CHOOSE TO EVOLVE

元気があれば何でも出来る. Genki ga areba nandemo dekiru.

As long as you have energy, you can do anything.

My principal said to remember this after I leave, and his wisdom couldn’t have come at a better time.

We have another month to go before everything comes to an end. We're moving to Osaka and I'm starting all over again.

Between managing the stress of packing and slowly venturing into a different career path, I'm taking more risks than ever.

The looming wave of overwhelm is slowly crashing on us.

Uncertainty is scary.

Even more so when your steady income source is about to get cut off in a country that can kick you out as soon as your days are up.

And I could easily run away.

I could drop all of this and convince myself it's merely a waste of time. It's too risky. It's impossible to make it. It's too hard.

All of these excuses are flowing in my blood just waiting to be released.

Honestly, it's so much more convenient to give in and brush it off as "this isn't the right time."

But the thought of working another year at a job that doesn't serve me is 13 times more terrifying than swimming in uncertainty and starting a business from scratch.

Because the past years were heavy on my mental health.

Having teaching taken away from me—the one thing I centered my life on—was torture, to say the least.

Never again. It was a taste of an unfulfilling life.

The funny thing is, it has led me to explore what it could taste like to live a fulfilling life...

As a writer.

And that is one of the biggest takeaways I have learned from this experience:

Human beings are capable of so many things.

With the wrong values, you are capable of destroying your life.

With the right ones, you are capable of building a better future.

We all have an abundance of energy, but what makes us different from the next person is where we choose to expend it.

Pour your energy into reading the news, feeding your bad habits, and everything you can't do:

You end up with a skewed perspective of life, a dysfunctional mind, and a trashy ego.

Pour your energy into appreciating the mundane, cultivating better habits, and learning new skills:

You end up loving the little things in life, with a thriving mind, and a boosted confidence.

Do you see it? You either evolve or deteriorate.

And in the past years, I've watched myself do both.

I've deteriorated into that messy darkness. Unable to help myself simply because I chose to pour my energy into alcohol, nicotine, and the pains of my past.

I'm not proud of all the decisions I've made.

But as soon as I chose to move on from all of that, I've watched myself evolve simply by pouring my energy into aspects that matter.

Writing, music, healthy decisions for my mind, body, and soul.

Nurturing my relationship, prioritizing my partner, and growing together.

These are the ones that spark joy. The ones that better my overall well-being. The ones that compound and will serve me tenfold over the years.

For the first time ever, I perceive a life I've only ever seen in my dreams, and it doesn't seem too far away.

Had I clung to my limiting beliefs and kept my vices as a crutch, I would have completely crumbled in my frustrations and stayed there.

Because as long as you have energy, you can do anything.

Literally.

Human beings are capable of anything.

Literally.

元気があれば何でも出来る.

Genki ga areba nandemo dekiru.

You either evolve or deteriorate.

Choose your values wisely.

I hope you choose to evolve today. :)

Talk soon,

Jopaz