As my senior year of high school drew to a close, I once felt like bowing down to fate.
I was terrified of failing the Gaokao and failing to get into college. For weeks, I secretly planned how to tell my family that I wanted to drop out.
To escape the oppressive study environment, I even made excuses to fall ill, requested leave to go home, and even intentionally washed my hair with cold water, hoping to get sick just to find temporary relief.
I also expressed my desire to drop out to my teacher more than once, but each time, they spoke to me earnestly about the pros and cons.
What left the deepest impression was when my teacher asked: "Giving up is easy; a single retreat or a single abandonment is enough. But the road of life after giving up is incredibly long. You can afford to lose this moment, but can you afford to lose your entire life?"
I still remember how I felt back then. Since so many others were persevering, studying hard for the Gaokao, why should I give up so early?
Eventually, I took the Gaokao, stepped into university with high expectations, and smoothly transitioned into the workforce after graduation.
Today, I work in a field I love and live a life that, while perhaps not the absolute best, is exactly what I envisioned. I am content.
I am grateful that I didn't give up too soon, as it made me who I am today.
Life is difficult for everyone; we must put in enough effort to deserve a better life.
Those who give up too early on their life's journey will never know how prosperous and dazzling the road ahead can be, and they will never realize the magnificence they have missed.
Do not stop growing by seeking comfort under an umbrella during a storm, and do not stop your progress in the mud only to sink deeper.
I once heard these words: "Since the distant shore has been chosen, one must press on through the wind and rain; since the goal is the horizon, all that is left for the world to see is one's departing back."
Only by continuing to walk can you encounter more beautiful things; only by never giving up can you taste the joy of success.
Don't give up so quickly. Take a few more steps—perhaps the next step is the light at the end of the tunnel!
