Today was one of those days where inspiration was flowing in the air. Hints of positivity were everywhere, letting me know that all will be okay. In a time of transition, faced with the great unknown, one of these days is precious. I had a wonderful time catching up with a Columbia SIPA love over lunch. One of the greatest things about SIPA is its people. Now that we have parted ways, it’s so exciting to see where people are heading and to follow each individual’s journey.
Post lunch, I did one of my favorite things that I haven’t done in a long time: I went to a café and read a book. With all the information flowing around the Internet, I actually haven’t read an entire book in a long while. I gotta admit, I am absolutely ADD when it comes to information absorption (admitting is the first step to recovery, right?). I am one of those people that googles one thing, and then half an hour later is reading about something entirely different. Also one of those people who constantly have 12 tabs open on their browser to read later. Anyway, I digress.
Today’s book of choice was Half the Sky by Nick Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn. I had been meaning to read it for quite some time, but today was when I finally picked it up. It was a book left to me by a friend, and not on my Kindle. Reading an actual book is still so much more comforting. I opened the book and saw this postcard, which was perfectly fitting. It says:
This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don’t like something, change it. If you don’t like your job, quit. If you don’t have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop overanalyzing, all emotions are beautiful. Life is simple. When you eat, appreciate every bite. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things. And people, we are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once, seize them. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them so go out and start creating. Life is short. Live your dream and share your passion.
It is exactly the reassurance I need as I define this next stage of my life. This is the kind of things that get shared around on social media, but I am trying to find a way to make it happen. Later, as I turned through the pages of this book, I came across one of my favorite quotes of all time. I hadn’t seen it in a while, and it was a stark reminder:
“Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.” – George Bernard Shaw
And there it is. Just gotta keep trusting that the dots will connect in life. All I need to do is go out there and live it, and be unreasonable.
That is a great quote!
I love that quote and your story. Best of luck to you, and may Shanghai fulfill all your dreams and wishes.