While I've always considered myself an optimist, it's not easy to find a silver lining in every dark cloud. My blogging days began in September 2008 as a means of chronicling my life in Japan. My goal was to remark on my significant experiences and subsequent growth. Above all else, I wanted to stay connected with my loved ones in upstate New York as I lived nearly 7,000 miles away. I hoped that my writing would inspire others to do what I was doing, and gather the strength and courage to step outside of their comfort zones and follow the road less traveled.
I am regretful to admit that, upon my return from Japan in May 2009, I lost a lot much of my inspiration. I recall experiencing reverse culture shock that knocked me off my feet. I remember reassimilating into my major of study and feeling that I had lost my focus and desire to move forward. My memories sound bad, but my life was not all bad. I remained as optimistic as possible and befriended many wonderful people following my return. I kept seeking new inspiration and remained confident that I would return to Japan (and Asia in general) in the future.
In the summer of 2010, one year after my return, I stumbled upon a rough and rocky road. I found myself in a demanding unpaid internship that required my presence at odd hours. To make a small income, I worked as a maintenance director at a decrepit community swimming pool, where I made minimum wage for my hard work that went unappreciated by my boss. I felt that I was floundering at a dead end.
In August 2010, I found myself rapidly transitioning between my summer routine and a demanding academic semester. With little time to catch my breath, I was quickly overwhelmed by more responsibilities than I had ever previously handled at one time. My energy quickly drained from my being, and with it went my happiness. I kept on top of my studies by sacrificing most of my time, but I came to realize that I was lacking in most other areas of my life. It was easy to fall into a pessimistic mindset - one that was very difficult to leave behind. I felt that my mental and emotional strength was non-existent.
On an evening in November, I revealed to my mother all of the struggles I was facing. It was during our discussion that I realized I had created my own nightmare by feeding on so much negativity. This was an epiphany - a turning point on this rough and rocky road. I felt, for the first time in months, inspired.
I began to draw inspiration from life's minor details as I pulled myself out of my pessimistic mindset. It was time, I realized, to return to my optimistic approach to life. It was time to embark on a quest for daily inspiration. I worked hard to improve my mindset and salvage the remainder of my semester. In fact, as I see it now, those several months of struggle were not wasteful, but rather a necessary evil for a period of rapid growth. For this, I am very appreciative.
Recently, I have drawn a great deal of inspiration from my loving partner. His approach to life and its many unforeseen hardships has demonstrated to me the importance of keeping a strong emotional core and remaining optimistic in all circumstances. While I've always understood this, it's sometimes easy to forget. I'm fortunate that I have such a person to look to and learn from. I've grown quite a bit in the time I've known him, and will undoubtedly continue to grow as I pay him my respect and admiration.
My writing will continue as I seek daily inspiration. I will reminisce about my life in Japan as nearly two years has passed since I left upstate New York for the Sun Origin Country. Thank you for paying attention to my views of life - your time is greatly appreciated. I'd love to hear your views as well, and above all, I hope that I can provide you, the reader, with some inspiration.
鼓舞 - Kobu - Inspiration, encouragement.
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