2016

I have little (or too much) to say about 2015. It was ushered out of our lives so quickly that I couldn't properly document or immerse myself in the memories made this year. However, some gratitude needs to be expressed before I move on to my resolutions.

Dear Universe,

I am... overwhelmed. Thank you for taking care of me in my time of need. A simple scroll down the front page of this dying journal was enough to take me several months back, to a time so dark and impossibly bleak that thinking about it makes me fear the worst. And I don't say this lightly. Sure - I spent about a year rolling around in thorns, nursing myself with parties and alcohol and late nights. Even then, I was thankful that you've brought me safely into 2015. You took me slowly out of that lifestyle, friends in tact, and brought me into a new stage of my life faster than I would've hoped to expect. And in the most hilariously unpredictable manner.

Thank you for bringing me an Aidan. Thank you for showing me what a loving working environment can look like. Thank you for giving me a shot at a normal life.

Thank you for letting me reap the fruits of last year's labour. I can't put this gratitude into words. Even so, I feel your presence. Despite trying my best to be a toughie, I do feel looked after by a force that exceeds my own. And that's something I can't explain to many.

For that, and that alone, I will continue trying my best to do good in this world. I will try even harder to be that good person.

So, in 2016, I would like to remind myself -

1. That tough times don't last, but tough people do. Stay tough. Don't give up on projects or people as easily as you think you should. 
2. To prioritise physical and mental health.
3. To make understanding a priority. Seek to understand, to investigate, and to ask about situations, concepts or things which you are completely unaware or ignorant about.
4. To better connect with my family. To make a greater effort at communication, to keep my temper in check, and to put them above other matters. 
5. To stay optimistic and hopeful, especially in situations where these feelings are scarce.
6. To make drastic improvements in my career and line of work. Initiate the study sponsorship, ask enough questions to facilitate a handover process, seek to understand my department function in a way that contributes more than the operational scope. 
7. To keep myself well groomed and presentable at all times.
8. To take chances when it comes to seemingly novel or unconventional adventures. If you're offered a chance to try something once-in-a-lifetime, take it. Panic later.
9. To prioritise the right friends and loved ones. 
10. To give myself at least 2 nights of alone time for me to recover from a week's activities.
11. That trying and failing is better than not having tried at all. So don't turn down opportunities just because you are afraid.