Explore and Focus

2009 begins as a very challenging year.

The economy is badly damaged. I attended a funeral of a loved one. Friends are suffering from broken relationships and the fear of unemployment. Not the best of times.

I am reminded of the times I hit rock bottom and the two practical things I did to rise up again. Explore and focus. Explore those things you always wanted to know more about - whether it's taking up a musical instrument, playing a new sport, or learning a foreign language. Next, focus on something you know you are interested in.

There are three major benefits to exploring and focusing.

1. Escapism: life can be extremely difficult with stress and grief. Escape from these overwhelming circumstances by exploring something fresh. Once your focus is on to something intriguing, stay there for a little while. Escapsim is not meant to avoid or deny your problems - rather, your escapism should help you calm down, rationalize and ultimately resolve a very difficult reality.
   
   
2. Productivity: passion to learn and practice boosts your productivity. There is so much we don't know in our lives - the whats, hows, wheres and whys. Wouldn't it be fascinating to recognize and perfect the unknown? Focus on a hobby and you will develop fulfillment in something, even if temporary. Focus on a skillset and you will have the potential to enhance your career. Focus on knowledge and you will empower yourself to connect and better understand others.
   
   
3. Sharing Life with Those Who Can Help You Most: as you escape and progress in your area of interest, you will come across wonderful individuals who share the same passions. These people are in tune and experienced to what you are seeking and because they share the same goals, they will most likely support you to succeed. Ultimately, you will find yourself united and integrated with a community that helps you appreciate what you enjoy most.

When I failed the California bar exam for the second time and remained unemployed for several months, I needed to explore and focus. I discovered Lynda.com and was introduced to the world of graphic design. After a month of training and experimenting, I developed a portfolio with powerful applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. A week later, I landed my current employment! Best yet, today, I still use Lynda.com (certainly helps when your employer pays for the service) to enhance the quality of my work. Not only can I produce meaningful art and effective designs, I network with other professionals who can aid and inspire me to improve.

In the end, my faith tells me that everything happens for a good reason, despite the dreadful circumstances. Perhaps we are meant to experience such moments to mature into something far greater and stronger than we ever imagined. And when we don't see any hope, I often read this simple yet profound message:

"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain."
- Kahlil Gibran

This year requires exploration and focus but imagine what you will accomplish once you meet these requirements. I sense much joy ahead.

10 Random Facts

Inspired by my Facebook friends, I've written down 10 random facts about myself.

1. Writing is what I do most everyday and I love it. Whether its business communications or writing my novel, writing is my greatest asset and pleasure.
   
   
2. I've been slacking off in my blog because of my addiction to Xbox LIVE and hanging out with friends and family. The experiences shared have been highly entertaining and meaningful. What I should also be doing is blogging about these experiences!
   
   
3. I mildly suffer from trichotillomania - a hair-pulling mental disorder. I often have the urge to pull hair from my body. I used to pluck from my head in high school but then I (and others) noticed balding spots. People think I shave my armpits but it's due to uncontrollable plucking. This isn't a painful process and I actually enjoy the feeling of plucked hair - I feel cleaner without it. Still, it's an uncontrollable habit so I often wear jackets and long-sleeve shirts to restrict myself.
   
   
4. The only times I shouted at my wife is when I'm gaming online - expressing my outrage that I'm lagging in performance b/c she's surfing the Internet. One time she intentionally uploaded hundreds of photos while I was gaming. She's a clever one.
   
   
5. I've never played beer pong before. I don't know what I'm missing. In fact, I don't believe I played any drinking game before except for "Fuzzy Duck." Probably b/c I have no tolerance whatsoever for alcohol.
   
   
6. Perhaps once a year, my wife looks at me in disappointing disbelief. We share a theory that she is growing taller and/or I am shrinking. When we stand next to each other, we just have to laugh sometimes at the (increasing) difference in height.
   
   
7. The inevitable has happened. I have retired from break dancing. It was pretty lonely practicing by myself so I moved on to train for community-centered activities, such as basketball. While I may be declining in upper body strength and flexibility, I've gained more stamina and developed wonderful relationships with fellow b-ball players.
   
   
8. In a non-scientific manner, I diagnosed myself as "involuntarily anorexic." I rarely have the hunger or appetite for anything. I don't know why but all food basically tastes the same to me - expensive or cheap, I cannot differentiate by taste. I eat to live and don't live to eat. The bad news is that I have difficulty in maintaining and gaining weight which causes my immune system to break down.
   
   
9. My motivation to exercise is different than most. Sure, it's nice to be buff and all but now that I'm married, my primary goal is to counter my involuntary anorexia - the more energy I expend, the better my appetite and the less likely I'll be sick again.
   
   
10. About once a week, the wife and I discuss nominations for our future children's names. I'm hoping to have all the future Mewies start with the letter "M" but she keeps insisting on this "K" name for a future daughter. It's a nice non-"M" name but I'm stubborn. I don't think this will be an issue until we seriously plan on having children. That won't be for another year.