The Peaceful Shore We’ve All Been Looking For

The school week has finally ended and it’s friday again, and I’d like to share two quotes that I came across this past week that really caught my attention. These two quotes come from two very different books written in completely different languages.

The first quote is from the classical book “Julius Caesar” by Shakespeare (a book we are currently tackling in English Class):

“Julius Caesar” by Shakespeare

“Men at some time are masters of their fate. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.”

Given the timing of me starting my own blog and making a resolution to stop passing on opportunities, this quote was something I could really relate to. We are who we want to be. We can become who we want to become as long as we do what it takes. We are given thousands and thousands and opportunities and choices, and the decision always falls into our hands. Based on what we choose, our life changes accordingly. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as destiny, for we are responsible for our future.

We are who we are today because of everything we’ve done in the past. I remember what my Filipino Teacher told us when we were tackling the different problems in society, “It doesn’t mean you were born poor, you’ll die poor.” Too many people these days are wallflowers who are afraid to do something about their lives. People complain left and right, blame different people, not knowing that ranting and feeling sorry won’t help them. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not saying that everyone will be the next rags-to-riches story, but one must never lose hope. It’s about fighting your hardest and enduring the pain even during the hardest of times.

Hand in hand with the previous quote above from Julius Caesar, another remarkable quote that really caught my eye during this week was from, “Dekada 70” by Lualhati Bautista, another must read book that we tackled just recently in our Filipino class.

“Dekada 70” by Lualhati Bautista

This particular quote reinforces the previous quote about getting what you deserve and how life just gives us what we work for.

“Ang payapang pampang ay para lang sa mga pangahas na sasalnga sa alimpuyo ng mga alon sa panahon ng unos.” (in english, “The peaceful shores are only for those daring enough to put up with the whirlpool by the waves during times of storms/typhoons.”)

This quote is so true and really shoves into our faces the reality of life; the fact that life is harsh, and only the strong will survive. Those who are willing to go the extra mile; those who are willing to fight for what they believe in no matter the odds or circumstance; those who are willing to stick it out even the most difficult of times; those who won’t quit just because they don’t get what they want; They’re the only ones, who’ll be able to make it to the peaceful shores. They’ll be the ones standing on top and achieving their goals and dreams. And when they’re standing on top of the mountain they just conquered, ask them if it was worth it. Without a doubt, I’m sure they’ll look you straight into the eye and tell you that every blood, sweat and tear it took them to get to the peak were all worth it.

How far are you willing to go to reach the Peaceful Shore?

Life is the hardest battle one has to face for it is a showdown between you and yourself. Who’ll come up victorious can only be decided by one person, and that person is YOU! When the going gets tough, don’t be afraid; don’t fret for it’s just another storm you’ll have to put up if you want to see the peaceful shore!

-DOitChoco