Reminders of the Past

Things have changed in the last few days. The need to be back on track and get guidance have never been stronger than before. There were setbacks and personal challenges that made things complicated both for me and the significant others. Fortunately, I have already planned a vacation back to where I come from- the Philippines. This is perhaps the most timely and much-needed trip back home I ever had since I started living in Norway.

Collective gain is personal gain

As an Asian, my personal achievements have always been both a reflection and laurel for the entire family. I celebrate my positive feats because I see my family are also happy and proud what I achieved. That is where I learned the concept of collective gain. However, recently I must say, I have shifted my focus on my personal happiness. It may sound selfish but I realized I needed to steer my life directed to what makes me achieve satisfaction and happiness.

Taking responsibilities and consequences independently to actions has been the locus of my decisions and actions. For the first time, I felt free and unattached to whatever circumstances or people regardless of who they are. However, I pushed perhaps myself over my limits such that tipping the balance back to the collective side than the personal side is the most appropriate and necessary. It feels right and I would want to maintain this new equilibrium as long as I can.

What has been is an integral part of now

The past should never be a source of negativities. It causes however frustrations and regrets for what has happened will never change and come back. Some people are hindered to attain optimal happiness because of what has happened in the past. For this reason, the past must be kept to minimum from one's consciousness. A personal realization and decision for me is to just simply forget what has happened and move on.

However, a disadvantage comes together with forgetting the past - making greater mistakes than what has been. It would seem the track of a person has been much more complicated than what was before. Strange, new and risky are what describes the new track. One is more prone to mistakes than anytime before. There is no problem of following a new track without any trace of the memories of the past as long as one retains the learnings one has gained from previous experiences as a preventive measure of making bigger mistakes and bad decisions.

Living today entails sharing it with others

Experiences are ought to be shared not just by talking about it but also being by others through these experiences. One could enjoy his or personal space as much as one could. That is necessary. However, one also has social needs to fulfill such that one should do things together with others. Take risks, laugh and experience new things together with others, especially with family and close friends. It is therefore true that happiness multiplies and is amplified by the smiles of the people that matters surrounding an individual.

Happiness is personal. It is subjective to the person who would like to experience it. There are no rules for it such that one is not necessarily dependent to whoever or whatever. However at times, our ego needs constant and random reminders that we do live in a social world. We do not need to please everyone, but as long as those people who matters and closest to the person are satisfied and happy, a person maybe influenced to take a positive outlook in life. They matter because they have built the past and foundation of who we are today.

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