A year older, a year wiser

My home is almost ready for occupation. As much it has been exciting hunting for and renovating an apartment, it was also a tedious and frustrating process especially with a budget constraint. But the good news is, after the hard work, it has finally transformed from an ugly old pigeon hole in the sky to a warm, bright and breezy sanctuary.

Along the way, I have learned many lessons upon reflection. Here is one:

The older one gets, the more he realizes there are even more mysteries in life to solve. He does not have all the answers he thought he did when he was younger. The world which was once an uncontrollable disagreeable monster with its own mind still is but, additionally, it has become a global school immensely rich with valuable lessons about life.

How does one become wiser? By dropping the “the world revolves around me and my thoughts” delusion and looking beyond ourselves with ears readily tuned to what others have to say, be they pleasing or otherwise. These are the flames of fire we have to go through. And as we know, fire can either destroy or enhance what’s thrown into it.

For it is unlikely that a self-centered hermit could grow much intellectually and beat a balanced collective wisdom based on life experiences garnered from a multitude of others outside his personal world.