Don’t Give Up on Yourself Before Life Gives Up on You

As Mr. Ali wrapped up the seminar, he said, “Before we finish, let me remind you of something:

Never lose hope in life! If you’ve chosen the right path, stickwith it, stay patient, and it will pay off. The outcome willsurely be for the best. Don’t be the one to give up. For example, it’s a very common scenario: you fall asleep on the day of your flight and miss it. Still, you need to head to the airport, because even if it’s unlikely, there’s still a chance the flight might be delayed, or they could add another one. Don’t give up on yourself before life gives up on you." 

 

As he finished his sentence, the bell for the end of class rang. Ahmet had attended several of Mr. Ali’s seminars and had benefited a lot from them, learning strategies that made significant changes in his life. What was interesting, though, was that every week he had the opportunity to test thesestrategies in real-life situations.

 

As soon as the bell rang, Ahmet rushed out of the classroom. In two hours, he had to catch the Istanbul-Van bus from Dudullu to make it to his hometown for the KPSS exam. But when he checked his phone, he saw ten missed calls. Nine of them were from his childhood friend, Mete. Walking towardthe metro, Ahmet couldn’t resist and called him back. Mete answered almost immediately, as if he’d been waiting for the call. "Where are you, man? I’ve been calling you for ages. There’s an important package for my mom —can you take it with you to Van? I’m in Kadıköy right now." Normally, Ahmet wouldn’t take this kind of risk, but he couldn’t say no to Mete. "Alright, I’ll be there in 20 minutes, I’m taking the train."

 

When Ahmet met Mete to take the package, he felt relieved, thinking he still had 45 minutes before the bus left. However, as he was heading back to the metro, he was suddenly facedwith an enormous crowd in Kadıköy. It was the night of the Super League championship, and the streets were packed with fans in jerseys. "I should take a taxi," he thought, but couldn’tfind one. He tried again at the metro station, but there werethousands of fans waiting for the train. "I’ve never seen this many guys in one place, even during my military service," he thought. Thankfully, he managed to squeeze in between two tall guys, walking with them to get on the metro.

 

When he got off at Kozyatağı, he immediately called for a taxi. He spotted one at a nearby gas station and rushed towardit. "You’re a lifesaver, man! My bus leaves from Dudullu in 10 minutes, can you take me there right away?" The driverpuckered his lips and said, "Sorry, I’ve already filled up, and I’m handing over the car." Ahmet tried to offer him double the fare, but the driver refused, saying, "No way."

Ahmet ran toward Bostancı Bridge to try to find another taxi. As he was running, the same driver honked and stopped him. "What are you doing, man? You can’t walk to Dudullu—it’s impossible to get there in 10 minutes." Ahmet, barely catchinghis breath, managed to say, "I’m going to Bostancı Bridge." The driver said, "Then hop in, I’ll take you there." Ahmet quickly jumped in, and they reached Bostancı Bridge. Fortunately, he found another taxi right away. The driver, a tattooed guy who looked like he just stepped out of a Pablo Escobar movie, greeted him with, "What’s up?" Despite the unbearable smell inside, Ahmet had no choice. "My bus leaves at 1:00 AM. I’ll probably miss it, but I still need to getto Dudullu," he said. He remembered what Mr Ali said, “Don’t give up on yourself before life gives up on you”. He had to make sure he waved goodbye to the bus, even if it left without him.

 

Once inside the taxi, Ahmet immediately called the bus company and asked if they could delay the bus for 10 minutes, but the response was negative. The assistant said, "Sorry, there’s a soldier send-off; we can’t delay it. We’re alreadyrunning late." Fortunately, the driver got him to Dudullu in 15 minutes. Out of breath, Ahmet got out of the taxi and saw that the bus was still waiting. He almost burst into tears from relief. Due to an soldier 's farewell, the relatives had blockedthe bus and wouldn’t let it leave. Ahmet hadn’t missed his bus, but he had to wait another half an hour for it to finallydepart.

 

Despite all the challenges, Ahmet managed to attend the KPSS exam, scored the grade he needed, and got the job he wanted. Since that day, Ahmet’s favorite strategy in life has been: “Don’t give up on yourself before life gives up on you. Stick to your decisions. Never lose hope in life. Never be on the side of those who give up."

 

 

Experiential Design Teaching is a body of knowledge that develops strategies to design our future based on pastexperiences.

Through seminars like “Who’s Who,” “MasteringRelationships,” and “The Psychology of Success,” it equipsthose seeking happiness and fulfillment with practical tools to overcome challenges and reach their goals.

“The one thing in life that’s never fully discovered is: Better…”

Experiential Design Teaching is a body of knowledge that develops strategies to design our future based on pastexperiences.

Through seminars like “Who’s Who,” “MasteringRelationships,” and “The Psychology of Success,” it equipsthose seeking happiness and fulfillment with practical tools to overcome challenges and reach their goals.

“The one thing in life that’s never fully discovered is: Better…”