5 Life Lessons I'm Taking With Me Into 2018

Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018

Somehow, saying those words just get more mundane each year. I love how we start fresh and start clean when the clock hits 12 midnight, but here's something for you.

Does your life really restart when a new year rolls in? 

Well, that's for you to decide.

2017 has been another roller coaster ride for me. I've had my fair shares of ups and downs. But to be completely honest with you, I have learned so much about myself, about the world, about people, about everything, really. It was a great year of learning and I don't intend to ever stop learning.


For me, a new year is just that. A new year. I mean, we all get excited for countdowns and throwing away old calendars and starting a new one. Some of us may even forget all the bad things that has happened and start clean. A new year is one way to start fresh, that's for sure. It gives us all some kind of reassurance.


But anyway, here are 5 things I've learned in 2017 that I will be taking with me this year.


1. You can't control everything!

No matter how nice of a person you are, you can't satisfy everyone around you. So, don't sweat it. Life is not meant to be wasted on stressing out pleasing others.



2. Don't let people get you down!

People have mouths. Therefore, people will always talk. You can't control what comes out of their mouths even if you've been a nice person. People have their own opinions. As long as you've done nothing wrong to them, move on and don't let anyone affect you.

3. Always spread positive vibes! 

If you get bad vibes from someone or something, always trust your instincts. Walk away immediately. Life's too short to be surrounded with negativity.



4. Don't let money control you! 

Money. Ah money. It plays a very important role in our lives but money seriously isn't everything. It's good to have but don't ever let it cloud your thoughts. You could be the poorest person on earth and still be happy. Trust me, been there done that. It's all in the mindset.



5. Do what makes you happy! 

If filming or taking pictures or travelling makes you happy, do it. Because the time is now. This is all you have - NOW. If doing what makes you happy gets you your income, good on you. If it doesn't, still do it anyway because why the hell not? You only have one life, make it count!



I'm not too sure how 2018 will look like but I know I'll be taking these lessons that I've learned last year with me as a daily reminder.

What is the ONE life lesson you've learned in 2017? Let me know in the comments :) Also, let me know if you can relate to any of these lessons. 

My Life One Year Ago

Back in March, I shared a very personal post with all of you (which you can read here).


Basically, my whole life changed since last November.

A complete 180-degree-turn!

From my public life to my personal life. In the span of 1 year, I have changed so much - physically, emotionally and mentally. And I think I can say this today.

"I am a survivor of broken hearts, of unemployment, of tough times, of my downfalls. I know for a fact that I am a survivor." 

Like I said in that post, tough and rough times don't last forever. I've completely experienced all of that. You fall, you get back up again. And I'm not saying that my life is perfect now, I'm still going through tough times, I'm still learning everyday, but I am stronger today because of those rough times.


In terms of Career

I never would have thought that I'd be working as a radio announcer/part-time blogger/attending events/interviewing ambassadors. NEVER IN MY LIFE. But here I am, doing all those things. I am fairly new to the industry but I think I'm going to stick around for a bit.



In terms of Relationship and Love

Well, this one was one heck of a roller coaster ride. And I've not "made it there" yet. But I've learned that if someone is meant to be with the other person, it's going to happen no matter what. So, don't force anything. Let it flow naturally.




In terms of Friendship 

I know so many people who live by this sentence "as you get older, you know who your true friends are". I'm going to be completely honest with all of you. The number of good friends whom I can trust and talk to is probably less than 15. And that's totally OK. You need friends who can and will be there for you when you cry or when you're going through tough times.

In terms of Personal Growth

I can definitely write a whole blogpost about this but the biggest growth I've seen in my life this year has to be my confidence and mental health. See, the older you get, you kind of know how society works and how screwed up the world really is. You'll never really know why people do the things they do, and you don't need to understand it. All you need to do is live your life and be happy.




In terms of Family

No matter what you do in life, even if your parents/family wronged you, they will always have your back. And you will always love them no matter what. That's just how it is. That's a fact right there. Your family will always be the one you count on for moral support.

It's almost 2018. Has your life changed much? Let me know in the comments :) 

Challenge: Finish What You Start

How many times have you said to yourself "oh, I'm going to do this today" and you actually do it but you don't finish it?

The answer: Too many times

Now, I won't think of myself as someone who doesn't follow through, but there are so many times I've started something and don't ever finish it - be it chores, work, projects - I always seem to have a bunch of unfinished things piling up. 

I'm not too sure why this happens. 

But I think it's either your mind wanting to avoid some kind of sticky situation or you just have too much on your plate you don't know which one to finish first. Either way, my challenge for this week is to finish what I've started. 

1. Pack and move into my new apartment - it's really happening!

2. Blogtober - I'm doing so well at it, but not gonna lie, it's tough as heck!

3. Organize my upcoming projects - because there are just too many post-it to-do-list notes everywhere!

4. Book my upcoming trips - before it gets expensive

5. Finish reading one book by the end of the month! 

Do you have anything that you would like to finish? Let me know in the comments :) 

The Bittersweet Facts of Living Away From Friends and Family

Study hard, get good grades, graduate, get a good job, get married, start a family, grow old. I think it's safe to say that most of us have been taught from young that this is how life is going to be, that these are the stages of life that one has to go through. I, myself, included. 


Well, it's been almost a year since I moved to my capitol city.


It's not something that has been planned. It's not some kind of carefully constructed "next stage" I had in my head. It's more like a "spur of the moment" kind of decision which was based on the fact that I got my first job (which is my current job as a radio announcer) in my own country.

You see. I grew up in a small town in another state. After 21 years of being in my hometown, I "sort of" moved abroad to the UK for about 4 years. So, basically, these are the only two places I've been for the entirety of my 25 years of existence.


So, as you can imagine, all of my closest friends are no where near me. My family lives in a different state. Although I do have my brother staying in the capitol too, we both live in different areas and have different jobs that we are busy with.


If you haven't already seen from my previous posts, I mentioned that I was in the UK quite recently. This time around, the facts hit me pretty hard. My loved ones are scattered all over the world. Families that I love are in Australia, my closest friends - people that I've known for ages - are in UK, my best friends are back in my hometown.

I'm not saying I haven't made any friends whilst living here, because believe you me, there are a few people that I would literally give up my limbs for, but I suddenly found myself on my own a lot - without people to do my favourite activities with. I basically lost my support network.


Obviously, they still exist in WhatsApp and Facebook, but they're just not there on days when the world seems like a dark place. And honestly, that f*cking sucks. 


But I guess that's what adulting is? You move away from the people that you love. A lot of times, we think that career and education come first but in fact, I think that people and the experiences and moments with those people are the very thing that make our lives matter, that give us purpose, that make life worth living.

Recently, I've realized a couple of bittersweet facts about my living away from friends and family, partly because I'm about to move into a new apartment.


1. I tend to say yes to meeting my close friends when they fly over for a visit. If I was still either living in the UK or my hometown, I would have easily blown them off and gave some kind of lame ass excuse. 



2. Meeting my brother and my parents tend to be more special. Like I said, even though my brother and I live in the same city, we don't see each other often. But when we do, I tend to cherish those moments a lot more than before. 



3. I tend to appreciate pictures more than before. Selfies with uncles, pictures with loved ones - in fact, I'm totally going to put up pictures in my new apartment. 

Whilst there are days when I wish there was some kind of teleportation device so I could be reunited with my support network instantly, I know that the distance has made us appreciate each other on a level that I never thought existed.



Life is short. Make it count. Love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones that don't. Believe that everything happens for a reason.

How do you cope with living away from friends and family? Let me know in the comments :) 

Happy Place: The Beach

A lot of people have asked me where do I go to re-collect my thoughts, and where exactly is my happy place.


Well, my answer is:

I have many happy places.


So, I've decided to share all of my happy places with you one-by-one.




Beaches have always excite me. No matter how non-spectacular one is, I will still always love it. The sound of the waves, the smell of the sea, the sand on your skin, the breeze - I mean, need I go on?

I find myself in complete ease and total relaxation when I'm on the beach. Hence why, beaches are definitely one of my happy places.

What's one of your happy places?

National Body Confidence Day 2017

I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say this.

Nobody is perfect and no body is perfect. 

It all depends on how one sees themselves and others. Some might be alright with their flaws and imperfections, some might take it a little harder. 

For me, I've always been the latter one. I grew up in an environment that had impossible standards and high competitions. 

It wass only up till late - let's say 2 or 3 years ago - that I learned to accept what I have and to love what I have. 

It's true, every now and again, I will look in the mirror and think "Oh my goodness. I need to get rid of my extra weight" or "shit. I look absolutely horrible" or "my thighs are humongous" or "why don't I look as good as her?"....etc. 

But you know what? Nobody and no body is perfect. So embrace what you have. Be grateful for what you have. 

I don't exactly have a bikini body. I don't have a flat tummy and gap thighs, but so what? I feel good in a bikini so I'm going to goddamn rock a bikini. 

Happy National Body Confidence Day. Share your story with me. 

Healthy Ways to Focus on Yourself

Here's something personal that you might or might not know about me.

Throughout July and August, I went through a mild stage of depression. I could not eat well, it takes me forever to fall asleep, I dreaded waking up every single morning. I was just in a very bad place because even though things around me seemed alright, things with my personal self was just completely off.

I tried to brush it off by keeping myself busy. Only to find out that I was getting more and more unproductive each day. Writing - the thing that I love to do most - didn't excite me anymore. That's how bad of a state I was in. 

But I'm not here to share my sob story with you. 

I found ways to actually get better. However, it's no easy task, if I'm being completely honest with you. It took a month or so of time alone, of figuring things out, of not thinking, of being around good company, etc. Trust me, it will and it can happen. All you have to do is focus all the energy on yourself. 

Here are just a couple of healthy methods that actually helped me out during my rough time: 

1. Pick ONE thing you love about yourself

And just keep focusing on that. If you love making people happy, keep focusing on that. If you love how you look, keep focusing on that. Just pick ONE thing and focus your energy on that. 

2. Stop comparing 

The absolute worst thing to do is to compare yourself, your success, your status to others. Why do you put yourself through that? Just stop. RIGHT NOW!

3. Visualize success

It can be any kind of success. You - getting out of bed feeling energetic is already a success. Small things. They are success too. Picture what you want to achieve at the end of everyday and focus on that. 

4. Smile

When I went through depression, I found it very difficult to smile. Even to give a fake smile or a fake laugh was difficult. But the real trick here is to find ONE thing that makes you happy everyday - a cat video, sitcoms, etc. And make sure it's a genuine. Look yourself in the mirror and see how beautiful you are when you smile. 

5. Don't be too hard on yourself

If it doesn't work out today, let it go. Try again tomorrow. There's absolutely no need to be hard on yourself. What's the point? Ask yourself that. 

What are your healthy ways of focusing on yourself? 

The Simpler Things in Life

I always tell myself and the people whom I'm close to:"remember to appreciate the little things in life". When I wake up every morning, I would always tell myself "wow. Today is a miracle. I get to see the beautiful sky, I get to hear the birds chirping, I'm healthy and alive."

Of course, if I'm being completely honest with you, I sometimes do tend to fall off the wagon. Whenever I've got too much on my plate, whenever I'm stressed out over unresolved matters, whenever I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, I do forget to say those things to myself. 

See, when you're living in a big city - you tend to have a more routined life. You become a robot like everyone else without even realizing it. You work, you come home, you eat, you go to sleep, and you wake up. ROUTINED! 

However, I have been getting back into the habit of appreciating the simpler things in life. Life can be beautiful every single day if you take the time to live for the smaller things - wind blowing across your face, smell of freshly cut grass, etc. 

Here are some of the pictures I've taken over the past couple of weeks that make me appreciate my existence in this world a little bit more :) 

Appreciate, live, be happy

Total Disconnection: Retreat Edition

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I recently went on a weekend getaway to a retreat where there were NO Wi-Fi and NO internet service.

And yes. It is possible - 

- for someone like me who's constantly on my phone, on social media, checking emails, texting, posting pictures (basically, obsessed with my mobile and Wi-Fi and internet) -  

- to disconnect for 36 hours. 

And the results? 

1. Instantly relaxed 

It was so refreshing not to have my mobile constantly beeping and ringing, to not look at my laptop. Basically, the only digital thing I had was my camera for taking pictures and vlogging. And it felt gooooood. 

2. Calmed

I admit, I do get impatient sometimes when people are not doing things as quickly as I am or as quickly as I expect them to. It's because most of us are so used to the fast-paced environment. But just sitting down and listening to the crickets and feeling the wind in my hair - that took me to a whole new level of calm. 

3. Creative

If you don't know/didn't realize, I've been having writer's (or in this case, blogger's) block for about a month now - hence, the lack of blogposts. But when I was chilling by the pool - surrounded by trees and plants, my mind instantly went on a creative spree. That's when I wrote down all my ideas and that's when I decided to do blogtober. 

4. Happier

Something about being in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature - there's just something exciting about that. And I noticed that I felt happier not knowing anything except for knowing how to have fun and have deep, meaningful conversations and relax.  

5. Self-love

How often do you check in with yourself? How often do you ask yourself how you are? My answer, I have no idea when was the last time I actually asked myself "how are you today?". And I just realized how important self-love is. Once you learn how to love yourself, you know what to feed your mind and soul.

I think it's such an important thing to disconnect from the digital world once in a while. EASIER SAID THAN DONE! Trust me. I was feeling frustrated the first few hours, but after that, everything just felt amazing. 

However, I'm gonna be totally honest with you and say this right here right now. A little bit more than 36 hours and I probably couldn't handle it. So, 36 hours is the perfect amount of time :) 

If you have a few minutes to spare, here's the vlog of my fun weekend: 

My Playlist for Monday

With the kind of job I have, you may think that after 8-9 hours of non-stop music, I would prefer to go back to a quiet home.

Nope, not me. 

To me, one of the best things about being a radio announcer is I get to go through all kinds of music - whether it's brand new or ancient. I do like all kinds of genres but because of my background as a dancer, I do stick to hip hop, pop, and EDM a TEENIE bit more.

Anyway, Mondays are always a drag even though I love what I do. That's why I make sure to create the perfect playlist on Sunday night so that when Monday comes, I'm so ready to take on the day. 

If you don't believe me, try it. Music helps make Mondays a little bit more bearable. You can definitely trust me on this. 

So, I just decided to share 5 songs that are in my playlist for today. 

1. Silence

2. What Lovers Do 

3. Just A Memory

4. Stay With You 

5. Bite My Tongue 

P/S: You may notice that I go with the more underrated music. But I hope you guys enjoy it x

5 WAYS TO OVERCOME STRESS

Hi friends.



I know I haven't been the best at blogging lately, and don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE blogging and writing but I've just had loads going on - in my mind, at work, with people.

To be completely honest with you, I've been all over the place really. 

And I wanted to take a break from blogging because I didn't want to hurt my blog by posting some useless nonsense on how my life is actually going at the moment (but I really think I'll update you guys on that in the next one! I mean, it's only fair).

I used to post frequently before because ideas could hit me anywhere and at anytime. A car could drive past me and I would have an idea. I could look up in the sky and an idea would come to me. The wind could be blowing through my hair and an idea would come to me. 

It's just more difficult lately because of all the stress and obstacles surrounding me. As I mentioned in my July Goals, June was no picnic for me. In fact, it was stressful AF! 



So, one of my closest friends and I went out a couple of nights ago. And she asked me this very interesting question: How do you get rid of stress?


I didn't know exactly how to answer that question because I'm not a doctor or a psychiatrist and all I had was my point of view. And not forgetting that I'm not the best at dealing with stress, hence why, all the random hiatus. However, I have come to terms with it. That's what I've been doing lately. Taking a break from everything to recollect my thoughts and how I want things to be and how I want to be.

There will be stress wherever you go. You can't hide from it. It's inevitable. You can only deal with it and move on. So, over the past couple of months, I've tried various activities on how to overcome stress. You know, the kind of stuff you'd normally read from articles and whatnot. And no, I'm not going to ask you to exercise. Because I've tried that. When I'm stressed out, exercising only makes me agitated. You HAVE to WANT to exercise. 

But anyway, everyone's got their own way of dealing with stress. Some of them might work, some might not. Here are 5 ways I overcome stress:



1. Talk to someone


Bottling up your feelings won't help you or anyone else, for that matter. It only hurts you and everyone around you. So, talk to someone - a good friend, a person you trust, your partner, a therapist, your parents. Whoever you feel comfortable with and no matter what, just make sure it's someone you can trust.



2. Light a candle & Listen to some music


For me, settings are really important. You're already really stressed out. You don't want to come home to a dark, messy house. And one of the reasons why I'm such a candle whore is because candles help me deal with stress. And with some nice background music, it's just the perfect way to de-stress. All you need to do is close your eyes.

3. Drink tea 


Because alcohol doesn't work. Trust me. All you do is end up crying and feeling sad for yourself and feeling like shit. There was a time when I used to turn to alcohol when I was feeling stressed out. That doesn't work for me. So, I turned to tea. Chamomile or peppermint - precisely. Not only does it help you sleep better, but it helps with de-stressing too.



4. Write it down


Whatever shit you're feeling right now, if it's bringing you down, write that shit down. It doesn't have to have any structure. For example, I could be feeling so stressed out right now and I have absolutely no idea why. I would write "I'm feeling like shit right now and I don't know why. I hate this feeling". From 2 sentences, the whole thing will turn into an essay. By the time you've finished writing them down, you'd already feel nicer. And once you've finished writing, put it aside and don't read it. Only read it a week after or when you're feeling better and you'll actually laugh at it. No joke, I promise.



5. Take a shower


Showers are a godsend. Something so simple. Something that we take for granted every.single.day. And I only found out that this trick worked on me when I was coming home from a very stressful day at work a couple of weeks ago. And I felt helpless, restless. I decided to take a shower and OMG, I came out of the shower asking myself what was I so stressed about? So, taking a shower - quick or long, hot or cold - definitely helps!

Like I said, everyone has different ways of dealing with stress. I've been stuck in that tunnel for quite some time now and I actually learned how to crawl out of it. Hence why I'm writing this post. To help any of you who are still in the tunnel.

Just remember: Stress is everywhere. You can't let that stop you from doing things you love. Deal with it and move on. The quicker, the better. #YOLO :) 

MY HOLIDAY ROUTINE

I'm not going to lie, I think this year has been the year that I've traveled the most so far. I mean, I think I've been on a plane almost every month this year although it is only June right now. But I do feel like this is a major "level-up" factor in my life considering I have a massive fear of flying.

But hey, 

if you have a fear of flying just like me, 

just know that you are not alone and that you can do it! 

A friend was talking to me recently about travelling and all that.

So, I did realize a pattern in my travel/holiday routine - whether that's in a completely new place or a place that I've already visited.



My minimum stay would be for 3 days no matter what because that gives me at least ONE day to explore and have some fun. But of course ideally, 4-5 days would be my so-called "holiday". 

Here's my travel/holiday routine:



DAY 1: ARRIVE AT THE DESTINATION

- Day 1 is more of a relaxing day because I think I deserve to chill after being on a flight and just get more rest for the next day. I would normally just check into the hotel or Airbnb and get comfy and cozy. I would also familiarize myself with the places around me and definitely find a good place to have dinner.

DAY 2: EXPLORE 

- Day 2 is normally when I would definitely do something unexpected. Try something new. It's all about walking around, getting lost, eating, and experiencing the local lifestyle. See, before the trip, I would have already done some research on where I want to explore. At night, I would wind down and go have some nice local food and experience the night life.



DAY 3: BE A TOURIST

- Day 3 is normally when the "shopping" happens. I don't know if it's just me but I would always go to somewhere with either a beach or a nice pool and I would chill for half a day. Then I would go out and do some touristy things and more exploring. And I would normally shop for either stuff for myself (most of the times, not going to lie :P) or get some souvenirs for people. I would also do something unexpected on the third day, whether that's drinking a new drink or meeting a new friend.

DAY 4: PAMPER 

- Day 4 is pretty much a pampering session. Massage, manicure, hairdo, you name it. Exploring comes later on, of course. But at this point, it's more of just soaking in the past couple of days and being thankful.



DAY 5: HOME TIME 

- Final day is of course about packing up. And I would normally visit a few more places nearby before going to the airport. And most importantly, try to get over the "holiday-withdrawal" syndrome before it even strikes :)




That is pretty much what my holiday routine looks like. Of course, it can vary depending on the amount of days I'm visiting. So, I hope this helps any of you who are going on vacation soon.

I would actually love to know what your holiday routine looks like so please let me know in the comments and share a few tips with others too :) 

Chasing Happiness

Hiatus no more :)


To be really honest with you, I've been neglecting my baby (my blog) because of various reasons. Tight schedule, conflicting emotions, de-motivation, you name it.



Which is why yesterday, I took a walk in the park alone and I realized that life can be beautiful.

Life IS beautiful. 

You just need to appreciate the little things in life. The birds chirping, the sound of the wind, the breeze on your skin, the sun in your face, the smell of freshly cut grass - just any little thing that would put a smile to your face.

We're so busy chasing whatever it is we're chasing that we sometimes forget to be happy. Don't get me wrong. Chasing your dreams is an amazinggggg thing, trust me. But chasing happiness is even more amazing.


You see, in the process of chasing your dreams, you face hardships, you face difficulties, you face obstacles, and you lose focus, you lose yourself, and you lose your happiness. So it is important sometimes to just sit alone and think about the little things that make up life.

The sky, nature, look at everything around you.

Lately, I've been adjusting to something that I'm not entirely comfortable with, hence why I haven't blogged or written that much. And I know that's no excuse at all to neglect what makes me happy.



You see. I asked myself this exact question and I want you to ask yourself this very question too. And just dig real deep and find it in your heart:

"What makes you happy?" 

NOT

"What do I want in life?"



Are you happy eating? Cooking? Hitting the gym? Sleeping? Travelling?...


That's the simple question.


So, my friends, if you ever find yourself unhappy, just sit alone and ask yourself that. And if you want someone to talk to, hey, I'm not going anywhere from now on :)




It's time for you to chase your source of happiness :) 

4 SIMPLE OUTFITS FOR THE WEEKEND

Back in January, I promised my best friend AND myself that I will not go shopping until the next time she visits me again.

Why did I make such a ridiculous promise, you ask? 

Well, frankly speaking, I was getting a bit carried away with buying clothes and items that I don't exactly need. And obviously, just moving to a new city and all that jazz, I made that my excuse to go shopping but soon after my best friend visited me, she made me see that that was not a good excuse at all. Hence why I stopped shopping for a few months. So, if you guys were wondering where my outfit posts or fashion posts were, well, now you know :P 

And you know what? 

.

.

.

.
.
.
.

I kept that promise! 

Honestly, I deserve a freakin' trophy for not shopping online or in stores since 2 of my favourite stores are located right outside my apartment!

But OK, I'll just give myself a pat on the back for now. 

Anyway, my best friend came over a couple of weeks ago and granted me permission to go shopping and so, we went a little cray cray! I even made a haul video, so if you're interested in that, the video will be at the end of this post :)

So, over the weekend, I put together a couple of bits and pieces that I recently purchased. And I am soooo loving my wardrobe right now. So anyway, I've created 4 simple looks/outfits for the weekend, whether you're going out for movies or hanging out with some friends in a cafe. They're just very casual and that's why I love them so much. You know me and my casual attires :P

1. Denim on Denim 

2. The Basics

3. Best Jumper Ever

4. Simple 

Which one's your fav??? :) 

Also, if you want some advice on how to control yourself from shopping, like how I did, please let me know. Because I honestly think I can help some of you with that :D *lol*



H&M HAUL VIDEO: