Living gratefully in 1/4 century era

People said that the age of 25 is a quarter-life crisis era; well, that phrase doesn't work for me. Being 25 means facing exciting things in my life, jumping to the next phase of life, and becoming more steady and mindful about life. Realizing that life has gone far that takes me to where I am right now and become who I am right now, I couldn't be more grateful for how Allah wrote down my destiny beautifully. With all of the situations and people in my life up to this point, i'm in awe at how they've shaped me into the person I am today. All the ups and downs, the laughs and cries, the weird and marvelous moments. I learned a lot from what I've been through. I will never become the person I am today if there wasn't any time in my past. I'm content with how I've spent my life. I focus on myself, work on my skills, make experiences, and spend quality time with people around me. I study and strive with my education and career, building myself to be a woman with brain, behavior, and beauty. Struggling with all the work 24/7 and at the same time doing self-improvement and making memories. Investing the time to widen my knowledge, trying new activities to balance the life between work, college, and hanging out. All the experiences helped me become a woman who is able to manage and balance her life. Becoming more financially and emotionally stable.

I have grown, learned, and formed beautifully and firmly with all the hardships, experiences, tasks, and responsibilities that I've undertaken. I have gone here and there to create memories. I have done this and that to improve my capability. I have met people to enrich my perspectives. Things I learned most is enhancing my communication skills. Surrounded by a lot of people from different backgrounds makes me learn how to communicate appropriately. Meeting a lot of new people improves my ability to interact confidently with strangers. Not satisfied with that, I read several self-improvement books about communication; one of my favorites is from Oh Su Hyang with the title "Bicara Itu Ada Seninya." The book is easy to read and gives a meaningful lesson on how to communicate beautifully, effectively, and meaningfully.

Moreover, lots of opportunities come with public speaking; being moderator and MC in some events is one of my next capabilities that I've just discovered. The circumstances and individuals around me seem to provide me with an opportunity to speak in public. This motivates me to learn more about public speaking. Another thing that I learned is leadership. Aside from being a leader who knows how to guide my own life, I have also taken on leadership roles in a project, a group, or a specific organization. I become more adventurous being in a new environment. Being a leader is hard, yet challenging and exhilarating. For me, the key to being a leader is that you are fully present to hear people's concerns and able to encourage them to make a move.

My advice, don't waste your twenties era with useless activities. At this age of time, you are exploring yourself and trying a lot of new things. You have a high curiosity that will lead you to a valuable life experience. You are growing at that age. During this time, you are going to live with experiences that will create your perspectives about life, dig into the core value of life, and find a clear life goal. 

I'm so grateful for all the moments past because, from that, I learned how to face the future. Gratefully meeting precious people while my study and my work, helping me to see life from other perspectives. Definitely grateful for the experiences I have been through; it helps a lot in shaping and creating myself. I'm very grateful for how Allah wrote my destiny so that I was able to grow into who I am today. Right now, I am living gratefully with the new environment and people around me. I feel another ambience and sentiment here. Having a new family that is concerned about how I am going daily, having a new best friend that shares the same interest in life so we can have a little adventure of life together, having a new sister that gives compassion in difficult situations. Praise to Allah, who provides magnificent experiences of my life here in Palembang. I embrace all new activities, adventures, and people here. Nevertheless, one lesson learned is that... I have to leave to realize what I left behind is precious. Distance brings the love and compassion stronger than it was before. It makes the meetings valuable, and you only want to spend them with precious talks and activities. 

Doing my best today might lead to having the best of tomorrow. Manifesting a modest and meaningful life is one of my life prospects. Planning and striving for self-improvement, being a woman with principle and achievements, and having an optimum quality in enjoying my youth. Growing gracefully is all I want to do in this era of life because my kids deserve a mom that they can brag about. With the jobs I have right now, I need to catch up with kids materials in order to understand their life span. Experiencing life with kids makes me learn how to get along with them, knowing their emotions and characteristics. Adapting myself to the new environment and culture. Deepen my communication skills in making interactions run smoothly in diverse environments. Besides, my life is all about recognizing new places, people, culture, and habits. 

Enjoying my single era gracefully is the point right now while focusing on developing myself again and again in a different area as well. Going here and there, experiencing new places with new people, and making core memories of life. I start to have a lot of dialogue with myself, talking about the future I am going to have since I have more space for myself right now and examining the life principle that I hold. Grow gracefully, Faras. You deserve your quality time after years full of hard work. The future is unsure, yet we have prayers and efforts to make it worth it. Too many exciting things to be focused on rather than being worried about the future. Calm down; enjoy the present. 

// May the blessings of Allah be on my Deen, my life, my family, my future husband, my children and my wealth // 

                                                                                                              happiest and grateful woman alive,

                                                                                                                        Faras Seruni