1. If you want to have something you never had, you need to do something you've never done before.

I know this might sound a cliche but this is very true to me. You can't expect different outcomes from the same actions. I believe in fate but I also believe in hardwork. You do not necessarily wait for something to happen. Sometimes you need to move your ass and make things happen. 

Or maybe you have exerted enough effort and even did your best. Yet you are not getting your desired outcome. It will help to take some time to reflect. Do some sort of a year review. If your actions are not taking you somewhere you want to be, it could be an indicator that you need to change your ways and do things differently next year.

2. Your partner or significant other should support you and believe in your dreams

Seriously, if your boyfriend or girlfriend does not believe in you, it should be enough reason to break up with him or her. Your dreams are important to you and the person you are in a relationship with should know, see and feel that. We might fail many times but it's even more painful when the person we expect to cheer us up is actually the person dragging us down.

Your partner's love for you should not be limited to physical aspect. I don't know if it's just me but I'm always after someone's heart and soul. But I do have a thing for smart people, too. Anyway, I just want to point out that it's hard to even imagine that someone is telling you that he or she loves you and yet,  that person doesn't believe in your dreams and your ability to fulfill them. That sucks, right?

3. Being alone doesn't mean you're lonely

I learned to see the beauty on being alone. We now live in the modern technology  era where we can easily connect to people. So much that privacy and social media break have become a luxury. It's okay to be alone especially nowadays. Consider it as having a date with yourself. You could just relax and not think of anything or you could also take this time to think about the plans you have for yourself.

I guess this is why I loved my Bali trip. I wasn't alone the whole time, though. But some days, I was. Also, as some of you know, I'm always anxious about traveling by plane. I'm happy and proud to say that I went to Bali alone and also went back to Manila alone. I dealt with the flight anxiety thing all by myself. 

I also managed to do several things alone like eating and walking along the streets. It's always different when you do things in a place you've never been before. Sometimes we're afraid to do things alone but once we do, outcomes can be pretty amazing. 

4. It's a year of self-discovery

I tried A LOT of things this year. I've been asked questions like "Do you know what you are doing?", "Are serious about that?" and many more. To be fair, I wasn't really sure what I really want and it's why I had to try so many things. There might be no single thing that I am very good at. But knowing myself, there are so many things that I can actually do and accomplish. Personally, this life is a journey and I will keep choosing to discover myself, my passions and my full potential.

Now I am working on something and it's all about a chosen passion or path. It's safe to say that I wouldn't know that this is the right path for me if I haven't tried the others as well. The choices I had before helped me determine which way to go next. 

5. I met people whom I now consider friends

We all met people in 2019. Some literally just passed by and some were meant to stay. Perfect example of the latter for me are the people from my previous job. Even though I left that company, I'm still connected personally with some people I used to work with. It's nice because we have more things to share to each other now than before wherein we would only talk about work-related stuff.

I also attended this certification course where I met great people. When I enrolled, I only had this one thing in my mind and that is to finish the course because it's one of the things I need to do to move forward with my career. But guess what? I did not only finish the course but I was also able to build a relationship with my classmates who are now friends. Amazing!

6. Surround yourself with passionate people

You have to decide what passion you want to pursue at the moment and the next step to take after that is to be with people who share that same passion as you. You'll be surprised how much growth you will experience by just working with them. Not only they will help you but you will also be able to help them. In this way, you grow together by inspiring and motivating one another.

It's always an exciting experience to talk about your passion when you know that people around you are interested to listen to your stories, mainly because they understand you. They feel what you feel. These people are the supportive type and they will help you grow and be successful. 

7. Time heals

I'm sure you've heard this too many times already but yeah, it does. Sometimes we feel too much pain like it's almost impossible to forgive. You need to respect yourself and allow time to heal all wounds. 

Don't force yourself if you are not ready to forgive yet. Give yourself time and move on. Later on you will find yourself whole again and it's probably the right time to forgive the person who hurt you. It's really a painful experience but at the end of the process, you are a wiser and better person. The moment you realize that you have forgiven someone is the same moment that you realize how mature you have become after all the bad stuff you went through. 

8. Don't rush. Trust God's timing.

My younger sister got married this year. I'm really happy for her but also part of me was sad for myself because it felt like I'm being left behind. I even questioned my life choices. Eventually, I had a better perspective of the situation. I learned that it's about enjoying and celebrating my own journey. I was reminded that we all have different timelines and different lives. 

Just look where you are right now. You are far from where you were last year. Focus on yourself. It's also good to assure yourself that God is not yet done with you. Trust Him and trust the process. At this point, I am no longer just talking about marriage. This one is also applicable to career, school or pretty much anything. 

It's not always about the end-result. Often times, it's the journey that we enjoy most. 2020 is coming. Buckle up, 'coz it's gonna be a long ride. Make sure you enjoy each moment. 

9. Best way to explain yourself to others? Don't.

We all know people who would always judge us or comment about us or what we do. I used to care so much about protecting my name but now I am more concerned on maintaining my inner peace. You can choose to defend yourself and  explain why you do things that you do or you could just simply ignore them and continue to live a peaceful life. Your choice. 

As long as you are not hurting anyone and you know you're not doing anything bad, then you're good. It's time to become the unbothered king or queen you should have been a long time ago. 

10. Risks are scary but necessary

I made a very important decision this year. I  have been wanting to try something but it will need me to also give up things that I worked hard for. It was only this year that I finally made that decision to really go for it. Honestly, I was scared. I still am but I am more excited now than scared.

I didn't want another year to pass without me addressing the urge to pursue a different passion. It was a risky move but I had to do something about it. Otherwise, I will live another year full of what ifs, wondering how things will turn out if I did something I'm always scared to do.

This is somehow related to #1. I know it feels nice to stay in our comfort zones but not so much when you already feel stagnant or stuck like there's no more space for growth. You have to be willing to take risks if you want to go somewhere or want to be something else. Sometimes the only way to find out is to try. Always remember to risk carefully, though. As an old saying goes, "Don't put all your eggs in one basket". As we grow older, we learn the art of taking risks and I think that is beautiful.

11. Setting of priorities

12. Be kind to others but don't forget to be kind to yourself as well.

That's it! I know there are other things that 2019 taught me and I won't probably be able to put everything here. But I did include the best ones I had.

How about you? What did 2019 teach you? I'm sure there's a lot. I hope we use these lessons to better ourselves in 2020. Happy New Year, everyone!

It's almost 12 midnight, I am still wide awake. I am all about contemplating what it really means to be happy as an adult. Or is there any possibility that I could live a happy life as an adult. Because being an adult is one thing. Experiencing quarter-life crisis is another. 

When I was young, I was taught how being practical is important. At a young age, I learned that when I grow up, I need to pick a job that will give me a good pay. As time goes by, I learned this, well, not entirely new but different concept: Passion. I have observed that younger generation believes that everything we do should always be fueled by passion. Or at most, should be based on that. In general, it's also a good thing. 

When was the last time you felt so much passion in doing something?

Passion can be tricky, though. It could change as time goes by. Especially when you are passionate about many things. As you grow older, you get to know yourself more. The things you love and you hate doing.

You may find yourself passionate on something today but feel differently about it tomorrow. Every day is a day to discover a new passion. After all, we live in a world where anything is possible.

On the other hand, I know for a fact that the people who pushed me to choose my profession wanted nothing but for me to have a bright future and a comfortable life.

When you become an adult, your problems are becoming more intense than they used to be. And when you have serious obligations and big responsibilities to your family, you are most likely to follow what was told to you during childhood and that is to get a high-paying job. It's not that bad. Remember, you have a family to feed and bills to pay.

You've always been fine until you realize that you also have an obligation to yourself. You need to make sure that you do what's best for you and that you are happy. I hate to break it to you but at the end of the day, you only have yourself.

Let's say you have already figured out what you really want to do in life. You have found your passion. Still, it's not easy because you have to make several adjustments and sacrifices if you want to pursue your passion. You need to make heartbreaking decisions like giving up a career which you tried building for years. I guess that's all part of it. 

But you know what's even more heartbreaking?

It is the reality that you are living in a third-world country, a poor country, wherein "following your passion" is not an ideal thing to do. Simply because, you were not born rich.

You tend to prioritize your physiological needs. I may be wrong but for most people in my country, passion doesn't always bring you food on your dining table. At some point, you kind of need to choose whether you want to fill a hungry stomach or fill a hungry heart. Again, this is not the case for everyone but I would say, for most people.

For the longest time, I have been thinking about this. To the extent that I'm having sleepless nights doing nothing but just contemplate. Sometimes I cry and pray. Sometimes I write just to lessen the stress in my head and to lighten the burden I have in my heart. Just like now.

Soon, I gotta need to make a decision. I know. I can't stay like this forever. But I just feel I need to make a move and get away from this cycle. I can't just go with the flow all the time. I need a direction. I need to pursue something definite and achieve something specific.

This is a journey. A turning point. An encounter that we need to face. A struggle that we need to fully embrace. All adults come to a point where they make difficult decisions. Mature decisions. This is one of those.

Kev

I travel, post photos and even write an article about it. If you ever find that annoying, please continue reading because you might learn something from this.

There are times when I post a lot. Yes, I know that. But I don't do it just to brag or boast. Moreover, it will sadden me if you feel negative about yourself after seeing something I posted on social media. I know that I am not responsible for what people will feel about the things I do. After all, it would really depend on the audience. But let me at least tell you why I do things that I do and how I really want them to affect you.

I've already established long time ago how much I'm into traveling. This explains the former name of my website, The Gypsy Life of Kevin. But what really is it that I love about traveling?

Traveling has saved me many times from having a total breakdown. It has always helped me pull myself together when everything is bad. Traveling gives me a good sense of freedom. It helps me become someone I want to be. It makes me more confident. It makes me a better person. It makes me happy. Any person who is passionate about something would understand what I'm saying. That's exactly why I travel. Something about going to different places, discovering new things and meeting people is making me excited all the time. 

Take away all the photos, you still get  life-changing experiences. Truth be told, every traveler looks forward to that. Sometimes, people travel to forget the past and start a new life. While others travel not to escape life but for life not to escape them. I think having instagrammable photos is a great bonus, though.

Whenever people see my travel photos, they would always tell me how lucky I am to be able to go to such beautiful places. But that's not really the kind of impression I want to make. When you see my photos, I want you to know that I do this out of passion. That my heart and soul are in their best state and situation when I travel. Trust me, If I have the chance to be a full-time digital nomad, I will undoubtedly leave my full-time corporate job and take that effin' chance to work while traveling. Maybe I'll get there soon. I don't know, I am still working on it.

Please also know that I work hard and save money so I could travel. It's not like I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. And still, I don't consider myself rich, as far as money or wealth is concerned. But you know what? I think traveling isn't for the rich. Traveling is for those who loves to travel. Remember, if you want something so much, you will work hard and pray hard to get it. 

You don't need to get the most expensive plane ticket or the most fancy hotel room. But there's also nothing wrong if you want those things. It depends on you. My point? You allot money for traveling. You include it in your plans and budget. You accomplish things. You do something about that feeling of wanting to travel. 

I want to inspire you in such a way that you will go after your dreams. I want you to do something out of love. I want you to live a happy life as a result of pursuing a passion and working hard. Those are the kind of stories I want to inform you about when you see my photos. 

Kev

In my almost 28 years of existence, I learned that you can be in many places. But not in different places at the same time. When you are young, you have this high energy and level of excitement to do many things. As you grow older, you learn to identify where you want to focus that energy. 

You already have this burning passion in doing something you're either good at or really love. Or even both. What do you need to do then?

You start by having a dream. What is it that you really want to achieve? The answer to that question shall serve as your starting point. Setting a dream means setting your goal and setting a goal means establishing the direction you want to go. When you already know exactly what you want, you will do everything and anything to make your dream come true.  As long as you do no harm to other people and you have the best intentions.

To many people, having a dream is equivalent to having a purpose. That they keep fighting and going in life because of that dream. I hope at this point, I have already convinced you that having a dream is important and is a beautiful thing.

Someone once said that the poorest people are not the ones without money but rather those who do not have even a single dream. True enough. When you dream, you appreciate all the hardships and efforts you do because you know it's all for a good reason. When you finally make a dream come true, your heart and soul will have an amazing level of joy. That joy is the kind that money can never buy.

There will be times when people belittle your dreams. People might see your dreams as something not worthy of achievement. But to you, it could mean everything. Don't lose the fire in you. Do not give up just because somebody else thought your dreams are not good enough. Do not let other people invalidate the things that you want to achieve in your life. The same way, do not quit when people say that you are incapable of doing great things. If you can dream it, then you can do it.

Trees do not grow at the same rate, though. If you see your friends posting their achievements on social media and it frustrates you, remember that your journey is different from theirs. We all have our own timelines. What you need is to focus on your own dreams. But really, when it comes to timeline, trusting God is the best thing to do.

If you are feeling hopeless and weak, let this article be your inspiration. Know that you are capable of dreaming and achieving BIG things. I believe in you. And if you happen to reach the point where you have achieved a dream, I would like to congratulate you. Feel proud and blessed.

But does it have to end there? No. Dream another dream or you could also help other people achieve their own dreams. Be an instrument. That's how we win in this life. We support one another and we make this world a better place to dream and to live in.

Don't ever stop dreaming! ⭐

**All photos are mine