143) Change

I am not a politician. I am not forcing you to change. It is tough to change. It took me a while.

To this day, I am trying to change (and learn.) It takes me a while.

When I was younger, I used to hate reading and writing. Now, I enjoy it. (I started on this blog, since a year ago or so.)

I used to be afraid in talking to anybody, especially women. Now, I can talk to almost anybody. (During my solo travel in China, I bonded with a 50-year-old man from Belgium, and a 67-year-old woman from the UK).

Heck, my sister died in 2003. I had no idea that I was gonna progress.

People can change.

For instance, my cousin could not drive far away for more than an hour. He would rather be a passenger, or else he would be asleep behind the steering wheel. This past weekend, he went on a long, fun road trip with his girlfriend. Together, they visited Arizona, and Hollywood.

It takes time to evolve, adapt, grow, and change.

People tell me stories.

Sometimes, you just cannot change (or maybe just not yet).

For instance, a man recently told me, "I cannot change. I am from the Philippines. I would always get beat up all the time from my father."

A boy told me, "I have realized that I was very shy and quiet. I had to, or else my father will physically, emotionally abuse me. Asking questions would not go anywhere. So, I remained quiet."

​Now, this boy has grown. He remembers his past. He is aware of it. He has learned from it.

Whenever this boy becomes a father, he told me that he will be honest with his kids. Hopefully, they will be honest with him. He would rather tell them stories than give them lectures. He is against overprotective parents. He wants his kids to be vulnerable, so they can learn and grow.

I believe if you forget your "dark" past. It is gonna haunt you. As you grow older, your "dark" past is gonna haunt you even more. Every night, you might even have difficulty in your sleep. You can never change, if you forget your "dark" past. When something bad happens to you, you go on blaming your "dark" past as an excuse. You forget, and stay the same. The cycle goes on.

Be aware of your past, and learn from it.

Stay the same, or make the change. Agree or disagree with me. That's fine. Do what you gotta do. It’s up to you.

THE PAST IS REMEMBERED. LIVE IN THE MOMENT. THE FUTURE IS IN YOU.