How's your life now? Do you still remember where you came from? How's life when you were young? Did you become the one you said you want to be when you grow up?
It's funny how life brought us tears and laughter at the same time. It's nice that we learn to wish upon a star and believed that wishes do come true. But one thing is for sure, when we were young all we want is to have a better life. We want to improve. We want to level up!
Did you miss your old house? Was it a nipa house? A house made of wood and tin? Was it small? Do you all live in one room? Do you sleep on the hard floor?
How do you cook your food? With firewood or charcoal?
How do you celebrate your birthday before? With just greetings? With buns with a candle on top? Or it's just an ordinary day, nothing special?
Have you dreamed of eating chocolate or have some sweets? A cake with beautiful icing decoration perhaps?
Have you ever wish to eat in a restaurant? Would eating in a Jollibee make you feel like dining in a 5-Star Restaurant?
What do you always eat when you were young? Did you ever wish for something else because you already had enough of the same dish every day? A fried chicken or pork chop for a change?
These are just some of the things I'm looking back. I'm reminiscing the sweet memories. When I was young and full of wishes that even Genie in the Bottle will give up on me. But life is full of surprises. Some things I didn't wish become a reality and some of what I wish for didn't come true.
But what I love about it is that I know you and I is not in the same place now like we were when we were young. I don't know if I'm making sense here. But evaluate yourself and your life. Where did life bring you?
Did you levelled up? I'm sure you did and your way of life did!
The nipa house is now made of bricks or stones. You're using a gas stove now. Or maybe an electric one, whew! The cakes, sweets and chocolates that you only wish before, now you can buy them anytime you want. Before just Jollibee and now Buffet or Samgyupsal!
Before going to the market (wet and dry) now just add to cart online! Before hard floor, now with foam or mattress soft and comfy! Before ice scramble, dirty ice cream now, Starbucks and Milktea! Before foldingthe fan when it's hot now, just turn on the aircon pay for the electricity. Before you have to go to the computer shop now, you have a laptop!
Before telephone then Nokia, now iPhone, Samsung, Etc! Before walk or commute now, own a car or can pay Uber or taxi! Before we can only afford jewellery made from gumamela or Sampaguita, now gold and silver shining shimmering splendid!
Before we can only play with paper dolls, text, spiders now Nintendo, PSP, Xbox even phones have every game.
It all levelled up. Your expectations levelled up. Your standards levelled up. Your way of life levelled up! Things got better. Your life got better.
It's good to reminisce about how tough the early years were. And how we overcome all the hardships and face all the storm that comes our way. Now, we all just laugh and are proud of ourselves because we didn't give up. Because we didn't lose hope. Because we believed in God. Because we believed in ourselves. That life always has its turns and there's always a sun coming out after a night of darkness. And we're not always down, we go up. And you have to be on balance to stay there and if you fall, just get back up again. That's the drill.
And level up doesn't just mean you have more money, the question is and the most important thing, ARE YOU HAPPY?
I still look back at the life that made me the person I am now. And how beautiful it turns out to be. A simple life does level up in time. It doesn't mean you become rich, it's when you get contented and have enough to live happily. And enough doesn't always just money, it's FAMILY.
Thank you for reading.
Lead Image: unsplash.com
You are correct all that matters is you and also your mental health (state of happiness)