288: Twenty - Freaking - Seven

Funnier with Parents

When I celebrated my birthday for the past few years they were all written in here. Here's a post when I turned 24, 25, 26, and now I am writing for my 27th birthday. I like how different my entries were. It only says how much had changed in terms of my perspective, and how much had changed in how I celebrate my birthday. The older I get, I preferred a small audience, and this is just one of those things that had changed.

I decided that writing post-birthday celebration will be an annual habit, or an annual touch point of how I went for the past few months before I add another number to my age. Maybe it would be even wise to write down my wishes for myself (in spite of how ambitious they may sound), and see if I were brave enough to even pursue them, or I left them as a dream.

So how did my birthday exactly went? It went quietly. I celebrated my birthday with my parents. It's not that I have no friends to celebrate it with, but unfortunately, my birth date was sandwich in between working days so most of my friends were occupied. However, even if there were sans grand celebration of my big day I felt blessed to be able to celebrate them with my nanay and tatay. Besides, didn't they say that we create our own happiness?

This 27 years, all I wish for myself are the following:

• Continue persevering towards your dream. You've always wanted to bring to life the business that you were imagining so go on, bring it to life. You are creative, smart, and amazing, you'll win your customers, you'll make it.
• Stop thinking about how others perceives you while you try to shoot for the stars. You worry too much that people would think that you are arrogant, or ambitious to reach for it, but actually it's only you who were thinking about that. Besides, is their perception of you matters more than your dreams? Go, prove to people that you can achieve your dreams with your feet on the ground.
• Remember what Tony said? Focus on your personal values. In the end of the day it's not about the academic belts that you've gained, nor the position that you reach it's the values that you uphold that will take you farther in this life.
• Never forget God in the end of the day. Remember what st. Augustine said 'Pray like as if everything depends on God, and work like as if everything depends on You'. God is faithful, so stay on the course, keep believing, and continue to move on. God will not let your foot slip. He keeps His promise!

We can do it, Self! You, and I you're only 27, so go and let's conquer the world!

277: On my birthday and on Ignatian Spirituality

My good friend Monique is the first person to give me a cake. YAY.

I've turned 26 today! It's amazing to be 26, although at one second I realized I am 4 years away from reaching my 30th. There was some sort of an alarm when that thought crossed my mind. I hope by that time I have a wider experience in terms of life, career, and spirituality. There are many things that I am grateful for, but what I am ultimately grateful for is how my faith turned my life around. The drastic change with my relationship with God had made me feel at peace. There are still uncertainties with the future (of course) but I actually don't feel threatened, nor afraid for what the future awaits for me. What had helped me build my relationship is this book written by Fr. James Martin - The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything:

I accidentally saw this book in the religious section in a bookstore. What caught my attention is its title. I thought why not try to be inspired living life according to the teachings of St. Ignatius, besides he is the founder of Society of Jesus (Jesuits), and it's the religious order of Pope Francis?

There were so many revelations when I finished the book. The things that I learned in the book resonates so much with me that I want to carry the messages all through out my life, that's why in the picture you can see that I had written a lot of references.

What I love about the book is that it was written simply, and the examples that Fr. James Martin made it easy for me to relate to. The book taught me about the different approach of praying, how to see God in everything I do, handling relationship with others, being detach from things that does not lead me to God, and basically almost everything. This book helped me improve my relationship with God that led me to be at peace.

If you are wondering what's Ignatian spirituality, it's hard to lay out because it's huge, but here's how Fr. James Martin said about (Ignatian spirituality):

So if anyone asks you to define Ignatian spirituality in a few words, you could say that it is: Finding God in all things Becoming a contemplative in action Looking at the world in an incarnational way Seeking freedom and detachment.

 I definitely would recommend this if you want to be in relationship with God ala Jesuits style.  I am actually excited reading further. I really want to be closer to God as much as I can. :)

246: Turned 25!

Oh God. Run Faster Run!

Oh my God I just turned 25.

I literally had blurted this out the moment that I have realized that my clock had struck 12 o'clock earlier and my cellphone beeped greeting me "Happy Birthday". I'm not sure how others felt about their birthday. Yes, a huge feeling others probably felt is being grateful (which I am too -- by the way). Next, is the excitement you have people's attention. And a few numbers more.

But if you ask me, one of the feelings that came to me right after being grateful is the sense of hurry when I realized that 5 years from now, I'll be thirty. Oh my God, indeed.

I'm not sure if there's any rules on how to live their 25th life. But when you are the type of person who has certain goals --- like me every year is an added pressure. Don't get me wrong, the pressure is good. It just tells me to do more and to exert a few miles for my dreams and aspirations.

You might wonder why I exert that much effort? An acquaintance even once said that I shouldn't really shoot for the stars because it's my future husband who's going to do that for me. I was taught on a all girls school where we were taught to be independent. I have learned that I cannot put my faith on my future on someone else's hands. If I want a better life, I have to create one.

Happy 25th self.

198: It's a Celebration!

I have an amazing birthday celebrations. CELEBRATIONS. You can't imagine how incredibly happy I was during those moment, and by those moment I wished that the day never ended.

I know I have ranted that I have a hate/love relationship with my birth month because I feel obligated treating everyone I know. I have to say, this month may have been quite taxing when it comes to budgeting (considering that I have to throw 3 different celebration and a foreign trip), but I have no regrets. The happiness that it had brought me was priceless.

In my life, I have never celebrated my birthday and I'm glad that I did this time. Besides, the feeling of utter bliss, I feel loved.
                                                                               

♥

On my 1st celebration, I celebrated my "birthday salubong" with my college best buddies. We've hanged out on my friend's condo, watched a movie, and ate at Mercato (Boni high). The laughter we've shared never gets old. How many times have we talked about our college memories, and yet we always end up laughing at it? - Always. We had a good time together, and it's just then that I realized how much we missed each other's company. I can't wait for another get-together. :)

Second, was a date with my good friend, Ruby. Ruby is one of my wonderful friends, she always has a story to tell. I never get bored when I am with her. And she makes it a point that we meet before I take my vacation. hehe! For two hours, we never stop blabbing. hahaha.

Third, was a celebration that was held in the office. A Hat themed party! It was fun. But it could have been more fun if we were able to push through with parlor games (I think!) but it was fun nonetheless. My amazing friends: Oskie, Tin Tin, and Issa and the rest of my teammates were kind and amazing enough to help me throw a memorable party. 

And you know I don't want to sound trite, but indeed: happiness is priceless. I have - no doubt - would go back paying and celebrating my birthday over and over again. Thanks to my wonderful friends because it would have never been that amazing without them.

BTW, first mission accomplished: I wore and started wearing dress. I wore a dress on my birthday celebration hahaha! :)

195: Birthday Month!

Picture from Epsos.De

What do you look forward to this month? Seriously, I never had an exciting month as far as I can remember. You see, first, March is my birth month. I usually dread it ~ not because I'm ungrateful ~ but because of the obligatory birthday celebrations. I must admit, I'm heck stingy so yeah I feel obligated treating everyone I knew. Plus, I'm a trying hard entertainer! I feel like I have to entertain every guest I have, in which is one of my weakest. I know you must think, why give in? The thing is I feel bad about not celebrating ... so yeah, March usually is a love/hate month for me.

But this month, is one of my firsts! This is the first time that I will be going out of the country on my own! It's actually a bit of a surprise. I thought that my sister would accompany me going to Singapore, when I had booked everything for myself, she then announced that I'll be on my own. You cannot imagine how much I have ranted about going out of the country on my own.

Honestly, going out without a company is a little intimidating considering that I easily get threatened to unfamiliarities. But since I've been telling myself to 'go, enjoy life at its fullest' I thought why not. It will be a heck of an adventure to travel alone. It must be.

Aside from my travel adventure, I took the opportunity to join my sister's Worldventures travel club. I'm not much of a travel geek but then travelling seemed to be essential in our life. If I really wanted to rally discovery and exploration in my life, travelling the globe should be in my top list. Who knows, I might end up being a travel writer. That sounds good, right? And going out of the country every now and then, enjoying the different environment should be good for my soul. So why not?

I've never been this excited looking forward to my birthday celebration, because I can feel there's a lot of things to discover ... a lot of things to look forward to come my 24th birthday.

So you my faceless reader, have you tried going out of the country on your own? If you do, what are you experiences? Let's talk!

36: Birthday blue.

By any means, I want to write how my birthday went. My birthday was not out of extraordinary but it was rather celebrated with simplicity. The morning went with greetings from my colleagues; 2 boxes of pizza; and surprisingly a banana cake was included.

Then afternoon came with a surprise that made my birthday complete. I woke up with a message from my friend sharing me that information. That news was the highlight of my birthday.

Anyhow, to say, I'm not really the birthday kind of person. I am thankful, but I don't fuss that much about it. I think a simple prayer with a simple gathering (preferably with family) was the only thing that I need. I hate crowds. I just want to be alone with my prayers.

But of course, I know ... a celebration is at hand.

sigh.