Hello Hiveghana family, I trust you are doing well. We're here again as usual and week’s prompt really struck something inside me because it reminded me of an experience that I don’t often talk about. It’s funny how we sometimes put people on a high pedestal, admiring them because of their achievements, attitude, or the way they carry themselves. But the truth is, one statement from them can change everything and make you see them differently.
I used to have someone I respected so much, let me just call him a mentor, though he wasn’t officially my mentor. He was someone I admired from a distance before I even got close to him. I liked his boldness, his intelligence, and how he seemed to always know the right words to say in difficult moments. To me, he was a model of the kind of person I wanted to be. Anytime he spoke, I paid close attention, and anytime he gave advice, I took it seriously because I thought he truly understood life better than most people.
But then came that one moment that completely changed how I saw him. We were having a casual discussion with a few people around, and the conversation shifted to the topic of opportunities in life. Someone asked a simple but powerful question: “Do you believe that anyone, no matter where they come from, can succeed if they work hard enough?”
I was eager to hear his answer because I expected something inspiring, something that would make us all believe in ourselves even more. But what he said left me speechless. He replied: “Not everyone is meant to succeed. Some people are born to serve others, and no matter how hard they try, they will always remain at the bottom.”
The room went quiet, but inside me, there was noise. My heart dropped, and I felt a kind of disappointment I had never felt before. I kept replaying his words in my head, hoping I had misheard him, but he meant it. The seriousness on his face confirmed that this was truly his belief.
It broke something inside me because I had always believed that with hard work, determination, and persistence, anybody could rise above their circumstances. Hearing someone I admired say the opposite shook me deeply. I began to question everything. Did he secretly look at people like me, people from humble beginnings and think we couldn’t rise beyond a certain level? Did he truly believe success was reserved for only a few?
That day marked a turning point. My respect for him reduced, not because he was suddenly a bad person, but because I realized his mindset was limited. And if I wasn’t careful, I could easily adopt that same negative belief just because I looked up to him so much. I continued talking to him afterwards, but I no longer placed him on the pedestal I once did.
What I learned from that experience is that no matter how much we admire someone, we must always remember they are human. People can inspire us, but they can also disappoint us. If we are not careful, their words and beliefs can shape the way we see ourselves. That is why it is important to filter advice, no matter who it comes from.
Since then, I’ve held on to my personal belief that everyone has the potential to succeed, no matter their background. Life is not always fair, but determination and the right mindset can open doors that people think are impossible. I refuse to let anyone’s negative mentality define what is possible for me.
So, in a strange way, his disappointing words made me stronger. They pushed me to stand firm in my own convictions and never allow someone else’s doubt to kill my belief in myself.
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