2014: Treading carefully with a spring in my steps
For over a week, I pondered and pondered on how to best write a 2014 welcome post. By constantly rewording and changing topics in my head, I ended up with still a clean slate days later.
So let me do this again.
Hello 2014!
In as much as 2013 was a year that I would never forget, as all things in this world are bound to do – they pass. Sure, 2013 started out a little slow in the first quarter but it more than made up for the first quarter lull later on. All in a year; I fell in love, made big and small progress in terms of work and personal goals, and arrived to a decision that would define how life is going to pan out for me in the next years.
Needless to say, 2013 didn’t go easy on me as it really tested my spirit. But even when 2013 was exacting, it was also generous in that it was when I was introduced to so many people who in their own way influenced how I envisioned a future for myself and new experiences that expanded my knowledge and understanding of how things work.
In welcoming 2014, let me start with lessons from the previous year followed by a resolve:
1. Let it go
May it be fear, emotional baggage, and inhibitions – let it go. To move forward lightly, it is imperative to carry only what is necessary; the rest is left behind. This lesson was only made apparent to me while looking back. After all that has happened to me, I realized that letting go is a way to make more room for people, experiences, and opportunities in your life.
An example, I never touched HTML codes my entire college years (I felt that I didn’t have the right experience to tackle it and thought it unnecessary), and yet now, I find myself comfortable in the language and using the smarts to come up with content strategy ideas. A simple task, yes, but in my fear of not winning (in the case with HTML, being miserably slow at getting the topic), I was held back from trying. It was when I let the fear go that my mind was made free to absorb the information.
I resolve to fear less. Many times, I was delayed by self-doubt and too much fear of failure. This year, I hope to overcome the small and big ones, like the fear of drowning by learning how to swim and the fear of failing by letting go of my doubts and believing in myself more.
2. Expect for the worst, hope for the best
This is a lesson on preparedness. Scouts know these too well; disaster risk management officers would be familiar with these too. Working in a dynamic online news site proved to be a good training ground for it as well. I learned that while hope is good, reality’s extreme twists shouldn’t be ignored too. Hence, it’s never bad to have a ready mechanism on the side to tap when the situation calls for it. Typhoon Yolanda which wiped most towns in its way has given a valuable lesson to many Filipinos, albeit too late, be prepared.
I resolve to always be ready. From the things to put in my bag to have savings and emergency funds, 2014 should be a year when I won’t be forced to take a cab only because I forgot to bring an umbrella and when I make reasonable and planned purchases instead of impulsive ones.
3. Look up!
For non-fans, child star Ryzza Mae popularized this in her talk show, where she’s seen in a “look up” pose in photos with celebrity guests. Supposedly to make her neck appear longer, the term carries more weight than its usual use.
Never mind the weaknesses as there are ways to turn them around. No neck? Look up!
There are instances when pulling myself up from a bad day is difficult. But most recently, I’ve been recording in a small notebook a short list of the things that made me happy the previous day. The intention for this one is to be more appreciative of what I have and to hold a happy thought at the beginning of the day.
I resolve to remember happy stories. As a person who can easily downplay things to toast upon all because of one little thing that went wrong, I want to teach myself to be more grateful for the good things that happened to me.
Following through won’t be a walk in the park, as there will always be days when events challenge these resolutions. Nevertheless, I’d try and try until I get it right.