For some people, 2016 is too crappy to handle and too grim to talk about. But then, I’m not trying to represent the world on this post. On my post before, I wrote how John Oliver describes the shittiest year called 2016. But for me, 2016 is not really that bad.
It’s true that I feel depressed for most of the year. But every greatest hits always made in a depressed time anyway (and I still considered myself fortunate because I still have a roof under my head). It’s true that I lost my job this year, but I got more time to focus on the things I love the most at the moment. It’s true that I cannot spend extra penny throughout the year, but I’ve managed to pay for a family trip at the beginning of the year. It’s true that my family need to pass difficult time due to family members’ health, but we’re trying to change our lifestyle for better each day. It’s true that I feel sad and powerless many times, but I finally found myself towards countless thoughts. When I tried to look back on that year, 2016 was not as bad as I thought would be.
By the end of the year, I started thinking how to describe 2016 in one single word? At first, I thought it would be Change. But I don’t find any drastic change that juggles my life anyway. People lost jobs once in awhile, especially at this kind of time. People’s health started to decline along with one’s age and it’s completely normal. Finally, I settled with the word Acceptance.
2016 is the year of Acceptance.
I started 2016 with wishful thinking of the year ahead. I thought everything will be alright. Maybe I was feeling too secure about myself. Forgetting that sometimes, the current won’t go in the right direction. I got carried away a little bit and I let my stress consumed me easily. It wasn’t an easy thing to experience.
People who know me understand that I am that happy-go-lucky person, who tries to put a smile every day. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have any problem in my life. I just don’t like seeing people whine too much, blabbering it to everyone, and think that they’re having the worst thing in the world. I hate the fact that I started feeling like that, I hate myself for pitying and comparing myself to other people. I hate myself for letting other people’s thoughts entering my head. I don’t remember what thing that woke me up, but I remember staring at the ceiling a lot, stressed out for thinking of worst scenario that can happened.
The word Acceptance can result in 2 ways, do nothing and wait for something to happen or move forward and keep doing the best that you can. I think I experienced both this year.
These days, the rise of social media influenced many people in many layers. They disrupted our thoughts and slip on our mind, setting the standard on how to act and think. Once in awhile, you can always feel down looking to others’ people life. Feeling bad because we also wanted to have a similar clothes and gadgets, attends similar events, walking similar journey, secretly wishing similar lifestyle. Once in a while, you can also feel good because we think we are better than them on behaving and spreading our words. There are a lot of things that can go wrong by having assumptions. What I realized is that it is completely okay to think and act like yourself.
It’s completely okay to share a blurred unfiltered picture of things you’re satisfied with. And there’s no necessity to caption it with #nofilter hashtag. It’s completely okay to say your thoughts even if it’s different than any posts on your feed. As long it’s completely reasonable and told in good manners. It’s completely okay to distance yourself from the things you’re not interested with. It’s completely okay to not wanting the same things as anyone else (like that Coldplay ticket concert or excessive love to La La Land). It’s completely okay to believe in people even if you’re disappointed countless of time already. It’s completely okay to love your life the way it is.
In the end, I still had fun in 2016. Some which include:
Trip to Korea, which months after giving me an addiction with K-Pop industry in general.
Trip to Mecca, which I really want to keep most of the story for myself.
Learning Shibori technique for processing fabric.
Cooking curry rice and opening a small pop-up booth with Mega.
Meeting little bundle of dreams in the most unlikely place.
Setting the front-page of this 2 years pending ambition (but still haven’t finished it until now) :P
Buying a ticket for one of the all time wanderlust.
2016 has shown me the sides that I haven’t seen before and I’m gratefully thankful because of that. I think I cannot ask for more that I’m already given. I do hope that life keep challenges me the way 2016 did. So I can still try to be better (and hopefully cooler ?) each time.
See you next time, star gazer :)
Ah Cup, I get this. I get the feelings of having to face hardships in 2016, and trying to be grateful for every good thing and keep positive. I also get how social media sometimes makes us feel less and inadequate. Reading this post somehow warms my heart. Looking forward to see more of Save the Damn Date, and hope 2017 will bring more light, love, and happiness for you :)
Dixie, thank you for the kind comment. Iya nih aku masih ngutang sama kamu, haha. Semoga bisa cepet aku selesaiin tahun ini yaa. I hope you will also showered with happiness this year, Dix :)
Ka Cupriiis, I’m thrilled reading this post as I can really relate it to my experience. Buat aku pun tahun lalu banyak memberikan pelajaran, yg salah satunya jg terkait acceptance. Semoga tahun ini bisa jauh lebih baik dan lapang untuk kita ya kaaak :)
Wah zu, memang 2016 kayaknya punya impact yang besar buat banyak orang ya. Semangat terus zu, semoga tahun ini kita semakin banyak diberikan kesempatan untuk jadi lebih baik lagi.