random thoughts

Finally, I can blog. Been wanting to write … for the past weeks but then something was holding me back … Jyou see, I am enrolled in an online class again … and I have too many backlogs since I skipped one class when I went to Baguio for the RLTC! Hmmm … actually, come to think of it … I skipped one class but I had about two weeks backlog! It’s that lazy bone in me again!!! Hate when that happens! I don’t know … I’ve been very lazy lately … and I cannot afford to be lazy, at least not yet – it’s not January yet! hehe Hmmm … I didn’t explain why I cannot blog … here goes …  J … I cannot blog since I feel guilty blogging if I have two weeks worth of ‘reacting’ due in my online class! It’s not entirely the same though … blogging and ‘blabbing’ here is different , way different from reading business articles (one article was 16 pages long!!!), understanding them (important!) and then posting reactions and/or answering the teacher’s questions! Yeah, it was hard and for the past few days, I just can’t seem to catch up … but last night … I finally did! Zero backlog – all requirements passed! Jhehe … at least until the next online session next week! J but I have one day of free-dom … and I will spend it blogging!

So what’s been happening with me? Will do a laundry list update of my life … haha! As if that interests people … but since you are in fact, reading this … then I guess you care and interested?! … or the least bit curious what I will write this time! J

Anywho, like already mentioned … I went to Baguio together with eight other brothers and sisters from Lingkod Cavite to attend the 2008 RLTC (Regional Leaders Training Conference). I won’t really share every single thing that happened in Baguio … but one thing is for sure, I came down refreshed and re-energized in my service! Maybe it’s just a high feeling, those typical post-retreat emotional high … but I don’t care … I will take emotional high vs. wrung out and dry anytime! It’s a bonus and the experience is something I can claim and go back to whenever the feeling actually wears out and I’m down in the dumps! J It does happen pretty often for me … the down in the dumps, I mean … so giddy happy and emotional high is good! J  I didn’t really accomplish some of the things I went there for … (like find a boyfriend –- KIDDING! hehe) … I wasn’t close to getting my life question answers … but the process of getting grounded and going back to God started … so that’s good … in fact, really good! I now have my still-not-regular-but getting-there prayer time … one that I’ve desperately tried to fix so many times before but for some odd reason I can’t … but now … it’s better! It’s a work in progress, but way better! J

The week after RLTC, I attended another seminar … this time it’s the Foundations of Leadership Excellence seminar given by OCCI (haha … I forgot what OCCI stands for and I cannot find my manual … J) … it was a two full-day seminar over the weekend. Main things I learned (and it’s also a work in progress, since they still have two more tracks, the ALC (Advance Leadership Course) and the LEAP for the complete experience … ) … I learned to be more aware, more in tune of how I react to things … that I have control over what my reactions will be to different scenarios … that negative stimuli, doesn’t automatically result to a negative response … I can actually make a choice on how I should respond … even a split second choice! Jpowerful realization yet very practical! I used to blame people for what happened/happens to me … but now, I know that a lot … hmmm, all! … of the things happening around me, I can probably not fully control, but I can control my reactions to them! I always have a choice! JI can’t really articulate everything that I am feeling right now … I just know that there’s a stirring within my soul to become a better person … to become the best version of myself … to become the best person that God created me to be! Hmmm … tough I know, but I really think that’s the only way to go! I really don’t want to live a half-life … a life that’s only good enough … I want to live the best life I can live … J

Hmmm … brief interlude … my blogging stopped as I chatted with Odette on the phone first … it’s been awhile since I talked to Odette and she forwarded to me the link to her blogsite again … she’s into cooking and baking … and it was inspiring how she discovered her passion in the last year … I’ve known Odette since 2002 and we became roommates and we were together in Israel … I’ve known her all that time and I wouldn’t have imagined her doing all the things she’s doing now … again, inspiring and amazing! Jhmmm … makes me think about my own passion … thinking … still thinking! J … That’s one of my struggles actually …  only few people are blessed with the epiphany of knowing early on what they’re good at and what they really really want! Odette I guess found her calling … J me, still discerning! J

What else is happening? I will be 33 in a few days … (20-13!) … I remember my pre-30 blog before … I wanted to write a blog daily until I hit my 30^th! J Well, I didn’t do it … maybe posted two or three blogs but that’s it … now, I don’t intend to welcome my 33^rd with blogging … so what will I welcome it with? The Q3 incentive bonus would be good … and it has the perfect timing … but sad to say, that was budgeted already to pay my debts! L  … I can probably save around Php5K of it to treat myself to a nice shoes or a nice dress … hmmm, I already bought that as well! Jhehe Hmmm … I actually had the perfect, low-budget idea! JI arranged for a Gawad Kalinga build this coming weekend … will spend my birthday with friends building in the GK Munting Paraiso site … J that will be the first time actually that I will be doing outreach for my birthday and I’m excited!  The idea came to me few weeks back and I think it’s a pretty inspired one … er … I was only joking about the low-budget one … I will be feeding the people going there, don’t worry! Jhehe

So there … a four-paragraph summary of my life in the last few weeks! i think it’s a pretty boring and relatively serious read … J I guess that’s what my life has been like in the past weeks … boringly serious! J  hehe … well, I did leave out the juicy parts … (haha! … there were juicy parts?!!!) … :)  well, I think winning the Level A Mixed Doubles in badminton last week was juicy enough …  I didn’t have that much bragging rights though … Emong was my partner … and I think someone who hasn’t played badminton before partnered with Emong will win championships … maybe not level A … but still! Jhehehe