What a blur that year was. Here we are in the last quarter, evaluating the goals that I have set. So, was I able to make them happen?
🏃♀️ Career - research, plan, execute - the continuation...
I subtly worked on this goal during this time. Admittedly, I wasn't able to pay much attention to my next steps, but still slow progress is still progress. This will be carried over next quarter/year.
🏃♀️Financial - find another income stream
This was a bit tricky since I already have some on the side, but they're not that sustainable. I will try venturing on another one (🎙️) so let's see how that one goes.
🏆Personal Development - journaling
I know I have already established blogging in my lifestyle, but I have discovered that writing in a physical journal, with a pen and paper, still has its own benefits. I adapted the five-minute journal format which allows me to exercise my gratitude everyday.
🏆Spiritual - undergo one of those sessions or attend a seminar
I added new crystals to my collection, and also underwent a Distance Reiki session. ✨
I added new crystals to my collection, and also underwent a Distance Reiki session. ✨
🏃♀️Educational - coding exercises, o'reilly trainings
I was able to finish some exercises on LEET codes. I wasn't able to pick up on my O'reilly training, though. 😓That's what I will be working on next quarter.
🏆Relationship - Join online activities based on my interests to be able to meet new people! 😀
Well I still continued with activities with Toastmasters, and also joined those trainings at the district level.
🛑Physical and Health - complete the 30-day exercise challenge
I didn't continue the challenge because it posed more harm on my knees than what I had expected. ☹️ I'm going back to doing core and yoga exercises.
~o~
Legend:
🏆 Finished
🏃♀️ Still in Progress
🛑 Aborted
Part of wrapping up the year for me is looking back at the things I spent my money on. It's part of the habits that I'm aiming to establish, thanks to the annual review template that I adapted from Ali Abdaal last year. It also came in handy that I religiously log my expenses day by day (a habit that has already been part of my life for years + further enhanced by the YNAB tool last year). It was very easy for me to track my major expenses and their meaning for me looking back.
Major Purchases I Did This Year - Do I Regret it Now?
Unsurprisingly, the majority of my expenses last year was spent on food. 🍕🍔🍟🍗 This was one medium where I vented out my stress, I guess (and now I'm getting stressed looking at the weighing scale 😂). You know what, I don't regret every single purchase, because what it meant was sharing great food with my family. This was always my goal even during the pre-pandemic times. I commonly eat out with friends and whenever I encounter great-tasting food, I always tell myself I want my parents to get to taste them too. Sometimes it's possible (I do take-outs), but sometimes it's not. During the pandemic, my goal became more achievable. I just ordered them online. I got to explore local businesses also, and thanks to various courier services, it was convenient to have them delivered at home too.
Some of my favorite food/snacks splurges for the year are with:
Angel's Pizza - Creamy Spinach Dip is 🥰
I did some major purchases to upgrade our machines. 📺💻🗑️🍲These machines made our lives easier. Some of these machines, even though they're usable and still deliver the bare minimum of their purpose, needed an upgrade. I'm satisfied with how we are using them today.
I invested in myself. 🕯️💬🪥💺🧘♀️💄🫖👛 I allocated some of my budget in improving my overall well-being. One of the greatest things that I experienced last year was being involved in Toastmasters.
There were unwise decisions that were made this year. 🖋️There were items that I bought that I felt would be beneficial, but now I think otherwise, specifically my judgment when doing the groceries, online shopping on BeautyMNL and Shopee. My lesson: go for the healthier and cheaper options!
Here's to becoming a wiser consumer 💵 in 2022! ✨
Was it that obvious that I'm cramming to finish all of these year-end posts so I could properly face the new year? 😂 I have always struggled with keeping up with my Life Log posts, but thankfully I was able to pull off actually writing a 6-month worth of logs in just a day. It was very satisfying, and surprisingly I didn't feel drained at all. And on top of that, the posts didn't feel "rushed". I just knew that I needed to properly wrap up the previous year so that I could properly face this new chapter of my life, that is 2022.
It's been nearing two years since I last went to the office. This weird feeling brought about by the pandemic is starting to feel normal, specifically the aspect of working from home. It now feels like things have always been like that. I do think that I have really assimilated well now in this setup. Mind you, it was not an easy breezy process, but I'm so glad I have arrived at this point.
I have been religiously doing my Life Logs for the whole year, and for sure I will continue doing that in the next months to come. I realized that it's a very good practice in processing all the things that were happening to me, up to the smallest details. I noticed that I was able to highlight the little things that made me happy and those that just gave me just great vibes.
Aside from my goal of completing my Life Goals on time, another aspect that motivated me with this task was the fact that I needed those details to evaluate the year as a whole as part of the start-of-year journaling exercises on the Everything Is Possible BDJ Planner, which I am very actively using everyday. I was surprised to see that in general, I was higher-than-average happy throughout the year. True, there were moments of anxiety and crying-to-sleep nights, but I was able to note great things that happened to me for each month. I guess because I was consciously taking notes of these, I was able to focus my energy in celebrating my wins, even how little they were in the bigger picture.
I might not have been able to go out much this year, I still was able to explore several parts of my inner soul. Of course, I miss the world outside, but I guess I was just making the most out of the cards presented to me.
Thank you for the lessons, 2021. Some of them I learned the hard way, but still what's important is that I became wiser and stronger.🙏✨
Hello there! We are down to the last month of 2021. How time flies. 😣
💃 Experiences
- Rediscovering my childhood Christmas music. I went down the nostalgia road and discovered, at random, the Christmas songs that I grew up with. It was interesting because even if it was my first time to listen to the songs in decades, I still knew the lyrics. 😲
- Getting interviewed by the BeautyMNL crew. I'm a true-blue BeautyMNL baby. The site introduced me to the wonderful (and menacing) world of online shopping. When they sent the email inviting its customers for an interview for their product team research, I immediately signed up. Thanks again to Toastmasters, I am braver in talking with the people. It was a one-hour interview, and I believe it went well. I hope I got to give them insights on what their customers need on their website. ✨
- Rewatching the Harry Potter movies. This was all in preparation for the 20th anniversary special on HBO. I'm very thankful for the HP movie for accompanying me during the holidays. I felt a bit lonely amidst this festive season. The movies served as my warm cup of tea for my soul. 🫖🍵
- Reuniting with the whole fam bam. My brother was in the country, and so we had a chance to get-together. I was so happy to see my nieces again. They were at the house on the day of our company's virtual year-end party, so I was able to share with all of them some food! 😋
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| I ordered this from PetersLumpiangShanghaiAtbp. It's a must-try! |
- Celebrating my birthday with great food. I had been eyeing a number of food businesses online that I really wanted to try out. Well I picked two of them, of which I ordered for my birthday! 😁
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| Food ordered from Nuttify by PB and 8 Spoons Party Trays. Highly recommended! |
I'm so happy I was able to discover these food businesses c/o the influencers I follow on IG. My birthday became extra special because of great food. I'm so happy I was able to share this delicious experience at home.
- Having loads of great food from our virtual Christmas parties. My team's Christmas party coincided with my sister's, so we both had our food reimbursements to spend on the same day. We decided to order from Conti's. By lunch, we had a table full of dishes from the restaurant. Interestingly, I wasn't able to take photos of our food that day (🤣) maybe because I was too invested in the ongoing party that we were having over Zoom. We also had a "Bring Me" game wherein we had to take selfies with the target object. It was so fun and tiring at the same time. 😆
- Preparing a singing presentation. It was during that party that I prepared a presentation for the team. Together with Anj, one of my colleagues, we presented a recording of us singing a love song medley. 🎤🎶You can check out our presentation here.
- Hosting a year-end party with our colleagues. This was a last-minute thing, but fortunately we were able to pull it off. Virtual parties in the company were being held on a per-team basis, but I have friends from different teams whom I often meet for some non-work Zoom sessions. Hazel, one of my friends, had an idea of doing a year-end party for us friends. Following her lead, we did some brainstorming of the program format, the games, and even the awards that we can give to our friends (like "Marites of the Year" and "Fan Girl/Boy of the Year" awards). We even had a raffle, mind you! 😂 Thanks to my amazing friends, we were able to exchange such great positive vibes before the year ended.
- Being involved in a car accident. I was the one driving, so it was really stressful. It was just a minor one, wherein the car had some scratches. I had some lessons learned, but thankfully no one was hurt. It was a bit traumatic, but it's all part of growing up, just like what my friend Mai told me. I was still able to drive after that incident, and thankfully my sister didn't get angry at me. 😓
- Watching the TwoSet Violin virtual tour concert. It was such a fun experience. My respect for these two musicians just went up and up and up! 🎈
- Receiving a game from a colleague. It was an unexpected gesture, but I deeply appreciated it. I was actually planning to do a replay of Little Nightmares just to kill some time, but this was even better because this is a whole new game. Thank you Pas! 😄
⛰️ Accomplishments / Milestones
- In spite of my pandemic anxiety I was able to venture out and renew my driver's license. It was my first time commuting in a long time so I was really stressed the whole time. I rode the jeepney, and I would think things were back to normal, if it weren't for the masks. 😷After several hours of waiting, I was able to secure my license. Yay! 🚘
- I was able to practice some piano pieces for our Christmas presentation. I also was able to utilize that video editor I bought from Humble Bundle. 😄
- I won first place in the Toastmasters Table Topics club-level contest! It was such a surreal experience. I'm so excited for the next chapter of this adventure!
- My sister and I received our booster shot. 💉The side effects were more apparent this time around. Thankfully, after roughly 2 days, we were feeling normal again.
🧠Game Changers
- HBO GO. Yep, there goes another expense for a video streaming platform. But this is just temporary. So far, I'm using it to watch all the Harry Potter content. ⚡
- Conti's Lemon Squares. I fell in love on the first bite. This is now one of my favorite desserts.
- Windows 11. I upgraded my laptop, and so far I'm loving the changes on the UI, especially the stackable windows. 🪟
- Moka Pot. I ordered one from BeautyMNL using the voucher that they gave me for that interview. I've been wanting to have one for the longest time. I already knew how to use it (because I have watched a number of YouTube tutorials 😏). I'm enjoying my Starbucks Peppermint Mocha ground beans now. ☕I also ordered a coffee grinder but I have not used it because I don't have whole beans at home. I might be able to use it next month, meaning I would be having freshly grinded coffee beans every morning soon. So exciting!
- Apple Music. I uninstalled Spotify from my phone and switched to Apple Music for my music streaming needs. I utilized the free 6-month subscription available to me, which was just in time for my Spotify Premium expiration. It's such an exciting time for me because I was building my music library from scratch. My playlists on Spotify were already too curated for my listening preferences. This time with Apple Music, I was actually starting from scratch, so let's see which artists and songs I would discover starting from a clean slate.
🎬 Movie / Series List
Love Hard
Last Christmas
Harry Potter movies 1-8
- I perform well on tasks with deadlines.
- It's important to confront our fears. It's the only way to extinguish them.
- Your heart becomes fuller after giving.
- You can never go wrong with splurging on food.
- Food tastes best when shared.
And just like that, we're down to the last two months of 2021. 😲
💃 Experiences
- Listening to Red (Taylor's Version) album. It was such an incredible experience, most especially hearing the 10-minute version of All Too Well. Who would have thought that this fandom urban legend relic has now become a reality? Amazingly, the song was able to exceed people's expectations, given that it was already all hyped up. Only Taylor has the capability to do this. 💋
- Collaborating on BandLab. 'Lo and behold, I found a colleague with the same enthusiasm as with me with regards to singing. We bounced around ideas of covering songs. I can't wait to finalize them and share them with the world! 🎙️🎶
- Experiencing Distance Reiki. I received it from the same practitioner whom I bought my crystals from. It was a very interesting experience. It was a one-hour session. It felt like a meditation session for me. There was really nothing unusual during that whole time. But right after, after I got up to pee (😆), I felt waves after waves of shivers throughout my whole body. It was my first time to experience something like that. Even while I was in the CR, I was still feeling those tingling sensations all over my body. For the next few hours and days, I was really expectant on what the effects would be. But looking back, I think it was a slow process for me. I became more focused and productive with work, and was slowly loosening emotional entanglements. I was also feeling that I was gradually restoring broken relationships in my life. Plus, my menstrual cycle went back to normal that month. I don't know if I should credit all of that because of that session, but those are just the events that happened after. These might have been placebo, but nevertheless, I feel in my very core that I am healing. 💗
- Attending an online mask fashion show. I received an invite from ÀMEN PH to this fashion show to showcase their new line of mask designs. At first I thought it was an on-site event, good thing I got clarification that this was just going to be an online event. It was an interesting experience, seeing how the marketing industry is adapting to the pandemic, transferring all events to Zoom calls. Of course, it will never be the same as being in the event itself. But their main goal to reach out and inspire people was well conveyed and fulfilled, even on the virtual platform.
- Replenishing my makeup stash. I had to throw out most of them because they were already expired. Even though I wasn't really going anywhere, I bought myself a fresh set of makeup. 💄I brought back the habit of dressing up during work days, to condition myself to switch to work mode.
⛰️ Accomplishments / Milestones
- I was able to present my podcast speech, that I prepared the previous month, to my Toastmasters club. The members lauded me for a great job. Our president even mentioned that it was the first time that a podcast project was presented in a TM meeting. I felt so fulfilled and happy. ✨
- I finally got to renew my passport! This has been a long time coming. I originally secured a slot during the first quarter of the year. Unfortunately, it got rescheduled over and over again, until finally pushing through this month. I finally got this one checked off my tasks list! I'm ready to travel again! 🗾🍁🦘🏔️
🧠Game Changers
- Loop Habit Tracker. Finally, I found a free minimalist app to track habits that I want to incorporate in my life.
- Unpacking. I stumbled upon this game on the Humble Bundle site when it was still not released and just available for pre-order. When it was finally released, I still waited for a week to assess myself if I really wanted this game. Well I still did, and so I went ahead and bought the game! It was so therapeutic. The game helped me in envisioning moving into a place of my own. I think it took me around two days to finish the game. I super enjoyed the experience! I will surely play it again soon, and be more OC with the arrangement of the items in each room of each house. 🏠
🎬 Movie / Series List
The Truman Show
Locke & Key
The Miseducation of Cameron Rose
Normal People
Forrest Gump
Movies that Made Us
Fleabag
Dune
📚Book Reads
Work From Home Hacks (Aja Frost)
The 4-Hour Work Week (Timothy Ferriss)
- Every day is a new beginning.
- From relistening to an old Eve's Drop podcast: It's the representation that I was missing, not the object itself... It's what that thing means to me that I needed to discover to realize what I was really searching for.
- Life is not a problem to be solved.
- Action builds motivation, not the other way around.
- Ask, and you shall receive.
At this point, I felt like time was running. When did we come this close to the end of the year?
💃 Experiences
- Participating in the Space Apps Challenge. It was a bit of a stressful weekend, but still I had a lot of fun.
- Testing the waters. It was my first time to do this, and I'm just happy I went through that uncomfortable process, because in the end, it made me a stronger and wiser human being.
⛰️ Accomplishments / Milestones
- I completed the podcast-style interview for a Toastmasters speech. Thanks to Mico, now a former colleague (but a forever friend!), I was able to accomplish this one. 🎉
🧠Game Changers
- Crystals. I am a believer of these wellness modalities because they have helped me mentally during the pandemic. This month, I ordered some crystals from a Reiki practitioner. I got a heart-shaped rhodonite and a golden fluorite pendant. Most people might not subscribe to this kind of belief, but it has worked for me in the past, that's why I continue to turn to these tools to help me. Others might say it's all just placebo effect, well I'll take anything that will give me my desired output. The most important thing here is that I get to feel better in the process. 💖
- 369 Manifestation Method. This is one of the things I learned in the BDJ summit I attended in September. Just on the first day, the Universe responded to me in the loudest and clearest way possible. ✨
- Five-minute Journaling Format. I learned this method from one of the YouTube channels I follow. I got to try it for a few weeks, and the change in my mindset was really apparent during those days. I wasn't just able to be consistent with it, but I recognize the positive benefits it can have on our mental health.
- Jacob Collier. I think it was Mico who briefly mentioned his name to me, that's why I followed his account on Instagram. What got me hooked was when I saw his cover of Fix You (of which I teared up 😭). I knew at that point that his music was healing to my soul, and so I went into a long YT rabbit hole journey just watching his performances one after another. Apparently, I have already seen him before in the video explaining harmony in 5 difficulty levels. And yes, this was the beginning of my fascination for this musical genius.
Cinderella
Diana The Musical
Hometown Chachacha
Streetfood Asia
Dream Home Makeover
Britney Vs Spears
Carrie
Clickbait
Dark
The Guilty
My Name
Locke & Key
It
A Quiet Place II
Corpse Bride
An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts
📚 Book Reads
The Kiss Quotient (Helen Hoang)
Ready Player Two (Ernest Cline)
Work From Home Hacks (Aja Frost)
- The darkest hour happens closest to the breaking dawn.
- The mind is a very powerful tool.
- There is beauty in imperfection.
- The correct solution is the simplest one.
- Aim to learn, not to win.
When this month arrived, it felt unreal, because here comes the Christmas season and we are still in the pandemic season. 😢
💃 Experiences
- Listening to a podcast linking Taylor Swift songs to the Venus signs. Because I have recently learned more about my natal birth chart, and also because I am a Swiftie, this podcast became very interesting for me. My Venus sign is Aquarius, and my Taylor Swift song is Jump and Fall. Those under this sign are very idealistic lovers, apparently. 😲🤭
- Experiencing a different kind of "loss." When something that brings you joy is taken away from you, a different kind of mourning is experienced. This month, I felt sadness like a cold blanket, and it's effect was incremental as each day passed. Kudos to myself, I faced this head on. Surprisingly, I discovered unexpected things at the end of this dark tunnel. And oh boy, I was so happy to be back in the light.
- Attending the Belle de Jour Summit. Participating in this summit was life-changing for me. I met and listened to a lot of inspiring speakers. It was through this summit that I ended up with the Everything Is Possible Planner that I now have on my hands.
- Witnessing the Simon & Martina drama. The EatYourKimchi couple is one of my favorite people on the internet, that's why learning about their divorce really hit me hard. It was saddening to see the events that happened between them during this month. As of this writing, I'm just happy that both of them are starting to build their world again, individually. As for me, I align more towards Martina's content, that's why I subscribed to her solo channel.
⛰️ Accomplishments / Milestones
- I pushed through my Toastmaster of the Day stint! I'm so happy and proud of myself. The comments from the General Evaluator that day were very helpful to me, and I have taken note of that for my future roles in our club meetings. ✨
- Finally finished with my development tasks in a major project at work. It was one project wherein I had a lot of firsts, that's why the learning curve was a bit steep for me. But finally, I was able to complete my assignments.
- I received a number of blog collaborations this month. 🙏✨
🧠Game Changers
- WeSing. Thanks to some of our colleagues, I was able to discover this karaoke app. We've had a number of singing sessions since (even discovered a new colleague who is a great singer! 🎙️). We sure have missed doing karaoke, and with the ongoing situation, this online platform allowed us to enjoy each other's company in a virtual KTV.
- Microwave oven. I suddenly had the aspiration to buy one for our home, and I discovered that it's true when they said that this is an essential in the kitchen. 😁
- Lumosity. I subscribed for a free trial for this one, and I really enjoyed all the mind exercises that were in there. It further proved that multitasking is one of my weak areas. 😅
- 4K TV. I bought one for my parents, after months of convincing that we already needed an upgrade (we had been using our old TV for nearly a decade now). It was so satisfying for me to see my parents watch the news in high quality video. They love watching horror movies, and now they can now clearly watch even those dimly-lit scenes. I also got to enjoy our new entertainment toy. This was where I watched some episodes of Hometown Chachacha. 💓
🎬 Movie / Series List
Here and There
Sing Yesterday for Me
Turning Point 09/11
Yesterday
I'm Drunk I Love You
Squid Game
Hometown Chachacha
💡 Takeaways
- I will be alright, someday.
- "I am the result of the collective effort of everyone in this world, especially the people around me."
- "It's not sacrifice, it's you giving what you have in excess." - Prim Paypon, BDJ summit
- Everything is possible.
- The Universe is inside me.🪐
For the Chinese, August brings bad luck because it's the start of the "ghost month." I somehow believe in this and it's evident, with the challenges I faced in this month.
💃 Experiences
- Facing the harshest version of my inner critic. Your worst enemy is yourself, because the inner critic perfectly knows your weakest point and lashes hard on that. That's what happened to me this month. 😢 Good thing was, I'm equipped with tools to help me block those negative messages. If I heard those voices some years back, I would be reacting differently. But I know better now. 💪
- Splurging on food. Now that I'm continuing to be more confident with my budgeting style (thanks to YNAB again of course), I'm slowly allowing myself to stretch out and allot some of my expenses on trying out new food. That's what I did, as I bought goodies from Yummza Hummus and KMarketPH.
- Having a 5-hour Zoom call with my inner circle. I think this was the longest call we've had on the platform. As an introvert, Zoom calls (even non-work ones) are exhausting for me. But for this particular one, I left the call with a heart fully recharged. This was a call-to-remember for me because we talked about a lot of topics: from stories of frustration to celebrating wins of our friends (yay to promotions!)
- Undergoing my first technical exam in years. It's thrilling to go back to the basics and become a beginner again. I failed the exam, but I learned a lot, for sure. The experience made me thirsty for knowledge. 🤓
- Attending CineSundays. It's so interesting to interact with people that are outside your circle. Through attending this Zoom call on a Sunday night, I was able to get a glimpse of the struggles of filmmakers. Coming from a technical world, with output that can be interpreted straightforwardly as a pass or fail, it was so foreign to me to listen to this world wherein everyone judges very subjectively. It was striking to me to hear them say that "filmmakers eat rejections for breakfast." Now I know why people in this industry have such strong characters. It's through these hard experiences that made them who they are. And wow, I laud them for that.
- Being in touch with my feelings through music. There were things that I had to face during this month, and I knew I would be crushed if I didn't prepare well for it. I opened my emotions through music and also processed my thoughts through writing in my journal. I realized that this was a very therapeutic process, and looking back, these really helped me to deal with my emotions. As of this writing, I can fully say that I have moved on. 😊
⛰️ Accomplishments / Milestones
- I received another round of blessing. 💰🙏
- The benefits of participating in Toastmasters activities are starting to become more visible for me. When I took the Table Topics Evaluator role in one club meeting, the General Evaluator then gave me very positive feedback, even encouraging me to join the Evaluation contest. Also, the confidence to actively participate was really kicking in (exhibit A: that HR workshop at the office). Finally, I'm really beginning to love interacting with people. I am getting comfortable doing small talk. I even initiate them now.
- Finally, I was able to develop and deploy codes in the backend at work! For months, I have been wanting to learn how to do core code development, and I achieved it this month! ✨
- I was able to do reverse parking on my own. It's been a while since I tried doing this. It was true when they said that it's even easier than forward parking.
🧠Game Changers
- Sanvello. I discovered that our company offered a one-year premium access to the app, and so took advantage of it, because I know it would be beneficial for me.
- Daily Wellness Spotify Playlist. I thought I already know Spotify well. Guess what, there's still areas of the app waiting to be discovered! The playlist is a combo of guided meditation audio and music curated for you! It's a different kind of experience to listen to my favorite songs after a relaxing meditation session! This was a great way to start my work day! 🌇
- Sessions. It was my first time hearing about this website. I stumbled upon this through a former colleague, who was to perform on that platform. It was a joy watching him do something he really enjoyed. He has come a long way from being one of our karaoke buddies. 😁🎤🎶
- Duolingo. I rediscovered this language learning app this month through my friends. It sure has rekindled my goal of learning Korean. I also continued with listening to the audio lessons at Talk To Me in Korean (TTMIK). 대박! 화이팅!
🎬 Movie / Series List
Nevertheless
Hometown Chachacha
Hometown Chachacha
💡 Takeaways
- It's important to always be in check with your emotions.
- Journaling is therapeutic.
- Things can blow out of proportion inside your mind.
- Sharing happiness doubles it.
- Learning is a lifelong process.
I feel like this month was a continuation of the momentum that I gained in May. And through these new experiences that I'm allowing myself to be immersed into, I am acquiring new knowledge in this journey.
💃 Experiences
- Cooking Korean food using the kits from Hello.K-Kit. I love Korean food. Thanks to my exposure to Korean cuisine, I now have the standards of delicious food from their country. I have been eyeing the menu of Hello K-kit for weeks (since seeing it on Anagon's IG). Well I finally decided this month that I really wanted to try them, and so I ordered 3 dishes from them:
The kit was complete with the recipes too, so even if you have zero experience with cooking in general, you would be able to easily follow the instructions. The ingredients were individually packed and also were labeled with numbers, according to the steps in the recipe. On top of the easy-to-follow recipe, the finished-product legit tasted good too! They tasted like I'd ordered them in a restaurant in Seoul. They tasted so good! And it felt so marvelous because I cooked them myself! 😁✨
- Participating in Reddit Gifts, for the last time. I have many great memories joining Reddit Gifts for the past years. When I learned the announcement that Reddit will be holding its last one this year, I felt a bit sad, because I knew these events brought joy to various people around the world (I always looked forward to who would get Bill Gates' gift). I wanted to experience the magic of giving one last time, so I joined an exchange, with the theme Dear Diary. It's a bit bittersweet to see my accumulated points, knowing that I won't be able to use them anymore.
Thanks for all the great memories, Reddit Gifts! Thank you to all my gifters from around the world! 💗
- Realizing my niece is not a kid anymore. My oh my, the years are passing by fast, and I'm just so proud to see my niece becoming a fine lady. It was a nice discovery for me this month that my niece actually understands some things that are happening in our family, and it was comforting for me to know that I could confide my deepest fears to another soul, someone who is part of the kin. For the next few years she'll enter the adolescence stage and I'm sure she'll be spending more time with her peers by then. So I'm just treasuring these moments with her. 💓
⛰️ Accomplishments / Milestones
- I unexpectedly received rewards for a job well done. Thank you, Universe! 💰✨
- My training as a club leader started this month. It was my first time to see the bigger picture of Toastmasters Club. Indeed, there's lots of leadership opportunities in this organization. I also felt like the bibo kid in me was resurfacing from the vault because I felt more confident actively participating in the activities during those training sessions. Good job, self! 👏
- More pitches are coming in via Intellifluence. Again, thank you, Universe! 💰✨
- I received my second dose of COVID vaccine. Good thing I got it on a Friday so I was able to rest over the weekend. My side-effects were just mild though. I just felt tired and I had achy muscles for around two days. 💉All of us got fully vaxxed this month too. Thank you, Universe! 🙏
- I'm mastering the role of tech host during our Toastmasters meetings. 😄I'm very much enjoying all the sound effects and music that I got to play in our meeting through that role. I'm happy that I'm being able to maximize the use of my laptop for this role. 😉
- I continued my Toastmasters club-hopping activities, this time with the oldest club in Malaysia - Toastmasters International Kuala Lumpur (TMIKL). 💪
🧠Game Changers
- Blinkist. I was able to listen to the gist of a lot of books. I especially enjoyed listening to the blinks of the Atomic Habits book, by James Clear. I realized that I have been applying some of the techniques mentioned there, like temptation bundling. I now want to read that book in its entirety.
- Paying Bills via Shopee. This one really was a game changer. I discovered I could get discounts as much as 100Php from my bills, and even score coin cashbacks on top of that! I'm so happy with this discovery. It would surely help me in saving up and managing my budget moving forward.
- BandLab. Until now I cannot believe that this is a free app, because it's bundled with lots of wonderful features for mixing your music. It has become useful in recording my piano covers and eventually, collaborating with friends.
- Co-star. I'm a sucker for horoscopes, and so learning more about my natal birth chart opened up a lot of things for me, especially now that I know my Sun, Moon, and Ascendant signs. 🌟
- Chordify. I have known about this website for some time, but I got to appreciate it on an extra level this month. It made it easier for me to just play some of my favorite songs on the piano. 🎹💗
🎬 Movie / Series List
Big Bang Made
Four Sisters and a Wedding
Horimiya
Fan Girl
Sword Art Online
Sing Yesterday for Me
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop
My Amanda
💡 Takeaways
- Splurging is a form of self-care. 😊
- Life lessons can be learned from the mistakes we make.
- There's a difference between being committed versus just being interested.
- There's no harm in trying.
- Playfulness erases fear.
32.
It's surreal to associate myself with this number, but then again, it's just a number. Since reaching that age milestone, things don't seem to matter that much. For sure again and again, there are certain expectations from society for women who are in this age -- most commonly that of having a family, and even a child (or two) already. But I guess I'm just paving my own path, especially in that aspect. I do wish to have a family and children of my own someday, but again and again, the Universe reminds me that those are things that should not be sought after. They will just happen at the right time. But of course, there are times that I become washed by negative emotions. I just let myself feel them. I tell myself that these feelings are valid, and I just allow myself to process them. Then at the end of the day, I go on and face life in a stronger and more positive perspective.
On my Instagram and Twitter bio, I have this quote written:
"I'd rather be a ticking bomb than a fading light. "
- Royal Concept
They're lyrics from one of the songs that I absolutely loved years ago. It's my life's anthem back then. I have shared the meaning of this passage to another soul (the same one whom I confided about my tattoo plans back then), and I still remember the question he posed after hearing my explanation about my outlook in life back then. What if it doesn't happen? What if you continue to grow older? I didn't know how to answer that back then. I was startled and cornered, because I never considered the other possible option. But now that I'm on that stage already, the answer just came naturally to me. It's the same one written on my Facebook bio:
"Pursue things that make you happy."
I don't know from whom this quote is, but this has been my life mantra for the past several years. And with my recent life experiences, I have realized that the journey will always be more important than the destination. The saying above has become my north star. There's no end goal with life. We won't make it out alive all the same (just I like how Delamar, one of the hosts of Eve's Drop podcast, said it). It's all about experiencing many things out of life, especially those that bring you joy. If it means going towards an unfamiliar path in life, then so be it.
Universe, thank you for the gift of life. There might have been times down my path when I broached otherwise, but now I am and will always be and sincerely be. Cheers. 🥂
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