Live Love Life Leisure

  Slow Morning -  Photo by Ron Lach : https://www.pexels.com Back then, I used to equate productivity with constant busyness. My days revolved around ticking items off an endless to-do list, multitasking my way through tasks to accomplish as much as possible in a short amount of time. Slow mornings? To me, those were synonymous with laziness, reserved only for weekends or luxurious holidays at a serene hotel. And even during those rare moments, I’d often feel restless, plagued by guilt for “wasting” time. The habit of staying perpetually busy had become second nature—an autopilot mode that left me feeling disconnected from the concept of unwinding. I tried, on occasion, to indulge in a slow morning, but my mind would always wander back to what I could be doing instead. Productivity had become my identity, and the thought of slowing down felt foreign, almost wrong. Then came the pandemic, and the whole world hit the brakes. Suddenly, my packed schedule was wiped clean. Work was...

  Take your time to heal -  Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com This morning, I woke up feeling like I was back into the system. For the past few days, I didn’t feel like I had a good rest. Even though I slept, I felt like my brain was not resting. I knew that my brain couldn’t wait to work on analyzing what had just happened, but I needed to prioritize my body and give her some break. Now that I feel much better, I allow my brain to do her work - analyzing the event. I didn’t plan it to happen. As a matter of fact, I even deliberately planned not to talk about it. But sometimes, things just happened.  One way led to another, and before I knew it, there was an impulsive confession, a sudden spilling of emotions I’d bottled up for far too long. The moment it happened, my brain scrambled to catch up. “Why did I say that? Should I have held it in?” I wondered.  But amidst the swirl of doubts, something deeper began to rise—relief. Not the kind you shout a...

Peace and balance -  Photo by Nandhu Kumar: https://www.pexels.com Recently, I’ve started to notice something about myself: I have this strong tendency to avoid conflict. I shy away, not because I can’t handle confrontation, but because I just feel so tired . Emotionally tired, mentally tired—as if all my energy gets drained the moment a disagreement arises. I tell myself that growth is my goal. I want to become a better version of myself. And conflict? It often feels like a stumbling block in my path. Why would I willingly invite resistance when all I want is peace? That’s where Mel Robbins ’ “Let Them” theory comes into play. If someone wants to lie about me, let them. If they think poorly of me, let them. It’s not about letting others walk all over me; it’s about giving up control over what I cannot control. And so, as Mel suggests, from "Let Them", we shift to “Let Me.” Now, let me find my own peace. Let me focus on what I can control: my reactions, my thoughts, my ...

  Mindful time -  Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com Life is often unpredictable. It can feel like everything is going smoothly, until an unexpected event shakes up your world. That’s exactly what happened to me recently. When it unfolded, I wasn’t prepared. The discomfort was real—a wave of emotions that seemed unrelenting—but deep down, I knew that it happened for me, not to me. Even though I fully understood that, facing it was never easy. I heard that it takes courage to go through this journey as many of us would rather choose a different path, like... to drink it away. So, gently I reminded myself to be patient with myself. There must be a purpose for this. I just needed time to see it clearly. In those first few days, I allowed myself space to adjust to the aftermath. I pulled back, disconnected momentarily from the noise of the world, and asked for God’s guidance. I wanted to understand why this was happening and what I needed to learn from it. I knew this was...

Fresh flowers Gals, do you like flowers?  I used to think that it's a common thing for girls to like flowers. But I guess it might be a cultural assumption when a few weeks ago I saw something that flipped that idea in my head. So, I was walking past the new florist in town with a banner that caught my eye. It read: "Some girls don't like flowers, but they'll never say no to receiving them". I stopped in my tracks. It felt like a mix of a joke and some oddly profound truth. I stood there and wondering: Is it true that there are girls who don't like flowers? Well, maybe for some, it's the practicality as flowers don't last. Meanwhile, others might see it as personal preferences.  Whatever it is, here's the catch: whether or not someone loves flowers doesn't seem to matter as much as the gesture behind them.  I mean... think about it: it's not the bouquet itself that makes us smile. Instead, it's the thoughtfulness of the person handing i...