“Rise Up”

Have you ever felt like something’s holding you back from doing things you love? Or
were you ever doubted by certain people you thought would believe you in the first place? Did
someone ever say you won’t reach anything good in this world? If you answered yes to all those
questions, I could say that you are strong.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, teachers, staff, parents, relatives, and friends. Standing
here in front of you is someone who’s been doubted, has fallen, and has questioned her worth,
but is also a reflection of certainty, has risen, and has believed in herself.

Today is maybe an end to a chapter of our lives but right after this program ends, the
beginning of a new page is going to happen. For all those years that we faced books,
computers, has worn uniforms of maybe different schools, held pens of different brands, every
day, we strived to get up. We have already set the same alarm for the whole school year when
our classes started. We have already done every activity, crammed on exams, and cried our
hearts out just for our academic breakdowns to be satisfied but still limited that because we
think it won’t fit our schedule. And finally, at the moment that we will get to see our weighted
average for a semester or period, that’s when satisfaction or disappointment is guaranteed.

We let important people know those little achievements that we’ve had for an academic
period. Whether it be our parents, siblings, friends, or just someone close, their responses
mattered to us. I know for a fact that some of you have been given a “wow you did a great job.”
On the other hand, others have received, “is this it?” Others have been completely ignored as
well. There may be some who didn’t bother to tell a story about how they were for the past
academic months because they can already assume the response that they will not like.

I know that those simple gestures and words can affect you. I understand because I’ve
been there as well. Every achievement that I’ve received tells a story of positive or negative
feedback from people. Some were able to lift me more. A few stories affected my mood for a
certain day. I’ve also shed a tear out of disappointment but it’s still me who did those. Nothing
has changed and I’m still me who constantly try to do her best for her to achieve her dreams.
 Try to look at yourself in the mirror and assess: do you satisfy yourself or other people
around you? If you constantly strive for self-satisfaction then that’s good. You are doing great.
However, if you always try to live up to the standards of the people around you, that can be a
problem. You did not live to achieve their metrics for defining who you are as a person. Let go
of all those disappointments and all those empty words that were thrusted deep into your soul.
Don’t let them conquer you. Rise up for a thousand times that you’ve fallen. Don’t let them
hold you back.