Life Lessons Lessons Learned On My Way To Getting There 1:25 PM If you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are, and if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know where you’re going. And if you need to know where you’re going, you’re probably going wrong. -Terry Pratchett Sometimes, it’s easy to feel like life is passing you by. One day you wake up and realize that most of your peers are now getting on with their adult lives, getting married, and having babies. And here you are...still drunk in love with your being single. It could be terrifying when negative thoughts start to enter your mind. When people make you question your choices, you begin to also doubt yourself. That is if you don’t have a solid conviction of who you really are, what you want, and where you are going. On my way to getting there, I’ve learned how to make the journey light, and I’m sharing it here with you. 1. Know exactly what you want. Where exactly is your ‘there’? Living without goals is like driving without direction. You keep on going around in circles. You don’t get anywhere simply because you don’t know where you’re heading. If you know exactly what you want, you can change your strategies or change your timetable and still know it’s okay because you haven’t forgotten your destination. You have a clear vision of where you’re going so you don’t go astray. You may have stopovers or detours, but keep your eyes on the prize. What do you really want to do, and where do you want to go? Giphy 2. Be friends with people from all walks of life. Younger friends are fun to be with because their excitement and curiosity are contagious. They keep you young and updated. Friends who are about your age share the same sentiments. You can share notes about your past experiences, struggles, and plans. They are your reality check. Friends who are more mature or are ahead of you in this life journey could be amazing life mentors. They will guide you and help you avoid making the same mistakes they did. Entrepreneurs have different mindsets and lifestyles from people in the workforce. See things from different perspectives by forming friendships with business owners and employees. Every person you meet has a story, and their story comes with lessons for you to learn. Giphy 3. Do something today that your future self will thank you for.They say money speaks only one language. “If you save me today, I will save you tomorrow.”Learn how to manage your finances. The people who laugh at your frugal ways will one day come to you and ask you for help. (True story!) Take care of your health and secure your future. Learn how to be truly rich. Enjoy the present, but don’t forget to save some for tomorrow. You don’t want to be begging for money when you’re too old or maybe too sick to work. Yes, YOLO! But you only live once, so you might as well not live miserably, right? That piece of steak looks good, but is it really worth it when you know you’re putting your life at risk? Not to mention the debilitating effect of the meat industry on the environment and, of course, the suffering of the animals just for you to get your plate of juicy steak. Your future self will thank you for your choices today. Choose selflessly and wisely for your health, the planet you live on, and the future. Giphy 4. Travel more. Visit a new place. Traveling changes your perspective. You realize that you are a tiny speck in the vast universe. Your primary concern, like your change of career, what other people would think, not having a date for Valentine’s, not having enough clothes in your closet, or not getting the latest gadget, will become insignificant. CALVIN: If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live much differently. HOBBES: How so? CALVIN: Well, when you look into infinity, you realize that there are more important things than people do all day. Imgur 5. Help someone. Your job title, the trophies, and the rewards you received may be impressive and could give you euphoria. But there is a different kind of high when you give without expecting anything in return. Help someone who is not capable of giving you back. At least not directly. Because kindness begets kindness. The love (or hate) you give will eventually come back to you. Have you ever been a part of a ministry and witnessed God’s work through people helping other people? You will be amazed. Giphy 6. Let go. You can never enjoy the present if you keep looking back at the past. As you age, you realize that some dreams are worth pursuing and others are not your dreams but someone’s plans for you, like your parents. Let go of the people who are holding you back. Let go of your excess baggage to make your journey getting there easier and lighter. What are the things that are weighing you down? Is it guilt? Forgive yourself and ask for forgiveness. Confess. Is it an addiction? Seek help. Is it your inner critic? Learn how to silence it. Is it worrying about what people would say? Why does it matter anyway? Is it the limitation you set yourself? Change your mindset. Is it a toxic lifestyle? Learn how to live healthily and live happily. Is it fear? Do it afraid. Is it your lavish ways? Simplify. Giphy Sometimes you get to your dreams fast, and sometimes you face detours. Sometimes on your way to reaching your goals, you realize life is more than just about pursuing a career and living according to society's dictates. Sometimes you get lost and find a better dream, and sometimes you see...a better you. I’m getting to my next chapter. Just taking it slow, enjoying each step, but getting there. How about you? Where are you going? What lessons have you learned on your way to getting there?
Lux Thinking Aloud Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy 10:31 AM You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. -C. JoyBell C. As I grow older, there are crazy things I had to quit to be crazy happy. I have zero regrets in doing so. Are there things that are stopping you from living a life filled with joy? Quit them before it's too late. Don't get me wrong. I'm a believer of keeping on. That is, keeping on with the good things and chasing dreams. When it comes to the negative stuff, I am a quitter. Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy Quit crying over spilled milk When things are over and done, there's no use holding on to it. When an opportunity has passed and you failed to grab it, you'll never get it back by still wishing you should have or thinking about the what ifs. Should have, could have, what if. Simple phrases with a lot of weight to carry. Quit crying over spilled milk. You can always buy another. 😛 "Kids, you can't cling to the past. Because no matter how tightly you hold on, it's already gone." -How I Met Your Mother Giphy Quit living my parents' dreams for me I don't want to cause my folks any headache, so I let them choose my career for me. But in doing so, I was slowly killing my own purpose. Needless to say, I was miserable. You can never be happy living other people's dreams, even when you're doing it for your loved ones. That's because you have a different calling. Your heart wants to lead you somewhere else. Claiming other people's dreams as your own buries your calling deep down that when you finally want to do what you really want...it will take a long time to dig it out. You'll be walking around thinking, "But what do I want? What am I supposed to do?" So a friendly reminder to parents: let your kids discover what they're good at, nurture their gifts, and support their ambitions. Because whatever it is that they keep envisioning for themselves and gives them fire in the belly, that's what they're meant to do. That's their anointing. That's their purpose. You have no idea how much they can accomplish if you let them follow their passion. Giphy Quit waiting for things to happen I've delayed a lot of things and had to choose option B many times because I needed to wait. I needed to wait for someone to be available or I had to wait for the "perfect" timing. I've allowed stress into my life by beating the deadline because I've waited for inspiration to strike. I've waited for people to pay back money they borrowed when they obviously have no intentions to do so. I've waited for someone to accompany when I can totally go on my own. I've waited for apologies from people who never showed regrets. Waiting for things to happen is wasting precious time. It will drain you in the long run. Let go of things you can't control and make peace with yourself instead. Forgive yourself for waiting and for stealing your own joy by doing so. Giphy Quit chasing people Chasing people includes forcing myself to be friends with people who obviously don't want me involved in their lives. Some people may play an important role in a certain episode of your life, but you don't need them until the season finale to complete your story. Quit chasing them! If they want to be in your life, they will make an effort to be. Two things you will never have to chase: True friends & true love. -Mandy Hale Giphy Quit taking crap from others There's a very fine line between kindness and stupidity. The more you some people kindness the more they abuse you instead of appreciating and reciprocating your kindness. You have to accept the fact that there is goodness in everyone, but some people chose a different path. They've made their choice. Now, make yours. In this tough, cruel, wicked world (I like to be dramatic sometimes), you need to stand your ground or you'll be trampled over. When life pushes you around you have to push back. Quit settling I'm done settling for mediocrity. I'm done settling for second best. I'm done settling for a high paying job but is slowly turning me into a zombie. I'm done settling with housemates from hell, with friends who are pulling me down and hinders me from becoming more. I'm done settling with "just fine". I'm done accepting measly pays for my writing gigs. Giphy Quit toxic people Surrounding yourself with gossiping, procrastinating, condescending people will make you like them too. I'm not comfortable doing these things. I don't see myself doing the same things in the years to come. So I cut my ties with them. And boy, what a weight lifted off my shoulder. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. -Jim Rohn Giphy Quit being hard on myself I used to always blame myself when things don't go well. Even in relationships where it takes two to tango, I always thought it's solely my fault. Are you still wondering why this post is called Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy? I was crazy! Giphy Quit fixing things and people I tried to fix people who are otherwise happy with where they are no matter how messed up their lives are. I tried to make them see reason. I tried to mend broken relationships and in the process, I drained myself empty. But what's crazier is that I'v met a lot of people who are doing the same thing. This disorder is rampant. I think it's universal. We need to quit it quick. Giphy Quit fighting every battle I used to be feisty. It seems there's not a fight I would surrender to. I was fierce. Obviously, I was always exhausted and preoccupied with unnecessary things. I have little time left for self-improvement. I've realized that walking away from a fight is not cowardice, it's courage. Choosing which battle to fight is not lack of bravery, it's boldness. And some people just don't deserve your time and attention. Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience. -Mark Twain Tenor Quit eating meat This is an ongoing argument in the society. And I know I mentioned here on the blog a few years ago that I went back to eating burger. But I've changed. Dare I say it, I am more enlightened now. Since I've originally written this article in 2016, a lot of things happened. From a happy carefree single gal, I got married. I quit my full time high paying job to freelance. I've traveled to different places I used to just dream about. And my dogs made me a better soon. They proved to me that animals are intelligent, sentient, kind and capable of showing love and loyalty. Sometimes, they're better than some humans. 🤷 I realized that if I will not support killing of dogs for food because they are family, why do I continue to support the torture and killing of other animals just so I can satisfy my cravings? If I will not allow anyone to hurt my dogs, why do I patronize businesses that test on animals, or use animals as commodity? It didn't make sense to say I love the planet, I support causes for the environment and I love animals when I have a dead animal part on my plate. Going vegan goes beyond diet. It's a lifestyle. It's not a hype that will go passé in the future. The future is vegan. Being vegan is about quitting cruelty and choosing compassion and kindness. I quit meat not because I'm crazy but because it's crazy to support the killing of animals for my palate's satisfaction. I quit meat because I love the earth...especially the animals. Giphy I didn't realize how crazy things in my life were making me miserable then. It took me years to finally let go most of them. I had to for the sake of my sanity. And because I have finally allowed God to fix me, and allowed myself to heal from my brokenness that caused me to do these crazy things. Loving myself more means I need to quit the things that are not contributing to my well being. I'm a quitter. And I am a damn happy one. What crazy things do you think you need to quit to be crazy happy? Gifs from Google images.
Dogs 4 Reasons Why Dogs Are The Best 9:24 AM Why Dogs Are The Best Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them is wrong.-W.R. Purche We have 17 dogs at home. 17 fluffy, crazy, zooming fluffy balls.It's crazy. But you know what? They're worth the money spent on vet visits, food, medicines, and grooming...The time and effort to clean after them...And waking up at 3am because they need to go or a leaf moved and it spooked them. 😄Because...Nothing compares to the loyalty and love of dogs. Dogs are indeed a man's best friend.They are friends for life.Dogs are simply the best and here are 4 reasons why.4 Reasons Why Dogs Are The Best1. Dogs can cheer you up Stress is inevitable. But you don't need a shrink if you have dogs. Just hug your dogs. Or join them in their crazy games. Their silly antics are enough to turn your frown upside down. 2. Dogs are great protectors Dogs see you as part of their pack. And they will give their lives protecting their own. 3. Dogs are loyal friends When the world turns its back on you, you can count on your dog to stay.There are stories about dogs not leaving their humans when tragedy happens, asking for help when a family member or another animal is in trouble or injured, and even sleeping on their human's grave for days. Do you know Hachiko? His story of loyalty left the world amazed. He's immortalized with a statue. One of our dogs died and his best pal stopped eating for days. He wouldn't sleep. He would sit and look at the part of the yard where we buried his friend. We even caught him lying beside it. Only when we let one of the new puppies play with him every day did he start to recover and cheer up. 4. Dogs can teach us lessons in life Dogs bite their enemies but they stay loyal to their friends. They show kindness to humans and to other animals that will put the self-righteous to shame. They're selfless, unconditional, and all-out when it comes to giving their love. Looking to their innocent eyes is a great reminder of what matters most in life. If forcing your dogs to take selfies is a crime, then I'm guilty. My phone is full of dog pictures, videos, and our selfies together. Taking selfies with your dogs? Which OPPO #SelfieExpert smartphone produces the best selfies? OPPO is no doubt the #SelfieExpert smartphone. But which OPPO smartphone is the best choice in taking selfies with your dogs? OPPO F3 There's Oppo F3. It has a dual front camera. One 16MP camera with extra-large pixels and one double view group selfie camera. So that's perfect for either taking selfies with one dog or taking a group selfie with all 17 dogs. Although in my experience, that's quite impossible as it's so hard to keep them still when they're together. But then OPPO F3 has a Palm Shutter that helps make it easy to take that snap. It also has an anti-shake feature so even when you can't hold your dog still while holding the camera, you'll still be able to get a clear and crisp photo that's ultra HD. The rear camera is 13MP that lets you get awesome night shots even during late-night selfie sessions with your dogs (I take photos of them sleeping beside me too). The thing about having dogs is that you don't only bring your essentials when you go out, you also bring theirs. So the lightweight, thin and sleek design is perfect to bring along during leisurely walks, going to the vet, or running errands. Having dogs will make you alert. You should always be on your toes. OPPO F3 has advanced upgraded touch access that's fast, accurate, and responsive. So no time is wasted trying to unlock your phone when another epic moment happens. You'll surely capture it! OPPO A39 OPPO 39 uses a front camera with extra-large 1.4um pixels and a 1/4-inch sensor. They have higher light sensitivity and frame rate, so you take stunningly beautiful photos. It also enables brilliant night shots with its 13MP rear camera. It's also lightweight at 147G and has a handsome arc edge design. Its 5.2-inch 2.5D HD screen is easy on the eyes. You can store as many selfies with 32GB RAM 32GB ROM. That solves the problem of not having enough space. It makes taking unstoppable selfies possible. If you're out with your dog for a long time, you don't have to worry about the battery. That's a 2900mAh battery. Both OPPO F3 and OPPO A39 have Beautify 4.0 that makes an already great selfie even more stunning. Each has its own unique and impressive qualities. Personal pick Honestly, it is tough to choose. But...Considering that we have more than just one dog and it's always been an epic fail to try to take a group selfie with them, I'd go for OPPO F3 on this one. If only to solve the predicament of taking a group selfie with all 17 dogs. Agree? Do you have a dog? Why do you think they're the best? Which OPPO #SelfieExpert smartphone do you think will produce the best selfie? Update: Because of this article, I won an OPPO F3 phone. Thank you OPPO Philippines and Nuffnang Ph!
Life Lessons I Choose To Be Happy And 7 Beautiful Choosing Happiness Quotes 5:32 PM I Choose To Be Happy Disappointments are inevitable. Misery is optional. -Joel Osteen I choose to be happy. As Alice Morse Earle said, "Every day may not be good... but there's something good in every day." I choose to be happy. That comes from someone who has been chummy with Loneliness for quite a long time. This is a choice made by a girl who grew up thinking she'll never be enough. I chose to be happy even when my heart was broken to a million pieces again and again. I chose to be happy even when I failed in investments more than I could count. I choose to be happy even when some days are gloomy and some nights are long.I choose to be happy even when I feel empty. It's so easy to fall into misery. You try to be loyal, but there will be a person---a family member, a friend, or the one you're in a relationship with---who will betray your trust and destroy you. It's painful. It's okay to be angry for a time. That's part of healing. What you can feel, you can heal. Grieve. Be furious. Cry. And then learn to let go. We heal at our own pace. What's important is that you choose happiness over bitterness.If you want to keep happy memories forever, custom stickers are the best gifts for yourself. You can stick them anywhere and be in good spirits. Custom stickers with any words, shapes, materials, and colors are available for you! Why should you choose to be happy?It's not right to punish yourself for someone's mistakes. It's not fair to suffer the consequences of their choices. It's not wise to drag yourself down to their level of misery. Sometimes you work hard for your goals, but you see that it's given to someone undeserving. When this happens, choose to be happy still. Maybe the door for that opportunity closed because there's another one waiting. Something better. Can you choose to be happy?Yes. Always choose to be happy because the world is full of wondrous things, endless opportunities, and boundless possibilities.You can't miss them just because you're too busy looking down. Too defeated to look up and see the beauty around you. I chose to be happy because it's the most selfless, generous, liberating, and kindest gift I could give myself. I chose to be happy because it's a wise decision to make I chose to be happy because I know I deserve no less. Happiness is a choice. I am happy because I choose to be. How about you? What are you choosing today? 7 Beautiful Quotes About Choosing Happiness1. Life is going by. Don't waste a minute being negative, offended, or bitter. Choose to be happy. - Joel Osteen2. When you get up in the morning, you have two choices - either to be happy or to be unhappy. - Norman Vincent Peale3. Very little is needed to make a happy life. - Marcus Aurelius4. Happiness already exists in your life. All you need to do is tune into it. And you can start doing that right now. - Anthon St. Maarten5. The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. -Russell M. Nelson6. It’s so important to realize that every time you get upset, it drains your emotional energy. Losing your cool makes you tired. Getting angry a lot messes with your health. - Joyce Meyer7. I can choose either to be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It’s all a question of how I view my life. - Paulo Coelho
Fashion & Style Fake Reviews For Babyonlinedress 10:19 PM I'm exposing offers I've received to post fake reviews for Babyonlinedress and other fashion brands like 27dress, Luvyle, Joracon, Stylewe, Shoespie, Lukalula. I think that all these brands are under the same management because if you check their websites, they have some similar items in their galleries and sometimes use the same email. If you're an online shopper like me, online reviews matter---a lot! So imagine my surprise and exasperation when I got an offer to post false reviews for certain fashion brands at a very cheap price. That is a double offense for me. First, as a blogger who work hard and is passionate about my mission to influence. Second, as a consumer who wants to get value for the hard earned money I spend on the items I buy. I posted about this on trusted review sites exposing the fraudulence behind these brands. It irks me to see that they are still receiving 5-star reviews. These supposed satisfied customers are not only raving about the dresses they received, but are claiming that the 1-star reviews are fake. They're making it look like we are the liars and we are only doing it "maybe because of grudge against the company" as one review says. Giphy So here I am not only warning you but also showing evidence that I have received offers to post a fake review from these companies through email. When I was just starting on my blog, I received banner ad requests from a lot of fashion brands. Little did I know that a few months later, some of these brands would come back and ask to work for another project with them again. A fraud one! I feel sorry for their victims who claimed that: they never received the item they received something that does not look anything like the item in the photo or nobody is answering their call or email asking for a refund Fake Reviews for Babyonlinedress and other Brands Click individual photos to read better I have warned some close friends and the wedding group I joined on FB about these brands: Babyonlinedress 27dresses Just Fashion Now Stylewe Popjulia Joracon Shoespie Luvyle Lukalula Selaros But I feel like it is my obligation to warn everyone I could reach and appeal to my fellow bloggers or online influencers to please, please, PLEASE not accept the offer. Because sadly, there are those who agree in exchange for a few dollars. I am hopeful though that there are still people out there whose credibility cannot be bought. As I've said here before, somehow blogging transcends from being just a hobby to being an extension of our lives. It is our online presence. It reflects who we are. Anyway, I will let these screenshots be proof enough that these brands are making money out of deception. Babyonlinedress' offer to post fake reviews 27dress' offer to post fake reviews They forgot to BCC the recipients on their email. This message was sent to 73 recipients including myself and sad to say, some responded that they are interested. Luvyle's offer to post fake reviews I had a feeling that this was another fraud offer judging from the many requirements and the low budget so I asked for more details. And I was right! Shoespie's offer to post fake reviews This is the first company to offer me a fake review Joracon's offer to post fake reviews Stylewe's offer to post fake reviews Update! These companies just never stop. Now their approach is offering a content writing job. I've received another email to post a fake review (as content writing job) on reputable review sites. I contacted Trustpilot, Sitejabber and other review sites and they are thankful for my exposé. They have been working internally on how to avoid and filter fake reviews which makes me happy. Because that means they're taking these frauds as seriously as I am. For my wedding, I bought my bridesmaids dresses online based on a recommendation from the Facebook group I've been a member of for a while now. So I understand the importance of reviews. How can we tell now which ones are real and which ones are false? I wish I have the correct answer. What you can do Buying online is a huge risk. Especially if the item is for a major event or special occasion and doesn't come cheap. My advice then to avoid becoming a victim of these fraud companies is to: Do your own research. That's why I posted this because in case you're looking for proof if you could trust the 5-star reviews you see, here it is. Ask around. When I was doing research for wedding suppliers, I didn't only read the reviews but I also contacted those who posted a bad review and asked if their issue has been resolved or not. I also asked friends if they have a personal experience with the company or know someone who does. Trust your gut. If you think it's too good to be true, it probably is. Follow your intuition. If something's not right, don't buy. Buy from physical store. As much as possible, buy from a store where you can see the actual product. At least you know if there is a problem right away and you can go back if you need a refund or exchange. I understand the convenience of online shopping. I've bought stuff online too. In the past, I have also worked with some brands. But I see to it that I post an objective review even when I received the item for free. I would always add the disclaimer that all opinions are my own. At the end of the day, my blog is not just for me to express my thoughts and rants about life and love. It is not just for sharing my experiences and travels. It's my service to others. The least I could do in exchange for the time you give me by reading my posts is to be as honest and real to you as possible. I hope you find this review before you buy from any of these brands. Are you also buying online? How do you distinguish a genuine review from a fake one?
