REAL TALK: Fear Not, Worrywart

You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.

Isaiah 26:3

As a self-confessed worrier, I’ve always been in a quest of understanding on how to attain God’s peace. I have this unexplainable tendency to overthink that I create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. I overthink in one aspect that could affect the whole other parts of my life. Am I not the only one?

There have been just so many worries and doubts haunting my mind lately.  It seems that in real life, everywhere you look there is always something to worry about, you go to the office and you see people you don’t get along with that you cringe in fear, you stare helplessly at the overflowing pile of tasks beside your desk and you feel overwhelmed and discouraged, then on the other note you start to deal with trust issues  with the people around you, and things get so complicated as you live on—and if you had one wish to be granted, it would be God’s peace in you and in your life.

But what does it mean to permanently have God’s peace? Does it mean you’ll never grieve? Does it mean you’ll never worry? Does it mean you would never feel bad again? Because I do hate those feelings, I hate

REAL TALK: De-cluttering My Life: My art of letting go and moving on

It’s about time to say good bye to those messy-dirty gray areas in your life that hinder you from better things that await you. Let me quote a very famous quote by all our beautiful (and angry) mothers—“CLEAN UP!!!!!!”

By the time this article is published, it has already been almost a year since I became a working girl. And boy, it does mean I am getting more and more MOOLAH-OH-LA-LA—thus, my love for fashion and shopping has gone to a much higher level, from tianggian to Forever 21! (Hihihi!)

Every month, I would make it a point to reward myself with two or three new dresses. But whenever I would come home to my closet to hang my precious newly-bought possessions, it seems that I just can’t find space for it. 

For some stressful reasons, my closet looks like a DANGER-DANGER-DO-NOT-ENTER zone with all the mess—old clothes, balled-up childhood dresses, rejected t-shirts, and stuff that I haven’t even worn for years all piled and overflowing that I can’t seem to ever close my closet door again. A total nightmare.

I've been told that excessive clutter is often a symptom/cause of stress that can affect every aspect of your life. It could reach a point where it distracts you, weighs you down, and invites more chaos. Then it all boils down to you getting stuck in a decision where the only right answer is to start cleaning up, getting rid of old stuff, and finally creating more room for new blessings.

So I hit it where the magic begins—de-cluttering my closet!

Are there monsters in your closet?

LEARN THE ART OF LETTING GO

While I was in the process of cleaning up my closet, I suddenly realized

REAL TALK: Got Bullied? Me too.

The ugly truth is that I have been the butt of people’s jokes when I was younger—I had my hair pulled until I was forced to crawl in the floor, I ate lunch alone, and I've been called the most hurtful names that my flaws were all out, feasted and made fun of by people. Yes, I've been bullied.

I was once a target and I think I know firsthand what it is to feel alone and to completely hate myself. I knew how it is to wake up every single day and dread the thought of having to deal with hurtful words and rejection. I hated the feeling of having to walk home miserable and I just couldn't tell my parents how bad my day went because I didn't want them to get involved in it. I cried myself to sleep every night. I faced this battle alone.

If you ask me why I was bullied, I never really knew why. Girls would call me fat and ugly. They would call me stupid. They didn't think I was cool or pretty enough, so they stopped talking to me.

I was such a loner to the point that

How to Choose the RIGHT College Course

I almost took up NURSING. And oh,thank Heavens I didn’t!

Admit it. High school years aren't an easy-breezy season of your life where you have all the time for a series of guidance counseling or even a soul searching trip to Europe. With all the demands of studies, extracurricular activities,competitions, reviews, responsibilities, matched with fixing application forms for colleges and universities, most seniors try to quickly make up their mind on which course to apply for because of a very limited small amount of time.

College course is not just an eenie-meenie-mini-moe decision and definitely not a matter of one size fits all. Each and every individual has a purpose that God tailor-made to fit them perfectly, and that is why it is really important that

BE the Princess in Shining Armor: NOT the Damsel in Distress

I am in love with anything that is fairy-tale inspired. I am captivated by the idea of someday being able to experience that most beautiful, magical,painful, terrifying, maddening, and joyous feeling that is meticulously described in every fantasy-princess storybooks. I would love to someday live my own ‘happily ever after’—but somehow,in the present, it seems as though I decided that I would NEVER EVER EVER aspire to follow HOW these fictional princesses got themselves into their so-called “happy endings.”

Growing up with Disney princesses affected my way to perceiving a girl’s life and a girl’s role in society. These stories subtly instilled to me messages about the thought of every girl needing that “perfect prince charming” to bring change into their lives, to save them from the rut they’re living, to reach their dreams, and finally to live that happily ever after. It was prince charming who changed Cinderella’s life from rags to riches. It was prince charming who brought back life to Snow White with a true love’s kiss. It was prince charming who killed the dragon and saved a patiently-waiting Rapunzel in the tower. It was prince charming who woke Aurora up from her deep sleep. Ariel changed the way she is (mermaid),into something she is definitely not (human), just for the sake of prince charming. Is that right? Women solely relying her hopes, dreams, and future in the hands of men?

A woman of God is bound to live an abundant life in their own right and with that she must submit all her hopes, goals, aspirations, and plans solely in God’s handsand not in any man. Real women are not "Rapunzels" who idly sit on the tower waiting for a prince to come and bring her out. Real women strive to try and try and try to get herself out of her limitations. Real women are not "Cinderellas" whose way to riches is by easily making a prince fall in love with her and marry her, but rather she finds her passion and works hard enough to live a good life out of her own sweat and efforts. Real women are not "Ariels" who would change their whole identity just to be accepted in their man's world. Of course, it is okay to have someone special help you out, but my point is that it is not good and healthy to depend everything on "prince charming"—real women depend on GOD and persevere with her God-given talents.

Let me just make it clear that I have nothing against having the love of your life bring you closer to your dreams; in fact, I am admittedly a hopeless romantic who seems to be blindly optimistic and easily swayed—BUT! Growing up is inevitable and so is growing wiser (hopefully, in my case)...and these are few

On Getting Hired right after Graduating

I haven't been writing in this blog for so long since my graduation...why?

Because I got hired just days after getting my diploma and things are really getting crazy busy in the office! (GOOD CRAZY at that.) In fact, during my graduation rehearsal week, I was going in and out (and in and out) of my school, going back and forth for my scheduled interviews in One MEGA Group Inc.

It seems as though I was living two lives during that week---one moment I'm in school practicing for our grad ceremonies and the next thing I know, I'm sitting in the office lobby waiting for someone from the HR to call me for my interviews. Yes, interviews. There was like 6 sets of interviews! It actually drove me crazy, like...So I passed this interview, do I get the job now?...Oh, I have another interview. Okay so I think I did great in this next interview, I get the job now? Oh not yet, there's another.

And I stare at the ceiling every night thinking, Will this ever end?

On the serious note, I think I was one of the few fresh grads who immediately got a job in only a week's time right after graduating. Others wanted to experience summer, others wanted to take a break for a year, others are looking for a job but are still in the process of waiting, and they ask me how I got hired so swiftly.

I have five things in mind:

1. I APPLIED EARLY - I was aware that March was the season that resumes will pile up buckets and buckets in every company's Human Resources Department. I, of course, did not want to have my resume buried 10 feet under thousand other resumes. So, January, I started applying.

2. I DECIDED WHERE I WANTED TO BE AND TO GO - I have always been the kind of person who sets goals and makes sure she accomplishes it. When I was in the middle of my college life, I made a timeline of how I wanted my career to go. I decided I wanted to be an author of a novel someday, but it doesn't mean I'm gonna be one right immediately after graduation. It is a PROOOOOOOOCESSSS, a looooong loooooong process.

So since I wanted to be an author, I thought I needed to take the editorial career path, where I can grow more as an established writer. I applied in several magazine publishing companies, but I chose to be in One MEGA Group Inc. (and I'll be writing in the next blog why!)

It is vital that one knows what she wants in life and there always has to be an ultimate goal. Without a clear goal in mind, there wouldn't be a clear and bright path ahead. You can't just throw yourself out there and see where the ocean takes you. Have a main focus.

3. I ENJOYED INTERVIEWS - Some people sweat nervously like mad whenever they're about to be interviewed, but somehow I get super excited for it rather than be all nervous. Aside from the fact that I love talking, I find comfort in the fact that the questions they are going to ask me, will be questions about me anyway. So why be nervous? You have all the answers with you!

I also love interacting. I make sure that the interview wouldn't be all about me and that the interviewer would also enjoy talking to me. I do ask questions about the company as well. It actually helps eliminate some quiz-y questions. Get ahead and ask them, for example "What are the core values of the company," instead of them asking you first about what you know about the company's core values and you sit there like a statue saying the magic "uhmmm...uhmmm..uhmmm?" Asking first is a BIG help =D it will even make them see how eager you are to know more about them and how passionate you are to get in.

4. I WAS CONFIDENT WITH WHO I AM - Cliche as it may sound, confidence is the key! Don't just think that you need the company, also keep in mind that the company needs you. Be that ideal applicant they are looking for. Reflect on what your strengths are and acknowledge your weaknesses. I knew so much to myself that my school, Miriam College, has given me not only quality education, but it has also shaped up the passion in me to strive for excellence as a woman. Miriam College has empowered me and has programmed me to get out there and shine.

Graduating with honors was only a bonus, but I mostly get my confidence from my involvement in various extracurricular organizations where I learned a lot about professionalism, teamwork, and self-improvement. I really do recommend students to be active in extracurriculars. There is so much more than the four walls of the classroom. It is a big confidence booster knowing that you can do so much more than just going to school, attending classes, and going home. But it's a big challenge though, like I had to balance my studies with dance rehearsals, theater rehearsals, newsletter writing, film production, and a lot lot more.

5. EYES ON THE ULTIMATE GOAL - Just focus. I want to be a novel author. That is why I strive hard now, even just as an Editorial Assistant, to learn about meeting people, interviewing them, making connections with them, and writing. Patience. Again, it's a PROOOOOOOOOOOCESS.


I can't wait to tell you guys about my work in One MEGA Group Inc. The opportunities they are giving me are very overwhelming. I get to interview famous people and I get to write about it and have my MAGAZINE articles published every month. Will be writing about it in my next blogs!

But for now, here's my glam and lovely ID from One MEGA Group Inc.

Tassel, Cap & Latin Honors

Just last two weeks, I graduated from Miriam College with a degree in Bachelor of Arts major in Communication.....and the best part was, I graduated with honors, Cum Laude at that!

Back then, during my first days in Miriam College, I was this lost and innocent freshie and I never imagined that this is how I was going to finish my college education. I always thought I would just get grades enough for me to pass and graduate as an average student, being Cum Laude was not part of my plan and not even my ambitions. It was a dream, but it everybody's dream. To me, graduating with Latin Honors was a dream as if it was an unreachable beautiful star up in the heavens.

Somehow, God made a way to bring that star closer to me..or rather fly me up to sky to reach it.

I try to connect the dots back to how it ever happened, how did I ever make it up here?

And I realized that it was my dad who pushed me to excellence. When I started in Miriam College, the thing that excited me was being part of the theater organization. I was then so passionate about being onstage and backstage. I was on an emotional high when it comes to doing what I love..acting. Then I wanted to start writing for newsletters, then being part of a television production organization, a film-making org, not to mention, I even joined a street dance troupe!

So Dad just got so paranoid, thinking I might forget about my academics. He made a deal with me, saying that I can only continue my journey with all these extracurricular activities  IF I give him high grades. He was talking about really high grades, like NERD GRADES. It was so challenging. It seemed so impossible, but I had to say yes.

DEAL!

Fair enough, aside from seeing my growth in professionalism and talent in extracurricular orgs, I also excelled in my academics, being a consistent Dean's Lister and finally.....a Cum Laude.