Walk in your own timezone
In my life, no matter if I walk slower, faster, smarter, or dumber than other people, I feel comfortable walking at my own pace, because I really love learning.
To be honest, there are so many other things I want to have in my life. When they tell me working in Big Tech for 3 years will yield a $1M salary a year, I would love to have the money too. When they proudly talk about how they were greatly appreciated by their interviewer, I would love to have that affirmation too. When they hack so many products in two days, I would love to have that speed too. When I see people build amazing companies, I would love to create my own great work too.
While money, recognition, and so many things catch my eye, at the end of the day, none of them are my priority in life. My priority is learning. My pace may seem slow or stupid, but it’s the path that feels right for me. I walk to the beat of my own inner compass, focused on the journey more than the destination. And for that, I have great love.
You might ask, “what does love for learning mean to you?”
For me, love for learning means that even if all my exes took 1 month to move on, but it took me a year, I still want to take every step of the path. I want to learn loyally.
It means that even though everyone around my age has already worked for a few years, but I just start today and feel so confused. I still learn happily.
It means that even if all my friends earn a lot and I have nothing, I still feel patient taking my time figuring it out. I’m learning already.
It means that I learn algorithms every day but apply for no jobs, because nothing matters more than the joy for learning. I love learning so much.
I walk to the rhythm of my growth. I might walk slower, I might be dumber, but I am happy with my pace, feel at home with myself, feel at peace with my ability. No matter others’ pride, disappointment or judgment of me, I remain loyal to my journey. I’m born to learn, and how the outer world’s view is completely irrelevant. Speed, success, recognition doesn’t matter. I’m only loyal to my learning.
“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” — Albert Einstein
This is one of the quote I really love. For me, sitting with problems for a long time isn’t to be successful, isn’t to feel comfortable. It’s just about the love to sit with a problem and learn from it. There is no need to rush. There is no need to solve it on the first trial. Love for learning is not about getting it right in the first try, but enjoying each attempt made. I allow patience to lead, ideas to emerge, and my life path to unwind. Learning about life might not be easy, but my heart is filled with curiosity for each tiny step of discovery.
I really love walking at my own pace in my own timeline, because the only thing I feel earnest toward, is my learning.
