There is something so incredibly pure about diving into something new. Although the mystery of the unknown still has the potential to rob us of our rational thinking, the open doors of possibility eventually overpower our insecurities. The beauty of the new is in knowing that we've entered into the right doors. That we haven't made any mistakes, and that to look back would be the last thing we'll ever want to do. But out of all the things that come with the new, I believe that exploring the things we do not yet know, and the innocence that we cloak ourselves in when doing so is the thing that makes the new so memorable, so awesomely pure and perhaps even, divine.

"Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. "
-- Isaiah 43:19 (The Message)

I've been watching the Australian Open these past few days as if I've been a huge fan of the sport all my life. Don't get me wrong -- I wasn't watching it like a poser. I was enjoying the game the way I should have since the entire Torres side has been in to the sport for as long as I can remember.

When I eventually found that Ivanovic, Sharapova and Djokovic are all twenty years old, I started thinking about my life and the things I've done that come at least a little bit close to the extraordinary things they've accomplished. But it isn't just these tennis players that got me thinking about my youth. There are all these passionate people in my faculty that stand out simply because of the things they believe in. All these people seem to have found, chosen and stuck with their passions; the causes that give life to the blood that flows through their veins.

I think 21 is one of those pivotal years, much like 8, 16 and 19. This particular one got me thinking about my youth and whether or not it has been wasted on me. Watching, knowing, and ultimately being inspired by such people just proves all the more that the youth are meant to live extraordinary lives. We are all meant to live extraordinary lives. Although I know that I am meant to live an extraordinary life, the question is, "Am I living one now?" especially since I can proclaim my teenage years history. Every time I think about this, I always feel like I fall a little short because I haven't felt like I've spent myself in anything in a while. But putting all this into perspective has suddenly encouraged me to take on a renewed mission to live that extraordinary life I was meant to.

I've always wanted to keep a low-key cyber profile. The closer I am to anonymity, the better, I always think. But then I keep finding myself in the middle of online social networks and typing up a new blog entry (most of which I never end up posting). Maybe it's my fickle-mindedness kicking in, or one of those modern-day necessities to let go of our anonymities (and put on somebody else's -- haha)

But anyway, this effort has probably been brought about by the following factors:
1. I'm about to plunge into an opportunity filled with so much uncertainty that I need to know that I've got family and friends out there who are checking in on how I'm doing.
2. The sheer lack of anything productive to do as I wait to leave
3. I've become even more comfortable in my own skin that I think it's worth celebrating.

I have no idea how long I'll keep this up, what this blog is going to contain or why I'm really going about the whole blogging thing again. But I do know that I'd like to keep things simple and true -- a little celebration of the great things coming my way. :)