Just Another Day…

2011, I never would have predicted that the year would be as exciting, uplifting, and also a year to discover new things for myself as well. Now, as the year started I had little idea that I would see the things that I have seen or the things that I have heard. Here are 5 of the top lessons I have learned this year:

5. You have to realize when you have been beaten

This is something that I learned the hard way in the beginning of the year as I saw that some of my bad habits caught up with me. I started exercising less and caring about eating more. I also started to realize that sometimes your friends got the best of you and maybe it was for the best that you didn’t change but they did. I felt in a way I was better than them just because I hadn’t changed but in fact people shouldn’t thrive to be like that. I told myself that but then all of a sudden I had a change of heart as I realized later on that people changing on you is when you have been beaten and maybe you should move on. You shouldn’t have to constantly remind yourself that they can change and possibly come back. Defeat is a good thing and in doing so it can be served as a reminder that any loss is a good loss as you look for a silver lining. I also ended up getting diagnosed with PKD which is a disease of the kidney where multiple cysts form in your kidney, which if taken care of, can become better. It was painful for two days but nonetheless going into see a nephrologist was helpful as I talked with her about my cysts and it was helpful to know that I should have taken care of myself. I now have realized that eating a bit healthier and bringing lunch everyday to work is better in terms of health and it’s also a big burden off of my wallet. One last thing that I have learned that when you have been beaten is the idea of facing the idea that finishing something that you should have a year or two before comes back to haunt you. I wasn’t able to do Math at De Anza College because I had already dropped it a handful of times and therefore I couldn’t take it there. I ended applying at Mission College for the next Winter session but it still burns inside of me sometimes that me taking classes that were not necessarily needed hurt me in the long run. It was my fault but I did end up meeting some fine people in those classes but now I know that finishing at De Anza was one of my goals and I got it (partially) done.

4. Meeting and getting to know people is something everyone should strive for

One of the main themes of the year has been this idea that social networking has ruled the world for some time now. I know plenty of people probably “reconnect” or “catch up” on these social networking sites but the truth is, I have gotten to meet some great people this year and even gotten to know people that I wouldn’t have imagined myself doing so. I remember meeting this one guy in my Geography class early in the year and we would usually talk about the material in the class but beyond that we would talk about lifestyle, movies, and other topics as well. I remember that at work as well there is this girl that I was too shy to talk too because she was too stand offish and she also came off as stuck up to me but one day I said ‘why I don’t I try’? One day I did talk to her and it felt better to at least say to myself that you did it! Ever since then, we have gotten accustomed to saying Hi to each other and chatting at least 2 or 3 times every shift we end up working together. I also got to talk to one of my old friends from my childhood who I hardly see anymore because he is busy with the drama that goes on in his life. He has a girlfriend that has been “pregnant” on and off for close to four years now and even though I don’t keep in touch with the guy regularly I can see that  the girl may just be playing him but that may just be his nature, we all do things for our loved ones even though we know better than to keep feeding that monster. I have gotten to keep hanging with my buddy, Ricky, which is always something I look forward to. We call them meetings but in fact they turn from meetings to hangouts sometimes which is something I don’t mind at all. The lesson I have learned here is that talking to people in class such as an environmental science class is important towards establishing rapport. I met three people in that class that I saw as good people and anywhere you go in life you will encounter these type of people.

3. I discovered Drug Dealing (Not what you think)

Towards the end of last year, I started watching this TV show Weeds on Netflix and I realized after the 1st season that it was something different and flashy. I saw that the actress Mary-Louise Parker was on it, who from West Wing fame, had been someone who’s acting I was intrigued by because she sounded stoned most of the time but she was good at doing so. The basic premise is a suburban mom who’s husband has died and now she has to raise her family by resorting to selling drugs. However, along the way she has to encounter obstacles, fight the system, and also make sure she doesn’t harm anyone in the process (sounds like an oxymoron for a drug dealer though). I finished a season almost every month starting from January all the way up to the season premier of season 7. Now, not every season was great as some characters that were my favorites dissapeared or were killed off. Some episodes left for more excitement to the next and some I just dreaded as they had little to no plot advancement. Nonetheless, the main core that has stuck around have been Andy, Shane, Nancy, Silas (all Botwins) and Doug Wilson. My top 10 episodes (so far, the show has not ended but the 7th season has been quite a surprise as it has a slow pace but the story is much easier to understand)

1. Mrs. Botwin’s Neigborhood

2. The Godmother

3. Pittsburgh

4. Bill Sussman

5. Boomerang

6. Theoretical Love is not Dead

7. All about My mom

8. Super Lucky Happy

9. The Whole Blah Damn Thing

10. The Punishment Light

Check it out!

2. Being Patient

Sometimes being patient can be frustrating but it’s something that I have learned to take along in stride because it is a skill above all else. Being able to be patient is something that I have decided to learn because you can be in a number of situations that can call for this but you never call upon yourself to actually say ‘be patient’. I can say that it has helped in terms of study habits and as well as being able to do exercise of some sort. It may take a while to actually get to your goal but even if you don’t get there right away it takes patience to be able to master or to get to any sort of goal.

1. Express yourself and let your feelings out

This is something that I referenced earlier but being able to do it myself has definitely led towards having a much more calmer sense. I’m not saying it’s perfect but staying quiet is not something I’m a big fan of. If I disagree with something at work, I’ll let some authority figure know but I’ll say it in a way that doesn’t sound too offensive or too big. If I wear something or don’t dress a certain way, I don’t believe anyone is going to care because if they have something to say please do say it. Also, talking with someone about your fears, doubts, goals, and everything else can serve as a sort of discussion points conversation points because you want to be able to get other’s opinions. It is easy to be quiet but it can also be served as a point to get yourself out there. It can be served as a tool to say that you are of a concentrating type but you also have to come across as being approachable and also forthcoming towards people.

Well, as you can see I have learned quite a lot this year and I hope to continue that within the year. I will be going on vacation soon but before that I want to post the remaining pictures I have from Project 365 which I am heavily into as I look to continue my journey into looking for new things to photograph and have as a good representation of the year.