"Life is not a mystery to be solved, it is a reality to be experienced"---Van Der Leeuw

Here are the 10 most important things I’ve learned in life so far, based on both experience and observance (in no particular order):

-If you don’t have anything good (as in positive, uplifting etc.) or useful to say, don’t say anything.
-Life is simple and if you don’t take it too seriously, you’ll see that everything will be fine in the end.  Things may happen that don’t make sense or that are upsetting now but in the future, their purpose (whether direct or indirect) will be made clear. Nothing (good or bad) lasts forever.

 -Our lives are relatively short (compared to the vastness of time), so it should be cherished and enjoyed. The time we waste won’t ever be given back to us so we really should make the most of every moment we’re here.

 - Relationships should never be about gain. Being selfless without being taken advantage of is ideal. A romantic relationship should not be started unless you are happy with yourself and ready to share that happiness with someone else.
-Actually treat others the way you want to be treated no matter how they treat you, but know when to leave if you’re in any sort of danger (physical, emotional etc.). You can’t be surprised at the way things are in the world if you are only contributing to the negative/immoral aspects.

• Laughing keeps you young and healthy. So does refraining from smoking and doing harmful drugs, not drinking alcohol, drinking lots of water, exercising and constantly learning new things.
• Reading is great (so is Jeopardy!). It’s important to not believe everything you read though.
• Follow your own dreams and goals, or you’ll end up miserable and might have already wasted many years before you realize it. Also, don't be afraid of aiming too high; the human mind is amazing and can accomplish some great things. 
• It’s important to have at least one great friend and/or one real-life role model. They keep you humbled, sane and motivated. It’s also a good idea to try to be these things for others.
• There is no point trying to figure out the answers to those deep philosophical questions (meaning of life etc.). The only thing that matters is that you have some sort of idea or faith (your own personal answer) that you can live with and are satisfied with or you’ll find yourself going crazy searching for an objectively correct answer that will most likely never be known or doesn't even exist.  

What are the ten most important things that you've learned?

“When you’re young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then, you grow up and learn to be cautious.” Carrie Bradshaw

(This is an old post that I wrote and deleted but decided to post again because I really like it :))

Remember when we were children?  We could say anything we wanted, be as honest as we wanted, and no one would mind because they knew we were just kids. Or, they would be mad at us for five minutes.

Remember when we were children? All we wanted to do was explore the world and find treasure or things no one had discovered because it was fun and there were no worries in our lives.

Remember when we were children? We asked a hundred random questions in the span of a week because we were so curious about everything and everyone around us.

Remember when we were children?We would walk up to just about anyone and be their best friend within two minutes because we didn’t judge anyone, hold grudges and had an open mind.

Then we grew up.

We don’t say what we want anymore because we’re afraid of what others will think. They might think something far from reality.

We don’t look to explore the world anymore, just the back of the store we work in for a bit of money.  It’s where we spend most of our lives anyway.

We don’t ask random questions anymore because we’re afraid of sounding dumb or getting weird looks from others.

We don’t walk up to anyone anymore because we fear rejection and have been told not to trust strangers.

But why don’t we do these things anyway?

Why do we care what anyone else thinks of what we honestly say or think of them? It’s like a cyclical game that we trap ourselves in.

Half the people we know now, we won’t know in a few years. Most of the people we encounter in day, we won’t see tomorrow. And even if we do see them everyday for the next five years of your life, what difference does it make?  At the end of our lives, we don’t want to be regretting not saying, doing or asking things just because we were afraid of what someone would think. We should do what makes us happy and in the most honest way possible. As long as we know what we’re doing and the truth behind it, we’d be at peace with ourselves and that’s the most important thing. So long as we’re not trying to intentionally hurt anyone, we should do what we really feel like doing and say what we really feel like saying. It just makes you feel so much more alive and real. Even if some won’t understand you, some will. That in itself is a great feeling.   

I’d like to think that if there is some sort of judgment day, we would be judged based on our thoughts and intentions behind every action, not just the action itself. 

Why do we spend our lives caught up in a menial job? It’s like a meaningless other world that we get lost in.

What good would it do for you at the end of the day? Put some money in your leather Gucci wallet, of course. But is that a reason to lose yourself?  I don’t believe it is. No one should get so caught up in something so mundane and routine that they become living zombies.

The point I’m trying to make is that many people become boring and stop enjoying life when they become adults.  It’s really sad and disappointing. I don’t ever want to lose my “childish” mind. I already feel like it’s slipping away but I try my best to hold onto it. By that, I don’t mean that I’m afraid to become independent, go out into “the real world,” and be civil.  I mean that I don’t want to stop questioning, I don’t want to stop being real and honest, I don’t want to worry about every little thing that happens, I don’t want to give up on my desire for adventure just because it’s what the majority of society does.

Assuming that this is our only chance at life (that there is no other after), I want to make it the best that it could possibly be. To do so, I choose to remain “a child.”

 

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it"-Confucius

Here's some of my photography from the past year. Click the image for a better view.