The story starts at a public preparatory school in the middle of Sydney. Every student was on pins and needles, waiting for his exam's result and envisioning parental pride and the sweet taste of reward. As the teacher entered carrying the papers, a hush fell over the classroom. The teacher started declaring the results: Ramy Ali, FULL MARK!! Haitham Omar, 97 out of 100!! and so on. A ripple of applause followed every name as the grades were distributed, until he said, “And John Jackson, 15 out of 100! Always the least mark.”. After the school day, while John was walking back home in solitude as usual, he ran into Ramy, the smart and big-headed kid notorious for taunting him after exams. A maelstrom of confusion and fear propelled John faster homeward. John reached home thinking how to tell his parents the bad news: It's not the first time he gets this low mark. Once again, hours of study yielded little fruit. Hardly he could summon the courage to reveal the unwelcome reality, his voice trembling slightly. At that moment, his parents' hopeful gazes turned into depressed eyes, a weight that bore down heavily on his 13-year-old shoulders and hardly saying, “You can do better next time." However, John has never lost hope. He knew he was capable, but his skills are still undiscovered. John entered his room and started writing down everything that happened in his diary, where his thoughts and feelings found form. It was a silent confidant, a sanctuary from the harsh realities of life. But it was not enough to give out all negative feelings. The past failures still came to his mind with memories of his dad's disappointment through other proud parents. John's dream was to achieve success only once to see these proud eyes. Lost in contemplation, John got a phone notification that was a flicker of inspiration, as he thought he found his chance to make the difference. It was about the writing contest that would be held next week. He knew that the contest would be fierce because of the $10,000 cash prize for the first place; however, his belief in his abilities made him more decisive to participate. Unfortunately, the ten-dollar entry fee cast a long shadow over his aspirations since his family's hard economic conditions rendered the cost an obstacle. He didn't know what he would do to get the money, but hopefully slept dreaming of a bright future. The following morning, on his way to school, he noticed a currency fluttering in front of his eyes and going away. With a jolt of adrenaline, he pounced, his heart pounding in his chest as his fingers closed around it. 10 dollars!! What a windfall! Memories of childhood deprivation surfaced—the unattainable toys, the yearned-for sweets that had always been beyond his grasp. However, his desire for his parent's esteem outshone all other yearnings. He resolved to invest his newfound treasure in the writing contest. The ensuing days were a whirlwind of creativity as he spent hours of hard work crafting an opus that was as much a product of his heart as his mind. When the day of the awards ceremony arrived, John's family gathered in the field, interestingly waiting for the winners' announcement. Memories of each failure and the comments following it came to John's mind; eventually, he heard a familiar voice. “John, I didn't expect to see you. Be tuned to clap for me.” Sneered Ramy, the conceited student. John, who was about to cry, was jolted back to reality by his father's fast reply. “You're that kid from John's school, aren't you? Let me enlighten you: success isn't merely a matter of academic prowess. With no morals, you'll always be nothing. So, I'm very proud of my high-moral, passionate, and diligent son, as I've always been.” John felt a kind of warmth he's never felt before. Silence prevailed for a minute, then ”The Champion of this year's writing contest is John Jackson!” the announcer declared in a charged air of esteem and applause. John's dad lifted him in the air, shouting, “It's my son!” John couldn't capture his happiness in words. After all his effort and failures, he did it. His family is finally proud of him. As Roy Bennett once said, “There are five important things for living a successful and fulfilling life: never stop dreaming, never stop believing, never give up, never stop trying, and never stop learning.”. Difficulties and obstacles are found on every step of the way to success. Sometimes we can't get over them, sometimes we think we took the wrong path, and sometimes we get confused. This doesn't mean to give up. Try again; try everything. There're opportunities of progression fluttering in front of your eyes every day. There's a happy life waiting for you to find it. You deserve it. Go for it. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself; my name is John Jackson, the narrator of this tale. I built my ladder to succumb to failures. If I could do it, so can you. Just, believe.