New Years Resolutions for 2018

Every dawn of the new year it is a little bittersweet to see how quickly time passes and I am reminded to be grateful and cherish the life that I have.

For 2018, like most of us, I sat down to reflect on the person I wanted to become in the new year. I decided on a few resolutions that I wanted to stick to for the upcoming year:

BEAUTY

1) Use my Clarisonic Smart Profile system at least 2x/week.

- I invested in a rather expensive gadget to maintain healthy and youthful skin and this upcoming year I would like to make it a habit to use this as part of my regular beauty routine. This is also a fabulous tool to use when you have eyelash extensions!

2) Use all my skincare products before buying more.

HABITS

3) Read more books.

- My best friend bought me a Kindle this year for Christmas and I am ecstatic to get back into reading. One of the lame excuses I gave myself for not reading was the pain of having to lug around a book and fearing that throwing them in my bag would wreck the pages. No more excuses! Here's to expanding my mind!

4) Better manage my time / Get ready the night before.

- I am a chronic tidsoptimist; often late and causing rifts in my relationships with my "optimism of time". This needs to stop. This just needs to stop.

HEALTH

5) Make a list of foods that cause discomfort.

- This year, I grazed the surface of the list of foods that I realized did not agree with me, but this upcoming year, I want to know why. I also want to know how to combat this, thus my next resolution that is...

6) Seek natural remedies for body ailments.

- Anyone that knows me knows I reach for the Advil more times than I should. Just before the end of the year, I wandered into a Saje store and realized that there were natural remedies that I wanted to try in order to remedy the wacky things my body went through quite often. Fingers crossed 2018 is the year I can find some tried and true relief methods!

7) Move more.

- Instead of telling myself "I need to hit the gym every day!!!" I have decided to take the pressure off and merely promise myself to be active and to move more. I also want to learn how to do stretches that will better my body, maybe even start doing some yoga at home.

FINANCES

8) Be smarter with my spending.
- Quality over quantity.

9) Go the next level with my savings.

- In other words, invest InVeSt INVEST!!!

GOALS

10) Learn Calligraphy.

11) Take inventory of my closet with the Pureple app.
- I have already started this, but the way I was going about it was setting off my perfectionism ticks. Being able to take an honest inventory of the items that I have will better help me declutter as well as ground myself in terms of what I need and what I only want.

12) Make cards for special occasions.
- Ties in with #10 in which I want to inject more heart into my cards this year by making my own. This resolution came to me after I absentmindedly dropped $10 on a card and realized that it didn't completely embody the message I wanted to convey. Damn those one-size-fits-all Hallmark cards!

Thank you for taking time to read the resolutions I have set for myself for the upcoming year. I hope this also inspires some of you to reflect and set some concrete resolutions for yourself.

Goodbye 2017! Wishing everybody a healthy and happy new year!

Seeing Ghosts

Do you believe in ghosts?



I believe that there is a separation between the body and the spirit, so the idea of ghosts is believable to me.

Last Saturday I was at a restaurant for a friend's birthday when I went to use the ladies' restroom.

The ladies' restroom was well lit and a patron was already in a stall. After finishing my business, I proceeded to wash my hands in the sink. Realizing there was no soap, I looked up to see if there was soap pump on the wall. I saw it when I turned my head to the right.

A figure with no legs, short length black hair with bangs, no eyes, wearing a dark grey top, side-stepped to disappear out of my line of sight behind the wall that separated the sink from the restroom entrance.

I waited for the creak of the door and the sounds from outside fill the restroom, but none came. My eyes shot towards the stall where the other patron was in the stall. The patron was still in the stall.

At first, my mind couldn't register what had just happened, but I shrugged it off and returned to my friends. I told my boyfriend about my encounter and together we walked around the restaurant hoping to find someone who matched my description.

Nobody in the restaurant had short black hair and was wearing a grey top.

Perhaps my mind and my eyes were playing tricks on me, or perhaps there was a very simple explanation for what I saw, but for now I can't explain what happened.

When I was a little girl, I was convinced I had an encounter with a ghost as I lay trying to fall asleep. I heard a voice call my name and a heavy presence near my bed. I was so terrified that I pulled the covers over my head tightly and refused to peek out into the darkness of my room until morning.

Have you ever encountered a ghost? If so, feel free to share your story in the comments!

Double Gin & Tonic, Two Limes

Thank you.

As 2016 Ends...

Oh, right...I have a blog.

As TWENTY-SIXTEEN draws to a close, I am back on my digital diary to reflect on the past year.

 

Twenty-sixteen was an incredible year, but it definitely didn't start that way.
At the beginning of 2016, I learned a huge lesson to not hold onto people and situations that I had no control over. In exchange, I was taught that I can be happy simply being myself.

I started going out with a fantastic man that showed me that over-complicating matters in life was stopping me from realizing my own potential and barring my journey to happiness.

I started my awesome job under 2 bosses who challenge and motivate me each and every single day. I am learning, not only how to do my job and excel at my career, but what makes me feel truly passionate about being a paralegal.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been there for me in the past year, the people who have my back through thick and thin, and those who wish for my success and happiness. I only wish I had taken more time out of my life to see each and every one of you. Know that you are in my heart and that I wish you all the joy and accomplishment that anyone can ever dream of.

I am still grasping at how twenty-sixteen has just flown by, but I am beginning to feel a revival of purpose. And what better way to brush away the old and look forward to the new than with the dawn of a new year?

Here's to bigger and better things! Cheers!

Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken"

 

 

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

 

 

Journey to Self-Discovery (New Years Resolutions)

They say it takes something major to force you to change.

At the beginning of twenty-fifteen, I had already predicted that it would be a year of change and stress. Little did I know that the events that would happen would bring me to the me that I am today.

Twenty-fifteen proved to be one of the toughest years I had to ever go through, mentally and emotionally. I know that in a couple of years, this year will fade into mere memory and no longer affect me.

Until then, I have never been more happy to embrace the new year. Although I am not able to just turn off what has happened to me the past year, I am determined to embrace the cliché of starting anew in the new year.

I was going to write an entry containing concrete resolutions, but as I sat down to type...I found myself at a loss for words. Since my blog is centered around illusions and perspectives, I decided I will share a broader resolution for the new year.

For twenty-sixteen, I want to first and foremost learn to care for myself. The past year, I neglected my mental health and as a result, my physical health suffered.

I want to become a person that I can be proud of.
I want to give thanks rather than apologize for my existence.
I want to create memories worth looking back on.
I want to cherish the relationships and the people I have in my life.

And most of all...

I want my actions to be based on a foundation of love, generosity, and understanding.

Maybe then, I will learn to find happiness within myself.

My Perception on LOVE Right Now

Love is an abstract concept.
Love is a concept and a phenomenon that depends on the beholder of same.

There are also many concepts that mimic love but are simply not so:
Crushes, lust, infatuation, pride.

Over the span of my short life, I've only started to begin to understand what love is.
First and foremost, love is a growing experience and definitely not a game or some sort of time to test another person.

In young "love", we hear about many psychological tricks played between couples to somehow gain an upper-hand on the relationship.
I myself am guilty of such foolishness, but I feel social pressures aided in the facilitation of such foolishness as well.

Nowadays, with time spent alone or with people who have displayed unconditional love to me, I have learned that love comes in many forms.

I think that love, absent of any religious subtext, is a form of acceptance.
It is an admiration that does not stem from pride, but allows a person to be proud.
It is a willingness to support a person knowing full well their flaws and imperfections.
It is a willingness to embrace the things happening in your life as well as another person's life.

Don't get me wrong. Not everyone can love as idealistically as this interpretation of love may seem.
People say that when you love someone, it is easy.
But hear me out when I say, love is easy...maintaining relationships and reminding yourself of love is hard.

I attended a wedding yesterday where the couple showcased a "Fight Box" where they would write letters reminding each other why they fell in love.
When they have their first intense fight, they will open this box and read the letters and, with this willingness, choose to settle their differences with love.

Someone once said to me that they realized love is something that develops over time.

Lately, I'm constantly needing to evaluate whether the love (for family, friends, and special people in my life) I possess is in line with the interpretation that I have and is something that I can proudly boast about. For now, dear readers, I can confidently say I know this love, but what I do with it is to be seen, through the test of time.

So tell me, what is love to you?

Self-worth

“By what merit?” He asked me.

And I stared at him, wide-eyed, scanning his face for answers.

Yet, I knew the answer to that question.

I knew who I was – in a simple sense: I was a girl with a very big heart.

A very big heart, ready and hoping to find that one person I could show it to.

“I’ll shower you with love!” I answered, proudly.

“But love doesn’t pay bills, honey,” he tutted.

And of course he was right. As always.

“Well, we would work, of course! But I’m offering you a lifetime of support and care and-“

“There’s more to life than that,” he interjected, clearly not seeing eye-to-eye with me.

We stared at each other in silence for a while and I felt the disconnect settle in.

I scanned his stoic face again as a wave of heat washed over me.

“Why are you being so stubborn?” I mustered, my anger leaking.

“You will understand one day,” he said.

And then he turned on his heel and walked away.

[FF] My Favourite Minimalist YouTubers

On my post yesterday, I shared with you the beginning of my journey to become a Minimalist. Today, I will share YouTubers who have helped influence and inspire me.

Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus (The Minimalists)

Photo from TheMinimalists.com

These guys are the pioneers of the Minimalist lifestyle. There is no mentioning of Minimalism without talking about these two fine gentlemen.

Millburn and Nicodemus understand that Minimalism is a hard concept to put into action and may not be embraced by some. They found that after achieving the things their younger selves aimed to achieve, like having a high paying job, buying that dream car, buying that dream house, there was a void that could not be filled with simply accumulating more things. They realized life was more than just owning and left their corporate careers to chase their dreams of becoming authors and motivational speakers.

In addition to giving interviews and talks on Minimalism around the world, they have written multiple books on the subject.


Coco (LightbyCoco)

Photo from LightbyCoco's Twitter page

This girl puts the minimal in Minimalism.

I'll admit the first time I watched through all her videos (yes, all), my jaw (and so did my boyfriend's jaw) dropped to the floor at how little she owned. I will never de-clutter and purge to the extent that this woman has, but her lifestyle is incredibly inspirational.

Her YouTube channel and blog provides tips and advice for anyone planning to pursue Minimalism. She has replaced clutter and excess with a strong focus on her dream career, travelling, and building relationships with the people around her.

One of the most inspirational things about Coco is that her and her husband both adopted the Minimalist way. They taught me (indirectly) tips on how I should approach my relationship with my significant other and this idea of Minimalism has brought many a good discussion points between the two of us.


Cynthia (Inspiroue)

Photo from Inspiroue's Google+

Relatively new to the Minimalist game, Cynthia is how I wish I was as a young student. I am still a student now, but I wish Cynthia was around for me when I was younger.

Cynthia's channel focuses mainly on fashion and the concept of Capsule Wardrobes. She inspires me to focus on pieces of clothing that last and to walk away from clothing that may be fashionable at the time but may not translate (or last) years down the road. Quality is always better than quantity.


Aileen Xu (Lavendaire)

Photo from Lavendaire's blog

This girl is just a big ray of sunshine whenever a new video appears on my YouTube feed.

Aileen lives a Minimalist lifestyle and motivates me to save my money to travel and explore the world. In her daily life, she aims not to compromise fun in light of spending less.

She posts videos that not only inspire others to be a Minimalist, but she teaches us that the best way to achieve happiness is to start with oneself. Loving yourself and honing your creativity are just some of the ways Aileen teaches us to improve our lives. Truly inspirational!


I hope you like my shares for this week and that you check out these YouTubers' channels! Have a fantastic weekend!

[TT] Why I Want To Be A Minimalist

I was raised in an Asian household that believed that it was better to have than to not have. Although this is not a bad mantra to have, it also means that there is a propensity for my family to...hoard. One item came with a back up item, another item was kept purely because my parents could predict a possible use for it, when in reality, the chances of us actually using the item was slim.

Material items take up space. A lot of material items take up a lot of space. It started to become difficult to keep track of the things. Often, we bought more things thinking that we didn't have them. Valuables became excess, excess became mess.

I don't know when I began to realize that the mess and the excess was affecting me psychologically. I started to feel claustrophobic and like nothing was ever tidy enough or clean enough. This was when I decided I needed to purge some stuff.

In my search for motivation to purge, I found the idea of Minimalism. Inspired by Joshua Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, I realized that there was happiness to be found in freedom, especially freedom from putting too much emphasis on material goods. Alternatively, happiness should not come from owning a lot of stuff, but from finding meaning from what we do. I found that, personally, I could not find value in having too much clutter. (Read more about Minimalism here.)

I found that embracing the idea of minimalism influenced my decisions greatly, from walking away from something I previously would have said "I need this in my life" to motivating me to save money for experiences that I would otherwise never have if I had spent my money on material things.

This is only the beginning of my journey towards Minimalism, and although I will never become a hardcore Minimalist, like some, I can already see the benefits of the lifestyle.

[TT] Is It Okay To Not Know Everything?

"What the ****?"

"How could you not know that?"

"You're so stupid."

"Did you not go to school or something?"

Raise your hand if you've had anyone say any of the above or anything similar to you, 

or if you've ever said any of the above to another person.

My question for this Thought Thursday is whether it's really okay to not know things...or everything. In my short and sheltered life, I have come across situations where me or another knew little, or did not know at all, about something.

Take for example a friend of mine (apologies for not asking permission before disclosing this) who was stumped during a conversation about the Holocaust. He stopped the conversation to ask, "what's the Holocaust?" To which there was a brief silence before people, including myself, responded with things like, "you're joking, right," a few eye-rolls and a few sarcastic chuckles, followed by "how could you not know what the Holocaust is?"

Similarly, I was in a group discussion in school when I took an educated guess in response to a question. While the other members nodded at my participation, one group member interjected and ridiculed me for coming up with an answer that-she claimed-was not remotely close to being correct. That response not only made me angry, but diminished my spirit to engage in the discussion.

The issue is not that my friend did not know what the Holocaust was (because his school did not cover it as extensively as some) or whether my answer to the question was incorrect, but how people responded to it.

Have we come to an era in which it's okay to be judged or ridiculed for not knowing something? Have we already forgotten that people come from different walks of life and that what we know may not be what others know?

I have definitely learned to think twice before judging another person when they have answered a question incorrectly or asked about something they genuinely knew little or nothing about. What about you?