Being proud

In a positive sense, it's good to be proud of your achievements. not in a condescending way that you have done better than others but in a way that you have gone through all the effort and it has paid off and most importantly having felt good about yourself. It all boils down to that, having that feel good feeling. Everything we do, we subconsciously want to feel good about it. it is our happiness that matters the most. My sister recently asked me, "why bother giving up the luxury of our parents home, cars, food and go live somewhere which is an 8 hour plane ride away, having to struggle by working at a bowling alley while studying?" To be honest, I was a little dumbfounded. I did not have a reply ready at hand to shoot back.

I allowed myself some time, a few days in fact, to think about this. I pondered upon this. It is safe to say that I will never really have the perfect answer to her question. Nevertheless, in the end it all boils down to the happiness I obtain from having the freedom to make my own decisions and face the consequences of the decisions that I have made. It is a very liberating feeling to make a decision on your own with no one to help influence it or to help steer you away from your choices. It is simple: you make your bed, you sleep in it.

Of course, I will constantly seek my parents blessings but being on your own, far away from your comfort zone helps one to mature emotionally and mentally. You have no one but yourself and you have only yourself to account for the things, good and bad, that you have done. That thought alone will make you practice extra caution while choosing which road to tread. If you stumble, you will remember it for the rest of your life. If you achieve something, you will challenge yourself to achieve greater things. It is a must to celebrate every achievement in life, no matter how mediocre they might seem. Whether its throwing a party, having dinner with family or friends, baking a cake or even as simple as sipping tea while re-reading your favourite novel, do it with content that you have achieved something you have always dreamed of. Every achievement or downfall marks a milestone in your life. Do not bother dwelling on your downfall, it is of no use. In two years down the road, those little stumbles will not matter.

It is always good to move out of your comfort zone and constantly challenge yourself. Life will constantly be throwing you lemons. You either dodge them or catch them and make yourself some lemonade.