Public speaking competition 2014

Living through the hallways

Theme: Life is the most difficult exam

I think that our life sets its beginnings when we become teenagers. Because before that,we lived on the principles that our parents taught us. In adolescence,we tend to spend more time alone and that way,we begin to discover ourselves. We start to realize our perspective towards every aspect of this world,and most of the times,our perspective is way different than what we have been taught.

                These had to be said,because what I am about to do,has to make sense. Let’s play a game. Imagine that your entire life is like the years you spend in high-school. And we start high-school in our teenage years. Remember how scared you were as a freshman,walking for the first time on such big hallways? That’s where it all starts for every one of us. We wander confused through the entire building,not knowing where to go. But then we meet some people that are just as lost as we are and they might lead us to the right or maybe the wrong path. In real life,I like to call these people in a simple way: “friends”.

After all those circumstances that you have considered scary,given the fact that every start is pretty frightening,you get into your class and you meet the teachers. In life,your mistakes are the greatest teachers. Later on,you are given tests,like crossroads. Take an interesting fact here: you can’t quite copy. Because everyone has a different question paper. You cannot live your life based on someone else’s. Just a second,I take this back. Of course you can live someone else’s life. But where will this actually get you? Every person has its unique personality and way of doing and dealing with things. It’s like you’re given the same directions as another person,just on different maps. So you’ll be stuck at the same crossroad until you realize that you should learn your lessons and go on your own way.

As time goes by,you start to get used to the way things happen. You already know most of the people that are going to your school and you don’t get lost anymore in the building. You are also used to be given tests,because they are almost at the same difficulty all the time and you don’t try so hard studying for them anymore. This is not a bad thing,as you might think. In life,this is gaining experience. But don’t worry. The waves of change never passed anyone without touching them. Some of your teachers might leave,and other strict ones will replace them. Lessons are getting harder to understand,you will probably fail some of the tests and start freaking out. In those moments you have to recall the experience you have gained and update it. As far as I’m concerned,nothing is impossible if your will to accomplish something is alive.

For example,through my life so far,I have failed a lot of tests myself. I never seemed to bother,never seemed to care. I was soaked and stuck in my own misery,never determined to study,as in learning my lessons,no matter how hard my teachers,my mistakes bugged me. I was making up excuses after excuses,shouting that that’s the way that I am and I have to be accepted. I was always lying to myself,believing that I’m always right. But one day it just hits you,just like it hit me,when you don’t have anything to do on an idle Tuesday. Or maybe you need a big impulse,a huge mistake to smack you in the head. It got me thinking: What am I doing with my life? It took me a while to get back on the track,but at least now I’m at peace.

The tests will always be repeating. You will be constantly learning,making your way right to the end,shaping yourself through all the lessons,mistakes and people that you’re going to interfere with,along  the path that you’ve chosen. Because life is what you make it and your whole life is a story. Make sure it’s inspiring.

Afterwards,everything comes to an end. I guess there is a rather interesting feeling when you’re close to this. I think life itself is not an exam. It’s actually a sequence of tests that lead to a final exam. That exam consists in one simple question: Am I happy with what I’m leaving behind? After that,who knows what happens? But as the wise Dumbledore said: “To the well-organized mind,death is but the next great adventure.”