Lexie just came out of a recording on her best friend Kathy’s podcast. She felt excited and nervous upon her guesting but eventually managed to pull through, breathing a sigh of relief after she exited the studio.
Kathy then approached her and said, “It was nice seeing you and catching up with you again. Let’s do this next time.”
“Sure.”, Lexie answered, “On my next available time.”
“I’ll get the car.”, Kathy said, “I’ll call you when I’m at the entrance.”
As Kathy left, Lexie sat down and reminisced about what had happened.
“Straight A or C students? Who succeeds more?” asked Kathy.
“It depends on the person.”, answered Lexie, “Grades don’t matter actually.”
“Tell us more about it.”, responded Kathy, “Because you actually have a remarkable story.”
“Well, I’m not popular in school. I’m not the studious type.”, said Lexie, “I had this thought because of my environment back then that you have to be the A student to be noticed and to be successful. But a 2-month training camp changed my perspective, and it taught me that it’s all about getting the essential life skills in order to survive and thrive. We can emphasize getting straight A’s, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee success in the right world.”
“I’m interested to know your realizations about A students and C students. You can base that on your experience, though.”, said Kathy.
Lexie then narrated the differences.
“I’ve observed from my friends who are C students and even myself that they have an edge on certain things. They’re best when they’re entrepreneurs.
They have an entrepreneurial spirit. When they start a business or invest in the stock market, everything they want to learn about finance, they learn hands-on. And in that process, they develop skills through practical experiences. They’re comfortable with building relationships. And they’re often action-oriented, so they’re comfortable and willing to take risks. And with that, they’re never afraid to learn from failure.
“Straight A or C students? Who succeeds more?” asked Kathy.
“It depends on the person.”, answered Lexie, “Grades don’t matter actually.”
“Tell us more about it.”, responded Kathy, “Because you actually have a remarkable story.”
“Well, I’m not popular in school. I’m not the studious type.”, said Lexie, “I had this thought because of my environment back then that you have to be the A student to be noticed and to be successful. But a 2-month training camp changed my perspective, and it taught me that it’s all about getting the essential life skills in order to survive and thrive. We can emphasize getting straight A’s, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee success in the right world.”
“I’m interested to know your realizations about A students and C students. You can base that on your experience, though.”, said Kathy.
Lexie then narrated the differences.
“I’ve observed from my friends who are C students and even myself that they have an edge on certain things. They’re best when they’re entrepreneurs.
They have an entrepreneurial spirit. When they start a business or invest in the stock market, everything they want to learn about finance, they learn hands-on. And in that process, they develop skills through practical experiences. They’re comfortable with building relationships. And they’re often action-oriented, so they’re comfortable and willing to take risks. And with that, they’re never afraid to learn from failure.
A-students, however, are the reverse. They may struggle in entrepreneurship because they strongly oppose risk, which makes them less likely to embrace failure. They are taught to avoid mistakes at all costs. And they don’t usually take action because they are taught to focus on analysis and planning rather than execution. They not only avoid risk, but also lack creativity and innovation.
They usually struggle in the real world because they focus too much on academic achievement rather than networking skills. And I would say that’s the downside of the traditional educational system, in which I hope that will change. So, if you start a business with that mindset, you’ll be financially in debt because we’re not taught adequate financial education back then.”
“I hope this is an eye-opener for everyone watching or listening to us.”, said Kathy, “Because I recall being a straight-A student. And I was able to experience everything you said. Experiencing them made me realize the illusion I was thinking about straight A’s all along. It took me time to change to the right mindset of how life should be lived. And thankfully, I was able to make great wins I’ve been wanting to have for a long time. It made me realize that what matters is being smart not only theoretically but also in practicality.”
“I agree. And I’m so proud of you.”, said Lexie, “Hearing your success story of running this podcast makes me not think twice when you asked me to guest here.”
“Thank you for that.”, responded Kathy, “You mentioned earlier about embracing failure, networking as key, and financial literacy. But I would also like to add: growth mindset, adaptability, time management, and emotional intelligence. These are several real-life skills we all need to learn.”
“Speaking of emotional intelligence, I would like to highlight that it’s the most important skill we need to learn in a time of luxury and convenience.”, said Lexie
“I see that as a great need, most especially to our young ones.”, said Kathy, “So just to give our listeners an idea, what does a mentally strong person look like?”
“Let me read that from my phone.”, said Lexie, and then mentioned the points from her list.
- You don’t waste feeling sorry for yourself..
- You don’t give away your power.
- You don’t shy away from change.
- You don’t waste energy on things you can’t control.
- You don’t worry about pleasing everyone.
- You don’t fear taking calculated risks
- You don’t dwell on the past
- You don’t make the same mistakes over and over
- You don’t resent other people’s success.
- You don’t give up after the first failure.
“Totally agree.”, said Kathy, “If you want to make that change, know it’s not easy. I’ve been there. But with intentionality, you can do it. And also, have your social support to help you in that goal. I was able to reach there because of Lexie, who has been there in everything. So thank you lots for that. It took me a long time because I had a lot of things to sort out.”
“You’re already far yet still so far.”, said Lexie, “But I have to commend you also for having skills that make you stand out as a person. You are a person with initiative. You have clear goals. You’re focused, disciplined, and you never think twice of intentionally making the right decisions.”
“And I know what you’ll say next. You’ll remind me of things like healthy mindset, positive thinking, and self-reflection.”, remarked Kathy.
“Because that’s what you need.”, said Lexie, “You’re always at a fast pace. Relax!”
“Alright.”, said Kathy, “And even in our conversation, I realized I’ve fast-tracked these skills due to the time we have left. So, you can watch this on replay to catch the skills.”
Both laughed.
“So, one last question.”, said Kathy, “What can you say is the main life lesson you learned so far? And let’s try having it in one word. I can start first so that you can have time to think. The one word for me is resilience.”
Kathy then explained:
“Resilience is defined as the ability to bounce back from adversity and maintain a sense of well-being. It’s not just about enduring hardships but also about thriving despite them.
Through the years, I’ve learned to embrace change and uncertainty, cultivating inner strength, mindfulness, and presence. A lot. Building relationships. Positive experiences. We mentioned earlier. But never forget to be grateful. And I learned to be grateful by being calm, thanks to you. It makes me realize that calm is not the absence of challenges, but the presence of inner peace. Accept life as is. Overcome each step, and continue walking on. What about you?"
“It makes my thinking easier.”, said Lexie, “That one word for me is relentless.” She then explained.
“Being relentless makes you own your reality. That’s what you said about facing challenges head-on and overcoming any obstacle. Part of it is also embracing the grind of life. We may feel fear along the way, but it should fuel us to push harder and reach new heights. Do what you can in life. Never settle for complacency. Embrace competition to grow. Silence the doubters, and lead from the front.
But don’t forget. The core of this is your “why”. If you know why, you can achieve the success you want to attain and create the legacy you want to build.”
Kathy thanks Lexie for guesting on her podcast, and Lexie thanks her for the invite. After recalling the experience, Lexie feels happy and then recalls the unusual friendship she has with Kathy and how it has endured through the years. Then, she hears a car honk as Kathy calls Lexie to jump in the car as they head towards home.
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