RECA MARIE N.

FRIAS STEM 11 NMPL 7 MARCH 4, 2019

Reaction paper: “The Past 20 Days of My Life”

For the past weeks, I’ve made some voice records about how my day went. So I started
recording from February 13 until March 3; and there are a lot of things that realized. As I listen
to each and every recording that I made, it made me think back on the past 20 days of my life.

First and foremost, I learned that I am a product of my choices. I’ve made some good
and bad decisions in life, and those 20 days were not exceptions. One’s choice is very important
in molding our life, and not making a choice is also a form of making a choice. Ignoring to make
a choice that transforms your life is a choice to remain the way you are. And that’s exactly I’ve
been doing for the past 20 days. I noticed that how my day started and how it ended were the
same. It’s like my whole life is a routine, until that I day when me and my friends decided to
dine out and play arcade until our hearts content. That day, I spent more money than I usually
do and I came home late than I usually do. The little choices I make consciously or
unconsciously, willingly and unwillingly, they all add up, and today I am a product of those
choices.

Second lesson is that we don’t control the outcomes of our lives. Yes, I control my
actions; I control the choices I make. But in the end, it’s the principles behind those actions that
shape how my life will turn out. Our P.E. for this semester is volleyball, and everyone knows
that I’m really bas at sports. So I bought myself a volley ball and every day I would practice after
class to improve my skills. I believe that every area of your life affects every other area of your
life. When you begin making improvements in one area, all other areas will be affected.

Third, my time is my most precious asset. Time is the raw material of productivity. My
parents would only visit me during weekends and we only have less than 48 hours to talk and
bond with each other. It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.
Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest
achievements if it were all well invested.

Fourth, the process is art. Whatever I do, I shouldn’t ignore the process. It’s like climbing
a mountain; you spend most of the time climbing but only a little time at the top of the
mountain. I’ve been going to school for 12 years now and there are still more years waiting
especially that I’m planning to pursue medicine. After studying I would be working and maybe
stop when I’m already old and that’s the time where I can fully enjoy my life without any
worries. Enjoy the climb. Enjoy the process. Because most of what you’ll learn is in the process
–endurance, perseverance, and consistency. Don’t skip any step. Stop chasing after happiness.
Happiness is not waiting at the end of the process. Happiness is in the process. After all, it’s the
journey that makes you appreciate the destination.
RECA MARIE N. FRIAS STEM 11 NMPL 7 MARCH 4, 2019

And the last lesson that I’ve learned is to read books. It has always been a part of my
routine to read novels and such. There’s no such thing a complete day without opening my
wattpad application. The information found in books will make one live multiple lives in one
lifetime I could learn from people who have lived centuries before lessons that are still essential
today. You don’t need to experience every bas things in life just so you could learn some life
lessons, sometimes you just have to read and learn from other’s mistakes. Even in this age,
people have gone through what I’m going through now and they have shared their lessons in
books. Reading is telepathy. A book is the most powerful technology invented.