Freelancing Tools Every Blogger Should Consider Investing In 9:35 PM Blogging is fun. It can also be a great way to earn a living. But, to do so, you will have to invest quite a bit of your time into learning new skills, doing your research, and becoming a decent writer. It is also a good idea to invest some money in buying a few tools. Doing so will enable you to work smarter and produce better, more engaging content. Here are a few for you to consider. Tools Every Blogger Should Consider Investing In Use a decent plagiarism checker Nobody wants to be partway through one of your articles only to end up feeling that they have already read it somewhere else. You want to be original, so it makes sense to check for any copied text before you hit the publish button. Everyone researches their blog posts differently. But, one method that a lot of people use can make it surprisingly easy for you to inadvertently publish a piece that contains sections of text that has been published elsewhere. If you are in the habit of going online, reading studies, and copying and pasting points that are relevant to your readers into a separate document, then crafting it into your article you can easily make a mistake. It is possible to inadvertently forget to rewrite a section or leave something in that you meant to remove. So, it is good practice to run what you are planning to publish through a plagiarism checker. Doing so will also enable you to pick up self-plagiarism and to prevent you from creating duplicate content on your website. Something that can have an extremely negative impact on your ability to rank well. GiphyText analysis tools You need to remove any spelling and grammar errors. Usually, you can do this simply by using the one that is built into your word processor. It is also possible to put what you write through a text analysis tool like Hemmingway or invest in the pro version of Grammarly. When you do, you will be provided with alternative ways to phrase things, which can help you to write content that flows better. TenorA way to create interesting images Bloggers that include plenty of images in their articles tend to do better than those that don't. Being faced with a solid block of text puts a lot of people off. So, it is always worth breaking up what you have written using photos, memes, and infographics. If you can create these yourself, it is worth doing so. It will save you a lot of money and ensure that you get exactly what you need. Canva is a brilliant tool, that enables you to create all kinds of visual aids to embed into your content. Initially, you can use the free version. But, once you start earning some money from your blog it is a good idea to consider paying for the pro version. GiphyI really enjoy blogging. As you can see from these statistics it is becoming increasingly popular. So, why not give it a go yourself?
Listicle How Your Friendships And Relationships Have Changed Due To Coronavirus 1:16 PM Do you feel a strain on relationships since the c o r o n a v i r us p a n d e m i c began?It’s a natural feeling as we’re all practicing varying levels of social isolation. It may help to know that we’re all feeling the strain, and we explore all the reasons why in this post. Through it all, there are some silver linings. Here are a few ways your friendships and relationships have changed due to the c o r o n a v i r u s.How Your Friendships and Relationships Have Changed Due to C o ro nav i rus 1. Less Face Time Most of us are getting less face time and more FaceTime through virtual calls. Instead of meeting up at a coffee shop for a chat, we’re brewing our own and having Zoom meetings to catch up. Even if you’ve been good about keeping up with your friends (even virtual friends), it’s definitely a different dynamic. When a friend is struggling, you might want to reach out and give him or her a hug---but you can’t. Until now, most of us have taken those little gestures for granted. Now that we’re missing them, we realize how important they are. 2. Changes in Overall Contact Everyone is handling this crisis in their own way. Some people are reaching out to friends and family members more as they’re stuck at home with little to do. Other people are feeling the weight of depression and not reaching out as much. As a result, you may hear from people you haven’t talked to in years and feel out-of-touch with someone you previously talked to every day. If you do find that a friend or family member seems to be sliding into isolation, try reaching out more often. We could all use a helping hand, and it’s always helpful to know someone cares. 3. More Appreciation In times of panic, many of us are sitting back and counting our blessings. And those blessings include the people we love. So you may find that you have a deeper appreciation for your inner circle, and they may even show more appreciation for you. At the very least, we will all appreciate the playdates and coffee chats when they finally resume. 4. Additional Stressors Everyone is stressed about c oronavirus, but we should address the fact that many of us have been stressed for a long time. And if your friends and family members aren’t addressing their anxiety in healthy ways, they could be picking up some dangerous habits. Additional stressors like lack of work, financial trouble and relationship problems are common right now in the wake of C OVI D-19 isolation. If your loved ones seem to have extra stress on their plates, it’s always a good idea to help where you can. Just be sure you’re not overextending yourself and causing more stress for you. Especially if you notice a friend using alcohol as a coping mechanism, it may be a good idea to say something. Explaining addiction and how it can creep up on a person may help open their eyes. And sometimes, just the act of calling out the behavior can be enough to spark change. Since the c oro nav i r us pandemic hit, it seems as though everything has changed. But it’s as important as ever to maintain the connections that help support our mental and emotional health. If you notice that a friend is struggling, offer to help where you can. And if you’re struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Just as you would for anyone you love, your loved ones should be there for you in times of personal crisis. With any luck, we’ll be out of this period of isolation and we can only hope our best relationships will be stronger for it.
Freelancing Freelancing: The Best Decision I Ever Made 9:11 PM I'll be celebrating my 5th anniversary as a full-time freelancer this year. 🥳 I gotta say, freelancing has been the best decision I ever made career-wise.Freelancing: The Best Decision I Ever MadePre-freelancing lifeFor those who don't know, I'm a licensed pharmacist. But, I've always known my heart is in writing. When I was in college, I thought I'd work in a hospital, put up my own drugstore and maybe even have a few branches in different cities. Or franchise an already established pharmacy...and live happily ever after.But, things don't always work out the way we planned.I worked in a hospital and drugstore but putting up my own pharmacy didn't come to pass.One day I realized mixing and dispensing drugs weren't the things I wanted to do all my life.I really tried, but the heart wants what it wants. We heart itOne day, I passed by a BPO company and thought, "Well, why not?"I went in and applied. By the end of the day, I got a new job.A part-time freelancer's strugglesWhile working graveyard shifts in my new career, I found an opportunity to work online. It was an excellent way to get my foot inside the door of the freelancing world.But, it wasn't enough.I was underpaid, plus working at night was exhausting. I could barely function to work on my online tasks by the end of the shift.So, I quit and focused on my regular job.Villains of my freelancing story: Fear and ContentmentTwo things were stopping me from focusing on freelancing: my fear of uncertainty (I had zero ideas about freelancing back then) andthe contentment and security a regular job offers.I was at peace knowing I would get a certain amount of money by the end of the month.Change saved the dayAfter I transferred to a different company, I had a prodding to find an online gig again.My job then actually pays me more than the previous ones.The task was more difficult, but I was having fun.I enjoyed learning things, took advantage of the free training they offered, and liked where I was at that point in my life.I was more confident, independent, and, dare I say it---I was, bolder in making decisions.That's a totally different story, though.GiphyBack to freelancing's armsBefore I decided to freelance full-time five years ago, I had a lot of apprehension.What if it won't work, and I'll be out of money in no time?What if I can't do it? There's no one to ask. What if they won't pay me?I wasn't happy with my work anymore, though. I knew it was time to bid the traditional office setting goodbye.My will to find better opportunities was stronger than my fear.So, even though I was afraid, I decided to own it.TenorMan, it was terrifying. And tough at the start.The first few months of working online full-time were terrifying but liberating.I left the comfort and security of my job in one of Forbes' Fortune 500 companies. I made do with what little knowledge I had about freelancing.I made Google and YouTube, my teachers.I did what I could to survive.But surviving is not what I came here for. I believe God put me here to do great things.Freelancing in the time of C O V I DI knew there was more to accepting what cheapskate clients were giving me.Getting paid just enough to cover my bills and my necessities beat the purpose of leaving the corporate world.I always knew I wasn't born just to work, pay my bills, and die.There's more to life than keeping your nose to the grindstone.If this C OVID has taught me one thing (or validated what I already know), it's that nothing's sure in this world.You can lose the normal you know in an instant. Heck, our global economy was crashed by an unseen enemy.But...Like anything in life, the change could be challenging, but we learn to adapt. It's human nature. 💪Some changes are forced upon us, others we decide for ourselves.Freelancing is one of the best decisions I made. I found a gig as a content writer and haven't looked back since.Though it wasn't always easy, the past year has been the best because of this guy named John R Pagulayan.If there's one thing I can advise my younger self about freelancing, there are better, higher-paying clients.And I'd say:Younger self, go find John now, so you don't waste your time and energy with these cheapskate clients!I can't teach you how to become a freelancer, but the great news is that my coach John Pagulayan is about to hold a FREE Workshop, and I highly recommend you join because he's done a LOT to change my mindset and the way I treat my freelancing business.He's going to share how CO VID accidentally created 6-figure earners and how anyone can do it, too, even if you have✔️ no experience✔️ no skills✔️ no prior credentialsThis can also help you if you're already working online but✔️ sick and tired of working with cheapskates✔️ want to turn your freelancing into a lucrative business✔️ willing to learn how to win in your niche✔️ interested in getting more clients to find you and not the other way aroundUPDATE: Enrollment is now closed. If you're interested to learn more, you can click here to register.If you have any questions about John, feel free to email me or leave your comment below.Happy to help!Now more than ever, we need to seek more opportunities online.Times have changed. During this pandemic, when we're advised to stay home and not be in close physical contact with people, I urge you to try out freelancing. It's the best decision you'll ever make. UPDATE: Enrollment is now closed. Feel free to subscribe to be notified when the doors open again.READ 👉 How A Former Executive Assistant Got An ₱80K Per Month Consultant Role in 42 Days… Even Without ExperienceREAD 👉 How A Corporate Employee Earned An Additional P50K Monthly Income From A Side HustleContains affiliate links.
Lux Thinking Aloud Ending 6:20 PM Enhanced Community Q uarantine has been lifted a week ago in specific areas. Since we're not included in the hot zone, we've now moved to General Quarantine. I honestly am not keeping track as my husband takes care of that. I'm just glad we finally reached an ending.EndingYou may have heard before that an ending is just another beginning. Agree to that. This end of quarantine for us seems to be the start of new cases. 🙄 Because look at the road situation as soon as the lockdown has been lifted.RapplerIn life, end of a career is start of a new one. Or a new business.End of a relationship is the beginning of another. It could be about you finding yourself again, renewing your relationship with some people in your life or a new person walking into your life.End of your Netflix show means you can binge-watch a new one. That is, if you even wait for one to end before you start another.I know endings could be hard sometimes. Heartbreaking. Life-changing.Especially when it ends because it's beyond your control. Like a loved one's death.It's a new journey for the departed (if you believe in the afterlife).Ending opens new doors you didn't even know exists.I hope the end of this quarantine is the beginning of a step closer to the healing of our land.I'm both happy and sad that my Lockdown Diary is finally over.TenorI think I'm having separation anxiety to my daily entry about my life in the time of c oronavirus.Maybe I'll start on a new series soon. What do you think?Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.-Isaiah 43:18-19Thank you for journeying with me during this lockdown; in all the ups and downs, during my sleepless nights and unproductive days, on my grief and in my joy.It's been only 50 days and so much has happened. Even without me having to leave the house.Writing keeps me sane. I hope reading my lockdown diary helped you realized you're not alone in your journey too. Hang in there. We'll see the ending of this crisis soon. Meanwhile, stay safe!
Lux Thinking Aloud Fruitful 4:52 AM Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. I love proverbs that's simple but with a profound meaning and has been proven to be true through time. Yesterday I went to bed as early as 9:30 PM. 💃My sleep has been erratic since the lo ckdown started so I woke up...12:59 AM! Crazy.I was happy when I got out of bed thinking that I finally would be able to start early. I thought it's 4 AM.That's alright. I love starting my day while the world is still asleep (although I didn't expect to be starting while the world was just starting to fall asleep). I've made this a fruitful day.FruitfulRundown of my day (not because you asked for it but because I want to remember)I started my day listening to a reflection on Spotify. I've newly discovered All Things Catholic by Dr. Edward Sri.Since I'm a multitasker, I was doing some stretching while listening to him preach about The Wedding at Cana. My husband woke up after an hour and we had our breakfast...at 2 AM! Then I started working on my tasks. By 4 AM I was dozing off and I haven't even opened my phone yet! I was winning my morning. So i took a nap break.Woke up at 8 AM because it's starting to get warm.Lunch at 10 AM. I'm usually just waking up around this time.Worked on more tasks.We're eating dinner by 5 PM. That's normal to us. What's not normal was that I helped start cooking our meal. 😂I was planning to skip my weekly Accountability Call because I didn't want to stay up beyond 9 PM. But I attended anyway. It helps me stay on track to speak with my fellow freelancers.In bed by 10:30 PM.GiphyThat may be a boring day for some most people. For to me that's a day of hustling and I love it. It's been productive.It's fruitful too because:I got an invitation to send a proposal.I got additional prospects on my list.I got to finish tasks I've been setting aside.I started my day with the Word again! I remembered to pray The Millionaire's Prayer.I was able to spend more time with my husbandDuring this p andemic, I allowed myself to just listen to worship songs while working. That's good but my attention is more on my tasks than on the worship.If I'm not tired, I'd insert a few minutes listening to a reflection. That shouldn't be the case.God should be first and center. Today wasn't a perfect day...I encountered some technical problems.Someone forwarded to me a news link about our government saying they're "not obliged" to conduct mass testing and leaving it to the private sector to do something about it. 🤦 Elect a clown, expect a circus. Am I right?I wish tomorrow's election day so it's still fresh in the people's mind what these clowns got us into. We forget easily. That's the problem. That's why history keeps repeating itself. We never learn.Well, that's it for today.Looking forward to another fruitful tomorrow because even in the midst of this p andemic, my God remains faithful and generous.I can be rest assured that He will never let my cup run dry.There is cornucopia even in this crisis because my God is the God who can make the impossible happen.Indeed His people can be fruitful even in the wasteland. What an amazing God we have!And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. - 2 Corinthians 9:8Your turnHow did your day go?What time of day do you get more productive?
Lux Thinking Aloud Early 6:57 PM After almost two months of erratic sleep, I'm finally going to bed early today. How early? 9:30 pm. Yes! I would normally be starting on my next task around this time. But, not today. What a good start of the week! I'm an early bird.EarlyMy lack of sleep in the past few weeks has finally caught up with me. I also listened to the brilliant Marie Forleo while preparing the squash for dinner. On one of her podcast, Marie was interviewing author Robin Sharma.They talked about the benefits of the 5 am club.I don't have to join the club to know and understand how great it is.Before the quarantine, I was good at waking up as early as 4 am and as late as 6 am. My alarm is always set to 5. When the lockdown started, my husband was staying up calling airlines and agencies. I was staying up with him. But also I had trouble sleeping because the sudden change and thought that we're in a crisis was waking up the anxiety demon in me.GiphyI was going through changes in my career. Dealing with a family's sickness and eventually...death. Thinking about what our future will be like now.I can't even get a clear picture of what 2021 will look like because all I'm concerned about is how to survive thrive this 2020. Oh, what a big Queen B this year has been.I was optimistic to welcome the new year. I had so much hope that this year would be better than last year. Man, 2020 must be looking at me back then like:TenorTragedy after tragedy both in our personal lives and in the world. Sending my virtual hug to you if you're going through a bit of a rough patch.After a few days of letting Sadness rule the emotions headquarters, I let Joy take over.In case you haven't seen Inside Out, these emotions were the characters' names. Also, why haven't you yet? It's a great movie!There was (still is) a ramble between Fear and Anger too trying to take control but ultimately, I choose Joy. I have to. For the sake of my sanity.It's a decision I have to make on a daily basis.PSABecause when bad news and conspiracy theories flood my feed every day, it can get overwhelming and it's easy for Joy to slip and Fear would hold the handle with much eagerness.And when I see how full grown adults take turns blaming and burning each other instead of helping and actually doing their jobs, Anger has no problem stepping in. Oh, it's so effortless.Thankfully, I've arrived at the acceptance stage.When the pandemic hit, I felt like going through the stages of grief at the beginning.Denial.Anger.Bargaining.Depression.Acceptance.The early stages of the crisis (in my personal life and in the world) were the toughest ones.It took me a while to believe that this is actually happening. It's not another Hunger Games movie. It's real! And we're all in it.Life could get messy sometimes. But it changes. We're not here permanently. We're just passing through.The earlier we accept this fact, the faster we can move our lives forward. I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.-Philippians 3:13-14Your turnWhat life stage are you in now?What do you hope to happen after the crisis?
Faith New 8:25 PM For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. -Isaiah 43:19NewOur lives pre C OVID-19 is out. We will NEVER go back to that kind of life. It's time to let go. Of the old system, habits and practices we used to know. New normal has come.It's scary to face the unfamiliar and the uncertain. I know. I've been anxious since the p andemic started. But verses like this is giving me hope:God is doing something new and He has already begun.This may have taken place during the time of Isaiah, but He is an unchanging God. And oh, how apt it is for today's situation.He is that same God who is right now giving us this same promise.What a wonderful thought, isn't it? Uplifting!From the Feast service I saw today, Bro Arun talks about remembering God's greatness in our past as we speak good things for our future. Especially when we're in a crisis.Allow me to share God's greatness in my life:I had a hard time during college. I was struggling with the lessons, the adjustment, the hostility, the financial constraints. Thankfully, God helped me graduate. I was the first in our family to do so.When I was worried sick that my valuables would be stolen from my luggage during one trip, God kept them safe.When I needed a new phone but couldn't afford a new one, I won a blogging contest for a new smartphone.When I got sick, God restored my health.When I had only like $10 left in my wallet, God provided for me everything I needed.God brought me to the right people and circumstances. He steered me away from the wrong crowd.God orchestrated my meeting with my one true love. He gave me someone far better than what I asked for.I thank God for my job that allows me to stay home and work comfortably and more effectively. (I'm an introvert and this set up works best for me).When it's been raining for two weeks straight but He made it sunny on the day of my trip. Oh, it was a beautiful sunshiny day! When my clients terminated their contracts, I never ran out of blog sponsors and writing clients. Every day I'd get an email inquiring about how to collaborate with me. God provides abundantly!I'm surrounded with people who are generous with their time, talent and treasure.GfycatI could go on and on. From the most trivial to the life-and-death events, God has remained faithful to me.I think about how I was feeling before these things happened.I was scared, worried, frustrated, impatient, doubtful.Lo and behold! God turned things around and showed me that I am highly favored. Even though I would once in a while feel anxious during this p andemic, I know God is doing something behind the scene.He's preparing us for another breakthrough.We see a dead end but He's paving a pathway.We see drought and desert and wasteland, but He's creating rivers.And one day you and I will exclaim, "Lo and behold! God's made something new."Your turnRemember the times God turned a situation around for you. What did you learn from it?List down the things you are thankful for.
