Blog by Jedde

Expectations are burdens that are heavy to bear. Yet, we easily impose expectations on ourselves and other people carefully pile up their expectations on us as well. It's either one of these two and if you're lucky, you get both. Failing to meet these expectations can either cause us to get compared with other people or we end up beating ourselves hard for it. It's tiring isn't it? You're tired too, aren't you?  No matter how many inspirational quotes we read, how we strive to improve ourselves, or try our best to meet others halfway, there will always be moments when we question our self-worth just because we didn't become someone who we expected ourselves to be.  How do we forgive ourselves for all the things we didn't become?  -- There was one evening when I found it difficult to sleep. I asked myself this question and what happened became a turning point in my life. I thought of a chair. It was a nicely polished chair with a red cushion. It looked co...

Many of us have mixed feelings about the lockdown situation. Some may feel hopeful and managing well in their homes while others may feel confused, anxious, and in dire need to survive. I know how that feels. I'm somewhere in between. While it is true that we are experiencing a huge range of emotions at present, there's one common thing we are all facing that's quite tricky to cope with: uncertainty. What are some of the aspects in your life that you're uncertain about? Is it the future plans you made? Perhaps securing your job? Maybe even not knowing which career to choose since everything seems hazy now? How to sustain your livelihood so you can provide for your family? These are only a few examples of the things many people, including you and me, are going through. It's stressful isn't it? Not knowing?  That's why today, I will share with you three easy tips to get you back on track in life so you can cope with uncertainty more effectively and healthily. ...

Celebrating my 5th birthday with my sister and cousins. Happy with Filipino-style spaghetti and orange juice! As little girls, my parents would often remind me and my sister to be grateful for what we have. We grew up in a simple household. Usually, our breakfast, lunch, and dinner doesn't change in variety. The food is cooked in the morning and is reheated for the next meals. Yes, there were many instances when we would complain about why it's always repeating. As young children, we wanted to try eating new dishes too. We would whine about it and sometimes throw tantrums, to which my parents would reply: "Be grateful for the food on the table." We didn't understand what that truly meant back then. We thought it was just our parents nagging us and reminding us the same message over and over again like a broken record. We would even lip sync! When we eat and rice grains fall off from the plate, even if it's just a few grains, our parents would scol...

I'm beginning to feel even more restless. Now that the circuit breaker and ECQ measures have been extended, I cannot say that I'm perfectly calm about it. Each day, I watch the world move a slow pace from outside my window. Cabs in long queues instead of people, a person who just bought a bag of groceries trying to cross the street, a few vehicles driving by, and the trees calmly swaying their branches under the sun. The fight against the crisis still continues up to this day. Although now, my extroverted personality craves to be tended. All I could do is dream - going to a café, meeting with my closest friends and chit-chatting with them, or maybe having a date with Alex and taking lots of photos around Singapore. Alex. I wonder how he's coping with all that's going on right now. You might probably know about this but one very clear thing about us is that he and I have different ways to recharge. As an extrovert, I gain my energy in social situations, often see...