The other day, I stood waiting for the red light, and saw a delivery boy stop his car on the side of the road. The sun was scorching hot, his shirt behind him was soaked in sweat. He took a bottle of water to drink a sip, opened his phone to see the next order, and gently stretched his shoulder. Just a few dozen seconds later, the green light turned on, and he blended into the crowded traffic. No one applauded because he had run more than ten orders since morning. No one awarded him a medal for trying to earn money to support his family. His day was just like any other day. It started quietly and then ended quietly.
In another corner of the city, a mother finishes work, stops by the market, comes home to cook, wash clothes, check her child's homework and then remembers that she has not had dinner yet. No one awards her the title "Mother of the Year". These things are considered normal, to the point that sometimes she herself forgets how hard she has tried.
There are efforts in life that do not appear on stage. No trophies, no certificates of merit, no applause. Only one person knows best how tired they were once, how they wanted to give up and how much courage they had to gather to continue.
We often wait for others to recognize us to see that we are valuable. A compliment from the boss can be happy all day. A word of encouragement from friends can be remembered for a whole week. But if no one says anything, many people naturally think that they are not good enough.
In fact, life does not always have a judge. There are journeys that only I know I have to walk with all my strength. There are times when I swallowed tears to go to work with a smile the next morning. There are dreams that I have to put aside to keep my family with a full meal.
Those things are not noisy, but they are all victories. Don't just wait until success to allow yourself to smile. Because success is sometimes just the destination, and effort is the longest journey. If today you still wake up, still go to work, still take care of the people you love, still maintain kindness amidst the hustle and bustle, then that is already something to be proud of.
Tonight, before going to bed, don't think about what you are missing, but remember what you have overcome today. Then say to yourself a sentence often for others: "Good job. Today I tried". Not to be complacent, just for tomorrow, when no one applauds, we still know how to comfort ourselves.
