2016 review

This year has finally come to an end. Overall, it was a tough year but a good year because I learned a lot of things. My perspective in life has changed and I have learned to be more positive and resilient.

Here are some of the few things I have learned:

Do not let negative people/energy into your life: Your time on earth is short and sacred; too short to let negative people suck the energy out of you life. This year I had to let go of certain "friendships" because they were toxic and harmful. Pain is pain. And pain acts as a sensor that something is wrong. If someone is constantly causing you pain or draining your energy, it's time to reconsider and drop them like it's hot. Protect yourself from these people. Listen to your intuition.

Your actions define you: I've been reading Marcus Aurelius' meditations lately and one of his quotes struck me -"A man's life is defined by their actions." Talk is cheap. If you want to achieve something, set your thoughts and plans into motion.

See the positive in everything: Always see the silver lining in tough situations. Positivity changes everything.

Treasure your true friends and family members: Because life is hard and they are probably the few people who will support you and have your back when things get rough. My best moments in life come from when I am surrounded with my loved ones.

You came to earth for a purpose: I recently went to visit a friend in Guatemala. She is a fashion blogger and has recently started designing handbags. She shared with me how much fulfillment she found by expressing her art and passion through her designs. On our way to a restaurant, we stumbled across an artist that painted birds for a living. We were admiring his art and he muttered the words: "you came to this earth with a certain set of strengths, and once you find your strengths and use them for a greater good, you have found your purpose and work will not seem like work at all." He shared about how he started selling his art out of necessity, but also because it was his passion to share his art with others. "Now my birds are all over the world," he said with a deep sense of satisfaction. He has been painting birds for 37 years. My friend bought one of his birds for me. She was touched and inspired by his words that she insisted him to keep the change. It's amazing how something so simple like painting birds and his words had an impact on our journey.

Fruition

The semester has come to an end, the grades are in and I'm finally back home visiting family for a few weeks.

As an educator, the most rewarding aspect of my job is to see the meaningful connections and learning made by my students. My focus is to apply language skills in real life situation and develop their critical thinking. For example, we worked in preparing a UN debate where they compiled data and facts and used them to build an arguement. We also watched and analyzed the US presidential debates. The students enjoyed it very much and it's wonderful to witness their growth and motivation.

Birthday card that my students made for me. One of the messages read:
"Thank you for teaching me something useful for life."

Next year, I am planning to go to Cambridge for a two-week course in Literature. I was also invited to a conference in Bógota, Colombia (COMIBAM) to join 2500 missionaries on a series of workshops, panels and meets-and-greets. I'm also planning to attend IB workshops and continue to equip myself as an educator.

This year's biggest lesson was to never give up hope. Even though God may shut a door, He will surely open one that it's a better fit. Moving to Costa Rica was the best decision I made, and I'm so thankful for the sunny and beautiful weather and places I get to visit.

Next year will be an exciting one. Let's all hope for the best.