21/08/2025
𝗟𝗬𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗘 | 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘅 𝗫 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗯𝘆 𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗲
"I lived two lives, tried to play both sides. But I couldn't find my place."
In the hall of learning and on the couch of every home. Two sides of the same coin, two expressions of the same soul. It's never easy to find a place to fit in; the pressure that the family brings and the pleasure that the school gives—teachers praise us for doing our best, for being excellent. Family expectations weigh heavily, a constant pressure to conform. School offers a different validation—to be praised for excellence, to achieve the highest marks. Yet, the desire to truly fit in often clashes with these external demands. The pressure to please family versus the pleasure of academic recognition creates a delicate balance.
"I'm done hiding; now I'm shining like I was born to be."
Finding a place where these forces harmonize, where personal identity aligns with external expectations, is the challenge. It's a journey of self-discovery, navigating the push and pull of family and school. But always remember a gentle reminder: the world is not about you. It will not stop its rotation just because you failed to meet your family's expectations; the sun will still rise and shine even if you get an average score. Allow the world to rotate as it's supposed to be.
At the end of everything you're just a human going to say,
"Sino ba nagsabing kailangan kong mauna? Hindi naman ito karera, puwedeng magdahan-dahan."
But whispers rise, "When will this journey end?"
The school is not a battleground, but we often feel that it's a race; being at the top of the class feels like everything. A race where only victors have been rightfully crowned, while the others remain on the ground. But each lesson learned is a seed that takes its time to blossom forth in rhythm and rhyme. The pressure will fade, replaced by gentle ease. If we learn and grow at our own pace. Our unique paths are not hurried sprints, but a winding road, where wisdom leaves its imprint.
So let the others chase the highest score. Find your strength in something more. A love for learning, a passion to explore on every edge, there is an end and a start of a new beginning. We tried, we failed, and we learned. Like a sunset in the afternoon, and it rises again at dawn, like everything's just happened.
✍️: Marlon Muhammad
📷: The Greatness Guide by Sarah Gryberg
💻: Alinor Mandapina
