I'm Not Afraid Exams! Not Anymore.
God has placed His Light in me; I let It shine!
— Sean DragonThe Initial Fear
I had to face many exams before I could overcome my initial viewpoint of them and figure out their value.
In my early years, whenever I had to pass an exam, I always had anxiety. Sometimes, when I considered them to be very important for the progression of my life, I felt fear. And there have been many times that I have evaluated them in this way, as in the case of the National Exams which they gave me the opportunity to study in the University.
The years that have passed, with the valuable experience they have given me, helped me to understand that it is not the exams that determine my life, however significant they are - the truth is that some of them may be very significant for the continuity of our life. The important thing is the choice the exams offer me. The choice to decide to work hard, to do my best, improving myself to succeed in them.
Gift, Not a Problem
Exams, therefore, became a means for me to improve myself, and so I began to perceive them as a gift and not as a problem.
Take the difficulty and make it be a blessing!
— Sean DragonWithout them and because of the inertia, which almost all of us show up in the effort to improve, I would never have tried to develop as much as the exams forced me. I would not have accomplished many of my goals, and I'm sure my life would be very different today and undoubtedly not as beautiful as it is now.
At the same time, they helped me to understand that the "luck" factor plays a minimal role in life when you decide to take it in your hands. I found that I used luck as an excuse to cover myself for my own mistakes. Because, no matter what pretexts, I was giving about failure, inside me, I knew it was my mistake. Fortunately, even when I managed to fool others, I could not fool myself. I knew that I had not devoted the respect and the work I had to and that failure was life's warning to me.
But through the continual effort, after any failure, I realised one significant thing! If you work hard to prepare yourself, if you give your mind, soul, and love into what you do, then the Universe will send the forces you need to help you achieve the best in every "exam" you will have to face. Any effort, even the smallest, is never left without reward. There is no other luck than the one you create for yourself. A great lesson that this excellent teacher that we call life taught me!
Once Plato went to Socrates and asked him what he would have to do to be sure he would achieve what he wanted. Socrates took him to a lake and dunked his head into the water for a long time. In the end, Plato, desperate and close to losing his senses from the lack of oxygen, managed to escape and get his head out of the water, shouting:
"What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me?”
Socrates responded calmly:
"When you will want something with the same longing you wanted that breath, then you will know how to achieve it."
The Longing for Improvement
You have to want your improvement more than anything else. That's what life has done for me through some exam failures. It helped me to understand that I did not yearn for it, I did not fight, I didn't leave aside all those things that are useless or harmful and deal only with them that would improve me. That was the reason for every failure I've had in my life.
God will never ask us to sacrifice anything. We abandon the waste when we rise.
— Sean DragonBecause even when you have not worked correctly, and you did not make the choices you had to, because of your laziness, or because you did not think it was important for any reason, the exams will give you a great gift.
The invaluable gift that, sooner or later, no matter how much you try to fool yourself or others; you will have to face the results of your choice. It may be unpleasant, but it is necessary to help you wake up from the lethargy to which you slowly fall with the risk of losing the wonderful gifts that life has prepared for you.
Life has a lesson for you. Without physical and spiritual effort, without the struggle, you will never be able to use all the wonderful potential God has given you. Because within all of us, He has enclosed, everything we need to find our true happiness. Nobody can take it from us. If we refuse to work hard to reveal this wonderful Divine potential within us, then we choose to deprive it of ourselves. We have no right to blame anyone else.
Always remember that the problem cannot defeat you, but the idea you have for it can. So do not let an idea beat you, deprive you of what is yours.
My Father, help me to remember that you are present wherever I am. Thank You for treating me so well, even when I have not respected myself. I wish I could learn to love myself as You love me.
— Sean DragonThe Secret
Besides, there is something very important! Do you want to know a secret? Every day you live is an exam process! Life challenges you, every day, with questions, problems and choices, and you have to answer.
When you have worked correctly, physically and spiritually, then the best results will come, and they will lead you to a higher and more difficult level. Then you'll have to begin the effort for new improvement, for a new upgrowth. This is the way we are moving towards our fulfilment and our real and lasting happiness, through a continuous series of exams, whatever they are. Therefore the one you have to face right now is neither the last nor the most important of them. No matter how you see it, no matter how you get ready for it, it's just another exam and nothing more.
Think: you never changed in easy situations!
— Sean DragonWhatever the goal you want to succeed through these exams you are facing now; you have to remember that it is not your ultimate goal.
Whatever mistakes you have made in trying to reach them do not let them bend you.
When you are struggling to achieve high goals, it is certain that you will make mistakes, and maybe even huge ones. But these mistakes are an integral part of the struggle because they are becoming the criterions for development. Only those who really crave it can reach the highest goal. What should be your attitude towards these mistakes?
Do not bend under the weight of these mistakes. Do not get lost in self-pity and misery. Collect your pieces, put your feet back on the ground and, modestly, apologize to yourself to others. Turn your gaze back to His Love, ask for His help, ask for help from those who love you. Then start to work hard again, from the beginning.
If you do all these, then, sooner or later, the high goal will be yours, and then the next one will appear. At the same time, you will have sanctified your own mistakes as these will have changed you to a better person. Remember that Love is not tired of trying, selfishness refuses to work.
If life was always easy, then love, compassion, and wisdom would not dwell within us, nor would we learn how to draw from the Source of the true power within us. Many times we do not know how powerful we are until we face a challenge that makes this power come to light.
This is the way you have to face your exams. Whatever the result is, you cannot really lose unless you chose it!
Always remember that you are not the person who starts the effort, but the one that ends it, so even the last moment is important.
Believe in yourself. Don't forget how much God believes in you! Then you will see miracles happening. Do not let fear overwhelm you while you have the most powerful ally with you. Because now is the time to tell you my secret. I will tell you how I managed to get rid of the fear of exams: I always have my best friend by my side.
My best friend is always by my side. In every challenging moment I have to face, he gives me peace of mind and helps me to do the best I can. When the exams were difficult for me, it was always there to lead me to success. He does not ask for anything and gives me everything as if I am his only friend, but I know he has... many others too. One of them is you, I know it. That's why you have to ask for his help in these exams. Accept his love and let him act through you. You will see miracles happening because my best friend is God!
I do not want just to live. I want, with my Love, to participate in the creation of a wonderful Universe.
— Sean DragonI wish you success, therefore, whatever you have to deal. Enjoy every moment, because it is the only one you have! Find the gift in these exams and make it yours. I wish these exams to make you a better, stronger and happier human being.
And do not forget you're never alone! Apart from Him, I will be next to you at any moment with my prayer. I will be beside to everyone who strives for his improvement because this world needs the development of each of us to become the Paradise which must be.
I will be there, even if we have never met or we don't know each other since I will have been inviting from your prayer to My Friend. Because we are all One in Him.
© 2018 Ioannis Arvanitis