the lone bright spot

In few days’ time, another year is about to end and it’s that time of the year again to reflect on the sentimental journey it has been. I would say that this, by far, was one of the most challenging years I’ve had. And to be able to emerge from it eventually is something I am more than grateful of. There are five particular things which I’d like to focus my thoughts on and as part of my reflection process, I am asking my 30-year-old self these questions. #1. What did you accomplish this year? Life seemed latent for me for quite some time - until this year. I feel I have done many things in 2019 that I would consider as great achievements. It was a year of growth in terms of career and personal development. The greatest among these is being able to gain an international qualification in my profession. Apart from that, I was able to learn and apply another imaging modality (i.e., ultrasonography) which I was dreading to learn in the past. This is also the year that I obtained...

Mt. Tapyas, Coron, Palawan, September 2018 It all dates back to the time I was hit with a dawning realization. I started year 2019 on a low note without much expectation yet with good grounds for hope. I thought I was already satisfied with how my life's going. I have a decent job with a reasonable salary. On top of that, I get to travel for recreation in an attempt to maintain work-life balance. Everything seemed fine until I began to question the way I was living life - go to work, get back home, eat out, travel out of town. Eventually, it felt dull and repetitive. It's like draining my energy inefficiently and I knew something  was lacking. I didn't have a clear direction or blueprint for my life. I can't tell exactly if I stopped dreaming or I stopped believing in my dreams (or both), to the extent that I felt I was no longer growing, not even making an impact.  This led me to decide to look at life on a different vantage point. Somewhere unfamiliar ...