My 5 secrets

Yesterday marked my first year back in Canada. It's not a huge achievement. All it took was me doing what I do best. Living life, enjoying life, and generally being awesome. But besides all that there are a few things I've realized since coming back. To keep things simple, I'll list them in point form:

1. Being able to call yourself Canadian is a privilege that should not be taken for granted. We are a people with a history unlike any other. Although there we share similarities with other countries in the ways of capitalism, politics and colonialism, we have made this country into one where nearly anybody can come here and feel welcome. Which leads me to my next point...

2. You have to work hard to be a good person and have a good life, no matter where you are in the world. When I'm in Canada I have the benefit of being a part of the greater majority. I have rights that are given to me by my constitution, and I have the ability to give myself a good education and a good lifestyle. This isn't the case when you're living on the opposite side of the fence. Being a part of the 'other' is tough mentally, and a person has to secure themselves in their own identity if they are going to live a full and happy life in a place that is not familiar to them.

3. Moving back with your parents when you're an adult who has lived alone so far away from them is tough, and should only be done with great caution. Moving back in with my parents after living away from them is really, really difficult. Studying what I study, and having the experienced so many things outside of their understanding has created a distance between us. I love my parents and would do anything for them, but at the moment we both have to be careful. We have our own ways of living, and the most important thing we do for each other now is to compromise. If you're moving back in with your parents, you're now roommates, and that relationship is different.

4. The world is a confusing place, but underneath all the superficial layers that make societies work, people generally have to deal with similar responsibilities. In every first world nation the people living there have to take of the same things. Rent, utilities, food, friends, family, and everything else are constants that are unavoidable no matter which country you are from or you are in. Everything else is your own baggage that you have to take care of yourself, sometimes with the support of the people around you. In reality although the details of our baggage might be different, a lot of times the essential points are the same and anybody can sympathize with you, and vise versa.

5. No matter where you are in the world, there's no point in doing anything if you're not going to have any fun at it. Being interested is important. It makes all the difference between just living and living life. When a person studies, they should do it in a way that they enjoy. When they go out for a bike ride they shouldn't look at the next hill and hang their head, they should look forward to the downhill ride that's waiting on the other side. Perspective is what makes all the difference here, and everybody should be careful to keep in mind how they look at the things they do.

United Way's Why Race? Running around Calgary.

I love being me. I have learned how to enjoy my life and how to make the best of it. And those five secrets I just let you in on might help you someday as well. I hope you turn them over in your mind and find the same amount of excitement in your own life that I have found in mine.

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