Hello again,

Last week, I was invited to speak with UTM students during their Academic Bootcamp at Savanna Hills Resort, Ulu Tiram. It wasn’t my first time standing in front of a crowd, but I still felt a mix of excitement and nerves. There’s always that little flutter before facing a new group of students; their energy, curiosity, and expectations make every session feel like the first.

You Are Not Your Thoughts

One of the things I shared during the session was about expressing yourself. Just letting it all out without worrying about being judged. That moment was a safe space for the students to be honest about what they felt, their thoughts, emotions, and even their fears.

We tend to judge people from the outside because, let’s face it, it’s the easiest thing to do. But what we see isn’t always the full story. A smile doesn’t always mean someone’s okay. Laughter doesn’t always mean they’re happy. And tears don’t always mean weakness. We’re all human, made up of countless emotions such as happiness, sadness, disappointment, anger, and everything in between.

What really touched me was when some of them opened up about not feeling good enough to be at UTM. They felt like they weren’t meeting the expectations of their families, lecturers, or even their friends. Hearing that broke my heart a little, because it shows how heavy their thoughts can be. When you start believing you’re not enough, you begin to blame yourself and see failure where it doesn’t exist. Those thoughts aren’t true but they’re temporary. But if you hold on to them too long, they can isolate you and make you lose focus on your studies… and on yourself.

The truth is, emotions are valid. You have every right to feel what you feel. What’s important is to express it, talk about it, write it down, and let it out. Bottling it up only makes your heart heavy and your mind restless. Emotions shape how we think, and our thoughts influence how we behave. These three, emotion, thought, and behavior are deeply connected. Once we start to understand that, we can begin to take better care of our minds and hearts.

You Are Not In My Shoes

After the session, a few students came up to me to talk — some asking for advice about their studies and future careers. One student, in particular, left a deep impression on me. He shared his dream of furthering his studies at the master’s level, and I could see the determination in his eyes. But then he said something that completely stopped me in my tracks.

“Miss, I’m not lazy… I’m just hungry in class. I only get to eat once a day. I don’t come from a well-off family, and my parents live far away.”

That sentence hit me hard. Maybe he said it so I wouldn’t think he wasn’t trying, or maybe he just needed someone to understand. I’m not entirely sure. But what I am sure of is this: we should never judge someone without knowing the story behind their life.

Sometimes, what we see as a lack of effort might actually be the result of silent struggles — things beyond what we can imagine. Not everyone who falls behind is careless or unmotivated. There might be something deeper, something painful, that keeps them from giving their best. And as educators, friends, or even fellow humans, perhaps our role is not to judge but to understand.

You’re at Your Own Pace

In life, we should never compare ourselves to others. The only person we should compare ourselves to is who we were yesterday. Everyone has their own path, their own story, and their own rhythm. No two journeys are ever the same.

Sometimes, we move slower than others. It takes time to rise again after a fall. But one day, when we walk with the strength of experience and the wisdom we’ve gained, we might find ourselves moving faster — stronger — than before. It’s all part of our process.

Believe in yourself. Every change begins from within, because no one else can truly change us but ourselves.

I can only hope that the knowledge I shared with those students becomes the spark that ignites their growth. helping them become not just excellent students, but better versions of themselves for their families, their community, and their faith.