“Be the change you want to see in the world”
Although this quote has been used sufficiently in varying circumstances to almost be classified as cliché, it is as true as it can be. Yet, even if we feel like we should be more motivated to actually take that step to make a chance, how many of us truly do walk that extra mile to really give it a try.
“What have you done today to make you feel proud?”
The song repeats this question over and over again, I search my brain for an answer, and I wish I could blame it on my short-term memory that I couldn’t remember, though maybe somedays I just get so caught up in life to really do things that are worth doing.
Today, I celebrated my friend’s birthday.
Although it wasn’t a brilliantly organised birthday party, the cosy lunch with a lot of ‘discrete’ card and cake passing had ended up in a wonderful time spent just enjoying our time with our small group of friends. At the very least, I had hoped that we made her feel that she was loved by each and everyone of us. Today, I made my friend smile, and it made me feel proud.
Today, I paid attention in lectures.
Due to several late nights of a combination of work and procrastination, the month of November had been a mixture of well-absorbed lectures as well as ones where I struggle to keep my eyelids open in the dimmed lecture theatre. However, managing my sleep a little more had been my strategy, and I guess it’s working pretty well. Today, I stayed awake in lectures, and it made me feel proud.
Today, I went to Alpha.
There are always excuses for you not to do something. It always comes down to prioritisation. Which part of your life is it that you want to spend time on. Throughout the past few weeks, I had missed the alpha course at my church due to other time commitments to school societies. However, I could’ve easily chosen the other path and ended up saying ‘I had missed many society events at my university due to other time commitments to my church’. Today, I prioritised differently, and it made me feel proud.
During a lecture where they had taught us how to manage our stress, they had suggested ‘Mindfulness’.
MINDFULLNESS
/ˈmʌɪn(d)f(ʊ)lnəs/
The quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.
Even the NHS had been promoting this state of mindfulness, of being calm and noticing your state of mind to improve your mental health. It is so easy to get caught up in the things of this life to truly appreciate every minute you spend time or put effort into one thing or another. There is a slight beauty in finding the time to really reflect on your day and your life. Where you were in the past, where you are now, and where you want to be in the future.
“It’s an uplifting song that makes me feel like anything is possible.”
Although the friend who had suggested this song isn’t someone whom I had known for very long, I can truly say that she is always a positive driving force in my life. We laugh at each other, we complain to each other, and we also move on with each other. She is always someone whom I know that after a bad day, no matter what, she could be someone I trust to help me move along in my life, and instead of looking to the bad, she helps me look at the brighter side.
There is a song that I really like from home, it’s called “雲上太陽” (direct translation: ‘the sun above the clouds’). It talks about how in any circumstance, even in the darkest valleys, there is always hope because the sun remains the same beyond the clouds. It may seem like everything is falling apart, but just look to the skies and remember that whatever happens, the sun remains unchanged. Always.
https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=https://play.spotify.com/track/6mn15kWtqGdQtBYIx9L3Kc
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