The campus was buzzing with excitement one morning, but there was something on everyone's mind. The phrase that had become so familiar to Tope and me — "The magic is in you" — had everyone talking. But no one truly understood what it meant.
In the cafeteria, I overheard some students discussing it.
"What is this 'magic' everyone keeps talking about?" one student asked, shaking his head. "Is it some kind of motivational talk? It doesn't make sense to me."
Another added, "Yeah, I get it. Everyone's been saying it, but what's the magic? Where is it? Is it a trick?"
I couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. Tope and I had been living this philosophy for weeks, but the meaning of those words hadn't truly clicked for others yet. So, after class that day, Tope and I decided to explain it — not just in words, but in the way we had lived.
The next afternoon, we gathered a small group in the campus quad. Students who had been curious, confused, or skeptical came to join us, including some of the ones who'd been gossiping earlier.
I stood up first, taking a deep breath.
"The magic…" I started, "isn't some supernatural force. It's not something that happens to you. It's something within you. It's the belief that no matter where you start, no matter the obstacles you face, you have the power to change your own life. To rise above the challenges."
Tope continued, standing beside me. "Exactly. The magic isn't in waiting for someone else to make things happen for you. It's in your strength to create your own path. It's in your actions, your choices, your persistence, and your belief that you can do it."
The group fell silent as they processed our words.
One student raised her hand. "But what if you feel like you don't have what it takes?"
I smiled and said, "Everyone feels that way at some point. I did. But the magic is in knowing that even when you don't feel strong enough, you are. The only person who can truly limit you is yourself."
Tope added, "It's about trust. Trusting yourself to take the first step. Trusting that no matter how difficult it may seem, you have everything inside you to succeed."
There was a shift in the air. The students around us were nodding, some with tears in their eyes, others smiling for the first time in a while.
One of the students, who had been quiet the entire time, finally spoke up. "You know, I think I get it now. The magic... it's not about waiting for things to happen. It's about believing that you can make them happen. That you're enough."
Tope smiled warmly. "Exactly."
The crowd slowly began to disperse, but there was a sense of understanding, a new energy in the air. The words "The magic is in you" no longer seemed like a phrase — they were a movement, a belief, a call to action.
That day, something shifted on campus. Not just for me, but for everyone who had heard the words and let them sink in.
It wasn't just about succeeding academically anymore. It was about believing in the magic that resided within us all — the power to change our futures, to help each other rise, and to create something beautiful from within.