Personal Perspective © - When your “why” is strong enough

When the reason for doing anything is strong enough, and personal enough, you have the best chance of overcoming every hurdle in your way. We all have something that needs to be overcome, conquered or achieved. It wouldn’t be a rich fulfilling thrilling growth experience otherwise.

For me, a very strong “why” began while studying part-time through UNISA, at the same time as working and having a personal life. Nine years after matriculating, I found myself in a whole other world that required discipline, focus, commitment and courage. And it all had to come from me. No one was imposing it on me, or making me do anything, or monitoring my progress day-to-day, and no one could do it for me but me. I understood about personal responsibility and personal accountability. It was all up to me even though I had moral support. The opportunity was there. I just had to take it. The real world is like this – we need to take personal responsibility, and run with the opportunities.

Despite hurdles, I got my BA (Psychology) and then register for Honours. A few short weeks into Honours, our family experienced a major personal loss. Life changed drastically. I suddenly had a ton of things that required my attention, over and above studying, working, and living my life. Regarding my studies, I could stop there and then, and focus on taking care of the family, thereby letting go of one of my big dreams. I did stop - only for that year - and I re-registered the following year. My “why” was very strong. Have you given serious thought to your reason for embarking upon things?

Boy was this changed personal environment tough. One of the challenges included my not having studied most of the curriculum for one of the papers, and I discovered this on a weekend before the exam. Again, I had a choice: I could just crumble in despair, not write the exam and throw away my chances of finishing Honours. But I figured that if I didn’t at least try to write the exam, I had zero chance of passing. So, I took a deep breath, settled down, and found enough in my personal library to equip myself for the exam. I passed both the exams that year, and completed Honours early in 1995. How often do we give up moments before we reach the promised land?

And then no formal psychology studies for 17 years because life carried on and didn’t include UNISA or psychology at that time.

Fast forward to early January 2012, and a sudden burning desire to do my Master’s part-time, again while working and living my life. My spirit has been fully immersed in this new journey, and I am happily negotiating my way through the various challenges. There is never even one second when any of the challenges throw me off my goal or the enjoyment of doing this. My “why” is so strong, and so personal. This is what keeps us going - and having periods of intense focus within overall life balance.

by Beba Papakyriakou (BA); (Hons, BA Psych)



Your date with destiny. Make your dreams come true in 2012

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