Live. Laugh. Dance. Jump. Shout. Play.

(The effect of a weekend at Sagada...)

Studying is not the only way we can learn. Books are not the only source of knowledge. There are so many things out there, so many people, so many places; so much to experience that could teach us the most important things in life that we have to know. And sometimes, the most important things and lessons are not taught in school or read in books, we just have to go out there and discover and learn it with ourselves.

There is more to life than having high grades or being academically excellent. Sometimes, by being so focused on that one thing – academics, we lose in touch with all else – which are all the more important. We tend to be concentrated on that one thing that the things that we really want to do are neglected and compromised, making us unhappy and in the future, we fail to see the end that we had hoped for. Balance plays the most important part in our lives – balance on everything that makes our existence worthwhile, the actual reasons why we live, the purpose of our life.

There is no other time to be happy but today. There is no other time to do the things that we want to do but today. Because today is the only day we can control for yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not certain. If you want something done, do it today and do it because you want to not because you have to.

Happiness is a matter of choice. And yes, I choose to be happy. I choose to live the way I want. To achieve my dreams, I know I have to work hard – really hard. But on second thoughts, it’s not really working hard because achieving my dream is something that I want to do. And since I want it, I am happy doing it – it may be working hard but without feeling like carrying a heavy burden. I want to secure my future but more than that, I want to secure my present. If something goes wrong on my way to the future, at least I have done what I want and I won’t have any regrets. The more we think about the future, the less we live today because we are always so excited about tomorrow that we forget that today is the tomorrow we have yesterday.

I am tired of thinking about the future. I am done hoping and waiting for the future, which, in actuality, is something that will never end. We don’t live in the future – not in the dreams that we have for ourselves, not for who we hope we are by then. If we wait for the future, it’s like waiting forever and waiting for nothing at all.

All I want to say is… do whatever makes you happy as long as it falls down within the bounds of your values and principles. Prepare for your future but please do not forget that today was once the future that we have waited in the past. Achieve your dreams but do not overdo things. You’ve got one life and only one chance to live it. Enjoy it. Live. Laugh. Dance. Jump. Shout. Play. Do the things you’ve always wanted to do – and there is no other right time to do it but today.

*Tinatamad na mag-aral. Malapit na ang bakasyon! :)*