An old man sat on a bench,
breathing steadily in solitude,
as he smiled at little kids,
having the time of their lives,
and playing in groups.
The sight of their innocent faces,
and the joyous sound of their giggles,
radiated such warmth and light,
that it surrounded his heart with absolute contentment and satisfaction.

It was at this solitary moment,
that he looked to his left
only to notice a young man
seated next to him
with tears in his eyes and face expressing dejection.
The man with grey hair and a beret on his head
moved closer to the man who seemed to be
somewhat in his early twenties,
and introduced himself with a gentle voice,
as if to steady his racing heart
amidst all the chaotic noise.

What's wrong, young man? he questioned.
Is it a heartbreak or some tragedy that has left you so disheartened?
It's my dream job, he answered.
I got rejected for my dream company's interview.
The place I worked day and night to get into.
It's all gone in vain,
I don't know what to do.

Oh dear boy, don't you lose hope,
the old man said.
Victories and defeats are meant to come
only to those who are brave enough to,
set out on a journey of their own,
in the chase of their dreams,
their passion, their ambitions.

Perhaps, I see myself in you,
my twenty year old self that sat in grief,
after his first rejection.
You remind me of the day,
when I felt my world collapse
as I found out that
I couldn't make it to,
my dream art institute.
My heart got shattered,
but my spirit didn't.
For I was so sure,
about the passion I wished to pursue.

It was years of sheer tenacity,
whole lots of adversities
vehement self belief,
and several defeats,
that I finally became a successful artist
and reached where I always wanted to be.
Had I given up back then
I wouldn't have been here.
lifting you up and sharing my story,
if I thought the end was near.

The light in your eyes,
as you talk about your dream
the enthusiasm running fearlessly
in your young blood,
as you aspire to touch heights,
is what should keep you moving,
until the day you reach the moon
and you've become who you once aspired to be.

All these people owning renowned companies,
and running such enormous bodies,
were once nervous teenagers,
anxious of their futures
seeking the right direction
and wondering what must be
lying in their destinies.
Many must have told them,
to stop chasing their desires
and caught the smallest opportunities,
to ridicule them for their failures.
Maybe it's not meant for you,
many must have said.
But it was them who knew
that the fire in their heart would take them
to the most surreal destinations.

The most successful people you see today
have been through the most difficulties and disappointments.
All those nights they felt paranoid,
yet pushed themselves forward
finally bore them the fruit of such triumph.

Stay patient, my son.
You see, hardwork never betrays you.
It only hides the victory for a moment
in the mist of improvement.
Believe in yourself and your belief will make you proud.
To follow your defeated self and give up
also means to defeat a better you.
Don't let your intrusive thoughts kill your potential.

The shine in your eyes tells me,
that you're truly capable,
of turning a no into a weapon,
and growing into a stronger human.
It was at that moment,
that he knew,
this was one of this greatest lessons.
~sk

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