Creative and Feature Writing for the Media
Reflective Essay
I remember when I was growing up as a kid, I was always happy. Compared to those stereotypical, Chinese parents where they would lock their children in the house and forbid them from watching TV and eating ice cream, my parents did quite the opposite by giving me the freedom to explore the world in the ways I wanted to. I was allowed to play computer games without too much restriction, I was able to stay back late in school, and I was permitted to make friends with girls. So looking back at my old, dusty photo albums which were stacked haphazardly in the quaint mini wooden cupboard near the television set, I began to see that I had spent my entire life living in happiness, a life that most people coveted for.
A lot of them tend to ask me this question: why are you always happy? Well, honestly, I don’t know. There are people who quit their jobs and go soul-searching in order to figure out what happiness really is. Others might seek solace in meeting their lovers after a long day at work, spending a dime in Starbucks just to immerse themselves in the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, watching sloppy romantic comedies in cinema and laughing for no reason, reading motivational books that claim to teach them how to be successful without working too hard, talking to their pets as if they could understand all the frustrations they have.
For me, the simplest way to be happy is to stop grumbling and start appreciating all the little things in life. It seems that it is part of human nature that we like to complain about almost everything. My brother does that all the time to my parents when he comes back home from school. “Oh, this is not so good”, “The teachers make nonsense excuses”, “I deserve that position more than the girl who doesn’t even know how to lead the team”, “Why everything doesn’t go according to my plan?”, “Why am I still not popular!?” We are so used to complaining to the point that we let our desires and stubbornness cloud our mind and lead us to believe that we can’t never truly be happy if we do not get what we want.
When I first started university, I was this geeky lad who was insecure about his appearance and the way he behaved. I had zits sprouting all over my face and I was not exactly the popular kid. I was like the wallflower, minute and insignificant. As a result, I went through a phase called denial. I refused to believe that I could actually be popular and sociable. I saw myself as a loner who can’t hold decent conversations with people as I was shy and I tend to falter when I speak. I hated myself for not being brawny and looking striking enough, qualities that people would normally adore and look up to.
Later I found that it was pointless to complain and mad at your own imperfections because they were part of you and they were here to stay. So I stopped being harsh at myself and learned to let things go. I began to embrace myself and see the world in a whole new perspective. Since then, my life has never been better. I got rid of my nervousness when conversing with people, I met a lot of new acquaintances and managed to forge long-lasting friendships, I was popular enough to make friends yet stay under the radar away from drama, and I plunged myself into the unknown and tried different things that I would never have dared do when I was young. Happiness is always around us. We just need to take a step back and be grateful with what we have as good things will come to us in the most unexpected ways. So don’t pursue happiness. Just be happy.
Reflective Essay
I remember when I was growing up as a kid, I was always happy. Compared to those stereotypical, Chinese parents where they would lock their children in the house and forbid them from watching TV and eating ice cream, my parents did quite the opposite by giving me the freedom to explore the world in the ways I wanted to. I was allowed to play computer games without too much restriction, I was able to stay back late in school, and I was permitted to make friends with girls. So looking back at my old, dusty photo albums which were stacked haphazardly in the quaint mini wooden cupboard near the television set, I began to see that I had spent my entire life living in happiness, a life that most people coveted for.
A lot of them tend to ask me this question: why are you always happy? Well, honestly, I don’t know. There are people who quit their jobs and go soul-searching in order to figure out what happiness really is. Others might seek solace in meeting their lovers after a long day at work, spending a dime in Starbucks just to immerse themselves in the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, watching sloppy romantic comedies in cinema and laughing for no reason, reading motivational books that claim to teach them how to be successful without working too hard, talking to their pets as if they could understand all the frustrations they have.
For me, the simplest way to be happy is to stop grumbling and start appreciating all the little things in life. It seems that it is part of human nature that we like to complain about almost everything. My brother does that all the time to my parents when he comes back home from school. “Oh, this is not so good”, “The teachers make nonsense excuses”, “I deserve that position more than the girl who doesn’t even know how to lead the team”, “Why everything doesn’t go according to my plan?”, “Why am I still not popular!?” We are so used to complaining to the point that we let our desires and stubbornness cloud our mind and lead us to believe that we can’t never truly be happy if we do not get what we want.
When I first started university, I was this geeky lad who was insecure about his appearance and the way he behaved. I had zits sprouting all over my face and I was not exactly the popular kid. I was like the wallflower, minute and insignificant. As a result, I went through a phase called denial. I refused to believe that I could actually be popular and sociable. I saw myself as a loner who can’t hold decent conversations with people as I was shy and I tend to falter when I speak. I hated myself for not being brawny and looking striking enough, qualities that people would normally adore and look up to.
Later I found that it was pointless to complain and mad at your own imperfections because they were part of you and they were here to stay. So I stopped being harsh at myself and learned to let things go. I began to embrace myself and see the world in a whole new perspective. Since then, my life has never been better. I got rid of my nervousness when conversing with people, I met a lot of new acquaintances and managed to forge long-lasting friendships, I was popular enough to make friends yet stay under the radar away from drama, and I plunged myself into the unknown and tried different things that I would never have dared do when I was young. Happiness is always around us. We just need to take a step back and be grateful with what we have as good things will come to us in the most unexpected ways. So don’t pursue happiness. Just be happy.
0 comment:
Post a Comment