Greatest Success in My Life

By: Novia Anggraeni

There is no exact word to define what success means. There is also no universal
parameter for it. Everyone have his or her own definition and so have I. For some success is
about being rich and fame, for some success is about being at the top of power, and for some
success is about being able to send their children until higher education with every sweat they
extracted and the consequences of the had to save their money even when their children have not
born yet.

I would not blame people for their own definition of success as everyone has their own
rights. Success is everyone’s right. Therefore success is my right too.

Since I was a kid until now, many friends have been defining me as a success person.
When I was still in elementary school, I was never absent being the first rank 6 years in a row.
Then in junior high school, I was always placed in favourite class. In senior high school, I
repeated the cycle I had in elementary school, I never missed being the first rank 3 years in a row.
Also, I was an active English debater and a national best speaker at vocational high school
English debate championship 2010 held by ministry of education. Even when I was in university,
I had become a first winner of Indonesia University of Education Mahasiswa Berprestasi in 2013
and represented my university in national level.

As the results, my friends asked me what my secret is; do I have tips and tricks to share;
what should they do so they could be like me. I blatantly stated if had no secret to hide; nor tips
and trick; and I always emphasised to not to be like me, be the truest version of yourself. I said
that because those achievements were not my greatest success in life. Those were the only things
I could give to my parents for their bountifulness. My family was not a wealthy one, nor the
needed one. Whilst mostly the scholarship provider at that time required a letter of statement that
proves someone deserved a scholarship because she/he was from under-prospered family, I
hardly got the scholarship. Even if I got the scholarship due to my achievements mentioned
above my parents forced me to save it, my parents want all of their children finished their study
by my parents own endeavour.

For me the greatest success in my life is when I can manifest my thankfulness by sharing
knowledge, happiness and positive vibes into the lives of people around me. For this, I have
found some of mine during my study at Indonesia University of Education. I was a special
education department student. At first I denied my presence here, I thought I deserved more. This
happened because I did not really know what I was involved in. Until I realised that God plans
never wrong. I was here by reason.
 I have been interacting a lot with students with disability, even more when I started my
internship at Bandung Public Special School for Visually Impaired in 2016. I talked to them. I
played with them. Nevertheless, I also taught them. It always happens, the indescribable feeling
that emerges when my students ask me for help when there are other people they may ask for.
The feeling if they trusted me. Being an educator allow me to grab my success in life: sharing
knowledge, happiness and positive vibes.

In short, I determine the greatest success in my life as being rich of knowledge that I can
share to people, bring them abundance of positive vibes, and transmit happiness I always carry.
If I have the opportunity to have this scholarship, I will make more success in my life by doing
my best to spread and share more knowledge and happiness during and after my study.