Guide to Becoming Better, Not Bitter

Ever since I escaped the normal traditions of making noise with the neighborhood, lighting up perilous pyrotechnics and jumping to achieve a gorgeous height (now you know why I’m tall), I somehow didn’t appreciate New Year’s eve anymore. Technically, it’s just scrapping out your former calendar and hanging a new one. It’s the time where people would ingest gallons of caffeine for that savvy Starbucks organizer, and the industry of lucky charms would parade to our doorsteps. Yes, it’s a mania but again I don’t think these rituals are practical. Wearing polka dots and lots of red is insane and profit-oriented strategies are wallet-shrinking. New Year is supposed to be looking back and assessing yourself. Have you become better? Worse? Those are the real questions.

And since 2009 was generally crazy (popular celebrities dying, Jackson, Murphy, Swayze, Cory, Magalona, super typhoons arriving and cheesy political campaigns proliferating), I am here to offer you a few general tips on how to become a relatively “better” human being. That is not to say that I’m on my way to sainthood; in fact, this might just the same work out for me if I follow them too. No, they are not resolutions for the word sounds too cliché and obstinate.

Truly the real essence of this incoming year is to reflect on what good things we can do to our selves and to our people.

• Be Nice. Being nice though doesn’t equate to stupid; my context is when every time you do something, think that it would reciprocate later on for the better. Imagine all of us being nice to each other. Just remember the movie Pay It Forward? No, I’m not talking about that. When people are mean to you, batuhin mo ng tinapay. And if for the second time, they bitch out, dude morph yourself. You tell them who’s the boss.
• If you believe in something, hold on to it. This also translated to if you like something, and you have all the reasons to want and need it, go ahead— do whatever’s necessary to achieve it. This would apply to us future unemployed. Geez. Just don’t cross over the wrong side, and never purchase something because of its brand. Lol. God, I remember seeing some P14,500 bow tie in a glossy! Are they kidding me?!
• When doing something, think of the other stakeholders. If you have a decision to undergo, who will appreciate it? Who will you get hurt eventually?
• Take a time for yourself. Not verging towards individualistic, I just mean knowing your strengths and weaknesses and discovering more of what you can do. It’s the most enlightening feeling if you start to realize them yourself. Pamper yourself to an extent. Drink and smoke if you think those vices complete you. And hope that whatever you’re doing, you’ll not regret over it. Try new things and who knows what adventure waits?

Yeah, I know. They sound more like your homeroom lecture but seriously I am going to follow them. Two thousand nine has been my BEST year. I’ve gained a lot of friends and achievements. I’ve been into lots of conflicts and managed to get out of them alive. Ultimately, I’ve discovered something scandalous about myself.