Last week I learned that…

• In the working world, it does not matter how hard you work. It does not matter how many nights you’ve sacrificed your sleep. It does not matter how much effort you put or how many things you are willing to try or how many things to forego. You will be appreciated when they need you. You will be called a champion. You will think that this is just the beginning of a successful path ahead, because you are being supported by your loved ones, employers and colleagues. Until one day it hits you like a brick.
• In the working world, money matters. As long as the money is there, everything is fine and dandy, but once it starts to deplete – you are nothing but a liability. You are nothing but another employee whose salary could be used to pay off debts or invest in other things. You are not your effort, work ethics or performance, you are merely just another ten-minute meeting to hear the bad news and a piece of paper that states your redundancy. I learned it the hard way.
• It is amazing how easily we form attachments to people, places and things. Most of the time, subconsciously. You are not necessarily aware of it – of how much you’ve grown accustomed to some things, and develop a certain fondness over particular habits, or a certain smell or a specific sight – until you realise that you will have to get used to being without it. And you are not truly sure how ready are you to form attachments to newer things. It will take a little getting used to. A little time and a little patience.
• Running away does not solve anything. But we all do this. We all try to escape. We sleep to keep the disturbing thoughts at bay. We drink to drown the sorrows. We light up cigarettes in hopes that the smoke will cloud our worries away. We watch movies and eat desserts everyday to just prolong the stress-free period a little longer. We workout to the point where our bodies could no longer hold us up and we’ll be too tired to think or act. But until when? Where exactly is the stop sign? Eventually everything that you run away from catches up to you. And that’s when you’ll find there’s nowhere else to go.
• I’ll be okay. Eventually.
• It is alright to change. It is alright to develop new habits. It is alright to cut some people loose. It is alright to keep some others closer. It is alright to put yourself first, once in a while.
• Whatever happens, just keep trying.