b l a b s

It's true that the reward for achieving your goals are more goals so here they are. Right now, I'm a 31-year-old grown woman (grown?) who still wants to set goals and try to see if she will achieve it later on.

So, by the time you are 40, I hope you have done or working on the following things:

1. Completed atleast 1 Masters Degree and job-related diploma – On track

2. Is a senior or leader in the company you are working on – Will work on it

3. Interailed Europe with a lovely human companion – Will work

4. Walked the Camino de Santiago with a lovely human companion

5. Received medals for running in marathons

6. Has 2 houses, 1 in hometown and the other in wherever you are now with a lovely human companion

7. Has a cat and/or dog

8. Has a lovely human companion ❤️

9. Took lots of travel photos with a lovely human companion

10. Genuinely contented but still ambitious with a lovely human companion

11. Saved more than Php 3M

12. 2 Insurance and sister's insurance

13. Going to church and has a Christian community

14. Weight maintained at <50kg – On track

15. Goes for jogging or in the gym

16. Nice and light wardrobe outfits (wears dress) - On track

17. Mini business/side hustle/investment

18. Parents retired and leaving in your hometown house

19. Has a mini library at home

20. Goes to a lot of coffee shops and restaurants with a lovely human companion (but weight still <50kg)

21. Goes to annual dental appointment

22. Learns atleast 1 foreign language

Feel free to add more here.

With much love,

Your 31-year old self

Dear 30-year-old self,

Back here, you were writing as a 23-year-old someone who just read an article from Thought Catalog and decided to make a letter for you to read after ahm 7 years? Then, poof! Suddenly, there you are. Well, hello. I don’t know the reason why you stumbled upon reading this post instead of doing some unequally important and matured errand you might surely have right there. Seriously, older self, why? Well. I suppose, you still got that blogging nerve. Ok, continue to have that.

Anyway, right now, right here, I'm writing you a letter for you to still remember the hopes that you have 7 years ago. Hmm. So, keep reading.

I hope you are not slouching any longer. Of course, because right now, I’m suffering from a horrifying back ache I couldn’t have should our younger self set some goals on maintaining a right composure. I mean, having one means everything right? You can’t go straight with life while having a crooked back and trust me; you wouldn’t want to experience this kind of torment. It’s like being burned in the fire of Mordor. I hope you’ve outgrown this situation because what the he*l?

I hope you are living your dreams with a job that you find great and tolerable. I’ve learned that it’s not really about getting what you love all the time but there must also be some glitches like loving what you have and letting go of what you cannot have. I hope that you are now contented with the things that you are doing on weekdays; that you don’t do some chores for your job on Saturdays and if you do, I hope that you are paid he*l big. But of course, I hope that amidst your contentment, there’s still that desire teamed with actions for your career enhancement. So, you planning to take a Master’s Degree now? How about that specific certification? I hope you didn’t ditch those ideas yet.

I hope that you are enjoying your free time; that you’ve started taking that tour around the country whether alone, with someone or in a group. I hope that you’re bringing with you an HD camera along with a chic hat for you to always be gorg. I hope that you are still collecting souvenirs yet much more memories of you having real fun because that’s what travelling is all about.

I hope that you are still brave on love; that no matter what happened; you still give love one and always one last chance; that you still have that faith in love, in real love, in love that God has promised you. I hope that you are learning the fact that in order to truly love someone, you must first love yourself because only then that you can give love freely to anyone else. I hope that on countless times, you’ve asked His will regarding that matter and on countless time, He’d assured you that it will be worth it. I hope that, well, aside from the fact that he’s already late, he arrived. Yes, finally. He came and makes your day a bit brighter; your mood a little lighter, hugs you whenever you’re lonely and makes you an essential part of his life just like what he is to you. I hope and I pray that you aren’t afraid anymore to give more for love’s sake because you are assured that it wouldn’t be used as a one sided advantage. I know you can give more for love, I know that you are worth it. So if it happens but I hope and hope and hope it won't, that well, he’s not there yet, just keep on praying and doing what you think is good for you. You can’t just sit around waiting for love to find you. You must move and walk and run and maybe you will stumble upon him on a mudded road with your running shoes dirty with mud and he will give you some sort of witty comment regarding your mudded running shoes and you will have that sort of clever response about muds and yeah, I’m making a mudded story here but you get my point, self. Just enjoy life first and don’t get discouraged. You might also want to listen to a Civil Wars song called To Whom It May Concern. It’s worth listening and humming and singing in the shower if you happen to have showers. So smile and do not take this thought away from you, I mean, don’t you ever dare to forget this: make God the center of a relationship and it will be worth it no matter what. Ok?

I hope that you’ve been a legit bff to somebody. Well, that bff of yours now, I hope you still have her. I hope that you will go to any lengths just to be one he*l good of a friend. You know full well who I am talking and you know that she’s worth keeping. If it happens that some sort of unreasonable reason might make you treating her like nobody, trash it. You’ve gone through a lot of that before and she has proven her worth a lot of times too and I think it’s your turn not to be so self-absorbed anymore. Fight for your friendship and you will be delighted with the results over time. And oh, it’s ok if she has lots of bffs. Don’t go freaking out and play jealous. Friendship must not be stingy, right? I hope that you are keeping up well with your high school and college bffs too. Don’t say no to their invitations if you only have reasons such as you hate the world enough to stay alone that night and you don’t want to be with people because you hate the world enough. Seriously, self, grow up. Say more yes to your workmates. Initiate. Give a little talk to some strangers. Be open and friendly but keep a good and healthy company.

I hope that you are giving your family the support they needed. Financially, of course. There’s no bad thing about bringing them pasalubongs and treating them to some fancy restaurants. I hope that you are buying them gifts. But most of all, I hope that you are still finding time to bond with them. Perhaps, you’ve been too busy with your career and your other relationship but do well remember that they are your family and your parents are no longer getting young. Spend time with them. Bring them to a healthy vacation and give them a lot of reason to feel young again. Please.

Be a good sister. Don’t be a bully or bitchy. Just be a good sister. Just so we’re clear.

I hope beyond all hopes that you are still treading the narrow path. Remember the vows you made back when you were still a teenager? You promised that you will follow Him. Definitely follow Him, passionately follow Him. I know, a lot of compromises might come and might make you want to withdraw those words that you said before but always and always think that He’s always and always there. His grace is enough so don’t lose hope. God is greater than everything, even your setbacks. You might think that you are not worthy but it’s not about you, self. Again, stop being so self-absorbed. Remember, it’s about Him. Let Him use you. Let His name be glorified always. Remind yourself when you are doing well that it is by His grace. Take off that crown and put it back to Him. Remind yourself when you are, well, not doing well, that His grace is still enough. Put off that burden and take it back to Him. I mean, you couldn’t go on life with a crooked back and a heavy heart. The reasons of such are too much slouching and waywardness. Self, be happy with a greater joy. Not with mere pleasures this world is offering. I hope, regardless of what time we are in now, that we both are smiling, at this precise moment, because we are both nodding to the fact that there will never be a joy greater than a life fully surrendered to Him. So, go on to that ministry. Find a local church community if you haven’t found one yet and be useful for His glory.

Opened a bank account already? Yes, you must. Saving money might be a struggle but what’s not to start? It’s for your own good. Invest for something good.

I hope you stopped buying cheap clothes that will only get ugly after a few laundries. I hope that you are still eating oats, drinking tea and cold coffees. There will never be us if we don’t do that cold coffee addiction so just go on with that. I hope you are still finding some time to read books, sketch and chuckle over some internet jokes. I hope that by now, your IG account is not only filled with great shots to prove your excellence in photography haha, but also with captured moments that are worth keeping and collecting.

I hope that you still have that zeal to learn something new. Don’t be rustic over old things. Explore.

And self, be nice, always. But be wise also. Stop caring about what others think because it really doesn’t matter. We know that.

I know I might be talking a lot of ideals here but that’s what I want you to remember. That’s what I want to remember when I reached 30. Make me proud, self. Keep these thoughts alive.

With lots of love and xoxo’s,

The 23-year-old you

b l a b s

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