“We can because we believe” is the slogan of the AIESEC team based at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL). If we know something is possible we can achieve it. If we fail we must realise the reasons why and then motivate each other to overcome the obstacles in our way. Failing one time doesn’t mean you will fail forever. In this week’s AEISEC column we will talk about how we can encourage our friends and family to never give up and maintain faith that a positive attitude will eventually lead you to success.

“All people should believe in what they can do,” said Oeng Siev Tong, a member of AEISEC’s communication committee. He said that all people are born with certain talents. “Belief, passion, commitment and motivation will lead people to success”, Oeng Siev Tong said.

“I can still remember my first three months as a leader of AIESEC IFL. Since I didn’t really grasp the vision, goal and mission of AIESEC, my whole team didn’t know what their responsibilities were. I felt so down at that time and I really wanted to quit this position and just focus on my studies,” Oeng Siev Tong said.

Instead, he decided to discuss his frustration with his teammates, read self-help books and learn more about the goals of AIESEC, and he came to realise the value of the work he was doing. “When you fail in doing something, you have to figure out the reasons why you failed,” the now-confident leader advised. “Once you know the reasons, you can correct the negative aspects of your behaviour that were causing you to fail.”

Phan Chan Pov, a lecturer of psychology at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said that people must understand that nothing is perfect in this world. “Some people can do this, and the others can do that,” he said. As long as people are working hard “they should not look down or feel negative about themselves”.

The professor added that we have to realise what our strengths are, believe in ourselves, find some time to relax, surround ourselves with a positive environment and relish moments with friends and family in order to raise our self-esteem.

“If you quit doing something when you fail one time, you will never achieve anything. Always believe in yourself and try to fight negative feelings and self-doubt by consulting with people who care about you and by reading books on positive psychology,” advised Oeng Siev Tong, who added that we should also look around us for the thousands of examples of people who failed in the beginning but found success in the end.

Oeng Siev Tong said the first step is to have a clear vision for where we want to be and what we want to be doing in the future, and this will motivate us to work harder to strive towards a specific goal. “Opportunity occurs once in a lifetime. If you get a chance, you need to run with it. Never give up on what you are doing because you might not get that chance again,” he said. “Believe that nothing’s impossible. Impossible only exists if you don’t believe in yourself.”