GRATITUDE

I have made it a resolution to keep a gratitude journal. 

Of course, I procrastinated to the point of exhaustion. 

So here is my journal entry for the day, entirely lacking in finesse. 

1. I am grateful for a family that stands by decision to put my mental health ahead of my career. 

2. I am grateful for forgiving friends who readily accept my absence and welcome me back into their fold. 

3. I am grateful for the friend who has held me accountable for my failings as a friend. It is a mistake I will not repeat again. 

4. I am grateful for parents who are even now striving to plan for my future, although I am fully capable of taking care of myself. 

5. I am grateful for the ability to offer assistance that makes a difference to the persons assisted. 

6. I am grateful for each day and every day. 

Just Me. 

TAKEN FOR GRANTED

A refrain has been echoing in my head. 

"To be, or not to be, that is the question: 

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer 

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, 

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles 

And by opposing end them."

Of course Hamlet was contemplating suicide and I am merely contemplating a change in career. A change in career is life altering. One might even say life ending. To be honest, it feels almost like giving up. 

A change of career this late in the game is actually quite terrifying. I don't know if my experience counts for anything. I am certain my degree doesn't count for much. The current situation is insane. 

However, it is at this point, that personal well-being should be taken into consideration. I need to figure out what makes me happy. I need to know what my aspirations are before I can achieve them. 

So now I have taken the plunge and resigned. During the exit interview, I realised that perhaps I did not fight hard enough to make things the way I wanted. That's my lesson learnt. 

And now to confront my long time fear. Am I good enough for the job market?

Just Me!

TAKEN TOO FAR

The re-reading of the previous post, has seriously derailed this one.

The pandemic still rages on. However, the reaction and the response has become imbecilic. While initially the response was warranted, they announced the changes without thought to the enforcement of the SOPs, without direction to the implementation of the SOPs and just a general disregard for the livelihood of the nation. 

As time wore on, the chain of infection seemed to be under control and certainly, it was low enough that foolishly, we thought it was over. I think what people don't seem to realise is that this virus is never going to go away. It's a virus. A virus is notoriously hard to kill, nigh impossible even. People forget that it took almost 20 years for us to come up with a way to manage HIV. There is still no cure for it. There is no vaccination against it and ironically, the only protection against it is a mask for your dick!

There is no chance of waiting out the virus. It is a question of learning to live with it. It is about being mindful of personal hygiene. It is about eating right and boosting immunity. It is about wearing masks in public. It is about sanitising hands and high touch surfaces. It is about leaving contact tracing information so you can be informed of an infection. That's it. There is no other way around it. 

Just Me. 

SMALL PICTURE THINKING

I am grateful to have in my life a fair mix of people who can appreciate the big picture view of things. 

The Covid-19 virus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has really driven home, the prevalence of close minded, small picture thinking. It was facts that I already knew, but I still find myself reacting to the sheer abundance of sheep mentality. 

The number of people for instance who have made this huge fuss about the easing of the MCO. Bearing in mind that the lockdown has not been lifted completely, it is still amazing to me the reactions I see online from people I consider to be rational adults. 

The vast majority of the social responses I see is that the government has put money over the lives of people. That is really short sighted thinking. At some point, saving lives and livelihoods really overlap to the point that they are one and the same. 

The virus does not come with an expiration date and there was no guarantee that had the MCO be extended in its entirety till the May 12th, that the curve would have been flattened. 
It exhibits a hell of a small minded, ignorance. The curve that has been flattened may not stay flattened. 

I am grateful that I work for people who are understanding of this and who can understand what it is like to have to look at the big picture. 

Just Me.

IDENTITY

It is the time to get to know yourself.
I have realised that I like to write.
I am a writer, I am not a copywriter.
To a lay person, that seems like a contradiction in terms.
Is it not  the same thing?
The truth is, it is not.
A writer is an artist.
A writer writes from their own point of view.
A copywriter is one who writes from another's point of view.
I have realised that I believe in my point of view too strongly to be a copywriter.
I cannot change styles. I am beyond that point.

So I am grateful that I have come to that realisation.
I am grateful that I have achieved self-awareness.
I am grateful that I have managed to hold on to my sense of self despite the industry I am in.
I am grateful for my self awareness.
I am grateful for my mental strength.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON...

Sometimes that reason is something that could have been avoided. 
Is it defeatism to say after a wasted day, that 'obviously' you "needed" the rest? Or positivity?
If you laze the day away, are you just making yourself feel better at the end of it when nothing you planned got done?

I don't know if there is a right or wrong answer for this...but I don't like the feeling that I am constantly working. On a weekend, I don't want to be working. To me, dishes, cleaning, folding, sorting...is WORK! Worse, it is work I don't even like and am not being paid for. 

So tonight I am expressing gratitude for time off. 
I do need the rest. 
I do not get enough of it on a normal day. 
I will get more 'work' in during the work week. 
I refuse to feel guilty about it. 

JUST ME. 

EXTENSION

The Prime Minister just announced that there will be an extension of another 2 weeks of this Movement Control Order. A majority of the country is reeling. 
I think however, that most of us knew it was coming. It would take a special brand of escapism to ignore the reality of it. 
If one were to examine the situation logically, it would be obvious that a 2 week lockdown would do next to nothing to 'flatten the curve'. It would however, have incited a full scale panic if the government had announced a 4 or even 6 week lock down all at once. 
So here we are, going into the 5th and 6th week of the lock down. Unless people react very foolishly, it will be the last two weeks of this. 
It is a bitter pill to swallow, but all medicine is. Medicine that isn't bitter is usually ineffective. 
It is no small sacrifice that has been asked of the nation and most of them have reacted in the exactly the way you would expect; ignoring the order, downplaying the situation and generally making things worse. 
Those of us who saw this coming, have a plan for work for the next two weeks. 
I am grateful that I foresaw this and I am grateful that I work with people who expected this. 
I am blessed to have work and I am blessed to have stimulating work. 
I am worried for the state of my family, my friends, the country and the world, but even in this there is a blessing as the lack of human activity has reduced pollution. So as we stay indoors and save ourselves, the world is drawing it's first clean breath of air. 

Blessings

Counting my blessings is harder than you might think. 
I think it is in our nature to dwell on the things that are lacking in your life instead of focussing on the blessings you have. 
Sometimes it takes a little bit of doing. 
However, one thing I am always grateful for are the people in my life. 
I have my fair share of idiots, let's be honest, who doesn't? 
On the whole however, I have been blessed by the people in my life. 
Well meaning family, irritating always but the love is always there. 
I have also been blessed to work with family. 
It was a hard decision to make to work with family and I was advised against it, by many, many people. 
Truth be told, I was unsure, I was worried and I was scared of ruining relationships. 
However, after 3 years of full time work, I count it as one of my blessings. 
I will never underestimate the blessing of having people who understand you. 
I will never take for granted the blessing of working with family that appreciate you. 
For someone as outspoken as I am, I am constantly grateful that I am with a group of people who take the time to understand that the honesty, is not merely hurtful. 

Gratitude

I have lost count of how many days it has been since the Movement Control Order started. 

It gets harder to count my blessings. 

It is easier to focus on the 10,000 things that annoy me! 

However, I know that this is the purpose I told myself to do this journal. 

Focus creates reality. 

If I focus on how annoying my bosses are, they are going to get more fucking annoying. 

The truth is, everyone is going through a hard time. 

I am grateful that I have a comfortable home. 

I am grateful for this time that I have to reflect on my life and the direction I want it to take. 

I AM GRATEFUL FOR ...

In the hopes of learning to see the bright side of things, I am starting a gratitude journal. 

It's pretty simple actually. 

Just a little way for me to count my blessings. 

The whole world is going through a difficult time. 

The virus has shaken the very foundations of society as we know it. 

Everyday I wake up and I feel like I am dreaming. 

More and more everyday, it feels like we are in a bad zombie movie. 

So the best way to stay sane is count my blessings, no matter how small. 

When your world is reduced to four walls and a roof, it's best to use the time to focus on the good things. 

I am grateful for my health. 

I am grateful that my body has resilience despite the years of abuse I put it through and still continue to put it through. 

I am grateful that despite the world falling to pieces, my family is sheltered and well-fed. 

I am grateful that despite my mother's suspect health, we have the means and opportunity to get her the treatment she needs. 

I am grateful that because of this lockdown I could take her to her appointment with any guilt or any distractions. 

I am grateful that because of this lockdown, the doctor was able to give her his full attention. 

I am grateful that because of this lockdown, we did not have to wait very long. 

I am grateful that because of this lockdown I am able to learn to manage my time. 

Growth

Life is about growing and moving forward. Growth is the purpose to existence. Growth is difficult and oftentimes painful. The best teacher is experience but the lessons are not always easy. 

It is the belief of every single person that the life they are living is unique to them. Yet, it is the truth of human nature that we all search fervently for connections. Connections are formed of similarities in the human experience. It is the reason the TED talks are full. 

The truth is, every life is unique but it is unique to you. There is nothing new under the sun. We look for the sameness, we chafe at it and then we strive to be different. The truth is, we cannot escape the sameness of the human nature. The more we try, the less we learn. The more we try to leave the past behind, the more we are doomed to repeat it. The more we look forward without looking back, the less we learn. 

Mistakes are a cause of embarrassment and most people rush to cower and hide. They hide their mistakes and hide from their mistakes. Mistakes are like monsters in the closet, the more you hide from them, the more power you give them over you. Face your mistakes as you would your fears. Embrace the past and learn from it. Hide from your past and repeat it. 

Just Me! 

Dichotomy of human nature

It is the innate hypocrisy
The hospitality industry. Don't you find it ironic that this industry is where you usually find the grumpiest, snarliest, most unpleasant people ever? I always look at snarky wait staff or rude management and wonder what happened to make them as surly as they are.

Being in the industry myself, it is a constant battle to remind oneself that people don't set out to be idiotic and ruin your day. Sometimes, 'stupid is as stupid does'. 

There are also different cultures at play and the world is becoming a smaller place. The fight to keep one's identity is becoming militant. 65 million years ago, we decided that there was safety in being the same, today we are all about celebrating the differences in each other. Of course, that means when you see someone wearing the same dress as you, you either bawl your eyes out or try and rip the dress of them! 

So many set out to be different, individual, difficult. Where every rule is a suggestion and every price a negotiation.

It is the dichotomy of human nature that a customer is not considered cheap for asking for a discount but a restaurant is considered cheap for not giving one. Never mind the effort and the cost that went into the service and food. Rarely if ever does a guest consider that it is in fact rude to ask for a discount. The truth is, asking for a discount devalues the service provided. It is akin to highway robbery!

Just Me!

Balance

It is said that blessed are those who work at their passion. Every blessing however, also carries with it a curse. Working at your passion feeds your soul, but drains your spirit. For the lucky who have found a way to make their passions pay for, it is most likely that they will end up working themselves to the bone. It is a rarity that passion pays. What is even more rare is that you will then go on to find people who are equally passionate in the same thing.
It is an absolute impossibility to do it yourself. However, it is also improbable that you will find an individual that is equally passionate and dedicated, and it is a statistically unheard off for you to discover a group of such individuals.
Therefore if you have the great opportunity to be able to work at your passion, you must be prepared for long nights, longer days and equal amounts exhaustion and frustration.
I have found all the exhaustion, frustration and through it all, I can't even tell you if it is my passion!
Just me!

Tired

Exhaustion
A state where tiredness is your constant companion.
When your eyes are black hollows.
The lids dragged low by invisible weights.
A state where the mind is confused, unable to focus.
Limbs too heavy to move.
Dull, dreary, sluggish, slow.

Exhaustion.
My state of being.

Just ME!

A New Beginning

No I haven't joined the Navy. My life has however, has taken a turn for the better. I am working now, for what feels like the first time in a long time. I have taken a path, unforged and uncharted and somehow making it work for me. It is not working as well as I would have hoped and it has not brought the monetary reward that I always imagined would happen. However, the work has proven rewarding in other ways. I have not been able to fully commit to the work and I suspect that is the reason I have not been making as much money at it as I should be.
Every now and again, I break into a cold sweat that I have been taken advantage of, simply because it work that I enjoy doing. Enjoyment aside, I should be handsomely rewarded for my efforts. The problem is that I never feel confident enough asking for my due. I believe that the time has come that I do indeed ask for my due.
Still, the work is enjoyable. I am glad to be able to control my own time. Now I only have to get my own space and some monetary resources. My dream would be complete. Of course, somewhere in the midst of that, is the hope that I will find a strong compassionate man to share my life with. Someone kind, someone intelligent, someone supportive; if he could also be beautiful, I would count it as a bonus.
The law of attraction works especially slowly in my case. I need to get it moving quicker!
Just Me!

ANHEDONIA

Anhedonia. In medical terms, this means; Absence of pleasure from the performance of acts that would normally be pleasurable. That's a fancy, impersonal way to describe the loss of one's soul. Losing one's soul is a slow and onerous process. However, it is such that you don't even notice it sometimes.
I feel like I am losing my soul and in acknowledging the loss, I think I may lose my mind.
Nothing excites me. I have not felt excitement in so long, I have forgotten what it feels like. Without the motivation of pleasure or excitement, I am losing my drive to do anything.

Just Me.

Long time overdue

It's been awhile since I posted something and I thought now would be as a good a time as any. Britain has exited the EU, Trump is President and we live in a world gone mad. Nothing has changed in my little corner of the universe. I am still insecure, lazy, overweight and unemployed. Lest I forget, I am also depressed, obviously. I have a million unrealised plans, that may work. The only problem is, I cannot find the motivation to work them. Worse still, I take the first step and then let my doubts obliterate it. Self-sabotage, fear of success and all that. So what do I do? Oddly enough this is something I have no plan for. I have to take it one day at a time I guess.
Just Me.

Curvette of the year 2016!

So this blog is about airing my issues. I have always had a boatload of issues. Body image issues, weight management issues, mental health issues, fear of success issues, family issues, I could go on and on.
So this post is an elaboration on my previous post. I wrote the previous entry to psyche myself up. I was encouraged by one of the coaches at my gym, to enter an annual competition held by the gym. They canvas their membership across 11 branches looking for the best 'success' story. I was reluctant. I am an intensely private person. I don't actually like talking about myself. I agreed to enter the competition on a whim and then spent a couple of months procrastinating. I finally wrote up the piece and submitted it at literally the 11th hour. (Un)Luckily for me, my coaches managed to get the piece entered into the competition. I had thought that was the end of it. I honestly did not expect to hear anymore of it. Little did I know that I was not done, instead I get a call from HQ telling me that I had been shortlisted as a semi-finalist! I am subjected to a phone interview and then invited to a Morning of Empowerment. The good news doesn't end there! The sponsors have asked for models to model their lingerie and their clothes. I get chosen for that too! So I get to go for fittings - like models do, and then I get to play model for a day. It was a wonderful experience. I almost felt like I won the competition. It wasn't until a few days after that I even realised that it was only the beginning. I only realised that my journey had not ended when I got the second call telling me that I had been chosen as a finalist! Soon after I got to play model again, complete with a photo shoot! It was unbelievably exciting and honestly an experience I never thought I would ever have!
'It is not the destination, it is the journey that is important.' I am enjoying the journey. I have been given the opportunity to play model. I have been dressed and primped and photographed. It is a fabulous experience. If anyone had told me 10 years ago, that this journey was even in my future I would have laughed. 10 years ago, this was dream. It actually was a dream. I have always dreamed of being a model. I always want to dress up. I look for occasions where I can. I have never in my life been able to dress up. 10 years ago, when I dressed up, it looked like I had put lipstick on a pig!
Having this chance was amazing. I got to play model for the day, spokesperson for a day, role model for the other gym members. It's a lot of pressure and so far I have been holding up well. I know myself though, eventually, I am going to crack under the pressure.
Just Me!

Weight Management

My last post was 3 years ago and I realise my main concern has not changed. When did I become this person obsessed with weight? I suppose I have always had body image issues. I wanted to believe that those issues went away when I lost weight. I realise now that was  wishful thinking.
Body image issues start young. I don't know how it started or what caused it but those issues, stuck fast. Chubby baby to fat kid to overweight teen to obese young adult. The transition was constant but every step along that path, the self-loathing grew along with my weight.
Today understanding the issues and changing my mindset has not improved my relationship with food. I have not achieved my ideal weight and every setback is like a knife to my heart.
It has gotten better in the last year. I have joined a gym and I understand that, while my weight may fluctuate, I am in control. I know the causes and I can control my urges.
The main cause of the weight, other than the idiotic sweet tooth I have, is that I stress eat. The lack of progress in the other areas of my life is such a constant cause of stress that I eat my feelings.
So how do I break this vicious cycle?
Just Me!

AFRAID

So after a sleeve gastrectomy and watching what I eat and exercising, I have lost massive amounts of weight. I am not down to my ideal weight as yet. This is something I am going to remedy in the next year.
Anyway, the point is, the rapid weight loss has had some side effects. Possible hair loss, saggy skin. Saggy boobs. I knew there was going to be more surgery in the works. I was quite content to put it out of my mind. I wanted to wait till I had hit my ideal weight before I even thought about a skin tuck. Unfortunately the people around me were not as patient. I am getting on in my years and in an Asian community, no one believes that love can happen at any age. I want to get married. I want to find my special someone. I am not in an all fired hurry to do it however, because you know what? I believe in love and I don't think it can be rushed. I would rather not believe that it depends on how I look but I do know that how I look directly affects how I feel about myself. So to that end, I have been pushed into agreeing to do the skin tuck on my arms.
My admission for surgical assessment is tomorrow. DAMN IT!
I am freaked the fuck out!
You know I have been freaking out about this so much that I have been sabotaging myself. I have put on weight. I have been eating wrong. I have been bingeing. I am scared out of my mind!
Enough! I am going for my surgical assessment. And if I get my surgery done. Good!
I will be that much closer to my ideal weight! I am giving myself one more year to hit 65 KILOS! No starving but if I have to spend 4 hours a day working out! So be it! I don't have anything else to bloody do...so why not!
Just ME!