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Life happens – and sometimes, we just need a few daily reminders throughout the day – when our mind just goes too fast and our feelings, senseless. Have a read of some essential reminders from Adrian Lim Duarte about taking risks and being true to oneself.
“Some beautiful things only happen once, and I hope that when that beautiful thing happens to you, you’re able to fully enjoy it and become present in that moment.”
“Enjoy the things that you want to enjoy. I think a lot of us have been putting out the good stuff, the best stuff, because we want to save it for a better time; you wanna save it for a better later. But we forget to celebrate and take for granted the things that make us who we are and make us happy now because you want to save it and savor it. But the thing here is, sometimes later becomes never. So this is like a more profound way of saying that you only live once and it is the truth; that maybe stop saving something for the next big thing or stop lurking or searching for the next big thing, and try to enjoy the big things that you have now. You may not think that it’s big, but it is something that you have in your life.”
“Taking a risk is very scary. But you have to understand that everything that we did to live and survive are also born out of the risk that we took in the past; all the things that we did before were also risks. We all have moments where we could have gotten the bud stuff, then we got the good stuff. If we didn’t try, if we didn’t take the first step, we wouldn’t be where we are today, and sometimes it will all feel impossible. But you really have to take the first step even before when you’re ready. Sometimes, all we can do is pull a Nike and say ‘just do it,’ 'just give it a shot,' take the first step and who knows where that first step will lead you and realize that you’ve already been taking risk your whole life.”
“Sometimes, the voices in our head that fill us with doubt get louder and louder each day asking us if where we’re supposed to go—telling us we’re not good enough, questioning what we are even doing in this profession, as if we’re not doing anything, we’re not moving forward. And sometimes it’s gonna force you to concede defeat. But the thing that I’m gonna remind you of is that you’re only ever defeated when you stop fighting for your dreams and fighting for who you are. When these doubts waterfall in your life and in your head, just calm down and sit with yourself, remind yourself the truth, the strength, the power that you have. Because you wouldn’t be here today if you didn’t have the skill, if you didn’t have the heart, the grit to even stand up today and keep reaching your dreams. So keep going to make it.”
“I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if all the best you could do today is just be you, then it’s okay. It’s so tiring, it’s so heavy trying to become things that we are not; to say things that we are feeling, but we’re not really feeling. It’s okay to just be you for now. The world wouldn’t stop or crumble if at this moment that you’re in here with me now, you choose to just be you. Take this time to just sit down and ask yourself how you’re really feeling. Create a space for yourself, because it’s just tiring, the world is very tiring.”
“Remember that you are allowed to be whoever you want to be. Don’t let other people’s opinions or standards of you box you into this person. Dig deep, find who you are, and express who you are. As long as you’re not doing any harm, as long as you’re not being disrespectful or going against humanity, go be whatever you want. Live and let live. Let yourself be happy and let yourself become who you are authentically.”
Adrian is a pre-school teacher, a private tutor, a freelance event host, and a radio jock on Fresh FM. He also hosts a podcast on Spotify about "Love, Growth, and Freedom" and uses TikTok as a platform to spread self-love and positivity. You may follow him at @freshfmadrian. During his free time, he roller skates in the streets of Merville village in Parañaque, sometimes with his friends, but most the time, enjoying this by himself.