The 5 Things I've Learned in 2025

 

1. There will be a humbling experience. 

I caught the flu two weeks before the exam period and I had to take two days off. But I didn't enjoy the time off. I tested negative from COVID but it was still a flu. I couldn't sit up because of the muscle ache on my leg. And there was still stress when work worries started creeping in. So I asked, what was the point of material things? What was the point of having free time? For a moment, I just sat on my bed and literally asked myself what should I do now? I'm too sick to do anything but I don't want to lie down. Sleep seemed to be the only thing to do. But if I closed the lights, I had a morbid thought of not waking up because of how awful I felt. If I kept them on, the light would keep me awake. So I just sat there on my bed. 

The third day I went back to work, and everything felt slow. Time was slow and my work routine felt lethargic. But I didn't want to take the time off because I work was piling up before the final exams period, the busiest time of the year in school. I need to appreciate the present.

There will be a humbling experience in life and I should learn from them. It's one of the reasons people come up with Proverbs. I have to make smart decisions how to spend my free time and take care of my health. 

2. Use longer vacations.

I take week long breaks during summer but it should be longer. It's because of the nature of my work when I'm involved in creating schedules, payroll, and approving work hours. Now I'm thoroughly convinced that I must take longer breaks. Rather there should be someone else creating the schedule but I don't think this will be a big issue. So I should explain this to my co-workers when I do take longer breaks.

I take issue at myself on this because my tendency is to work ahead and publish a two-week schedule for everyone. Work harder to get longer vacation, in short. But that shouldn't be the only solution. Instead there should be another peer who can create a work schedule.

Work was manageable about 4 years ago, but the increased work load during the recent school years simply became a huge burden. There's simply a lot of students and problem solving to the point that I'm not working on my videogame project anymore. I'm exhausted by the time I come home. And if I must do payroll at home, then so be it. I'm going to report them as overtime anyway.

And go to the beach.

3. What it is to be a relative or a friend.

What's the use to have relatives abroad? So that there's someone who can immediately help when it's needed.

This year was filled with real life problems and I'm just glad that I'm not a prop or a fake relative. I'm not boasting, but I'm just glad that people think that I'm reliable or helpful. Because it's not fun when people think the other way about you. So I'm happy that I was able to help. There was one time that I had to talk to two persons on the phone because they needed someone to talk to while I was preparing a wedding present.

But for real, what's the use of having relatives (or having friends) abroad if you're not helping? I asked myself. I should help whenever I could help because it's the right thing to do, and I know that I'm going to need help later on too. Sure, there are times that I can't help because of valid reasons. But I should lend an arm whenever I can because the regret may be heavy afterward.

4. Live in the present to make good memories.

Imagine being disconnected in an age of connection. When the Internet is supposed to connect people. But too often that I'm thinking about the past or the future when I'm living in the present. And too often I'm thinking about the lives of people oceans away from me when I have my own to live. I'm not focused on today which explains why life looks and feels bland. 

I didn't have a smartphone when when we went to the beach when I was a kid. There was no video when we played games on the street. There was no camera when I performed my first recital on the drums. And I didn't have anything useful to capture the memories of when we first arrived in Canada. But I remember them all.

Something made me sad today. I realized that I'm a big Peanuts fan. You know, the Snoopy comic by Charles M. Schulz. But I lost or misplaced the only Peanuts Movie that I had. I don't know where it is but that piece of film had memories of ten years ago. I got it during an age of growing up and defining my self-identity. Although I watched the movie and I liked it, the essence of getting it in the first place is somehow not genuine if I buy it again. This was when I was working multiple part-time jobs so I can buy what I want. Then I somehow a voice from growing up whispered that I need to graduate and get a permanent job. Some ten years ago. Now that connection between the past and today is lost. I'm sentimental that it's sometimes funny. Sad but funny.

Now I'm thinking have I been living truly in the present? Or have I been only thinking constantly about the future each day? Deep down I think that was the point of Charles Schulz why he made Peanuts and made timeless characters; that they were living in the present despite Charlie Brown thinking about his insecurities of the past or the future; still the cast was grounded in the present as the seasons pass by.

When we went to boxing day after Christmas, I felt like I made good memories. Yes, I think we did. So maybe I should rekindle my writing just to stay grounded on the present.

5. There should always be a goal in life.

Which brings me to this point. Life will just become a pointless re-run of weekdays and weekend if there is no goal to achieve. Life is not work. Work is not life. I lost my creativity when I stopped thinking about a goal. For example I stopped writing stories and I stopped developing my videogame. And my life became stale afterward. The goal can be anything. It can be looking toward a bank off, it may be a special someone, or it may be some kind of improvement to oneself. Whatever it is, we should be pursuing something in life.