You Are A Shooting Star

When I was a kid, I began my adventure with dreams when my mom once told me to make a wish if I ever see a shooting star falling. It was something out of this world. I was very excited about it and I believed in the power of a shooting star whenever I made a wish.

I got older and I knew that making a wish on a shooting star is a myth. Deep down, I wished if it wasn’t. A shooting star is not a star. It is, in fact, a meteoroid. Regardless of what we believe, it’s probably a part of our human nature to secretly wish that shooting star wishes might come true.

However, should we stop dreaming? Or let go of our dreams? What if you become our own version of a shooting star? The answer is yes, be your own version of a shooting star.

I will share with you one story that may motivate you and show you that you can be your own shooting star. In 2015, I applied for a program called MEPI (Middle East Partnership Initiative). It gathers students from North Africa and the Middle East for leadership and project management training for six weeks in the United States. I have missed out the application entry for two years. But I wasn’t going to miss it again. I applied and I hoped for the best. After about three or four weeks, I received an email of acceptance. I was overjoyed and proud.

That didn’t last because I had to go through an interview in order to be among the participants of the program. In the interview day, I was both nervous and scared. I didn’t know what to expect. When I entered the waiting room, I found other candidates. I was amazed by the way they held themselves and the way they expressed themselves too. But, there was a girl who amazed me with how confident she was and how good her English was. I went home and told my mom that there is no way they will select me over that girl. After two weeks, they informed me that I was selected and guess what? I was the only Libyan woman to be selected. 

They have seen in me the confidence I questioned and doubted. I wasn’t selected in vain. I was selected for my potentials and how far I can reach. After a clear thinking, I was that girl I was amazed by in that waiting room but I was too blinded to see. That experience made me value my own self more. The whole scene in that waiting room was a wake-up call for my own self. It was a lesson which I learned from so much and I am incredibly grateful for now

As a conclusion, don’t let fear hold you back from turning your dreams into reality and don’t ever underestimate yourself or what you are capable of. Don’t compare yourself to others. Catch your own dreams and make them happen. Work hard and have a clear vision ahead of you. Don’t forget that you have the power of thousands of shooting stars.