Day 14: Painting, Writing, Being

Drawing my Lunchboxdiet dinner last night

Living with hypothyroidism can be quite tedious. I have to follow a 1,200 calorie diet and workout on a daily basis in order to maintain normal thyroxin levels. I also take thyroxin before breakfast so I have to make sure that I take my medicine and eat brekkie at the same time everyday. ​I was diagnosed when I was thirteen, and I am now thirty, so I am already used to it. However, I still have to design my life around my condition. I cannot take graveyard or shifting work. I also have to avoid working in stressful environments. I have to get enough sleep and avoid vices such as smoking and drinking. This is why I choose to live mindfully so that I can have a quality existence even if my condition has limitations which shocks many people. 

Drawing is calming. Go check out Cafe Lugud, a social enterprise coffee brand.

Painting makes me happy! Go check out Cafe Lugud, a social enterprise coffee brand.

My diet is easy to observe because I have already trained myself to be disciplined with my portions. Right now, I am subscribing to a food delivery service, but my current paycheck is insufficient to cover the cost. I have to improvise by using nutrition apps and buying prudently at our cafeteria. This will commence in June and I cannot wait to begin eating "normal" food, albeit in limited quantities. 

I cheer myself up by drawing and painting my food and coffee. This makes me appreciate the nourishment and caffeine more than the limited quantity that I am allowed to consume. Rather than eating for the sake of simply indulging, I make sure to eat like I mean it. I drink coffee to fight the sluggishness that comes with my condition, and I do not shy away from third wave coffeehouses if my budget permits. After all, there is nothing more awakening than a cuppa with unique flavor and story. 

Writing has helped me focus on the best things in life, such as my home, my family, my relationship, and the fact that I am working in a safe and stable company. I get to realize the nuances of the mundane with my daily writing. Now that I am also in the middle of my 100 Days Project, I get to find the story in each instance and the flow in every sequence. I get to appreciate the ordinary and filter out the moments I would rather let go of. Naturally, writing has also enabled me to learn from my mistakes. Words keep me grounded without holding me back from enjoying the best things in life.

I may not be the best painter and most verbose writer, but I paint, write, and live what my senses perceive in HD. It is my hope that you will also find your flow so that you can be creative in living and being.

Day 11: Just Keep Writing

Scribbled a quote by my Braver Goals mentor Arriane Serafico

The best decision I have made this month was to launch my blog along with the first day of my 15 Days of Writing True class. I have observed in my previous blogs during university that I tend to write sporadically if I do not have a guide or an end-goal in mind for all of my posts. This class has then propelled me forward with daily assignments and the discipline of writing at the same time everyday. I chose 8:00AM because I had the whole office to myself and I could focus on writing as my tasks have not piled up yet. I enjoyed it so much that I also began my 100 Days Project, which entailed a commitment to produce written output for the next 100 days. I also observed the need to hone my technique, so I enrolled in the Writing Room class. I have decided to integrate my assignments for this class in my 100 Days Project and so far, I am feeling the flow.

My goal-setting class Braver Goals has inculcated in me the urgency to commence my passion project and do everything I can to make it work for the next 90 days. I chose my blog as my passion project because I want to write again on a daily basis. I used my hard-earned money to fund my annual subscription. Incurring the expense along with my basic needs has aligned my blog with my priorities. The simple knowledge that I have invested this much to fund my blog has given me the drive to write everyday and not slack off.

You might be thinking that I could have just started writing on a free blog. I have done that in the past and it has not prompted me to be diligent with my daily posts. When I paid for my domain name and website, it gave me the responsibility to fulfill my dream. I invested my funds, so now it is time for me to write. I cannot afford to have off-days because I worked hard to make this happen. For that simple reason, I have seamlessly found my flow.

Writing everyday has prompted me to be more mindful with everything. Every experience is a potential blog entry, so I savored my food, coffee, and books. I appreciated the lessons that only actual blogging could teach me, such as getting over typographical errors and editing my work. I also learned to write on the fly, which enabled me to economize on time and effort. On some days that I would feel insecure about my voice or worried that by the time my classes are over, I might run out of things to write, I counter them with action. I just write.

This blog is important to me because it is my dream to give my thoughts a home. I want my heart to be rooted in this home, so that my voice could continue speaking out the words I want to say. I want my flow to seamlessly continue, and it is finally happening after many years of not having the courage to be responsible for my dream. This is helping me find reasons to write and to drown out the noise and babble. With each day of my 100 Days Project, I am developing my writing habit as I hone my voice. And with that, I am being brave by sharing myself with every entry here on my island online.

Day 9: Letter on Brush Strokes

For today's letter assignment, I chose to write to Allan, my boyfriend. We have known each other since university, and the way we met never ceases to amuse me. We do not often write each other letters, so I hope this will be a catalyst of sorts.