My earlier post on my life coming full circle attracted a lot of admiration, goodwill, and a few envies. I thank you all for that. I am glad many young people were inspired that at a time when people struggle with making inroads with one career, I had three “successful” ones.

While my life seems to have been a breeze, it was actually far from it. I had my fair share of struggles and strain, often characterized by difficulties and injustices that seemed insurmountable at times. My own colleagues would snitch on me, people I recruited myself would betray me, and I had to leave organizations that I built with my own hands. The pain was real. The hardships, too.

Some of my career changes were my own choice, while some were forced upon me by people and circumstances. But one thing is for sure: I never sold my principles. My dignity may have been battered, and my name was crushed at one point, but my conscience is intact. This is not to say that I am perfect, but the beauty of life is continuously working on your imperfections—just as courage is not the absence of fear, but your ability to outweigh it.

All in all, though, there is one thing that I want to stress upon—especially for our younger generation that is less resilient than us, the GenX. Take every moment—both good and bad—every struggle, and every betrayal as a message from the universe trying to put you on your predestined path. And not as a punishment for your bad karma, or you as a victim.

Do not overthink or kick yourself for the damn luck. Don’t linger in there for more than what is necessary. We must always remember that we suffer more in our imagination than in reality. Likewise, when the going is great, do not celebrate for too long—otherwise the devil will be at your door sooner than later. Keep moving quickly from both happiness and hardships.

So, coming to me, not because I am into spirituality, but somewhere along my life, and early on, I learned to take life as a package—of good and bad, happy and sad. There is no good or bad in absolute sense. Everything is an experience. Every experience is an opportunity to grow. And when you stop growing, you stop living.

Of course, I am not a Buddha. When things start crumbling around me, or when I feel betrayed, my first reaction obviously is anger and sadness, but I quickly move to: what is the universe trying to tell me? Is it time to move on or move away? Yes, it is a signal, and I must respond – and not react to it, in the most appropriate manner. Most of the time, I really don’t know where I am going, but I keep going anyway.

I changed my career from engineering to filmmaking to media and public relations to communication scholarship. I now find myself having to do all these in the new life I am living and the new project that I am leading. Maybe the universe was preparing me all along for this big moment—through trials and tribulations and through becomings and unbecomings.

Maybe, my life until now was just a warmup. I don’t know where I am going. I keep going anyway.