Look Up to Inspiration, Look Up to Optimism

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an opportunist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” 

I wonder how Winston Churchill came up with these inspirational words!!! Whenever I hear the word optimism it reminds me of people like Anne Frank, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, etc. but you must be thinking how I relate all of this with my life. Right? Don’t worry. They don’t, but an unknown boy does. Who I never knew. And will never get a chance to know. The saddest part is I don’t even know his name. I know absolutely nothing about him. Except for one thing, of how he died.  And that is a story I shall never forget. It is something that changed my way of thinking completely, from inside out.

I was in 9^th standard. Our class teacher was teaching us a chapter. I don’t remember the exact details of that lecture except for that story. In fact I don’t even remember why she shared that story that with us.

She said, “The story is about a boy who was in 10 this year, just a year older than you all. 6 months before his board exams he was diagnosed with blood cancer, last stage. The Doctor said he just had last 6 months of his life remaining. And that he needed complete bed rest. His entire family was devastated. The boy knew that there was no point in giving board exams but he was adamant to appear. To fulfill his dying son’s last wish, his mother ran here and there and somehow arranged for notes so that he could study. He gave his exams. And soon he breathed his last…… he didn’t even live to see his results. But he scored around 77% and that his mother proudly showed the result to all with tears in her eyes.”

The moral was not how much he scored, but was the spirit of that dying boy. He knew that his death was eminent but his optimism knew no bounds.  There was a brief moment of silence in class at that time.

And today, when I feel low, broken or shattered, I always remember that boy. He may be physically absent today but in my memory, he shall forever remain. He is my symbol of optimism. I never knew him but when I am about to give up, his memory guides me.

I am not a very big Harry Potter fan but I’m awed by J.K. Rowling. She too sometimes becomes my symbol of optimism.  Unlike her if it were me, 12 rejections would have made me given up forever. But she didn’t she strived hard, didn’t lose hope and treaded the dark to finally find light.

Courtesy my sister who’s a big HP fan, I’ve seen all Harry Potter movies and read the novels, and that reminds me of a quote that is now one of my favorites.

They are the wise words by Albus Dumbledore, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the light.”

And that boy is my light, my source of optimism someone I look up to.  

This is my official post inspired by Housing.com- Look Up