10 Things To Do This December

2020 has been very different, to say the least. To be quite honest, I can't even believe we're in December already. It's kind of weird, because the month of March, April and May felt like 5 years. Then October came along and time just started flying by again. Next thing you know, here we are. I really hope all of you are doing well. 

This post is obviously 13 days too late but I'm still going to write about it anyway. Sometimes, things just happen so quickly and life just happens. So, I guess this post is kind of like a reminder for everyone, including myself. 

Since this December is quite different from most of the Decembers we've had, here are just some of the things I've come up with and have done since December 1st 2020. 

1. Try out some DIYs Christmas decorations or any kind of DIYs that tickle your fancy and get creative at home with the family/friends/partner. (Trust me, I was never into DIYs but decided to give it a go this festive month with the influence of my friend and it was honestly really fun!)

2. Make a budget and stick to it. (Before December even came, I told all of my friends and family members not to look for me for leisure activities and eating outdoors in January because I will be broke and I will be sad. So, I decided to make a budget instead so that I do not have to be fat, miserable, broke and unproductive next month)

3. Make your home as cozy as possible (while having Christmas music in the background just to get you going. Even if you live alone - like me - I'd still love to come home to a cozy, Christmassy looking home at the end of the day. It's a good jump start for the new year anyway. So, why not?)

4. Exercise when you have the time and when you can because it's going to be a food roller coaster this month (whether you are trying to gain weight or lose weight, don't neglect your body. Sweat it out when you get the time!)

5. Spend time with loved ones - friends, family, people elsewhere - via Zoom or phone calls. (I never get the time to really sit down and catch up with people who are close to me. So I've been setting some time aside for all my loved ones. Always check up on them when you can especially during these tough times)

6. Buy and reward yourself something you've wanted since the start of the year or since forever ago (because let's be honest, you freakin' deserve it! All of us do for making it this far!)

7. Write down 2 things you are grateful for everyday (because it's so easy to take life for granted while things are happening so quickly. Small things like "I witnessed a beautiful sunset this evening" or "I had a lovely meal with my friends today" are often taken for granted. So, 5 minutes each day to think about 2 good things that happened that day and you'll realized how blessed you are!)

8. Take some time to reminisce what has happened throughout the year and take some time to think about what goals you want to achieve next year following the new norm (trust me, it's harder than it seems but it's always nice to think about your goals or set your goals)

9. Greet people with a smile because come on, it's the most wonderful time of the year (My personal mission has always been to make one person smile a day since 3 years ago. So why not do it this festive season?)

10. Look back at your resolutions and see which one you can still achieve (for me, I wanted to read 10 books this year and I finally crossed that one out after reading 3 books last month)

Happy December, everyone! Stay safe x

2019 so far...

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say this...

The first half of 2019 has definitely been better than the whole of 2018. 

Of course, I've gone through some rough patches over the past 6 months (I mean, who hasn't?) but I've become a much stronger person.


*Disclaimer: It's going to be a lengthy post, so if you don't have the time to read or if you're not interested, kindly press the "x" button on the top right of your screen or close the tab. 


I know in some of my previous posts, I said I wanted to share what I've been through and why I was feeling all those things at the time. Well, let me just "quickly" summarize it for all of you. It will explain why I stopped blogging, why I stopped sharing, and why I went MIA for a while.

Let's start from last year. I asked 4 of my closest friends at the start of the year what their New Year's Resolutions were. 1 said she wanted to quit her job and move to another city to start a new job. 2 said she wanted to start hosting shows on TV again. 3 said she wanted to quit her job and settle down. 4 said she wanted to try out a holiday working-visa thing overseas.


Last September (2018), 1 moved to another city to start her job, 2 started hosting TV shows again, 3 got married and moved to another country, 4 got her working-visa approved and went overseas. I basically lost 4 of my closest friends in one damn month. They all got what they wanted while I was stagnant, not moving, not going anywhere, not progressing. NOTHING! I was nothing! I felt like NOTHING! I was shit. I was worse than shit.


Last October (2018), 2 people whom I thought were my friends betrayed me. Both have their own issues. Both were not good for me or my health. Both were selfish. So, I made the decision to not spend too much time with them. So, in a span of 2 months, I had lost 6 people who were close to me. And I felt like my life was going no where. No motivation, no goals, constantly comparing myself to others, always thinking I'm not good enough, always thinking no one truly understands me... you name it. 



On the first day of January (2019), I decided to not let whatever happened last year affect what I want to do this year. Surely enough, I started picking myself back up with the help of some NEW friends and the help of my family members. Lots of talking, lots of seeing people for help, lots of meditating. 

My "new" life started in May. I've been trying new things, I've been seeing new things, I've been setting a new mindset for everything.

Last month (June 2019), I got to meet the 4 of my closest friends (yes, the ones I mentioned above) and I got to have some deep and meaningful conversations with them. 1 is getting used to the new life over there but she's doing really well. 2 is struggling a bit (I mean, seriously, who isn't struggling?) but she's doing really well too. 3 is now pregnant and doing well. 4 is on vacation right now and she's doing good. I really am proud of all my friends.

But you know what's funny? As they were telling me how their lives were, yes, I felt super proud of them but I would never want to trade anything. And I realized some things too.

1. I grew so much since last October
2. I have nothing to complain about. Sure, life throws me lemon once in a while but I make damn good lemonades 
3. I was wasting my time comparing myself to them and to whatever I thought success was at the time
4. I don't want to have the life that they have
5. I learned how to walk in my own lane 
6. All you need in your life is a few good and genuine people and you're set 
7. Your future is always brighter than your past 
8. Shit happens in life, move on 
9. If you've worked hard, remind yourself that and reward yourself 
10. Having deep and meaningful conversations is just as good as therapy
11. Nothing is ever as bad as it seems


So, if you're struggling right now, I promise you, I swear to you, it won't last. I was buried under 20 mega tonnes of shit last year and managed to get out of all that. So, just go through it because it will pass and you will be better. Just keep making amazing lemonades on the way and enjoy it.

And if ever you feel like comparing yourself to someone, compare the you right now to the you last year. You will see how far you've come. I promise you.

Here's to another adventurous, weird, fun, different, crazy, wild, challenging, _____ (insert whatever words you want) second half of the year! Cheers!

x

Goodbye 2018, Hello 2019

So, here it is. 2018 in a f*cking nutshell. 



This year, I questioned myself the most. Not because of quarter-life crisis (which, trust me, is a thing!) and not because I'm living in the snowflake generation (which, yes, is also a thing!). I know for a fact that everyone will go/have been through this phase where all you do is question everything about yourself - what you're doing, how you're feeling, why you're feeling the things you feel. It's an ongoing process.

Most times, I felt like a lost soul walking on the streets. I felt dead inside most days yet I'm not even sure how I managed to pull myself back up and put myself back together. But here's the fact, YOU JUST DO.

No matter how bad things are in life, nothing is ever as bad as it seems. You will always be stronger than you think. 

At the beginning of the year (2018), I wrote in my diary some of the things I'd like to achieve throughout the year. You could say it was a bit of a mixed bag when it came to determining my annual goals. And for the most part, I've achieved it. You see, this year I wanted to travel every single month. I don't know why I made that a priority but it was just something I really wanted to do at the beginning of the year. And so, I started planning and budgeting for this plan.

Of course, my other small goals were to prioritize my family and friends and my health which I can tick off my list. However, if you asked me if I've ticked off any "BIG LIFE MILESTONES", the answer is NO. HELL TO THE NO. One of my biggest resolutions this year is to publish my book, which I am far from doing.

Often, when I scroll through Instagram or social media, I wonder how much of it is true - the smiles, the posts. Don't get me wrong - social media platforms are great, I get inspired from looking through food and fitness posts, etc... It motivates me in a way. However, me - being a human being - I realized that I hit rock bottom back in September when I started comparing myself and my life to those of others. I don't think I've ever been in that position I was in in my entire 26 years of living.

It took me a whole month to crawl out of depression. And right now, honestly, I am proud of myself and proud to say I have survived this situation.

The amount of times I've ran to my parents and family members this year taught me one thing: Family is a tricky thing. Appreciate them when you still have them. 

The most difficult pill I had to swallow this year was learning how to pick myself back up and how to cope without the people whom I thought would be in my life for a long time. I had to realize that you have to do shit for yourself because the only person that will put you back on your two feet is you.


When people say life is a roller coaster, this year was definitely it for me. I started off strong in January and things fell apart in June. I got back up in July only to fall into a deeper hole in September. Now finally, I've learned to accept this term. Life is a goddamn f*cking roller coaster and it can be amazing. It all comes down to you and how you choose to see your battles and obstacles.


For 2019, I'm not going to make any major resolutions because f*ck that shit. I'm going to go with whatever flow there is and not take life too seriously. In all honesty, it's also because I haven't thought of any resolutions yet :P

May all of us have a good year ahead! We're all strong people. We can go through anything. 
Happy New Year x

Hello October

Although it is 5 days in to the new month, I still wanted to start the month with this little post.


Where do I even begin? 

Phew. 

September was one hell of a month for me. I know I say this a lot but September was possibly my best and worst month altogether. In terms of career, it was amazing. I got to engage with loads more people, meet new clients, expose myself more to outside gigs, hung out with people in my field of work. I've learned a lot from different people last month.

Besides that, I also got to meet up with my close friends and family who got me out of my rut. Sometimes, when you feel like you can't tell anyone anything, turning to your family and friends does help. Even if you don't tell them the full story, they will still listen and try to understand (e.g. a little story in my previous post).

What really screwed me over last month was the fact that I was putting so much pressure on myself, which was completely unnecessary. I admit, I worried way too much. I compared myself way too much. Nothing was making me happy. I felt like a loser, a failure, when I saw all my friends around me evolving. I didn't tell anyone about the state I was in but I wasn't able to sleep at all most nights.

I had the most migraines I've ever had in my entire life in September. It was almost scary. I thought there was something wrong with me. I had been eating alright, exercising alright. But the stress couldn't go away and I couldn't sleep. See, in ONE month, I had to say goodbye to 4 of my closest friends, which was not easy. Changes and goodbyes are never easy. I don't like it. I hate it.

My mental state was already giving me very bad signals. In fact, my mental health deteriorated throughout the month. I was battling demons in my own head - created by myself. And that confused me so much. I was happy keeping myself busy, I felt the rush, but why did I feel like I was dead inside?

Towards the end of the month, I realized I wasn't doing anything that I love. I didn't pick up my camera, I didn't film at all, I didn't blog (I wrote a couple of stories here and there but I was preoccupied with some other things that were going on in my life, i.e. comparing myself to others).

It's like, everything is changing all of the sudden except me. I couldn't accept any of it. And on top of that, the partner that I work with on radio got into a car accident and scared me half to death when I found out he was injured and hospitalized. I wasn't ready for any of this. I'm still not! But thank God he recovered.

Needless to say, it was a very painful month for me. Lots and lots of tears shed, cutting cords with people who wasn't good for me anymore, battling some form of depression. Honestly, I am still picking myself up but I'm doing it with no tears. Pain really makes you become stronger. When you decide to be honest with yourself and open your eyes and heart, you feel the pain. And that's what will make you stronger eventually. I haven't healed completely, don't know when I will heal but I'm taking good care of myself lately.

So, here are a couple of things I'm going to emphasize on this month:


1. Chill and take care of my mental health 

2. Embrace change. Look it in the eye and accept it

3. Focus A LOT on myself 

4. Rest more 

5. Not take things too seriously and just have fun with life 


Because at the end of the day, life goes on. You're the only person that can truly make yourself happy. Life is short, do things that make you laugh and smile everyday. And just remember, we're all human beings. We feel sadness, pain, happiness...etc... It doesn't matter if you're Selena Gomez or Chris Evans. They're human as well, as far as I'm concerned. You're no different from them. So, don't be blinded by things or clouded by your own thoughts.



You do you. And you be happy! 


Happy October, everyone. 

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 :) 

There's Still Time to Accomplish Your New Year's Resolutions

Can you actually believe it's almost November?

Damn. 

The end of 2017 is quickly approaching and honestly speaking, I am appalled by the rapidness of time passing. Yeah - sure, I'm leaving my quarter-life crisis next month, but that's also making me rethink my life a little.


OK. Let's not get into that.

Let's talk resolutions. Or bucket lists, or goals, or whatever it is you call it. Basically, the thing you do to keep the year on track. If you've been reading my blog for quite some time, you'd probably know that I've decided to try "monthly goals" this year. It's basically where I write down everything I want to achieve in each month and honestly, monthly goals have helped me stay focused on what I want.


But anyway, if you think it's too late to do all the sh*t you had in your New Year's resolutions list, there are actually quite a few things you can still achieve in the final quarter of the year.



1. Get Healthy 

I mean, I'm sure 70% of people had this on their goals list every year. Well guess what? There's still time. Eat better, exercise a little bit more, and have a better sleeping pattern. Whatever it is you need to do to have a healthier lifestyle.



2. Read that Book(s)

I don't exactly consider myself a bookworm but I did say to myself at the beginning of the year that I wanted to read at least 5 books this year. Let me be completely honest with you, it ain't looking too good. I've only read 1 so far. So, I'm thinking of reading at least 2 more books before the year ends.



3. Travel 

I'm the worst at travelling but at the same time, I love travelling (hands up if you're like me as well). I know it may seem impossible, but if you've seen some of my previous posts, I've been to a lot of places lately. And if you've used up all of your leaves, well, weekend getaways are OK too. I love myself a good weekend getaway.

4. Tell Them You Love Them

Your parents, your friends, your barber - anyone who matters to you. If there's someone you've been meaning to say "I love you" to, now is the time to do it. What's the worst that could happen? After all, New Year is just around the corner.



5. Change Your Mindset 

Mindsets are a funny thing. They can change from time to time. So, if you think you can't do something, change your mindset right now because there's nothing you can't do.

What's on your list that you still haven't done in 2017. Let me know in the comments :) 

Are You Living Just For the Weekend?

Don't get me wrong. I love weekends just as much as the next person. And yes, my heart beats faster everytime it gets to 5pm on Fridays. 

I'm sure most of you feel the same way. And that's totally OK.

I mean, let's face it. We're all pretty much living for the weekend. We have fun and exciting things planned for the weekend, we can lie in bed and do nothing for 2 days - basically 2 days of doing what you want.

This week passed by in a blink of an eye. I'm not even kidding. It's like I woke up on Monday morning and went to work and all that jazz. Came home, went to sleep. And the next thing I know, it's a freakin' Saturday morning.


I constantly ask myself "Is this life now? Is this what adulting is? Is it OK that time passes this quickly?"


Don't get me wrong. I love my life. I love the job that I'm doing. I'm extremely grateful for what I have in life. But I feel like I haven't accomplished enough. And I always find myself in total confusion when Sunday night comes. Like, where has the time gone? Have I been lazy? What have I been doing? Is this all a dream?


Right. Let's not get carried away. 


Here's what my day-to-day routine looks like (pretty much) :

Get up. Stretch a little. Get ready for work. Work 9-6. Get stuck in traffic. Come home. Make dinner. Go for drinks. Sleep.


See. A lot of that time feels wasted.


So, I've decided to change my routine and start small:


1. Prioritize my time

2. Make more lists and make them visible instead of scattering them all over the place

3. Realize how many hours I have left in a week 

4. Slow down 

5. Make time for myself

What about you? How do you break out of your routined lifestyle? Let me know in the comments.

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? 

Spiritual Detox

I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say "we all work in a very political environment". By this, I mean office politics, of course. It's everywhere.

To be honest, I came into this entertainment industry, this media world, thinking everything and everyone will be perfect. Oh how very wrong was I! 

However, we're all human beings. People talk about people. It's only natural. 

So, I read about spiritual detoxing not too long ago and I do find myself a bit happier and care-free when I talk less about people and mind my own business. 

Basically, spiritual detoxing is when you TRY not to say anything negative about anyone - including yourself. 

Things you would normally say to yourself in the morning like "I don't think I'm good enough", "I don't look as pretty as her", "I'm not this, I'm not that".... etc. 

NO. 

STOP RIGHT THERE. 

Don't say or think anything negative. 

I tried doing that for 3 days and it felt amazing. So, the challenge is to either do it for 

a) 3 days

b) 7 days

c) 45 days

d) 3 months 

Don't worry if you fall off the wagon. Just get back up again. Try it. 

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

#DayOfTheGirl

If I'm being completely honest with you, I didn't know such a day existed. And personally, I think people should create more awareness on this particular day.

Yesterday, I saw celebrities like Beyonce, Lady GaGa, etc. supporting the day and that's when I found out about #DayoftheGirl 

I'm a very neutral person, I support all kinds of days - international women's day, international men's day, international parents' day - you name it.

Anyway, if you are like me - completely new to this day (concept) - the first Day of the Girl was officially declared by the United Nations back in October 11th, 2012.

So here are a couple of my own personal opinions on #DayofTheGirl :



1. I think girls should be given a choice to follow their dreams instead of being married off once they turn a certain age. Everyone should be entitled to make their own decisions. 

However, if they want to marry young, great, good for them, wonderful. But if they want to make it on their own, they should be given this opportunity and freedom - it's only fair. 




2. Girls should be taught at a young age not to rely on just males, but rely on themselves more. There are so many working girls out there trying to make it on their own and I completely respect that. I am one of them. 

Nowadays, there are so many single moms who are doing perfectly fine without a husband or a man or a partner, there are so many female entrepreneurs who are incredibly successful and doing well on their own. Every girl should be given a chance to experience that. 




3. I was fortunate enough to grow up in an environment that pushes me to study hard and work hard and that everyone is equal. However, girls, it all depends on yourselves too. Remember, you always have a choice! There are no rights and wrongs in life. Just good and bad lessons. 

So parents, if your daughters want to be independent and live on their own, please give them all the freedom and support (for the right reasons, of course). 

Girls are not meant to be married off at a young age and reproduce when they are not ready. Please let them have a say in it. Life is short. Let them be happy. 

Happy International Day of the Girl Child 2017 x 

OCTOBER GOALS

Less than 3 months till Christmas! OH.MY.GOSH! 



Hi friends

Welcome to the 10th month of the year. 

For me, October is kind of like Wednesdays and Thursdays. You're so close to Christmas (in the case of Wednesdays and Thursdays, you're so close to weekends) and all you really want to do is enjoy the rest of the year. Or is that just me?


Anyway, if you don't know this, every month, before I make my monthly goals, I would always review my previous month's goals. And like I said in my previous post, September was a darn good month for me and it seems like I did everything on my list apart from writing more, which is why I'm joining blogtober. I know I'm 5 days late for blogtober, but I will continue blogtober all the way till the 5th of November. Because yes, I make my own rules in life - YOLO!

In last month's post, I wrote: "Can you actually ask yourself this question: "Am I happy with my life? Am I living or am I just existing?", which in my opinion, was THE sentence that made me go out and start pushing myself to be happy despite all the bullcrap that life has to offer. 


I read this quote and absolutely loved it. Therefore, I will be sticking to it this month: 

"You can't get much done in life if you only work on days when you feel good" 

So here are my October goals:


1. Work more 

I find myself sometimes slacking (my blog would be a good example) but so does everyone. However, I do plan on hustling and working harder this month after a 3-week-long holiday. 



2. Leave my comfort zone

Another way of being brave and exploring more. 



3. Complete blogtober

I am very determined to actually daily blog this month and I've already got loads of contents planned. 



4. Meet new people

I'm really terrible at meeting new people but while I was on holiday, I met a couple of new friends and I forgot how good it feels to talk to new people. 



5. Attend more events

So, I suffer from minor panic attacks and anxiety when I'm in a crowded area. I know a couple of people that do too. But I've been really good at keeping that under control. It's all in the mind. I'm going to make it a mission to attend more events even though there are a million people in the crowd (well, probably less than a million. I can do 500 people :P ) 





May your October be fruitful and amazing! Happy October, my friends.

September Highlights 2017

I know it's a bit late but September was by far the best month for me this year. 

Not only did I achieve all of my September goals, but I also got to enjoy the whole month to the absolute fullest. I've decided to highlight a couple of good memories I've had so that I can look back and relive the moments in the future when I'm feeling nostalgic. 

So, here are 10 of my September highlights:

1. I got to experience one of my closest and dearest friends in a beautiful wedding gown with the man she loves. 

2. I got to visit my little family over in the UK after almost a year.

3. I went for a weekend escape in a retreat with my loved ones.

4. I got to more spend time with my family and friends.

5. I managed to do numerous spontaneous things, one being - getting a tattoo, or two.

6. I got to have afternoon tea several times, which is one of my favourite things in the whole world.

7. I got to meet up with a couple of friends in the UK who were so inspirational.

8. I got to know people who are real to me and people who would be there for me no matter what.

9. I got to do the things I love so much, which are filming and editing videos (subscribe if you haven't already), meeting so many people online who listen to me on national radio, and entertaining so many people.

10. I got to witness so many beautiful things and buildings.

Honestly, September was such a beautiful month for me and I'm going to try my best to live as brightly as I did last month. 

5 WAYS TO FIGHT DEMOTIVATION

Everyone on this planet will go through ups and downs. That's a given.



If you're down in the dumps right now, let me tell you something. It won't last forever.







Why? 

Because at the end of the day, LIFE GOES ON. 

To be really honest with you, I've been down in the dumps for a few months now and I'm not saying I'm perfectly fine at this very moment, but I know I'm finally in a healthier place. In fact, I've actually been in this healthy place for the past couple of weeks.


This post is coming up today because I don't want to write about it after everything has been said and done. I am still very much going through ups and downs every.single.day with the jobs I'm doing and the industry I'm in and the people I'm with.


Trust me. The amount of "How to Get Rid of De-motivation" articles I've read over the past couple of months have been substantial. Don't get me wrong, some of the articles did help and did provide some pointers for me. But of course, it's all up to you to do something about it.

I'm in a healthier place now because I decided to do something about it, so I do hope these tips I'm sharing will help any of you in any kind of way.


1) Take a break

Like a lot of 25 year-olds out there, my main stress comes from work. In the month of August, my work definitely took a toll on me. I could feel tension building up on my shoulders every.single.day. So, I decided to take a few weekends off. I went away with a couple of friends and just took some time off. It is amazing how taking a break can work wonders.



2) Self-realization 

When you get time off, the amount of thinking you do, the things you think about - they all tend to be a little different from your daily thoughts. While I was on my weekend getaways, I realize that no matter how scared my thoughts made me feel, I kind of know what I want. Some things just seem clearer than when you're daily grinding. I did learn more about myself and what I want in life. But learning about yourself is an everyday process. So, it's good to take some time off to check in with yourself.



3) Do the things you love

Honestly, for me - a person who loves writing and blogging - to have a meltdown and not write anything for a couple of weeks is just unacceptable and unfathomable. Because I find joy through writing. I don't care if it's not as perfect or well put together as other bloggers/writers out there, but I still love to write. Taking pictures, having a couple of drinks with some friends (or even alone), writing, filming - they're all things I love to do. And if you do the things you love, I don't see why you can't be happy.



4) Surround yourself with laughter

The amount of laughter I get from my colleagues at work is actually scary. Too scary. I could laugh every 5 minutes from 9am-1pm every.single.day. And I have a couple of friends who actually make me so happy everyday too. I remember one time last month, I was having a really bad day. Honestly, I couldn't take my mind off things, I had so much on my plate, all I could think about was my problems. But my friends manage to get me out of that stage. And it's all through talking and laughing.



5) Inner peace

Something that I've been practicing for the past couple of weeks. Trying to see everything in a positive manner. Let me tell you, it's no walk in the park. It will always be a working progress for me, I admit. But each day I practice inner peace, I find myself at ease. I sleep better at night. I focus better on what I want. Definitely a good way to start being happy.

Some people are big believers of karma and the whole "what goes around comes around".

I'm more of an "everything happens for a reason" kinda gal. So, no matter what happens, good or bad, I know that everything happens for a reason. Your action, your decisions, your choices, they make you who you are and they make up for those reasons.

I always like to tell myself that there are no right or wrong decisions, only good or bad ones. But at the end of the day, everything still happens for a reason. You made that choice for a reason, you acted that way for a reason.



But don't worry. Because whether it's a good or bad decision, nothing lasts forever. LIFE GOES ON.