It's more than half of January in, how are you doing? Have you remembered to stop and look around at the things around you? Or are you already overwhelmed with the workload, be it in school or at work? The start of the year is often chaotic: everyone is picking up on incomplete tasks left before the Christmas break.
This is the first January I've started with work on 2 Jan. It was a weird feeling, I have to admit. Not that I really mind it, it has still been a surprisingly chill first few weeks. What's different is that this January, I feel like I'm in a 'going through motion' phase of my life. There's a sort of routine, and life is getting more stable - or rather, I'm choosing not to think about things that are out of my control. This has made it a really unusual: I had absolutely no motivation to write new year resolutions (anyway I don't particularly do them anymore, you can read why here), and I did not have the resolve to make any significant changes - not that I had the need to anyway. It's certainly been strange in that sense. Weirdly peaceful.
First time I saw the northern lights! It's already been over a year...Oct 2023
Have I been struggling a little with the meaning in life? Perhaps. I don't think it's ever fully evaded me. I'm definitely not extremely happy in Singapore at the moment, but I definitely am comfortable. I've been spending a fair amount of time (and money) on yixing teapots and tea, and watching way too many videos. I guess it's something to spend my excess time. Strangely enough, I haven't been reading as much as I would like (I still do read almost everyday, just not as much as I was in December), and my creativity in writing seems a bit stifled too. I hope this piece isn't boring you...
So what do I really want to say here? I'm not sure, really. I guess it's just a reminder to all my readers (if you do read every post, thank you) to take a moment to stop, and think, and observe the leaves swaying in the wind, the birds chilling on branches, and the flowers that brighten up our day. And if you've already broken some new year resolutions (like 'exercise 5 times a week or of that kind'), don't be too hard on yourself. Just do your best to slowly improve. After all, life isn't about achieving goals all the time. Be happy with the small things you manage to do.
As cliche as it is, time doesn't stop for anyone. It's really easy, I've found, to be swept away in our mad rush to get work done, that we forget to spend time with the people important to us. And to take care of ourselves. At the end of the day, what is work really for? For most people - myself included - it's just something to earn money and tide us over. But don't lose sight of the things that matter to you. There's no reclaiming back what's lost. (Ok, maybe you can reclaim back money and material things, but you get what I mean).
And most importantly, if there is something that you really want to do, or something you really want to say to someone else, go do it. The days pass by so quickly, before you know it, it'll be the end of Chinese New Year. Be brave, take the step over the cliff and see what you fall into. Who knows, maybe there's an oasis there...
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Music of choice: Stand by Your Man (album) by Candi Staton
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