The willpower to win

Patience - the road to wisdom

Recognition? Nah, don't chase it. But remember, there is always someone watching you. Life is a road full of curves, and nuances where people say "Don't do it for recognition", or worse, "Do it because I said so."

How is it possible to be in a high-speed race where you do incredible maneuvers, but no one seems to notice...? Unless you do something wrong, then everyone becomes an expert at driving.

The classic scene where Enzo Ferrari waves to driver Ken Miles from the Ford versus Ferrari movie perfectly captures this essence.

You try your best; you give your best on the track, at work, in motherhood, in fatherhood, in the family, or in any other relationship. The maximum you can get is a distant wave, not even a hug.

People take your presence and work for granted, as much as they can. Tell me someone who has never experienced this before. The sweet irony of giving your all and only being recognized at random moments.

The voids and the solitude of rejection, not belonging. But here's the bitter truth. As skilled drivers of life, we have to have more gas than necessary to last the 24 hours of Le Mans race.

Before waiting for applause in the stands, we must be the first to recognize ourselves, whether because of our victories or the flat tires along the way. After all, if you don't pat yourself on the back and recognize your value, who will?

And once again, there is always someone watching you. Chances are, this person may not even be old enough to get a driver's license, but will follow similar path.

Continue on your way with conviction, no hesitation, as there is always someone watching how much you rock on the track.

Don't listen to people who are telling you that you won't make it. These people are probably not drivers. And remember, you are what you think and what you do with what you think.

Discipline - the bridge between goals and success

If you get results, they will talk about you and if you don't get results, they will talk about you. So, use time to your advantage. Patience plus discipline equals confidence.

Build the confidence that you seek to know if you are on the right path, if you will succeed or not. Confidence requires patience, purpose, strategy. It's wise to respect the time of things. Once again, use time to your advantage. Each minute is a minute less, not more.

Let me tell a story. On April 2011, I was a university student attending agricultural engineering department. Thanks to my inquisitive nature, connections and excellent grades, I received a research scholarship worth approximately $220.

So, I was working as a lab apprentice in the morning and studying engineering in the afternoon. To make my research easier, my mentor advised me to attend English lessons, since many of the best articles in Soil Science were available in English. So I did.

Soon enough, I was crossing cities, changing bus lines to attend 2 hours English lessons in the evenings, which I paid for with half of my scholarship income. Every working day, I was there. No matter if it was raining or not, cold or not, safe or not. That was my daily grind for over 2 years - waking up at 6:00 AM and coming back home around 11:00 PM.

Months passed by, my confidence increased and I pursued my biggest dream - to live and study abroad. The opportunity of a lifetime came. I applied to an international exchange program to prove my English language skills and leave my comfort zone. A hint, finish this text and read edition 003.

Can you guess what happened? I succeeded in the test and received a 1.5-year scholarship covering all expenses for living and studying in Europe. People said it was luck. I say it was faith and dedication.

On February 2014, I embarked on a journey that I did not know would change my entire life. Many people criticized, confronted, and doubted me, even family members. They said, “I’ve lost my mind going to live in a country I don’t know anyone.” Deep down I knew I would be okay. I needed that experience as much as the experience needed me.

Fast-forward ten years later, my conclusion is the following: joy comes to those who have the courage to dream big and the determination to pursue those dreams, no matter the challenges they may face along the way.

Confidence - your shine is contagious

Let time benefit you. Until then, apply discipline and patience to your daily routine. Have faith in your journey. If you don't trust yourself, who will? If you don't believe in yourself and your dreams, who will? Tell me the truth, if you don't do your part, who will?

Nature and its supreme power will do everything for you if you do your part. We are all co-creators of our reality. If you don't have a plan for yourself, who else will have? If you don't have a plan to change your life, to change the lives of the people you love, who will?

Don't delude yourself. There are no shortcuts. You need to save money, arrive on time, be proactive, and avoid complaining. After all, anyone who gets caught in the rain has to endure the mud and troubles that the rain may cause. If you want the good, you'll eventually experience the bad. Highs and lows of a song. Life and its contradictions. There is no other way to know what is sweet if you don't taste the salty.

If I could do it, you can do it too. You won't be able to tell the same story because each one of us is unique. But avoid these two pitfalls: lack of awareness and excessive victimization. Everything in nature is abundant, except the consciousness of being yourself. Victimism erodes self-awareness. Don't be a victim of the opinion of others, the system, society, environment and think that someone owes you something. The world owes you nothing. Nobody owes you anything.

I was that person for many years. I achieved nothing in my life when I blamed others for my weaknesses and failures. Stop victimizing yourself because it will only get worse. Stop complaining because it's raining and there is mud on your shoes. Instead, get to work, be strong (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually) and don't bother anyone. Then, things will shift. Don't look for change, be the change.

No matter your gender, age, creed, status, or profession, this message is meant for you. Whether you've been fired, resigned, feel lost in life, or have been waiting for this message, it's for you. I also wrote this message to thank Fabíola from 2011 for not giving up on her dreams. Do you want the truth? The person who doubted me the most was myself. True warriors are forged not just in skill, but in spirit. Learn to master the inner battles.

On my journey to make my dreams come true, I applied these three principles:

• Purpose: find your reason (Why)

• Choice: decide what you want (What)

• Experience: pay the price (How)

And when someone asks you why you want something, deeply. Take a moment, look at their eyes and simply answer: "it's my dream and this is enough for me." Know that anything worth having has its price. Thus, dream, plan, act, explore, correct, accomplish, seize the opportunity.

What is the price you're willing to pay? The price of time, money, absence, regret. Do you prefer the pain of regret or the pain of daily discipline? They are all pains, but the power of choice remains in your hands. You eat every day, don't you? And why don't you exercise every day or regularly? Pay the price and the results will come.

It's not possible that no one is watching you. It's not possible that if you work with determination and proactivity every day, you will not achieve success. Don't get stuck in problems, solve them. Contribute to build a better society by starting where you are with the resources you have.

Everything is a matter of time. And when you arrive there - where you want to go - you will remember this message.

I confess I was afraid, but my courage was greater than my fear. Courage is fear walking. Take the leap of faith, my friend, wait no more.

Talk to you next week.

Light and peace,

Dum Spiro Spero! ⭐

—FMV

🧠 My Mental Download:

📕 (1) What I'm reading:

-The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: Provocative, experimental, necessary, valuable.

🎧 (2) What I'm listening to:

-Am I Wrong: I will let you take your own conclusions.

🤓 (3) What I'm studying:

-Motivational video: getting real and thoughtful with Matthew McConaughey.

📩 About the Intellego Newsletter:

💡 Intellego is the process of gaining insights to better understand the world.

✍️ Letter is written by Fabíola Maia-Veres every Tuesday at 7pm.

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Suggest a topic for the next newsletter edition. Reply to this email or DM me @fabiolamaiaveres. Your feedback fuels my writing.