Time and time again, it is inevitable that I start feeling sorry - for all the imperfections, for all the regrets and for everything that I found unworthy being of. It didn't help that I normally pride myself upon having the confidence to motivate and drive myself towards achieving my goals. However, we all know that being successful is no easy deal and it takes so much hard work. I'm especially moved by people who were able to achieve what they wanted, like being a professional blogger per say.
But I do what I do, and I procrastinate.
We all have this little evil guy inside our head that constantly belittles, telling us that we can't do it, that we would never become as successful or happy as the people that we admire. It's scary because all it does is pull me further and further away from the goals I've long reached out for...
I would be lying if I said that I am not afraid.
Little by little I'm overcoming these inner demons with the help of Dan and the people who care about me. I tend to get a little separated from the social world during the holidays. I don't know why but I miss those I love especially so in this period of time. I'm also afraid to get close to people, because knowing they'll hurt you at the end of the day makes me feel that it would've hurt less if the relationship wasn't formed in the first place. Maybe that's why over the years I've become more cynical and less able to trust others.
Smiling has become a form of protection, a barricade from the harsh and cruel world. Being susceptible to outside influence and starting to see the little demons in the people around me has made it so hard to believe.
But if you can fight to save yourself, would you?
1) Finding someone whom you can trust
A family member, a really good friend, your significant other... Find that someone who you know you can share your heart out knowing wholeheartedly that they'll be on your side no matter how awry things may get.
When I was going through a period of ups and downs (basically, shit) in my life, Dan was always there when I needed him and I knew I could trust him even with the littlest of problems or when hell got loose. How extremely thankful I am to have him, I can't explain in words...
Pouring your heart out will definitely make your heart feel so much lighter and free. The most important thing is knowing that you're not alone on this journey.
2) Distractions are key
I used to lose myself in my favourite book, and could finish one whole book in a setting and continue on to another completely forgetting about taking my meals! Surprisingly I didn't even realise it until the hunger pangs started kicking in after I finished the book heh... Books provided me a form of refuge and it brought me to this whole new setting where I could immerse myself without caring about reality.
It was my go-to distraction when I had too much going on at once. Not too long ago, Dan and I bought a Kindle to enhance our reading experience (more of mine actually haha!) and I must say, it really made reading a lot more portable and accessible. Although I bet many of you can agree with me that nothing still beats reading from an ol' hard cover book which has its unique aged scent!
It's a win-win situation 'cos you might be able to take home some valuable friendships and new experiences as well so why not!
3) Finding that one thing you're really good at
This is hard for me to elaborate on because I haven't really found my passion, but I do have some activities I enjoy. Hitting the gym, boxing...basically getting myself pumped up, hot and sweaty (ew haha) makes me feel really good at the end of the day with the boost of endorphin in my system.
I know so many people who are great at what they're doing, be it producing, coding, designing, drawing etc etc the list goes on. You have no idea how awesome it is to have something you are great at, and yet love doing at the same time!
BE PROUD OF YOURSELF FOR BEING YOU
And hey... even if people think they can bring you down with their words, at least you know you got something on them don't cha ;)
Maybe not...
4) Reading awesome quotes
Inspirational quotes instantly perk up my otherwise, depressing day.
I find most of my quotes on Tumblr, which is a really convenient place for when you are in needed of all sorts of inspiration such as fashion, photography, sceneries etc.
Doing a quick search on google will bring up many great quotes that help not only mentally but also spiritually. You'll start feeling better and gain more acceptance towards yourself.
Doing a quick search on google will bring up many great quotes that help not only mentally but also spiritually. You'll start feeling better and gain more acceptance towards yourself.
They're not only really heartfelt, but gorgeous to look at as well. The great thing about quotes is that they serve as a reminder that you're capable of so many things that you can't see or tell. But I can assure you, your best qualities are there, just yet to be uncovered.
5) Watching silly stuff
... Guarantees a laugh. And we all know smiling is an instant mood booster.
When I'm not feeling that good on a day, what I love to do is go on Youtube and search for pranks. One of my favourite channel is Ownage Pranks where he uses multiple personas and pranks people by calling them over the phone.
It's deathly hilarious, and I especially like Buk Lau, his Chinese personality! He has an over exaggerated Chinese accent that makes it soooooo funny. No matter how upset I am during the day, the videos are still able to make me laugh so bad.
9GAG is also my go-to for a laugh or when I'm depressed and need some nonsense to cheer myself up. It's pretty great cos whenever I'm on the go, at school, at home, before bed, it's somehow become a habit to scroll through 9GAG for a while everyday, haha.
Lastly, 6) Exude Confidence
There's this phrase I learned recently from a TED talk, which is
"Fake it till you make it".
You may be feeling like the worse human being on earth at any point of time, but on the outside if you portray confidence and happiness, you WILL become the person you want to be.
The idea behind this is to act a certain way in order to become the person possessing those qualities.
It should be practiced constantly till it begins to feel like second nature to you.
The concept can also be applied to your daily life, or your school, or work.
If you want to do better in your speech, practice speaking eloquently most of the time and you will realise that your speech has improved without even you realising it.
Be confident of yourself and kill those inner demons (aka insecurities).
Confidence is sexy
These 6 points are definitely what helped me ease through tougher times.
I'm still trying to become a stronger person.
I'm sure many of you will agree with me when I say that it is not easy to take the first step. I used to think so too, but now I'm slowly easing out of my comfort zone and becoming more open to trying new things. Only when you venture out will you be able to see change in your life!
The road is never easy, but that is no reason we should succumb to the hardship.
After all, successful people often fail before they become the person they are today now. Take the risk, earn the experience. Who knows? It may actually be the one thing that will change your life.
I'm sure many of you will agree with me when I say that it is not easy to take the first step. I used to think so too, but now I'm slowly easing out of my comfort zone and becoming more open to trying new things. Only when you venture out will you be able to see change in your life!
The road is never easy, but that is no reason we should succumb to the hardship.
After all, successful people often fail before they become the person they are today now. Take the risk, earn the experience. Who knows? It may actually be the one thing that will change your life.
Be someone you can look back and be proud of.
Love yourself and you will start to love the world around you.
To all 'em haters,
Remember this at the end of the day:
