Wonderful 2016

My image of “The Zahir”, a book by Paulo Coelho

It may sounds like a Tourism’s Slogan from a country where I live in nowadays, but 2016 was definitely an endless discovery for me.

God answers your prayer in three ways:

He says yes and gives you what you want,

He says no and gives you something better,

He says wait and gives you the best.

Apparently I experiences all of it. When I prayed that I wanted a great partner who push my boundaries, and always sees the best in me, He gave it. When I wanted study abroad and experienced other cultures, he sent me abroad as companion for my husband yet I got chance to see the culture wider than as a student abroad. And when we prayed for something precious that we always longing for, he gave us at a very best time in our life.

I am very grateful of what I have and what I had when I look where I was few years ago. 2013 I felt like I lost and found. I lost a truly meaning of friendship, but I found the meaning of commitment and love. Complete the Circle from The Zahir, a book by Paulo Coelho became my favorite reading book (until now). Back then I felt I was half alive but I kept going and always remembered the highlight quote from that book (he reposted from 2012’s post) and kept said to myself “if it’s meant to be, it will be”. I understand that we can’t always make things like we want it to be. Sometimes, when it reach the end all you need is to accept that everything happened for reason. 2014 was quite illuminated, I experienced a great adventure with a stranger and surprisingly becomes a very good friend of mine, she always said to keep on doing great wherever I go, because out footprint at that time may not look matters to us, but it matters for someone else. That’s where I regained my trust of friendship and slowly I become a better version of myself, a free spirit soul. 2015 wasn’t as bumpy road as the previous year. Love, perceiving, positivity and trust are things that keep me survived. Trust your gut, trust yourself. And let God speak through your heart, let Him do the rest.

2016 is quite unique for me. I met great people with great personality (and some of them weirdly has the same mutual friends, what a small world), I try not to be as rigid as I was before about certain things. Old friends reconnected and cherished the moment. People may come and go, but they left something that whenever we remember them it warms our heart. I definitely made a good memories in 2016. Be open, curious on everything (good), see and experience new things, had a great time by myself and others. I discovered that I really like to walk alone and enjoy talking with strangers. See the world in slow motion without any hurry (to post to social media), I really enjoy seeing everything without any distraction, only me and my camera.

These past 3 years I love to take photos especially food, street and landscape photography. 2016 is the peak of my routine in photography, it took a big part of my life. It’s not that something I would use and force to gain “likes” in Instagram––I still have a bunch photos but still hesitate to post it, and most of my posts are not in the present time. For me photography is my kind of meditation, an intimate form of self expression. It taught me to see things differently and to remind myself that everything has it’s own unique, we don’t need to make it perfect. It’s really self healing and cooling down my perfectionism side.

Bad days in 2016? I had bad days but it didn't sucked up all of energy and everything I cherished on good days, and the most important thing is... I feel content.

When we're connected to real world, we forget about our social media accounts. In mid 2016 I decided to not active anymore in my social media accounts except Instagram and Stellar. I love photogram and that’s why Instagram and Stellar still remains. I only open FB and Path occasionally, through computer or my husband’s phone. I still have my Pinterest in my phone, sometimes it helps me when I need inspiration. The main reason is I feel “hate speech” really gives bad energy for me. I see the world not just about which religion is the best, or you can’t do certain things because old people said it wasn’t good, it will disgrace our creator where sometimes, yada-yada. Sometimes I wonder why what people see is completely different than what I learned at school back then. There’s no need to label people, we were taught to be united in diversity, not the opposite. And that is what I believe until now. 

More or less, I hope in 2017 will be a good year like other years behind. I hope whatever our plan for our happiness, it will goes as we expected or better. Aamiin!