My Two Cents Worth: Need A Bout Of Stress Relief?

Try Yoga! :)

I started hearing a lot about yoga about 3 years ago, when a friend recommended it to me. Although I was interested about the whole idea, at that time I didn't really feel the need to exercise as I've always thought of myself as pretty fit and healthy as I was. Several months passed and I could really tell the positive effect yoga was having on my friend. She wasn't just losing weight (along with regular exercise, she also became a full-pledged vegetarian), she was also becoming more energetic and just glowing with health! I could tell she was happier. So I gave it a try. It shouldn't be so hard, right? Wrong!

It took a lot of patience and strength and flexibility and dedication and all that serious stuff! I was so sore the next day. I think the instructor must have thought I was some kind of a pro as I went there in full workout gear as if I knew what I was getting myself into. haha :) She stretched and bent and twisted me like a pretzel. After that experience, I never even touched a yoga mat for a year. lol

I thought that was the end of yoga for me. About a year ago, I moved to an apartment near where I worked as a call center agent. As expected, I slept through mornings and worked through nights. My body clock was so screwed up, I was missing meals, not having enough rest or sleep, not getting any form of exercise other than the short commute to and from work. I watched my body go weaker everyday. I was always too tired to do anything. I went from 110lbs to 98lbs! At 5'6" tall, I was seriously underweight.

My boyfriend was getting worried. He lived near where I lived then. And I think that's when he made it his personal goal to get me in shape. He convinced me to jog once in a while. But since I was working nights and he was working days, it was hard for us to schedule a regular jog. And I don't jog alone. So we had to come up with an exercise plan for me that I could do on my own. I considered taebo but I was staying on the second floor of a house with wooden floors. The stomping would be so noisy.

Until one time, while my boyfriend and I were looking for shoes at a sports shop. I saw a pink yoga mat. To be honest, it was the pink that got to me. :) So I considered doing yoga again. I researched and found a bunch of beginner videos online. After giving it some thought, I think another try is in order. :) I got myself a mat (not the pink one, because the cheaper brands don't have it in pink :( and I couldn't afford to spend a lot on the high end brands). I gave it a whirl, and boy was I happy I didn't give up on yoga just yet. :)

I can't really explain what exactly it has done for me. You're gonna have to try it to see for yourself. :) All I can say is, it's the best exercise for stress relief. It's very energizing, very relaxing and very liberating. Give it a try, and be positive about the whole experience. You'll see what I mean. :)

If you're having doubts like I did, here's to get you started: Part 1 of 3 beginner yoga videos by Esther Ekhart, one of my favorite yoga gurus in Youtube. :) I'll post a link to her channel below.



I do hope you give it a try, and tell me how your experience was. I hope it will be a pleasant one. :)

xoxo
Abi

P.S.
Click here for more yoga videos from Esther Ekhart. :)

Job Hunting

It's already almost 3 in the morning. I just finished my online job hunt for the night. I figured since my nursing career is going so slow, I might as well try earning while waiting for the hospitals to have vacancies. At the moment I'm already waitlisted for a nursing spot at one of the hospitals that I really want to get in to. So for now, the plan is for me to look for a job, preferably not in call centers or in any company that I've already worked with in the past.

I posted a bunch of tutorial ads online, and I also emailed my resume to a lot of vacancy ads I found online. Hopefully I get a job that pays reasonable enough for my time and effort. While at it, I'm also going to apply for a bunch of nursing volunteer stints. The earliest batch for nurse volunteers that I know, at least among the hospitals that I'm considering to apply to, is in October. Even then I'd still have time to get a job even just for the next two months.

I remember our high school principal saying, "the more time you have, the more time you waste". And this couldn't be more true for me. I feel like I have so much idle time in my hands. I need to start getting myself busy and productive.

I'll keep you posted. :)

xoxo
Abi

P.S.
Because I'm trying to make my blogs as helpful as I can make them, I will include another blog about the posting sites where you could look for ads and post ads for free. :) I know there are a lot. Believe me, I've tried everything I found on google. But there are only one or two which gave fast and real feedback. Some of them just spams your mail with ads, it's unbelievable! I'll probably try and include my own personal tips in making ads, posting them, and in registering to all those online job sites. Watch out for it! :)

I Want Me Some Megan Fox Bod! :)

WARNING: if you're sensitive about talking about weight, or listening/reading about girls with insecurity issues, DO NOT READ. :)

...

I was alarmed upon noticing how anomalously thin my legs were getting. So I weighed myself, did a little research, and according to this website, at BMI 17kg/m*m, I'm at least 8lbs underweight.

So i did more research, until I stumbled upon this trivial yet very interesting (at least for me hehe) little info... I found out I have the same weight and height as...

...wait for it....

Name: Megan Denise Fox
Birthdate: May 16, 1986
Birthplace: Rockwood, Tennessee
Nickname: Mega Fox
Height: 5'6"
Measurements: 34C-26-24

Megan Fox-no less!!!! haha! (I was just ogling at her pictures wondering how come she's so hot and I'm not, before I found out we have the same BMI. Imagine my surprise and disbelief! haha)

Just to clear things, sharing the same BMI in no way means we also share the same measurements. (How I wish!!!) BMI is short for Body Mass Index which measures the ratio of your weight relative to your height. Of course people of different height have different normal weights.

But still, how come she looks smokin hot and I look like skin and bones??!?! Or are my fats just in all the wrong places?? Genes definitely play a big factor, and surgery probably plays a big role too. lol But still, as invalid a motivator as it sounds, I have something in common with Megan Fox! haha! And that somehow made me feel a little less beyond help. Like I suddenly want to jog and do squats and situps. ;)

I miss my fitness trainer/Hans. He's always been very.. uhhmmm... encouraging (a little pushy sometimes? haha) when it comes to my exercise habits, or lack thereof. hehe. If he was here, he'd definitely milk this newfound inspiration of mine to harangue me into exercising!

Anyway, I gave it some thought, and despite having essentially the same body mass index as the hot Ms. Megan Fox, I still think I need to gain a little weight, and maybe build some muscles while I'm at it.

And to show my dedication to this little project of mine, I'm gonna post my weight every week on my status till I reach my ideal weight of 125lbs. :) I'm at 109lbs now, I still haven't decided on a reasonable time frame for a 16-pound weight gain. My initial research says 1-2lbs weight gain per week is the safest. So for now let's just set it at 8 weeks. It's a long time, I know. I'll just make adjustments after seeing how much I can gain in the first week.

I'll also try and post workout routines and little tid bits of helpful tips and whatnots that I find for this project along the way. :)

Here's another hot picture of Megan Fox to inspire us all! :)

xoxo
Abi

I Need To Pick Up My Pace

For reasons I feel too embarrassed to say, today was a very slow day. Nevertheless, I still tried to do some of the things on my list. But before I get to that, let me tell you something about that list. :)

I started making the list 3 days ago after I cleaned my room. I found unused little notebooks in my cabinet and figured I should put them to good use. Do you know those times when you suddenly remember a thing that you've always wanted to do but you're in the middle of something when you thought of it so you just put a mental note to do it after the thing that you're currently busy with but by the time you're done with what you were doing you've already forgotten about the mental note?? Well, that happens to me a lot. So I decided to keep a small notebook beside my bed to jot down all of the things that I intend to do, be it in the immediate future or the near future or the distant future. :) I write everything down from the most trivial stuff like cleaning the cob webs I saw on my ceiling as I was about to sleep to the more essential ones like following up on my job applications and stuff like that. And then I cross out the things that I’m able to accomplish and write the date when I finished them. I think it’s a good way to keep track of your productivity, and in effect, it also encourages you to be more productive!:)

So anyway, here are the things that I was able to cross out from the list today. :)
1. Clean the cob webs
2. Clean the fan
3. Sweep the floor in my room
4. Make an appointment with the dentist
5. Follow up on hospital applications and volunteerism

I know, I know, it’s not really much which is why I have to pick up the pace. So here’s the plan so far:
1. I’m going to apply for volunteer work in Ospital ng Sta Ana and Ospital ng Binondo.
2. While waiting for the application, I’m going to work.
3. While working I’m going to keep pursuing the application for the nursing post I’ve been ogling for the past 6 months.

Since it’s a Friday, I’m going to use my spare time this weekend preparing the requirements that I need and looking for possible temporary jobs near where I live. I seriously need my own source of income. I’ve got bills to pay.

Come Monday I’ll be ready to face my battles head on! :) Wish me luck!

Xoxo
Abi

My Two Cents Worth: Stuck in a Rut?

If you too feel like you've been stuck in a rut for too long and you just want to somehow escape the curse, try writing a blog about it. :) And when you write, try not to whine or complain. I know It's very easy to get sucked into that. I did that a lot too. At one point it can be quite an effective way to vent out all your frustrations and disappointments. But be careful. Because when you get too used to it, like I did, you wouldn't even notice it but you'll start feeling a false sense of contentment just complaining and ranting about things. It's not productive at all.

So when you do write a blog about something that frustrates or disappoints you, instead of rambling, try writing a plan instead. Write a plan on how you will deal with the problem. :) Write something realistic and reasonable, something attainable. And then do it! :) I'm sure if you are able to come up with a very feasible and well-thought plan, you'd be more than excited to execute it. And there's no better source of motivation than yourself. :)

And when you've carried out your plan, whether you've succeeded or not, write about it too. Sharing your success and failures through writing gives you an opportunity to analyze situations in ways you wouldn't normally do when you're just winging it. :) Besides, whatever the outcome is, at the end of the day it's always fun reading your own blogs anyway.

:)

Stuck In A Rut No More

It's 15 minutes past 4am, and I'm already a little sleepy. I usually don't go to sleep until the sun is up, but tonight I might actually go to sleep while it's still dark outside. I just wanted to write a little something first before I go to bed.

So today I decided to start this blog for a couple of reasons.
1. My other blog is a little too candid and is totally secret from absolutely everyone so I couldn't really share anything with anyone through that blog. I wanted to share parts of my life to other bloggers or blog readers who might be able to relate to some of the things that I go through, and exchange advices, comments and whatnot's. I do find reading blogs quite enjoyable, so hopefully this blog would be enjoyable to read too. :)

2. The past 2 to 3 years have been the slowest, dullest, most uneventful years of my life as far as my success and personal development is concerned. I have jumped from one dead-end job to another, been unemployed for the better part of the past year, had no career growth whatsoever, and is still trudging my so-called career path without any clear directions. I'm already 25 years old, still living with my parents, jobless and without any concrete source of income. I felt really depressed and stripped of my self-worth for what seemed like the longest time. Up until a few days ago, while I was cleaning my room, I decided it has got to stop--the self-pitying, indulging in emo thoughts, whining and complaining and blaming the circumstances BUT NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I decided it has to stop NOW. And I decided that from this day on, i will do. And I thought it would be nice to keep a journal about how I turned things around. :) Maybe one day, when I can finally really say that I'm living My Happily Ever After, this blog would inspire someone who has been stuck in a rut like I've been the past 2 years.

3. I will do my best to write as often as I can. I think the idea of having to write about how my day has been, or how I've been in general, will inspire me to be more productive. That way at least I'll have more to write about than the usual day spent almost entirely in front of the computer.

I guess that's it for tonight. :)

xoxo
Abi

My Happily Ever After Starts Today

and what better way to celebrate this day than to start sharing it with you! :)