It was the day, the farewell cum graduation program, when we bid our final goodbyes to our friends and teachers. Stepping out of the gate for the last time, I could not contain my sadness. I was stepping out from my bubble, where I had spent a good two years in. I looked back to the glass-paneled building, and all that appeared before me were the memories I had made there, both bitter and sweet. I was moving forward from what I called home, where I discovered myself and found my comfort in.

But after I returned back home, a new question arose in me. I began to ask myself “Now What?” All I had worked for in the past few years was to score good grades and to graduate from school. That had become my short-term purpose. I was so invested into doing well in school that I had no time to think about what I was going to do after school. Now that I had graduated, I discovered a lack of short-term purpose. I felt an absence of things to do, and I just spent a good week laying on my bed on my phone doing nothing productive at all.

I knew that the way I was living would do more harm than good, so I decided to craft a new set of short-term goals and link them to my long-term goals. I decided to learn new set of skills which would ultimately help me later on in life. I motivated myself to learn something new every day. I wanted to learn as many new things as possible. I spent a good portion of time every single day to acquire a knowledge of things I was passionate about. Be it studying Spanish, working out or learning how to code, edit photos or play the keyboard, I kept myself occupied daily learning something new or doing something productive.

I challenged myself to become at least one percent better every day. I also wanted to try and find my niche. I figured out that being involved in communities and meeting new people would be a good place to start. I have always found a comfort in helping others in need. That is why I got involved in several organizations working for social service. Being involved in communities not only provided me with an opportunity to help others in need, but I also got to build a network with like-minded people. Interacting with more people also allowed me to navigate social situations and understand social cues much better.

At the end of every day, before heading to bed, I formed a habit of journaling. The five to fifteen minute I spent every evening helped me understand myself better. Writing down my feelings and experiences enabled me to ponder on the things I could do better in the future if placed in a similar situation. It also helped me clear out my subconscious mind and get closer to my notion and values.

Between all this, I also made time to spend with my family and friends. Spending quality time with the people I love inspired me to conduct myself with the best morale, and motivated me to do better. From my experience, I have learned that it is wiser to not sit around waiting for something to happen, but to rather go out and make it happen. I have realized that the true meaning of life is not to have a purpose but to enjoy every little thing that we do.

Therefore, throughout my time after high school, I have learned to live at the present moment and to appreciate little things that make me happy. I feel like our entire life is a journey of learning and exploring new things and ideas. Hence, I would suggest anyone reading this to just ride the wave, and believe in the work you have put in, then everything else will fall into place.