2013 is almost over. Last Friday was our last working day for the year, so I finally found the time to recollect golden snippets of life lessons that made their mark this year. But before writing the list, I made a quick review of relevant year-end posts published since I started blogging:

• 2010 Accomplishments;
• Recollections for 2011;
• Thoughts Before 2011 Closes;
• Life Lessons Learned in 2011; and
• How We Spent the Last of 2012.

If you’ve read all these, you rock! 🙂 If not, you have the chance now to get to know me more. Reading through each, somehow I feel like the same person still. My style of writing makes me smile the most for no apparent reason. Anyway, let’s leave it at that! Cheers to another start of the year and to all those people who shared 2013 with me, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 😀 Now we go back…

3 Life Lessons that Made Mark in 2013

1. Speak up.

Speaking up is an elaborate exercise, a demonstration of one’s capability to conceptualize and present ideas and conclusions. It is not a matter of just elaborating rants and raves but defending points that should count.

Compared to the previous year, I have practiced and enhanced my communication skills this time, as communicating what seems to be technical and abstruse is required daily by my job. Every presentation with people from different divisions and even our internal IT team is like defending a thesis to an examining panel who are too critical of minute details. Every word, phrase and sentence coming out from my mouth should be consistent and logical.

To quote Louis Pasteur, “Luck favors the prepared mind.” So always being prepared is a great strategic move. Preparation before speaking up involves analyzing gathered data, processing data, reporting then arriving at recommendations and directions for business sponsors or management to follow or decide upon.

Sometimes anxiety fills me in before chairing a meeting, since I tend to think and anticipate a lot of questions on the issue and comments that are difficult to address and handle. Well, I have learned to maintain an outward calm and I don’t think anybody notices that I freak out deep inside. 😆

2. Dare to try whatever is tugging at your heart.

There are two sets of people: one consists of those who are willing to try whatever the risk, while the other consists of those who are afraid to dare try in any cost. Of course, there are people that fall in between—including myself. I guess I would not know things I’m really capable of doing or things I like and don’t like without trying them first.

2013 was another year of many firsts for me. Some of them include perming my hair, driving, racing, traveling with other bloggers (essentially, people I know little of), keeping a business online, getting IPL treatments, wearing contact lenses and learning photography. I dare try whatever that interests me which I think would be worth it.

We soar and stumble, and this cycle is inevitable in life. Daring to try is the first step but oftentimes is also the most difficult one. The secret is to stop putting barriers where there shouldn’t be any or see shadows where there aren’t. Setting sail is second. There are no guarantees; failure may occur because of having fuzzy, too many or unrealistic goals, or simply poor planning. But as the cliché goes, it’s okay to fail. Hugs and much support from loved ones are essential to survival. The third step is moving on. And the next? Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.

3. Set and reach godly goals.

I set goals every year but this time I learned that goals will be more achievable if they are godly. To further explain, let me pose this question: “Have you ever declared a goal and grew zeal for change only to sense your initial enthusiasm lose momentum and your resolutions slowly disintegrate?” I bet many people would say yes.

Modesty aside, I haven’t had that in a while since I began to establish “godly goals.” These are the goals that are aligned with God’s guidance through prayer. During my prayer time each morning, I pray over the goals I have for the day, the week and the month.

This “solemn practice” has produced several significant improvements. It helped me become more mindful of my commitments before God. Every time pray, I am reminded that nothing is impossible if we put our trust with God. I’m happy to have a direct relationship with Him to ask for confidence, strength and grace.

Wrap Up

2013, by any measure, was a great year. These life lessons may seem basic and easy to say, but it takes solid experiences to really understand and grasp their meaning. My choices and decisions may not be the better ones to take, yet this does not mean that I’m not getting something else, just as valuable, in return. In life there are many divergences and roadblocks. Living is about getting up and learning how to get back on track. 2014年我一定會更努力的。 继续努力加油。 😉

The Beauty of Keeping Dreams

About three years ago, I became a witness on how tracking one’s aspirations via a dreambook can propel changes and turn them to reality. This was when Louie, my boyfriend, was taken aback when he turned to his dreambook and found that the dreams (consisted of cut-out pictures of specific things he wanted) on the pages were the same ones which came true to life.

Because of that, I was also encouraged to create my own dreambook. But the problem was I didn’t know how to start. I thought the main driver was fear; I was afraid to dream because of the dread of them not happening. The disappointment of not attaining my dreams might just be too much to bear. Nobody wants to hear others laugh at a goal or worse—tell them that it’s not feasible. On second thought, I also did not want to live aimlessly. So I just kept my dreams to myself, in my mind, where I’m sure nobody could have access to unveil them. If nobody tells you it’s impossible, then it’s not, right?

Through time, all my dreams then came true as well anyway. Need examples? I dreamed of working abroad for opportunities to gain a higher income I deserve. I dreamed of buying my own car before I reach the age of 25. I dreamed of traveling around the Philippines (or at least to one destination every year) with my family. I dreamed of starting a business, however small, and reaching a wider audience through this blog. I also dreamed of becoming an IT Manager. (Yup, I remember I told my manager that clearly as a fresh grad in one of our monthly one-on-one talks in IBM.) And fast forward to the present, in three years, *not to brag though*, I was able to achieve everything.

Now I invite you to do the same: Dream it. Dream big. Dream lots.

Even if it’s a dream you know isn’t exactly realizable, like, say, winning an Olympic medal or becoming the country’s president, it’s good for you to imagine the experience.  When you’re pushed, you push back. Rise to the occasion because success might be waiting around the corner for you.

Right now, I am building another set of dreams. The difference is that instead of just keeping the dreams in folders stuck in my mind alone, I have this physical Dreambook where I can monitor to-do lists and commitments in differing magnitudes. Can we say that the effect ergo would be more substantial? Maybe.

Maybe this Dreambook can further ignite my imaginations and give me with an unquenchable hope, as it’s filled with colorful pages with question and answer fields, time plan, and all the essential elements to make me want to really follow and chase my dreams.

Why You Should Get Your Own Dreambook

 1. Practice Inspired Journaling

Unlike a regular planner, the Dreambook asks you to make a list of things you can do in a span of time to advance yourself toward your goals. Not having goals or having fuzzy pictures of your dreams is not a problem. This book has samples to guide you to practice “inspired journaling.” You can assess their applicability or write your own following the same format. 😀 In addition, it is equipped with inspiring quotes on each page with different values as themes, making pursuing of dreams more meaningful.

2. Be Reminded

The Dreambook is not one that solely allows you to write plans on specified dates; rather, it’s a book that makes you review milestones and acts like a buddy who constantly reminds you to finish what you have started. So you will also stay motivated to captivate your thoughts and fuel your excitement and passion.

3. Know Your Inner Self More

Sometimes when life gets busy, you become so caged up in the situations and routines you spend most of the time in that you forget to evaluate yourself. This Dreambook comes in handy, asking challenging questions about your personality and limitations which I think are useful to objectively know yourself more. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Know what the obstacles are related to the problem. Determine what you have control over and what you don’t.

4. Publish Your “Own” Book

“Dreambook” is a great name for this extraordinary journal/planner. Why? Simply because it has “-book” attached to it. No, you don’t have to go through an editor or publications company to get your book reviewed and published. You are the writer of your own life, and every single moment in every day is your chance to deliver that script and make your dreams happen. Amen?

5. Believe in Your Dream

This Dreambook serves to reinforce your daily affirmations and keep your attention on your intentions. It helps provide clarity on your dreams. Dreaming to get a better life is totally fine. But you have to narrow it down. Picture how “a better life” looks like. In doing so, the Dreambook can be a tremendous help and it does not end there.

The next step is to believe it. 😉

Wrap Up

Starlight Starbright Enterprises Co. describes the Dreambook as a portable “LIFE COACH” which you can carry anywhere, a workbook for dreamers who want to take the first steps in turning their dreams into reality. It lets you identify your gifts before diving into dream-making, then express your dreams to quantifiable goals with deadlines. Towards the end of the journal, the Dreambook invites you to repeat your keys to success and grasp where your dreams have taken you to your life journey.

With all these great stuff integrated into one, I am very much convinced to join the Dreambook Project. What say you? 🙂

The Dreambook is now available at selected National Book Store branches and PowerBooks branches. You can also get a hold of your own dreambook via courier to your home or office by sending an email to dreambookproject@gmail.com or contacting Clarissa at 0920-9086576 or 646-1080. For more information, you can visit their Facebook page here.

Addendum: Giveaway
Good news! You now have a chance to win your own Dreambook. Follow the Rafflecopter mechanics here: a Rafflecopter giveaway to join. The giveaway raffle will run from today until November 3, 2013. Result will be drawn the next day, and the winner will be contacted within that week. Good luck! 😛

You may think I lost my marbles when I’ve decided to join our company’s mini-Olympics last week. I received the invitation only about three days before the actual racing competition, while all others have started practicing way ahead. 🙄

Brief background: Annually, the SM Sports Festival Mini-Olympics is held for all branches (in NCR) to play in the following event categories:

1. 100m female dash
2. 100m male dash
3. 10x50m relay
4. sack race
5. queen relay
6. cheerleading

The idea of taking part to be one of the representatives of Head Office was somewhat outrageous. Surely, I am NOT be the fastest runner out there, but the team could not qualify if it’s incomplete. No other female department manager wanted to go on in. (Every team must be composed of a mix of rank and file, supervisor, officer and managerial level employees — male and female.) I regularly run to keep fitness but not really for any competition. Nevertheless, I saw “some potential” in myself, as I’ve built a stamina that can endure pain and tiredness for grueling activities and demanding conditions.

At first, I was asked to be one of the 10 members of the 10×50 relay race. While other employees from different departments had to try out to enter, I was exempted and went straight to practice. Basically, there had to be 10 runners who would run 500m (50m each) throughout the race. Each runner would have to pass on a stick to the next runner for a turn to count. Directions were easy but running especially with pressure was no joke.

Our warmups consisted of running around the Rizal Memorial Track Stadium (the national sports stadium located in Malate, Manila) three rounds without stop. FYI, the entire oval measures 400 meters. Whoa, the sweat! 😆 I led some challenging arm, leg, hamstring, knee, feet and calf stretches that were unique from other teams’. We timed how fast each member run to track improvements in performance individually and as a team.

Later, I was told to shift to the sack race event because they still lack people there. No problem! Again, it was not that I’m an expert in sack racing; rather, it was more of me wanting to test my abilities and have fun in the process. (Note that I also haven’t jumped in a sack or pillow before.)

In the sack race, players have to place both legs inside the sack that reaches the waist and jump forward from a starting point toward a finish line. Similar to the relay race, the sack race was composed of 10 members, each having to complete 10m to pass on the sack to the next player.

 On the Sports Fest day, together with my Head Office teammates, I left the office to arrive and get ready at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex early at 3:30PM. We wore our uniforms (white shirt with the SM Sports Festival Mini-Olympics 2013 logo), ate snacks and did our usual warm-up exercises side by side with contenders from the branches.

At 6PM, everyone was geared up for the elimination round. Rizal Stadium has eight lanes, and each lane constituted to one branch. Since there were 18 competing branches (only NCR), the teams were broken into three batches to complete a game.

The official opening of the mini-Olympics commenced one hour after. Flags were raised; the national anthem was sung; the invocation was delivered; the parading teams were introduced; and each player uttered the oath of sportsmanship.

What I loved most about the race was the camaraderie and the feeling of belonging. Even though most of our teams were eliminated in 3/5 of the event categories, we were still glad that 2/5 made it to the finals excluding cheerleading.

SM Sports Festival Mini-Olympics 2013 – What I Learned From Racing

1. Teamwork matters.

Running and racing with a team is a far different experience from running alone. Calculation is different. The thrill is different. There’s an urgency to perform better, and this feeling grows further thinking that everyone in the team should perform his/her best.

2. Losing is not bad as it seems.

SM North EDSA has been the winner of the Mini-Olympics for the past consecutive years. And it has retained its bragging rights for being the winner this year for the nth time. *clap clap* I saw how their runners really deserve the title. They run SUPER fast (like the Road Runner)! I didn’t see them as employees of SM then but as professional athletes! Anyway, the focus was truly to have a good time in “the journey” than any other I have experienced.

3. Finishing is what counts the most.

In relation to the second lesson, what matters most and what truly counts is finishing to the end. While knowing that we were already losing against others in the same batch in the middle of the game, we continued to run to the finish line without being discouraged. Ultimately, this represents an important achievement. Anyone can succeed with a little effort! 😀

– Head Office Team Members –

I realized that I am very much in my learning phase of this sports, and I didn’t think before that running could be extra tiring. Additionally, now I know that running can be very useful in real-life scenarios… like going away from zombies, stalkers and robbers! 😛

This is dedicated to all those who are going through hard and testing times.

Allow me to ask you to read the following with your eyes slowly and feel the message resonate in your heart and soul:

If you’re strong enough to take that blade and draw it across your skin.

If you’re strong enough to take those pills and swallow them when no one’s home.

If you’re strong enough to tie that rope and hang it from the ceiling fan.

If you’re strong enough to jump off that bridge, my friend.

You are strong enough, to live.

These lines are from I Wrote This For You in the post entitled “The Things I Would’ve Said.”

I have been an avid follower of the blog since 2008. It’s where I get inspiration in finding relevance and meaning in some of life’s unexplainable incidents.You may find the same, too.

Now, enough small talks and let’s get straight to the point here:

You feel burdened when you are in a clash with other people. But it’s even worse when who you’re in conflict with is yourself. If you consider yourself as your own enemy, if you don’t like how things are going lately and blame yourself for everything, if all in life now is anger, I hope this post can tame your fire.

Anger Management

When you are devastated, getting yourself hurt will way too often be your liking. Just when you feel nobody cares, you are filled with blips of resentment, nearly erupting like a full-fledged volcano. At this time, you may even explode and turn into the Hulk.

The thing is if you turn yourself to be this seething person over the edge, you spark more negativity into the air. Just like any other emotion, anger comes with physical, biological and physiological effects. When you get angry, your energy hormones increase, and your heart rate and blood pressure shoot up.

There’s also the adrenaline surge that prepares you for drastic physical action, and your pain threshold levels also go up, ready to draw blood at the slightest provocation.

That’s not a healthy situation to be in, especially if you are inflicted with heart disease or hypertension. An angry outburst can be the proverbial straw on the camel’s back. To make things worse, being angry doesn’t just affect you but also those around you.

Here are five suggestions on how to keep peace:

1. Identify and acknowledge. Recognize your grievances, and admit to yourself that you need to simmer down. Accepting that you’re having “anger issues” can help to hugely decrease chances of violence and conflict. If you can’t be as calm, try your best to concentrate on the causes of the anger.

2. Open your mind. Tip: You can use your ears and heart but don’t let the anger control you. Before you act, make yourself listen to others and most importantly, your heart. Ask yourself, will you want to act like this too an hour later?To make sure you won’t have regrets, take a step back before making judgments. Learn how to trust your inner sense.

3. Relax! Letting yourself cool down before taking any action can change the outcome drastically. Most of the time, people lash out in the spur of a moment and regret their actions later. Maybe in a day or two, the problem at hand wouldn’t even bother you anymore.

4. Give peace a chance. Give God a chance. The Scripture says, “Do not let your heart be troubled,” and “let your requests be known to God.” Take authority over your anger or fretting attitude, for “it leads only to evildoing” (Psalm 37:8). Stand, instead, in faith upon the promises of God. Peace is our shield and the Word of God our weapon. Therefore, capture negative, unbelieving thoughts that would magnify problems rather than magnify the Lord. Our Father knows what we have need of before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8). Cast your burdens upon the lord. Trust that He will make a way.

5. Stay faithful. Anger can have an incredible ability in paralyzing your potential. It keeps you away from launching out and motivates you to be skeptical about faith. These negative feelings make you short-sighted, making you focus on the past only and not on the future.

Bad things happen ~ but life goes on.

It is not long before we go are gone…

Yes, life is ugly at times. But believe that God is there in the midst of it, giving us grace and strength to get through it. No matter what our circumstances are, we can trust in God’s character. We can trust in His good plans for us. We can trust that God is always in control and that He is bigger than our circumstances.

Faith in God’s goodness is not destroyed by hardships. On the contrary, life’s storms create an opportunity to grow deeper into God’s character. When we do, we will discover, to our glad surprise, that God is good all the time.

The air has moderated some and these days have been warmer. It has been quite a while when I last wrote updates on thanksgiving. I’d like to start with thanking God for a nice Sunday morning, for keeping me and my loved ones safe every day, for giving me determination and urge to finish tasks at work, for hinting me on the best things and decisions to go for, for leading me to meet good people, for challenging me to strive for new goals and for really making me feel Your love.

The rest of this post tells about recent updates.

BB Cream

In August, I have become more conscious about make-up. Still, I want to achieve a “no make-up” look. I have read through forums and blogs for suggestions and reviews and asked salespeople from different cosmetics shops for the best solution to enhance my skin, particularly on the face. And their answer was the BB cream.

Since I was in Singapore, I have been tempted to try BB cream, a tinted moisturizer that gives a smidgen of light covering the skin with built-in SPF. But somehow I stayed contented with the daily moisturizer I was using at that time that also has sunscreen content. When it has all been used up, I thought it’s the perfect time to give way for the beauty / blemish balm cream.

I compared L’Oreal, Clinique, The Body Shop and IN2IT’s BB cream and decided to try IN2IT because the saleslady entertained and answered my questions about the product in the most convincing way. Aside from the sales pitch, three factors have helped me make my purchase decision: (1) Price: It was the cheapest among them all and its quality was okay. The single tube is priced at PHp 399, available in Watson’s, while the price range of the rest is PHp 500-1500. (2) BB cream originated from South Korea and Japan. It has become a trendy product that the Japanese use for supple, porcelain and young-looking skin. Thought bubble: IN2IT is a Japanese brand, so it will not fail me. (3) The pink princess-y packaging was so adorable!

IN2IT BB cream comes with two colors: ivory (for lighter skin tones) and sienna (for darker skin tons). So far, the ivory cream is blending well with my complexion (not oily or greasy, not sticky). The result is a matte finish without discoloration. I’m really happy with the product. It’s all I need to apply to get: waterproof foundation that helps whiten and brighten the skin; make-up base that ensures long wear for cosmetics; concealer that removes fine lines, blemishes and dark spots; sun protector that protects the skin against the UV rays of the sun with SPF 30 also to prevent damages by UVB rays; and moisturizer that keeps the skin moisturized with aloe vera and Vitamin E.

Daddy’s Walking Progress

On September 8, Daddy went for another surgery. He stayed in the hospital only for a day after the surgery, and we’re happy that his Achilles tendons were successfully fixed. He can now stand with both his feet flat on the floor (not tiptoeing on the side anymore) and he can slowly walk straight like any normal person does. The cement and stitches were taken off last week and soon he will be undergoing physical therapies to better his condition. Hallelujah!

Him dancing Oppa Gangnam Style would be a majestic number everyone surely awaits.

Work #busy #stress #pressure #fulfillment

Daytime job: The past four weeks have given me so much stress that I just want to snuggle up under my covers and doze off when I get home. I feel pressured with self-imposed milestones that have to be finished with my self-imposed dates and timelines. Oh well, I have to turn the world of idleness upside down because pressure is what keeps me going anyway. Right now I feel like I’m in the epicenter of growth, working on reaching my everyday goals written on my work journal.

Sidelines: Again, I thank God for strength and willpower that He has endowed on me to continue my writing endeavor. Making money online is not really easy. But with these gimmicks, I can spend only a portion of my earnings from part-time jobs and save the rest of the money from my real job for investment and for future significant expenditures.

I’m thankful that in spite of the busyness at work, my mind can still function given the little time I got to complete my assignments and tasks in these sidelines before the end of each day. The way I do it is synthesizing my mix-and-match master plan with best intentions to avoid getting my sight cluttered and push myself forward for the year and beyond.

And as if I’m totally not filled and cramped (yet) with heavy workload, I’ve started two blogs: Why Be Vegetarian and Ashitaba Plant hat I scheduled to be updated twice a week. Their main intention is to provide valuable and helpful content to people who need them most. My only hope for these new babies is to get increased organic search traffic, interaction and appreciation from visiting readers.

Shopping Spree

Mommy has claimed gift certificates for SM grocery store yesterday. Before buying groceries, we went shopping in SM department store. I bought two regular-priced belts and a corporate dress from a store consignor, and I got them with a 10-percent discount just when I showed my employee ID before heading to the cashier. It was a moment of glee and honor. Having special discounts is one of the reasons why I feel gratified to be part of this most prestigious retail company in the country!

Bonding with Mom is always fun! ♥

Just because we’re vegetarians does not mean we have limited food choice and we can’t be as creative. True, it’s harder to find good restaurants offering vegetarian-friendly dishes. Also, it’s harder to think of variants to cook and prepare every day. But because of the Internet, we can access YouTube and other blogs out on the web and get to be inspired to try dishes that are originally blended and made with meat. Samples are Filipino favorite dishes such as adobo, paksiw, kaldereta, dinuguan, kare-kare, Bicol express, mechado, and so much more. Tonight we went Italian. Here’s what we had for dinner:

Eggplant Lasagna

Whoops! Edges bit overcooked:

Recipe was inspired by the following video:

Our version had ricotta cheese on top of each layer of lasagna noodles with tomato sauce, chopped sauteed minced garlic and diced onions, button mushrooms, thin-sliced eggplants and dried basil leaves, a large helping of cheddar and a sprinkling of Parmesan all under a blanket of melted mozzarella, baked at about 350 degrees Celsius, covered in foil for about 25 minutes.

(That was the longest sentence I ever typed in this blog, for the record!)

The taste of the basil leaves was most outstanding. I bet this hearty and flavorful lasagna would appeal to both vegetarians and meat eaters alike.