Life ain't a box of chocolates, but that's the beauty of it

Life ain’t a box of chocolates. It kicks your ass around, makes you feel like shit, brings you back down to earth, but that’s the beauty of life. Because our life is constantly being dragged down by our own intuitive thoughts, we have to focus on appreciating the journey of living rather than basking in the glory of our accomplishments. I do NOT define success as a continual set of stepping stones that we have to climb over to reach our final destination. Stop thinking in terms of “I need this [GPA, friends, money, material wealth] in order to be [happy, successful, well-liked]. Anything that is conditional is never everlasting. Such as love, that’s the only thing that holds true time and time again. Love from friends, love from your loved ones, love from family, and love from god. That’s the only thing that is meaningful in our very existence.

Life is hard, but that doesn't mean it's not worth living.

People are curious beings

People are curious beings, let them be. Share your life with them, and in return they will share their life to you as well.

In Berkeley, sometimes this innate curiosity turns into skepticism, and later full-blown in-group/out-group mentality. The saying “curiosity killed the cat” only applies to those who are NOT open to change, to those who are NOT open to new ideas, and people. But be respectful of others, be independent in your own thinking, and most of all, don’t expect anything out of life, just take what comes, and enjoy it for what it is.

Valentine's Day

All this hate about single’s awareness day pisses me off. Valentines day is a commercialized holiday like every holiday in the world. Restaurants and boutiques jack up their prices of roses/flowers/meals because they want to make a big buck off a societal ascribed appreciation day. Instead of hating Valentines day for making people feel left out, why not use this day as motivation; and in my case, motivation to work up the courage to ask a friend out on a date when you both know you’ll be suffering in your own misery if otherwise. Why not use life’s challenges as a tool, to make yourself better, make yourself into the person you want to be. It sucks being left out during the holidays, but that doesn’t have to be the case. We all have the power to change our life situation, it’s up to us whether we choose to act and correct our inadequacies, or we can just continue to bitch as moan about the unfair hand fate has dealt us. Sometimes you have to take fate into your own hands by doing the unconventional, and let an even higher power sort out your life. 

Leadership

Being a leader is not about controlling others (by any means necessary such as guilt tripping, dominating, pulling puppet strings) and telling them what to do, rather it’s just the opposite. It’s about following you own passions regardless of what’s around you, and allowing other people to pursue their own passions. The best leaders are the ones who don’t micromanage, instead, they are the ones who allow people to explore their own creativity, and support them when they discover something great. That said, in order to be a leader, you must first start by leading your own life. Take control of your life, your life situation, how you act, and the people you let into your inner circle. Clean up yourself, and take responsibility of yourself, your actions, and the consequences that come with your actions. Remember to be who you want to be, but stay true to yourself. 

Being respectful and speaking you mind

Sometimes these two ideas become dichotomous because one cannot help but interrupt others in order to get your point across. It’s best to speak up when you have something to say because people NEED to hear what you have to say. Fuck the social norms and rules of discussion, as long you’re not maliciously hurting others, say what’s on your mind. Your ideas ARE amazing and WORTH HEARING. Do NOT be intimidated by others because they’re just as scared as you.

I’ve been hurt for a long time with other people ignoring my thoughts. I’ve internalized that hurt believing that my thoughts were not worthwhile being heard by everyone. But this blog has given me hope, people have read my blog and come away with positive comments about my thoughts. Thank you, you have given me the self-assurance that MY thoughts are worth voicing.

 ALL of our thoughts are worth hearing, it’s a question of whether we take the time to start listening. Speak from your heart, then more people are willing to listen. You only NEED to say what’s important, but that’s not to say that’s all there IS to say.

Remember to be yourself, even when we live in a world where people are constantly striving to anything BUT themselves. Stay true, stay the course, you’ll eventually find your way.