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. 

=) 

Of Christmas traditions and comfort zones

I'm pretty much flexible and I go with the flow. I can make the best of bad situations.  I can appreciate the simple things in life. When I'm happy, I'm really giddy-happy.

Admittedly though, no matter how flexible and adaptable I am, I do have comfort zones.

Amidst the sea of change, I take comfort in classic traditions. In the same people I see, I talk to, I go to for the really important things. 

Every year, every 25th of December, our high school circle gets together for our Christmas dinner. It started in 1994 and it hasn't been broken ever since. 

1 more year to go and it's gonna be 2 decades of this long-running tradition. Our expats go home for this. I was looking forward to it myself when I was still in Indonesia. 

I'm just glad that some things don't change. And I hope they won't anytime soon. 

This is one of my favorite traditions of all time. =) 

Day 2 of House Arrest: Confessions of a Workaholic

Day 2 of house arrest. I'm still alive - without the restlessness and fidgeting. 



I feel guilty when I take a break and push work stuff in a corner.

I feel bad putting off things for the next day --- even if accomplishing everything on my list will kill me. 

There. I said it. 

Skye is right. I do not know how to relax. I wish for it, I crave for it, I dream of it. 
But when I get a day or two's break, I don't know what to do. He actually said that he'd be a much better houseband and will reach that goal faster than I can be a housewife.

I get lost without the structure of a to-do list, because truth be told, there's so much to do!!! 

1. Work-wise, I have to build a major platform that needs to be up and running by next year. 

2. That is just one of the hundreds of things I need to do at work. I don't even want to go into mentally enumerating them. 

3. I've got a wedding ceremony and party to organize. Although I'm halfway there, it's no reason for me to silently panic. 

4. 2014 is just around the corner and I'm nowhere near touching my vision board. 

5. I have to account for all my mortgage payment if I want to sell one of my real estate properties. 

Had I not gone on a quick break, I would probably be suffering a panic attack right now. 

I know I'm trying to alleviate my guilt by opening my lappy, going online and trying to be productive by 9am - but it is a slow and good start for someone like me. 

I need to breathe. Yes, I keep telling myself that. 

It's okay to breathe. 

On house arrest: toning down the kuracha mode

I am forced to be on house arrest for two days, starting today. 

My doctor slapped me with a medical cert and reprimanded me to slow down, take it easy and just stone at home, after being diagnosed with chronic tonsillopharyngitis, which has been pestering me for two weeks now.

None of my friends believe I can do absolutely nothing in the two days and just stare in space. 

True enough, I managed to (slightly) organize my files and papers for my QC condo, write checks for some payments and finish my book. 

My Facebook wall today was littered by messages from friends scolding me to stay put --- even for a little while. 

Eto na. Makikinig na. 

It's true. We do need time to take a break and recharge once in a while. 

It's good for the soul. It sets things in perspective once again.

It's a welcome break. =)    

Bugged

I knew it. 

I was feeling under the weather last Monday. True enough, I caught the flu bug. Since I had my flu shots this year, my system's been trying to fight it off.  I did panic, though, because I had a lot of mosquito bites last Friday when we had cocktails at Bugsys.

I took the day off yesterday.  To rest. Re-channel. Realign. Re-center. 
All I did was eat, sleep, read, eat sleep. It definitely helped in my recovery. 

I'm back in the office, although I'm not in my best form yet. Just to be sure, I scheduled a doctor's appointment in the afternoon to also validate if I need to be tested for dengue. 

Crossing finges that it's not so that I can go back to my TRX classes. 

It feels good to slow down, though. I shouldn't be stubborn next time, to have to wait to get sick before I slow down.

Yes, yes. I'm listening, beloved Universe. 

Slowing down, slowing down. 

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.

The roller coaster ride...

...has just begun. 

Here we go. 

Project managing my life

Events happening all at the same time. 

Milestone upon milestone upon milestone. 

My Evernote to-do list makes me survive all the overlapping things I need to do. It's hard to maintain the work hard, play harder lifestyle. 

I do intend to work to live, not the other way around. 

As I went through my milestones this year versus my targets, I'm quite glad (and relieved) that I actually achieved most of my goals. I did fall short on some, but the milestones I've achieved were far more significant. 

I met my stylist this afternoon and he was actually quite stunned by my OC-ness. Yep, I keep all kinds of list - daily to-dos, Excel sheets of budget, Project Unity templates, grocery list --- yes, the list goes on. 

I gotta do what I gotta do to keep my sanity. It gives me comfort to do some basic project management just to get things done. 

Christmas and February are both just around the corner. Let's see how PM-ing can save me from pulling my hair out. =)     

To be happy...

...is to deliberately choose to feel good every morning. 

Two major life milestones in a span of 5 days. 

Not bad.

God is gracious enough to bless me with opportunities and second chances. 

No regrets. 

I'm glad that instinctively, gut-feel-down-to-my-core, I feel great about things. 

 

Of birthdays and another leaf to turn

I just came from a surprise birthday celeb from my team in the office. 

Tomorrow, I turn another leaf. 

Another year.

Thank you, God - for all the experiences. They were all great. Everything was awesome. 

Here's to more birthdays, wonderful friendships and great loves. 

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. 

Truth be told...

There is virtue in being hot and having something in between your ears. 

Observation. Fact.

Ugly truth.

But truth nonetheless. 

Overwhelmed

Today, I want to be overwhelmed. 

That's just how I feel. 

I want to fly off from the solid earth where my feet are currently planted. 

  

A year in retrospect: Happy anniversary to me

Exactly 10th of June. 

It's been a year today since my feet (or the plane, for that matter) brought me back to Manila. 

It's been a year of a roller coaster ride that's a mix of fun, adventure and a lot of exciting things that came my way.

The future looks brighter ahead. 

And I can't wait! 

Before I even go giddy about the greater things to come, I'd really like to spend this week for introspection. I know I've done so much but there were also short falls that I'd like to compensate for in the coming weeks and months ahead. 

But cheers to me for a great year that was! 

Not bad, A. Not bad. 

=)      

Gratitude

This week, I'm grateful for a lot of things.

Not in its order of importance, I'm grateful for:

1. Some desk time. 
2. Me time.
3. My new Kindle Paperwhite. 
4. Being able to finish reading The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.
5. Friends. Old and new. 
6. Time to work out. 
7. Healthy, organic food. 
8. Skye. 
9. His penchant for planning ahead. 
10. His corny but cute rhymes. 
11. My Mom. 
12. My Dad. And his coming around.
13. Abbygale. 
14. My own parking in the office --- because it's soooo hard to get one. 
15. My best friends. 
16. Being able to catch up with Ian.
17. Being able to convince him to get back into the circulation.
18. Coffee. 
19. Hot chocolate. 
20. My cozy apartment.
21. My cupboard and ref filled with so much food from Christmas hampers. 
22. Good health.
23. Unexpected windfall.
24. Reliable team members. 
25. My efficient admin assistant. 

What a blessed life. :-)

Grateful morning

Today, I woke up with a grateful heart.

I had a good sleep. I opened my eyes and woke up to a beautiful morning. I was locked in a wonderful embrace with the new love.

I have a crazy but loving family. I have loyal friends.

God gave me everything that I need. Even more.

Grateful. Just really grateful for everything.

Generosity

Truth be told, there is virtue in generosity. 

I barely flexed my muscles to do a simple act of generosity towards an aunt and here goes the Universe, blessing me with a hundred fold.

Life is truly amazing. 

Bless others --- so that blessings will continue pouring in.

Thank you, God. I'm eternally grateful.  

The beauty of job satisfaction...

...is that I don't hate Mondays. 

In fact, I'm looking forward to it. 

Ever since I got back, I don't have the jitters that I feel on a Sunday evening anymore, because I dread going to work the following day. 

I like Mondays now. For a change. 

Work is still very stressful. The Big Boss definitely knows his thing, so you can't BS your way around. But it also gives me a lot of challenge and room to grow.

Definitely no regrets coming back home. 

October 17

A year has gone by. 

Happy birthday to me. 

A lot has changed significantly and I'm not the same person as I was last year. 

Cheers to new beginnings!

And cheers to me. For winging it. For surviving. For being a better version of myself. 

It will only get better.