the longest journey begins with a single step

     My journey here in Dubai has been very challenging for me. It is probably the toughest chapter of my early adult life. It feels like I’ve been riding non-stop on a roller-coaster of emotions. Emotions that range from happy to angry; from anxious to enthusiastic; from wretched to refreshed and lot, lot more…  There are days when I feel perfectly fine, like there’s nothing can crush my spirit, but there are also times when depression creeps in and then leaves me feeling miserable.  

         Being a human, I don’t repress my emotions… I allow myself succumb to anger, frustration, depression etc. Being a believer, I have this habit of rebuking myself… I remind myself that God is in control… I encourage myself not to lose hope… I coach myself to keep on dreaming while I may… I used to think that yielding to negative emotions is sign of lack of faith… But as I mature, I realized that is just mere sign of being human. Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean you’re a negative emotion repellant. The important thing is to have the right perspective in handling negative emotions so that you won’t be consumed by them, allowing God to use them to purify you.

     Being on this rollercoaster has been exhausting… however, it has been also rewarding. If there is one thing this rollercoaster has given me that would be a better appreciation of things. I’m grateful that I have a life that hurts me, pains me, makes laugh or cry or angry, because all my emotions can be ripe materials for stories… stories that can move other people… people who might need them at a particular moment in their life.

     I cry. I laugh.  I cope. I learn. I move forward. And then I cry again. It’s a rollercoaster. I’ll just try to enjoy the ride