“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody.”
― Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
So, here we are now, at the very end of this year. And this is my first time to post the “A Year in Review” article. Since this year is the final year of the 2010s, I just thought maybe I should make it somewhat special and memorable.
Every year when it’s getting close the end of the year, some people embrace it as an opportunity for the reflection, while others curse themselves and regret those bad decisions they made. But the silver lining is that you’d never know how things eventually turn out. In other words, those mistakes might not necessarily be entirely bad for your life in the long run. If you could learn from your decisions, you can do it better next time.
And life is just like that. It’s anyone’s guess how their lives turn out eventually. Let me ask you my favorite question: What’s the meaning of life? Every time I ask this question to my Google Assistant, it provides me with some boring answers (If you are an iPhone user, ask Siri. She might be worse than Google lol). As I wrote in a previous article, the chances are very high that this question wouldn’t be answered during our lifetime.
But at least, let me try. Here is my favorite quote of LIFE magazine: “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of LIFE.” What I want to say is that I have found myself through countless interactions with those fascinating people. Listen to their stories that are every bit as mysterious and fascinating as yours, and tell them yours as well. Where have you been? What is your goal? What is your story? Ask them. They’ll answer you. Greet each other, find each other and laugh together.
For now, my personal answer to the question is: interact with as many people as possible and find each other. If you could speak any international language, try interacting with those who have different backgrounds. Embrace diversity, and make your life a little unique.
For me, this year was a turning point in my life, both professionally and personally. Thanks to those countless and fascinating interactions with my friends and new people, 2019 was an amazing year. At the same time, it was full of ups and downs. Overall, it was also a very challenging year. But hey, no experience is worth wasting.
Now it’s your turn. And how was yours? What kind of the year 2019 was for you? Hope you could realize how far you’ve come when you look back 12 months ago. And life goes on…
Here are some memorable photos from the beginning of 2019, and they include snapshots of my friends. Thank you all so much!
