Today is officially my 6th month on the job! This was quite an achievement for me considering my track record at holding jobs. Here are the numbers: 3 months at Kimberly-Clark (This was an on-the-job training stint) 1 week at New World Renaissance Hotel (I felt a little bad about leaving this one, maybe I should have given this job a chance and seen what I would have turned out to be), and 4 1/2 months at Sony Philippines. I think I was a nomad in my past life! What were my motivations for leaving back then? I can vaguely remember, but I'm sure that it was the right decision when I made it. I guess i'm the type of person who's never satisfied with myself and what I do. I've always held on to the belief that there's something better out there for me to do. I also think that i'm still too young to be held down by a regular job that could keep me from experiencing life, and living it to the fullest. But I digress, you should congratulate me, for lasting longer in a job than I ever did! Now on to my next goal: Lasting another 6 months!

My Advocacy
Some do it for the whales, others do it for the trees, some do it for the starving children around the world. If I could have an advocacy, a cause that I would fight hard and proud for, a belief that incites my passion and stirs up my emotions, it would have to be...Work-Life Balance.

I am a firm believer of Work-Life Balance! A person without it, is simply a tired and unhappy individual. C'mon people, we don't live to work. Your existence and purpose in the world is'nt based on the amount of hours you log in the office. I pity the hard-workers who stay in the office for more than 14 hours at a time, week-ends included. Their reasons? A. I'm swamped with work B. I have poor time-management skills C. I work slow, but steady D. I'm single, alone, and don't really have anything productive to do E. I love what they do so much, its ok not to love myself F. I'm a martyr, i'm hoping the company builds me a monument someday, the reasons are endless! I used to do this back in my previous company, but I found out that the more I stayed late, the more I worked week-ends, the more I ended up unproductive and unhappy.

My motto in work is - "Start Early, So You Can Leave Early". I live by this mantra. I go to work at 8 AM, I leave at 6 PM. People may think that this is a lack of commitment at work on my part, but I beg to disagree with you. This, I call discipline. And its good to practice discipline while you're young. It's a given that you're not bound to finish all of your tasks in a day. From 8 til 6, I am fully commited to the company, but from 6 onwards, I am fully commited to myself.

Simple Joys #1 - Walking In Bad Weather

The weather has been quite gloomy these past few days. This morning, the weather was'nt just gloomy, it was depressed! People may find it weird that for some unexplainable reason, I feel pleased whenever clouds are overcast like its about to rain. I feel even better when its actually pouring outside! Today was one of those days...and I feel great! Its been awhile since I last walked outside in the pouring rain with 20 mph gusts on my face. Its hard to keep a person who finds happiness in the gloomiest of weather down. I'm posing this question to my two readers out there - what things or actions, however insignificant it might seem, give you a good or ecstatic feeling?

Stress Distress

Its that time of the year in the office I'm already beginning to hate...Marketing Planning season! I can feel the stress seeping into me. I can already foresee the longer hours at the office, the lost weekends, the endless revisions, and thoughts of cold-blooded murder! Once again, my resolve will be tested. We'll see who wins out. I hope it does'nt end like the last one.

I don't enjoy the company of stress, I despise stress. The mere thought of stress already stresses me out. Right now, I know I'm stressed. Here are the signs: I've got a marble sized pimple on my eyebrow, i'm having sleepless nights, everything I eat tastes bland, I don't feel like doing anything productive/creative, and I feel a rage inside me I can't express. And its during these times when different thoughts run through me, most of them pitiful, selfish, and self-serving.

People have varying levels of feeling stress. I've figured early on that its pretty easy to stress me out. My threshhold for is weak. I sure that i'm not as stressed out as some of my peers are, but to me, stress is stress regardless of the amount of stress one feels.