"MY JOURNEY TO BE A HOLISTIC PERSON" BY ORANOLA, STEPHANIE V.

     "My Journey to Be a Holistic Person"

I am aware that I am someone who often thinks negatively about everything happening to me, despite appearing to be an optimistic person around my loved ones. This is because I frequently tell myself that I am no good in this world and that I should be the one to blame for everything that goes wrong.

There was a time when my family argued because of a mistake I made in public—failing to carry out a simple task they had asked me to do. I pretended to be okay and didn’t express my true feelings. I just listened to them arguing, saying hurtful things about me, and I locked myself in my room, trying to block everything out. I aimed to stay silent and not let their words affect me. However, my thoughts spiraled into negativity. Without trying to understand their perspective, I cursed them in my mind and said they weren’t the kind of family I wished for.

I am the type of person who gets carried away by emotions, often forgetting to control myself. But over time, I realized I had to accept my mistakes and correct them in any way I could. I eventually apologized to my family, not just to say sorry, but to begin a process of healing and understanding.

That experience alone became a lesson I need to remember every day. It taught me something valuable about my potential as a human being, that mistakes and failures are a part of life and should not define who I am. I used to be someone pressured to act perfectly to uphold my family’s reputation. But I now understand that being imperfect is part of being human. I have limitations, and I know that. I used to be extremely pessimistic and would easily give up when facing challenges.

But my faith helped me change. It guided me to think more optimistically, carefully, and philosophically in every situation I face. Applying this mindset to my life has made it better than before.

At that moment, I didn’t feel like I was just a body or a mind. I began to see myself as someone building a deeper understanding of how perspectives, mistakes, and the opinions of others can shape how I think, act, and live. It’s not about fearing to make the same mistake again, it’s about being aware and staying on the right path.

Initially, my point of view was very partial. I thought I wasn’t worthy, that I was useless, that I existed only to make mistakes. But then I realized that everything has a reason—even my full existence on Earth. Negative thoughts will only eat you up, drain your energy, and make you feel like nothing. I know it’s difficult to deal with these problems, but all things we face have solutions.

When I began to understand the situation holistically, everything started to make more sense. I realized that my thoughts were clouded with negativity, and my emotions were ruling my decisions. After reflecting on my actions and thinking about the intentions behind the harsh words my loved ones said, I recognized their real feelings toward me. They were disappointed, not hateful. They cared, even if they didn’t express it kindly.

Because of this, I learned to consider both partial and holistic perspectives as a way to understand the true meaning of my experience. There were things I once believed to be true, like thinking that I had no purpose or that I didn’t contribute anything to my family that later turned out to be just opinions. In fact, it was the opposite.

The method that helped me uncover the truth involved deep self-reflection, listening to the perspectives of my loved ones, and hearing their positive comments about me, which I had previously ignored. These helped me reassess what was real and what was just self-imposed negativity.

Finally, I now believe that seeking truth is more important than holding on to distorted opinions or emotions. This journey has shaped me into someone more optimistic, compassionate, and able to see the bigger picture in every situation. Regardless of the outcome, I no longer worry as much because I now know how to approach life using both my partial and holistic viewpoints.