It’s a well-known verse – to sacrifice. We all sacrifice our wants for something – for our loved ones, for our partner, for our family, or even our friends.
But perhaps the right word isn’t sacrifice.
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Personal
Page 16
For the past six months, I’ve lived on a suitcase, never staying at one country for more than one month. I’ve spent my days (and months) in Jakarta, Singapore, Banjarmasin, Montreal, Toronto, Quebec, Niagara Falls, Vancouver, and the Rocky Mountains and yet I’m still hesitant to call myself a traveller.
My definition of travelling is still: 1. bungee-jumping in Africa, 2. driving through the savannah, or 3. backpacking through Europe.
But is it what travelling really means?
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If something’s becoming too mainstream, there’s a possibility that I will start disliking the thing rather than loving it.
Example.
Frozen’s Let It Go.
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At midnight the other day my good friend tagged me on Facebook on an article titled, “Why We Humblebrag About Being Busy”, featured on HBR. It was such a good read and yet by the end of it, this was the sentence playing again and again in my head: “I’m not doing enough.”
…which is contrary to what the article wants to achieve, I guess.
The reason being is that: I never humblebrag of being busy. Or at the very least, I never remember I do (please remind me if I have). I am the most carefree Gen Yer and I love being free and doing nothing. While my friends are doing Master’s and working overtime, I’m babysitting my baby nephew. Can you see the jux?
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Yes, it’s always a reminder.
Every time a friend publishes a blog post. Every time an acquaintance’s story gets viral. Every time a colleague gets a better job. Every time a childhood friend posts about his travels to the end of the world. Every time.
Every single time, I need to remind myself: Their success is not your failure. Just because they are succeeding, that doesn’t mean you are failing. Just because they climb higher steps, that doesn’t mean you are walking two steps behind.
And yet it’s hard.
It’s really, really hard.
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People say you can tell a lot about a person by listening to their music. I believe so too.
While listening to the radio on a seven-hour drive to the Rocky Mountains, Canada last week, I had a strange compulsion to share 20 songs that I love the most. Perhaps that way, you can know about me more.
So without further ado, in no particular order, here they are.
Read more →A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.
Maya Angelou
Dear you,
Yes, you. You know who you are. You sat next to me today while watching The Amazing Spiderman. I have nothing against you, but really, I was trying to watch a movie.
It’s okay to check on your phone. Really, I have nothing against that. I do that too, like, you know, sometimes you just have this important stuff that you need to attend right away. Or an emergency.
But can you please, at the very least, put your phone on silent?
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Words on paper really looks legitimate, you know? Like, really legitimate. It is as if it’s on print, then everything said is right. After all, it’s written there on a book!
That’s what I have in mind when I wandered aimlessly through Borders earlier today. In front of me are thousands of authors who have something to say and get the words out there. It’s as if all of their saying is true. Maybe. Maybe not.
When I ask myself why I want to be a writer, I often wonder if it’s stemmed from an egocentric point of view. Like, seriously, why do I want to tell people what I’m thinking anyway? It’s like wanting people to back you up, to think the same way as you, to agree with your standing. As a writer, why do I bother to share my stories, my experiences? Is it really to help people? Or is it simply because, well, I want my name to be out there?
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No one knows what they want to do when they are 22. Or at the very least, they know what they want to do, yet it may not be: a) realistic, b) visible, c) flexible, or d) set on stone.
If you ask me what I want to do in life, I will give you two kinds of answer. First is an abstract-ish reply, which is: to leave my mark in the world. Oh nevermind, cross that, it’s not realistic. It will be: being able to live well, send my kids to college, become financially stable, and achieve success in my own ways.
Second answer will be a more specific one: I want to write. Plain and simple, I just want to write. I want to publish books, I want to create stories. The problem with this answer is that writing may not put bacon on the table.
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