A Year Older

So, yesterday, I turned 23. Yes, this small bean was born on 1996 and still doesn't know where she's going and what she wants to do. Come to think of it, when I was younger, I thought that adults (around 20-something or so), have their life together and all that wonderful idea of doing whatever you want. Well, I am living proof that it is false, so to hell with that kind of thinking. Let me ramble about some of my thoughts lately as a 23-year old.

As I spend most of my days thinking about what I want and need to do, I know for a fact that we all differ when it comes to pacing. If you've been reading my blog for quite some time, you already know this since I mention this a lot. I always remind myself about this—how we may have the same age but we're completely different. Age is definitely just a number. This got me diving into the thought of how the earth revolves around the sun and once it completes a revolution, that makes up the concept of a "year". And I'll then go to how we created this measurement of time to remind ourselves of how long we've been alive and to determine a point of start and end.

Okay, enough about that! Like what I keep on saying, our differences make up as a big factor with how fast or slow we go when we progress. So stop comparing yourself from others because it won't make sense. We are all different and you should only compare your present self from your past self. One thing is certain: you have grown. So much more than you could imagine. So be proud of yourself. What matters most is that there is progress, may it be small or big. Progress is progress; change is change.

An important thing that I have learned the hard way: don't hinder yourself from your own growth. This isn't easy because there are times that we forget how great we are and how capable we are of doing things. Truth be told, I almost always go through stuff like this when given an opportunity. But you'll never know what you're made of and what you are capable of unless you try. Taking risks and going out of your comfort zone really does scare me but it will all reflect positively in the end.

If you're someone like me who values what people say about you so much, learn to think about it less and just focus on what matters: how you see yourself. Listen to what you need and what, not what others feel is right for you. It is true that a lot of them are sharing their thoughts and advice about your life because they care about you and only want the best for you. But filter it out. Not everything must be taken to heart. This is your life and you know yourself best, take charge and control it.

Allow yourself to feel and embrace your true emotions. It is essential to let yourself feel, even if it is something negative. It's harder to bottle it all up and you'll end up bursting somewhere along the way. But what I want you to know is this: know when to stop. When you embrace negativity for too much and too long, it could grow and consume you. So please learn when to stop.



There's so much more out there that I have yet to learn and discover. I am grateful to add another year to my age and to gain so many experiences as I grow older. Happy birthday, self. You are doing great. You'll do great and you'll do your younger self proud.