Of July and Freedom

Speaking of time, June was arguably one of the fastest months for me this year. June, well, just breezed through!  

I went to KL twice last month to spend time with the in-laws and attend a wedding. 

Significantly, I went back to my fitness training regimen. I've been going very regularly. It helps to have a cute personal trainer you get along with. =) 

July ---- this is it! 

Be nice. Be fun. Be kind. Be exciting. 

I'm hopeful. Very hopeful. 

=) 

Time flies

Two more days of May. 

OMG.

Time flies. It's already the middle of 2014. Four more months and I'm turning another year older. 

WTH. 

Gretchen Rubin is right. 

"The days are long and the years are short." 

All the more that we need to spend our time wisely, spend more time on people and moments that are worth it. 

A few days ago, I was at a crossroads once again, wondering if I was doing enough or if I can do so much more. I'm doing quite well at work but I'm aware that if I spend more time in the office, if I get more work done, I can sashay so much faster to the VP post. 

I wanted to go full throttle once again. 

Until I went to my rehab schedule at Saint Luke's a few days ago. 

While waiting for my rehab doctor to see me for my injured hip and thigh, there I was, sitting on the couch along with the other patients. We were only two kinds: younger people my age who injured themselves and the elderly who suffered strokes or underwent a recent operation so they needed therapy afterwards. 

As I was looking at the more senior patients, I realized two things:

First, that health is the greatest equalizer. It knows no socio-economic status. 

Second, nobody looked back in their lives and thought: "I should have spent more time working in the office." 

Those thoughts were enough to straighten me out. 

Yes, I clocked out at 6:30pm last night and spent the rest of the evening having a good conversation with my husband. 

I'm aware that if I want to take this route, my VP post will take a longer while. 

But I will get there without sacrificing the people and the moments that matter.

And this, I have to remind myself everyday.  
 

Perfectly said

"Silence does not always mean yes. It may also mean no but it’s better left unsaid. Anger does not always mean hatred. It could just be a means of coping. Laughter does not always mean happiness, sometimes it’s just a mask. Tears does not always mean sorrow, it may also be an outlet of joy. Staying away does not always mean it’s the end, it may also mean the best beginning. And life, though is so complex, it’s always beautiful."

YOLO

You only live once. 

For some, they may take it as maximizing whatever life has to offer, to the point of being reckless. 

Admittedly, I may have subscribed to the same mantra when I was younger. 

Come to think of it, I may actually have been the classic case of a devil-may-care, risque' person a few years back. 

I partied so hard that my friends and I can shame younger people because we can stay up in Prive' until almost five in the morning and head out to Recovery Food or the nearest Chinese restaurant for breakfast until 7. 

I have a record of out-drinking several of my guy friends who were twice my size. My biggest record so far is out-drinking my husband who happens to be well-trained in downing whiskey like there's no tomorrow. 

Drunk driving? Guilty. I scratched my car not once, not twice, because I was intoxicated but I had to drive myself home.

Overspeeding ba kamo? I was the queen of overspeeding in EDSA when I had one too many to drink.

No, I'm not proud of it. In fact, I don't want my daughter to even know. 

On a lighter note, I'm quite adventurous as well with things I want to do. I took on surfing, I love heights and sky diving is still in my bucket list. Wanderlust is very natural to me. 

I was also risque' in romance and relationships. Trauma is not in my vocabulary. No matter how many heartaches I went through, I took the blow, yes, but I always dusted myself up and tried again. 

Looking back, I was one of the poster children of YOLO. 

Am I as rogue as I was when I was younger? 

Not quite. Somehow, I managed to tame myself and behave. Things are not what they used to be. 

The mantra still holds true for me, though. 

You only live once. 

Therefore: 

Try to make the best of everyday. Make a dent - big or small. 

You only live once. 

So live everyday like there is no tomorrow. Call your parents. Say I love you to people you care about. Do everyday things with your purpose in mind. 

You only live once. 

Do things with this at the heart: Integrity. 

Integrity is the cornerstone of a person's truth. It's one of the virtues that makes us try to do things right, at least most of the time.

This is a realization that will come in every person's life, eventually. As some of the wiser people ahead of us would say, it is one of the virtues you will stumble upon and learn to value once you "see the light." 

I'm glad I did. 

 YOLO.

Yes, I still subscribe to the mantra, but hopefully, with more substance this time around.
 

When it rains, it's Four

This whole week's totally for the books. 

1. New mandate. 

2. New scope. 

3. New role expansion. 

4. Another team folded under me. 

Ako na. 

Ako na talaga.  

Ako na talaga ang nagmamaganda. 

I don't know if I'm punching above my weight here, but my new scope is gargantuan. Admittedly, I asked for a scope expansion but I was happy to just add another stream under my belt. But NOOOOO. Kailangan ba talaga dalawang buong department? 

Seriously. 

But as usual, I'm happy to take on the challenge. I just said yes. 

I'm excited. But I'm also scared. 

Gulp.

After declaring to the Universe that this year, balance is primordial to me, this is what I get.

Okay payn. Andito na, eh. 

Lezdodiz!  

(So help me God.)

Monumental 02.15.2014

A month ago, this happened...

Yes. The Bitch finally got hitched. 
 

To a fine young gentleman.   

It was an awesome party, to say the least. =) 

 

 

 

Attended by the people who matter, the Inner Circle, the ones near and dear to us.

Will it be a happy ever after? 

Fate is always in both God's hands and ours. We carve our own destinies, but we must always seek God. 

I know it won't be an easy ride, but I'm excited to take this journey forward. This time, I'm not alone. I'm with the best person I can ever be with.  =) 

I don't believe in fairy tales and happy ever afters. 

But cheers to MY happy ever after.

Day 1 in the office

Despite my anti-coding sticker, I am here in the office by 7:20am. I wanted to be early to catch up on my to-do list and schedule meetings in advance. 

I have an LSS running through my head, thanks to Brother Bo's message at the church service yesterday: 

"Something good is going to happen to you
Happen to you this very day.
Something good is going to happen to you
Jesus of Nazareth is passing your way."

I definitely feel it. 

The best is yet to come. 

I'm claiming you, 2014!  

The best is yet to come

Heavenly Father, 

Thank you for all your wonderful blessings and graces. You have blessed me with so much more than what I deserve. 

You've done it again. You made me believe that all I have to do is to have faith in You and You alone. 

My life in 2013 has been a testament of Your miracles, as the miracles happened in my life itself. 

Thank You for your gifts, Your unconditional love. 

Thank You for saving me. 

The best part is your promise that the best is yet to come. 

Allow me, my husband, my familly, my friends and all the people that I love to continue to be a witness of Your benevolence this coming 2014. Please continue to shower us with your blessings and graces. 

I offer my 2014 to You. May I do good things to others in Your name. 

Thank you, Lord. 

Happy New Year. Please continue to be with me in the coming years. 

In Jesus Christ's name. Amen. 

Jeremiah 29:11

Last Friday of 2014

Today is the last Friday of 2014. 

My morning was spent with my Yayay Cita packing for my Malaysia trip tomorrow. I am so helpless without her. 

This afternoon, I went to the office to complete some of my paperwork and presentation deck. I'm not planning to bring my lappy so better do everything TODAY! 

It's  been very quiet in the office --- as in reeeaaaally quiet. I'm not used to it. 

At any rate, despite the lack of thorough review of what I've done this year and how I fared in my bucket list, I actually think I did quite well. 

God has been very generous. I have been very blessed. 

Off to more paperwork before I finally enjoy my holiday break. 

RnR. Finally!!!

I've got a feeling...

...that I will reach almost all my personal targets this year. 

AYLOVETTE!!! 

I haven't gone through my list one by one yet, but I think I did well. 

=) 

Christmas morning

Christmas mornings are THE BEST!!!

I can wake up late. 

I wake up with my entire family in the house. As soon as I enter the living room, I smell the waft of piping hot chocolate and Mom's classic spaghetti meat sauce being warmed on the kitchen stove. 

The entire house is just really crazy - Abbygale shouting, playing and running around, conversations among the oldies - my Mom, my Dad and Yayay Cita. 

One word to describe everything: BLISS. 

The holiday season used to make me sad. 

Not anymore. 

I have no reason to be. 

JC has blessed me so much. There's just so many things to be thankful for. 

My family. Skye. My friends. My career. Everything in my life just fits all perfectly for me. 

Today, it's JC's birthday. Ironically, He's the one who gave me a plenitude of gifts. 

Christmas. 

I now love Christmas. =) 

Big Dreams

I have big dreams for other people. 

I have big dreams for my family. 

I have bigger dreams for Abby. 

Yesterday, I was with Abby the entire day. She had such a great time choosing her Hello Kitty Christmas gifts. 

She told me that her dream is to have her own bedroom filled with Hello Kitty stuff. Hello Kitty pillows and bed cover, Hello Kitty lamps, boxes, toiletries. Hello Kitty everything! 

I do want that for her. 

Early next year (which is just a matter of days), I will look for a new school for her already. I definitely want to enroll her in a better school. It's never too early to prepare her for university. 

And I want her to go to MY University. 

Big dreams. 

I need all of the Universe's conspiracy for this. 

Fighting the flu bug off

I'm double-booked for Christmas parties tonight...

But I can feel the flu bug. 

And I'm fighting it off as best as I can. 

Waaaah.

Come on.

Don't be raining on my parade now. 

The gift of time

Time. 

I need more time.

15 days before Christmas. 

2 months before the wedding. 

I need more than 24 hours in a day. 

So help me God. 


 

Living life. I mean really living it.

I cannot live without my to-do list. As in my previous entry, it's part of my OCD. I get disoriented if I don't have a tangible list as reference of what I need to do. 

And whenever I don't accomplish as much in my list, I get really frustrated and annoyed at myself. I know. Throw me in the loony bin. 

This morning, my 10-12 meeting was moved to next week. As I was clamoring for my to-do list again, I realized I was missing out on my social obligations. Even that is on my list. 

Phone calls for best friends. Birthday greetings. Scheduling lunches and dinners for the long weekend. 

In the midst of my Facebook greetings and phone calls for friends, I realized how I can just lose my humanity running after my work targets and the long list I have on my Evernote. 

Despite my claim that it's my OCD in full effect that I have to put everything in my to-do list, I felt that I'm dehumanizing the aspect of my personal and social life by just relegating them as items to check on a list. I even have a Project Social label on it.

Fock. When did I ever get so rigid and ever-so structured that I run after accomplishing my list but missing out on the happiness that it brings me to talk to the people who really matter? 

I don't think I can get rid of my list. It will throw me off the wall. But today, I decided to enjoy the process. Tick off the check boxes but enjoy every moment. Every conversation. Every accomplishment. 

Today, I will just be. =) 

  

Crossroad, yet again

Crossroads have a way of teaching you life's important lessons. 

At least in my case, it's one of the most important stages where the Universe compels me to take action. 

So here I am again, at yet another crossroad in my career. It's a good one, though. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be given so many choices and opportunities. I'm not even deliberately looking, but the opportunities just come knocking. 

How can I not be grateful? 

If I go for one career opportunity, I will go back to the lion's den once again. I will again leave my family behind to explore opportunities. 

This time, though, I am not alone anymore. 

But if I don't go, I feel like I'm starting to become complacent already. 
Complacency has never been in my vocabulary. So has it permeated my life as of late?  I refuse to believe so. 

I'm struggling to make a decision. Normally, I stall when this happens. So many things to consider, not enough time. 

I'm asking the Universe to again conspire in my favor for me to be enlightened and to make the right decision - for me and for everyone I love.

Found

Lost. 

I don't want you lost. 

Early Monday morning

It's raining. I see raindrops pitter-pattering on my office window. 

Mondays --- I started liking you ever since you afforded me my quiet mornings. 

Mondays give me hope, rekindle my flame. 

Who ever thought I'd feel differently about Mondays? 

Da funk

There is something definitely wrong when online shopping cannot stave my restlessness off. 

I've been having the funk for the past few days already. 

I want to get out it. Seriously. 

July

First of July.  

Time flies by so fast.

July, you're going to be phenomenal!!!

Game on! 

=)