echo The new year is often considered by many to be a fresh start. It’s the season of new beginnings, and with new beginnings comes great changes, which is in perfect alignment with our theme for the month. Therefore, for our first article of the year, we’re going to be talking about…
Uh.
Okay.
For our first article of the year, we’re coming out with a bang with…
With…
What should we talk about?
What can we talk about, first of all? I mean, surely there’s something in our collective brains that’s worth speaking about, right? A grand total of a hundred and seventy-two neurons in two averagely-sized brains.
…
Is this happening? We… don’t have anything to say?
Part 1: We Don’t Have Anything To Say.
That’s right, for our first article of the year, we bring you nothing, and that is quite a shame. Sunway Echo Media’s readership is peaking, but we, unfortunately, are not. We’re both feeling that feeling many others feel way too often.
Stuck.
Feeling “stuck” or “running through the motions” is a term describing the feeling of indifference about life itself. This can come from the unfulfilling parts of life, such as a class you’re uninterested in, a boring job, stale relationships, or just a general indifference to all parts of life.
In writer number 2’s case, for example, you might feel a little in limbo after the end of your semester. Lacking structure and schedules, life has very, very, quickly turned into day after day of sleeping in, waking up, and a whole lot of nothing productive. Even things we had previously found enjoyable might have lost their meaning or entertainment value. Hypothetically, of course. Writer number 2 is doing perfectly all right.
Right here, right now, though?
We’re stuck.
Part 2: We REALLY Don’t Have Anything To Say
For the theme of “change”, it’s kind of ironic that nothing much has happened. But again–we have nothing to tell you. We’re stuck. Glued to the spot. I might have looked up another word for stuck. Jammed, lodged, wedged. Frozen. Tight?
You might be reading this and thinking, hey, hold on, are the writers here just trying to drag out the word count and space on the page?
Of that, we can reassure you. We would never do anything like that.
Like.
Ever.
It’s lazy.
And cheap.
Writer number 2 is wondering whether the people putting this article into the website allows for 25 empty spaces.
Probably not.
Part 3: There Has To Be Something.
There’s only so far a bit can be taken.
And this bit is
Very Quickly
Running Out
Of Steam.
What does Google have to say about this?
Part 3.14159265359: OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD
Google tells me nothing.
That’s it.
PART 4.1: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
LET’S GO FOR A RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PART 4.2: sad hours.
I. am. crying.
PART 4.3: WHY AM I CRYING
YOU’RE NOT MY REAL DAD AND YOU NEVER WILL BE. I AM IN CONTROL OF MY LIFE.
RIGHT?
YES!
PART ?????????: woah.
PART null: whoops tertidur (I slept) zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
……
……
……
PART 5: What time is it?
Morning comes around once more. The orange glow of the far away death ray strikes Earth at the speed of light. It is in these sets of conditions that I awoke.
Woah. That was a lot.
Are you okay? You’re still here, right?
You are?
Huh.
What did I accomplish? Did I tell the readers anything profound at all?
I did? What did I tell them?
Several ways to get unstuck? That’s impossible! You’re telling me I told our dear readers the first step to getting unstuck is to find out what defense mechanisms and cognitive distortions are getting in your way? You’re telling me our brains are the ones doing this?
The brains that have helped us live our lives this whole time?
I mean, sure, the brain has been known to start blaming others instead of taking personal responsibility, and sure, the brain actively chooses to avoid practicing self-love, instead choosing to practice the greatly inferior self-loathing. And I mean, if you really think about it, maybe this is contributing to us feeling stuck. Maybe this is why life has felt hopeless lately?
Oh, who am I kidding? My brain would never betray me in such a way! That is simply preposterous!
Ugh, all this self-reflection junk is taking away from life’s true purpose! Which is, of course, forcing yourself through unpleasant situations by crawling to the finish line!
HEY!
Who’s there!?
It’s me!
No, I’m me!
What? No, it’s writer number 1!
Enter, stage left, Writer 2: I baked a cake. I’m sorry. I was stressed.
PART 6: Building effective support systems in your life is actually important?
It’s so depressing seeing you this way…
Wait, stop talking.
Huh? Why? I’m only trying to help…
I know, I’m just thinking, maybe we should find a way to make ourselves easily identifiable.
Wait, but that was all writer number 1.
Was it?
Yes.
Yes?
How about now?
Yes.
Sorry, there was an ant on my screen.
Sadge.
That was really mostly writer number 1.
Can they actually put this into the website? Innovation.
I know the President of this institution.
Fair point.
Have we derailed this article a little?
Honestly, this is probably a good time to talk about that whole support systems thing. But man, I just have no clue how to approach it. Is there a way I can show emotion through this screen thing?
I am going to blow your mind.
Watch this.
🙂
NAUR WAY!
Sorry my Australian came out there.
It happens to the best of us.
Hey.
Do you think
Maybe
That support systems
Maybe it sounds complicated
I don’t know
Are we
Are we support systems?
Right now?
When I answer my Maths exam and don’t know something, I usually guess.
So I guess this is a support system?
I am indeed only guessing though.
Okay, watch. I’ll try to express another emotion.
Go for it!
\_( > . < )_/
Holy shit.
Oh my God.
Wow.
Hey. So.
Are you feeling supported?
There is a weight off my shoulders.
Yeah, I just remembered to look at the word count. We came so far!
I like just talking.
This is the emotion for it:
_|( ` – ` )|_
I like talking too
I…
I like talking to you
This is the emotion for it:
(// ^-^ //)
I need to learn how to express emotions better, I think. Maybe I’ll get better through these support systems we’ve been talking about.
Support systems…
Noun. Def: a network of people who provide an individual with practical or emotional support. (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
You got that from Google? I thought it stopped working after Part 4.
yeah i use Bing
Ooh, is that the alternate pathway?
To be exact, I use a browser that uses Bing, but it’s all the same. It’s called Ecosia, they plant trees from ad revenue money.
No, but
Look at this
It says,
In the example sentences,
Hold on. Let me show you
I’m getting excited learning about all these possibilities I hadn’t even considered!
I think it’s a good thing.
It has to be! I don’t think Taylor Wilson would lie, after all. (true)
Speaking of, can I try popping out a picture? I want to try something new.
Ready…
What.
Oh wow.
This looks a little like a peanut?
If I had to guess, it could either be…a valid theory about the human psyche, or just the ramblings of a crazy person. Nothing in between.
Aren’t I so good at guessing things? (brilliant)
Maybe I should start doing that… on the outside?
Guessing, on the outside?
The self… separate from the ego, separate from the shadow. Maybe I should study this.
Yeah…
Maybe we both need to find what we’re truly passionate about.
Instead of always… feeling stuck.
Passion. Within the conscious mind, something to set a spark to our persona in the outer world? To bring us out of the inner world, you mean?
I have lived for too long in the shadows. The worst parts of me that I hide… it’s time to embrace it and move forward.
To get unstuck, then, we must face ourselves and bare our collective consciousness, our ego, our shadow. The self, in its entirety. I understand, I think.
You’re right. Shall we do it together?
Let’s!
On the count of 3.
1
2
3
Part X: End.
I woke up again. Wait, wasn’t it just morning? Why am I waking up again?
I pondered the idea that I could have woken up twice.
Wait, why do I even care? I spend so much time in my head and not in my life.
Stupid brain, can’t even work properly for me all the time. Why do I have to have control over you? You can’t control yourself?
Ugh.
Anyways.
There’s a whole world out there for me to tackle. It’s time to start living.
Let’s go!
Wait.
Hold on.
Before we go.
And, reader, if you stayed? I hope you go too.
Goodbye!
Written by: Haikal and Erika
