new girl. different day.

☀️💁🙅🙋🌟

[iamjuana]

to my 20-year old self

You won’t believe the journey that awaits you. There will be dark days ahead but none that you cannot conquer. Your work will fill a large part of your adult life. It will be a roller coaster ride but it will be worth it. There are people who will doubt you, who will even make you doubt yourself. But there are those who will believe in you even more than you believe in yourself. Some will stab you when you’re not looking but others will inspire to be the best you can be. Eventually, you will be wiser to know the difference and your resolve to succeed will be much stronger. Success will be arms reach but failure is an experience you will have to go through. Both will make you better, so always do your best. You will meet new friends, outgrow some and it’s absolutely okay. The important thing is to keep a few who will stand the test of time. One day you will wake up and realize that the siblings who annoy you everyday will be your bestest friends in this lifetime. That what your mom and dad taught you about studies, love, money, and life are true (most of the time). At some point in your life, your heart will be broken by someone. You will cry and lose sleep but you will get up again, smile again —- either you fall in love again with someone better or you will be better in loving yourself. And when you reach the point where I’m at, you will look back to see how far you’ve come, how life has changed you, how experience taught you life’s greatest lessons, how people inspired you, and how the best days of your life are still ahead of you.

[iamjuana]

random thoughts

Our work as concerned citizens of this country does not end on the day of election. We can still continue to work and support causes that focus on taking the poor out of a situation wherein they have to rely on the government or a strangers’s random acts of kindness. The government and the private sector should work together in investing in a system that empowers the poor to get out of helplessness and extreme poverty through education and capability building. And I thank you. ;)

[iamjuana]

honest moments

I like seeing people in their truest, honest form. The way someone sleeps with mouth open and the way they snore when they fall in deep sleep, the messy hair when you wake up, the way people cry when they are drunk, the way kids turn you down when they don’t want to be bothered, or the way people shout at the top of their lungs when riding a giant roller coaster. That look on someone’s face when they get the surprise of their life. The way people hug when saying goodbyes at the airport or the way you press your face against the car window taking that last glance — never wanting to leave. The way people sing their heart out while taking a shower or driving alone. The way people blush as if a secret has been finally revealed. That now or never moment when you finally have the courage to speak up. That moment when you stopped thinking about others and start thinking of yourself —- doing what you enjoy, saying no to forced interactions, chasing your own dreams in your own terms, not conforming to what everyone thinks you should be or do. These are the honest to goodness moments I want to experience more of.

[iamjuana]

40 lessons for young folks

Read, read, read and keep learning.  Smart is beautiful.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.

Never marry young.  

Who you want in your teenage years might be your biggest regret in your 30s.

Stand up for yourself. No one else will.

Bullies are a bunch of insecure people.  Ignore them.

Be generous in sharing your ideas and helping others become a success.

People are generally good.  So never tolerate bad behavior.

Sexy doesn't always mean slutty and fat doesn't always mean lazy.  So don’t judge people by the way they look.

Never apologize for your success.

Never date an insecure person.

Choose your friends wisely.  This will be one of the most important decisions you will ever make in your life.

Never mix social media with work.  Screenshots lasts forever.

Never compare your salary with a colleague --- in fact, don't even talk about it.  Its irrelevant and not nice.

Advocate something --- life should be lived with a purpose bigger than your own.

Spend time with your mom and dad --- they are likely to spend the whole week waiting for Sunday just to have a good lunch with you.  Don't disappoint them.

Your siblings are your bestest friends.  Take care of them and always watch their back.

Bad times do not shape anyone's character --- it reveals their true character. 

If people act like they don't care --- believe them.

Never let success go to your head and never let failure go to your heart.

Its okay to be angry or to curse --- but not for a very long time.

Suffrage is one of the most important privilege of democracy --- so vote… and vote wisely.

It is never too late to learn something new.

Be sincere --- all the time. 

Always have an opinion --- better to be in the extreme that someone who doesn’t have a stand. 

Celebrate the success of others --- bitter is an ugly trait.

Winning is a habit --- always try.

Return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas, and freshly carwashed.

Girls, never be a damsel in distress. You are smart and strong and you can definitely take care of yourself.

Boys, mean girls are mean --- stay away from them.

Live within your means.

Save, save, save.  People make better decisions when they have money.

Education is the great equalizer.  Study hard and if you can, help someone get access to quality education.

If it doesn't make you happy and if doesn't make you healthy, it has to go.

Buy a really nice pair of shoes.  It will take you to beautiful places.

You can be whatever it is you want to be --- never let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Don’t try to be beautiful like someone. Be beautiful like you.

At some point in your life your heart will be broken by someone. Be resilient.

The moment you say “not to brag or anything” is the exact same moment you will

Love and kindness should always begin at home

[iamjuana]

freedom + confidence

I’ve always been very clear on what I want.  It’s so clear, it won’t leave my mind until its done.  So I end up doing things (that I want) very quickly and aggressively.  And throughout my career, it has always been dictated by a feeling — of what I want and if it makes me happy.  Most of the time I’m right — but sometimes I’m wrong.  And I tell myself, “It’s okay. It happens. That’s life.”

Then a phase in my life happened.  I was chasing something I thought was my life’s dream. The days passed and my dream changed, my passion gone… and I changed just like that.  I found myself looking at the window and just thinking about freedom. I want freedom but at the same time I was so scared — financially.  I heard voices telling me to be practical, seen people who are utterly disappointed, heard people preaching about being grateful.  

And in the middle of this, there are two things I am certain of: first, my need for freedom was more compelling.  I need it for growing up, for being happy, and being who I really want to be.  So I barged in, faced my fear head on, and go against the norm.

Second, I needed (so badly) to recognize that I still have what it takes to be successful despite this seemingly impractical decision.  And when I did, it took my financial worries away.  It cleared my mind and made me see that everything I want — the more of it, the less of it, and everything in between, is in front of me and not in anything I leave behind. 

[iamjuana]

untitled

Breakthroughs happen when you take risks to do some things you're a little not ready to do --- that moment when you question yourself if it's possible... then you take a deep breath and take the plunge anyway.

[iamjuana]

it is what is

This is life --- it is what it is. Bad things will happen. So you have to be strong. Sometimes, we may lose control and yell for people to get out of our lives. In other times, we may breakdown and beg people to stay in our lives. Some days, we will feel everything --- every emotion all at once. In other days, we will feel nothing at all. We will be in bad spaces, and we will be in some amazing ones. At some point we will break down on our knees crying and hurting. Then in some instances, we're going to get on our knees back up and pray just to say thank you. There will be moments when we are 100% sure and there will be times when we have no idea what's happening. This is life. It is what it is. So be strong.

[iamjuana]

celebrating womanhood

I was that girl in school who flunked science, never raised her hand. I was that girl who likes kickball and dodgeball but was never good at it… and yes, each playtime meant a wounded knee or if I’m lucky, just a scratch. I was that girl who never liked Barbie or Pink 5 of Bioman. But I grew up wanting to be like She-ra or Annie of Shaider.

I was fascinated with current events, geography, and World War 2. I never had a good imagination and would always choose non-fiction books — a showcase of real people, of how lives are lived and lost, of how different we are and yet so similar in so many ways.

I grew up aiming to become a strong, independent woman with views largely influenced by Sex and the City, authors like Lualhati Bautista, and artists like P!nk. These women remind me that a beautiful woman is one that is smart, someone who wants a man but doesn’t really "need" one, someone that empowers other women, someone who knows that beauty comes in different forms, colors, and sizes. And in my whole career, I’ve been mentored by fierce, intelligent, competitive, and inspiring women.

Then there’s my mom, who has seen it all, braved through every life’s highs and lows. She reminds me of the grace it takes to be strong and the power it takes to be gentle.

I have been raised and influenced by so many women. They taught me to be curious, to continuously learn, to listen, to take risks, to make tough choices, to give back, to be kind, to have that winning attitude, to live free, and to celebrate things that make them true.

[iamjuana]

message to my 18-year old self

You’re now 18 and I’m sure you will hear a lot about transforming into a lady and becoming an adult and stuff, and how you’re supposed to figure things out… might be too much pressure, but don’t be.

My advise is for you to take it slowly. Make the most out of your youth. You will have lots of time being an “adult” later on. Enjoy your time spent in school because surely you’ll miss it when you graduate. Laugh your heart out with friends. Be silly with them. Listen to them and share your stories with them. Find comfort in having your friend right by your side because later on, you will see that real friends are hard to find.

Save money and go places — travel and experience something new. Do this while your body is still up for it. Go diving, parasailing, climb some mountains, ride that terrifying roller coaster, and meet some good people along the way. You see, all these will help open your eyes to see the great big world around you.

And as you kick off your journey, you will fall in love and be crazy. Savor it... experience the magic of Your first love. And as much as you want to be careful, you will get hurt... but love anyway. Give love a chance all the time but it doesn't mean tolerate someone who doesn't treat you right..

Spend time with your parents and siblings, see places with them, do as many things as you can with them embrace them as often as you can, watch tv with them, tell them you love them everyday.

You see, when you get older and get caught up with the hassles of the real world, all you would ever want to do is just be with the people you love and who loves you.

And as grow older, just remember, to celebrate life everyday. Focus on the things that makes you, you.

[iamjuana]

the hard truth

We cannot oust every President we elect into office. I believe in democracy, in due process, in loving this country. But we also need to accept that people have grown tired of people power — that EDSA is now known for its traffic more than its history of bringing democracy back to the people. People are tired of the church intervening with the affairs of the state and yet unwilling to pay taxes. The church who tells people what to do and preach about loving the poor — yet their “catholic” schools remain to be institutions that the poor cannot afford to send their kids to. People are tired of the elites, who was never poor or out of job, telling you how to best love this country, of politicians caught red handed playing with the emotions and sympathy of Filipinos. I did not vote for Duterte and if we were to elect a president now, I will still not vote for him. But Duterte is now President and we need him to succeed in changing this country for the good.

[iamjuana]

Untitled

I go to church to strengthen my faith, find meaning, learn how to be a good Christian, and be blessed. I did not go there to hear about politics, or how much this priest dislikes President Duterte, or how evil the use of contraceptives is.

If priests and the Catholic Church are so interested in politics, then they should start paying taxes to support government in caring for the poor, or lowering tuition fee of their elite Catholic Schools so more people could afford it, or allocating their donations to building more hospitals caring for mothers and their children, or creating more jobs to support a growing family (in numbers and in demands).

[iamjuana]

Chasing Deadlines

We spent most our lives chasing deadlines. We are expected to do a lot of tricks even before we turn 1, we are expected to be ready for school as early as 3, finish school at 20 or 21 with flying colors, and by the time we start working, we continue to chase, and we are expected to settle before our biological clock stops… and while we are busy chasing… we are missing out some important things in life… birthdays, weddings, and gatherings we should’ve attended, vacation trips we should’ve taken, movies and concerts we should’ve seen, quality time we should’ve spent, new handshakes we should’ve made, new friends we should’ve met, old friends we should’ve kept, quality sleep we should’ve taken, and health we should’ve cared for.

[iamjuana]

#EveryWoman deserves respect.

[iamjuana]

This was a meaningful victory. I never thought I could run too long in a day. And if I listened to my body, I would have quit as early as the first hour into the game. There were several challenges in this game that made me want to quit. But the one leading us gave us no reason to back down and be lazy.

The game would have been easier if I was in the other team but his presence created challenges for me that made me burst into sweat when I actually don’t have to. His every move represents effort and drive to succeed. And every step I took forward, he was one step ahead. So when he runs, I run. When he said keep going, I didn’t quit.

And while I was the slowest in our team… I was actually the 6th fastest among all participants.

[iamjuana]

When I go to Starbucks, I sometimes wonder, what if I just let go of my career and work as a barista. Because the truth is, when I see these baristas, they seem to be happier making coffee than I was being in the office. As I observe them, I imagine how calming it is to work with your hands and smell freshly brewed coffee. To meet new people and to see so much smile in a day, talking face-to-face instead of communicating via email and instant messaging. And when their shift is over, their work is done and their time is their own.

[iamjuana]

Finding Me

When I was younger, I never thought I would leave home, lose some friends, move from one job to another, do crazy things, make so many mistakes, all in my pursuit of freedom, of being able to follow where the wind takes me, of making more meaningful relationships. I learned to defy my own fear, do what I thought was once unthinkable, and be anything except being just like everybody else. At times it was way too scary, I lost sleep over worry unable to make sense of things… And then there are days when things just come together. I found freedom, made the most out of my youth, built real friendships that are meant to last a lifetime, learned to love my family better, find meaning into everything I do, and make no apologies for my life choices, and most importantly, I was able to find me.

[iamjuana]

Your Choices. Your Life.

Whether you choose to stay single, celebrate a lifetime of independence, or find someone… or whether you choose to get married and have kids, or get married and not have kids, or have kids and not get married, or simply to live-in. Or whether you date an older guy or someone much younger. Or whether you are looking for a serious relationship or as casual as can be… The thing is, at the end of the day… These are YOUR CHOICES and this is YOUR LIFE. So don’t listen to the opinion or judgment of those who won’t have to deal with the consequences of your choices.