As I celebrate a significant occasion, I want to take this opportunity to share to all of you an anecdote I wrote shortly before I got married seven years ago. Tomorrow as I turn 31, Id like to think that the saying Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself and living by these words Ive written in the past reminds me that Im in a much better place now. --- Barely three months before I finally kiss bachelorhood goodbye, I cannot help but be overcome with nostalgia. Its not only about what had happened to me last year nor the many deeds (and misdeeds) I have done when I was single but something more spiritual and insightful. As I reach another milestone in my life, a certain degree of self-examination is in order. I may opt to do a Kristin McCracken and list down the things I want to do before I reach 40 and match it with Andrew Matthews take on being happy. As much as I would like to indulge and put climb Mt. Everest as #12 on my 101 things to do list, I just want to be impulsive and write everything down that will come to mind. I have come to know in my quarter-life of existence that intellect and rationalilty are just useless tools without passion and devotion. The wonders of life are not seen in the science of the mind alone, we also have to reach deep within our hearts to witness its beauty. To look beyond reason and see the unreason... The words “I’m sorry” isn’t only an apology but also a binding promise. We tend to take these words for granted and forget that when we utter them we swear we will try our best not to make the same mistake again. Promises are meant to be kept. When we say we are sorry, let us make sure we mean to keep it. I also learned the importance of remembering where I came from and what I was before. This may be a cliché to most but in order for one to relish the present, one must value the past and the lessons it has served. As an economist, I’ve come to know the present value of the past. There may be things that we might do in the present which are the consequences of the decisions we have made in the past. Life is too short to spend it mostly on work. We should learn to prioritize and master the art of time management. Some of us think that it is in achieving and accumulating that we truly feel worthy. Our worth is not based on our success rather it is seen in finding meaning in what we do. Remember that eight hours is enough and that weekends should be spent as far away from work as possible. We should let go of all our hate! We might hate someone at work, the erring drivers on the road, the government, the table server, or whoever and whatever comes along. Remember hatred begets hatred. Soon enough we might end up hating ourselves as well. Treat each angry episode as a passing thought because that’s all it should be. Let’s keep our expectations realistic. There’s nothing wrong with aiming high as long as we make sure that if ever we don’t get to reach it we won’t end up falling face first on the pavement. Expectations will sometimes attract disappointment so as long as we know our expectations well, we have a good idea what the consequences will be. Admiration not envy: there’s a thin line separating these two words. We Filipinos are familiar with crab mentality. Most of us thrive on pulling other people down when we see their lives improving. Instead of thinking ill of their good fortune, we ought to be happy for them. Maybe we can learn from those who have succeeded and apply it in our own lives as well. Entertain the child in you. There’s always the little kid in all of us. We shouldn’t be ashamed to let them out from time to time. It is proper to act our age when the occasion calls for it but we must not forget that we were all young once. So when you get the chance to act carefree and impulsive, you should indulge. You’ll feel better after. Just make sure you don’t overdo it. I still have a lot of things on my mind but I guess this will do for now. Our lives do not revolve around perception alone, we must KNOW what kind of person we are and what person we want to be. It is in knowing yourself that you get to choose which path to take. I have long sought for my own happiness and I’ve come to know that the path to happiness isn’t something you find or discover, it is already inside of you. --- Victoria, thanks for putting up with my crap for more than half of our lives. Dont you ever get tired. Hehehe
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 12:49:22 +0000
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