Body Combat, anyone? :D

my writing has taken a backseat for a while (my reading too, actually). it feels like haven't written for so long! 

fortunately, i do have an excuse for that. my hands have been busy punching instead of writing/typing and my brain has been busy memorizing instead of brainstorming for ideas.

so far, this year has been quite a ride for this Little Lady. you see, since late january this year, i have been slowly treading a new path - becoming a Body Combat instructor. 

my friends know that i have loved this class for YEARS. this was my stress-release. my break from hours of sitting and thinking and typing at the office. my chance to live my superhero childhood imagination. but i never thought i would have the chance to become an instructor. i mean, yes my officemate/combat-buddy and i have talked about this years before. how it would be awesome to be on-stage and share the class with gym members. how "work" would mean doing something that you really enjoy doing. but i never imagined that it could actually happen in real life. how come, you ask?

because the only "work" that i knew how to do meant endless thinking and analyzing, not moving around and breaking a sweat. because as i have mentioned in my previous post, i have been quite sedentary for most of my life. for years i have been on the heavy side. i wasn't strong. so being a fitness instructor was definitely not on my mind.

well apparently, with the help and intervention of a few people (you guys are angels!), i discovered that being a fitness instructor IS possible. you really just have to work hard for it. myself especially, given my previously un-fit lifestyle and having no martial arts background at all. plus, it's not just your physical strength and endurance. you have to think while moving too. it's physical and mental work. so for the past months i have been busy training, practicing, trying to get the hang of it - on top of my day job.

honestly, i feel good with what my body has achieved. i mean, it's a far cry from what i was a year ago. i have accomplished 90% of the fitness goals that i've set last year. BUT given this new responsibility, i feel like i have to take my fitness level a notch or two higher. i still need to increase my endurance and strength, and i could do with losing a few more pounds. so yeah, i do celebrate what i have achieved so far (yey to new clothes!), but at the same time, realize that there's a lot more room for improvement. i'll be setting up my game plan for the second half of the year soon. wish me luck! KIYAH!

PS. special thanks to the following: my mentors - teacher ben, kerwin, mark, jon. your comments are very much appreciated and welcome. the one who started it all - winnie :) fellow evils, BC47 batchmates, combat-buddies, friends, mom and dad for the endless support :)

rollercoaster month

geez, this has been a crazy month. a lot of things are happening at lightning speed! but i like it :D it makes me feel more alive. let's break it down a bit more. this month, i've felt...

very very thankful... that my dear friend BJ is now in remission. the Lord is truly great. to family and friends, thank you for all your prayers and help.

ecstatic... that all the hours clocked in at the gym and efforts of controlling portions are finally starting to pay off. JUSKUPO!

revitalized... at the office (doesn't that sound weird? haha).

delighted... that my article was printed in our company publication. thank you for giving me the opportunity to write.

stressed and frustrated... which is surprisingly not work-related. (hay Lord, i am asking for your help again. i don't know how to do this.)

chillax... while listening to 106.7 Dream FM at work.

relieved... at nakaraos din sa BC tuitions. woohoo!

excited... for the start of mentorship :)

glad... that i met new friends.

cheery & child-like... after watching 2 good movies - Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Rio.

calm... before going to bed, after spritzing lavender linen spray on my bed & pillows.

looking forward... to a SUNNY SUMMER! i love the heat and the sun and the wind! and to a nice Holy Week with family and relatives.

HAVE A SUNNY AND WONDERFUL SUMMER EVERYONE!

what's stopping you?

"What is the first - perhaps the only - difference between living your dream and stagnating? The fundamental difference is fear. Fear of losing it all; fear of what another might think; fear of being less than enough."

i read this in an article from urbanmonk.net. this simple statement actually hit home.

eversince i was in college, i had bouts of uncertainty. what if i took liberal arts in college? what if i became a professional musician? what if i went into advertising? what if i became a wedding planner/event coordinator? what if i took fashion design instead? what if i worked for a fashion magazine?

a lot of what if's, right? although through the years, i have slowly found appreciation for my "craft"/work. but of course there are still times when these what if's play with my head.

so why did i continue with IT? 

everyone can feel fear. but out of the three fears stated at the beginning of this blog, i guess i could relate most to the third - fear of being less than enough. at first i thought it was fear that my earnings would dwindle drastically since i would have to start from scratch. but i realized that that's not the main reason. no matter what i do, a part of me always wants to prove myself. to prove my worth. to prove that i'm good at what i do. and since the education/training that i got is for IT, then i guess i stuck with it instead of doing something that really interests me yet i have no background/experience at all.

so yes, i have fear of being incompetent. and i haven't realized it until a few months ago. as the article said, "fear is obvious when someone holds a gun to our head, but it is harder to recognize in our everyday lives." and this "everyday life fear" is not just about one's career. it can be about a college student's choice of course. it can be about trying out for your school play. about asking someone out on a date. about traveling to a different country. or even about deciding to take culinary classes.

so what does the author think we should do?

he says we should face and take a closer look at our fears. "when we lay bare our fears, when we examine them with an honest and courageous eye - what we find are not limitations. what we find are alibis. sometimes these are unconscious. they stem from events, insults, and harsh judgements that we have taken to heart."

the article suggests a method which is pretty similar to what i do when i need to make a big decision: COST AND BENEFIT ANALYSIS (i prefer doing the PROS and CONS given the different choices)

COSTS: what is the price you pay for your decision? does it make you unhappy? what would happen 5 to 10 yrs from now if you continued your current path?

BENEFITS: what are the perks that you get with this path? support and approval from friends and family? is it less troublesome to just continue?

from there you can see the bigger picture, and it makes you more objective.  we then acknowledge the fear and take action - which, of course, is still entirely you're decision; whether the BENEFITS outweigh the COSTS and vice versa and depending on your priorities. i believe that priorities of single and married people are totally different. so ultimately, it all boils down to you. as the article said, "our purpose is our own; life is asking and we answer".

me, myself and i

i have been focusing on myself this past few weeks. earlier this year it was work work work. now i go to the gym more often. although still not as much as i want to. gusto ko 4-6 hrs a day, parang biggest loser level! haha! i'm serious. i also started cooking my own food -- for dinner, at least (thanks to one of my former officemates who inspired me to cook). my tiny refrigerator used to have water/soda and chips. now it has water, half a bag of chips, juice, the occasional soda, chicken, fish, veggies (o ha!), yogurt, cheese and 2 bottles of GPS (for emergency purposes only. ahahah!) still stuck on doing easy dishes though.

i've been cleaning the house and doing the laundry and rewarding myself by enjoying wwe (wooh orton! and omg john morrison! high flying moves plus newly seen submission holds? love. hahahaha!) and the biggest loser asia. (go nai! wooh!) 

* off topic: i loved wwe's video on its Make A Wish foundation. i wish all the wwe superstars would smile more often. it makes them more gwapo. hahah!

i also have been looking for and going to events/sales/bazaars/exhibits. my favorite venue so far is the megatrade hall, basically because i could just take a 10-15 minute walk and i'm home :) i don't necessarily have to buy anything. gusto ko lang maiba, hindi puro department store/boutiques ang nakikita ko.

unfortunately, i'll have to put in more effort to squeeze in this "trying to be healthy and happy" regimen for the coming weeks. yes, you guessed it -- starts with 'W" and rhymes with pork. this is it pancit! crunch time! so please Lord, give me the discipline and will power to keep this up. please please please. i NEED this po. because i feel that i am not good enough unless i do this. thank you po.

let's go sago!

PS. sana mag Christmas na! one HAPPY Christmas please! Amen!

new reading material

my magazines and chick-lits have taken a rest, at least for this past week. my brain was still in overdrive as usual, but i've been having a new train of thought. for the past couple of days i have been busy reading this book. something that i should have read years ago. although if i did get to read it earlier, it probably wouldn't make much sense and it wouldn't have made an impact. i've been reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. 

it is a very famous book and it was worth reading because i learned a lot. (yep, i have been taking notes while reading. parang college lang haha.)

there are sooo many ideas in the book that i'd like to share. parang makaka-ilang blog ako para masulat lahat. so here's the compact version instead:

- scenario: corporation announces downsizing. employees get laid-off. price of stock usually goes up. employees lose, owner and investors win.

- "I can't afford it" = mental laziness. say "How can I afford it?" instead.

- what's important is to be able to correctly identify an asset vs a liability. (apparently, my pad is a liability. a necessity, but still not an asset.)

- why middle class people struggle: income goes up, expenses go up. assets do not increase, liabilities increase.

- why the rich get richer: use income to build assets, assets get more income. expenses are low, liabilities are low.

- your business revolves around your asset column, not your income column.

- rich people buy luxuries last. poor and middle class people tend to buy luxuries first. (guilty!) use your assets to buy luxuries. most people buy luxuries on credit, which is easier short-term but harder long-term.

- "work your way up the corporate ladder" --> "why not own the ladder?"

- 4 areas of expertise needed: accounting, investing, understanding markets, the law. for most people, the only skill they know is to work hard.

- this line, i like: "life is much like going to the gym. the most painful part is deciding to go. once you get past that, it's easy."

- "giving money is the secret to most great wealthy families."

- what i know: makes me money. 

- what i don't know: loses me money. 

- arrogant people: what i don't know is not important. some people use arrogance to hide ignorance. not good.

- how come mcdonald's makes more money than most people who cook better hamburgers? because most talented people "focus on building better hamburgers and know little about business systems".

- ask questions instead of argue. open your mind to new ideas.

- savings are supposed to be used to create money, not pay for bills. (sort of guilty, again.)

- every month, allocate money to you asset column before paying for your expenses.

aaaaaaahhh! so much more to learn! reading Mr. Kiyosaki's book makes investing look easy. but i'm pretty sure implementing these ideas and actually making money isn't a piece of cake. i am taking little steps though. for someone who's not much of a risk-taker, it's a start.

crossroad

was there a time wherein you questioned what you're doing with your life? why you chose the path that you're taking? i know i have. a million times.

a lot of people say that their passion - whether it's performing, painting, photography, writing, whatever - will just be a hobby. they can't make it into a career. mainly because it's not practical, and let's admit that most of us need financial stability and security.

i recently read a blog about pursuing one's passion and here's what i learned.

first, you have to dig deeper. you should identify the "essence" of your passion. for example, you have a passion of singing. why do you love singing? is it because you want to entertain people? you like to express your creativity? you want to inspire others? 

once you've identified this "essence" (oh yeah, it doesn't have to be just one), think about your preferred form of expression. writing? music? fashion?  cooking? then based on the list, you can think of all the possible "careers" - teacher, stylist, journalist, director, sales person, etc. pick something on your list that you are most passionate about, and then formulate a plan to make it happen. yep, easier said than done, i know. it's a long process, but it may be doable.

i did step 1, and reflected on what i'm passionate about. here's what i got:

- i like brainstorming and creative thinking.

- i want to be able to oversee a process/operation. parang coordinate, collaborate and make it work.

- women empowerment (i think that's pretty obvious with my other posts haha!)

- i want to learn/experience new things. 

- this is may sound nerdy, but i like to be able to interpret data (ok, that's 100% nerdy. darn.) for example, given this whole bunch of info, what does it mean? how can it help you? (hello data-mining haha!)

i actually identified my preferred forms/means already, but i shall keep that to myself :P hmmm... where to go? what's next? more self-searching to do!

call of duty

i just have been reminded.

ganito nga pala sa IT.

oh well, as one of my co-workers said, "Bring It!"

10 steps to have 10 million bucks

i heard that there are two ways to have money. a.) earn more/find more sources of income or b.) cut back on expenses. so here's my game plan:

1. become a fan of instant coffee instead of lattes and cappuccinos

2. work at least 14hrs a day

3. stock up on biscuits/pan de sal and have them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks

4. on cheat days, you may indulge on instant noodles

5. or better yet, plant kamote at home so you could reward yourself with kamote que later on

6. put on face powder, lip butter, blush, lip gloss, eyeliner once a day -- strictly no retouches

7. use generic dishwashing liquid/detergent/fabric softeners/lotions/soaps (like yung Bonus ng SM supermarket) instead of branded ones

8. cut my own hair. do my own scalp and hair treatment too.

9. watch the videos shown in tv displays in appliance stores instead of watching movies

10. use your home computer for a maximum of 3 hours per month only

hmm... now if i could just come up with realistic ones...

happy women's health month!

apparently, march is women's health month, so SLF had this health & wellness program kick-off. there were booths with freebies, free consultations, free make-overs etc.

i got a couple of discount cards...

slippers...

a back-issue magazine...

a consultation and a starter kit from nestle...

and other stuff (tissue, notebooks, pens, etc.). i got free tests for my blood pressure and blood sugar as well (normal pa naman. haha!)

this one's my fave though. i registered to be able to get cervical cancer shots at a relatively low price. we were also allowed to register dependents who wanted to get shots and they get discounts as well. i've been thinking about getting shots before, kaya lang it's expensive, kaya ok na ok to :) tapos salary deduction pa :D

info overload

premium.

maturity.

policy anniversary.

riders.

cash value.

face amount.

dividends.

life benefit.

juvenile policy.

risk pooling.

surrender.

death benefit.

mortality rate.

pension.

endowment.

banding.

non-forfeiture options.

accumulated chorva.

@_@

(image from everythinglifeinsurance.net)

24 hours isn't enough

this is one of those times wherein you wish there were more than 24 hours in a day. here's the picture: of course, there's the full time job that i have. and unfortunately, the project that i'm in is so toxic, i'm almost embarrased to leave the office as early as 5:30pm (my shift is 8am to 5pm). so there are times (not always though) that i leave later than usual.

then there's practice for the presentation for the company christmas party.

then there's my other job (without pay, btw). i'm not complaining though. but it does take up a large chunk of my time too. especially now when there are several events lined up and the boss goes "wag ka muna umalis", which means staying for 2 more hours.

then the gym. i can't not go to the gym. if i skip gym for a long time, i get irritable and sluggish. 

then there's christmas shopping. still a lot on my list!

then there's doing the grocery, vaccuming, laundry, scrubbing, taking out trash, and a pile of clothes waiting to be ironed.

what about meee? my needs? my social life? so little time for sleep! little lady needs to recharge her batteries. little lady wants to watch television. little lady wants to spend time with friends and her cute little nephews. little lady wants to watch a movie. little lady wants to buy gym clothes and dresses. little lady wants to go to the beach. little lady wants to read a book in a coffee shop. i want a "do nothing week" please! haha! don't get me wrong. i am happy. just need time to breathe a little :)

17 days before Christmas, everyone!

yihee!

i would just want to acknowledge our awesome employees at SD. first off, i'm impressed on how fast they work. sobrang galing :) even if there are dozens and dozens of people lined up at the counter, hindi sila nagkakagulo, mabilis parin. plus, we're actually not a fastfood restaurant. there's still some cooking to be done before we serve the food (yes sir, we serve fresh food, not left over food from the day before). but in fairness, SD serves fast.

second, i am really amazed by their loyalty. imagine, there are people who offer to pay them a good sum of money if they give away our gravy's recipe. haha! it's cool i guess, in a way. it means people notice and like (and want to imitate) our gravy, right? and our crew already know what they have to say when people ask them that mwaha! :D then, when a new resto was about to open up, they were pirating our SD boys! :-o "kung gusto mo ng mas malaking sweldo, just contact me" sabay abot ng calling card. well, that calling card is with me now. hahah! sabi nila "ma'am, kinukuha po kaming crew dito." and it's a way bigger company too, compared to our meager foodcourt outlet. hahah! it's funny, but it made me go 'awww' too :)

so thanks a lot guys! GO SD BOYS!

whew!

i survived my first 2 weeks at work! yay!

but damn. my brain has taken a beating @_@ i swear, when i get home, i just want to surf the net then crash. no energy to do chores no more. oh yea! today was my first OT day haha!

almost everything is different. new tools. new culture. new product. new concepts. new processes. infooooow overload. tapos may palpak na din akong nagawa hahah! @_@ i think i'm starting to get the hang of it though.

BUT! i'm still oddly quiet. i don't talk much at the office. yuck. hahah! totally not me. but everything's cool :) this chocolate is sweet :D

oh yea! my PC has a sound card now!

and free coffee YEA!

isa nalang ang kulang.... DF. nasan na ba yun? HAHAH!

envy

it makes you do vile things.

it blurs the line between one's professional and personal life.

how desperate are you, really?

i must admit, you are good at spreading shit.

so, you ruined a person's career.

you happy now?

and yea, my brother's going to be a college freshman soon.

do you have an idea on how much his tuition fee would cost?

enjoy your victory. savor your achievement.

oh, and thank you.

you might just have opened a new window for us.

a better opportunity, maybe.

when our time for success comes, i would love to slap it across your face.

but for now, congratulations.

you win.

lazy tuesday

i set my alarm to ring at 5:40am. and i got up at 6:20. don't you love lazy tuesdays?

damn.. when i woke up this morning, i felt heavy and weak. so i got up later than usual. i was even able to play mafia wars and fluff friends before going to work :D

honestly, i don't mind my tasks right now. i'm supposed to fix the format of this document (i'm on page 92 out of 1699. wooh.), coordinate with the tech team, and i also prepared my boss' laptop for her demonstration/presentation. however. i wish my dear beloved client would stop calling me every 5 minutes! i swear, just thinking of their emails and calls and complaints and requests make me woozy.

so i came in late for work. and i am allowed to leave early wooh!! as what my friend said, "late na nga ako papasok? late pa ba ako uuwi?! hindi na tama yan!" hahah well said, man :D 

damn, without group x classes in fitness first... i'd go nuts.

retarded

awful. awful. awful day.

1. today, i decided to wear flip flops. and the rain poured and my feet were all wet and grimy.

2. i had to stay longer than necessary in the office because of this data conversion thingie i had to finish.

3. wasn't able to submit my letter today.

4. jeff hardy, the love of my life, is here in the Philippines and i wouldn't get to see him.

gah. how retarded could this day be?!

hmmm... what do i get for dinner to make me a little bit happier? cerealicious? green tea yogurt topped with mango? pistachio sansrival? strawberry banana blizzard? whopper jr? clubhouse sandwich at pancake house?

oh i know i know!!! good ol' kwek kwek and razon's halo halo! yum! oohhh!! and i have left overs from last night's dinner at bubba gump! woooooh winner!

hope tomorrow would be a better day :D

are the stars aligned?

• i was asked to go to davao last friday. work-related stuff. i wasn't really completely happy about this. maybe 50/50. probably because i had to be up ridiculously early for my flight. but then the people from davao (and cebu) were actually ok :D even if it was a business trip, it was stress-free :)
  
• on the way back, i saw my close highschool friend, roselyn, who i haven't seen in ages! of all the places to meet, sa plane from davao to manila pa talaga! haha! she was also sent there to assist their client.
  
• something AMAZING happened in the office *snicker snicker*
  
• i have 8 hours OT. i thought only 3 hours would be approved :D
  
• two of my favorite gym instructors were at the gym :) one was a substitute instructor, the other just visited. woot! lucky-ness!
  

awesome! i hope the stars would be aligned properly until the end of the week. PLEASE PLEASE PLEAAASEEE!

burnout

i just used my vacation leave today. i was at batangas with my friends. ooohhh i so need this vacation. i looove lazy mondays. i really don't feel like going to work. actually, i have felt this way for quite a while.

why am i still here?

oh yea, i need money. i need to pay bills. and unfortunately, job hunting is apparently really difficult.

aside from that.. i've been really torn. i'm currently in an IT industry. and i don't like it here. you know what i think is the perfect job for me? being a wedding coordinator. imagine... gowns, catering, jewelry, music, photography, make-up, travel, flowers... everything i love is practically here! but i can't go there just yet :( if i were to start my own business, i have to have sufficient savings first, since my income would be erratic (and probably a lot lower) during the first 2 or 3 years. so before i go into that... it's the IT industry for me.