APRIL FOOL JOKE POST: 2022 (NEW) YEAR AND 33RD BIRTHDAY REMINDER: DON'T WAIT!!

Is it too late for a post about the year and birthday? Come on! We are a quarter way into the year, and my birthday was in February and now it is APRIL. 

I meant to post something on the New Year, but the holiday celebration and work got in the way. As an accountant, the beginning of the year is extremely busy because there is so much to do to close the year. Then I postponed the post till my birthday and the Lunar New Year; however, I had to get the tax and audit materials ready at work. After that, I started to do my own taxes. Keep delaying..... I realized might be TOO LATE to post anything now. Should I just skip this year? 

Well, this morning, I realized today is April Fool! Since it is acceptable to lie and pull pranks, today, why not a New Year / Birthday Post? 

Since 2018, I stopped making a list of new year resolutions because they are hard to keep and even remember them. From 2018 to 2020, I decided to only have one to two major goals for the year, and I liked that way. Some goals I had to extend to the following year(s), for example, one of the goals I made in 2018 was not complete till 2021! Then starting in 2021, I changed to one simple reminder phrase for the year! 2021 was: Living in the Present!

Reminder 2022: Don't Wait

After going through two years of pandemics, with all those sudden death of people, canceled events, travel restrictions, lockdowns, etc.,  my view towards life changed significantly. Looking back on my life, I waited too long and wasted so much time waiting for the perfect moment to travel, achieve my goals, do the thing I always want, etc. I always thought: I can do it tomorrow, next week, next month, next year... There are should be another chance. I began to think, if I can go back to 2019, will I tell myself: "It can wait, I can do that next year?"  DEFINITELY NOT! WHY WAIT? WHY NOT DO IT NOW?

For 2022 and beyond, DON'T WAIT for anything:

-Don't wait for traveling to somewhere new!

-Don't wait for getting into shape!

-Don't wait for taking the opportunity!

-Don't wait for achieving my goals!

-Don't wait for being HAPPY!

Happy 2021 and I am BACK!!

Hello BLOG!

I can't believe my last post was almost TWO YEARS AGO!! So Sorry for lost in touch with you! I have been wanting to come back for a long time. 2019 was a pretty rough year in personal life and I was trying to recover during 2020 and then pandemic hit. 

I understand that I should keep updating the blogs for my selfcare; however, when I write, I want to write POSTIVE INSPIRATION. I was being little negative, so I didn't want my post to sound so negative and regret to post later on.

NOW I am back, regardless what 2021 will bring me to, I will bring more positive content to my blog. 2019 and 2020 really trained and changed my positive mindset. My old way of staying positive is that problems will pass eventually and everything will be alright, someday. However, I learned some problem would not go away quickly (like COVID19) and what if it will never go away? I remembered this quote:

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain.” —Vivian Greene

I need to find a way to cope with problems instead of waiting for it to go away. Also after experiencing death of my friend in 2019 and watching increasing in death number across the globe, I learned life is too short, don't wait for the problem to pass to experience happiness. 

New Year's Resolutions, FORGET IT. 

Although I have a few goals to achieve, my main focus of this year is to live in the moment. I used to have many anxiety and emotional flash backs. Neither of them are good for any of us.

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

― Lao Tzu

For 2021: Please Living in the PRESENT!

3 Life-Shifts You Will Experience When You Turn 30

Happy Birthday to me!! I entered my 30s on Monday. No matter I am ready or not, THE TIME HAS Come! THANK YOU, everyone, who wished me a Happy Birthday. I am TRUELY Blessed!! Also thanks for readings this! Best GIFT EVER!!  


I don't look or feel very different. Many people say, I still look like 18 or 19. Haha. I am happy about that. 
10 Year Challenge: 19 vs. 29


However, things do change, and I realized I "aged." Here are the following 3 major life-shifting people will experience once they reach the 30s. 

1. Body: 
I realized I can no longer pull an ALL-Nighter. I become tired so easily. My body would not function well without 6-7 hours of sleep each day. I am glad I finished school and proud of people who can still go back to school in their 30s and beyond. The BEST weekend activity is sleeping and spending time relaxing alone. I still like to go out with friends, but I don't enjoy partying anymore. I used to love eating a lot of junk food, but now, I often not feel well after a binge-eating. I prefer to eat healthier and less food.   


2. Conversation Topics with Friends: 
When I am in my 20s, I often talk about dating, applying/finishing schools, finding jobs, weddings, etc. with friends. Once the 30s coming to close, the conversation changes to mortgages, investments, promotions, changing jobs, starting a family, etc. Friends gatherings will begin to consist more couples than singles and sometimes there will be kids running around. As I grew older, I realized I will have lesser friends, but better ones. I learned friends are quality over quantity. Only true friendship would last throughout adulthood. 


3. Dress/Hair Style/Picture Pose Preference 
As I approach my late 20s, I definitely started to pay attention to my wardrobes more. During my early 20s, I wear jeans, t-shirts, and casual mini-skirts. When I got older, I began to buy more expansive and fancy dresses as well. I realized I don't need many clothes. I only need a few good-quality expensive clothes.



Age: 23 vs. 29

Moreover, I realized that when I am younger, I tend to do more silly and create bold poses. As I age, I became more conservative and less creative about how I picture myself. It shows well by comparing these two pictures at the Crate Lake in my early and late 20s. 


At the Crate Lake: Early 20s vs. Late 20s

All in all, changes and shifting are scary but exciting. Here is to the new decade! Don't be afraid to grow. In the end, age is just a number. Also, each age group has its own blessing and fun! 

2019 Thoughts

Happy New Year!! 

When it comes to the new year, people like to make a list of resolutions, but a lot of people struggle to keep them. I used to make new year's resolutions as well; however, I often failed in keeping them. Over years, I tried different strategies such as keep have a plan, have more specific goals, etc., but they did not work well.  

Last year, I decided to only make two MAJOR goals to achieve in the year. One did come true 😊. The other is partially came true 👌. For this year, I will make the second goal come true and one more additional goal. Moving forward, every year, I am going to stick just set one to two significant goals/life-shifts. 

My birthday is in a month!! On my last birthday, I made three wishes, which included my-two-major goals. 

• First one - came true
• Another one - partially came true
• The last one - may be coming true

Until Next Year or My Birthday in 2020, I would like to make my other two wishes come true or at least one of them. 

Have a great 2019!!

2018 Recap

The year 2018 went like a wind. As more I age, the time would go faster. Many changes and new happened. I traveled to a new continent called Europe, shifted my career, and became physically and mentally stronger.  

Traveling to Europe for the First Time: I went to Paris, France, Switzerland, and Monte Carlo. Seeing the REAL widely-known places such as Effiel Tower, Louver Museum, Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe, Palace of Monte Carlo, etc. was amazing. I loved European food croissant in France and milk in Switzerland were unforgettable. I learned the history of art, royals, and nature of Europe. Travel is not only to play, but also to increase more knowledge. I'd love to come back to Europe again and continue to explore more countries.

Shifting Career: I went from working for accounting firms and conducting external accounting to a private firm and performing internal accounting. Although the tasks did not change much, I feel much less stressful. 





Achieving 10-Mile-Run: 10 miles was the farthest I ever run in my life. I was scared that whether I can make to that far or not. I usually run about 3 - 6 miles and call it good. However, I decided to take the risk. "If it does not challenge you, I can't change you!" Thanks for all my friends for encouragement and tips. I am glad I did and it was not as hard as I expected. I felt awesome when I finished it. 


Becoming Mentally Stronger: I have been practicing gratitude and optimism for years. But I still had the panic attack and negative thoughts here and there due. By the end of 2018, I am finally able to fully recover from anxiety and depression. It is not like the stress and problem don't exist, anymore; I know how to live with all the good and bad thing I am dealing with. 



I am very proud of myself what I became in 2018. For 2019, I wish I will be more capable of doing tasks and become mentally and physically even stronger. 

Tracy is Like Phoebe

 I LOVE sitcoms. I often binge-watching (I should never do that again!!). One of the highlight of last year (2017) was I binge-watched two shows: "How I Met Your Mother" and "Friends."
 
I liked both shows equally. I understand that many people like to compare two shows and states that How I Met Your Mother copied friends. Characters are similar: Ross = Ted, Rachel = Robin, Monica = Lily, Chandler = Marshall, Joey = Barney. They also had several shared storylines as well. 

    

BuzzFeed even did a Proof that both shows are literally the same show. I can totally agree! But Phoebe from Friends is kind of left out from the casts and the sixth member in How I Met Your Mother, Tracy shares similarity with Phoebe as well. Here are my additions to the Proof

1. Both of them play music: Phoebe plays guitar and Tracy plays ukulele and bass guitar.

 
2. Both of them were into causes: Phoebe was into Animal Rights, and Tracy was into Ending Poverty.

 

3. Both of them are the nicest girl among three and like to help people. Rachel/Robin tend to be a brat sometimes and Monica/Lily tend to be over controlling sometimes. Tracy/Phoebe is the most selfless and kindest girls among the three.
 

4. Both of them are quirky: Phoebe runs so funny and Tracy sings English muffin song.
 

Am I Always Happy?!

I often hear people say:

"You are always SMILING!!" 

"Whenever I see you, you are so HAPPY!!"

"You are my SUNSHINE!!"

Well, am I always been this happy? Actually NO. I have tough times and struggles that I am facing. To be honest: I am "actually happy" only about 10% of the day. I am going to share my down times and the strategies I use to keep my positivity going. 

Don't give me wrong. I like the fact that people are saying "You are always smiling," "You are my sunshine," etc., however, there are hardships behind those laughs. Here are some of the struggles am thinking about 90% of the day. 
-Dealing with Anxiety: I am constantly worried about the future: finance, family, relationships, health etc. I often scared of what going to happen tomorrow. Will my happiness continue to exist? Please don't take my happiness away from me.   
-Career Development: I am still figuring out what I want to do and where I will be. Although I have a master degree, three credentials, and 3-4 years of work experience, I can't find security in the job. There are still a couple of "difficult" credentials to obtain, and my career stage is not yet where I would like it to be. 
-Language and Cultural Struggles: I grew up in three different countries. Although I am fluent in three languages, it is hard to find "who I am," and "where I belong." I often have an identity crisis. I became scared that I don't fit in or I cannot be myself.

Enough sad stuff, here are what I do to maintain my happiness and distract from anxiety, career scare, and identity crisis. 

1. Fitness: I enjoy running, swimming, and dancing. When I work out, I forget all the problems I am facing. I feel refreshed after gym. Working out is the best way to clear my mind. 

2. My Accomplishments: Although I still have not got where career and other life goals should be, I am proud of myself for what I have accomplished so far. If I can earn a master degree, three credentials, and master three languages, I CAN achieve my career, financial, and other life goals. 

(Willamette University MBA Graduation)

3. My Family: I am glad that my family is supportive and loving. Whenever I am down, they are always there to make me feel better and cheer me up. Thank you, my mother, for always believing in me more than I believe in myself. 

                                               

(Savior Island, Portland, OR)

4. Nature: No matter what weather it is, I love spending time in nature. Whenever I am upset, I like to come to the woods. I appreciate the "gift" that my mother nature gave to us. I would feel grateful for "what I have," and not to be greedy about "what I don't have." I also realize the "world is big" and "how small my problem" looks.

(Redwood, California)

5. Food: Enough said! Good food will solve EVERYTHING. People who love to eat are the happiest people!! I usually crave for something either sweet or comforting. Mother's cooking is always the best way to recover from anything. 

(Thai Restaurant: Sesame Asian Kitch in Ashland, OR)

6. Studying (Reading and Writing): I enjoy reading an inspirational quote every morning to motivate myself. Good literature would help people view the world, differently, and it is always helpful to study more. Writing down the obstacles in life also minimize mental burden. I maintain this blog to de-stress as well.