Hi there! If you are new to the blog, welcome! You might be weirded out with my recent posts -- travel blogs dated 2020, and then now a post about events that happened several months back? 😅
Well surprise! This is me trying to publish and complete my posts from the backlog 😁. I have several still in queue about my trips and also those Life Log series. There's a lot of catching up, so expect several more of these warps in the timeline as I travel to and from the past through these posts. Hope you enjoy this one! 😉
💃 Experiences
- Adulting, to the next level. This was the month wherein I was so busy answering calls and submitting requirements here and there because I was in the process of doing a major purchase. I was extra OC about this because I didn't want to miss anything. I was just so happy that the people I was working with were very prompt and proactive with their tasks. It somehow lessened my stress levels. 😊
- Participating in an online yoga session. As part of my subscription on Rebel Coach, I was able to attend an online group yoga class. I was a bit self-conscious at first (because my video cam was in a weird angle lol) but later on I got the hang of it. However, it felt so different compared to face-to-face yoga class in the studio. I was only able to participate in this class before I decided to cancel my subscription altogether. I guess the schedule and the setup just didn't work for me.
- Joining the @masarapba's Zoom call. This was such a random moment. An IG account that I was following, with the handle name @masarapba, posted an IG story that she was holding a Zoom call impromptu tonight because she just felt like it. Well I said why not, and so I dialed into the call. It was so fun! There were other people there and the topic was just all over the place. I was just in listener-mode (shy ako e haha) and was just laughing at how @masarapba hosted the call. It was already getting late so I just dropped out of the call, Irish style. It was indeed a very interesting experience. I hope she does it again and I hope I could be a more active participant when it happens. 😉
- Getting a confirmation that really hurt me. 💔It was really not surprising, I saw it coming already, but it's something different when you see the proof that yes, it's real. I think at this point forward, I started to realize why things happened that way, and the purpose and lessons that I needed to learn along the way.
- Attending church for the first time in recent years. This was also a very curious experience. We attended the early morning mass at 6AM. It was my first time to see how the church operates their Facebook live streams: there's a "tech person" on the side managing the powerpoint and the cameras to be displayed on the stream. This strikingly reminded me of the duties of a "tech host" in Toastmasters meetings, and I believe we'll have to adapt a similar setup once the meeting goes hybrid also.
I forgot that I had an alarm set at 6:30AM, even on weekends. My alarm went off during the mass (OMG! 😲) To my relief, my alarm sound is birds chirping that starts with a low volume. When I heard that familiar sound while the mass was ongoing, I quickly snatched my phone (like my life depended on it) and quickly solved the Math equations to disable the alarm. 😅 - Listening to the homily and getting teary-eyed. I think most church attenders zone out during the homily.😜It's been a while since I listened to one so I guess that was why I was able to really listen during the mass. The priest talked about the prodigal son parable. After retelling the story, he asked: who was worse -- the older son (the one who stayed) or the younger son (the one who returned)? The older son, upon learning about the feast his father held, he said:
"But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!" (Luke 15:30)
He said "this son of yours", instead of "my brother", which really showed the older brother's disdain towards the other son. And it really hit home for me. Let's just say, during my darker times in the past several years, I have said these exact statements also. And during that moment in church, I realized the faults that I have done. Fortunately, I'm in a better situation now, and the relationships have been restored.
The priest also shared a poem, which he stated was from C.S. Lewis, which upon googling, was a common misconception. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful poem:
There is someone I love, even though I don’t approve of what he does.
There is someone I accept, though some of his thoughts and actions revolt me.
There is someone I forgive, though he hurts the people I love the most.
That person is me. - Visiting the office for the first time in 2 years. I had to claim some personal items in the office as per instructions of our HR. It felt surreal seeing the office since after the pandemic. It was my first time going there ever since the first lockdown in 2020. It was also my first time to ride a Grab so I was a bit anxious throughout the trip. Fortunately, everything went well and I was able to go home after a few hours (well I had to, because I had to attend some unexpected stuff at home 😅).
- I won first place (again!) in the Table Topics contest, Division level. It was another surreal moment. I loved how I prepped myself a few minutes before logging into the Zoom meeting to ease my nerves -- I hopped on WeSing on my phone and sang my favorite songs. Singing made me less nervous (because I guess it helped me slow down and control my breathing) and I just felt all positive after. I didn't know how I got to deliver the best speech amongst the contestants, but I was grateful for this adventure. Onto the District Level! 🎉
- I finally turned the dream into a reality 🚗. All those years of dreaming, and now it's here. Thank you Universe for guiding me in this decision. ✨
- I'm receiving unique opportunities again through the blog. Thank you again Universe. ✨
- Whey protein. I have started to like working out this month (which might be an after-effect of my Thetahealing session last month?). One of the things I have read online is that protein helps the muscles recover after a workout. I discovered this product on BeautyMNL. I got the salted caramel variant. What's fascinating was that I actually got motivated to exercise because I knew I was going to drink the protein shake afterwards. It felt like a reward because it tasted that good. I made a note to also try their other flavors.
- Spot-on medicine for cats and dogs. I'm a newbie in terms of being a hands-on furmom, and so discovering these different treatments was a wonderful experience for me. We had to buy some spot-on treatment to manage our pets' fleas, and I must say it was very effective! 😽🐶
- Vacuum cleaner. I have been contemplating on buying one for some time now. I finally made the decision to purchase one after realizing that this is an essential tool in cleaning the car. Also, it would make house cleaning easier (and as of current writing, I must say that it was worth getting one 😉).
- Yakult + Sprite + Soju combo. It feels cringy writing this now, but yes back then, it felt like a game changer for me. I felt so exhilarated when I discovered this recipe. It didn't taste like alcohol at all. Let's just say that I enjoyed this drink too much too often, which I always regretted doing after.
- Journaling. I know I have been doing this for a while, but this month I found new ways to approach this activity. I bought a digital astro journal which has prompts for every new moon and full moon cycle. Then there's also the Prompted Journal and Three Good Things apps on Android. It really feels therapeutic writing down my innermost thoughts. It helps me in processing my feelings and also makes me more aware of my emotions. I highly recommend this activity! 📝
🎬 Movie / Series List
Forecasting Love and Weather (7/10 ⭐)
At this point, I was struggling to finish the drama. I think the storyline had a weak conflict that really drives the plot. I just wanted to finish it just for the sake of finishing it. 😅
I liked the first season so I was delighted when the second season was released. Spoiler: the ending was meh for me.
The Kingmaker (9/10 ⭐)
It was essential for each Filipino to watch this film during this time, and it gave me chills realizing where we are now. It seems like we are cursed to repeat history again. I'm praying for my country. 😞
Kotaro Lives Alone (10/10 ⭐)
This was such a heart-warming watch. I think I cried during most episodes. 😅Too bad it only has 10 episodes. I wanted more.
Bridgerton (Season 2) (8/10 ⭐)
The first season was fantastic so I think most of us had high expectations for the second season. Well I did enjoy the plot, but I felt like there was something missing, like the tension between Kate and Anthony was not making it for me. Nonetheless, I look forward for the third season!
I am learning a lot of priceless life hacks on this one.
This is such a feel-good book, which also contains a number of life lessons. Highly recommended!
I'm writing this in retrospect, so just linking here my goals evaluation for the quarter.
💡 Takeaways
- Let's continue powering through.
- It hurts when your most trusted people don't trust you back. 😞
- Let go of things that no longer serve a purpose for you.
- Listen to your mentors.
- There are moments wherein life teaches you lessons in the most unexpected way -- I thought I was the one giving, but apparently I was the one who is receiving.
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