Do we dare to choose?
What do Greek mythology, a cooking show, and the choices we make have in common? In this essay, Candice explores the power of hope, the fear of failure, and the importance of believing in ourselves, even when things seem uncertain.
The blanket weighed down on me, too warm now, as I wriggled around, trying to set myself free. I lay with my eyes open, staring at the circular blemish on the ceiling. And just then, a single thought turned over, and I was sitting up before I knew why. I love how random thoughts can spark a new idea, a new venture, a new story. The best ideas (usually) come to me at night; it’s something about the cavernous silence and the hushed sounds that make inspiration simply emerge. My parents always say that I have been a night owl from the day I was born. Although, I’m not entirely sure what that has to do with me having a no-caffeine energy rush at the pitch-black hours between evening and midnight. All because of my unadulterated joy at Laura having won the season 17 ‘Masterchef Australia’ title. What is even weirder is that I didn’t even want her to win. I wanted Callum, the other contestant, to.
But I put my glee down to the fact that I was finally able to discern my gut feeling from my mind’s chatter. Even though I wanted Callum to win, I had a hunch that he wouldn’t. That got me thinking. It struck me that all these people, who have such unique, different life stories, had one thing in common. They would never have reached where they are now if they hadn’t kept faith; if they hadn’t possessed that spirit of Hope. The spirit of Hope being the only one remaining in Pandora’s jar when all the other spirits of disease escaped, bringing sorrow and suffering to humanity. Hope remained inside that jar, and there she remains to this day. This story is just one of many Greek myths that explain the daily struggle humans go through. To keep hope within us—like Zeus made the choice to keep it inside Pandora’s jar—we choose whether or not we keep on hoping; keep on having faith in ourselves. Many forgo the choice, believing it is a lost cause, but the ones who don’t? They’re the ones who go on to inspire others with the same hope, the same belief in themselves, that they once chose to have.
Faith can take us to great lengths. It doesn’t really matter what you believe in; it matters how much you believe in it. People believe in many things—God, love, trust, magic, the universe... there is no end to this list. I, too, believe something. People always need something to believe in. Some have faith in God—some in atheism. Some believe that true love and soulmates exist—some say that they don’t need love. Most believe in money, in the successful life stories of people who have risen to fame and acquired a certain sense of power—the power of being able to do anything you want. We all have that power within us, but we are forced to curtail it because of the ever-present shadow of fear. The fear of being judged. Not only by others but by ourselves. That’s the fear, because what if we fail? That’s why the topic of this essay is not faith, not belief, not confidence or success... but choices. The ones that we have the power to make. Because after all the jeering, the judgement, the stares, the little voices in your head that really need a good ol' dose of self-esteem? Whether Hope ever leaves that jar isn’t fate’s decision. It’s ours.
Meet Candice
I am a 14-year-old, messy-haired teenager from Chembur, Mumbai. Born curious, I first started reading books when I was five. My days mix sitcoms, books, a bit of homework and a whole heap of whimsically unconventional ideas. I have always felt that I understand fictional characters better than people; that I identify with them more. I love astrology, Greek mythology, silver jewellery and the Avengers. I believe in planners, cheese, flowers, arguing, freedom, attitude, sarcasm, imagination, world peace and everything blue.
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