Following My Heart: A Journey from Karate to Chess

When I was in class 5, my school offered two special classes called extracurricular classes. Their purpose was to engage students in various new activities, as focusing only on studies was considered insufficient. These classes began from class 4 onwards. At that time, my father forced me to pursue karate, which I hated. I had no interest in karate, but he didn’t allow me to make my own decisions.

However, things were different in class 5. My friend was in the chess class, so I convinced my parents to let me join chess instead. I loved the class taught by my chess master, Sathish Kumar (name changed). The way he introduced chess was amazing, and I was curious to play my first match. But for months, he focused only on lessons, which started feeling slightly boring. Eventually, the real matches began, and I was thrilled.

In my first chess match, I lost to my friend, the very one who had influenced me to play the game. Despite the loss, I never missed a single chess class because of the curiosity and passion I had developed. During an interschool competition, I won third place in chess, which was a proud moment for me since I had never won any prizes before.

That chess habit helped me think better and improved my decision-making skills. Unfortunately, the following year, my father again forced me to join the karate class, which I attended without any interest. I learned nothing from it and hated every moment of that class. He took that decision without considering my wishes.

Looking back at those years, I realized one thing: we can’t always do what others love for us; we should do what we love for ourselves. Now, my parents understand my wishes and allow me to make my own decisions freely.

So, it’s your turn to speak for yourself and pursue the things that truly capture your heart.