10 Rules for Writing First Drafts

Reposted from Copyblogger

The Awesomely Honest 30s

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I love being in my 30s.

I feel that I'm nowadays less pretentious and more honest with myself about what I like and don't like. I know what I'm good at and I've accepted what I can't do. I'm more open-minded about not getting the weird stuff the kids are into these days (pretty sure my parents thought I was into weird stuff, too, when they were my age), but I'm also in a sweet spot now where I can understand my parents better (Pa and Ma - I'm sorry for being so weird).

Another reason for my loving the 30s is having a less harried perspective about priorities. You get better at choosing your battles and not sweating the small stuff. It's those kinds of life lessons that make you a lot more grounded and optimistic about the future.

Here are 10 very practical lessons from author Mark Manson to take with you through your 30s...

1. Start Saving for Retirement Now, Not Later
2. Start Taking Care of Your Health Now, Not Later
3. Don’t Spend Time with People Who Don’t Treat You Well
4. Be Good to the People You Care About
5. You can’t have everything; Focus On Doing a Few Things Really Well
6. Don’t Be Afraid of Taking Risks, You Can Still Change
7. You Must Continue to Grow and Develop Yourself
8. Nobody (Still) Knows What They’re Doing, Get Used to It
9. Invest in Your Family; It’s Worth It
10. Be kind to yourself, respect yourself

Read the full article here. Enjoy!

Loaves and Fishes

Until now, I can't figure out how one of my bank accounts still had the same balance since about 6 days ago, even if I had withdrawn around Php4,200 the last 2 or 3 days from it for various expenses. I know I'm bad at math, but this was just crazy. I'd been racking my brains for a logical explanation.

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And then, I was reminded of the Bible story about Jesus feeding over 5,000 people with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. I heard a calm and small voice whisper to me, "Why not? If God can do that, can't He do the same for you?" The answer, of course, is YES. Why not nga naman?

Pretty sure that God can do whatever He wants with that money. To me, it may just be a few thousand pesos. But to Him, the amount doesn't matter -- as it also didn't with the loaves and the fish. What matters is what He can do with whatever you have. And, oh boy, He can do SO MUCH! :-)

This reminded me of three beautiful truths:

• God rewards the faithful
  While I truly believe in tithing, my heart isn't always whole when it comes to actually giving my tithe. I have the usual excuses, you know -- bills, grocery, stuff like that. I'd been very bad at tithing for most of this year actually.
  But at my last payday, which was also when I got my 13th month bonus, I prioritized setting aside my tithe and gave it joyfully to my church. It felt so right; I really felt that I was back on track.
  When I gave my tithe, I told God, "Lord, bahala Ka na. You be in charge." I truly believe that the mind-boggling thing He did to me this past week is one way He's telling me that, yes, He is in charge.
  

• God keeps His promises
In Malachi 3:10, the Lord said, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." (italics mine)  
Need I say more? :-)

• God is in control
For the past 8 or 9 years, before the 365th day would come around, I always ask God, "What's Your theme for me next year?" He answers me either a few days before the year ends or a few days after the new year began. But this time, even before I asked, God answered me 2 months earlier. The theme? God is in control.
He reaffirmed this message to me 3 times in different ways. But I had a follow-up question: "Why so early?" I got the answer a few weeks ago.
I was suddenly recruited to play a major part in a new global training initiative at my company. I would be expected to produce creative instructional materials on at least 2 different technical topics every month. While one part of me felt happy and proud to be entrusted with an important responsibility, another part of me was very pissed (it's a long story best told over cold beer). Suffice it to say that I was worried. My entire 2014 is already booked even before it arrived.
So when God reassured me that He is in control, I realized that I was being silly. Why am I so worried? Why do I feel like I'm going to fail? Those fears are not real.
I know I'm gonna be OK, because my God has got my back. He's got it all figured out.

I'm ready, Lord. Let's go, 2014! :-)

Life's Little Instructions from a 95-year old

Found this delightful gem on Pinterest. Advice from a 95-year old on how to be happy through your short stay on this planet. A little collection of things many of us know, but often forget :)

Hope this cheers you up! Share the love! :)


View the original post here

posted from Bloggeroid

Vitamin Sea

Almost every daydream that I have of being in the sea starts out in the same way: we arrive at the resort, I dump my bags of diving gear and other stuff on the floor, then I gaze at the sea, close my eyes, grin, and inhale the salty breeze slowly and deeply into my soul. When I open my eyes, I feel renewed and relaxed. All my cares, worries, all the plans and deadlines, crawl away into the farthest corner of my mind.

Soonafter that, I imagine myself all geared up and ready to roll backwards into the arms of Mother Sea. And I am happy. I'm completely in my element. The world is full of wonder again.

Ah...the Sea, the Sea. How I wish to be near you always.

(Photo of me was taken by my dive buddy Nick Alcano at Dauin in May 2013.)

posted from Bloggeroid

10 Simple Ways to Keep the Bad Vibes Away

"The best things in life are free" -- and that is so true! It makes a lot of difference in one's day to remember that.

I want to add one more to this list: BE THANKFUL :-)

Shared on Pinterest

Inspiration from Dr. Seuss

Found this on Pinterest, originally posted on Mamiverse.com

So Much Bigger than My World

When I started writing this, I was feeling overwhelmed by so much responsibility and concerns. Plans for the months ahead, bills that must be paid, lessons to be learned and to be passed on. I was (still am) also angry at the injustices brought upon us by "leaders", by those who have forgotten what it is to be human. I kept telling myself that it's all but a cycle. God knows and God will avenge. But for some reason, those thoughts didn't seem to comfort me. And then I realized, I was looking at this the wrong way.

Thankfulness and Holiday Busyness

As I write this, barely 3 days til Christmas Eve (a more busy day for me than Dec. 25), I'm gazing contentedly at our family's Christmas tree, with its golden lights twinkling cheerily and personalized ornaments sitting prettily among green plastic leaves, and enjoying the calmness of a Friday night at home. My kids and I have just painted colorful patterns on 2 sheets of manila paper (our homemade giftwrappers). That was what we wanted to do tonight.

My kids were so excited to see that I had arrived home long before sunset (and long before the Friday holiday traffic got crazy). It meant painting time! We almost couldn't make them put down the brushes and have some dinner.



Tomorrow, I will be picking up a few more goodies, sending off some holiday cheer elsewhere, and spending the rest of the night wrapping Christmas gifts. When I thought about that, I had expected to hear myself groan inwardly as I'd done for the past 10 years. But surprisingly, I felt...peaceful. A more apt word would be thankful. Yes, I felt really thankful.

Thankful that we can buy and give gifts.
Thankful that we can bless others who desperately need love and hope.
Thankful for dear and true friends.
Thankful for good memories.
Thankful for health.
Thankful that we have a Christmas tree.
Thankful for Christmas lights.
Thankful for reunions.
Thankful for family traditions.
Thankful for purpose.
Thankful for the past.
Thankful for the future.
Thankful for love.

Yes, the holidays are tiring. Exhausting even (I get sick on Jan. 2 every year, I kid you not!). But at this moment of clarity and humble thankfulness, I am satisfied.

Thank You, Lord :-)

Happy Holidays, everyone! <3

Purity Promise

Virginity, chastity, purity.  Why does the idea of staying pure before marriage elicit sarcastic snickers?  Isn't it possible anymore these days?  Does staying a virgin until the pastor declares "You have now been joined in holy matrimony" a childish dream?  If the shocking and disturbing increase in the rate of teenage pregnancies in the Philippines is any indication, then I guess the answer to my last question is a sobering "Yes".  But I believe that with the guidance of responsible and caring adults and friends, it is possible to protect oneself from sexual temptations.

How Nolita Made Our Day

We had less than 24 hours to go to coordinate the final few details of our last shoot day for our corporate video project.  Murphy (of Murphy's Law, you know) dropped by early and changed the time of a scene that we needed for the closing sequence of the video.  Instead of a "dinner with friends", it became a "lunch with friends" scene because the venue's management didn't want our production crew intruding during their "busy" dinner hours (between you and me, self-important overpriced establishments that don't have a "wow" factor will eventually die out. It's called "karma").  I racked my brain for a place in the BGC area, where we were scheduled the following night to shoot 3 other scenes.  It had to be a somewhat casual place with good food, nice interiors, good lighting, plus it shouldn't be super packed early in the evening. Suddenly, Nolita came to mind.  They were still on "soft opening" mode after all, so maybe there's a chance we could shoot the "dinner with friends" scene there.

After ringing Nolita's phone number, I was surprised to hear a guy's voice on the other end.  I had expected one of the female cashiers to answer the call.  I explained quickly that I needed to ask about using Nolita as a location for a shoot the next evening and if I could speak with the manager.  The guy said he's the person to talk to about it.  I asked, "May I know your name?" and he replied, "Patrick".  Ding!  Flashback from an article I read recently about Nolita: one of the co-owners is named Patrick.  "Are you the co-owner of Nolita?", I asked and he answered, "Yes."  OMG.  So I continued explaining what we needed to do, that it was going to take just a few minutes and that we'll be as non-intrusive as we can.  Without any additional comment or question, Patrick said "Sure!"  That took all of 3 minutes.  THREE MINUTES.

Breathing Underwater, Day One

Learning to SCUBA dive has been on my bucket list for 8 years. A number of friends with open water diver licenses have been telling me to go for it but, I haven't because of 1 major detail: I'm a working mom.

Working with Young Minds

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that if I were to switch to a different career, I would most likely pick up where I left off as a Schoolteacher.

Back in June 2001, I had just moved to New Jersey from New York and my lack of confidence in pursuing a career in journalism in the U.S. (despite an offer to work as an editor at a publishing company) made me take a detour towards teaching Art to young kids in a summer camp. After that stint ended, a friend offered me a part-time job as a substitute teacher in an early learning center.  The pay wasn't great but both experiences are, by far, the most memorable, inspiring, and fun jobs I have ever had.  I had to wake up at 5:30 A.M. every day and was busy on most school week evenings preparing lesson plans and activities for the kids, but it was worth it.

Recently, a friend hinted at taking a leap of faith into a new career path that will involve working on projects with elementary and high school students.  At first, I instinctively shrugged the idea off as the practical side of me blurted out reasons like "not the right time" and "need financial stability" (honestly, the only reason I haven't given up my current job is because it's a fantastic cash cow).  But, it's been almost a week since she planted the idea in my head.  Now, it has taken root and started to grow some leaves.  I realized that my lovely memories of being a schoolteacher are spurring the idea's growth.  Even until now, whenever I get the chance to work or just interact with young minds, I am invigorated and enlightened.  I always learn something new.

So, why not?  The pros outweigh the cons:

All that Jazz

I met my husband long before his band went "above the ground", so to speak, from being an underground indie rock band in the late 90s.  That is most probably the reason why I don't have "celebrity goggles" when it comes to him.  If he tries that rockstar attitude with me, he's gonna get in trouble.  Our kids are understandably awed whenever they see him perform on stage or on the telly but, to me, that's just him doing his business and feeding the family.  Besides, when he's home, to us he is really just "Dada".  Still, it doesn't mean I'm not proud of what he has accomplished. It certainly doesn't make me any less appreciative of the perks (like this and most notably this, just to name a few).

It is comforting to know that he sees the celebrity status he's enjoying as a blessing and an opportunity to do bigger, greater things.  He doesn't let it get to his head. You can tell he hasn't because if he did, then he wouldn't be surprised every time someone recognizes him whenever we're out and about.

Reaching A Point of Clarity

"Knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to focus on." - Warren Buffet

Another sleepless night found me staring up seemingly blankly at the ceiling but, inside my head was chaos -- a brew of ideas that kept churning, mutating, bubbling, and glaring at me.  It was stressful, to say the least, because there is only one me but I have all these plans and dreams.

There was only one solution.  It was obvious and I'd known it for days, but I wasn't ready to face it until last night.  However, the dizziness inside my head had begun to manifest physically; I was experiencing tunnel vision and a growing intolerance towards other people's demands of me.  Ms. Congeniality is out, Ms. Grumpy is in.

The solution was to detoxify.  By definition, it means to remove impurities or toxins.  But, in my case, it means re-evaluating my to-do list, reviewing my plans, and -- as sad as it makes me -- letting go of some things.  To be fair and right about how I detoxified, I made all the ideas/projects in my head go through a three-part filter:

The Mommy Radar

One of the funniest stories I have about Mama is that time when she suddenly walked into my room, made me sit across her on my bed, and worriedly asked me, "Why are you drinking? Do you have a problem?" 

Incredulous at my mom's question, I wasn't able to keep a loud laugh from bursting out of me. Of course it annoyed her and made her want me to see that she was serious, which was severely obvious and was the reason why I had laughed. I simply explained to her that, yes, I do drink but not because I have any problems; that I'm a social drinker, meaning I just drink at parties with friends; and that I've never gotten drunk (true at the time I told her this. Got drunk for the first time a couple of years after that, at a friend's going-away party).

God's Annual Surprise for Us

This year would be, if I counted correctly, the fourth year that God has been dropping on us a big bag of surprise when school enrollment season comes around.  We're always not sure when the package will arrive, but we know it will come at the perfect time.  And when I say "drop", I mean exactly that -- something came down from above.  We don't know where or how.

This year, the package arrived yesterday. (cue: finger snap) Yes, just like that :-)

Dealing with Newly-Wedded Woes

This is the second of a two-part blog post about love (read the first one here). Not just because this month the world celebrates Valentine's Day. Recent events and realizations inspired me to write these posts. I hope they'll do some good :-)

People get so excited about the wedding, busying themselves way too much with the details, that they don't see the wedding as really just the sendoff party for the long and crazy adventure that is marriage.  I wish someone told me this; during our first four years of being married, we were at each other's throats and there were so many times we wanted to just drop the whole thing.

We celebrated our 10th year
anniversary in Boracay

Now, we've been married for 10 years, and I can say we've achieved cruise mode, but we still slam into bumps from time to time, thankfully not as often as during the earlier years.

It's just as well that we experienced these by ourselves, so that we are now able to share these nuggets with soon-to-be-weds.

How Valuable Are You?

This is the first of a two-part blog post about love (read the second one here).  Not just because it's Valentine's Day next week ;-)  Recent events and realizations inspired me to write these posts.  I hope they'll do some good, especially for my single friends out there :-)

My guy best friend, Cary, used to whine about how difficult it was to date most of the single women at his church.  "Their standards are too high," he complained.  "I get that they have expectations -- and they should -- but what they want is just impossible."  I think I told him to look elsewhere instead (and he did. In fact, just last year, Cary married the girl of his dreams).

His gripe reminded me of a few girl friends who were doing the very opposite: setting their standards too low.  How low?  Let's just say that, we can blame it on pop culture and how it defines love.  Or worse, what we think pop culture is telling us about love, and then we muddle it further with our own dreams, wishes, and fantasies.  In short, we all form our own expectations of what love is supposed to be.

WoMo to SAHM

It used to be that one of the corner offices in the floor above mine at work was the stronghold of a tough mama, whose reputation as an iron-fisted bitch preceded her like an entourage would a celebrity.  I am proud to call her my friend.

We worked in different departments but we became connected through a common friend and interest.  It was during off-hours hook-ups over drinks and good food that I came to know her better and saw a side of her that many didn't.  And on the day she finally said goodbye to a life as a high-powered manager in a Fortune 500 company, she revealed to me the true reason why she left: she did it for love.