Did you get an A?

Did you get an A?

I remember getting a B and thinking my life has ceased to exist. I was so obsessed with getting straight As, “good” grades, a distinction, having a perfect result card, that my world revolved around the alphabets which I thought would define my then present and future. As I grew older, I thought getting a good GPA or being on the Honor’s List, was the road to success.

I got straight As in A-level, got my distinctions, graduated with Honors, got scholarships, and my impressive result card. But, then? Oh well, then the bubble burst, and voila. Life was not going to get easier with As, or harder with Bs and Cs. Life was not about my result card, my GPA, or being on the Honor’s List. Life was not about anything I thought it to be. Life was about character, identity, self-esteem, communication, morals, mannerisms, grooming, relationship building, decision making, money management and everything I didn’t get an A in. Everything my result card never highlighted, and everything life was actually about.

Teens of today, are so wrapped up in their grades, in getting into a good university or getting a degree in a particular field, but so less exposed to the realities of life; the life skills we actually require to live a meaningful, productive, healthy life. So, if you didn’t get an A, congratulations! That will allow you to focus on what’s actually important. Better yet. Ask yourself, did you help anyone today? Did you leave a good impact? Did you make anyone smile? THAT is your identity. THAT is life. And there, dear reader, there, you succeeded!

-Hanna Seyal