Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Checkmates, Unanswered Questions and the Right Punctuation: A Long Overdue Entry

Much has happened since the last time I was propelled to write up a blog entry.

I will have to chalk it up to either lack of inspiration, relentless term papers from “feeling major” subjects and of course, the much dreaded thesis (the usual college problems), or lackluster writing - I would conjure up a few thoughts but later deem them as irrelevant and I would find myself alt-tabbing and doing something else instead.

Or maybe I just felt like some things need not be bothered with. I would much rather distract myself with whatever medium for procrastination I could find instead of dwelling on things that threaten to negate whatever positive vibe I’m in. Admittedly though, there were times when I attempted to write about a couple of things that were overstaying their welcome in my thoughts; they demanded to be transcribed to any literary form possible. Unfortunately, fictional writing, song writing and poetry are not my forte. Hence, emotional psychobabbling on this much-abandoned blog is my only option.

I’m actually a self-proclaimed emotional writer – except my emotional baggage is considerably light today; but this entry is actually long overdue. And the need to write about it suddenly surfaced and I wasn't about to take a pass on it. 


***

It was like a calm before a storm, or when Odysseus brilliantly staged the fall of Troy through the Trojan horse. An unexpected checkmate. I don’t know about you, but I did not see that one coming. I realized that life just has a way of blindsiding you just when you thought you had it all figured out, and that even erasers for permanent ink exist.

When a great thing comes to an unexpected conclusion, you find yourself left with a surplus of unanswered questions. You spread yourself thin trying to find the answer to each one (especially the ones that start with “why”). When in fact the answer is staring you right at the face – you just can’t accept that that’s the one.

And it took some time, but I know it all happened to give way for better things. The what ifs will always be there. But I found that in order to move forward, it really is a choice. It’s a decision you make for yourself each day. It’s not going to magically happen for you, and if you relapse or throw a pity party for yourself, that’s all on you. So stop quoting the hunger games and blaming the world for how the odds are never in your favor  Instead, take into thought what Paulo Coelho wrote in his book, The Zahir:

“That is why it is so important to let certain things go. To release them. To cut loose. People need to understand that no one is playing with marked cards; sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Don't expect to get anything back, don't expect recognition for your efforts, don't expect your genius to be discovered or your love to be understood. Complete the circle. Not out of pride, inability or arrogance, but simply because whatever it is no longer fits in your life. Close the door, change the record, clean the house, get rid of the dust. Stop being who you were and become who you are.” 

It just no longer fits in your life.

The answer is that simple. Stop asking the same questions repeatedly, because it’s highly unproductive. And it breeds unnecessary thoughts which you could have invested on much more important things.

It definitely wasn’t easy. I’ve gone through great lengths just to get where I am now. I refused to be idle and it has paid off – I’ve accomplished and earned a lot of things and I’m grateful to God for all these opportunities that he has given me. And for always being that voice in my head that says “It’s all going to be okay, just trust me”. I did, and it has been the best decision I’ve made eversince that seafood risotto I had in Rome last summer.

You see, once it’s all over, you’ll realize that the transition from the chaos to the settling is the most beautiful thing. And you discover that you’ve displaced most of your anxieties with a strength you’ve never had before. You learn to mature from it, and it changes the way you see things. Eventually, you’ll realize that God was right and it’s all going to be okay and that things naturally fall into place. It just goes to show that it’s always best not to put a question mark where God decides to put a period.


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