Hi Hive,
There was a time back in my secondary school days when life felt just simple, but yet full of big dreams and goals. I had one major focus then and that was football. And not just about playing for fun or keeping fit, but with a serious mindset. Back then,I truly believed my life depended on it. I wanted to go professional, make a name, and change my story through the game.
At that same time, there was a girl who genuinely loved me. And the truth is, also loved her too.
The love wasn’t one-sided nor it wasn’t confusion as we both felt something real for each other. The kind of connection that was pure, real, innocent, and rare at that moment of life. But I made a decision that I thought was right at the time even with those feelings. I chose football over her.
What happened?
A that time, I convinced myself that I couldn’t afford any distraction. In my mind, relationships would slow me down and I believed that if I gave my attention to her, I might lose focus on my goal of becoming a professional footballer and missed out from traveling to Germany at that time. So I completely stepped back instead of trying to balance both.
What did I do?
I have to ignored what I felt and kept my distance. I acted like football was the only thing that mattered at that moment, even when my heart knew there was something special standing right in my front. I prioritized only my dream with full seriousness and discipline.
But what did I not do?
I refuse to give love a chance. I didn’t communicate honestly with her about how I felt and I didn’t even try to see if I could manage both my passion and a relationship. I walked away from something meaningful and I simply assumed it was impossible. At that moment, it felt like the right decision, right choice. But life sometimes doesn’t always work as planned.
But unfortunately, things didn’t work out for me in football the way I had hoped for. The dream I sacrificed so much for didn’t become reality and by the time I looked back, the opportunity I had with her has already slipped away. She had moved on already and I was left with a silent kind of regret.
The issues is not because I chose my dream but because I didn’t handle the situation as I should. I later realized I had lost something real, not necessarily because I had to, but because I didn’t understand balance and the lesson I learned from that experience is something I carry with me untill today:
Life is not always about choosing one thing and completely neglected another. But, it’s about learning how to manage both.
What is meant to be will be and what is not meant to be will not be, even though I also learned that some opportunities won't come twice, most especially when it comes to real human connections. Yes, dreams are important, but so are people who truly care very much about you.
If such a door were to open again, I would do things differently even though I am now happily married with two beautiful kids.
I won't run away from love out of fear of distraction. But instead, I would communicate better, set boundaries where necessary, but I would never ignore something meaningful without giving it a chance.
I would understand that sometimes, the right person support you, motivate you, and even make your journey easier but don't always distract you. And most importantly, I would not make decisions based on fear, but on wisdom.
Looking back now, I don’t hate or regret the choice I made, because it was a decision based on the mindset I had at that age. But right now, I know better.
And if possible life ever gives me another opportunity like that, where love and purpose meet then I will not let it slip away so easily again.
