my first book writing project is finished! yay!

but to be completely fair, i don't really get too over the top excited about my self accomplishments, save for the moment i wrote the last word and thought "damn, it's done." and that was about it. don't ask me why i'm so nonchalant about this seemingly big thing in my life, but i feel that the progress and feelings that come from the whole journey toward something feels pleasantly more satisfying than the actual results or outcomes.

in the meantime, i will find myself here on SN for a bit, talking about topics that come to mind so that the flow state can continue to thrive on whatever experiences i continue to gain. for today, i want to talk about lighthearted yet important conversation i had with my fiance, and this is also in regards to one of themes in my book.

as humans, we are collectively share an existence on this earth. we are all trying to navigate and understand what it means to truly live, thrive, and make our way in life. in that time, we hopefully find something that drives and motivates.

but something i've come to quickly realize is between the eastern (speaking for Southeast Asia, not East) and the western world, humans are actually very selfish even though we are conditioned to believe that we are selfless. i say this because when you think in very simple terms, money is always the root of this individual desire.

money is required to survive.
money is required for one's own self-indulgence.
money is needed for the convenience of making life "easier", and to buy what we believe are the next best things.
money is required to feel worth something to others and feel like you have some degree of wealth in this world.

all of these statements are true, no doubt. but when you pay your due diligence with your time and energy a majority of the days of the week into industries that are meant to contribute to the better part of society, what is it that you actually have at the end of it?

what else is there to actually care about when finances are constantly pumping and consuming your mind?

what time, as in quality time to spend, do you have to spend with your friends, family, and taking care of yourself in the way you wanted to?

what is it you actually contributed to the world? was it actually meaningful at all?

i guess where i'm going with all of this is why would you continue to live on in this life if you refuse to find a way to thrive in it without any degree of personal purpose? i'm not saying you should quit your job completely and say to hell with it because that's obviously not a smart move.

in this fiat driven world, what is there you can do right now to contribute to something a little bit bigger in your life? here are some cases that i have personally experienced:

1. for the FMC in my book, she could care less about making money even though her family has always had this perspective this was the main route toward any sort of success. YA characters often don't understand the full scope of themselves just yet, and i believe having her purpose in possibly traveling through a fictional semester at sea program would be fitting to her own journey. writing her story was important so readers (young and old) can gain a larger perspective into themselves, what it means to truly be persistent, and how life can be lived in whatever ways you're willing to make it work.
2. one of the most eye opening things i got to do in the past month visiting my family's homeland for the very first time in the past month. it was an entire half mile block of people (whom are all cousins, aunts, uncles, and the like) of my grandparent's last name, and as soon as i stepped into the very house they were born in, it hit me that money was never the true core of their lives: community is. the foundation they have together was and is still strong, and living the simple life is what struck me as the most meaningful and beautiful thing all of them had. their contributions to each other in their tight knit community was what i found truly inspiring.
3. in my instance, i find meaning in writing to you all (for however many of you bother to read the posts i put out every now and then), and also in my book writing journey. i'm not making much money off of it, but maybe there are messages some of you can spot and take for your own, or maybe this very small and simple action of putting my thoughts out into this world might spark a long delayed connection within yourself to seek something higher, more challenging, and that drives your inner fire. perhaps, whatever you're seeking to do might branch out toward others, or maybe you're doing whatever said thing to grow into a better version of yourself.
4. finally, my vision for a thriving, more abundant life includes continuing to write books and publish them in one of the big 5, building a house, building a business (which i don't know what that is just yet) a garden which turned into a food forest so i don't have to pay for most of my food, and maybe a separately built cottage across the way to hide all of my books and hold my writing space in. of course, building something from the ground up will always have its initial capital costs, but the overall outcome for me is the meaning, and the money becomes secondary.

here is a food for thought: where, and what, do you see your future self thriving in?

i hope today's post helps you to realize and plant a few seeds of your own, and that life can be so much bigger than everything you were conditioned to be apart of.

please feel free to comment on anything that has pondered your mind, and if you have any goals or things to look forward to as of now, i would love to hear them!

take care and all the best,

• juju <3