By Mariska Tanuarto
Finding direction and purpose in life is not as easy as we were conditioned to believe when growing up, especially when faced with the ever-present stresses of young adulthood that can obstruct our ability to find motivation. Richard Wong’s Discussion on Youth: Keeping Up Daily Motivation lecture was particularly relevant to many of us: some just beginning our journeys into adulthood and some of us more familiarized with the challenge of finding purpose and balance in our lives as young adults.
While much of what Richard said was pertinent to all youth, what resonated with me was his story of overcoming adversity in various capacities throughout his life. He was the first high school graduate in his household and his parents had high expectations of him. He worked hard and moved to Canada with the expectation of doing well enough for himself to sponsor his family. While acclimating to life in Canada, he was subjected to ridicule for being different, particularly in being Chinese with an Indian accent. In focusing on what was expected of him, Richard sacrificed his dreams of being a doctor and instead focused on appeasing his family by pursuing engineering. He didn’t find success in this way, however. He couldn’t become an engineer and eventually opted for a field more in-line with his own interests: computer science.
In discussing his own experience with rejection and the toll it had on his mental health as he battled anxiety, he reflected on the importance of self-development and learning. I drew many parallels within my own life and was inspired by his capacity to overcome these hardships. Richard stresses that finding motivation has much to do with being committed to the process of constantly evolving as individuals and being cognizant of our strengths and limitations, so that in turn we are able to develop ourselves to reach the goals that we set for ourselves on a constant basis. Emotional growth happens when we persist and embrace the pain and challenges that are inevitable in life.