This is one extraordinary feeling…

… that I usually dont think and procrastinate about. But while the thought of me getting another year older in barely a week, I know somehow this is part of the “icky” feeling. 

I may be a bit vague about what I am talking about here but for people who know me very well, im sure you know what I’m talking about. And yes, blame it on the age and how driven I am to tick everything on my checklist before i hit the big 3-0. No, I’m not turning 30 yet this year but just the thought of JUST having a year more before I get there makes my stomach crumble. Ever since I was a kid I would always picture myself that when I reach this age, I’ll be more or less successful. Define success. When you get older things just get more and more complicated ergo how do you quantify success? Let’s see…

At 29 years-old I have:

1. Finished MBA 

2. Have a stable career

3. Traveled quite a bit

And now what? I’ve envisioned myself that when I turn 30 I must’ve:

1. Visit Paris or any European country (which will happen this October)

2. Have my own business.

3. Bought a house/property

I’m a bit far from 2 and 3 but by 30 I should have one of those 2. MUST. 

And then thinking about it i feel like something else is missing. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Maybe the frustration’s coming from there. 5-6 years ago I gave up planning that part of my life, but here I am again thinking and procrastinating. Rationalizing even. Most days I wonder, often times I tell myself to stop so as not to frustrate myself in the process. Maybe it comes with the age, maybe this is just a phase, or maybe it’s about time I have to face my fears.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go: Dr Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

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 guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen,
don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on y our way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or the waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying
You’ll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You’ll be as famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t
Because, sometimes they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times
you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win
’cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike,
And I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never foget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
You’re off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

When I’m down, I usually watch this. It somehow changes the way you see things. We aim for a good life, which include ups and downs, with every challenge though you learn life’s greatest lessons. When I feel bad, i would give myself a pat on the back, I’ve gone a long way. I did good which means sometime soon, everything will be ok. :)

15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy

Found this article online. A good read from “Purpose Fairy” writer.

Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?”Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?


2. Give up your need for control. 
Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk. Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining. Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism. Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. Give up your need to impress others. Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take of all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change. Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” 
Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only fear we have to fear, is fear itself.”
 Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses. Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. Give up the past. I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment. This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another,  attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves.  You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.

Let’s all be happy! :D

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yes, i am like that.

yes, i am like that.

1,257 notes

I love Dr. Seuss! I will conquer the world! :)

Meet the People of my Year - 2011

It’s still January, first month of the year. Its a bit close to Chinese New Year ergo I still feel its new year. 2011 has been one hell of a ride for me, with this, I want you to meet my super heroes…

1. My Mom - …because she is just so awesome and i love her despite our uber love-hate relationship. She’s not just my number 1 person of 2011 but my super person every year. I just feel the need to put her here at the number one spot for bearing all the pains and dramas just because im her daughter. hahaha. 

2. My MBA friends - for being there for me since day 1 of my The Ateneo culture shock struggles, to solving case study problems to math problems, to conceptualizing ways of how and when are we going to get rich, for being with me through heartaches, endless pigging out and drinking sessions, and our trying to be adult moments of adventures and misadventures. 

3. My Awesome Family, brother included :P - yes, we may not meet every so often but its just always fun when we’re all together. I love my boys! Yes, my cousins and brother included are all boys. There, that’s why I act and I “look” like one already. From the bottom of my heart, I love you guys! :)

4. My Cali Family - 2011 was trying time, Auntie Vangie may have left us… but I would always be thankful that I get to see her for two consecutive years before she left. And Im missing my girls too! - Tita Wina and Erika :D

5. My childhood Oman buddies - N-years of friendship, to love, life, positivity and negativity - cheers to slowly growing up and being responsible citizens of the world! :) I know I can always count on you! Love you to bits!

6. The Zulueta Clan - for making me feel at home, for making me feel part of the family and for being adventurous fun, fun family

7. The 3 o’clock girls/ solar girls - what is life without the 4 of us?! boring. so yes, the world needs us crazy bunch

8. The boyfriend - Atty. Dindiboy, imagine your life without me?! hahaha. Sorry for being such a brat most of the time but I know you love me for that! :) Thank you, let this love last to infinity and beyond! (naks!)

So there…. 2012 promises a lot of possibilities. To more friendships, happiness, travel… Cheers to life! :)

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Bacolod, Bacolod, I keep coming back to Bacolod… See you this weekend! 

Inasal. Calea Cake. Calea Coffee. Seafoods. Fun. Happiness. Friends. 

Sweets. Tigidig my heart! Yes, I’m in love with anything sweet. Chocolates, Ice Cream, Meringue, and more choclates. 

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Life is sweet.

2nd chances are for the ones who deserve it :)

2nd chances are for the ones who deserve it :)

894 notes

More highs than lows - that’s what 2011 is for me. This year marked a lot of milestones for me —- a start-up of events/travel business, finished my MBA thesis, Graduated from MBA, started a new job, traveled around the Philippines like there’s no tomorrow and traveled a bit outside the Philippines. 
I’ll be forever grateful for this year because I realized that second chances can be good, that life can be better. I’m thankful that in every step of success that I experienced this year, the people who are most important to me were there. I am blessed with a wonderful family, friends, colleagues, career and a significant other whom I get to share things with. 
Maybe this year didn’t work well for you but it always helps to see the brighter side of things. 
Life is beautiful. Cheers to a promising 2012 - love. live. hope. laugh.

More highs than lows - that’s what 2011 is for me. This year marked a lot of milestones for me —- a start-up of events/travel business, finished my MBA thesis, Graduated from MBA, started a new job, traveled around the Philippines like there’s no tomorrow and traveled a bit outside the Philippines. 

I’ll be forever grateful for this year because I realized that second chances can be good, that life can be better. I’m thankful that in every step of success that I experienced this year, the people who are most important to me were there. I am blessed with a wonderful family, friends, colleagues, career and a significant other whom I get to share things with. 

Maybe this year didn’t work well for you but it always helps to see the brighter side of things. 

Life is beautiful. Cheers to a promising 2012 - love. live. hope. laugh.

Because its nice to be a kid again, full of surprises. :D Happy Birthday to you! Here’s to more adventures and love to infinity and beyond! :)

Because its nice to be a kid again, full of surprises. :D Happy Birthday to you! Here’s to more adventures and love to infinity and beyond! :)

… therefore I’m not perfect, ergo I’m not boring :P

… therefore I’m not perfect, ergo I’m not boring :P

(Source: fashionfever)

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