Life is full of new, unwanted and undeniable challenges that one has to face, and there is always a first time for anything. Iqra had to undergo a new situation, which was nothing less than a challenge for her. Though she was superb in academics, but creative writing was her biggest weakness. She believed that she couldn’t transfer her thoughts to a piece of paper.

So when she had to write an essay or any other piece of creative writing, she would delay the task until the last minute, and then one of her parents would provide her with a complete piece. This practice continued until she reached Grade 10.

But soon, her mother realised how important it was for her daughter to write independently. She also knew that Iqra had the potential, but lacked confidence in herself. Iqra tried to convince her parents to help once again, but it was all in vain. She felt despondent and hopeless.

At last, a quote she had read by Jared Letof flashed through her mind: “Try and fail, but never fail to try.”

Encouraged by those words, she gave it a shot. To her surprise, her attempt was successful. Although she wasn’t confident that her work was up to the mark, her teacher praised her essay and gave her positive remarks.

Still, Iqra lacked the courage to write again. The fear of not being good enough lingered, despite her earlier success. But it was her mother who encouraged her to keep writing, no matter how badly she thought of herself.

She reminded Iqra that even if her work wasn’t perfect, it was still her own creation, her thoughts, her words and that in itself was something to be proud of.

So that year, Iqra wrote countless essays, and gradually, her confidence began to grow. Then came her pre-board exams. The topic given in the English exam was ‘kindness.’ She gave it her all. First she broke the topic into clear sections, kindness in religion, in everyday life, in nature as exhibited by animals, and finally the kindness shown by the Creator.

In short, she nailed the topic. After the exams, the result day arrived and to her amazement, she ranked among the top five students.

Her success didn’t end there. Her mother continued to push her to write about anything that popped into her mind and she did. One day, she submitted one of her essays to a publication and, to her astonishment, it got published. That was Iqra’s triumph, the turning point that marked her journey as a successful writer.

This experience made her truly believe that ‘Where there is a will, there is a way,’ and it filled her with the confidence to say, ‘I can.’ She learned that challenges are not obstacles; they are growth opportunities. The courage to try and the belief in one’s abilities are what truly lead to success in every walk of life.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 26th, 2025