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This might not be the most optimistic post I've written lately, but as I approach my 30s, I feel it's important to be honest. As I've grown older, I've come to realize that my youth is fleeting and that time is our most precious resource. When I graduated college, I didn't think too much about planning for my future. I assumed that with patience, my doubts, insecurities, and dreams would all fall into place. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. Instead, as I've gotten older, my fears and insecurities have only grown, and I've been left with more questions than answers. I know I'm not alone in feeling this way. Many of my friends and family members have expressed similar concerns, especially as they approach 30. At this age, it's natural to wonder whether we've accomplished what we set out to do in our teenage years and early twenties. During my 20s, I went through a lot of experimentation. I explored different passions and made new frien...

Since we grew up, we assisted at primary school, then when we are young to high school, in our early adult life, we attend college and if we want some master's degrees, all of these to ensure a well-paid career that allows us to carry a good lifestyle to face our future. We spend an average of 20 years attending regular classes with the promise of developing a good career and a bright future; our parents and teachers taught us that if we got good grades and obeyed the teacher's orders, we would be directed to be successful. The school and family taught to abide by the orders without questioning, and the idea of respect was transmuted into obedience and quietude. During my school days and my first years of high school, I always followed the rules without hesitation; that way, I avoided problems but grew up without individual thinking. Nowadays, most of the knowledge I received during my regular education is useless, obsolete, and worthless in the current market.  Critical thinki...

Since I resigned from my recent job, I have felt uncomfortable and incomplete about my life; the idea of being someone productive and who can carry on a family is not an easy task. Despite that, I can't complain about my life. I have been privileged to have a fantastic family; despite our errors, we can rely on each other; my career, though some ups and downs, is just beginning, and the future looks more promising than the past. Sometimes I fall into the error of judging my life and comparing it with others, trying to understand why I do not have the "successful"l that others have. I have been rigid with myself and my family sometimes, and I'm aware of that. Recently, one of my best friends lost one of his relatives; he is an excellent professional and a better person; if I wanted to compare my life with his, he would pass me years of vantage. His loss made me realize that grief is a  part of life and that nobody has a perfect life anyway. But why do I feel that my li...

Recently, I reread the Goggins book, Can't Hurt Me; I did it once the last year and finished reading it at the beginning of this year; I found some interesting lines on this occasion that maybe I omitted the first time I read it. One of the best parts is written in the last chapter, 'What if.' where the author explains how avoiding discomfort and denying hard days can be dangerous to our lives. The book illustrates how difficulties can sharpen our minds and bodies and carry us to better scenarios in the future. He is conscient that without difficulties and troubles in his life, he wouldn't have achieved everything he actually did. He explains how the harsh conditions put him to the next level and how they made him go forward in his life. He defines pain as a constant in our lives; when we avoid it, we reject a natural part of ourselves; the true enemy is conformity because it makes us numb to reality; this reality that, like it or not, is the one we live in. The Buddha ...

Since I quit the gym, and after weeks of exercising at home, I have considered returning to the old running routine I used to follow while studying. I would divide my week into cardio days and lifting weight days, where I used to run twice a week and lift three times the rest of the days. If I want to follow the same plan, I must get up early in the morning, which is costly due to my schedule and bad night habits—added to the uncertain weather, especially during these months. But despite the challenging effort that takes me to get up at the crack of dawn, I have achieved getting up early, at least during these days.  I prepare my breakfast and try to make the lightest meal to avoid a full stomach sensation while running. It is simple: a coffee, two boiled eggs, a piece of bread, and occasionally some fruit.  Then I choose my clothes and shoes to run in; depending on the weather, I will wear a short and a light shirt or gym clothes when it is cold or rainy. The time to go until...

 After watching the politician's speech in the election debate, the country will have to choose their next president and, with this, their subsequent path in a deep political, economic and security crisis. The candidates had to answer different questions in matters of safety, economy, socio-politics, and environment and show the country their government plan to afford them. Overall, the lack of clarity and the focus on the topics were the most notorious deficiencies, adding to the attacks between candidates, which all the audiences waited for. The debate had two approaches: coming back towards the self-called "revolution ciudadana" or moving towards change and action. I do not have a preferred candidate; However, some ideas resulted interested, at least from a technical point of view; the execution of the proposals will be challenging to make it real. The following Sunday, the country will choose the better option or the less bad.  If we ever had the option to improve the...

I don't use to talk or write about politics; it is a waste of time, and to be honest, I lost all hope that someday I could see an ethical politician in my country. During the last ten years, Ecuador has been a battlefield because drug cartels and delinquency have emerged recently. This weekend in a mid of electoral campaign, one candidate was killed, presumptively for hitmen; I don't recall something similar has happened in the history of national elections. The delinquency has reached new levels of terror, and the police and military can't do anything to stop this. The current president has been incapable of controlling the high delinquency rates, and terrorist acts have risen since he took the presidency. Added to the financial situation and inflation, this country has become a battleground everyone wants to exploit. This seems to be the beginning of the reign of chaos; sadly, nowadays, the leftist countries in Latin America are financed by drugs and narcos, and this prob...

While studying for my career, I never thought about what I would do after finishing my engineering degree because I thought all my doubts would be solved over the years. My only job experience before graduating was in 2011 when my uncle allowed me to work for a month in his jewellery store when I was 16. Far from reality, I thought all jobs were good and that with enough experience, I would reach financial and personal stability; once I graduated, I could see the reality, the ferocity world oversaturated with professionals, accepting any job offer no matter how ridiculous or precariat it was. After months of searching for reasonable offers, I panicked too; I was searching for whatever option to make money, even with low salaries or accepting training months without salary compensation. Four years after, history repeated. However, now I have a more clear outlook on I want to work; the office routine is something that is not with me; the long hours sitting and the busy schedules, added t...

Con una copia de The Stranger, Hector, mi amigo más sabio, me preguntó una noche sobre el significado de Vienna, la canción más interesante de Billy Joel. Yo estaba seguro de poder explicar su mensaje de principio a fin, pero fracasé en el intento. Leímos la letra y la iba traduciendo mientras el disco sonaba,  pero nunca pude transmitir con palabras lo que significa esa canción para mi. Por un momento me sentí el más inútil porque no pude responder a una pregunta que se supone tendría que saber alguien que ha escuchado ese álbum, pero reparé en que no se trataba de eso. La canción, que durante años ha sido la banda sonora perfecta para adolescentes que se hacen preguntas acerca de la vida, también ha sido una de las más ignoradas del repertorio de Billy Joel, convirtiéndola en un diamante en bruto escondido en lo más oscuro de su colección de canciones.  Joel, quien hubiera querido ser maestro de historia de no haber seguido el camino de la música, escribió esta canción al re...

A year ago, it was the last time I would see your eyes; I still wonder if there was something I could do before you left us. I never stopped thinking about you a single day; the strolls and the park have never been the same. I only have the memories and the moments we shared; thank you for protecting my family even when I was not there. It hurts when Google reminds me of a picture, moments lived years ago when we were running or just captured the moment, those moments that I aspire to at least have given you a good life. I promised you to care for the rest of the herd; sometimes it is not easy, now like maybe years before, we were facing problems, but when I recall the old days, I realize that I was fortunate to have you; you shaped my heart and fixed it when it was hurt. If you were here, you'd see that the family has grown, now we have another member, but unfortunately, we lost another one nearly simultaneously. Sometimes, the backyard seems empty; I never thought I would see it....

If you, like myself, are always waiting for that "special" moment to change your life or hoping that time will do the work for you, then I must tell you that you are mistaken. Life is a continuous stream of opportunities that can present themselves in a variety of circumstances. It is up to you to decide whether or not to seize them or let them slip away due to the fear of not being good enough to take them on. I often ponder the missed opportunities due to my fear of rejection or thinking it wasn't the right time. In my youth, I believed that success was solely dependent on time and patience and that if I waited long enough, things would fall into place.  Making mistakes is a natural part of achieving success and progress. Sometimes, you don't need perfect timing to accomplish great things. It takes a willingness to take risks and tolerate failures. Personally, I may not be someone who takes a lot of risks, but I recognize that we are often taught to conform to socie...