HiveComb

In the face of challenges and tough times, positivity is what keeps many of us going. Even though all hope seems lost, we still find a way to keep believing that's not the end of the road and that there'll be a positive turnaround. True to that, many have sailed through difficult times with this mindset like it was nothing. Overall, many wonder what truly makes these people break through their challenges. Is it the positive mindset they had? the positive affection they always say, their religion believes, fate, or just a mere random coincidence? I've been in these positions myself on several occasions, and here I'll be telling you all about it.

When faced with life's difficulties, people tend to prophesy positive words to themselves and their situation with the hope of cheering themselves out of it. For some it's words like, "I'll sail there because there's light at the end of this tunnel," while others will say, "While today may seem unpleasant, there are definitely better days ahead." Regardless of what it is you say, this often comes through, and that's just the principle of life, I guess. Nothing lasts forever after all; even if sorrow lasts through the night, like the Bible said, joy will definitely come in the morning. It doesn't mean the next morning, but just an assurance that tides will change for good in the near future.

One of the incidents that made me believe for a fact that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel was one fateful day during my undergraduate days. Our exams were fast approaching, and I hadn't paid my tuition fee, and after months of calling my parents about it without any positive response, I had no choice but to travel home because I knew my institution wouldn't allow me to sit for the exam without paying my tuition fee. Going home seems to bring no positive outcome because despite my parents' efforts to raise funds, all hope proved abortive since the state whom my dad works for owed them eight months' salary.

It was looking like I'll have no choice but to drop out of the university, and so out of anger I walked out on my parents on the fortnight before our exams were to start. I went into my room, and my mind was just wandering around different things. I even regretted not learning internet fraud from a coursemate, because I believe had I learned it, I wouldn't be in this situation. While all that was going on, something that might sound unreasonable to others dropped in my heart, and while I was both angry and at the same time skeptical of doing it, I didn't know when I gave in and did exactly what dropped in my heart to do.

I'm sure you'll be wondering what was dropped in my heart, and I did. Well, it happens that during my thoughts I remembered my pastor once said it's not only when things are pleasant that we should thank or praise God, but that we should learn to do the same even when things are unpleasant. And while I was contemplating this and had already accepted my date that I'll be dropping out of university, I did the unthinkable that night: I used my phone to play different praise-genre gospel songs, and I danced energetically to them as though I had no worries in the world.

When I was tired, I stepped into the bathroom to freshen up and sleep. Fast forward to midnight; my day knocking on my room door was what woke me up, and when he spoke, I was filled with joy because, according to him, someone who he least expected to help had sent him enough money to pay my tuition fee. With that happiness, I thanked my dad and prayed for the person God sent, and while thanking God himself, I also immediately stepped into the bathroom to get myself prepared so I could travel to school and participate in the exam.

That experience shocked me a lot, because left to me, all hope was lost, but one way or another, light shone forth at the end of the tunnel and gave me grace to sail through my academic journey. These experiences have taught me never to give up or say it's over until it's actually over, but while there's time, I always have hope that I'll overcome regardless of what the stumbling blocks might be.

All photos are taken and edited on canva.