Wow. Life comes at you fast and without mercy. As you grow up, you find that time is the most valuable currency in the world, and every moment counts. I've come to realize that you should dedicate your most valuable asset to the greatest passions in your life. This past year, I was extremely busy with and focused on work and school. I buried myself in my books, research and projects, and while I received excellent grades and recognition, I was feeling a void in my life. And then BOOM. It struck me. While striving for success in one aspect of my life, I was almost completely ignoring the passions that excited me and sparked my creativity (aka trying to blog and draw!). Yes, it is important to have goals in terms of academics and a career, but I think it is even more important to cultivate your inner creativity and innovation through whatever activities and hobbies bring you joy. It is striking the balance between the two that I have struggled with for the past year, but no more! I think I started to become intimidated by the thought of blogging and putting my thoughts online for the world to see. Perhaps I was afraid that my words would fall short of eloquent, and my pictures lackluster. But then I realized such fears are completely misguided and irrelevant. I believe a blog is meant to be cathartic, a personal diary that just happens to be online. It's original purpose is not for it to please anyone else's eyes but its creator's. Blogging consistently is a goal of mine, even if nobody ends up reading my words or seeing my pictures, I enjoy doing it for me.
With that thought, I applied this notion to my entire life. For far too long, I have worried about what other people think about my appearance, my personality, and my ideas; it's no surprise that I was miserable and anxious. I started to think, why? Why do I care so much about what other's are doing with their lives and what they think about me? Wanting others to like you is completely normal, but to live your life constantly thinking about how others perceive you is not. My new favorite saying is that "You are you, and you're the best you that there is!" Isn't that a wonderful thought? That there is absolutely no other you in the entire world? Every time I repeat that thought to myself, I feel amazed. It encourages me to live my life to the fullest and focus on my strengths and qualities I like about myself, rather than ruminating on things you wish you don't like or wish you could change.Thanks to social media, we are constantly bombarded with the details of others' lives, and it can be difficult to resist comparison and envy. And while you may feel like your life falls short based on what you see from others, you must remember that your life is no less valuable, regardless of how much money you make or how many pairs of shoes you have, whether or not you're stick skinny, have curves, or fall somewhere in between, or have perfect skin. These are simply the things that society has told us matter, and it leads us to misplace our attention and forget about what truly matters. Focus on making the most of what you have and what you've been given; you are in charge of your own happiness, and you can appreciate everything for what it is. Live in the present and love without abandon. Work hard and be kind to people. Do what makes you happy. And do it for you and no one else. I promise you it's easier than you think.
