THINGS I LEARNED AT 25: AN OLD NOTE

I've been scrolling my old fancy notes sometime this week and I came by this note I made that says "25th". It was a note I made on the last day of my 24th year —a day before I turned 25.

I was a bit uneasy and anxious about the things I was going through and have to go through at this time. The thoughts like will everything change to something good when I turn 25? Will I reach my goals at this age? Where will I be and what will I be doing? Will I be happy in the next years? I was all afraid and anxious of what will come and what life has for me at this year.

The challenges I was going through at 24 consumed all parts of me, literally at all the aspects of my life, and made me reflect on this season I was in. Hence, the creation. Heck, this was the time reality hit hard like a slap on my face— I realized quarter life crisis is "legit-real"! I've heard about it, but didn't really bothered to believe it. So the whole quarterth stage was chaos—that's the least to say. It was a heavy feeling on my chest I had to unload. And so I thought, if I can't change what I had at 24, then I should atleast get takeaways from it. I should have learned from all of it so it all won't go to waste and welcome a new age like I'm all geared up and equipped with learned lessons.

If you are a busy bee, a hard working ant, an anxious bug, a pressured cat —someone who's going through the same situation or basically struggling in life, this note might help you.

Here's a snippet of the note I made:

——
Twenty-four years of existence and I've never learned so much about life until I reached this quarter. Almost reached 25 and it went even tougher for me. But for when it's best to learn about love and life? It is now. Here's a short list for quite a long year of reflecting and learning before 25:

1. Listen to your body. Take note of its complains and changes. Take care of it. We only have one. It's easy to get sick than recover. (Mura gud na ug relasyon, dali ra isud pero lisod igawas. Haha!)
2. We get sick at some point of our lives no matter how we try to stay fit or mind what we eat. Our bodies may break. Fight hard. Don't be consumed. Natural things happen in nature and we go through it as we are part of it. Don't let it tire you or let yourself see it in a way that you sickness is hopeless. Habang may buhay, may pag-asa.
3. Not everyone will listen. It's okay. Have yourself as a back up. Your shadows won't leave you and the Lord listens.
4. Learn to say "NO". You can't keep saying YES to people just so they will like you. Whether you say yes or no, no matter the answer, if people really like you, they will like you as you are.
5. Stop pleasing everyone. You can't please everyone. Some will judge you. Just let them. But prove them wrong.
6. Rest if you must. Take a pause. Breathe in and breathe out as much as you want until you're ready to fight again. Never welcome quitting as your option. Life is a long, hard journey and we all need a rest sometimes.
7. We all have our own timing. Pressure out, pals! We all have our own watch and we may not be running on the same pace but WE ARE ALL RUNNING. Our different paces is our own pace— never too slow, never too fast. It's just that we earn different things at our own & destined time.
8. We won't always be on top. We get a taste of being at the bottom. But this makes us appreciate all the good things and will push us to strive more and be on top again.
9. Not everyone will believe in you. But keep them close, let them watch you rise.
10. The right time for you will come. Never early, never late. Just wait and trust the process. If it's meant for you, then it'll be yours.
11. Risk and go for whatever makes you happy or is good for you —your soul, your heart and body. Life is too short to wait in vain and die with regrets from the past —the chances you didn't take, the steps you didn't leaped, the words you never said, the "worthy" people you refused to let in.
12. When things go down, there's nowhere ro go but up.
13. Failures are lessons taught the hardway, learned the hardway.
14. There will still be good things. Always. There will be bad days, but it won't last forever. Good days always come and happiness will prevail again. This is hope I'm referring.
15. The Lord is good and faithful. He will always be. 👆

Quarter life crisis has hit hard on me. Life is tough, always uncertain. It's a playing cycle. One day you're on top, next day it hits you rock-bottom. One day you're sad, next day you're happy. It goes on..

Stand up again. Win the fight. Finish strong.

Tomorrow, I am turning a year older and I am excited to see what more life can offer.

——

If you are currently facing the same situation or any difficulties and is fighting real hard, I honor you for getting this far and not giving up. I, on the other hand, was on the verge of giving up at this time as well. But when I looked back on the days and when I realized I have written much points from what I thought I didn't learn from the past, I was affirmed that I had learned and taken so much from what I went through. I may have lost the time, some people, all the efforts and all the other stuffs I invested in and put my heart into, but I didn't lose in life. I won wisdom and earned my strength.

Are you reading this far? I am far from being an expert in life (noone is) but did I help make you feel better? Well, I hope so. But you're still uncomfortable in your iwn thoughts, here's a little reminder. What I know is there's a 'fighter' in us that is always willing and trying to win our battles. We are all resilient in our own ways that we endure everything we can take. We are our own heroes. But if when time comes we can't get it our own way or things are too handful to bear alone, may we never forget to call upon the One who knows it all.

Love and light!
-Kach