Now every field is clothed with grass, and every tree with leaves; now the woods put forth their blossoms, and the year assumes its gay attire. ~Virgil
2010. A year of good intentions and its realizations.. The year when I have fully exercised maturity and independence. As I come to the closing hours of this year, I’d like to summarize the lessons of 2010 in 12 words:
I clicked that “register” button one lazy Saturday morning and that was how a mere fraction of a second changed my life forever. I will never forget what my good friend told me about discerning our destiny. He said “there is a grand plan for everyone, but it is up to us to determine the course we will take to get there.”
Moving to another country was just an idea I’d usually toy with when I was stressed. However, I didn’t put much thought into them and I had all the excuses not to. I was living “the life” back home. I have a healthy relationship with family and friends. I was financially stable. And regardless of how stressful work was, it was within my comfort zone. Likewise, I didn’t really know what I wanted. I just wanted to do something different, something grand.
Not knowing what you want usually spells danger. But in this case, it was the driving force that led me to do something I have never done before: Pick one, do it, and think about it later.
Life presents us many options. There are too many good opportunities that greet us each waking day. Once we recognize them, we are either too lazy or too scared to act on them. I am one of those people who often suffer from, what my former GM calls, “analysis paralysis.” I tend to over think things and I seem to have a knack for confusing myself.
For a time I got distracted by too many good alternatives--too good that I was tempted not to pursue the “crazy” idea anymore. But then again, the curiosity for the unknown squeezed its way in. In the end, I was more at peace with “crazy” and “unknown” than “comfort” and “certainty.”
There is truth in the saying that “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it!” I have learned that the innermost desires of our hearts were placed by a powerful force of love (aka God) together with the tools to turn them into reality.
When I offered my decision to move, everything fell into place. Blessings, both big and bigger, came my way even before I asked for them. Indeed, all things are possible with God!
The perfect formula for the success of every decision always includes a cupful of risk. In my GFS despedida, I remember being asked this question: “What do you think are the most important characteristics one must possess to survive GFS?” I answered, “tigas ng mukha and tapang ng lobo.”
I guess this response does not apply only to my former company but to life itself. Too often we avoid a grand decision in favour of security. Being the planner (and control freak) that I am, packing my bags without any concrete plan is something I have always avoided. I have always been ten steps ahead and I have been planning my life ever since I can. But for the first time, I have fully let go because I wanted to be more open to God’s surprises. I have stopped planning my life and just followed my intuition. It frightened the crap out of me but this, I believe, was the best decision I made this year.
(To be continued..)
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