My 30th Birthday

(Sharing what I posted on my Facebook)

Thank you, everyone, for your birthday wishes. Yesterday was my 30th birthday. Today, after I post this on my Timeline, I head to the Army-designated hotel to start the new journey. I thought of posting a thorough reflection on my past decade, but the past week has been hectic, so I will leave this post as brief as possible.

First things first: I’m glad to be in my thirties. My teenage years were pure chaos. My twenties were far better, but I still had self-doubt. In terms of academics, I was confident I could get good results if I put the effort in. I’m smart enough. But how about human relationships? I can be sincere and effortful, but does that lead to a good result? Does that make me a good person? There seemed to be too many variables and calculations.

Throughout my twenties, I observed that I tend to make a good decision for myself and others as long as I’m well-informed and wholehearted. This is not an a priori reasoning about human nature or the relationship between effort and being a good person. This is a posteriori conclusion I drew, which was possible only through gaining more experience. So I’m glad to be slightly older as of yesterday, and I’m thrilled to embark on a new decade with new confidence.

To be clear, this is not to be self-complacent. To be informed and sincere requires constant efforts. In tough times, you must stay attuned to a belief that seems greater than yourself—greater than what you can possibly do at the given moment. And this is taxing. Regardless, I’ll continue to strive for my better self for years to come, and I’m excited about this.

That said, please keep in touch. I aspire to stay in the Army as long as possible, but I don’t plan to leave academia entirely. I’ll come back as a Scholar, Athlete, and Leader.

Peace.