I’m Christian Foremost, a Filipino Blogger/Writer/Podcaster and mental health advocate who writes personal stories of growth, life advice, and refreshing perspectives to inspire you to love yourself. I promote daily journaling as a healthy outlet to express and explore one’s honest thoughts and feelings. The path towards self-discovery and actualization starts by acknowledging your truths and facing your problems head-on.
I think I spent about 75% of existence here on earth stuck in my head hoping things were different. If only I lived in a world where stigma against homosexuals didn’t exist, I could have shown confidence and made more friends in school. If only my family were rich, I could have gone after a college course I was truly passionate about instead of opting for the flexibility of employment a business course offered.
All of those years, I denied myself the possibilities of a better life. I didn’t believe my dreams were ever gonna come true because my mere existence contradicted with anything I could ever want. The reality I was currently living in felt so far away from the fantasy of I life I wish I had. I felt doomed with a future I knew I was never going to be truly happy with. I was pretending to be somebody else because I was ashamed of discovering who I truly was. And for a long time, I allowed myself to be okay with it.
My life was only put in motion when I finally decided to take that first step in figuring out who I was. Then, I just started going after everything I truly wanted out of life. Nothing was impossible! I learned so much since taking that first step, and I hope that any one of these 6 Priceless Lessons that Changed My Life for the Better can spark some inspiration and empower you guys to go after your dreams and live your best life.
6 Priceless Lessons that Changed My Life for the Better
1. You’re the only person who defines who you are.
Don’t allow what other people will think or say to limit yourself or make you pretend to be someone you’re not. Their comments and opinions do not matter. This is your life and as long as you’re not causing harm to others, you’re free to express who you are and do what you want.
2. Don’t give up on yourself before you’ve even started.
Everyone has potential within themselves to live their best lives, amidst their present circumstances and the never-ending set of challenges life throws their way. Use everything you’ve gone through and all of those lessons you’ve learned to shape you to be the person you want to become. It’s not going to be easy. There’s a lot of work, but you just have to want it enough.
3. Let yourself free and start walking towards your calling.
Get out of the box you’ve put yourself in because of fear or wanting to satisfy other people’s expectations. What do you want to do? What will satisfy you? Pursue your passion in any way you can and be open to everything that life has to offer. You don’t need a detailed plan for success right off the bat. Just take that first step and you’ll figure everything out along the way. Know that you will make a lot of mistakes, but what you learn from them will be valuable.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask other people for help.
You will always need other people. Just learn to filter helpful constructive criticism from unnecessary or harmful opinions. Surround yourself with supportive people and those who share the same passion you have. Feed off each other’s energy and learn from each one’s experiences. These may be people you haven’t met yet so always choose to be kind.
5. Growth is something to consistently work on.
You’re a work-in-progress and no matter how old you are or how much you’ve achieved, you’re never going to be done. Always open your mind and seek knowledge everywhere you can. There’s always something new to learn and ways to do things better. You’re going to change, and that’s expected. It just has to be your responsibility to make sure you change for the better.
6. Take ownership of your own life and be responsible for your future from now on.
Do not seek or expect validation from other people, even if you love them. Be independent. Don’t be afraid to go through things alone because sometimes, you just have to. This is your life. You’re the hero of your own story and you better fight for that happy ending.
You have the power to take charge of your life and make things freaking happen already if you want to. Once you discover your identity and start believing in yourself, you’ll be unstoppable in conquering your dreams. I’m already excited for everything you’re about to do!
This is how my life changed…
For me, that first step in changing my life was as simple as writing my honest thoughts and feelings down in a journal. After that, everything else followed. Journaling unraveled my messy thoughts until I finally understood and accepted who I was. Journaling strengthened my resolve to come out. I started being more open to friends and strangers. I even took a shot at online dating and met so many great guys. I started working out even when I barely had an ounce of muscle in my body. I went on weekend classes and took online courses I totally loved. I tried all of these new hobbies even when I didn’t know what I doing most of the time. I found a platform for my passion where I can start writing and continuously challenge myself. I also built a community aiming to help other writers from different backgrounds share their wisdom to the world. And no, I’m not yet done!
There’s this endless supply of passion to pursue everything that I ever wanted to do in my life. It’s exhausting sure, but I’m happy and super excited. Also, just let me know if you want some my supply of passion, because I’m always willing to share it with you guys!
I’m still grateful to have lived the life I had growing up. I look back and remember a lot of fond memories. I have the bestest friends ever that I still keep in touch with today. One of the things I regret though is just not taking that first step sooner, but that’s alright. There’s not a lot you can do with the past. You can only deal with right now.
This is my life now. It’s not perfect. I’m still dealing with issues I’ve carried from the past and new ones are popping left and right, but I know that I’ll be okay. I’m 100% in the present and all geared up to march my way towards a future that’s just gonna get better and better.
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Wow this is very helpful po. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for this, Christian. Learning to set expectations for others and yourself saves you from a lot of heartbreak. I’m still a work in progress on this aspect. 🙂
Hi Christian! Thank you for sharing this side of you and inspiring others who may feel lost with this thing called life. I’m glad you have somehow overcome and learned so much from your experience! It’s nice that you were able to try new things / hobbies too! And all you did was to take that one step towards change! 💚
Couldn’t agree more sa third point about letting yourself free. That’s what I did and I am much happier now! uwu
Aww Christian! Kaya pala you’re always motivating us to journal! I know you’ve gone through a whole lot of hurdles and I’m happy that you’re slowly discovering who you are! Yes, slowly Kasi madami pang nangyayare and I can’t wait to see you flutter your wings as a full formed butterfly na talaga haha!! Anyway, I love the lessons here. I think I’m gonna go with #2 if I were to choose only one from these. Kasi if you give up on yourself right away, it will just lead to a lifetime of regrets!! Always keep safe!
I am a big fan of life lessons so this post is really something I treasure! Thank you so much for sharing this. I love the way you elaborated each one of the lessons you’ve learned!!!
I love those life lessons that you’ve shared. i tried journaling before but recently, i havent writtten anything in my journal due to busy schedule. thanks for sharing this to us
Your points are full of hope and positivity. I agree with everything but not totally with number 1. 🙂
What struck me the most was number 6. We need not seek validation from others and we should live our lives independently. Lately, I’m more comfortable doing things alone that allows me to focus on what I want.
Glad that you’ve reached this stage that you are most honest about yourself, your thoughts and your feelings and be able to express them through writing 😉❤️
Thank you for sharing your life lessons, they truly inspire me. Sometimes I get tired of doing something. What you said that we are a work in progress really stick to my mind. We can rest but we shouldn’t stop to improve ourselves
It feels weird kasi whenever I get to read one of your blog post, it’s full of positivity and it gives me that encouragement that I’ve been longing to give to myself. Pero I’m also holding it back. But what struck me the most is no.6 because taking ownership of my life and be responsible for my future is something that I’m currently struggling at. Pero slowly naman, I’m taking that little step towards being responsible. Sobrang independent ko kase to the point na I get too weak whenever someone tries to be with me tas nakakalimutan ko na yung ownership sa buhay ko. I feel like I’m better off being independent.
it is only when we fully accept who we are and and who we are not, that we start to love ourselves more and be empowered and start a journey to a better us. thank you for this inspiring post Christian!
YES TO THE FIRST POINT! I’ve made some decisions I regret doing cause I cared too much about what others thought. I have since learned from those mistakes, and now I know where I stand, and where I should prioritize. If you get through that first point I feel like it is doing a Kon Mari of your surroundings, and giving your mental health a nice, spring cleanning break from all the noise of other’s remarks.
Cause in the end it is your life and we should live on our rules hehehe
Thanks for sharing these priceless lessons. Bagay na bagay sa akin ito at for sure babalikan ko itong post na ito kapag need ko ng encouragement or motivation sa life ko.
Though I do not totally agree that we are the only ones that define who we are – because technically, our creator is the only one who can define who we are because He designed us (Isaiah 45:9; Romans 9:21), I do get it that we do not let any other human being tell us who we are. Just last night, I was watching Quincy Jones documentary, and he’s gone through the black discrimination in the 40s and 50s, and he says about his “work ethic” that a huge part of it is because he is not dependent on what others say about him or his skin.
Love this, Christian. Thanks for sharing the lessons that changed your life for the better. I’m still figuring out how will I become a better person pero I know, this will happen in the right time. I might try your tips and let’s see 🙂
YOU ARE WORTH IT talaga Kuya, Sobrang Ganda ng mga paalalang to.. sobrang nakakarelate at ang bawat word sobrang swak na swak sa bawat isa…. thank you kuya Christian, for always giving motivation to others like me… I am here po always to support You..
Thank you for sharing this blog po 💗 Napaka motivational talaga, actually , sobrang nakakainspire lahat po ng blog niyo 💗* Don’t give up on yourself , YES!💗and now this is it 6 PRICELESS LESSONS ! Thanks for sharing po 💗
love your blog. and yes, honest writing makes us become self-aware. with self-awareness, we learn to value ourselves, and even consciously change into something we want to be. that is defining yourself! or redefining yourself to be the person you want to be, because only you is in control.
I always love reading your blog! It’s full of positivity, very encouraging and motivating! I always put a smile on my face after reading your posts! I guess we all have ups and downs, sometimes we feel that we are not enough but as what you mentioned, we are responsible for our life direction and won’t let anyone define us!
Thanks for sharing! I’m afraid to ask help before but I realized it is actually a sign of strength and wisdom to seek out help when you need it. Next time I have the confidence to ask for it knowing that I have my good friends and family who are willing to help me.