Saudi Gazette Imam Ibn Taymiya said, “There is no shame in faltering in the beginning of a journey, as long as you reach your final destination in the end.” The road to success is an arduous one with many bumps and cracks on the way, albeit an exciting one. Tales of success have continued to inspire us since time immemorial and they haven't stopped now either. In our society, we still have a large number of people with inspiring and emotional tales. They may not be famous, but certain circumstances have provoked them to carve a niche for themselves and show the world that anything is possible with a strong will power and determination. Umm Muhammad asserts that it was the tragic incident in her life that motivated her to work hard, resume her education in hope for a better future.“I got married at a young age and had children so I never completed my education. After 16 years of marriage, I went through a divorce. That is when I decided to go back to school and study through distance learning. I am currently in the seventh grade, the same grade as my daughter so we often revise our lessons together. After completing my high school certificate Insha'Allah, I want to apply for university as well,” she said. Nada looks back and says that failing was the best thing she ever did in her life because it drove her to change and improve. She said,“I was leading an ordinary life without any ambition. I was satisfied as I was going to college and procuring passing grades. However, failing the second year of college and repeating the whole year was like a wake-up call for me. I realized that I had wasted an entire year without adding much value to my life or to those in my society. Afterwards I studied much harder and finally graduated with excellent marks. I now have a respectable job that I enjoy, I am serving my community, and I have made my family proud.” A stressful problem in itself is not the only impetus for success. More importantly, it is the person's reaction to the problem which determines whether he or she will take off and reach for the stars or give up and succumb to the ground. Difficulty can be viewed either as a disaster or as a challenge. Many people may become victims of their troubles; they despair, withdraw from society, and refrain from advancing in their lives. Yet others learn from their mistakes and they achieve great things due to an intense desire to succeed. Social worker and counselor at Taibah University, Amal Ayad said, “One's perception of and reaction to an obstacle in life varies greatly from one individual to another. One person may be crushed by even a small failure and think that it is the end of the world, and start blaming himself or others; consequently getting caught up in guilt and resentment. A more positive person views a failure as a temporary train station, a place where he will momentarily stop to think, evaluate, learn, and then get up and move on.” Ayad explained, “When you encounter a problem, ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly. Was this failure due to my own shortcomings? Did I try hard enough? Was I careless? Was this undesirable outcome a result of some external factors that I could not stop or control? Your answers will reveal a lot and will help you learn from your mistakes, change for the better, and cope with the stress in your life.” __
