A Wise Investment!

My student, Wilbert Go introduced me to this I.T. mag: PC Shopper.

I instantly liked it! I read the mag from cover to cover! It's really cool and has loads of information too.. I would advise the techies to get a hold of this mag monthly... Though one could easily surf the net and find the IT stuff written here, it would cost time and usually, "surfing" would lead you to somewhere else.

Anyway, it's really loaded with a lot of cool stuff! It keeps you updated with the latest gadgets and technology. =)

How I Survived My Quarter-life Crisis…

I suffered from Quarter-life Crisis exactly on schedule: at 25.

Wikipedia:
A crisis (plural: crises) may occur on a personal or societal level. It may be a traumatic or stressful change in a person’s life, or an unstable and dangerous social situation, in political, social, economic, military affairs, or a large-scale environmental event, especially one involving an impending abrupt change. More loosely, it is a term meaning ‘a testing time’ or ‘emergency event’.

It happened during the last quarter of 2008.

I felt I was at the peak of my career. I finished my Master’s degree on time, was invited to speak at various IT conferences and conducted trainings. I was even one of the SFD team leaders who were given special mention. Also, I passed the PhilNITS exam and had a great job offer at one of the software companies. It seems that I was really successful. But one thing was lacking: a lovelife. (Yeah, friends, I know…)

Until I met this guy in one of the trainings I attended. Guy X had everything on my Guy Checklist. A good diploma, title, nice and stable job, charming personality, responsible, Catholic, good son, and lives in the city where I wanted to live and build a family. Plus, he even had a car (ahem). Everything was perfect. It was just so hard to resist. I was supposed to be happy. I was. And I definitely enjoyed those times. Life was soooo good to me. But I had a gut-feeling that it was just too good to be true. I had everything I ever wished for. It didn’t feel right. I waited for the dark day to come.

And one day, it did! The relationship ended. Crashed. Crushed. Just like that. At first, I struggled. I wondered what was wrong with me. How could it happen to an awesome and fabulous girl like me?! How can I be a failure? It was just so hard to handle…at first.

But I handled the crisis pretty well.

I didn’t wallow in self-pity or turn into drugs, alcohol or commit suicide. I am a toughie. I just evaluated my life - took a closer look on who I am as a person and realized that there’s nothing wrong with me, at all! I am indeed fabulous! (in my own standards, at least…)
This blog entry is not about “Surviving a breakup” so, I won’t focus on that. It deserves an entirely new entry.

Anyway, amidst all the “getting-over” and “moving forward”, I still had to deal with another dilemma: “Staying or Moving Out”.

I was confused about staying with my current job or moving into another field. It was not a simple decision because it involved moving to another city, looking for a new(and more expensive) house, meeting and working with new people and leaving the people whom I have worked with the past five years. It was a tougher crisis.

These are the questions that kept bothering me:

• Will I be better as a trainer or a teacher?
• Where do I fit: academe or industry?
• Who are the better friends: those in GenSan or those in Cebu?(A stupid question coz all of my friends are equally great!)
• Will I be happier in GenSan or in Cebu?
• Will Company X get hit by the global economic crisis?

But again, I was able to get through it with flying colors…

Here are the things I did:

• Pray - Spiritual guidance really helps
• Talk to friends - especially those who really understand what you are going through and are much eager to help
• Meditate/Reflect - Take some time to be with yourself. Examine your heart and identify your feelings. Know your deepest desires and priorities.
• Read books/blogs - You are not alone! Learn from those who went through similar situations

I am now a better and more mature person because of the crises I have gone through. I am single but happy. At least nobody’s making me cry over nonsense stuff right now. Haha.

And I realized that there was something wrong with my Guy Checklist: I missed the loyal, honest, mature and totally-into-me criteria. No wonder I got the wrong guy! Another thing I realized is that I have a fantastic job here in MSU, which allows me to enjoy the thing I am good at: being with and working with people! I will have fun with my current job and look for other opportunities a little later…

How about you? How did you handle your quarter-life crisis?

Making it happen....

"If you don't have discipline, you don' deserve to dream"

I have just read Mr. Butch Jimenez's commencement address to the graduating class of UP entitled "Descending to the Top". It was very inspiring.

Mr. Jimenez talked about

• How to reach the top (Be the first in the mind and burn an attitude in the mind)
  
• Discipline
  
• Execution (There is no try. There is either do or not do.)
• Descending to the Top (As you rise to the top, the more you have to be a servant.)
• A heart for our country - Philippines (Show 'em we're great & give back to the country.)
• Walk with GOD (There is no destination beyond the reach of those who walk w/ HIM.)

I have realized that for me to be able to reach the top, I have to serve and be humble, always giving more than I am expected of - working more than I am paid for.

Also, I need to be serious with implementing discipline on myself like:

• delaying gratification
• setting aside my savings before spending
• getting the job done ON TIME
  
• keeping a tidy place