The Hope of A New Year

People are probably tired of hearing the same old shit, "new year, new me" and the like. I know it sometimes get on our nerves but some people need the new year to believe in themselves more, to give them hope. I know, I know, you can change for the better anytime but the new year is symbolic for lots of people. It is officially the start of a new year and some people feel like they have a clean slate for the year. So let's give those people a break, including me, and let's all be joyful as we welcome 2015.

So this year, I'm not gonna write about my new year's resolutions nor am I gonna post a list of quotes. I'll just keep this post brief.

Year In Review:

• I was an ugly mess throughout 2014. But the thing is, wounds heal and people heal. I never thought that my heart would be on the mend but yes, it got better in time. 
• A handful of people saw me at my worst, and yet, here they are, still beside me. I will be forever grateful to the people who stood by me and never judged me. They understood that I had to do what I had to do.
• Quitting my job at that point in time and starting my MBA was probably the best decision I made despite the separation anxiety I had from being a workaholic and the tremendous adjustment of studying again.
• I also met a lot of new friends this year. I met my MBA friends, my Antiteasis friends, and rekindled my friendship with a few others.
• My relationship with my family is back to normal with all the arguments and discussions. Of course, I'm once again present in all outings and gatherings and all the family chaos.
• I lost the best mother in the world. I surely miss my lola but I'm sure she's smiling in heaven. 
• And the most important realization for me still comes down to love. It's a surprise that I can still love. I thought that I turned into someone very cold and hard. But despite my walls and my list of rules, I'm still capable of loving people.

So whatever comes my way this 2015, I know I can survive it. I've been through the worst, so whatever the universe throws at me, I know the universe believes I can handle. But hey, this is not a challenge, please be a little gentle with me this coming year. And yes, I'm also hopeful this coming year. I know that greater things are bound to happen. Cheers! :)

Quotes to Keep Me Going This 2014

Yes, we all want to start anew this 2014 and we wouldn't want to slip into bad habits creating nasty patterns. We want to move forward and make the most out of what life has to offer. So here are a couple of quotes to keep me afloat, keep me going, help me look at the bright side of life this 2014. And I hope these inspire you too.

1. And maybe, a happy ending doesn't include a guy. Maybe it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. Maybe the happy ending is just moving on.
2. There is no such thing as a "broken family." Family is family, and is not determined by marriage certificates, divorce papers, and adoption documents. Families are made in the heart. The only time family becomes null is when those ties in the heart are cut. If you cut those ties, those people are not your family. If you make those ties, those people are your family. And if you hate those ties, those people will still be your family because whatever you hate will always be with you. ~ C. JoyBell C.
3. It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. ~Aristotle Onassis 
4. Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life. ~Omar Khayyam 
5. I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. ~Groucho Marx 
6. Satisfaction is not always the fulfillment of what you want; it is the realization of how blessed you are for what you have.
7. Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'! ~Audrey Hepburn
8. A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.  ~Elbert Hubbard
9. Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity. ~ Khalil Gibran
10. Friends are the family you choose ~ Jess C. Scott
11. Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. ~Jim Rohn 
12. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go. ~Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!
13. The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. ~Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
14. Each one of them is Jesus in disguise. ~ Mother Teresa
15. Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it. ~Mother Teresa
16. That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. ~Friedrich Nietzsche
17. Sometimes it’s very hard to move on, but once you move on, you’ll realize it was the best decision you’ve ever made.
18. Be strong enough to let go and patient enough to wait for what you deserve.
19. Don't waste your time looking back for what you have lost, move on for life wasn't meant to be traveled backwards.
20. It is the power of thought that gives man power over nature. ~Hans Christian Anderson
21. We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. ~Gautama Siddharta
22. Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results. ~Willie Nelson
23. With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from 
    growing. You get to choose. ~ Dr. Wayne W Dyer
24. When the world pushes you to your knees, you’re in the perfect position to pray. ~ Rumi
25. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
26. Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
27. Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail. ~ Og Mandino

I hope you would be inspired with these quotes. Let's all make 2014 the best year with our best selves!

Note: Quotes are from all over the internet and quotes without names have unknown authors.

Bye 2013, Hello 2014!

Whew! 2013 has been a year full of surprises.

For the past year, I was faced with so many challenges, I received tons of blessings and a huge wrecking ball most commonly known as heartache broke me down into tiny little pieces. (Hold that thought. This is the last day of the year and I just want to exhaust all negative vibes so my new year will be filled with only positive ones so let me be.)

Let's start with my lighter sentiments, the things I am most thankful for. First off, I want to thank You (my God, my universe) for being there for me whenever I needed you. At times when I felt that I was abandoned, You  were there and You saved me. 

I am also very grateful for the family I have. I know the road to where we are today was very rough but they did not hesitate to take me in when my world fell apart. My mom and dad would just listen to me and hold me as I cried buckets. They also did their best to take my mind off my sadness. My brothers who were usually a pain in the ass always drives for me whenever I ask them to come and get me for a rescue mission. 

I wouldn't know what to do if it wasn't for my beauty queen bestfriend. Bes, thank you so much for being there for me constantly. Who would have known that we would grow closer even if we are hundreds of miles away from each other?

And to my other best friends with super hearts, thank you. I know you rarely see me broken and a mess, but thank you for still sticking with me when the times got rough.

The people at work are also something I am thankful for. The comradeship we have is something I will never forget. Even if there are some office problems, I think everything can be solved with an open mind and open hearts. I thank you all for believing in me and trusting me.

And there are also other people who made an impact in my life. A family that I will always think of as good, generous and loving. They know who they are. I will not be here standing as me if it weren't for their help and love.

And lastly, I am still thankful that I met the person who broke my heart. Except for the breaking my heart part, you should know that you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I am so sorry for all the shortcomings and mistakes I made. I will forever treasure the friendship and love we had. Those years we had were a huge chunk of my life. I laughed, I cried, I learned, I grew up, I loved, I got hurt, I became stronger, wiser. I will never wish to the universe to erase that part of my life. And as the new year unfolds, I wish I can finally be able to forgive you. And I truly wish from the deep of my heart that you find happiness.

(Ok, so that drained me a little bit. I guess this is it.)

So cheers to another new year and let's all start 2014 with smiles in our hearts and love for the people around us. Leave all the trash and baggage to yesterday and make every day the best day you could ever have.

Happy new year and may you be showered with love and blessings all year round!

Happy New Year!

First post for 2013! Hello year of the water snake!

So I just posted my New Year's Resolutions a couple of days ago and boy oh boy, I will do my best to do everything on my list. After all, those are pretty easy and are good for me. I just need constant presence of mind! One of my resolutions was to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Pretty easy right? But I only realized by 7pm that I only drank 1 glass for the whole day! I have to drink up! And after 4 glasses of water, I think I'm gonna burst! Drat. I guess it would be best to drink a glass per hour.

Another resolution is to go for a jog twice a week. I was still feeling a bit lazy to tie my laces even though I was already wearing my cute pink running shorts so I just spent my time on the stationary bike. Woohoo! Biking may sound easy but it's not! My legs feel like steel and I had buckets of sweat!

Alright, alright, enough with my resolutions. My first day of 2013 may have a little bit of a setback but I won't let it affect me in a negative way. I am still determined to make 2013 my best year so far!

And boredom caught up with me today so here are some things I did today:

• relived my tetris battle
• cleaned my makeup brushes
• read trashy novels (hahaha)
• mastered tower madness
• spent time with my Shakti baby

Anyway, I'm just glad that tomorrow is still a non-working day! I have time to do more important stuff. Haha.

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Quotes from New Year's Eve movie

It only happens once a year: New Year's Eve. It's a time when hopeless can be romantic, and a resolution can become a revelation. And when one night can change everything.

Claire Morgan: "It's suspended there to remind us before we pop the champagne and celebrate the New Year, to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by. To remember both our triumphs and our missteps - our promises made, and broken. The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures - or closed ourselves down, for fear of getting hurt. Because that's what New Year's is all about: getting another chance. A chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. And stop worrying about 'what if' and start embracing what would be. So when that ball drops at midnight - and it will drop - let's remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other. And not just tonight but all year long."

My 2013 New Year's Resolution

So another year has passed. Who would have thought that 2012 would pass by so quickly? I used to count the months by counting my paydays as I look forward to it every month. Next thing I know, it's already December.

Here are some of the things I want to do or my resolutions for the coming year:

• Be thrifty and save X amount every month. This would be a challenge since I now have investments + installments to think of.

• Go somewhere I've never been to before. I already have planned trips to Davao and Singapore this 2013 but I want to breathe new air and see new sights. I wonder where it will be.

source: questgarden.com

• Kick-start the mini-venture with my highschool friends.

• Go out for a jog at least twice a week (if that's not possible, I have to burn calories with the stationary bike)

• Have more time in the kitchen to bake. At least one new creation per month.

• Spend my 25th birthday doing something worthwhile.

source: miriadna.com

• REALLY learn how to drive (in a public road with lots of cars)

source: dreamstime.com

• Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day

source: http://paintevil.deviantart.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Holiday Ramblings

So this holiday season got me realizing a few things. But what caught my attention was that I've been worrying and panicking so much that finding myself not being able to breathe is a load of crap. And it's all about nonsense things. Well, maybe not all-nonsense but I shouldn't worry about those stuff so I won't be that uptight, too serious girl anymore.

For one, I've been worried about my company not recognizing my efforts, I've been suffocated by my salary not being enough, I've been eaten by the green-eyed monster when I see my younger siblings' accomplishments, and their friends as well. I look at my friends with their babies and how their life looks so complete. But you know what? Nothing is perfect. I've been driving myself insane for what? I want to snag that perfect job with the ginormous salary and have a perfect loving partner. But really, for what? So I can relax after doing all those things (my so-called goals) and enjoy life. But who says I can't do that now? I don't need to be on top of the world to enjoy what I have now.

Another thing was I got to stop comparing! Sometimes, it's difficult to do it but not everyone is in the same situation, same circumstances, etc. I was actually surprised when my friends pointed out that I already did so much. It made me feel like a pig to be complaining about feeling stuck when my friends' concerns were about finding a job and other more serious stuff. 

The bottom line is to be thankful for everything I have. Yes, I know I am grateful to You for all my blessings but I got to let go and stop noticing other stuff that will meddle with my thoughts and make me feel like I'm not doing enough. I mean, how many more overtime hours do I want and how many more times do I want to feel overfatigue before I cut myself some slack? So from now on, I will be that merry little girl who will embrace life and be more mature, considering I'm turning a quarter of a century next year (sounds old, huh?). No need to be antsy about turning 25 since there is no need to hurry, no need to feel pressured and the "finish line" is still far ahead and there is so much time to accomplish the things I have in mind.

Bye all BVs and welcome all GVs! Thank You for 2012 and bring it on 2013.