Legacy of Positivity

Hey, today’s the last day of 2014! 

Depending on how your year went, you would either read that with relief, dismay or even fear. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it though.

When I wrote down those words, it was mainly because I needed to write something and didn’t quite have any idea what to type, so I just typed what everyone else was talking about on twitter. Wow Anwar. Much original.

Earlier today I watched a video: Jin Hackman 2014 Malaysian Rap Up. It’s basically a video of him rapping about everything that has happened in Malaysia throughout the year. He’s been doing it for several years, so it wasn’t really a surprise when the track dropped. Have a listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLZlNgNhqUE

Being reminded of all the things that happened throughout the year, I start to think about how much I’ve done throughout the year. It’s always of question, whether I did enough in the 365 days I was given. Honestly speaking, I don’t think so.

I started the year as a social media consultant for a think tank organisation. I spent four good months there before being posted to school in Penang, and now I’ve been teaching in school for about eight months now.

I’ve had my ups and downs. Made some new friends, which is good. I undertook a project or two, only to leave them unattended after a couple of months. Bad bad not good.

Lots of things happened. Malaysia as a country went through its fair share of challenges, and they certainly affected me. Left me wishing I could do more than just pray.

Read some books. That was good. I think I was able to get through a good amount of books throughout the year. I wish I had read more, for sure, but I definitely did more reading than I’ve done in previous years.

2015 promises to be a year full of potential. I already have a few things lined up for it. I need to remember that life is about making choices, and I need to choose to put those plans into motion and work towards making them happen, and happen good.

But of course, the future is never promised to us. I can’t say for certain that I’ll even wake up tomorrow to greet 2015. None of us can. Let us never forget just how fragile life is, so that we may let go of the little things that get in the way of us enjoying and cherishing the things that we do have and that make it good.

We’re here today, and we need to make that count. Contribute something positive to the world. In the words of the poet Walt Whitman, quoted ever so elegantly by the late Robin Williams in Dead Poet’s Society, “The question, O me! so sad, recurring—what good amid these, O me, O life? / Answer. / That you are here—that life exists and identity, / That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”

What will your verse be? What will my verse be? What will our verses be?

Choose to make them positive verses. Leave a legacy of positivity. That goes for you, Anwar. Jangan dok sedih sangat.