156) My Life Lessons in 2018

Font Magica de Montjuic, Barcelona, on New Year's Eve

2018 was a long year for me.

Most people see social media as the highlight reel of our lives.
Society wants us to get a successful job, a good-looking partner, a huge house, a brand new car, a college degree, and etc. I only have a college degree, and that is it. I do not want to pursue it though.
Throughout this year, I have been unemployed. Say what you want. It is impossible to please everybody. Society looks down upon the unemployed. Thank you, Mom, and Dad, for helping me out.

Next year will be a new chapter in my life. No more unemployment.
Even though I was unemployed, I have reinvented myself through solo traveling, reconnecting with family in Philippines, reading books, building relationships, selling unused items, coming at peace to others, and many more (that I cannot think at the top of my head right now).

My life lessons in 2018:

• Being humble. No more of expecting anything in return.​ ​
  

​​For instance, I expected my younger cousins from the Philippines to be very grateful for me, since I helped them a lot in America. Now, I choose to be humble for my heart. I feel more natural. I am more focused on myself than others.

• Being at peace with others.

​For instance, I came at peace with my Uncle, and my tennis/basketball coach. I never came at peace with my Uncle when he was alive. I came at peace with my tennis/basketball coach a few months ago, before he passed away. It feels great. My mind is more filtered. No more enemies. No more grudges.

• Building relationships.

​For instance, I met a good friend, Robert, from Belgium in a hostel at Shanghai. He is 20 years older than me. A week later in Shanghai, we flew together to Hong Kong. He was my tour guide to Hong Kong. He has been over there many times, due to his architect job. He works from anywhere in the world, if anybody needs an architect. He is a big brother to me. Relationships come unexpectedly.

• Getting along with anybody. (Understanding who people are, and making adjustments. I cannot force somebody to change. It is only up to you.)

​​For instance, I met a man through Facebook Marketplace by selling my snowboard, and snow boots. As I sold him my snow gear, we talked for about an hour. He is in his 40s. He has been in America for a year or so. He is from the Philippines.
Also, I met a women from London at a hostel in Shanghai. She is 67 years old. "What are you doing in Shanghai?" she asked me. "I want to play basketball," I answered.
She was in disbelief. A day later, she told me, "I understand. That is what you love to do."
Everybody is different in our own way. That sounds vague. I respect their belief, religion, and etc.
(These life lessons are in no particular order, whatsoever.)

These four life lessons have unleashed my natural human superpower of peacefulness, forgiveness, and gratefulness.

4 life lessons. 4 corners. They connect, and need each other. That forms a square.

A new year only indicates that time never stops. I try to continue on reinventing myself.
HAPPY NEW YEAR.