You don’t have to be what the world expects you to be

When you look at the mirror, what do you see? Is it the same person you aspire to be, three to five years ago---or someone different?

I once had this conversation with a good friend, which bothers me up until now. Her partner, who happens to be a good friend as well, is really pushing her too hard to do this and that. To put it simple, he wants her to be just as successful as him. Well there’s nothing wrong with that, I mean who doesn’t want to be successful? However, they would often end up fighting over it. She wants success though, but at her own pace and through her preferred means. We ended our discussion with me telling her that she must go for what she wants, always, for it’s her life to live after all. 

It has its roots. As a child, we were told to be obedient and respectful, and that’s certainly right. While as a student, we were expected to get good grades, obviously, so we can have a better future   (but hopefully not the main reason why we studied). And now, the world is expecting us to use our degree to be able work in a 9-5 job, which will eventually give us a successful professional career. They want us to date, fall in love and marry at the right age. They require us to meet the standards of a good child, a perfect partner and a decent citizen. Not bad though, but what if you are ‘different’? What if that’s not who you are, and certainly not the mess you want to have in your life?

Living with expectations. I had lived 25 years of my life meeting others’ expectations: as a daughter, sister, student, colleague and friend. It was never easy, especially if there’s something in you which is being suppressed. But there was nothing to complain about, for it led me to where I am today; it affected my values, character and beliefs in a good way.  Yet little that I know, I was deviating from what I truly yearn for. And after more than two decades of doing things just to earn other people’s nods and praises, I took the risk, walked a strange path and chased my dreams. The road is unfamiliar to my feet, yet I still found the beauty in the uncertainty of my journey.

Taking chances. Did I have regrets? Partly yes, because I think I should’ve done it earlier. Yup, we are often beaten by the bugs in our head, which delays the opportunity to start anew. We are so afraid to diverge from the ideals of the society, that’s why most of us grow old, stuck in a life that had pleased others, but not ourselves. Until now, even I’m slowly taking a firm stand with who I want to be, I’m still being looked at as someone who have wasted her education and professional experience over a passion and a long-shot dream. Yet through it all, I still continue to take chances; with no expectations, only a purpose. 

The best advice. It is important to be exactly the person YOU want to be, and not someone others would love to see. Most people end up unhappy when they try to fit into a life opposite to what they actually aspire to have. Sometimes, it’s “what others may think” that influences us to swerve from the path of self-exploration, for often than not, we prefer to be accepted based on the society’s standards, rather than be judged for taking the unknown trail which our heart truly seeks. 

As I end this, I hope you’ll reassess who you are, what you are and where you are right now. The world puts pressure on us, which affects our decisions, changing who we are supposed to be. If you think you are different from the rest, so be it. Embrace your uniqueness; go for what sets your soul on fire. Make no one else proud, other than yourself. Do it FOR YOU. 

Always BE YOU. 

4 Important lessons I've learned in 2017

As we welcome the New Year, it is always nice to look back on what has become of the previous one. Well 2017 is probably my most remarkable year to date. I’ve experienced a lot of “first”, dealt with a couple of hitches and achieved goals unexpectedly. It was a blast indeed! Though there were regrets and disappointments here and there, still, the year gave me the much needed “fuel” to keep going and make 2018 a great year as well. 

Now I want to share with you these four great thoughts I've collected from 2017. Quite a long post, but for sure you’ll learn a lot as you go through it :)

 

"The best opportunities are the ones that we didn’t even expected"

It was in the year 2016 when I first pursued my dream of becoming a flight attendant. But yet until 2017, I found no luck in this pursuit. I ended up working in a casino, to which I don’t have any knowledge of what’s going on. Still, I prayed and hoped that something good will come along the way---something that is somehow related to the things that I love doing. To my surprise, a freelancing job was offered to me halfway through the year. It was totally unanticipated, but I immediately felt that this is part of His plan. So up until now, I‘m happily working with people ‘virtually’; which is so uplifting---personally and even financially! 

As for my blogging career (do I really have that? *laughs*), I’ve never been to a lot of blogging events this year because of my extremely busy schedule. But again, a great opportunity was given to me when I was invited to be a guest reviewer in a local TV food show! The experience was surreal, swear! Not in my wildest dream that I have thought of appearing on national television *eyes wide in disbelief* But again, He made it happen. See? His surprises are far amazing than what we usually expect. 

"Always give your best smile to everyone, but your trust to just a few"

I don’t have trust issues to begin with. However, becoming an adult has given me a clearer picture of this cruel world.  Okay, I think I have a very ‘open’ personality. I have grown accustomed to saying what’s on my mind and telling people what I truly feel about something. Whenever I’m asked for my opinion, I say it without second-thoughts. That’s me, until I’ve decided to change. With all the issues that I have been through for the past years, I thought that I’ve learned my lessons already---but no, not until now. 

Finally, I managed to embrace the fact that you cannot befriend everyone and tell them your secrets or share your crazy thoughts. Colleagues and acquaintances should remain as is; boundaries should be put in place to avoid conflicts and misunderstanding. Be a good person to everyone, but that doesn’t mean that you must give your trust to these people. Now, I’m more cautious with my words and actions, and it gave me peace of mind.

"Love yourself more than anything, and you’ll be happy"

Next to your love for God, love thyself. It may sound selfish or self-centered, but it’s not. Loving yourself is the best way to be able to love others and everything around you too. I have always believed that I love myself, that I love who I am. But as I look in the mirror, I always see my flaws, pointing each of them with a sigh of disappointment in between. I put this, try that, do this, just to get rid of the things that I don’t love about me, until I’ve realized that what I’m doing were actually brought by my self-hate. Sometimes, I’m even afraid to try new things, because it might be unacceptable for others. 

Now I’m trying to improve myself more, because I love ’me’---and it makes me feel a lot better. And even if I won’t become the person others would love to see, I will still be happy because I am “Me”. 

"Life is too short to pursue things that you don’t love doing"

Right after college, I am so certain that I should work right away and earn my master’s degree. I wanted to be a successful professional because that’s what my parents expect of me. As I entered the graduate school, my future seems so certain already---finish my studies and seek higher teaching position. But things get off track, and I ended up somewhere unfamiliar. Never thought that it is the start of something new, 

And this year made me realize one great thing: Life is about making crazy choices. Yes, crazy enough to pursue the unknown, relying just on my passion to try new things. I landed here, on this spot wherein I juggle my job in the casino, a freelancing career, blogging duties and an online business. These stuff may seem too much for a woman, but I am also amazed that I can actually do it all by myself. Truly, there’s nothing you can’t do, especially if you love it. 

Side story: I've changed my look for 2018! Now here's my last picture for 2017. Follow me on instagram [@missgdiariesph] for updates, surprises and giveaways! :) 

Seems like I’ve learned a lot! It’s kind of weird for me, but I’m happy that ‘adulting’ is not only giving me a hard time, but also a handful of awesome lessons which I can carry with me this 2018. It’s never too late to learn! And thank you 2017 for making it one hell of a ride!

And thank YOU for reading and supporting this blog for 2017. Let’s make 2018 special for MGD! Please continue sharing some LOVE... 

Cheers for 2018!

How to deal with difficult people

I HONESTLY DON’T KNOW if I could really help you with this common, but dragging problem. However, all that I’m sure of, is the fact that I’m now dealing with some tough souls better than before. As we begin, you must keep in mind that most of the advises I’m about to give you can be too challenging. In the end, please never forget that you command your own life, and no one has the power to make it as unpleasant as what you will allow it to be.

Difficult people are the most unpleasant beings for me. If you’ve read my blog post entitled “Vampires do exist”, you’ll agree that they are truly suckers of happiness. They cause chaos because they feed with sadness, anger and distress. We label someone we know as a “difficult person” if he or she constantly bring us negative vibes, insecurities and uncertainties, which can all destroy our enthusiasm towards an endeavor, and lead to the obliteration of our motivation to seek self-improvement. It is certainly unhealthy to be with this kind of people---they will purposely drag you down; push you to your limits, until you finally lose yourself. 

Good thing there’s a healthier way of dealing with them. Yes, you cannot just run away, because if you do that, you will not learn how to effectively handle such individuals, and they will continue to haunt you incessantly. 

I bet the most common advice you already heard is to extend your patience and just understand. But how can you do that if what you are seeing are tactless beings, filled with guts to offend others through their words and actions? That’s why you must have a reason to understand them; you must see them as individuals who are in deep pain. It is indeed true that the main reason why they are causing pain to others is the fact that they too, are experiencing pain. Bearing in mind that these people are secretly in agony, will make you consider the reason behind their actions. 

Well this is one of the specialties of difficult people: to condemn. It is very obvious that their goal is to hurt your feelings, and one effective way to do that is by judging your deeds. So from that, you must erase in your mind any possibilities that you’ll be receiving praises or approvals from them. What you must develop now is the ability to look at those denouncements as constructive criticisms. In this way, you won’t get affected by their cruel judgments; instead, you’ll find motivation out of those and improve yourself more. Keep on improving, until they see nothing but positive things in you. Soon, they’ll find it hard to say bad things against you---since all of them will just appear to be untrue. 

No matter how difficult it is, try to do them good things. Be the first to offer help, or start a conversation and interact as positively as possible. They may turn you down a couple of times, but keep going. Just remember not to overdo this, or you may look unnatural and trying. Keep things casual, but with a little hint of friendliness, that will soon give them second thoughts about you. And the end of the day, as long as you do good things, you can surely sleep well with no worries in your heart. 

They can be annoyingly unpleasant towards you, but never step down and fight at their level of thinking. Try to respect them; their feelings and opinions, even if they are disrespecting you in return. This can be the hardest thing to do. But this, for me, is the most effective way of handling them. Showing these people that you have dignity and high sense of self-respect, will soon make them question their own actions, to the point that they will ask themselves: Why am I doing this to him/her? You may even influence them to have a change of heart too (I really hope so) :) 

In the end, what we want is a peaceful life. It is sometimes better than being right in front of everyone. If you think you can let these "difficult people" win a petty argument, then do so. Surely, you won't be less of a person when you choose to be silent and give way to others' loud opinions. You are not getting younger, but definitely getting older, so don't waste time dwelling on the negativities---for life is beautiful, you must enjoy it!

*********************

That was certainly one serious discussion tho! *whew* But I'm so happy that I was able to share these thoughts...hoping that my advises will help you survive the challenging days filled with difficult souls. Don't look at them as the gray areas of your life, because they actually give color to your existence---making you stronger everyday!



Spread the LOVE! Live with a loving HEART!

Miss G wears Purple: Visiting the Purple Centers

IT WAS LAST JULY 22, 2017 when I first worn a purple shirt…a color that I never liked, which shall now bring great memories of smiles filled with hope for a brighter future… 

I signed up for our company's CSR (Company Social Responsibility) activity just because a colleague encouraged me to do so. Don’t get me wrong here, I didn't have the intention to join initially because of my schedule---I’m on night shift the day before and on the day itself, so for sure I won’t be getting enough rest. But since it has been quite some time when I last participated in an outreach program, I finally agreed to sacrifice possible lengthy sleeping hours and beauty rest for some charity deeds. And it was a perfect decision *smiles*

As early as 7 in the morning, our team of volunteers hit the road bound to Tondo, Manila, where the Purple Centers Foundation is situated. It was almost an hour drive from City of Dreams Manila and I’m a bit lightheaded for having only two hours of sleep. When we arrived there, I was astonished by the purple buildings and the fact that it is a school---I suddenly missed my students and remembered the years when I was still a teacher. Then I heard the students (kids wearing purple shirts, clothed with their best smiles), I smiled and told myself, "This is gonna be a great day". 

I love kids simply because they are the most honest souls. They will show you if they like you or not; they will tell you if they are happy or sad; their words and actions will express what they truly feel. At first, I was a bit hesitant to squeeze myself into the crowd of kids, but that’s why we were there “to mingle, play, share stories and make them feel loved”. I went to straight to a group of third-grade pupils and introduced myself. We were awkward for a few minutes, but after that, we became like the best of friends! 

SETTING-UP. Kids were excited to go down and meet us!

NEW FOUND FRIENDS. All posed "cute" in this shot. Now who's the prettiest? :)

CAPTURING GOOD MEMORIES. All smiles with these awesome kiddos!

The team prepared quite a handful of games and the kids were all active and eager to participate. The games were mostly educational, which showed how intelligent the students of the Purple Centers are! They also enjoyed the storytelling / puppet show, got both ears glued on every word and laughed hard on the crazy punch lines. Of course it won’t be complete without a dance battle! I am so surprised that they are like skilled dancers at the very young age! From there I’ve realized that this school is teaching the kids more than the knowledge from books, but also honing their skills and molding them holistically. 

Aside from entertaining the pupils, we were also there because of our three main goals: (1) to give them the gift of knowledge (by donating educational books and school supplies), (2) gift of protection (by giving them new rain coats and boots) and (3) the gift of family. Though these things may not seem that much, but they were all given with genuine love. Now after all the fun activities, we all enjoyed some good food, prepared by COD's resident chefs, in the comfort of their humble classrooms. The food that we shared were just ordinary but I wonder why it tasted differently, because it was extra delicious! Maybe because we shared it with the awesome kids *smiled widely*

ALL EARS. The kids really paid attention to the storytelling / puppet show prepared by the Tables Games team. 

READY, SET,GO! Played the good 'ol "The boat is sinking" game and all went crazy!

PUZZLE GAME. Busy bees race to complete the image of a popular tourist site.

COLORFUL RAINCOATS. The kids received their cute rain shields with matching rain boots!

YUM YUM! Joined the kids for lunch. We were as hungry as dinosaurs!

As we bid goodbye, I’m surprised to receive tight hugs and warm kisses from the group of pupils I was with. They didn’t cease in uttering “Thank You” and was begging me to visit them again. For a moment they made me appreciate life more, for I have more compared to them, yet they seem to love life and enjoy living their lives more than I do. Most of them touched only a little of their food, because they preferred to share those with their family. Some, when asked, told us that they will be sharing all the gifts they received to their younger siblings. They hugged each packs tightly and smiled widely, like they have received the greatest gift ever. I am so thankful for this humbling encounter, it made me look into my plate, tilt my head up and thank Him. 

At times when you feel like you don’t have enough, when you are comparing your life with that of others, when you are frustrated that you are not becoming what you want to be, go out and seek places like this---You’ll find contentment. Me, I tend to aspire more, I always strive to be something or someone everyone would admire, I continuously seek the best in everything…but that’s not how it should be. As I look at this people, living simple lives, I’ve realized that life is too short to worry, what you must constantly do is just appreciate every bits of it---Let life surprise you. 

FAMILY PHOTO. We are now a one big happy "family"! Thank you to the pupils, teachers and administrators!

I came there without anything on my hand, just my willingness to volunteer. You may not have the capacity to give material things to the less fortunate, but you will always have the best thing that could do wonders in someone’s life: LOVE. 

Share some love, be a volunteer!

How is it like to make a MISTAKE in this world filled with PERFECT people?

WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF CHITCHATS among my friends, someone accidentally mispronounced a certain word and of course you already know what happened next---everyone bursted into laughter and mocked at the mistake! It is certainly a normal thing among friends, even within the family. If you are too naïve, you’ll break into tears for sure. I am also guilty of teasing others for petty mistakes, just for fun I guess, nothing personal. But honestly, I don’t see that mistakes are being taken this lightly nowadays by most people. What I’m seeing right now are perfect human beings crashing the life of someone who just committed a mistake…just a mistake. 

When I was still a teacher, I had never expected my students to be perfect, because I am not a perfect teacher as well. I have dealt with some problematic kids and was even involved in their mishaps. Now, I can’t clearly remember how I’ve handled each hopeless incident, but what I know is that I’ve never condemned any of them. But regardless of my efforts to help a student get up and stood with pride again, there will be these people who would still look at him with judging eyes. From this, I saw how a person can be easily labeled by the mistake he committed…and life will never be the same from there on. 

And that’s why I should never commit a mistake.

I would always offer the best hand (like everyone else) on everything that I do, even if sometimes I don’t actually like it, I would still put my best efforts on it. But life will surely play tricks on you, and in just one slight move, you’ll get surprised that you already made something unacceptable. It is frustrating to be at fault, but even more exasperating to be condemned because of that single error. I have experienced this predicament a lot of times. No matter how good you are, regardless of how much you have contributed and how reliable you are to others, the moment you slip, every single good deed that you have done in the past will be washed-out completely. Now, what you are is just a great blunder. 

Are we better at throwing rocks than uttering words of praises? 

It seems so easy for us to give lengthy remarks over a minor mistake, than offer a single word of compliment for a job well done. I don’t know if our egos are being shattered by every commendation that we will release, that we would rather dwell on the lapses more, because in doing so, we are satisfying our self-worth. Mistakes are being tinted so they will become more noticeable, while the accomplishments are just collected and buried so no one would see. How pitiful is the life of a person who is ridiculed for an ounce of error sitting on his left hand, rather than be recognized by a bushel of achievement resting on his right?

Can't we divert our focus on the positive things? 

It hurts to see people trying so hard to avoid making mistakes. They are actually preventing themselves to learn the true value of what they are doing. Life without mistakes is not life after all. Mistakes are inevitable, but that’s the beauty of it; you cannot avoid it so you must face it and eventually learn from it.  I have once been afraid of committing a mistake, maybe because I don’t want to look like a catastrophe to rest of the world. But then I saw the purpose of it, and that’s when I decided to be brave and commit more mistakes in the future. 

I make mistakes and I’m proud of it.  

Now I’m truly living my life. Those mistakes that I’ve done in the past, and the future boo-boos that I’ll be making in the future, made me and will make me a better person. I’m no longer scared of those judging eyes and will be unmoved by the foul comments, for I believe that these mistakes are the fruits of my pursuit to learn about life, and for sure, I will encounter more as I move out of my comfort zone. In the end, I know that He is there to catch me as I stumble upon the stones. He will lift me up and give me another chance to walk the road without stumbling for the second time. 

We must all give one another a second chance.

You are not perfect…and please be ashamed if you think you are, because nobody is. You may now be running this road smoothly, but there will come a time that you’ll get tripped and the wound will be so deep you’ll scream in pain. Don’t wait for that time to come that others will mock at you, just like what you did to them before. Never humiliate or ridicule a person for a mistake he committed, because what you are doing is more than stripping off his clothes, it is like stabbing him to death. We don’t co-exist to make life miserable for one another, but to help each other grow and enjoy the beauty of life. All we need to offer is an ounce of understanding, and that will result to tons of great possibilities. 

It is truly difficult to live this life, but we can make it easier for one another. We are all born different; some are highfliers, while some must strive hard to reach the top. But whatever we are, let us live with a loving heart and we shall be perfect in His eyes. 

Cheers to our beautiful mistakes!

Why is everybody getting MARRIED?!

WEDDING BELLS HERE AND THERE, my Facebook feed is continuously being adorned by pre-nuptial clips and same-day video edits. From high school classmates to college friends, most of my girlfriends already exchange vows with their mi amours…and individually living the married life. Wow…I’m just amazed on how brave they all are to face a new chapter in their life. 

Well I’m not totally single, because I’m still (for the past 11 years) in a relationship, but technically in status, I’m single. Do I feel any pressure right now? Thinking about it, sometimes yes, but generally, I’m not. I already have thoughts of my dream wedding and how my own family would look like…but planning the wedding itself and having kids have never become my top priorities---neither my partner’s. It might seem odd, but even though we casually talk about these stuff, we still managed to set them aside for more important things. 

But there will always be pressure.

I am always being pressured by the people around me, as well as the circumstances, to get married as soon as possible. They all have these reasons: First, I’m in the right age and condition, mature enough to handle a deeper relationship and a lifelong responsibility. Second, I’m at the best age of conceiving a child, with lesser problems in the delivery. Third, my age gap with my possible kids will be shorter and I can retire early. Lastly, I’m in a long-term relationship that must be taken to another level. 

Though all of these things may be true, I am still not ready.

Anyone can always be ready for marriage, that’s what I believe. Actually, someone even told me that “You can never be ready for marriage. You must live the married life first, and then everything will follow”. Most couples that I know would say “It just happened. We wanted to spend our lives together, so we decided to get married”. Without enough savings or concrete plans for the future, they gamble all that they have and entered the conjugal life. I guess nothing can be sweeter and braver than risking it all for love.

But life has taught me something different: Wait patiently and prepare. 

I can actually get married right now; perhaps a civil wedding won’t be that costly. Moreover, we can just settle anywhere, at their place or at my parents'. Having kids won’t really be that difficult, for we both have jobs to sustain their needs. But I know all of these things won’t be easy as they seem to be. That is the reason why I’m not giving in to the pressure, why I keep on suppressing my feelings. I know the difficulties it will bring, not only to me, but to the both us and most especially, to our loved ones. Even if I was blessed to have a really wealthy life, I would still make the same choices. Life is never easy, you cannot totally prepare for its surprises, but you can make yourself ready somehow. 

I know that my own wedding bells will ring soonest.

I’ve seen how my parents struggled to raise their three kids; I saw how a married life can be so happy yet shattering at times. I’ve experienced how difficult life can be even if you’re prepared, how much more if you are not? The existence of my parents taught me the greatest lessons in life. Right now, they both believe that I won’t be making such careless and unwise decisions---that I will be more patient. God already answered my question a long time ago…Why did He let such problems cloud my parents’ relationship and family life? This is the exact answer: Because He wanted us, their children, to learn the lesson and become better individuals in the future. 

We all have different time frames. Some can get married early, while some must wait for quite a long time. If you are waiting because you don’t have a special someone in your life yet, don’t be anxious, but instead, prepare yourself. It may still not be your time, but you’ll get there. Improve yourself, chase your dreams and become someone who is worthy of a great love. You can never be too old to found someone who will sweep you off your feet and promise you a life filled with love and happiness. Ask for it, be deserving and it will be given to you. 

But if you are like me who is still preparing, be patient and don’t get pressured by other people. You and your partner must set priorities, grow together and become worthy of a great blessing---having your own family. 

I believe that this blog will be different once Miss G becomes Mrs. G. It is quite overwhelming but I’m looking forward to the day that it will finally happen. But for now, let us hold the wedding bells; wait and see what will happen in the future. 

until the "I Dos"… *smiles*

Is it the more you PRAY, the more you FAIL?

I BELIEVE THAT I’M NOT THE MOST religious person in our family or even among my friends, but I have always maintained a personal relationship with God. However, I’m guilty of the fact that in good times, in times when I feel like I’m living the life, I would sometimes forget to stop and say a little prayer of thanks. In moments when I achieve the things I deeply desire, I’ve realized that I would rather thank someone first than say “Hey God, this is all for you”. Though I honestly don’t have the intention to neglect Him, sometimes, I do... 

With my strong will to succeed on things I want to achieve, I would always brave it through the gust of life’s challenges, asking for just little of His help. Often than not, I would end up victorious. I get so accustomed with the belief that I can be successful on every endeavor as long as I’m focused and determined, that I forgot what failure is.

Then the storm came.

It was when I experienced the worst that I came running to Him, beggiing for His help. I did manage to put myself up and slowly get back on track---thanks to Him. Since then, I prayed habitually, asking for His guidance…for His favor. Days passed and I could see that it is better than before; I become better than who I was before. But just as when I almost reached the end of the line, something strong pulled me back, so quick that in a blink of an eye…I lost everything.

I started questioning Him “Why?” After praying diligently, after surrendering everything to Him and after prioritizing Him above anything else, why did I get this? It is not that I am mad with God, because I still believe that I don’t have the right, it is more like asking for an assurance that this is just a trial and that I’m not being forsaken. With the thinking that I  just have to be more patient, I continued praying and put myself back on the starting line. I worked hard, prayed hard and believed that I’ll be able to win this time.

But then I failed again...and again...and again.

A series of drawbacks seem to be the result of the petitions I did. If before I’m not used to failing, now, I fail more than I succeed. It is so devastating to hear right? But let me tell you, it is ten times more heartbreaking when you experience it first-hand. You’ll become frustrated and will try to prove that there is a way to overcome such disappointments thru your guts and will. However in the end, you are still defeated, beaten by the circumstances that you didn’t actually know of. So now tell me, is it true that the more you pray, the more you fail?

Looking at my own experiences, it may be true. Yes, the more we pray, the more we face challenges. The more we move closer to God, the more hindrances come our way. Maybe this is why some people already stop praying. Those people who experienced the worst while leaning to God had just chosen to move away from Him, maybe because they don’t find the right reasons to stay anymore. Some would even think that it is better to be away from God, because mishaps may be fewer or even none. For me, I don’t think so.

I will not let Him go, until He bless me.

I may look into those failures as failures, but I know that He has a reason for letting me experience such. I may have the greatest of dreams, but His plans would always be greater than them. I may not be patient enough, but I will try to patiently wait for my time and trust His perfect timing. I may be restless at times, but I will try to calm my mind and heart and listen to what He has to say. See? Staying with God would really be tough. Praying and asking for your heart’s desires may took a long, long time, that you’ll get tired of waiting, but you must not give up because nothing great in this life will come easy.

I will always tell myself, even at moments when I lose all the hope in my heart, that God only wants the best for me and for everyone. I’m still lucky with what I have now: an understanding family, supportive partner and caring friends. We may look at our lives as a huge mess, things are not in the right places…but if you’ll just stop and look around, look at your life carefully, you are far more blessed than the others---so be thankful for it.

So let us continue praying, even if more failures will come in the future. Don’t worry, we shall not always fail, there will come a time that we will succeed, just hold on to God and keep the faith.

Let me leave you with these wonderful words from Sonia Rocotti (which I originally got from Didache 2017):

“Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.”

Don't let go until you're blessed!

How to pursue your PASSION while in a 9-5 job

WE ALL HAVE THAT single hobby or interest that we always want to spend our entire time doing, but always end up sticking with the regular entries on our everyday list. Well I don’t think this fact even bother most of us, but personally, the thought of not being able to do the things that interests me could be definitely shattering. 

This has been a great, great, dilemma ever since I started this blog (which is now 1 year and 9 months old! Hooray!). I must say, I never (and can never, hopefully not) commit my time fully in writing because of work---that definitely sucks. I often become a bit covetous with some of my fellow bloggers because they always have time to post photos in Instagram, update their blog with their recent escapades, and post a lot on their Facebook page and even Twitter. While me, on the other (very unfortunate) hand, would post stories twice or thrice a month and update my social media accounts occasionally---that sucks even more. Let me tell you this, I even reached the point that I want to stop working and just focus on my blog, simply because this is the kind of stuff that I want to do and I’m happy doing it. 

But of course I cannot do that...not yet, I guess. 

Well my passion doesn’t consist of this blogging-thing alone, I also love baking, I love selling stuff online, I love experimenting with makeup, I love reading books, and a whole lot more. And with all of these things that I love doing, my time won’t be enough for sure. I guess you’re already nodding your head with agreement. Regardless of the difference of my life to your life and to other lives may be, we all face this problem that indeed needs to be addressed head-on. My apologies for the long back story and lengthy introduction though, but let me help you with these simple tips on how you can continue pursuing your passion, while staying in that 9-5 job of yours. Enjoy reading!

#1 Set the goal. 

Follow your plan

This is very simple: You should know what you want. Do you love reading novels? Find time every day to read one chapter of the current book you’re digging in, or perhaps assign one of your rest days as “the bibliophile’s day”. Do you love to draw or paint? Spend your weekends with a canvass and a brush, or bring your sketchpad at work and draw a few sketches during your break or while inside the cab. Do you love taking pictures? You can always bring a handy camera and relax after work by taking beautiful pictures of the sunset or even of the people just passing-by. See? You can make it happen; you just have to exert some extra effort. Set a goal and follow your plan to achieve that goal.

#2: Know how to prioritize things. 

Manage your time wisely

“Work lets you live, but your passion gives you a life”, this is so true! We work because obviously we need money to sustain our daily expenses, but pursuing our interests will give us unparalleled satisfaction. Blessed are those who are earning while doing the things they are passionate about, I want to be like that someday. We cannot take our work for granted, we must also invest our full efforts on it---to make it grow and prosper. However, don’t bury your nose on that job 24/7! Try to accomplish your tasks within the working hours, and as you got home (and during rest days), forget about your work and do other things---give your interests their own “time”. 

#3 Build a support-system. 

Look for cheerleaders

Sometimes, all we need is someone who will push us a little further. Try to stick with those people who share the same interests as you. Share your passion with your family, friends and partner; you’ll get surprised on how much support you could actually get from them. Believe me, it will not be easy encouraging yourself alone, but if you have a buddy who will constantly check on your progress, you’ll surely stay on the track and hit the finish line! I personally benefit from this tip, for I have friends who constantly ask me for updates on my blog, for makeup tutorials (which I haven’t started just yet) and new products on my online sweet shop. They all make me feel that all of these are worth pursuing. Without them, I would have quitted months ago. 

#4 Take some risks. 

Track your progress

Don’t be contented with the usual stuff; try to explore other avenues that your passion may lead you to. When you discover something new each time, you’ll never have a hard time encouraging yourself to continue doing better every day. You may succeed or fail while taking some risks, but you’ll definitely enjoy and you’ll surely learn a lot from the experience. A failure will not tell you to stop, but instead, it will direct you to another opportunity. You may fail in cooking hot dishes, but you may also learn that your forte is on baking pastries and desserts. Once you hit the right note, track your progress regularly. This will give you a feeling of fulfillment and will push you to continue in moving ahead. 

#5 Ask for His guidance. 

Glorify Him thru your interests

This may be the last tip, but it shouldn’t be the least. In everything that you’ll do, let Him guide you. Your job may be so stressful and difficult, but if you’ll ask for His help, He will surely respond with the best possible solution. If you will take some time glorifying Him through your works, He will let you prosper. You can follow the above steps and still fail, but with God, you can never miss the mark. Who knows, He may turn your passion into something that will both sustain your life and at the same time give you a happy and contented life. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this post *wink* Always remember this: Don’t set your passion aside, keep the flames burning by fanning it every day! 

Pursue your passion no matter what!

***CURRENTLY, I'm enjoying being a contributor for our newsletter (called "Gaming Ops Bulletin") and organizing small office events + hosting...not much, but at least I'm doing the things that I'm good at, even while working. Blogging is still my priority during rest days! By the way, I love how "raw" my shot is (above picture), thanks to @japsalazar as always :)