Following my own road

—ILLUSTRATION BY RICK V. IGNACIO

 

At some point in my life, I have always wished to get up from my seat, pack my bags and take a long drive to anywhere without having any idea of what I could get myself into.

It’s a concept that I want to try, but there are many things that stop me from doing it.

There’s the fear of the unknown, and the tons of excuses that prevent me from taking a break.

Maybe I have no time, or my parents won’t allow me to do it. I also have school work to finish and not enough money in my pocket.

Instead I end up doing the things I’m expected to do: study in a good school, earn a diploma, get a good-paying job and stay away from trouble.

I go crazy thinking of all the things I need to do. But I seem to forget that in order to live a healthy and happy life, one needs to find an identity.

Sitting around doing the same old routine won’t help me find anything.

I need to try new things. Maybe learn a new language? Or get into sports? I can attend a summer camp and meet new friends and experience new things.

I should travel to the next city I can find without having to worry about money.

And even if I don’t have enough cash, perhaps I can just take a long walk in the park or beach to clear my mind.

Maybe I can lie in bed, give myself time off, and stop stressing all the time. Maybe I should trust my gut feeling for once and take a step forward.

Maybe it’s not just me, it’s the people around me. If the world stops for a minute and takes a deep breath, then everyone may follow.

Kids keep telling themselves that all there is to life is living comfortably and being successful.

But can we really live comfortably if we achieve success but don’t feel happy?

For once, I want to be different. My biggest goal is to show myself to the real world and be genuinely happy—instead of believing the perception that all there is to life is success.

I want to find out why I’m here and where I should go, without worrying about what people say and what road I should take.

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