2017: Passion for Lesson

Another year has gone, and being its survivor has its perks—you get to write about your survival, and that presumably seems to capture your readers’ attention more as compared to the story of resilience and of how you were able to withstand every adversity that came your way. 

Trust me, it holds a larger amount of interest of knowing about the struggle rather than its resolution.

You see, I don’t get to write as frequently as before; my last entry was a book review of the first book of the Harry Potter series, and it is obvious that I have not written any more reviews about the books that have I have read after throughout the year. For the Harry Potter series, I'm already in Book 5!

Though this year is considered to be somewhat testy and arduous, I have learned so much from my own experiences, most especially from the stories that I have read, watched and listened to.

I have learned to stay alive.

Hamilton, an epic musical composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda which talks about the story of one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, Alexander Hamilton, and the riveting and poignant story of Walt Disney that is portrayed in the biographical drama film, Walt Before Mickey, both taught me that despite the struggle of overcoming adversities on the road of success, you gain the accretion of developing resilience, courage and determination from the mishaps along the way. 

To be frank, life would be more difficult to go through with complications and conflicts. I'm sure that each and every one of us would want to come home with food on the dining table, a roof above our heads, our goals set accordingly and achieved by the end of the day, and a bed to sleep in at night until morning. However, not everything is compromised; not everything is laid out or done easy. You would have to sacrifice everything to succeed, and it’s all in the matter of knowing your priorities, and by doing so, one would continue to take his or her baby steps to rise and progress above the ashes despite the cost. Though it is inevitable to fail or to have the lack of progress coming, it is important to have the strength to strive and journey on. Adversities are for strengthening you and you have to hold on and stay strong. 

Here's Walt Disney to remind you:

For all we know, maybe you can change the world, too. Just believe in yourself and in what you can do. It's time to tell the world that:

F.R.I.E.N.D.S., an American television sitcom, taught me that despite the world wanting to be perfect with its high expectations for people that would soon turn into its very own robots with less emotions but with pure obedience, there are people in your life who are loving and supportive of who you are.

They are the people who will always give you a thumbs-up for the effort you've exerted even if you've failed your own boss and would eventually might get you fired; they are the people who will always offer their own shoulder to cry on if you do lose your job; they are the people who will confront you and tell you to get off your butt and look for a job because that’s how much they care and are concerned for you; they are the people who will still be there for you, supporting and counting on you to continue doing what you do best even if you’d lack the time for them due to your job if you don't get fired at all. 

I have also learned and realized this year that I am blessed to have such amazing friends who have grown to care and love me for who I am. They may not be perfect, but they make my life a whole lot more colorful than it already is. They inspire me to live within the colors to which they have painted a great rainbow. Wow, that sounded sweet. Too sweet. But it's the best feeling in the world to know that there are people who care a lot for you and wouldn't wish for your death to come soon even if you hoped to.

Harry Potter, written by the splendid J.K. Rowling, has taught me (and will continue to teach me) that there are a countless things that matter in this life that cannot be bought by money, or by a flick of a wand would just appear or happen. Being an ambitious person, like myself, can certainly make you lose track of the bigger picture. But mind you, there's nothing wrong with being ambitious, as long as you don't lose track of who you are and undermine your ability to care what it takes to be a human being. A lot of people do, and yes, they turn into robots!

You are living this life, and you're human. You have goals, but you also have a heart, a passion, and a reason to care. Don't let time tick by without the knowledge of what truly matters, and hey—we live for those happy memories. 

Expecto Patronum!

- Albus Dumbledore                                     

The Great Gatsby, written by one of the most renowned authors in American literature, F. Scott Fitzgerald, taught me that truly, money can't buy us love or friends that can possibly make us merry for a lifetime. Think about how the rich and famous, Jay Gatsby, who was able to invite the most opulent people of his time to his mansion that have done nothing but consume his riches and take part in his lavish parties insensibly, only for hopes of achieving his attempts to Daisy's return to him with the attraction of his home has ended up with none of those people who have attended Gatsby's parties attend his funeral. Not even Daisy. 

Though Gatsby had the money in all the world even though he have received it in an illegal manner, he had tried so hard to forget about his past and look forward to into the future. But doing so, has always been so hard, knowing that you've cheated in some way along the way. 

But we are all humans, just trying to fight off our inner-struggle. 

"So we beat on, 

boats against the current, 

borne back ceaselessly into the past."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby, 1925)

The story of the Dunkirk evacuation during the Second World War in 1940 of the British Expeditionary Force and other allied troops from the French seaport of Dunkerque to England safely, as I have watched it this year in the cinemas that had the said title, Dunkirk, has taught me that anyone can be a hero. Some people might consider the evacuation from the war by the soldiers were counted as a loss from battle, but knowing that they have defended and fought for their country and its people until their last breath has inspired and strengthened the nation to come to their aid and rescue them.

And they did. Successfully. 

It taught me that a hero is considered one when he or she helps the hero.

Moana taught me that our loved ones don’t really leave us. They really don't... but not in a creepy way. 

I have never loved any other scene in Moana as much as this.

2017, just as I conclude all the years of my life, has never been easy, but it did teach me well. I'm 21 and I can hardly wait to face 2018. Knowing that a lot of things will change and that it's going to expect so much of me in return, I can't help but feel a bit terrified. But I guess, as long as I do my best and become a better person, I'd be able to go through any adversity I'd face and journey on.

Life can never be easy. But one thing is for sure: you can be happy. 

You can choose to be.