Laziness kills ambition.

Anger kills intelligence.

Fear kills dreams.

Ego kills growth.

Envy kills peace.

Doubt kills confidence.

Four years ago today, I was lying still in bed and crying because I didn't have the energy to start, nor did I know where to begin. That was a period when I felt utterly pathetic, living as if it were a duty imposed on me by fate. I had to stay in a house I didn't like, share space with people who didn't share my ideals, and work with those I couldn't respect or be inspired by.

But no matter how much I hated life, He was always silently loving, protecting, and guiding me. In one way or another, He held my hand and pulled me forward every time I wanted to let go.

Now, as Haruki Murakami wrote in "Kafka on the Shore," I can't remember how I managed to fight through those long years or how I survived. I'm not even sure if the storm has really passed. But one thing is certain: when I stepped out of the storm, I was no longer the same person who had entered it.

If four years ago, what tormented me most was the fear of unemployment, the murky future ahead, today I had to pass up a very promising collaboration offer to someone else, knowing my own benefits would also decrease. Because I couldn't handle that much work and ensure efficiency for everything. From having no opportunities at all to being able to choose and decline good opportunities, for me, it's a new step in my personal development journey.

I'm not saying I've succeeded; I call that entire journey by two words: victory. Victory over laziness, anger, fear, ego, envy, and doubt within myself.

And I believe that if I can do it, anyone reading this can do it too. You just need to conquer yourself first, and good things will follow.

Laziness kills ambition.

Anger kills intelligence.

Fear kills dreams.

Ego kills growth.

Envy kills peace.

Doubt kills confidence.

Four years ago today, I was lying still in bed and crying because I didn't have the energy to start, nor did I know where to begin. That was a period when I felt utterly pathetic, living as if it were a duty imposed on me by fate. I had to stay in a house I didn't like, share space with people who didn't share my ideals, and work with those I couldn't respect or be inspired by.

But no matter how much I hated life, He was always silently loving, protecting, and guiding me. In one way or another, He held my hand and pulled me forward every time I wanted to let go.

Now, as Haruki Murakami wrote in "Kafka on the Shore," I can't remember how I managed to fight through those long years or how I survived. I'm not even sure if the storm has really passed. But one thing is certain: when I stepped out of the storm, I was no longer the same person who had entered it.

If four years ago, what tormented me most was the fear of unemployment, the murky future ahead, today I had to pass up a very promising collaboration offer to someone else, knowing my own benefits would also decrease. Because I couldn't handle that much work and ensure efficiency for everything. From having no opportunities at all to being able to choose and decline good opportunities, for me, it's a new step in my personal development journey.

I'm not saying I've succeeded; I call that entire journey by two words: victory. Victory over laziness, anger, fear, ego, envy, and doubt within myself.

And I believe that if I can do it, anyone reading this can do it too. You just need to conquer yourself first, and good things will follow.