When my best friend asked about my prayers, I told her that “I pray to survive all the problems I’m going to face”. At that moment, it seemed reasonable because I had recently started a new job. I thought that whatever challenges came my way, I had to face them. After all, we all face hardships. However, later on, it dawned on me: why should I merely survive when I can live my life enduring rather than enjoying?

Every day, I think about the things I don’t have yet rather than the things that make my life beautiful. I think about being a successful writer, about being an independent woman, and I dream of looking fitter and more beautiful. But my best friend’s question made me rethink the whole existence of my being.

I am shifting towards a more mature way of thinking. I know I will soon reach my goals. I have to be patient and work towards them rather than fixating on things that are out of my control. The fear of failure is more terrifying to me than the lack of success. The fruitfulness lies in the process, not in the results. The entire journey is the enjoyment; the goal is the destination. To live at the destination, you need to live the process. Merely surviving means not enjoying the work you do.

Rethink your life. Every day should be a joy of living, not a day of merely surviving. Don’t wake up with a heavy heart, expecting to solve another problem. Wake up with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the day.

Living should be about more than mere survival. It should be about connection, passion, and purpose. It should be about discovering what makes my heart beat faster and what brings a smile to my face.

I don’t want to just navigate through my problems; I want to find meaning and growth within them. I don’t want my life to be a constant cycle of stumbling and getting back up, of failing and trying again. I don’t want to always be in survival mode.

I want to laugh more, love deeper, and live fully.

Yes, challenges will come—they always do. But I don’t want my prayers to be about just surviving them. I want to pray for the strength to face them head-on, for the wisdom to learn from them, and for the grace to find joy in the midst of them.

I want to remind myself that life is not a battle to be won but a journey to be enjoyed.