It’s been a year since my article “Smart In My Own Way” got published on candymag.com. This is the fourth time my work got featured and I still feel like I’m on cloud nine every time I read my name on the byline. I’ve been on hiatus submitting articles on that website because I wanted to prioritize creating content here on my wordpress blog.
Anyhow, here it is. Enjoy!
“Smart In My Own Way”
I don’t get how some people can be so good in Mathematics. They say that you can learn to do all things but trust me, I’ve been trying to understand that subject since I was in grade school. And yet here I am, I’ve been alive for 17 years and I still give my teachers a confused look—narrow eyes, creases on forehead, and furrowed eyebrows every time they discuss they explain something to me.
I started hating the subject more when it became society’s basis for intelligence. Somehow they have forgotten about other things like the arts, creativity, how quick your mind responds to certain situations, leadership, resourcefulness, and a lot of amazing talents and skills which I consider to be very astounding.
After four years in high school, I’ve accepted that I am not really good with numbers. I would cringe at the thought of solving word problems. Sometimes, I would just give up and won’t even bother answering the questions or solving the problems. I would feel down knowing that our lesson for Science is all about Physics; I just don’t get the idea of knowing why balls roll. I would cry after learning that I have to survive Trigonometry
I was losing hope and though I was still doing great in other subjects and maintained my rank in class, I felt stupid—like I’m not smart at all, like I’m worthless. One guy in fifth grade even commented on how bad I was at Math. Back then, I wanted to cry but now I want to turn back time and tell him, “Yes, I know. But it’s not the end of the world for me now, is it?”
And that is true. It doesn’t mean that if something’s weighing you down, it’s the end of the world. We have our own strengths and weaknesses for a reason. They build us and make us different from each other. We have to know our weaknesses and accept them, deal with them, and maybe even find ways to fight them. We should also be familiar with our strengths, enhance them, and use them for good.
I spent my four years in high school honing my skills in writing because it is my strength. It is my way of communicating my feelings and thoughts. I joined our school’s Communication Arts Club and even became the club secretary during my 10th grade. I love attending seminars and workshops about scriptwriting, acting, and movie making. I was our school paper’s managing editor, and I excel both in English and Journalism. I even participated in our Communication Arts Club Indie Film as scriptwriter and as an extra as well.
I focused more on the things I love doing instead of focusing on my weaknesses. Finding out the things I am good at made me enthusiastic about life again.
Intelligence is not only measured by how high one’s grades are or how well someone does in class. True intelligence is knowing who you are and loving every part of you.
It is knowing your strengths, skills, and talents and using them for righteous deeds—being an inspiration or a role model to people or even making the world a better a place.
I may not be smart with numbers, but I know one thing: we are all smart in our own ways. I am smart with words, and I use that gift wisely because I know that words have the power to either inspire people or destroy them.
This article was originally posted here: I’m Smart In My Own Way.
Katharsis 