I burst out with tears and woke up from my bed after listening to a desperate and helpless child saying, “I wanted my life back”. I could not forget the scenes; the child had whispered those words while eating some twigs, and she has no choice but to eat it because her parents forced her to do so.
I know that it seems illogical maybe due to the nature of dreams, but it does reminds me of the reality, that there are many desperate souls out there who felt really helpless as they do not think they are able to change their lives.
This also reminded me of my loved ones who felt hopeless with their lives because they have chosen their studies based on the advice of parents or friends without consideration of their own interest, and thus ended up with job that they do not like which in return causes them to lose the ability to live as their true-self anymore.
I really wanted to help them change the situation, but I am in doubt whether I have the capability to do so. Helping people to identify who they are is easy; the difficult part is how to really take action for a change? As reality is still the biggest obstacle, issues that need to be overcome when change happens include objections from family and friends, financial commitment, etc.
But I clearly know it does not mean that there is no solution if you cannot think of it now, as there are many people out there who also started poorly, or suffer and struggle a lot during their early days, but subsequently change their lives at 30’s, 40’s, or even 50’s. The important thing is, they never give up, and they learn the lesson so that they never repeat the same mistake anymore.
As life is like a wave where it will definitely has its ups and downs, nothing is permanent; good and bad days will come and go naturally. It is the action that you take at that moment in time that will decide whether the bad days or good days will last longer. All one needs is persistency; never give up hope which gives you strength during the bad days, learn the lessons, and be prepared to take full advantage when the good days come.
Of course, the best solution still lies with the parents. They play an important role in helping their child shape their future. They need to be clear that what they want and what their kids want is not necessarily the same. Therefore, they need to find out what their kids really want in life. Good communication is important. Never ignore the power of listening, as you will be surprised the depth of information that you are going to get from a deep and meaningful conversation with your kids.
Last but not least, have patience. Kids can also be unsure and uncertain of what they want, or keep changing their mind. This is where many people starts to give up and leave the job to other people because they are busy with their work and do not have much time for their kids. This is really detrimental to the parent and child relationship. Every child is so unique that you cannot truly realise their true potential without a great amount of love and nurturing. What standard education does is just producing standard products that are fit for the economy. I would definitely not want to see any child growing up and telling people that they are not living as themselves. Please put care into what a child really need and not try to mould them into what you want them to be. Let’s not begin another sad story…
