some kind of amazing

So why did I still encounter such crisis even if I knew about the Law of Attraction (manifesting your heart’s desires) at such a young age? Well, I already said it. At some point in my life, the things I have manifested were my heart’s CURRENT desires. This is where the value of life experiences come into play. Even if my knowledge on LOA (Law of Attraction) was quite expansive for my age, I still haven’t gained the experiences that would put clarity to what I REALLY want. 

When I manifested my first job — my desire was to get a job that was aligned to what I studied and with an ok starting salary… like every fresh graduate. The Universe gave me more than that. It gave me a first job that opened doors of opportunities — skills to learn, develop and share, local and international travel, meeting people from all walks of life, a clear career growth plan, etc. The benefits and the amazing people I’ve worked with were just cherries on top of the cake! It seemed like the perfect job… and it was indeed the perfect first job for me. But I still quit. Why? Because after almost 3 years of working in that company, I realized that what I was doing was not exactly aligned with my heart’s desires. My passion was different and not having the time and opportunity to pursue that passion left me frustrated and demotivated. So I quit. And I reflected and reflected and reflected... until I’ve arrived at my current heart’s desires — the desires that leave me feeling passionate, fulfilled and just really happy and full of love whenever I visualize myself having these in my life. And along with this positive energy I give off when I think about these desires is the knowledge that these desires are really what I want in my life… simply because these make me happy. :) Of course, identifying my heart’s desires is another story! It took me months of reflection and evaluation before I became comfortable and truly happy with the dream life I’m picturing. I can do another blog post on that one in the future :D

Life experiences are essential because these would lead us to what we really want. For now we may think that we really want something… and when that something occurs, we may think that “Oh, this isn’t really what I want after all.” And that’s ok. Because with every not-so-good experience comes the enlightenment of what we do not want AND what we do want in our lives. And having that clarity is a step closer to manifesting what we truly desire! Good thing the Universe is so kind and abundant that it allows us to always reset our heart’s desires whenever such realizations occur! :D

I also would like to reiterate that this is such a comforting thought to people who are undergoing some kind of crisis— that the Universe has enough for everyone. We are not pitted against each other because we all have different desires; our definitions of success vary. You are not slow or incapable... it's just taking you a number of life experiences before you identify what you truly want. And again, that's ok. :) You're getting there, one step closer, every day. Something I constantly remind myself as well!

Given these insights, the next goal is to lessen the number of life experiences that you do not want! And how do you go about doing this? By knowing what you genuinely, truly, 100% desire in life. A new blog entry is needed for that (which I'll be working on) BUT "Deliberate Creation"  and "Beyond Positive Thinking" by Dr. Robert Anthony were tools that helped me with this step. Check these audio books out!

P.S. I know I haven't updated for more than a month now. Whoops. BUT I AM BACK! :D

I've been constantly visiting Pinterest the past days and have been pinning all Law of Attraction-related posts I find. I happened to stumble upon this image and was amazed at how it says "Mar 1." And yes, since today is the 1st of March (2 months of 2017 flew by... just like that!) and this is such a relevant image, let's talk more about The Secret!

Ever since I committed to live out The Secret again (which was around a week ago), I have been looking forward to every waking day of my life. I feel more grateful, blessed and lucky every day. I feel like every day is a day closer to the manifestation of my heart's desires. This is a complete change as I've been mulling over my quarter-life crisis for the last couple of months! People around me noticed this change too... I look so much happier and I am so much kinder now. I genuinely feel happier as well... to the point that I randomly dance, skip, hum, or sing just because I feel like doing so! :D Even typing all these is making me smile!!

I love this feeling. I love the feeling of receiving all of my desires now! I love the feeling of being able to make my loved ones happy. I love the feeling of pursuing my passion. I love the feeling of being able to help other people. I love the feeling of being so so so abundant!!! :D

I LOVE HOW I AM RECEIVING EVERYTHING NOW AND HOW I AM LIVING MY LIFE AS IF I'VE RECEIVED ALL THESE THINGS I AM WISHING FOR! :D

Because in the Law of Attraction, saying all these out is good but actually feeling all the positivity, gratitude and love these affirmations give is BETTER! :) The space of high vibration and high celebration you feel when you affirm yourself makes you ready to receive whatever your desire is. The Universe has it all, you just need to trigger it by thinking of all the things you want, by visualizing that you already have all the things you want AND by ultimately, FEELING that you already have all the things you want! :)

Today, I realized I still have my lapses. Why did I think that I don't deserve whatever I am wishing for? Why did I feel like I shouldn't tell other people my desires because I might jinx it?? Why did I not seek the help and knowledge of other people???

Today, I also shifted these thoughts. I kept on affirming myself that I am deserving and my desire is my abundance. The Universe is abundant and everyone is abundant, after all. THERE IS ENOUGH FOR EVERYBODY. I also talked about my plans to some of my loved ones and it felt sooo good... to the point that my eyes were literally twinkling when I was talking about this! PASSION! They believe in me AND are willing to help me. Life is sooo good! LIFE IS AMAZING! :)

The more I learn about The Secret, the more I feel confident that I CAN manifest my desires!^^ And the more I believe that I can do so, the more I feel grateful, relieved,  optimistic, and loved! :D Isn't that amazing?? 

Every day, I live as if I'm already living my dream life. I live in my dream life more than in my current reality. For me, my current reality is my dream life! And that's the ideal thing to do! :) :D Feel as if your current reality is your dream life and every day just looks so much brighter! :D

I HAVE BELIEF, COMMITMENT, AND FAITH. THANK YOU, UNIVERSE. I LOVE YOU. YOU ARE AMAZING!!! :D

P.S. I'm a Catholic and I believe God led me to live out The Secret again. Weeks before having that lightbulb moment of applying the Law of Attraction again in my life, I've actually asked guidance from Him on what's the next step I should do. And this stood out. :)

P.P.S. I literally typed this in less than 30 mins. I wrote this blog entry as a reminder to myself and to also help you guys on how you can apply The Secret in your lives! :) I hope this helped. More of this soon! Especially because I just enjoy talking about this... my passion and life coach tendencies are showing! :D

P.P.P.S Remember, you're just right! ;) And you deserve all the best things in life!

Last week, I've realized how I was not exactly applying The Secret in my life for the last couple of months. This was a wake-up call for me for I have always prided myself on how it was so easy for me to always live on the brighter side of life -- to be grateful, optimistic, and loving as often as I can. Quarter-life crisis is also one reason why I had conveniently forgotten how to live out The Secret. When life gets tough, it's just so effortless to succumb to negative thoughts. Agree? 

Anyway... these realizations came with the desire and the motivation to go back to living a a life filled with gratitude, positivity, and love! Since last Sunday, I have been reading up again on how I can effectively apply The Secret in my life and I was reminded that one of the ways to do this is to use daily affirmations.

What are daily affirmations? Daily affirmations are phrases/sentences that convey what you want to manifest in your life. For example, if you want to attract more money, then a daily affirmation can be "I am attracting new income streams." TIP: Use the present tense in a positive tone when creating your affirmations. The point of affirmations is to well, affirm yourself that you already have these things that you are wishing for. Believing that you already have these will leave you feeling happy and confident, which will ultimately send out a positive energy/vibration to the Universe. The Universe will then respond to this positive energy by giving you want you want! Amazing, right?

The more daily affirmations, the better! The key thing here is to feel grateful and thank the Universe because you are already receiving all these wishes. It doesn't matter how many times you repeat these affirmations if you don't believe it and you don't attach positive feelings to it (and GRATITUDE is one of the strongest positive feelings out there!). The Universe is, after all, responding to your positive vibration -- the stronger the positive energy is, the faster the Universe will respond :)

To help me with my affirmations, I write these phrases/sentences on sticky notes and post it on my vision board. Every morning and before I go to sleep, I repeat all these affirmations and visualize myself already having my wishes! This exercise immediately gives me happy vibes! I also literally write affirmations anywhere... on my planner, work notebook, phone notes, etc. especially when I need a mood booster. 

I hope this blog entry inspires you to start another work week with a grateful, positive, and loving mindset. :) Let's all make those things we want... happen! 😊✨

I LOVE YOU!

Miyajima Island, Japan | March 2016

A quick Google search states mindfulness as "the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us | (source)." 

This definition hits home for I am the biggest worrywart and overthinker I know. I often get consumed by the what ifs, the fears, the inevitables... which leaves me mentally drained and demotivated. I am a highly self-motivated person and I would like to believe that I'm pretty good in living out the positive thinking philosophy BUT I am also my biggest critic; I tend to to be too hard on myself. 

The worrying is also a hindrance in helping me focus on the NOW -- to breathe, relax, do everything I can now, and leave the rest for the next days. Since worrying makes me restless, instead of being productive, I would rather be lazy and do mindless things (e.g. excessive fangirling and social media browsing)... which is definitely not good if I want to create more progress with my goals. 

This 2017, I want to be be more focused and to appreciate the NOW more -- to live in the moment, take everything in, make most of every minute, and be more aware. To also further counter "being overwhelmed by what's going on around us (me)", here's to never losing sight of the big picture and to paying attention to the essentials. The statement below will also serve as my reminder to be mindful as often as possible:

Do not overthink. Breathe, live in the moment and just do whatever it is need you to do :) NOW is where the action is and NOW needs your full, undivided attention ;) Be grateful that NOW is here!

Hopefully (although I'm not really doubting it!), practicing mindfulness can help me be more productive, positive and of course, present! 

HOW CAN I BE MORE MINDFUL?

How can I actually apply mindfulness in my life? Right now, I'm still developing the habits that will pave way to a more mindful me. Here are some of concrete things I am already doing:

I'm sure this list will grow as the days go by. Right now, I'm just happy because I found the right theme for my 2017 - the theme that I want AND need. I've had a lot of down moments these past few days/weeks and being mindful definitely helped me feel better :) 

How about you? What's your theme this year? :)

Cliche and predictable this may be, the new year is everyone's chance for a fresh start! It's the perfect setting to rise again, create something, do what you've always wanted to do This is the period where everyone is full of hope and aspirations. Well... why not make those aspirations concrete by setting your 2017 goals? :)

So I now have 2017 goals! Now what? The next step is to create a system for my goals. A system is like the schedule I'll follow while pursuing those goals. The goal is the big picture while the system is the series of steps I'll do in order to achieve that goal. This is very important because it gives concrete actions and breaks down you goal into bits and pieces, which makes it less overwhelming.

Please also read this article. This is where I got the idea of creating systems. 

5.) Create a vision board

For some people, fangirling/fanboying over something is just a phase -- a phase that you are sure you'll grow out of as the years go by. Becoming a Kpop fangirl last January 2013, I honestly thought it would be just one of those phases. I was experiencing a rough situation that time and any form of distraction was more than welcome. Besides, I have always liked Asian dramas and culture since I was a kid so getting crazy over Korean idols was not really surprising.

The further I immersed myself in the Kpop fandom world, the more I realized that my crazy fangirling was not really a "phase." It has become a part of my lifestyle. I don't just fangirl when I'm bored or when I have to distract myself from the realities of life. Fangirling over Kpop is one of my inspirations to work hard, learn more, and to better myself. Knowing the stories of these Kpop idols -- how they worked hard during their trainee days, what they had to sacrifice in order to debut, and how they are continuously improving themselves, motivates me to "refine" the different aspects of my life.

I have always known that some of my interests are writing, designing websites, and reading books. I dreamt of becoming an author when I was little, had "web designer" as one of my career choices when I was in high school, and a large bookshelf teeming with books I read is testament to bookworm Leana. These interests are also tied to why I have a blog for more than 11 years now (writing + web design + storytelling). 

Along the way, I stopped allotting time for these things. School, then eventually work, occupied my weekdays. When weekends rolled around, I would often feel tired and would "reward" myself by not doing anything. It was a viable scenario at first -- work-filled weekdays and bum weekends. In the long run, however, it led to dissatisfaction and frustration. My life basically revolved around work and recovering from work stress. I was not doing the things I enjoy most because in my perspective, I didn't have enough time. 

Learning more about Kpop idols, I found out that despite their busy schedules, they still manage to compose/write songs, read books, go to school/university (!!!) etc. in their (very little) spare time. That fact made me feel ashamed of myself; if they have time, what's my excuse, really?

Now, it's my goal to read at least 30 books this 2016. I also opened somekindofamazing, my first ever public blog, for me to write more. With regard to making layouts, I actually had a "successful" layout gallery in one Kpop-related website where I made layouts for fellow Kpop fans. I'm claiming it as successful because I had around 4k+ followers and I got featured lol. That was back in 2013, when I just graduated college and didn't have a job yet. My web design goal is slated for next year.

Little by little, one step at a time, I'm going back to the things I love doing and improving my skills related to these!

Living the funemployed life the past months forced me to come to terms with my daily habits. I am a highly self-motivated person, yes, but like every human being, I have my lapses. As an overthinker, I have a tendency to be consumed by my thoughts which often leaves me feeling drained and tired. Because of this "mentally tired/drained" feeling, I would resort to being lazy and unproductive even if I haven't really accomplished anything significant for the day. 

Mindless web browsing is also one of the banes of my productive day. Ok fine, usually because of my fangirling! I can ignore my Facebook or Instagram for weeks (I don't even use Snapchat!) but I always have to check Twitter, YouTube, etc. for my fangirling needs. I'm working on that ok!!

Because of these factors, I figured that I should create a morning routine that would give way to a more productive and mindful day. I try to follow this routine as often as possible because it has been doing wonders in my everyday life.

Making to-do lists is a must for me so I can prioritize the things I need to do. I always make a to-do list the night before then review these tasks in the morning. I usually make 2 major goals (blog, work on something, etc.) then 2 minor goals (clean room, exfoliate, etc.). Numbering these tasks according to its priority enlightens me on what I should do first or if I lack time, what I can put off for another day. 

5.  Listen to music

After doing those "preparatory" steps, it's time to do my goals for the day! Having a morning playlist is an instant mood booster. I prefer calm, soothing music (Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Michael Buble type) so my go-to playlists give off that vibe. Since I'm also an avid Kpop fan, I love listening to chill, makes-you-want-to-fall-in-love, giddy Kpop songs when I work on my tasks. That kind of music is always my favorite, no matter what language it is!

After 8tracks has gone dysfunctional in the Philippines, I now rely on YouTube for my Kpop playlist needs. I actually have a 2016 Kpop playlist on YouTube lol! I also have Spotify and I browse through the playlists there if I'm in the mood for some Western music. I currently have a melOn pass because of GOT7's comeback (stream all day, every day) but it will only last for 30 days. It's kind of expensive (PhP 700+ pesos for 30 days) so after my pass expires, I'll go back to YouTube. I only buy a melOn pass when GOT7 has promotions because #GOT7trash lol.

Because I'm more updated on Kpop music than mainstream Western music, below are some of my current favorite tunes:

(yes these are the "chill, makes-you-want-to-fall-in-love, giddy Kpop songs" I was referring to)

John Park - Thought of You (my 24th birthday song because this was playing in K-Town while I was having my birthday lunch!)
GOT7 - Let Me (this isn't a Leana Tiu playlist if GOT7 is not involved lol // not a title track so no official MV but please buy GOT7's latest album!)
JUN K. - Think About You (JYP Nation love!)

I will be making a Kpop playlist soon so I'll just add more songs there!

There are times when I am not able to follow these 5 steps religiously. I still try to do this routine as often as I can, though, because it changes my mindset and it motivates me to do whatever I set myself to do.

Also, since I'll be having a regular work schedule again soon, I actually need to revise this morning ritual. I shall talk about that another time. :)

안녕하세요! Hello! How are you? Kumusta?

As a fan of Korean culture, I guess it just follows that my routine is based on well, the Korean skincare routine. It was early 2014 when I decided to delve into skincare, all thanks to the flawless (seemingly poreless!) skin of all these Kpop idols and Korean actors/actresses I've been exposing myself to. 

Before switching to a more rigorous routine, I only know 3 skincare steps: 1.) wash face with facial wash (that was my term for it lol) 2.) use toner (alcohol-based) to further clean my face 3.) moisturize. That was it! My family never had acne-prone skin so I was not really conscious with whatever I put on my face. I still had the occasional PMS zit breakouts and I got blackheads on my nose, though. Anyway, since I started using Korean skincare products, I noticed that my face got smoother and brighter. My pores were also less noticeable and the overall skin tone of my face evened out. I also received compliments from people with regard to how good and healthy my skin looks so I believe that counts as proof that my routine works (for my skin).

A note, though. It literally took me months to collect the products I'm currently using, more so follow a routine religiously. Also, I don't always use all these products, which means that I try new ones if I get the chance. My skin type is combination-oily. More oil accumulates on my T-zone (nose, forehead, area around the mouth, chin) but I noticed that my whole face produces more oil when the weather is humid. I also target making my pores smaller. Knowing your skin type and what areas for improvement you would like to target is a must before formulating your routine and buying products!

DAILY SKINCARE STEPS: