Remembering.

The song "My Immortal" came on in my iTunes, and I was reminded of a younger me in secondary school.

Back then, I was still figuring out what life meant. Do you remember yourself in a similar stage of life? Everything was deeper than it looks, and everything seemed layered with added meaning. My eyes opened to the world of interpersonal relationships. I found God.

On hindsight, I figured out what I wanted to do with my life right then too. I was involved in creative things such as the Chinese Drama Circle, and I was involved in things that built people up, like the Boys Brigade. These things continue to be what I want to do with my life. I want what I do in the future to build up others, to show others that there are better ways of looking at things beyond the mercenary earning of money and beyond the pessimistic thoughts about others. I want to create - to translate ideas in my head into concrete solutions. Maybe that's why I love marketing. It's conversation, and it's innovation to make lives better.

Thinking about those times puts a smile on my face - the naiveté I had, the funny little things I did. I thought I fell in love then, only to find now that true love takes a lot more than just having that warm feeling coursing down my veins. All relationships take effort and time and compromise. I see that now, clearer than ever. It's beyond holding hands and feeling nice. It's deciding to say sorry, or to admit that you are wrong, even if it's not the most comfortable thing to do.

Sometimes I wonder if I would have turned out the same way I am without knowing God. Now I know what James means when he said "Every good and perfect gift is from above". I need to remind myself of that more.