Picture a young freshman in the early 90s, fresh out of high school, proudly clutching a scholarship for a Bachelor of Commerce. That was me, standing at what I thought was the beginning of a carefully planned path. Yet beneath the surface of that commerce scholarship lay a different passion, one that had consistently earned me accolades throughout my high school years: Industrial Arts. The irony doesn't escape me now. My original scholarship intended application was meant for a New Zealand Certificate in Engineering (NZCE) in Architecture, a prestigious qualification that aligned perfectly with my natural inclinations. But like many young people, I found myself swayed by well-meaning voices, my father's and my form teacher's, steering me toward what they believed was a more practical path in Finance and Economics. What followed was a lesson in life's unexpected turns. Two years in New Zealand playing rugby for Mount Albert Grammar School (MAGS) and Auckland Grammar School (AGS), despite championship winnings and victories, left me with more injuries than achievements. Yet sometimes, what appears to be a setback carries within it the seed of transformation. Being dropped from AGS 1st XV, a disappointment at the time, became the wake-up call that redirected my focus back to academics, ultimately leading to passing my bursary exam and qualifying for university. But life wasn't done teaching me about resilience. The loss of my scholarship in that first year at MAGS, coupled with my father's temporary pause from civil service, pushed me into the workforce. For ten years, I worked, starting at the very bottom of the corporate ladder, carrying within me that dormant dream of education. Then came what some might call coincidence, but what I recognize now as divine intervention, another scholarship opportunity, this time in computing science and information systems. This morning, my brother Dr. Laiseni Fanon Charisma Liava'a shared a profound insight about life that perfectly encapsulates what I've learned through this journey. He said and I paraphrase, "Life is so much easier when we accept that we do not know everything and we do not control anything. We should just trust on the creator of this Universe to provide accordingly the best for us at that perfect point in time." Sounds like destiny? These words resonate deeply with my own experience. The path I traveled wasn't the one I originally envisioned, but it was exactly the one I needed. Each setback, the rugby injuries, the lost scholarship, the years of work, wasn't just a obstacle but a stepping stone leading to where I needed to be. Remember what I said about will-power in my previous piece? About how our capacity for change lies not just in our desires but in our ability to persist? Now I understand that this persistence isn't just about forcing our way forward, it's about having the strength to keep getting up after being knocked down, yes, but also having the wisdom to recognize when life is redirecting us toward a better path. This journey has taught me that true will-power isn't just about pushing through obstacles, it's about maintaining faith in the face of uncertainty. It's about trusting that even when our carefully laid plans crumble, something greater might be at work. To those of you facing similar crossroads or setbacks, remember this: your path might not be straight, but every turn has purpose. Keep nurturing your passions, even when circumstances seem to pull you away from them. Stay open to the possibility that what appears to be a detour might actually be divine redirection. For in the end, our greatest achievements often lie not in the perfect execution of our plans, but in our ability to remain faithful to our journey, even when the destination changes. The road continues to unfold... Picture a young freshman in the early 90s, fresh out of high school, proudly clutching a scholarship for a Bachelor of Commerce. That was me, standing at what I thought was the beginning of a carefully planned path. Yet beneath the surface of that commerce scholarship lay a different passion, one that had consistently earned me accolades throughout my high school years: Industrial Arts. The irony doesn't escape me now. My original scholarship intended application was meant for a New Zealand Certificate in Engineering (NZCE) in Architecture, a prestigious qualification that aligned perfectly with my natural inclinations. But like many young people, I found myself swayed by well-meaning voices, my father's and my form teacher's, steering me toward what they believed was a more practical path in Finance and Economics. What followed was a lesson in life's unexpected turns. Two years in New Zealand playing rugby for Mount Albert Grammar School (MAGS) and Auckland Grammar School (AGS), despite championship winnings and victories, left me with more injuries than achievements. Yet sometimes, what appears to be a setback carries within it the seed of transformation. Being dropped from AGS 1st XV, a disappointment at the time, became the wake-up call that redirected my focus back to academics, ultimately leading to passing my bursary exam and qualifying for university. But life wasn't done teaching me about resilience. The loss of my scholarship in that first year at MAGS, coupled with my father's temporary pause from civil service, pushed me into the workforce. For ten years, I worked, starting at the very bottom of the corporate ladder, carrying within me that dormant dream of education. Then came what some might call coincidence, but what I recognize now as divine intervention, another scholarship opportunity, this time in computing science and information systems. This morning, my brother Dr. Laiseni Fanon Charisma Liava'a shared a profound insight about life that perfectly encapsulates what I've learned through this journey. He said and I paraphrase, "Life is so much easier when we accept that we do not know everything and we do not control anything. We should just trust on the creator of this Universe to provide accordingly the best for us at that perfect point in time." Sounds like destiny? Dr. Laiseni Fanon Charisma Liava'a Dr. Laiseni Fanon Charisma Liava'a These words resonate deeply with my own experience. The path I traveled wasn't the one I originally envisioned, but it was exactly the one I needed. Each setback, the rugby injuries, the lost scholarship, the years of work, wasn't just a obstacle but a stepping stone leading to where I needed to be. Remember what I said about will-power in my previous piece? About how our capacity for change lies not just in our desires but in our ability to persist? Now I understand that this persistence isn't just about forcing our way forward, it's about having the strength to keep getting up after being knocked down, yes, but also having the wisdom to recognize when life is redirecting us toward a better path. This journey has taught me that true will-power isn't just about pushing through obstacles, it's about maintaining faith in the face of uncertainty. It's about trusting that even when our carefully laid plans crumble, something greater might be at work. To those of you facing similar crossroads or setbacks, remember this: your path might not be straight, but every turn has purpose. Keep nurturing your passions, even when circumstances seem to pull you away from them. Stay open to the possibility that what appears to be a detour might actually be divine redirection. For in the end, our greatest achievements often lie not in the perfect execution of our plans, but in our ability to remain faithful to our journey, even when the destination changes. The road continues to unfold...

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