Encouragement

The sun is shining brightly. It was noon. I rode my motorbike home in order to have my lunch. While I was riding, my mind was flowing away from my body. I really wanted to relax. I imagined of the time when my friends and I had lunch with each other in the shad of a big tree and in a very long field. By that time, I was thinking of what I called the “shad of tree.” Shad is an area that is dark and cool under or behind something, for example a tree or building because the sun‘s light does not get into it. To me, the shad of tree is a kind of push factors that let me feel freely from job and tiredness. All of these things are referred to the “encouragement.”

For a life cycle of the human being, there are two types of encouragement: ex‐encouragement and in-encouragement. External encouragement or ex‐encouragement is denoted to the things like the shad of tree, friends, family and love. What do those things do to us? When I felt tired, I liked to sit under the tree and read some comic or fiction story. I could felt really fresh and happy. I forgot all of my difficulties and challenges that I would face in the near future. I also liked to talk with my friends at the weekends. I usually met my friends and shared some experience with them at LUCKY ANG TEK. Sometimes, we talked about our sadness and difficulties that we faced while we were working or studying. But, sometimes, we changed our subjects to discuss some happy things that we have done successfully. And, sometimes, we tell each other a funny story in order to change the atmosphere. I have a lot of energy for working tomorrow, if today I am be able to be with my friends. Additionally, I also try to work so hard while I am thinking that Phchum Ben Ceremony will be coming soon. So, I can go to my hometown and meet my family. Then, I always want to get the scholarship to study abroad and to find a well‐paid job when I am thinking of my love. These are what? I want to continue to work for the next hours; I’m happy to get my job done for tomorrow, I want to finish my work and get back to my hometown for next month, and I’m willing to get the scholarship to study abroad by next year. Of course, these are the natural medicines that encourage my life to keeping moving forward without waiting for the time to come.
On the other hand, I also have my internal encouragement or in‐encouragement. Firstly, I learn to appreciate the persons who I know well, for example, my professors. When I can see those persons, I must also learn to be as well as them or even better. Every thing has it ending point, so when I can be like them. I tick in my checklist and say to myself that I can reach one point successfully. Thus, for next time, I will keep doing so and until I have everything I want. Finally, I can get what I expected to get. This is the process of self‐encouragement that some people have already done it without notification. As a human being, this special ability is priceless. Therefore, we have to know and use it in the effective way as we can do. From the ex‐encouragement, I can also create my inencouragement. For instance, I was encouraged by my family, and then, I tried to commit this to my family. When I did it, I admired my family and at the same time I also appreciated myself as a follower. Thus, I also encouraged myself after I encouraged my family. This process keeps moving like the systematic effect of life cycle. We learn to be what we are but we also learn to be what we want to be. Our natural ability sets out our future, but we, ourselves, have to motivate, to be motivated and struggle for our brightest future too. We live in one world, so we have to find out the solution to share the same profits, advantages and benefits with care.

By Sochheka Ong
14‐Sep‐2007