I write about my thoughts and ideas. I share it to you (or the reader). 

​I am sending you a message.

You are motivated to write now. (I wish.) 

​Writer, Joe Bunting, enjoys how reading has affected his writing. He has noticed three things about reading's relationship to writing:  Reading inspires, instructs, and connects.

I enjoy reading more than writing. (No pressure in reading.)  

​I find writing difficult. It takes time and effort. I must try my best in effectively communicating to you.   

​"Always proofreading, editing, and rewriting (for only one story or article)," my friend, Jon, told me. "It never ends." (No such thing as a "final draft.")

"I want to improve on my writing," I told Jon.

"Read book, On Writing Well," he answered. "Learn the basics in writing first. Keep reading too."

(I love to read now. I assumed writing was easy. I tried to copy how professional writers would write from reading their books. I had confidence. I skipped ahead. I forgot about the basics in writing.)

​My purpose in life is to keep learning too. 

I drove my parents to the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco. They wanted to apply for dual citizenship. (It took about 4-5 hours.)

​Rush-hour traffic began when they finished.

I had to go when we passed the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge on our way home. Let me rephrase it. I had to pee. I could not hold it anymore.  

Traffic congestion continued. No exit nearby. It was dark. Time was around 7pm. 

"Do you have a water bottle?" I asked my Dad.

"Yes. I do." He answered.

It was not empty. So he finished it. He gave me the bottle. 

​I had to go. I peed on bottle while my Dad held the steering wheel. I was driving about 5-10 mph.

(Thank you, Dad. Thank you, traffic.)

We worked together as a team. 

("What do you want to be when you grow up?")

...an NBA basketball player.

People criticized me.
"You are too short."
"You are too small."
"You are not Black."
"Just study."
"Finish school and get a job."
"Be a nurse instead."
"Be an engineer instead."
​
I still play basketball to this day, even though I never played for a high school or college team. I love the game. I have improved a lot. (Thank you, Coach Willie. RIP.) I would crush my younger-self in a game of one-on-one basketball.

I am a late-bloomer (in general). 

People will ask me, "What is your job?"

​To be happy, grateful, compassionate, empathetic, and forgiving. 

​People will rephrase the question, "How do you earn money for a living?"

I am unemployed for now. My parents have helped me. Thank you, Mom and Dad. I will be working for money now. I have a future plan in mind. I want money working for me.

Money, money, and money.

"I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer," Jim Carrey quotes. 

My purpose in life is to be happy, grateful, compassionate, empathetic, and forgiving. And to keep learning.  

​What is your purpose in life?

At a hostel in San Sebastien, I saw a book shelf on lounge area. I found an interesting book, The Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition:  A Handbook for Living, written by Dalai Lama, and Howard C. Cutler.

I decided to finish reading it, before I checked out from hostel. (I did.)

The book explained about being able to train mind, and achieve happiness. (Thanks for the advice. I will apply this in my life.) Every day, life is an up and down journey.

When nothing goes my way, I always tell myself, "I am alive, and breathing."

A while ago, my teacher from Sonoma State University told me, and my class, "Stress and Diet." If I am able to relieve my stress, and eat somewhat a healthy diet, I possibly live a longer life. 

I mentioned this before in one of my previous blog entries. My high school PE coach told me, and my class, "Life is all about choices." You can say whatever you want to me. At the end of the day, I make the decision. It can be either right, or wrong. Perhaps, I may never know the answer at all. As time never stops, choices keep going, until the day I die.

When I was younger, I would have a difficult time to say "no" to people. I have realized that it is impossible to please everybody. I read a book that helped me a lot in saying "no" to people. It told me, "Sorry, I will not be able to make it." (Sorry, I forgot the title of the book.)

Earlier today, during my group job interview, I was asked, "What would you be doing 5 years from now?"

"That is a very good question. That would be tough. I cannot exactly answer you that question. 5 years ago, I hated reading, and writing. Now, I love it. I am a blogger. If I ever get this job, I would build a skill. Last year, I read a book about developing different skills in different jobs. Sorry, I forgot the title of the book. The book explained that I am able to build more experience, and apply it for my passion. Everything is connected. I am planning to become a realtor, and I will be working for my good friend's dad. He has been a realtor, and broker for the last 33 years. I would build another skill as well. I love my blog on journaling, and my Instagram account on hiking. 5 years from now, hopefully, I can find myself a woman. We shall see. I continue on reinventing myself." I responded to her, and the 2 candidates.

Everybody laughed at my ending words.

In my life, I continue on applying my natural superhuman power of peacefulness, gratefulness, and forgiveness. (I have mentioned this many times in my previous blog entries.) Also, I continue on building relationships, and connecting with people.

Ask, and listen. (So, I can hear more stories from people, and learn from it. Everybody has a story to tell.) 

We live in an imperfect world. Do what you gotta do. Go with what you want. It's your choice. It's your life.
​ 
​Peace be with you.

Here are their stories:

Woman #1:  A 67-year-old man in my hostel's mixed dorm room told me, "I see your toes wiggling, when you lay down on your bed. That is a sign of giving birth."

Woman #2:  I was traveling alone for the first time ever in Rome. This was 5 years ago. I was walking alone late at night. Suddenly, a motorcycle was trailing me. He was following me for the last 20 minutes or so. I was afraid. He stopped, and whipped his penis at me. I ran away from him. Luckily, I found an open bar for the meantime. I was able to use their phone. My friend picked me up from the bar.

Woman #3:  From Couchsurfing, I hosted a man. He was super shy and quiet on the first day. On the next day, we were reading a book together. He came closer to me. He went for the kiss. I was surprised. I pulled away. He was upset. Thus, he left my cat door open. He wanted my cat to escape from my house.

​Woman #4:  He expressed his feelings to me. I told him, "Sorry, I am not into you like that." He was upset. He left me. Then, he stalked me by moving closer to me from where I was staying at.    

When I was a kid, I never talked to girls. I was timid to even approach them. I always wished that they were going to approach me, but it never happened.

I used to be extremely upset, if a woman rejected me.

Now, I approach women in a friendly, respectfully way. If a woman rejects me, I would listen to her.

​Respect the lady. ​

We are different in our own way. (It sounds too vague, but it is true.)

​For instance, I will talk to you about my friends, and family.

- Every time she explores a great view for the first time, she is snapping a picture of it. Surprisingly, she does it only for her own photo album, not social media.
"Do you want a picture?" I always ask her.
Most importantly, I have improved a lot in taking pictures.

- Throughout his life, Jon was never a jump shooter in basketball, until recently. He barely plays basketball every single day.
"You are a meditator." I tell him, after every pickup basketball game.
He has taught me to relax my mind, even if my jump shot is not falling.

- Uncle Jun gets discounts, and deals through his persuasion.
"You know how to sweet talk," I tell him.
He has shown me the master of persuasion, even though I am not gonna apply it.

- For the last 5 months, Kirby has been my personal trainer at the gym.
"Thank you, trainer." I tell him.
He has made me believe in progression.  

- My mom is very superstitious.
"If it is what keeps you going and living, I respect your superstition," I tell her.
It is impressive how she trusts her loved ones, such as her family and friends. 

- My dad enjoys playing video games, such as his Xbox One game, "Gears of War 4."
"This is our only father-and-son bonding time," I tell him.
Anybody can play video games.

I am entertained by their differences. Also, I have learned from them. 

I cannot force somebody to change. I can only change myself.

Do what you gotta do. It is your choice. It is your life.

It is understanding who people are, and making adjustments.

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.

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