Showing posts with label changes. Show all posts
New is Always Better 2.0
In my first year here in VANITY I wrote a blog about the advantages of newness, may it be technology, traditions or just plain new ideologies in life. However, that blog was too general. So for this New Year, I am writing about few specific changes that have made my life better since I’ve moved here in Canada.
I guess the first thing that has changed in me is being
quieter. Though any people that know me well will say otherwise, I think that
I’ve gotten quieter. Usually, I will be the one who keeps a conversation from
dying, because dear God I can’t stand awkward silence, but now, I seem to be
quite comfortable with it. It gives me peace. Quite antisocial though. I also have
a problem of not thinking before talking which often gets me into icky
situations even though I did not mean any offense or make myself look stupid,
and so being quiet just saves me from this. Being quieter also taught me how to
listen. You
know that moment when a friend tells you something and you tell him/her
something the same from your experiences and you ended up shifting the tide of
conversation and you feel like you are not “empathising” anymore and you just
look like a big ball of narcissism? (or at least, that’s how I feel) Welp,
being quiet once again saves me from doing this. Like I said, as someone who is
talkative and uncomfortable of awkward silences, being quiet has finally given
me the opportunity to just shut up and realize that not
talking isn’t the worst thing in the world and just to drink in what others are
saying and being observant is probably one of the greatest pleasures
that one should experience.
New things in our life can always be seen in a different angle. Sometimes they can be “bumps”, but as I have previously said, try to see the silver lining. New is always better. .. better in some ways we haven’t seen yet!
- Anonymeh
“Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself
from the unacceptable” - Denis Waitley
The Now Year
It’s almost the end of year 2014, which means it’s the season for New Year resolutions again. Have you ever set a goal and achieved it? If yes, then good for you (but still read on)! If no, then keep reading. A lot of us would probably say, “oh I will try my best to lose some weight,” or “I will stop drinking soda,” or “I will stop procrastinating” and the list goes on. But do we follow through? We set resolutions in the New Year to change our lives for the better. That’s good, right? But hold on, why do we have to wait for the end of the year? Why not start now?
I’d like to introduce to you what
I call “The Now Year.” Start now, (yes, NOW) and when the new year comes,
you’re already ahead of yourself! No more waiting for January 1st to
sign up for that gym membership- start midway December before all the Holiday
parties (and all the eating) start!
With this new idea introduced, it
brings afloat the topic of “living in the moment,” where one lives life to the
fullest now, whilst not worrying much about yesterday and tomorrow. Now is
important because that is where you are now. Now is where you can make things
happen! So if you want to change something in your life (like what you would
say in a New Year’s resolution), you can’t do it yesterday. You can do it
tomorrow, but why wait? Do it now, in the NOW Year!
So let’s change
tradition. Instead of saying “Happy New Year,” be grateful for what is now and
say “Happy Now Year!” Be reminded that
the next year is still tomorrow, and what matters most is the present. Be in the moment! Live in it!
Aside: It’s
interesting how changing one letter can significantly alter the definition of a
phrase. It takes one small thing to change a big thing. Do you ever think about
that too, how our little good deeds result in bigger rewards? That could be a
good Now Year’s resolution: do more good in the community!
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a
gift. That is why it is called the ‘present.’” –Shifu, Kung Fu Panda
Live in the moment
(yes, that means now),
- Jose
5 Stages You'll Go Through When Adjusting To Your Life As a Youth Immigrant
1)
Early excitement
At this stage, you are very
excited about a lot of things. That’s normal. You are new to this country, so
you try to imagine all the amazing possibilities that can happen to you in this
new place. You think about the new friends you will make, the new places you will visit, and the different type of freedom you will experience in this country. For those of
you who moved from a tropical country, you might be excited about winter
and/or the snow. (I must admit I was at the beginning!) Then come winter, you'll be disappointed to find out that the snow melts so fast because of rain.
2)
Shock and longing
At this stage, you realize that moving from
one place to another is not that easy, especially if this is your first time
doing so. After being excited for the first few weeks, you now feel
overwhelmed. You now know that your life here will never be the same as your
life in your motherland. You realize that it will take a lot of time before you
build friendships as meaningful as the ones you have made in your home country.
You start to miss your best friends and relatives back “home”. Feeling like you
can’t cope up with the changes that are fazing you, you constantly debate with yourself trying to figure out whether
moving here is the right choice or not. Tears may or may not be part of this
stage.
3)
Gradual adaptation
After being overwhelmed with your new
surroundings, you now realize that there’s no better person to help you with
your adjustment but yourself. You now start making friends with people who
understand you and whom you understand. You slowly let go of your fears. You
begin trying out new things, becoming involved in your community, and exploring
the city you’re in.
4)
Optimism and renewed excitement
After letting your guard down, excitement
starts to fill your mind and heart again. You are once again excited about the
numerous opportunities that this country offers. You start discovering your potential, which empowers you to remain involved in your school or community.
You now regularly hang out with your newfound friends, and you enjoy their
company a lot. Waking up for school is now less dreadful than it was during the first month of school. Now, you look forward to living a new exciting life
in this country—as a student and as a youth.
5)
Continuous swim between the currents of two (or
more) cultures
You are now well adjusted to your life in
this country, but that does not mean that there will not be times when you will
suddenly miss your motherland again. Every now and then, you think
about what your life could have turned out to be if you did not emigrate your
home country at all. You will constantly ask yourself where your true “home”
is. Oftentimes, there will be no clear answer. That is okay, because here’s the
truth: the country that you left, and the country that you are now in are, in
one way or another, both your homes now. Do not worry about being confused as
to where your true loyalty lies. Even though you now are having a blast in this
country, you will still long for some memories that you created in your native
country. You can never entirely abandon your love for either country. So
there’s no point debating where your true home is. Just remind yourself of how
blessed you are to have two places that you can call home--not everyone is
given that chance.
- Sean
- Sean
