Who Am I?

By Nimra Chaudhary
Sometimes, I wonder: if someone were to ask me, “Who are you?” what would I say?
Would I tell them my name, my age, my education, my likes and dislikes, or my dreams?
Perhaps not.
Because a human being is not merely a collection of names, ages, and introductions. A human being is the sum of all the experiences that continue to transform them from within. Perhaps I, too, am a story of this kind, one that I am gradually learning to understand with every passing day.
In childhood, life seemed so simple. Happiness did not require a great reason. Receiving something small could make an entire day wonderful. Playing with someone, eating a favourite treat, watching the rain, or sitting with family and laughing together felt like the most beautiful parts of life.
Back then, I did not know how quickly time changes and how profoundly our priorities change with it. As children, we believe that life will become much easier when we grow up. But adulthood teaches us that life is an examination whose syllabus is never complete and whose question papers arrive without warning.
Then I began to grow up. My dreams grew bigger, and so did my responsibilities. I realised that life is not merely about wishing for something; it is also about working hard to achieve it.
Perhaps this realisation taught me that instead of simply dreaming about my ambitions, I needed to take practical steps towards them. That is why I began my professional career on 25 September 2022, alongside my education. My first formal professional journey began at a private school, where I worked for three years.
For me, it was not merely a job. It was a new chapter of learning, discovering myself, and testing my abilities. Working while studying is not easy. On one side were assignments and examinations; on the other were professional responsibilities. Sometimes, I felt that a day should have at least thirty-six hours instead of twenty-four!
Yet perhaps it was during this period that I learned something important: when people genuinely want to achieve something, they find ways to make room for their ambitions even amid their busiest schedules.
When I completed one year at that school, I was promoted from teacher to coordinator. It was a moment of immense happiness and pride for me. Being entrusted with such responsibility at a young age made me realise that hard work can sometimes establish its own identity.
For the first time, I truly understood that age is not always the most important condition for success. What matters more is how hard you work, how responsibly you perform your duties, and how willing you are to keep learning.
I realised that when a person believes in their abilities and continues to work diligently, youth can become a source of distinction rather than an obstacle.
However, there was an interesting side to my story, too. Some people seemed to notice my luck more than the hard work behind my success.
Perhaps they believed that fortune had been particularly kind to me. While good luck certainly has its place, there is also a long list of hard work behind every achievement—a list that people often forget to look at.
Over time, I learned that I did not need to show everyone the effort behind my success. Some people notice the result, others appreciate the journey, and some will still say that you were simply lucky, even after witnessing what you have achieved!
During this period, I learned a great deal, gained valuable experience, and, above all, developed a special bond with the children at the school. When I completed two years there, I hardly realised how quickly time had passed. Some places in life stop being merely workplaces and become part of our personal stories.
For me, that school had become one of those places.
I received several employment opportunities elsewhere, yet my mind kept telling me that I did not want to leave that school. The reason was not simply my job or the environment; it was the little children with whom I had developed a special attachment.
Their innocent conversations, little mischiefs, spontaneous laughter, and sometimes such innocent reasoning that even the greatest philosophers might have paused to think had become an important part of my day.
Children do not merely teach you how to read and write; they also teach you to see life from a different perspective. To them, you are not just a teacher or a coordinator. Sometimes, you are their favourite person, sometimes the court that listens to their complaints, and sometimes the only solution to a problem they cannot resolve themselves.
And occasionally, you do not even know what you are teaching while the children keep asking you questions about something entirely different!
Perhaps that was why the thought of moving on was not easy for me. Once you become emotionally attached to a place, leaving it is no longer just a decision to resign from a job. It also means stepping away from a beautiful part of your everyday life.
But life has one important principle: love and attachment have their place, and the need to move forward has its own.
Then I witnessed another side of life. I realised that while some people appreciate your efforts, there are others who may begin to perceive your progress as a threat to themselves.
Perhaps they fear that your hard work, your abilities, or the responsibilities entrusted to you might raise questions about their own position. In such situations, instead of encouraging you, some people begin to look for ways to pull you backwards.
This attitude is not limited to any one institution. In some workplaces, personal connections matter more than work, politics more than competence, and appearances more than performance.
Over time, however, I learned that not every comment requires a response. Sometimes, silence is not a sign of weakness; it is a way of protecting your energy from unnecessary arguments.
If explaining your intentions to everyone, responding to every accusation, and correcting every misunderstanding becomes the purpose of your life, you may eventually lose sight of your actual purpose.
And then comes a moment when you understand that your destination is not to prove everyone wrong, but to become a better version of yourself.
At times, I felt that some people believed I had already won some extraordinary race and had become a threat to them. Meanwhile, I wanted to tell them, “Dear people, I have not even finished my warm-up yet!”
Well, we cannot change everyone’s way of thinking, but we can certainly choose our own direction.
During this period, I began to realise that I should not remain confined to one position. If I could learn more, improve my abilities, and explore new opportunities, why should I stop moving forward simply because I was already associated with a particular institution?
That chapter of my life came to an end on 6 September 2025.
Later, I received an opportunity to work at a university, and on 1 January 2026, I joined as a Computer Instructor.
It marked the beginning of a new chapter for me—a phase in which I would encounter a new environment, new responsibilities, and new experiences. I moved forward carrying the memories of my previous journey, the lessons I had learned, and the confidence that had gradually become a part of my personality.
At this point, a verse by Allama Iqbal often comes to mind:
Do not fear the opposing winds, O eagle,
For they blow to help you soar higher.
The opposition, difficulties, and unexpected circumstances we encounter in life do not always come to block our path. Sometimes, they offer us an opportunity to recognise our strength, correct our direction, and emerge stronger than before.
I learned the same lesson: when obstacles appear along the way, it does not necessarily mean that the journey must end. Sometimes, we need to change our route, sometimes slow down, and sometimes begin again with renewed courage.
There were dreams I pursued with great conviction, yet they did not come true. Initially, their failure hurt deeply. It felt as though I had failed. But time taught me something remarkable: not every unfulfilled dream represents our defeat.
Sometimes, life moves us away from one path because another path awaits us.
I also learned that not everyone who walks beside us will necessarily accompany us to our final destination. Some people enter our lives, teach us something valuable, and then quietly become a chapter in our story.
Sometimes, someone’s departure brought me to tears. Sometimes, someone’s behaviour forced me to reflect. And sometimes, a single sentence from someone helped me discover something new about myself.
I watched people change, and I watched myself change, too.
There was a time when I tried to keep everyone happy. I feared that someone might become upset with me. Gradually, however, I understood that keeping everyone happy is impossible. If I continued changing myself to meet everyone’s expectations, perhaps one day I would look into the mirror and find my own face unfamiliar.
That was when I began to befriend myself.
Even this friendship was not easy.
Recognising your flaws, accepting your mistakes, acknowledging your weaknesses, and still refusing to consider yourself worthless is difficult. Yet perhaps this is the first step towards discovering who you truly are.
I learned that I do not need to be perfect; I need to keep improving.
Even today, I carry many fears within me. There are questions I have not yet answered, dreams that remain unfinished, and paths that have not yet opened before me. But I am no longer as frightened of these uncertainties as I once was.
I know that life will not always unfold according to my wishes, but I can certainly decide how I respond to changing circumstances.
I do not want to limit my career to a single position, a single institution, or a single achievement. To me, success is not merely about where I stand today; it is also about where I hope to see myself tomorrow.
I want to learn more, move further ahead, and transform my abilities into opportunities that not only enrich my own personality but also prove beneficial to others.
I want my identity to be defined not merely by my current work, but by my consistent efforts, my knowledge, my creativity, and my passion for learning.
I also know that more difficulties may arise along this journey, new challenges may emerge, and perhaps some people will once again attribute my achievements to luck rather than hard work. But this time, instead of explaining myself repeatedly, I want to allow my work to speak for itself.
Because I have come to understand that the greatest achievement in life is not to surpass others, but to become better than the person you were yesterday.
I have also realised that sometimes what a person needs most is not someone who constantly supports them, but a belief within themselves that teaches them how to stand on their own feet.
That is why I now make a promise to myself: no matter how difficult the path becomes, I will not abandon myself.
I will learn from my mistakes, work towards my dreams, pause when necessary, and begin again whenever life demands it.
And perhaps the most beautiful part of my life is not what I have achieved so far, but the fact that I am still learning.
I do not yet know myself completely. There are still many desires, abilities, and dreams hidden within me that I have yet to discover.
Perhaps that is why, if someone were to ask me today, “Who are you?” my answer would be:
“I am not a completed story; I am a page upon which every new day writes something different. I am the girl who began her professional journey alongside her education, found encouragement in small achievements, learned love from children, gained wisdom from people’s behaviour, and tried to become a better version of herself at every new turn.
“I am not merely who I have become today; I am also who I still aspire to become. My destination lies ahead, my dreams are still alive, and my efforts continue.
“I am still discovering myself, and perhaps this very search is the most beautiful story of my life.”