Hello, 25!

It has become a tradition for me to write something, anything, on my birthday. I usually will try to sound wise, put up some deep thoughts, arrange poetic sentences, and basically try to tell myself I've done well and I survived another year being me.

This year, however, seems different. I'm different. This year alone several big changes have occurred in my life: a new job, a new life style, a new house, and even a new family member. Things aren't the same anymore, and I'm still trying to adjust my life to those changes. 

On top of that, I'm now 25, I'm living a quarter of my life, and I still haven't reached my goal. It is tough watching my friends taking a giant step towards their dreams and actually doing things they want, while here I am, stuck in a rut, convincing myself I'm okay, and I'm satisfied with what I have. In reality, I'm not. I'm still the unhappy person I was yesterday, still the I-always-need-more kind of person I was last month, and the same I-don't-give-a-damn-about-you kind of person I was last year. 

That's why I told myself that 2016 is the year of trying -- trying to break out of my safe bubbles, trying to step out of my comfort zone, trying to make a difference, trying to care more of my well-being and animals, trying to be more sympathetic, and above all, trying to get in touch with my soul and listen to what it has to say. 

While writing this I remembered a sentence a friend of mine put on her work desk: be better, not bitter. It was meaningless to me before, but sounds so significant right now. I have a lot of bitterness in me, but I didn't realize it until recently. That's why I want to try, once again, to see past that bitterness and be more positive about everything. 

On the last note, rather than writing a happy birthday message to myself, I'd better say happy birthday to million other people who share the same birthday as me, some might even born in the exact same year, together entering our 25th year on Earth. Happy birthday, lions (since we're all born under the Leo constellation)! Be bright, be brave, be better, and quoting from the admirable Anna Akana, stay awesome, gotham!