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LIFE 101
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
Life is never easy. Even a 6-year-old can tell you that. The problems we face are varied and many in number,
and sometimes the temptation to just give up is great. Add to the equation the people around who seem to
find it a genuine joy to see others suffer and fall.
Life is funny. One day, you seem to be on top of the world. You feel like the good things keep pouring in. Then
you realize that everything seems to be falling down around you. The glory and good things seem to be
disappearing like a figure in the mist. Then you end up asking yourself what you had been happy about in the
first place.
Life is oftentimes cruel. The blows you get seem to come from all directions. And they come one after the other.
Oftentimes, when you are truly down, there seems to be no light appearing in the wide horizon. Not even
when you utter Please…Not even when you scream at the top of your lungs: STOP! STOP NOW!
Life can seem to stand still at unexpected points. Just when you thought you had it all going for you, something
comes out of the blue and you get waylaid, you lose your bearings, you find yourself groping, feeling, sensing
for the walls that had been there. And then you find those very walls starting to close in. You sense danger, you
get overwhelmed by hopelessness, despair, uncertainty. You begin asking yourself, what more have I got to lose
now.
Life is one big whirlwind of activity. If you stop, you’ll get trampled on. If you plod on your way, people will
overtake you. If you try to pick up speed, someone will be there to show you he’s faster, better, smarter. The
desire to win a balance is as great a challenge as the action itself.
Life is meant to be lived, and lived well. Those who get easily torn and dragged down by the challenges they
face will have to learn to move, to survive, to exist. Even water seeks its own level. Think of your adversities as
one big deluge or rush of water---eventually, the flood will dissipate. It won’t stay forever. That’s why, in the
face of great diversity, you either sink or swim. If you swim, you could get somewhere, hopefully upwards. But
if you sink, then maybe you didn’t try hard enough.
Such are the rules of life. We’ve been given life and the greatest amount of intellect in the universe. If we fail to
use that intellect in the face of great adversity, then maybe we haven’t been trying too hard. After all, life can
still be good. So live!
Questions for Discussion;
1. What does the writer think about life? Do you agree with the writer’s thoughts?
2. Why is it easy for some people to mock others who face adversities?
3. What is the right attitude for life?
4. How can we make adversities a little better to handle?
5. Define life. How has life been for you? Elaborate on your answer.