Do you ever feel, sometimes, that you have waited too long for something in your life to happen?
You work hard and steady, but to no avail? You try out every conceivable way to do something, and you still fail? You try to change and adapt, but end up at the same place where you started?
I have waited for almost twelve years for the political and economic situation in my home country to change. My Lost Paradise.
While we were living in Paradise, we joined active movements to fight for our freedom of speech and political justice. We were devoted to our cause. But to no avail. We lost.
We moved away, because the pressure was weighting us down. So, we started somewhere new, waiting to return to Paradise someday. But we failed to return. We lost.
We went to rallies and advocacy group marches to raise awareness for our cause. We even thought change was so close, we could almost taste it. But we ended up at the same place where we were before. We lost.
Sometimes, I feel like this is too much. Sometimes, I feel like losing hope. How can such terrible humans acts, corruption, destruction of morals, and complete lack of responsibility be able to sustain itself for so long in a country?
Only one thing lifts me up: My faith.
For me to be able to understand why the world's energies and actions occur in the way they do is incomprehensible. I only have my faith and history to move me forward.
I have my faith, because it is only through love that you can survive any obstacles. Love for your family. Love for your friends. Love for your values. Love for your goals. Love for yourself. Love for something bigger than yourself.
I have history, because it is through experience that I am able to see that not everything lasts forever. There will come an end to the suffering. Maybe not right now, but change has always happened in history.
Time. The greatest good and evil of us all. We wait and wait, thinking things will change. They will. But, make sure the waiting is also accompanied by action. Time and action are the drivers of change.
I have waited twelve years for a change to happen in my country. I will wait twelve more years to see that change happen. Meanwhile, I will continue taking action and advocating for freedom and justice.
I will leave this note with this weekend's song: River Flows in You by Yiruma. The guitarist you see, Sungha Jung, first released his video seven years ago (nobody really knew who he was). You can see him seven years later, performing with famous performers and bursting with energy (really, that is his animated expression).
Time sure does fly. So, while you wait and work towards that which warms your soul, make the most of this precious time we have by giving it all you got.
Be strong, be unique, and step outside of your comfort zone!