2015 In Retrospect

Time to reflect on the wisdom I've gained.

first of all, wishing everyone merry christmas (or happy holidays!) and a happy new year.
christmas is probably nothing more than a commercialized holiday here in singapore (IMHO), but i like to take the time to count my blessings before giving my blessings to others during this time of the year.

i don't do a lot of these personal posts over here at madokeki blog because..
well, they're personal, and not beauty related.
but once in a while, i feel the need to let that side of me trickle just a little into this space so that it's still a extension of who i am.
also, it's mainly because stephy did an awesome post reflecting on 2015, she got me onto the bandwagon as well.

2015 is a pretty short year for me because i spent most of the time resting (due to my health and skin).
i only really got my life back some time in august, and it's been a bang ever since then.

suddenly, everything was coming my way.
it felt surreal for a bit when you're caught in the center of the hurricane,
seeing everything swirl past you at super sonic speed.
the good thing is, i got to experience a whole lot in a short period of time,
the bad thing is, i had too little time to full immerse myself in each of those moments.

so here are a few things i learnt this year, which have been about 80% down time and 20% highlights.
i want to reiterate that down time isn't all that bad, except for when you're stuck in it at that particular moment.
but the fruits you will reap after that is very fruitful (hahahaha ran out of words to use!).

1. it's okay to take a break to catch a breather. many times i catch myself working endlessly, projects after projects without taking a real break. even a small one at the end of the day would have helped! that also included a break from social media - sometimes you just have to give others a chance to miss you for who you are :) to those who really care about you, that is. those who forget you the moment you go missing from the radar are probably, just not worth it.

2. find the constants in an ever changing world. as much as change is a constant thing in life, it's also daunting and scary at times when we're not prepared for it. sometimes it catches me off guard to be in a totally foreign place filled with new people. one of the ways i coped with that is to reach out to my group of trusty girl friends, who are essentially the constants in my life. they keep me grounded and rooted and remind me of who i am in the face of change.

3. always, always, cherish those who matters. this is a continuation from point number 2. after identifying the constants in my life, i make sure they receive the love they deserve for being darlings in my life. it goes out to my family as well, which have been the biggest pillar of support in my life. it's easy to forget about them because they've been so constant in my life, i tend to take them for granted. but all it takes is a little reminder, a little bit of kindness, and a word of appreciation to set things right.

4. slow down, pause, and look around you. it's not difficult to have your attention completely caught up by a fleeting distraction. sometimes we are in that situation because we really enjoy the moment, but more often than not, we're probably too caught up by stress to full enjoy everything around us. for example, when you're too stressed out finding your way to a certain place, one tends to focus on all the road signs and the map, only to neglect all the beautiful things along the journey to your destination. take it easy pal! it's okay to be lost for a bit, take a little detour, and be surprised with the things you discover serendipitiously.

5. everything will turn out fine, as long as we keep trying (something different). of course, i'm talking about constantly making changes to our behaviours to improve our life. albert einstein says insanity is to do the same thing over and over again but expect a different result. so don't keep doing the same thing if you expect things to change! the beauty of this quote is that, when you fail, simply take that in stride and use that as a sign that says "this method doesn't work! try something else!" instead of flipping the table and go "i give up!".

and for the upcoming year, there are a few things i hope to do better.

1. plan ahead, but don't be stressed out about the planning.

2. be more flexible and accommodating.

3. continue meditating, and be more mindful.

4. creating more quality work that i'm proud of.

5. relax, breathe, and live better.

are there any things you'd like to do better next year?