How it started (2004-2008) vs. How it’s going (2023) 🖤 The first photo is from a party during my university years. I graduated from UA&P in 2008. I enjoyed my Humanities subjects, but my favorite class was APS Japan under @mitzie2014. 🫶🏼 The second photo was taken during my visit to @uapasia to talk about my career as a published author along with other accomplished authors. ✍️ Now, I have 13 published books and counting. My books are sold worldwide on Amazon, Google Play, Barnes and Noble. One of my favorite retailers is Books Kinokuniya in Japan, as seen in the last photo. 🖤 I am sharing this to remind everyone about the power of dreams, purpose, hard work, and passion. I hope that your experiences will inspire you to reach for your stars even during the darkest days. ✨ And do not forget to share your skills so that others will also learn from your journey. 🖤 NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS!🫶🏼 #authorlife #amazonauthor @ukiyotopublishinghouse
The Craft of Writing Certificate
I finally received my certificate for The Craft of Writing! It was a short course taught by THE Jessica Zafra. I highly recommend her writing boot camp because her teaching style is straightforward and practical. I suggest that you make time for any of her courses because her valuable insights has helped me produce quality written output lately.
ADB Transport Forum Day 3
Yesterday, I attended the last day of the Transport Forum 2018 at the ADB. I learned that people should see transport as more than just a means to go from point A to point B- it is actually the way to ensure that we are all able to show up to improve our lives and achieve sustainable development in the region. So aside from enjoying the delectable food and crocheting during the panels, I did absorb all the points presented by the speakers from the different fields in the development sector. I was fortunate to have been part of this event along with my high school friend Luane from UP Diliman. I hope to join more similar events in the future, and that I could also contribute to furthering the cause of sustainability in my own small way.
ADB Transport Forum Day 2
Yesterday was the second day of the Transport Forum 2018 at the ADB. I continued learning on how technology is advancing the cause of transport efficiency in the Asia Pacific region.
As a blogger and daily commuter, I understand how simple posts online could inform others on traffic, train station queues, and safety concerns. I am more determined to continue sharing my experiences on getting from point A to point B to hopefully reach those in authority in order to improve our transport system.
I also got to attend the second day of the Manila International Book Fair. I was only there for ten minutes. I will go back on the weekend, should the weather improve.
I am thankful for opportunities to learn and grow at the ADB. It was also fun to spend the conference with my high school friend Luane. I can’t wait to continue learning at the third day of the forum.
ADB Transport Forum Day 1
It was an honor to be a delegate at the 2018 Transport Forum at the Asian Development Bank. I was inspired to learn what our leaders in the Asia Pacific region are doing to ensure that sustainable development is attainable through efficient transport for everyone. Through the talks from various panels, I realized that everyone has a dream, and it could not be fulfilled without a working transport system.
As a private citizen, I experience problems in transport everyday. Whether it’s the horrible traffic whenever I am driving, or the long wait for an MRT train, I am aware of the problems that our transport system is facing. However, I am optimistic that through public and private linkages, as well as forums such as this one, we will continue the conversation for a better way to transport everyone.
It was fun to navigate the networking breaks with my high school friend Luane from UP Diliman. I also got to enjoy sumptuous food, and I even got to crochet.
It was a lively series of discussions, and I am interested to know more about transport in Asia and the Pacific in the next couple of days.
At-home Workouts
I’ve been busy these past few days with a conference, my blog, and getting work done. While these commitments already take up a lot of my time, I still make sure that I keep myself fit and healthy. I eat right and never skip meals.
Also, I workout at home if my schedule prevents me from joining my Zumba classes at my local park.
I use my stationary bike to workout at home. While I am on it, I write blog entries, check my email, apply for jobs online, listen to podcasts, and read. I multitask like that, and I don’t let my to-do list hinder me from burning calories.
I also follow Zumba classes on YouTube to workout at home. It keeps my body in shape and breaks the monotony of the stationary bike.
Getting my cardio fix while at home is possible, thanks to my bike and the internet. I hope that you will also continue working out even when your schedule is busy. It is really all about time management. Discipline yourself, and find a routine that works for you. You will thank yourself later.
ADB-AIM Hackathon
Yesterday, I was fortunate to attend the ADB-AIM Hacksthon. The actual hackathon has already happened, so what I witnessed was the final pitches of the nine finalist groups. Also, this was the pre-event to the Digital Development Forum, which is scheduled for today and tomorrow.
I had my traditional photo by the Asian Development Bank sign.
I got to crochet at the ADB library after having nasi goreng for lunch at the cafeteria.
I am always honored to represent my blog in events, and yesterday was no exception.
I enjoyed these quiches and frittata during the first coffee break.
I learned that a hackathon is a creative marathon that bridges tech startups and stakeholders. The goal is to solve existing problems through technology.
I was amazed with the pitches by tech startups to solve health, ID, and KYC (know your customer) problems in developing Asia.
For the second coffee break, I had ADB’s famous crinkles. I personally think that it is the best in the country.
I also tried other ADB cookies such as ube and Chocnut. Both were also delicious.
It was a treat to eat my snacks in the iconic garden, which is an oasis in the middle of busy Ortigas.
I also got to crochet again while waiting for the next phase of the event.
There was a cultural show, then it was time for cocktails and dinner.
Their chocolate crinkles cupcake was the yummiest dessert I’ve ever had!
I had an incredible time. I look forward to the two-day Digital Development Forum, and I am excited to learn, interact, and network.
Day 6: Magnetized
I have been through a lot of changes in the past year. I launched my blog in a low-key manner, became a freelance researcher while looking for career options, continued exercising, and attended some awesome seminars and conferences as a form of continuing education. I realized that it was way too easy to get lost in all of these transitions, but I chose to remain centered through my wellness through mindfulness battlecry.
I have made a commitment to living deliberately. It is a process which I am undertaking because I want to make better choices from now on. I would like to have more blessings in my life, so I read Bo Sanchez’s book How to Be a Blessing Magnet. Do you also want to design your life with the intention of attracting more blessings?
Let me teach you how!
This book reinforced my belief in *magic*. You see, I have always seen wishing as more than just a fairytale storyline. I believe that wishes can come true, especially since miracles have been present in my life. Of course, we have to have a healthy dose of reality in the wishes we make (ex. I cannot wish to become invisible!). So I was glad that Bo wrote in this book that “wishing has power”, because the impact created through wishing releases energy which attracts blessings.
To begin attracting blessings, you have to live with a thankful heart.
Wealth is a feeling. It does not matter how much you have in your bank account or how successful you are in your career. If you feel like a winner, you internalize the perception that you are rich. And when you live like a winner, you will be grateful. You will thank God more! And you will aspire for incredible things and opportunities because you know by now that you deserve more.
Do extraordinary things.
Take initiative. If there is nothing happening in your life right now, create opportunities! For instance, my blog has become my full-time job when I resigned from work. And guess what- having my own website has become a dress rehearsal for being my own boss! By learning how to manage my website, plan content and write my blog entries every single day, I learned how to be my own boss and by doing so, I am also becoming a better worker.
By the time I will be employed again, I will be a better follower because I learned first-hand how it is to direct myself and to be responsible for something that is entirely my own. I look forward to applying this sense of responsibility to my next job.
So I urge you to begin something extraordinary today for yourself and you will be surprised on how it will give you clarity on what you truly want in life. Let that clarity help you attract the right blessings.
Create your own miracles.
Take a look back and reflect on your challenges. List down what you have learned from your struggles and use them to propel you forward. And use your suffering to have compassion for others so that you will not just attract blessings, you will also share your blessings!
Failure is a redirection.
Change your strategy if your life needs to be fixed at the moment. Again, reflect on your setbacks and strategize on how you can rise from your challenges. Remember, you can only redirect your path if you act on your plans. So go ahead and keep moving forward!
Be hopeful.
Remember this formula to sum up Bo’s powerful promise that your future can be beautiful:
+ Hope = + Happiness
Increase your hope, and it will lead to an increase in happiness. Once you are hopeful, you begin to have a sense of gratitude which enables you to live with intention. When you are able to fulfill your dreams, you become happier. And when you give hope, you make other people happy too!
So act on your dreams and say this powerful declaration at the start of each day:
I’m God’s beloved and it’s His great pleasure to bless me. God’s river of blessings is flowing to me at every single moment of my life. Everything I need comes to me. I’m a blessing magnet.
-Bo Sanchez
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“How to Be a Blessing Magnet” by Bo Sanchez is available at National Bookstore. I bought my copy from the Shepherd’s Voice booth at the 2017 Manila International Book Fair. It is also available online at www.KerygmaBooks.com.
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***Comments are welcome at speakoutsam@gmail.com***
Day 5: Online Skills
Yesterday, I shared with you how I design my life with intention. One of the cornerstones of living deliberately is practicing discernment in EVERY choice I make. As I am now building my career trajectory in the corporate world, I have to be mindful of the skills which I already have. That way, I get to apply them more effectively and make excellence a habit.
It is remarkable though that even in a corporate setting, my personal growth is made possible through skills which are valuable in online businesses. Corporations have an online presence, and knowing which online skills I innately have is going to make me a more valuable asset to my employer.
Are you curious to know which online skills will enable you to thrive beyond the interwebs? Let me teach you how!
I am on the third day of The Bucketlist Bombshells mini-course which I have shared with you a few days ago. I found out through the video class that I am proficient in tech skills more than graphic design, and it is an area where I can develop my potential to have an online tech business. This does not necessarily mean that I will be setting up my own tech business. It could simply mean that I could diversify my role in the company I will belong to by applying my innate skills in project management, web content strategy, writing, and blogging should there be opportunities in their online campaigns. I have also learned that I can grow and expand my tech skills by learning more about social media management and coding in the future.
To determine if you are more of a graphic designer or a tech professional, take the Day 3 video class in the mini course. You should also reflect on what excites you. Do you like browsing through typography, colour schemes, and mood boards online? Then you are most likely to be a graphic designer at heart. If you are more excited about managing online content, writing blog posts, and thinking of practical solutions to everyday tech problems, then you are more of a tech whiz. You do not have to be a coder or developer to work in tech. In fact, you can simply write content and have a potentially fruitful career online if you continuously research and study on ways to amp up your skills.
There are plenty of online courses to teach you how to acquire graphic design or tech skills, and there are also affordable classes in schools, univeristies, and even co-working spaces. Choose what works best for you and focus on the skills you want to develop, learn, and apply!
As always, I am being real and sharing with you my actual answers to the worksheet provided in the video course. I hope that this will inspire you to uncover which online skills could help you setup your own online side-hustle or diversify your current role in your company. Who knows, you might even have a more meaningful life in the process. Let me know how it goes, and tomorrow, I will teach you another lesson on self-improvement which you should not miss!
***Comments are welcome at speakoutsam@gmail.com***
Give Yourself a Chance
Blogging at a fast food restaurant with no makeup and post-workout high!
My blog, speakoutsam.com, is now six months old. I am overjoyed with the doors which have been opened through this blog. I have been to conferences, events, seminars, and most of all, connected with kindred spirits who understood my battlecry of achieving wellness through mindfulness. Translating this mantra into real life is a journey which involves my whole being. I am not just here to build hype and a writing portfolio. I am blogging mainly to become my own audience, so I can motivate myself to live my battlecry, one day at a time.
I have learned that putting out quality content is the most important component of this blog. It does not matter if I have only a handful of readers, as long as my content’s message remains consistent to my battlecry. While it is true that I am building a writing portfolio along the way, I am writing here on my online home because I want to inspire myself to rise above hypothyroidism everyday. After all, it is through inspiring myself that I continue to pursue this journey and make it truly my own.
The process it took for me to build this blog began three years ago, when I attended a romance novel writing class. I remember that it was a insightful, but I realized that I was born to write essays more than a full-length novel. The best takeaway from that class was that having an outline is the ultimate guide to writing. I still write an outline for most of my blog entries, as this structure helps me lay out my thoughts and bring out my core message with ease.
I have then realized that years of dreaming about having my own blog has got to stop. I needed the take action on it already. Earlier this year, I was employed in an IT-related job. I took the opportunity to use my free time to research and I realized that it was doable to build my own website. In no time, I was already blogging on my own domain, with a black and white theme.
I gave myself a chance, even if it was expensive. I realized that a dream is a chance to feel joy, which is permanent (unlike happiness). This became more palpable when I left my job. I was suddenly left with a lot of personal time to pursue my passions. I worked out, read books, listened to music, attended events, and prayed. I blogged daily to prove to myself that my blog is worth keeping. I have shared that my blog became my job, and while I am looking for a new role to further my career, my blog became the thing I show up to everyday. And we all know that the most important part of any task is showing up.
If you have a dream, turn it into a goal. Plan your life around it. Give yourself a chance. I encourage you to turn this plan into a process, because it can also give you joy. It is never to late to invest in yourself.
New Perspectives
There are days when we are forced to abandon people/plans/routines/habits in order to move forward. Sometimes, a temporary break can do the trick. However, it is best to have a clean break (for good) in other cases. You have to discern what will apply depending on the situation.
I am going through a lot right now. Routine-wise, I am changing habits and letting go of bad ones.
This is not easy. But it is doable. There are days when I don’t feel brave, when it is easier to just go back to the way things were. So I have devised some ways to keep me going so I will not regress.
- Develop self-care routines. I get monthly haircuts, leg waxing, and I have a weekly at-home spa experience using a natural body scrub. You may think that it’s just pampering, but self-care is a big deal during transition periods. Give it a try and see how it can help you.
- Have a balanced diet. Food can truly improve your state of mind and health. Make sure that you have a balanced diet to help you welcome positive change in your overall well-being.
- Explore a new restaurant each month. There are cafes, restaurants, and food parks everywhere. Try a new place to eat each month, or if budget permits, do so on a weekly basis. It will diversify your palate.
- Meet new people. It pays to be open to meeting different people. It will grow your network and give you new insights.
- Embrace technology. For me, it is as simple as finally getting addicted to podcasts and using my blog app to write on the go. You can also try using a new app every week and see which ones will work for you. Anyway, you can always delete them from your device!
I am excited to broaden my horizons with the help of my loved ones and friends. I am giving myself a chance to grow, because I want to build a better life for myself. I hope that you will be patient with me as I blog my way through this journey.
Change takes time, and my time begins now.
Lessons on FinTech
I always have a photo taken by the auditorium
Legit pass!
Simple breakfast at the cafeteria 🍳
But first, coffee ☕️
I have shared yesterday about the novelty of joining a conference online for the first time. I had quite an information overload on the first day of the 2nd Asia Finance Forum, yet I was eager to livestream the second day of the conference. So imagine my surprise when I received an email that my registration has been confirmed for days two and three. I was floored because while I did appeal for a chance to join the conference in person, I was not expecting any outcome because I was aware of the large delegation for this year’s forum. I was happy to be given this rare chance to be a visitor of the Asian Development Bank, and if there is anything that I have learned even before signing up at the reception area, it would be the value of asking. I asked for a chance to attend the conference even if I was told that I could only livestream it, and I was granted a seat for the rest of the conference. There is value in asking for another chance, because it is where possibilities and opportunities are realized.
Being here is a dream come true
Let the light in 💡
I have learned from yesterday’s sessions that the opportunities far outweigh the risks.
Hanging out at the ADB Library
FinTech is highly vulnerable to security risks, but the transformative power it has enables companies to take a leap of faith. Balancing risk and innovation is essential to ensure that development is sustainable.
In FinTech and in life, it is important to assess the risks involved and to keep on going, as long as the possibilities outweigh the hurdles along the way.
It is important to innovate, but it should be partnered with empathy every step of the way. Design thinking should be applied to solve problems, especially when it comes to including the unbanked in FinTech progress. To be people-centric involves research and in-depth community immersion. Without knowing the needs of the people it aims to serve, FinTech companies cannot say that they innovate in a sustainable and inclusive manner.
Another surprising turn was a lunchtime talk at the library which featured news anchor and public speaking coach Steve Dawson. He spoke on Storytelling for Presenters. I have learned the following from his insightful talk:
- Nerves are good! Being nervous is an indication of focus. Just do not let your nerves distract or rattle you.
- Storytelling is about digression. Explore your topic by including related details that could add humor and spice to your subject. For example, Steve spoke about his daughter’s triumph over dyslexia, and the astounding fact that she is now on her way to Australia for university. While speaking about his daughter, he became emotional and his feelings as a father became evident. It added interest to his story though, and it hooked his audience on his daughter’s journey from struggle to graduation.
- Know your audience. Never underestimate the power of research when it comes to understanding who your listeners are.
- Storytelling is about sharing. It is the art of connecting with your audience that makes you an effective speaker. Simplify complex information to make it easier for you to share. Make it entertaining too so your story could resonate with your listeners.
I had a productive day and I was able to appreciate how innovation could personally motivate me to assess risks and seek opportunities. I also got inspired to communicate better by adopting a storytelling approach. I look forward to tomorrow’s talks with an open mind that is ready to innovate.
The auditorium
Matcha muffin and quiche for morning coffee snacks
Sketching helps me absorb information
Lunch
Lunchtime learning at the library!
Chocolate bread pudding with vanilla sauce
Cocktail food
Cocktail food
Cocktail food
Cocktail food
Cocktail food
Day 13: #30GratefulDays | Coffee with a Conscience
Yesterday was the first workday of the month, and it also meant that it was my shopping day at Human Nature, a brand which I have been supporting since 2013. I am now a Core Advocate, which means that I am not just a dealer, I am also a partner in spreading the word about their Pro-Philippines, Pro-Environment, and Pro-Poor advocacy. I patronize the brand by purchasing almost all my toiletries from them. Every purchase in their branches entitles the customer to a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and I am a fan of their local cuppa. I always bring my own mug or tumbler though, and yesterday, I brought my pink one from Craftsmith Living. As I sipped my coffee, I reflected on the years I have been supporting Human Nature and how I have switched from using imported, chemical products to all-natural, Philippine-made essentials.
Human Nature prides itself in sourcing the best raw materials from Mother Nature. What’s more, these wonder ingredients are mostly found in the Philippines. Like the oils shown in the photo, each raw material has a purpose to heal, renew, and restore. I am a huge fan of their products as most of them are infused with sunflower oil, which is kind to my sensitive skin. From sleeping with their sunflower oil on my face to using baby lotion with the same oil, I am making sure that my skin only receives the best care from the brand’s organic items.
I am using Human Nature products even when I am jobless. They have affordable price points so I can still enjoy using my essentials even when I am on a budget. I am glad that I am also able to relax at home with my favorite spa-quality products like their body scrub and cooling gel.
Indeed, there is no need to splurge for natural products. Human Nature has given me the best local essentials which are kind to my skin, wallet, and social conscience. I get to have a cuppa or two as well after shopping. Coffee with a conscience has never been more in style.