reminds me of prominent people I’ve witnessed carrying themselves on stage with great confidence and inspiration despite the unpredictable reactions of the public eye. I have seen and heard them speak with conviction and sincerity giving people what they need to feel. So, it is of great honor to stand before you today and contribute something relevant to the society. Ladies and gentlemen, I am just like you. A person who has dreams, a person with great love and care for his family, a person who suffers the cruelty of life and simply, I am just one of all the billion people living their lives as they should with doubt and fear in their hearts. Despite this similarity, I saw myself living a life of mediocrity and I’ve always ended up blaming myself because I can’t do everything. I can’t do things to make myself a better student, writer or a speaker. I was once held on to the fact that I’ll always be at the bottom of the sea, incapable of emerging, drowning myself with fear, doubt, hopelessness and anger. I was surrounded by these negative energy that I found it hard to move forward and continue my life. I’ve demoralized myself because of failure. Always minding what other people have achieved. I was aware that the more I look at them, the more I bring myself down.
But that was then, because I have sought hope in my life and found inner peace and confidence. I knew at that moment of realization that I have to believe in myself, no matter what life throws me. Because the only person you’ll ever know that will help you prevail challenges in life is yourself and no one else. There will come a time in your life that those people you love and trust won’t be there to give you a hand. You look around and find only yourself to rely on. I know it, because I’ve been there and that’s why I’ve learned to trust myself and I’ve learned to believe in what I can do. I’ve finally accepted my flaws and weaknesses. These weaknesses that we have within us will help us become a stronger and better person as we pursue the long and winding journey of life. You may say that weaknesses remind you of imperfection but I say you don’t have to be perfect to be able to achieve your goal and you may ask again, what does weaknesses have to do with my life. I believe that God created us with weaknesses to teach us to love and trust not only ourselves but other people, teaching us to love others without conditions and exemptions. Most importantly, teaching us to trust him that everything is going to be ok at the end. Let us not look at what other people can do instead believe in what you can do as a person. To be triumphant over tribulations is to learn to believe in you. I am reminded of this simple quote from Napoleon Hill that says a lot, “You can do it if you believe you can”. Your life continues to move forward when you start to believe in yourself.
Let us not waste time crying over hopelessness for hopelessness is present only if you think it is. I know for sure, that we’ve undergone certain situations in life where we felt like we had no choice but to give everything up because it was hopeless. It was a mistake to conclude that early. It was a mistake to think it was hopeless. It was a mistake to believe that there was nothing you can do for in every life problems has a solution. I remember Martin Luther’s quote saying, “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope”. Let us not be doubtful instead be resilient in every tribulation. Don’t allow tribulations ruin your hope. If you think the burden is too heavy to be carried, don’t give up; don’t let the light of hope be blown off by the cold wind. Instead stop and rest, when you find your inner strength that’s the right time for you to continue sailing forward. How can I say this? I am still young to lecture about triumphs, hope and faith. Let me tell you my dear friends that our everyday life teaches us something important regardless of our age. If we learn to keep them and apply them, we’ll be able to make ourselves equipped with wisdom that others ignore. I have to say, that I am defined by my life and who I am right now is because of what I’ve been through and what I say to you is what I’ve learned from living. At this very moment, I continue living as I should and I may say that whatever is ahead of me, I am prepared to face it. Thank you and God bless everyone.
