"أنا على السفينة الأفعوانية التي تصعد فقط يا صديقي"

Life can feel like a roller coaster, right? You have your ups and downs, twists and turns. But imagine this: you're on a roller coaster that only goes up. You're constantly rising, never dipping back down. That's the core idea of this quote—an endless ascent. It's about maintaining a positive trajectory no matter what life throws at you.

Think back to when this was said. It’s from John Green's novel "The Fault in Our Stars." The character Augustus Waters says it to his friend Hazel Grace Lancaster. Both young, both battling cancer, they’re in a situation where you’d expect pessimism to reign. But Augustus? He’s different. He’s got this unshakable optimism, this refusal to let life’s hardships pull him down.

Now, let's tie it to something tangible. Picture an entrepreneur—let’s call her Sara. Sara’s been working on her startup for years. She’s faced failure, rejection, and financial struggles. Yet, she pushes forward with the belief that every setback is just a step towards success. Her mindset? She’s on a roller coaster that only goes up. Each challenge, each failure, is a climb upwards, a chance to learn and grow stronger. And eventually, her startup takes off. Investors come on board, customers love her product, and her company thrives. It's her relentless optimism and refusal to descend into despair that keeps her on that ever-rising roller coaster.

So, how do you apply this to your own life? Start by shifting your perspective. When you hit a bump—or even a massive roadblock—don’t see it as a plummet. See it as part of the upward climb. It’s not easy, I know. It takes practice, patience, and sometimes a lot of self-talk. Find inspiration in people like Augustus, or Sara, or anyone you know who seems unbreakable. Remind yourself that every experience is an opportunity to rise higher, even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment.

Imagine this scenario: You’re a student, and you’ve just bombed a major exam. It feels like the end of the world. Your grades are plummeting, and you’re losing hope. But then, you remember the roller coaster that only goes up. You take a deep breath, assess what went wrong, and decide to double down on your studies. You seek help from teachers, join a study group, and slowly but surely, your grades start to improve. That initial failure? It wasn’t a drop—it was the slope leading to your next rise.

Life’s full of unexpected twists and turns, no doubt about it. But if you hold on to the belief that your roller coaster only goes up, you’re embracing a mindset that transforms every dip into a climb. It’s not about ignoring the tough times or pretending they don’t exist. It’s about recognizing that every experience, good or bad, propels you forward. So next time you’re faced with a challenge, think of Augustus, Sara, or that student. Remember that your ride isn’t over—it’s just getting started. And it’s always going up.