(Cautiously) Pacing Forward
As more and more people are posting 2022 photos and memories and the online life they presented for themselves, I can’t help but feeling, what’s the word, hopeful. People who know me know I do not do New Year resolutions (They fail usually at the Jan 15th mark and they are all undue pressure on your mental health). But there are some learning that I will apply this year.
Time, energy, and priority: I do have a tendency to be people pleaser. Growing up, coming out, and even working in corporate setting, I am subjected to FOMO and I often lean towards people please. What makes it worse is, even with friends and acquaintants, I will try and try and try to schedule time with them when they are just simply “busy”. This year, I want to focus on the people who makes time, who shows up, who prioritizes me. I often feel bad (and cold) to think if someone doesn’t add values to your life and you let them go. But as I grew older, I realize more and more (and maybe my work and my SVP has kinda shown me too), that the people you chose to keep in your circles are the people that shape you
Travel: This year is my 20th friend-niversary with Kelly. On our 10th year we went to Hawaii. I really wanted to meet her somewhere this year, probably Switzerland, a land that I’ve been wanting to go and never find the time/money/companion combo to go with. It’s about time I get home to Vietnam too. I don’t know how we will fit all our travel plans in, with the limited amount of time, and vacation days that I have. But intention often shapes reality
Remember to breathe: I need to slow down and show compassion for myself. I often put a lot of pressure on myself to keep moving forward. I really wanted that promotion this year. But looking back at my career, and my life, for that matter, it’s never been a linear line. Every rejection opened a door to something else entirely different and arguably more wonderful. Being rejected to exchange at Standford opened up UPenn and let me meet my mentor Elise. Things not workng out with Oren lead me to Dan. Being rejected for mobile app dev at Blackline kicked me into Ontario role. Who knows what this year brings. My life goes in 3 years cycle of a sine looking wave. If that is any prediction, it will get way worse this year before it gets any better. But we will see.
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that life is unpredictable. It also has taught us that humans fall right back to our old ways, our fallacy, and we gravitate towards our worst tendencies. This year, I want to be intentional, kind, and mindful about the things that I will do, and we will keep moving forward. Not upward, forward.
Happy New Year
Pace Fine Arts 