I WAS staring at the ceiling for quite some time in a desperate bid to write something interesting. Soon, the blank white that was the ceiling gained more details. The black spots that were there but were mostly unnoticed were suddenly visible. I wanted to wipe them off but the ceiling was too high. And so I just pondered on them and the black spots in our lives.

These spots symbolize a lot in our lives. Each of us has our own dark spots. It can be a dilemma, a hindrance, or a problem. Whatever it is, one thing is for sure. It is dark and we want it erased.

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Just like my first inclination upon seeing the dirt, I wanted to wipe it off but I did not do so because it was way above my reach. Or, was it? Wasn't there any way for me to reach it? Maybe I was just too lazy to find a way to do as I wanted.

In this life, most have the same attitude. When we look at a certain situation and find it hard, we immediately give up. We haven't even seen what it's really all about. The difficulty we first perceive deceives us, which results to our downfall.

When we experience problems, we want to get rid of it fast. But if the solution seems impossible, we let it stay that way until we drown in it. Why?

Maybe it's because we are afraid to take the risk.

It's man's nature to evade problems. Only are few are courageous to face them. Most are afraid to take the risk. We are afraid to take a step higher for we fear to fall. But then, who succeeded without failing?

From a simple dark spot comes a deep realization. Trials and problems are inevitable. But the way we deal with it can be maneuvered.

If we want to wipe off the dark areas in our lives, then we have to wipe it off ourselves. We can't just lie down and wait till it vanishes on its own. It's staying lies in our hands. We have the power to let it disappear.

Black spots will remain black and dirty until we decide to make it clean and white. (Marie Leis Hannah C. Sorrosa)

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* Sunday Essays are articles written by Ateneo de Davao University college students for their basic journalism subject.