Attitude of Gratitude: A Decade of VA Life

December 21, 2018June 12, 20206 Comments

It’s nearing the end of the year and as I was looking back at the events that transpired this year, it made me look even further back… back to when I was still struggling in the corporate world, doing a job I wasn’t happy with, like many people do, with all the commute, traffic, office politics, and stress that come with it. And I thank God for that fateful day as I was drowning while surfing the huge waves of La Union back in Dec. 16, 2007. Right then and there I told God that “should I survive these huge waves, Lord, I will quit my job and finally do what I wanted to do — be free”. And that’s what I did the next day! And I never looked back. Even my million peso retirement was not processed by me… someone else did because I didn’t want to even physically go back to my old workplace out of the emotional and mental trauma it caused me. When I say no to something, I really mean it. I didn’t want to be persuaded otherwise.

This was me ten years ago when I posted about doing freelance work for my very first VA client: Continue reading →

The Power of Letting Go

November 4, 2016August 12, 20193 Comments

I just received good news when I woke up this morning! I was on the way out of the bathroom when my phone rang. My phone rarely rings because people rarely call me since they can always contact me online. In a split second, I thought it was Leylan, the electrician who fixed the electrical wiring in the bedroom yesterday who said he will come back today to fix our broken washing machine. But when I looked at my phone… guess who??? It’s my lawyer! Continue reading →

Surfing – a History of Conquering Love and Fear

October 20, 2016August 9, 201922 Comments

When I started this new blog, I’ve shared with you that I’m re-reading Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project because I want to bring more happiness into my life, the kind that really comes from within me and not the type that is pressured into my life by other people or caused by pride and envy (which is why I started this whole new blog and let go of my old persona even if people close to me advised me against it). I want to be just me. Be me. Be Jen. Which is why I am writing a lot more now about my life, my thoughts, my past experiences, etc. because I am first and foremost a diarist more than a typical blogger, more than a marketer or any other kind of writer. I like looking at my own past experiences, enjoying those happy forgotten memories and using the positive energy they give me to bring more good things into my present life so I can forge ahead with a bit more wisdom, inspiration and strength towards a brighter future. And one thing about my not-so-far-off past that gave (and still gives) me so much joy is SURFING.

This is more of a story of love and letting go of fear rather than a pure guide to surfing. Although there’ll be bits and pieces about how to surf, where to surf, how much it costs and what not, more than anything, I’d be sharing with you a photo journal about it and how this water sports activity has changed my life and influenced me (hopefully for the better). Continue reading →

Living the Good Life

September 9, 2016October 18, 20161 Comment

I am not rich but I wasn’t born poor either. You can say I was born below middle class with my mom working for the government while my dad, after a couple of stints in the world of sales and marketing here and abroad, chose to stay home and take care of the family instead. It was quite a struggle growing up especially when I had people around me (in our little compound and in school) who were living quite a good life. I remember having feelings of envy, depravity and scarcity, sometimes with not enough food to eat and no money to pay for the things I needed in school. Thank God for my scholarship all throughout my school years, at least my tuition fee has always been paid for.

During times of so much wanting and desire for good food and material things, I’d turn to books in our school library (fiction, science-fiction, novels and encyclopedias). I’d read about adventures, architecture, cooking good food, astronomy and the universe because they make me feel less deprived and they help me forget about the fact that I haven’t even eaten anything yet that day. When severe hunger strikes, I’d pick up empty soft drink bottles as an eight year old kid in our school canteen so I can exchange them for money and I can buy myself some chocolate, which, I won’t immediately eat despite my hunger, because I’d want to revel in the fact that I have a chocolate for a few more days. Continue reading →

Positive Thinking Works

September 4, 2016September 11, 20167 Comments

HOW CAN I ALWAYS STAY SO POSITIVE?

One busy evening, I was asked by a male friend of mine online: “How can you always stay so positive?”. I surmise that many of my friends are wondering about the same thing too but he was the one brave enough to actually ask me. I replied that it’s something I have always inculcated in myself since way back in college. A decade or so later, I am finally reaping its benefits.

You might ask how come it took that long? You see, I admit that in those years of practicing positive thinking, it was not every minute of every day that I had been totally positive. I am human too, I get hurt and depressed from time to time. There were days when it’s worse than the others. I cried, I blamed my parents, I wanted to die… all those negative stuff you could think of. I talked about this before in my previous blog post — Law of Attraction and How to Apply It.

I KNOW WHEN TO STOP

Even now, with all the negative news I hear about summary killings, drugs, state of lawlessness under the Duterte administration, the earthquakes and other calamities, I can’t help but feel sad and scared. And if I don’t control my emotions and try to see the positive side of things, these might just get me depressed for I am an empath and I easily get affected by other people’s energies (this is also why my blood pressure easily shoots up when I watch a scary, horror, sad movie and why I easily get stressed). But little by little, through hard work, constant practice and discipline, I am always able to stop myself from emotionally breaking down and I manage to keep back on track. How? Continue reading →

Law of Attraction – How to Apply It

August 17, 2016July 15, 20193 Comments

Law of Attraction.

Like attracts like.

I’ve just been speaking with someone from Chicago and I had such a great time! Turns out that she’s into Reiki healing, Tarot card reading, meditation, Third Eye, Feng Shui and all those seemingly supernatural stuff which I am into as well. And her positive energy just rubbed off on me! How did I ever get to attract this amazing person?

I shared with you on my previous blog post about postpartum depression and motherhood… that I was feeling melancholic and sad again. And of course who wants to feel that way? I just want that negative feeling to stop. Continue reading →