I saw this list on an Instagram post and felt it worth sharing.

1. Now and then, break out the fancy china and drink the good wine for no reason at all

2. Dance at weddings until your feet are sore

3. Tell your partner you love them every night before falling asleep. Someday you’ll find the other side of the bed empty and wish you could.

4. Don’t fear sadness, as it tends to sit right next to love.

5. Treat your body like a house you have to live in for another 70- years.

6. Never raise your voice, except for at a ballgame.

7. Do one good deed every single day, but never tell anyone about it.

8. Time doesn’t heal anything when it comes to relationships. Don’t delay difficult conversations.

9. Find the things that make your eyes light up. Do more of those.

10. Always remind yourself that your track record for making it through your bad days is perfect.

11. If something has a minor issue, repair it. Minor issues become major issues over time. Applies equally to love, friendships, health, and home.

12. The most damning lie you can tell is the lie you tell to yourself.

13. Noe one have ever argued their way to happiness.

14. If you’re going to lose a fight, make sure the other person thinks twice before fighting you again.

15. Getting old is no picnic, but it’s much better than the alternative.

16. You may occasionally disappoint others, but make sure to never disappoint yourself.

17. Never let a good friendship atrophy .Send the text, make the call, plan the trip. Good friendships must be treasured.

18. When you meet someone, look them in the eye, give a firm handshake, and call them by their name.

19. Give everybody a second chance, but never a third.

20. The “good old days” are always happening right now.

21. When you hug someone, make sure they are the one to let go first.

22. If it’s raining on a warm summer evening, go outside and dance in it.

23. Taking no risk is the biggest risk you can take. Regret from inaction is always more painful than regret from action.

24. It doesn’t have to be perfect for it to be wonderful.

25. When in doubt, love. We can always use more love.

26. Looking presentable is a matter of self-respect.

27. When you’re feeling down, smile at yourself in the mirror for a full minute.

28. Travel as much as you can. Collect one token from every trip to remember it by.

29. If there’s something bothering you, ask yourself whether it will matter in one month. If not, let it go right now.

30. Stop trying to chance people who don’t want to be changed.

31. You may win the argument, but if you lose the friend, what was the point?

32. Stubborn pride is the downfall of many men and women. Learn to forget the slight hurts and avoid grudges.

33. Do one thing that challenges your mind every single day. A crossword puzzle, math problem, anything. Daily “:exercise” will keep your mind sharp for the long haul.

34. If something isn’t working and your gut tells you to try harder, first ask whether there’s just an easier way to do it.

35. Allow your kids to fail. You will hate it, but it’s so important.

36. There’s nothing wrong with shedding old relationships as you grow and change.

37. No amount of money is ever worth trading for your peace of mind.

38. If your kid wants to dance in line at the store, join them.

39. Smile and say good morning to strangers on the street.

40. Laugh loudly and unapologetically whenever you feel like it.

In 2022 I:

Applied to law school

Found out my freshman-year roommate passed away, and I relearned and am continuing to learn the pain of grief.

Got into my first relationship 

Graduated Magna Cum Laude with a double major in Business Economics and Philosophy

Learned the feeling of loneliness of being away from friends and family

I disciplined myself to study 30+ hours a week for the LSAT

Failed miserably two times on the official LSAT and accepted that my goal of going to an elite law school may not be as feasible

Achieved my goal LSAT on my third attempt

Submitted all my law school applications

Visited my friends and family in the US whom I hadn’t seen in many months

Celebrated my 9-month anniversary with my girlfriend

Creating a Core Memory –

There is nothing like the feeling of creating a core memory.

The realization that the present moment will be a memory you can look back on for years – that you are experiencing a moment that will be ingrained in who you are as a person.

Maybe I am just a deeply nostalgic romantic – I romanticize the beauty in moments. Driving on the highway. Sitting on a bench listening to Frank Ocean. Sharing goodbye hugs with my friends makes me crave the reunion hug.

I have so many of these core memories – these abstract moments, from grand sunset views at the New York City skyline to little moments like watching a movie my best friend showed me.

But I also cherish the bad. The lonely nights, the tears, from the deep screaming pain to unearthly pain that leaves me in silence. These are also core memories that have created who I am now today.

It is in the moments of dread that I can hold on to the beauty of moments created with people that I love. These core, abstract memories I create with people I love are priceless. I try to bottle them up so I can remember them forever – in the form of photos and videos – to cherish these moments of aliveness, of laughter, of happiness, of sublime, of beauty, of creation, of life.

What I want love to look like

Ours would be the type of relationship where we are strong independent – and even stronger together

We could be objective proof the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. We make each other better.

Her face is pretty

But it is her soul that I find absolutely gorgeous

A soul that reminds me what true beauty and love would look and feel like

She can overthink my overthinking

Because she always has better ideas

She has a way of perceiving the nuances of the world that I could never

She would remind me of the beauty of the world but also the beauty in myself

She is fun, weird, has a loud laugh and bright smile

She cries a lot.

But so do I. We will trade shoulders.

She will make me question my belief in the existence of angels

She invigorates my self love – re-injecting my life with even more purpose and meaning that I previously that I had much of already

She reminds me that I can live authentically – that she loves all versions of me. I will remind her that the best version of me is one where we are together

My emotions are valid

There used to be days when I feel as if nothing is going to be okay.

I was in suspension – uncertain of the life I’ve lived and the future seems blurry and fading. I didn’t see what would happen past 20 years old.

In these moments I have tried to rationalize my emotions – gripping at some existential answer – some proof to validate my emotions. I hold on dearly for some distractions and want someone to tell me that I am okay and that my emotions are valid.

Finally, I learned to turn to myself – to accept that my emotions – the grief, the happiness – is all part of who I am. That these volatile emotions of immense sadness and spontaneous joy are acceptable given what I have gone through. And here I am, feeling 22 like that Taylor Swift song. The blurry future is still blurry, but it is no longer fading – it is an uncertain mess of opportunity, slowly but surely being pieced together again by my own hands.

I am learning to forgive myself for not being perfect. I am learning to accept that being perfect is not what I am striving for anymore, but instead, that to be happy and loving was far more important – to be vulnerable with friends and loved ones, to wear my insecurities and imperfects on my sleeve, and skin proudly, to show the world that I will ferociously love life again.

How am I?

If you asked me that this month on the 5th, 7th, 14th, 18th, 20th, or 21st, I might say “okay” or “bad.” Those are the days I cried. The first time I cried this month was when I found out my roommate from Singapore passed away. Every subsequent time I cried this month is from that memory and grief.

But overall, if you asked me “how am I” in my life, I am trending towards ferocious happiness. I am learning to love life again. If not of my own life, then for the life of others – so that I never forget to remind people I love that the matter.

I admit there are lapses of loneliness, grief, sadness, disappointment – like all things in life should be. I try to alleviate my suffering but I have been unable to find a cure for it entirely.

It is a cruel reality for a person who is agnostic when given no answer to this existential question of suffering. But in the face of suffering, I have found not religion, but compassion, love, friendship, happiness, and hope.

1 – that I am a romantic. And even though my life doesn’t always play out like the way they do in movies, I am happy I am a romantic because it makes me hopeful. That I am willing to suspend all that exists in reality – because reality is boring sometimes – and envision a more beautiful, romantic, sublime, daring life.

2 – that I am comfortable with crying – and I cry a lot because I feel so much. I am growing with my emotions. I strive in showing vulnerability and putting myself outside my comfort zone. And although I am not completely comfortable in my own skin, I am still learning.

3 – that I can do magic. Magic is really cool.

4 – that I love deeply. I care strongly about my friends and relationships. That I cry for their happiness and for their pain. That I miss them even when they’re close and more when they’re gone.

5 – that I can dance. Not well. But the fact that I can move my body freely – and there was a point where I couldn’t – makes me realize that I am alive.

6 – that I am so deeply imperfect – my skin, my past, my baggage – but I still love myself and I continually learn to love myself.

The Ancient philosophy schools of thought, the Stoics and Epicureans, believed that death was not something one should bare any anxiety towards.

Epicurus argued that death does no harm, because it is not something one experiences – we simply cease to exist. Much like a Pegasus (a winged-horsed) actually does not have wings, because a Pegasus does not exist.

We do not lose anything from death – we cease to exist – we are no longer here to “lose” anything.

If we lose nothing from death, then a supplementary logical question is: what do we gain from living – nothing as well?

I am skeptical to affirm these two extremes – that life is either “everything” or “nothing.” But the Ancient philosophers were right to contemplate death, because I believe this mediated contemplation can lead to sublime conclusions on what we gain from living – since we as a species have continued to exist, would it be a bold claim to say that we enjoy life?

Philosophy has made me contemplate this question thoroughly. I do not have an answer, but I do believe I am building some type of map to navigate the complexities of life.

I can answer the question with abstract concepts: love, friendship, compassion, joy, laughter, self-actualization.

By living, I can enjoy more empirical sensations as well: food, travel, good TV shows/movies, entertainment, cute dog and cat videos, among other physical pleasures.

Aristotle did philosophy over 2000 years ago, but I believe he was correct all along that the teleology of life should be happiness.

This is the core, intrinsic, final end value that I must gain from living – is it not happiness?