I Have the Right to Write

Yaaaay! Can I say I never have been so excited to blog again (and regularly, I claim it!) in my entire "blogging life" 'til now? Waaah. I can't exactly say/write the right words why I am. All I know is I wanna write, share, inspire, be inspired and just put down here all that's stuck in my mind right now. But, but partly, because I also found Shai Coggin's blog (that majorly caused the excitement, I am so lame that way...HAHA) which just stores or documents everything, and I meant everything, that she's into. Arts, online marketing, hobbies, her line of work, personal stories, writing, travel,shopping, music and all that jazz and she's been blogging since 2000. I wanna have a blog anniversary too! Babaw eh noh. HAHA I know I've told you, whoever is reading this (Hi bestfriend! *nagaassume* HAHA), time and time again that I promise to blog, and I never fail...to disappoint you. But now, I plan to take this to the next level. No holding back. Will put everything out there. Well except those I know that may hurt other people, or with lots of sensitivities or may cause a stirring online and offline. I promise to be a bearer of good news, hope and inspiration, no matter how boring it may be you for you my dear reader (Hi sister! *nagaassume again* HAHA)...but not bad news. Ever. I know you had enough of those on TV, radio and even here online (assuming that there really is someone listening to me ranting.). And I wanna put my writing muscles back to practice, back to work, since I want to write a GK1world-worthy post in the near future. Naks! As if di ko pwede i.post whatever or whenever I want to. Haha. Yes, I manage Gawad Kalinga's website and all of GK's social media networks. Spilt the beans. There I said it, I said it, I said it, cause I care! (Sorry, got carried away...on a Last Song Syndrome of that song.) Anywho, so I want to be able to finish 2 things first.

1. I want to be able to have standard "categories" for my blog that I wouldn't want to change ever for the next 5 years or so...not like what I currently have right now. I am so not good in creating "headlines" and that include categories and titles. If Bisaya, kaya pa. Or I bet even Tagalog, but English...maka-nosebleed sometimes. 

2. And I need and would want to organize my bookmarks first. Promise, it is kinda connected so I can proceed with my blogging career. Naks! But yeah I know, I'm just trying to make lame excuses just so I can procrastinate more. Hayzz, so me. 

The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron  Brought it with me during our Palawan trip but still wasn't able to finish it. 

But, but no, I will conquer thyself, thus the title. I just want to remind myself that there is no need to be conscious and be critical of my own writing because each of us has its unique style of writing and the the right to write. And pagnapapractice, napeperfect! And I wanna write because it gives me joy...it makes me think more...it makes me want to learn more so I can have lots of stories to write and eventually share to the rest of the world. Actually, the title of this post is from a title of the book that, I again, did not finish reading, The Right to Write by Julia Cameron. I love how she says that all of us has the right to write. It's pretty inspiring and refreshing, an eye-opener...and I am inspired to finish reading it! Lez dow dis! Okay, so I'll be off fixing and renaming and finding "cool" names for my blog categories. I promise I will not try too hard to sound smart or else I'll be spending the next hour doing just that, renaming. Hehe Let me leave you with a few lines from the book, "The Right to Write."

"I love it when I write well, but I love it when I write, period."

"Start where you are."

"Taking the time to write in our lives gives us the time of our lives."

"Writing is like breathing. I believe that. I believe we all come into life as writers. We are born with a gift for language."

"Listen with your heart. Let yourself listen. Let yourself write."

"Writing need not be fancy. It need only be regular and steady. That is deep enough. That takes us deeper."

"Heart is where the art is." 

Special thanks to Kuya Kirby Llaban for the book! He got lots of inspiring reflections and insights about life, family, friends and community life too! Visit his blog here. 

2011 Resolutions

I decided to come up with one and will try my very best to accomplish it. Reading this blog inspired me to have a one-year goal and planning out what I have to do to achieve such goals. For 2 consecutive years, I've been making "100 things to do for 200_". And for last year, I was able to accomplish 50% of it which is not bad at all. But still, it'll make you ask, how come I wasn't able to accomplish the other 50? Well, for some reasons, it is because I tend to NOT push myself when needed and I have this crazy attitude of sleeping things off. Literally, at times. I am aware that I have become so lazy that I tend to set aside a lot of things needed in my work, doing errands and achieving goals I've long set for myself. Yes, I believe being a sloth can cause such big personal rift and it affects your personal growth, gets in your way of wanting to be excellent in the work that you love and slows you down in achieving your dreams for yourself, your family and the people who needs you the most. It's getting way out of control so I am doing this 30 day thing. I just stumbled upon this blog and it actually contains a lot of good stuff. I am hoping to be able to follow some of those in the list (which requires me to do it daily) in the next 21 days, which they say creates a habit.

So I listed down goals/things to work on/things to do for 2011 below:

• Be on time.
• Wake up early everyday.
• Stop procrastinating in everything.
• Lose weight. I weighed myself yesterday and I currently weigh 56 kg/120 lb.Have a regular form of exercise.
• Track down all my expenses.
• Spend time with family when in Cebu.
• Go on mission trip with the family.
• Keep in touch with old friends. Greet them in their birthdays (which I suddenly stopped doing even if you see it in Facebook. Dunno why. I'm weird like that.)
• Meet new people.
• Write more often.
• Read a lot of books.
• Travel more. (CamSur, Bantayan Is, Cebu, Bohol, Puerto Galera, Iloilo, Boracay, Australia)
• Increase traffic of GK1world. Hits will be 250,000 at the end of the year. Registrants will increase.
• Have a regular prayer time.
• Learn a lot about online marketing.
• Find other source of income online.
• Laugh, hug, smile more often.
• Be more grateful.
• Take lots of photos.
• Pay all debts.
• Increase sales of human heart nature.
• Crush out 10 things-to-do in my bucket list.
• Minimize drinking sodas.
• Be a more positive person.
• Be organized.
• Stop complaining.
• Deliver best performance at work ever.  I want to be excellent, for God and country, for our GK communities.
• Take up a class in dancing. I miss!
• Drink more water.
• Stay away from junk foods.
• Learn from every struggle and trial.
• Take time out to rest.
• Be open to surprises.
• Adjust to changes.
• Live and enjoy life to fullest! And love in wild abandon! :)

Begin where you are.

Begin where you are.

It's 12:40 AM and I'm still up. I was supposed to blog earlier but family comes buzzing me in Skype and my supposedly one-hour or two devoted to reading and writing is reduced to a 30 minute cramming to catch up some zzzzzz's before a busy Monday.

It's kinda weird that it's been two months now that I've been putting aside books. To think I have four books stocked up in my roommate's table. I just lost my interest in them. Just like that. And I've stopped blogging regularly. Just like that. So sudden. But I am just so happy and giddy that I'm planning and forcing and bribing myself to get back. on track. of reading and writing again. I have these recent spur of the moment encounters that made me want to read and write again.

1. Back in Cebu, National Bookstore Ayala is a haven for me.  I never let a week pass by without dropping by or staying there for hours. And especially during college days, it has been one of my favorite place to escape to whenever I feel pressured (as if...haha) on many stuff that's going on in my life. Before I even came to work here in Manila a few months ago, I promise myself to find a nearby NBS or Fully-Booked that I can run to whenever. Nothing beats Fully-Booked in The Fort but it's 3 rides away from where I currently live and work so it won't work that much. But I recently discovered another book haven in Greenbelt where I can possibly sit and squat and read all the books I want. That discovery awakened my love and yearning for books again. Hooray!!!

2. I had this 30 day blog challenge a month after I arrived here in the big city and I promised myself that I would document every life and story that touches me and every struggle that I have conquered. That I would be able to share my journey towards self-discovery. God never fails to surprise me with His love-filled day to day plans for me and I would very much love to share the path that I choose to walk on. But it lasted for just 9 days. Psh. And for almost 2 months, I suddenly stopped writing. At times, especially times when I'm sooooooo inspired and I feel I have so much love to give because God has loved me generously, I find myself wanting to go find a pen and a sheet of paper to write on because there's no laptop or a desktop in sight and then I go, okay later, when I'm at home, I have to write about this and share it to other people so they too can be inspired. Which obviously, I didn't get to do. Procrastination has done a good job messing with me these few months. And I have decided to put an end to it. Right at this moment. at 1:14 AM.

3. Because people are asking me to write stories of hope here and there so that makes me want to widen my vocabulary, remember a few "oomph" words that goes right with a statement and give justice to an inspiration and fall in love with writing again. So many amazingly inspiring stories to write!! God just blows us away, every single day. More of them at www.gk1world.com

Now, I feel refreshed that I actually get to write down something no matter how senseless in a way it is. The moral, you just have to start somewhere so you can get things done. or for you to get back on track.

So I'm doing a 30 day challenge once again. Why 30? Cause I read somewhere and my bestfriend affirmed me that a thing becomes a habit after 30 days of doing it. I just forgot why. All I can figure out for now is that 30 days makes a month. Right? Street smart answer. Woohoo! LOL

The catch is that, I am not only blogging for 30 days straight, I'm having other 30 day challenges as well. And I would loooooove if someone could join me. :)
1. 30 day blogging challenge
2. Read a chapter or two a day from THE RIGHT TO WRITE by Julia Cameron. or better yet finish two books within 30 days.
3. Do my Human Heart Nature regimen once again. Haha. I tend to skip a day or even 2 just because I'm too lazy and I'm not used to doing those beauty stuff but I would very much like to support a Pro-Poor, Pro-Philippines, Pro-Environment product line so here I am trying to do this. Product review? some other time perhaps.
4. Make a To Do List before I leave the office. I have this major tendency to forget things and work that I need to get back to. Which frustrates me at times that it makes me want to solve algebra or trigonometry to make my brain restart or something. My memory is draining too soon. A glimpse of memory gap at its early stage.
5. Prayertime. I miss my God. :)

Thank you, Kuya Kirby and Ate Sky, for your blogs that continue to inspire. And to my bestfriends, please do write again. :) Join me!!!

So who wants to join me in this 30 day voyage? Just say aye, aye Captain and we will go sailing to the unknown and exciting blue waters of tomorrow. Yay!

Let's do this!!!

From The Right to Write (Chapter 1):

"Writing is like breathing. I believe that. I believe we all come into life as writers. We are born with a gift for language and it comes to us within months as we begin to name our world."


"Writing goes much better when we don't work at it so much....writing is like a good pair of pajamas-comfortable."


"Wherever you are is the entry point."