I’m grateful to have my parents who couldn't teach me about the world, but have given me the whole world. More than that, they have given me love, trust, benevolence, prudence, and forgiveness so that I can be strong and courage enough to embrace the world ahead.
Here I want to reflect on my past life experiences to better myself every day.
1. Love myself first.
The way I treat others is a reflection of how I treat myself. If I am hard on myself, I will be hard on other people. The way people treat or behave towards me will tell who I am. Love myself fully, without judgement, if I want any hope of doing the same to others. And do not mistake “love myself” for “selfishness”.
2. Be more adaptable.
Holding on to the notion of complete control is definitely exhausting. It makes me anxious and less enjoy my life at the moment. Build up my resilience. Being adaptable to diverse circumstances will bring me more peace than looking to control it by any mean.
3. Be vulnerable.
If I want to connect with people, I really connect with them, open up myself and share my life stories. Don’t be upset by bad experiences with people, either good or bad one helps me learn a good lesson.
4. Respect my body.
It’s the only one I have and that helps me mobile. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but proud of instead. Once I realized it, the more secure with myself I have been now.
5. Be less judgmental.
Not easy to say tho, I need to work hard toward this. Being aware that there are many ways to live a life. What I may think is the “right” way now has changed and will continue to change and eventually I’ll find yourself somewhere totally unexpected, living a totally different life.
6. Be more understanding of other people.
If I get into a heated conversation or debate with others, rather than trying to convince them of my point-of-view, trying to put my feet into their shoes and understand where they are coming from. Everyone uniquely has their own experiences of growing up, where they were born and bred, what their home was like, who their influences were, all of which help form their own opinions that need to be respected and understood.
7. Practice meditation.
It’s more than sitting and stretching. With a regular and intentional practice, I gain physical and mental strength, become flexible (literally and figuratively), and see the world in a more open way.
8. Just listen and be there for people I care.
Not every situation needs a fix. Not every space needs to be filled with talks. Stop giving advice. Just be there to listen, to give a warming smile, to lend a shoulder, to make a soulful dish.
9. Simplify.
Be less materialistic. Learn to detach myself from materials to live a much easier life. Take stock of what I have, be sure that they are essential, otherwise, donate them. Streamline my life.
10. Volunteer to give; gain knowledge and compassion.
Spend my long vacation wisely on volunteering rather than indulging myself somewhere in a luxurious place. Think about the people I want to help and what I can do for them rather than gaining points for my resume. Sow a seed for sustainable development.
11. Spend more quality time with my family.
Family are the ones who have given me real unconditional love since my existence in life; who are always there to have my back, to tell me how proud they are of me, how grateful they are for having me. And I’m even more grateful to have them in my life. Whenever coming back from a journey, spend quality time with them, remember I am there for them, not for other people.
