11th year on WordPress

and my first post for 2024.

Did I think that I would still have this page in my mid-30s? no. But here we are and I am grateful to my past self for documenting the CHAOS of my twenties. I browsed through the past posts and damn, so cringe. hahaha but that is me and I am proud of all the moments I deemed important enough to document. Embarked on an adventure of bumming around in 2023 and it was awesome and honestly being okay with whatever it was I grew up to be.

I’m optimistic, 2024 seems like it’s a better year to actually start and move forward.

Excerpts from a conversation with a marketing person:

Got schooled about marketing from my one and only WFH mate. To be fair, may sense. Or kung wala, maybe its wife-goggles.

The gist – to be able to get the buy in of your audience, you must hit them with their own emotion and motivation.

How is this executed? You find out 3 things – core truth, tension, and the solution/offer.

Definition of terms:

Core truth – this is a fact about the subject. It is the insight your audience’s perspective.

Tension – the gap, the challenge, it is the space between what the audience wants to be true and what the current situation is.

the solution/offer – filling the gap, what will address that situation so that maitawid mo

Example: Retail investing

What is a core truth about retail investing? What is the customer insight?

• I want to invest for their milestone goals  – building a family, getting / improving a house and retirement. Each of these goals are time bound ex. I will build a family in the next 5 years, I will buy property before I am 40 and I will have x amount and reoccurring income when its time for me to retire by 60.
• I am taking advantage of the available technology and channels for my goals. Banks for bonds, online platforms for trading stocks and mutual funds/insurance etc.

What is the tension?

• I do not want to gamble with my money so I need to do my research. I am getting fragmented information from multiple channels – family & friend’s advice, online resources, youtube (lol). Helpful but not complete.
• Does this give me the confidence to deploy majority of my cash? No

What is the solution/offer? (disclaimer, this is one of many)

• I need a platform where the information is complete where I can trade multiple instruments and have a “investment expert” to mentor me.
• Does this already exist in the market? Platforms are present – COL, timson, etoro. But these platforms does not address the gap.

So this is the opportunity presented to developers, bankers, institutions. Haha we also had other examples in other industries and products, pampa ubos brain cells.

I took a week off to stabilize my anxiety. Taking time off heightened it, because ignoring messages was exhausting. I still ignored them at a cost to my mental health. Isn’t it ironic?

No regrets, just a lot of toxic thoughts to get through. (Not a lot of work related thoughts, just some.) I allowed myself to wallow in self pity, doubt, anger, sadness, hurt and then I crossed the road and I felt better.

My unsolicited advice for people drowning in their own mind, like me last week – feel your feelings, let it affect you, think about them until you get tired. And then you will realize that there is no where to go but forward.

Self care is not about face masks, bubble baths, scented candles, vacations. Its about dealing with your baggage. In my case, mental baggage that has been plaguing me since the start of the COVID surge 2021 and physical ones like the corner of our house that was always a mess. That physical mess took 10 mins to clean up. lol

Our Wedding Photos

How do I even start choosing from the thousands of photos we have. haha!

A whirlwind-y kind of Life

I find myself in a crowded cafe on a friday lunch hour. Of course its crowded, its friday. People usually take their lunches out during as the weekend comes. How do I feel? I ask mysef this question more often than the average person does. Introverts usually have their inner monologue running even when theres a lot going on. Introversion is a blessing and a curse. Sigh

Have been working for a couple of months now and I feel that its getting better. Going back to the corporate world seemed daunting when I first thought about it but when I actually experienced it, it was like you were being thrown into the oceans ice cold water with no lifevest, no nothing. And there you stay, treading water, looking for direction slowly drowning. Your entrepreneurial dreams sinking with you. Treading, swimming , looking at a possible out. You swim beacause of pride, you dont want to sink but your endurance is weak. Weaker than you thought. I think a lot about the time i first joined another company, that was the kiddie pool, warm water, shallow, the were others to help you all the way. Why did i leave that god forsaken kiddie pool. Haha. 

I Left to get out of the comfort zone, so, yes. This is self inflicted, i wanted to do this. What the heck am I whining about. Lol

I guess I’m just gonna keep treading until i find solid ground (or die) 

xox

A

I have consistently asked myself:
What am I going to do (with my life)?!

Sometimes, I say I am just gonna stay in bed and be a burrito.

Sometimes, I put on my rose tinted glasses and say I am gonna change the world.

Most of the time I just say, I will trudge on and not get stuck. Just keep on walking. 🙂

2015, Go!

Unlike last year – no plan 2014 – this year I have a full and messily planned 2015. Me thinks that is progress. *pats self in the back* Hopefully these personal and career goals will be accomplished with a little help from caffeine. I have danced and hibernated my way through the holidays (with no regrets) and now I am ready. Although this greeting is a bit late, I bid you a Happy and Prosperous New year! :*

Dear Life, thanks for being good to me lately. I am happy. 🙂

FILIPINA

A story with no words, beautiful. ❤️

Backpacking Hacks

Backpacking is on my bucket list! Hopefully I get to do this within the next two years. Life is getting in the way of my wanderlust. (Haha)

Crafted in Carhartt

Montana is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I was lucky enough to spend a few days backpacking around the area. It’s filled with geysers, natural hot springs, wildlife, and so much nature to explore. Here are a few tips I researched before I set off on an adventure:

1.) Avoid poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak. (pictured above)
2.) When packing a backpack for the trip, pack the heaviest items closest to the middle of your back, lighter items on the front and bottom of the bag, and medium-weight, frequently used items on top.
3.) To gauge how much daylight is left in the day, outstretch your arm and hold your hand just under the sun. Count how many times you line up your hands in the distance between the sun and the horizon. Each finger is equivalent to 15 minutes of sun, therefore each hand…

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