![pexels-binti-malu-1485657.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bruno-kema/23ydEmeAEXBCkrA6S7LBowT8TADvCxPPJsnaZ9ygCLiUqF9n7CcEHe1MFLf6pxadzEed1.jpg) _{_{[Binti Malu](https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-sign-and-eyeglasses-on-table-1485657/)}
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![2dk2RRM2dZ8gKjXsrozapsD83FxL3Xbyyi5LFttAhrXxr16mCe4arfLHA37mQtCuynkak9C9VAyTtPNZC4azgNzmcbbNrwLm7sqQ7eKu7JLTDjfRw9MTUA8aMuf1z9Rv1TLh6pECyZxBbdTvXDaK16qUpUDuwjnCDA3iaAGqSv.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bruno-kema/23uEz8HTyenHDy6YwyacjU1VMqivn4a3gEvQLr8wQsT555WKq2fYMhYaXHkVptMsWiyiK.png)

If there is one thing I have come to learn about life, it is the need to always be optimistic about the future and what is to come. As long as I know that the future is not set in stone, I know for sure that anything at all can happen and things will likely work out in my favor.

And for that, whatever it is that I do, I always put on a smiling face, no matter how tough the particular situation might be. I look for the best in what is happening around me and use that as a reason to be happy. Then, I will let Mother Nature play its course and replicate it for me to spread out into other areas of my life.

![2dk2RRM2dZ8gKjXsrozapsD83FxL3Xbyyi5LFttAhrXxr16mCe4arfLHA37mQtCuynkak9C9VAxm3nacdB7gLmLiZLuYVhHeNsRgxL6WKJoam3hs2B7ZLAp2jwaLFEwoAbLKzAfpv2DhtyvHbJunTbU58RMbxtkvefNK4qj8EA.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bruno-kema/23uQjgVmrAnHpC8591rvFiqMt8qgbe4CrQ4gszk8VG46VKmR1tTLt4Yx4YtqwDd81r7Fi.png)

The thing is that, in our own cocoon, while we are going through our struggles in life, we tend to believe that we are having it worse and everyone else is having it better. Forgetting that life is different for everyone, it is not a one size fits all deal and therefore there are most likely people out there who are going through worse situations.

I remember a friend of mine back when I was in my first year, the guy was having a really tough time that year. He was squatting with a friend, staying as an illegal occupant in the school hostel. And if you know how school hostels operate, it meant he was always on his toes and on the lookout for the wardens so he was not caught.

![pexels-george-pak-7968277.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bruno-kema/23uFMBC3tAMjs294C1Ti4SXGYNqyczJCEsvmRiqf5DwvbDEBiLzcgc9Vz6YdJ2STnVEnm.jpg)
_{_{[George Pak](https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-sitting-on-bed-and-using-smartphone-7968277/)}

You would think that accommodation was only his problem, but no. He was also the one fending for himself and still had to send some money home. The weight that was on this guy’s neck was just massive. And he was a fellow student like me, the same level and all.

To meet up, he had to do a lot of things. But seeing as he was not working for anyone, he went into business. And he went into it with everything he had.

![2dk2RRM2dZ8gKjXsrozapsD83FxL3Xbyyi5LFttAhrXxr16mCe4arfLHA37mQtCuynkak9C9VAxm3nacdB7gLmLiZLuYVhHeNsRgxL6WKJoam3hs2B7ZLAp2jwaLFEwoAbLKzAfpv2DhtyvHbJunTbU58RMbxtkvefNK4qj8EA.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bruno-kema/23uQjgVmrAnHpC8591rvFiqMt8qgbe4CrQ4gszk8VG46VKmR1tTLt4Yx4YtqwDd81r7Fi.png)

What makes me talk about this my friend is the way he went after his business, with his heart and a big smile. He used to take his wares from room to room in the hostel, he was selling football wear, boxers, and palm slippers then. I remember when he would come to knock on our door and we would spend a long time talking to each other. We never really bought anything from him, because we didn’t have the money.

My point is that despite everything he was going through, he was still able to smile through it all. He was still able to joke around and also receive jokes. Back then, my parents were funding my schooling, so my biggest challenge was managing what they sent until the next month when the next allowance landed. But this guy was doing it all himself, and still sending money back home, and through it all, he was still smiling.

![pexels-stefan-stefancik-91227.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bruno-kema/Eo1wpgQTGHmKNtzqMjz3bGCaUnWcUve6uQkYkhzEj3dXyYZw44iRuAd3XMXowDKQBKq.jpg)
_{_{[Stefan Stefancik](https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-sitting-on-bed-and-using-smartphone-7968277/)}

Back then, he always told me that he had plans. He had dreams and ideas, all he needed was the money to bring them to life. And it was that money he was working so hard for.

Anyway, not too long after, when we returned for our second year, he had graduated from hawking wears and slippers to opening a shop and selling them. It was a major improvement considering that was a school area and he had the shop close to the school’s main gate. He continued going about his business in his usual way, with much gusto and positivity.

![2dk2RRM2dZ8gKjXsrozapsD83FxL3Xbyyi5LFttAhrXxr16mCe4arfLHA37mQtCuynkak9C9VAxm3nacdB7gLmLiZLuYVhHeNsRgxL6WKJoam3hs2B7ZLAp2jwaLFEwoAbLKzAfpv2DhtyvHbJunTbU58RMbxtkvefNK4qj8EA.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bruno-kema/23uQjgVmrAnHpC8591rvFiqMt8qgbe4CrQ4gszk8VG46VKmR1tTLt4Yx4YtqwDd81r7Fi.png)

And soon, he started selling noodles. Those people that will prepare noodles and fry eggs for you, at a price. He opened up another shop and started doing it, while he hired someone to look after his previous shop. And like that, as if it was a joke, this guy already had two shops and one person working under him.

We didn’t speak much after that, due to the one-year industrial training that is compulsory for all polytechnic students. But after I returned, I stumbled into him again close to the school and I could see the improvement in him.

![pexels-andrea-piacquadio-842554 (1).jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bruno-kema/23tvsFqUjU46reNSDXDxEMfkgXKKG5wjS5SKksedK63HbsvqZxLXcNwPaYz2irYQDYA8a.jpg)
_{_{[Andrea Piacquadio](https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-with-hand-on-temple-looking-at-laptop-842554/)}

He is still a hustler, but he no longer looks like he is desperate to make money. He now has three noodles shops and that same shop where he sells wears and slippers. He said that particular business was not really moving because so many people were selling the same thing. And each of the shops had a POS (Point Of Sale) business as well where they helped students and others make withdrawals and deposits for a fee.

This guy now had so many things going for him and it was good to see. He still has a long way to go, considering the big dreams he has, but if he keeps this up, I am sure he will be there in the nearest future.

I hope you see the picture I am trying to paint here. My friend was not focused on his present circumstances at the time, he was instead focused on his goal and that focus is what brought him so far. Similarly, when we refuse to be weighed down by whatever troubles we face, when we refuse to be deterred by the challenges life throws at us, there is literally nothing we can’t achieve.

![pexels-tara-winstead-8850717.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bruno-kema/242hjGEJgBZdQ76LJALUmcMuPonzNWaDwxn1prZM9Kx52X2RBPRYdViWNdQtykguo3ouA.jpg)
_{_{[Tara Winstead](https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-message-on-a-carton-8850717/)}

We just have to be positive, and we have to be sure we can win. We should always find a reason to win, instead of looking for a reason why we can’t win. My friend’s story really inspired me today, and I just felt I had to share it with you guys.

No one knows tomorrow, so before you give up on your dreams, think about all the people whose lives will become dependent on you in the future. What are you going to tell them? That you quit because of a little problem? I don’t think so.

So, my dear friends, whatever it is you are doing, do it with a smiling face believing with your whole heart that you are going to get it done.

At all costs.

![pexels-nappy-1058958.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bruno-kema/244obKduVuYZqq3f9x6y8mG3DeHNPUXmavxMu4QCfbmAAC1WvL6H1ookkFMx9hB2JdN31.jpg)
_{_{[Nappy](https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-wearing-hoodie-and-black-pants-climbing-up-pile-of-rocks-1058958/)}
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_{Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below, I would love to know what you are thinking. Till we meet in the next post.}
![2dk2RRM2dZ8gKjXsrozapsD83FxL3Xbyyi5LFttAhrXxr16mCe4arfLHA37mQtCuynkak9C9VAyTtPNZC4azgNzmcbbNrwLm7sqQ7eKu7JLTDjfRw9MTUA8aMuf1z9Rv1TLh6pECyZxBbdTvXDaK16qUpUDuwjnCDA3iaAGqSv.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/bruno-kema/23uEz8HTyenHDy6YwyacjU1VMqivn4a3gEvQLr8wQsT555WKq2fYMhYaXHkVptMsWiyiK.png)}}}}}}