So, it's not a news. Today, I was just cleaning my cupboard, and I found this black velvet box at the base of it. I saw what's inside and I smiled. It brings me back to the memory and the lesson I took from it: don't limit yourself .

At the end of last year, I, out of nowhere, crossing through the internet randomly and saw a writing and photography competition organized by the local government. Participants are required to make an essay about tax and its role in local development. Ha. Even right now, I still laugh at the fact that I actually made something with that theme! 

What I was thinking back then? I don't know. I didn't have ANY idea at all about tax, and too ignorant to just find out. I admit, I was thinking very lame. I just wanted to add the prize to my pocket money in Australia. Lol. I was very worry about my life in Oz, so I thought, more money would never do me any wrong. Based on that simple greediness, I decided to join the competition. Well, and the first person I asked to be my mentor on tax, is none other but my own dad. He obviously know tax a lot more than I do, aaand this was what happened, when I "interrogated" him about the tax thingy :

P (Pop) : "What is it that you gonna do? Why u asking me this?"

L : "Nah.... well, actually I,...blablablabla"

P: "Oh, no dear. I don't think you should enter any competition that isn't related to your field. It will be nicer if you try to join medical competition, maybe? Do not ever try to compete in something out of your field. There are a lot of professionals out there and I am sure you will dig your own grave."

What a HARSH words coming out from my own father, right? :))

That was right, but I was really stubborn, I don't even understand why. I did long hours of searching and reading on internet about tax, and it wasn't easy at all. I was really new to economic, and tax itself is one special subject that needs a lot of time to be learn. There were times when I feel like giving up, and my own coass thingy is disturbing my "study". Man, I don't even like economy. As much as I love writing, all my life, I never write something out of my interest, technically; but I was really hungry to finish it. I need a long time to finish the corrections of the essay, and I even visited Dinas Pendapatan Daerah Kota Makassar to just see the taxation activities there. My head was going to explode in some frustrating times. And... I sent my essay to the committee on the last day of collecting period. Phew.

Weeks of waiting, finally the organizers held the final night and crowned all the winners of the competition....

And I got the third place on writing competition in the category of college students and public. Yeeaayyyyy!

Seriously, that was out of my mind. I never thought I would win! My writing looks amateur compared to other winners (the 1st and 2nd winner are economy management student, one of them is even a Ketua BEM :)) ) And I can't forget the look in their faces when they asked what I do and my answer was "I study medicine." :D

What am I trying to say here, that in life, we gotta have that point where we just dive in and take chances. We have to believe that by taking chances, even it seems impossible, we will unfold valuable things. I realize that I can push myself out of the limit if I really want it; purely based on my love of writing. It is unbelievable. Since I was a child, I dream to write my own children book, because I love fantasy. But here I am, winning from something that out of my league. It wasn't my goal at all. But I am really happy that I tried. Let's just do something out of that narrow "line". We will learn, we will explore, and whatever the result will be, we will come to understand about what we are good at and what we are worst of. 

Let's take chances together :)