Listicle Post-birthday Reflection: 5 Life Lessons 12:31 AM And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows! -Audrey Hepburn My actual birthday came and went like an ordinary day. Uneventful for "normal partying society" standards. But I've never really been a part of that society. A few days before my birthday, I traveled with my sister. It was a 5-hour trip, but I loved it. First off, I love exploring new places. This city is super simple: no cabs, no huge malls, and honestly, the spots we wanted are within walking distance. It's the most relaxed trip I've ever had, especially since I usually go to islands and beaches for that chill vibe. Bonus: I got to see Michael Jackson's This Is It for the nth time in the hotel room. Hurrah! The day before my birthday, my sister and I hit up our town square for our favorite hotcake—hard to find anywhere else. We were so excited, like kids again. We savored our under-a-dollar hotcake, laughed remembering childhood stuff, and enjoyed the familiar vibe of the place. If those weren't grand advanced birthday celebrations, I don't know what is. So on my birthday, while I was eating rocky road ice cream in our kitchen, I thought of these five lessons as my post-birthday reflection. Post-birthday Reflection 1. You don't have to wait for an occasion or special day to make epic happen. Every day you wake up is special. Because every time you're able to open your eyes in the morning (or night if you work graveyard shifts) is reason enough to celebrate. So go travel whenever you want. Go eat something special. Celebrate anytime. 2. Dreams do come true.Some of my dreams from back then, like working comfortably in my pajamas, writing for a broader audience (and getting paid for it), investing in the stock market regularly, and traveling MORE, to name a few, are now a reality. A few more are on their way. It took a while, but I finally got here. God has been faithful to me even during times I was not. 3. Stick to your goals, but be flexible with your game plan. Life will not always cooperate with you. The enemy will try to delay your God-ordained destiny. But that's all he can do. He will never be able to take away your calling. So when it seems your plans are falling apart, take heart. It's just a detour, not a dead end. 4. There may be a lot of hate, but there is also so much love. I may not be the same goody two-shoes I used to be, but I am still swimming in an ocean of blessings. On my birthday, I got so many well wishes and heartfelt messages from family and friends. My heart flutters with joy when people close to my heart honor me, thank me for random things, and express their love for me. My love tank overflows. There may be a lot of hating, war, and chaos going on around the world right now, but love is still alive. Love is still around. Love is still as powerful as it was. 5. Growing old is inevitable, but growing up is optional. Need I say more? It's been a crazy year. I don't post everything but I swear it was a bumpy ride. A lot of changes happened, a lot of major and dare I say it, "adult" decisions were made before I turned another year. If you'll ask me what got me through, I'll give you one cheesy answer. It's love. Love from the Almighty, love from the people around me, love from our dogs (so pure and so sweet), love for myself. It's cliche, but it's true. Love will always pull you through. Grand celebration or intimate moment, the important thing to remember on your birthday is to remain grateful for what you have and hopeful for what you're still aiming for. So thank you, universe. And yes, I'm ready for more.
Lux Thinking Aloud A Scary Kind Of Calmness: Faith in God 5:00 PM She does not fear bad news; she confidently trusts the Lord to take care of her. -Psalm 112:7 There's a scary kind of calmness in me. My life is far from perfect. If you look at it from the world's perspective, many things are missing. And I don't know if I should be scared or worried that I might just be procrastinating or something, because I feel so... calm. Like, even when things aren't perfect — I get exhausted from working, I get bored, I get sick, my body clock is ticking a little more loudly. Still I feel at peace inside. Not everything's going my way. Traffic is still dreadful. Income tax is still a burden. Zac Efron is dating someone. Ugh! There might be a storm outside, but I'm perfectly calm inside. The right people, circumstances, and opportunities come to me effortlessly. Sometimes I have to pause and ask myself if I'm dreaming. It feels unreal to be blessed this much. I don't know what to make of this scary kind of calmness in me. I don't know if it's normal. I just know I'm unperturbed by the chaos around me. I think that's a good thing. Don't you?
Dating Strangers Again 5:30 PM Strangers Again How can you look at the same familiar eyes and not see the person you used to know... and love? Strangers Again One moment it seems as if nothing can separate you from this one person, and the next moment, you're strangers again. All good times are gone, and all promises vanished. It's sad when you see two people share their lives; laughter, secrets, and special and ordinary moments...Then one day, completely ignore one another. Like total strangers. The world around them is oblivious.Unaware that these two strangers who are avoiding each others' eyes, acting as if they don’t know one another used to share a world of their own that no one else can join in. Strange. Curious. How can you look at the same familiar eyes and not see the person you used to know... and love? Is he still there somewhere?Does he remember?Was it all a bad dream?Everything that happened feels like ages ago, so long that you start to wonder if it was even real. What of those who have been a huge part of your life, your plans for the future, you've given your all to, but whom life wouldn't allow you to be with anymore? What happens when your paths cross again? Do you keep ignoring one another until you've totally forgotten that certain phase in your life when you had each other? Until you both become a blurry memory that you’ll soon forget?Do all happy beginnings have to end with you being strangers again?
Fashion & Style A Dazzling Thank You Giveaway For You 5:00 PM You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. -Buddha Christmas is almost here!!! Giphy I love receiving presents, but I get a kick in giving too. It's my love language. That’s why I couldn’t say no when I saw an opportunity to give back to my lovely blog readers and visitors who for a year (and even longer for some), never got tired of wasting a few minutes of their time to read my written thoughts here.THANK YOU! Your comments, shares and messages in my inbox means the world to me. Now that I’m done with my dramatic speech, let’s proceed to the fun part! Last Halloween, A Touch of Dazzle gave away a gorgeous Halloween Floating Charm Locket and a gift card. I’m partnering with them again. This time, they’re giving away this superb Christmas Charms Locket. This contest is closed. Congrats Johna J! A Dazzling Thank You Gift For You Amazon is restrictive on jewelry shipping internationally, so this contest is only for US residents. You may add this to your list of presents for your loved ones or reserve it to that special person who’s worked so hard this year and deserves a reward---you! I’m sure it’s been a year of highs and lows (I read your blogs too!) and getting this far is not as easy as it seems. You deserve a lovely treat. These gifts are perfect for you! Happy Christmas, everyone!
Books Villains Are Lost Heroes 7:05 AM Where there is anger, there is always pain underneath. -Eckhart Tolle Villains are lost heroes. At least most of them are. Read the life stories of famous villains and you will realize that they’re just normal (or supernatural) beings who went through something that changed the course of their lives. Sometimes it’s a traumatic and devastating event. Sometimes it’s loss and heartbreak. It could be betrayal. It could be too much pushing around and getting tired of being misunderstood. Here’s a look at some lost heroes we know: Loki (Thor) He's always wanted to make his father proud. He wanted to be a king, but his father wanted his brother Thor to take over his throne. He finds this hard to accept because he believes he's more capable and worthy (or been wanting to be good but no one but his mother notices or appreciates). Electro (Spiderman) He was a hardworking dude whose effort was unappreciated. He just wanted to be noticed, to feel relevant, and to have friends. His inferiority complex made him assume that Spiderman betrayed him. He's a good guy who was unfortunately electrocuted on his birthday (that caused him to have superpowers) and who's emotions got the better of him. Medusa (Greek Mythology) She was a beautiful maiden with golden hair. There are different versions of how she turned into the monster that she's known. In one version, she was raped and punished by gods. In another version, she vowed celibacy but was wooed by Poseidon, and so was punished by Athena. No matter, I think it's unfair that she was stripped of her natural beauty and punished in such a way. Magneto (X-men) At a very young age, he was exploited due to his special gift. His mom was murdered in front of him just so he would unleash his powers. He wanted justice. He wanted to free the world from what he believed are the real antagonists of the story---normal human beings who are evil. He wanted to protect his fellow mutants. Plus of course, someone who's been broken that early and that bad will have a hard time forgiving and living "normally". Voldemort (Harry Potter) He's known as the most powerful wizard in the world of Harry Potter. Tom Marvolo Riddle's hunger for power and hatred for Muggles mainly root from his being abandoned by his Muggle father. He wanted to prove his place in the magical world. Plus of course, he's a direct descendant of Slytherin who's known for his thirst for power. He was also conceived with his mom using the love potion to his father. No real love there. You have to read the Half Blood Prince to really understand where all his wrath is coming from. Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty) She was betrayed by the man she loved, and she lost her faith in love and in humanity. She was a good fairy who was deeply hurt. (More on: Life Lessons From Maleficent) Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear (Toy Story) He was unintentionally left in the park by his owner. After all his effort of going back home, he discovered that he was replaced. Again, the feeling of abandonment, rejection and betrayal turned another good character into a cold-hearted villain. Severus Snape (Harry Potter) He was hopelessly in love with Lily Evans. He became a favorite target of bullying of the Marauders and eventually became rivals with James Potter for Lily. The man he loathed ended up with the woman he deeply loved until his last breath. Poison Ivy (Batman) An environmentalist and botany enthusiast, Dr. Lillian Rose was poisoned by Marc LeGrande for fear that she will implicate him on his theft. Obviously, the poison did not kill her, but unleashed the crazy side of this timid girl. The Duke of Monroth (Moulin Rouge) He was an eager investor in the show Spectacular Spectacular, who fell in love and eventually became obsessed with the star, Satine. When he found out Satine was in love with someone else, he threatened not only to withdraw his investment, but also tried to kill Satine's lover, Christian. Love makes you do crazy things. For these villains, they could be doing the world a favor by being the evil that they are. Or they may just be crying for justice. A villain is a hero in his own story. We'll never know and appreciate good without evil. Hate them or love them. The world will be boring without villains. Gifs from Google images. Hey, did you find this post helpful or entertaining? Please go ahead and share. Share buttons on the left and at the bottom of the article. Big thanks! Subscribe to About Life And Love by Email
