Initiative

“If you have initiative, you’ll always find a way to get the job done.”

Initiative is the thing you get to learn when all resources are not available and you refuse to fail.  It’s just a pity seeing people just comfortably hiding in a barrage of excuses just not to get the job done.  There’s always an unlimited supply of excuses and probably just a few means but all these excuses are immaterial.  People get absolutely nowhere coming up with excuses.  No amount of ass-kissing and lies can cover up an unfinished task.  Merits are given on what is accomplish and not merely on profiles, statures or attention grabbed.  Failure does make one stand out but that goes with infamy.  It’s always nice to keep a measure of pride as a doer but then again not everybody is driven by accomplishment nor self-respect.  

When things don’t go your way, learn to be creative and innovative.  There’s always a way.  It’s not necessarily the easiest one but it’s definitely something worth exploring.  Stuck on a deadline, do it a task at a time.  Trailing by a huge deficit, catch up a point at a time.  Going for a longer distance, take it a step at a time. Situations may vary but there’ll always be tough odds to hurdle.  Winners take adversity as a challenge, losers see it as an excuse.  It’s always a challenge and even if not all obstacles are surmountable, at least you won’t look back and wished you could have done more because life does not go on that way,  Life is always happening onwards.

Initiative is something I haven’t been missing on trainings despite the heavy rains lately. Let’s see, I’ve been doused heavily once doing a 12K hill run.  I’ve been running under the drizzling skies. I was able to sneak some runs before heavy downpours. My room has also been my mini-gym with my Rotex machine. I was even able to pull off a big bang Rotex edition though I missed the running in the road badly.  It’s a really wet rainy season this time.  You gotta be innovative just to stay fit.  Maybe I should just get a gym membership again to complete my training sets. The challenge now is just to start a run but so far I’m finding ways to fit it in my lifestyle.

It’s the tail-end of the board meeting preparation and I’m off to China in a few days.  It won’t be easy but I’ll survive as I always do.  There’s no other option really.  By this time, I’m used to things in disarray and eventually it does fall in place someway and somehow.  It’s always good to think of positive things to come.  All the luck to me but it’s on… Ready or Not, here I come.

Well, the fact that I’m able to come up with something on this site after weeks being busy is a good sign unless I end up whining endlessly here.  I really should consolidate my blogs in a website.  That leaves me something to look forward toand to do when I get back.  It’s nice to setup mini-goals and things to look forward to.  It makes difficult times bearable.  There’s more races… a running team… … time with friends… a published article… a vacation or two… a trip back home and a whole lot of hard work.  Now, I can’t wait to get back from my China trip.  I’m taking my initiative to have a good time.

Fractions

“The Mathematics of life is simple no matter how many fractions you divide your time it all boils down to 1… one life”

I’ve managed to split my time into several fractions. A fraction spent at work… a significant fraction spent training and running… another fraction spent traveling for work and play…  a fraction spent reviving my career as a writer… and those time I make to be with people close to me.  Somehow, this mix works for me.  It does create a meaningful balance.  I don’t get to be pissed of at work that much as it is just a fraction of what I do. In a weird way, I function better when I’m pressed for time and have to balance a myriad of to dos.  Of course, I’ll have to alter the mix anew when the situations are different. 

Don’t get me wrong.  This is not to say you shouldn’t focus your efforts on a single goal but this just means learn to see the bigger picture.  Don’t get stuck on roadblocks.  There will always be something more meaningful thing to do when you feel that you’d hit a plateau.  Life is a game of reactions. The sooner you react, the sooner you make the most out of the situation.  You have one life to spend and the fractions may vary but it’s how you maintain the balance that keeps you sane.

Training has been in full swing as of late.  I’m taking a shot at longer training runs. It has also been challenging trying to fit in the training with all the rain but it’s also interesting trying out new routes for my weekly long runs.  I don’t want to miss significant amount of time in training as I know first hand how it feels to struggle after taking it easy for several weeks.  Complacency is always a momentum killer.  One of the reason I’m so fond of running is that it mirrors life in so many ways.  Sometimes you struggle but when you persevere, you get a better shot at your goals.

Speaking of life goals, I’m about to resume my writing career and would have an article published in a travel mag soon. I’m thinking of my next piece already but since I’m taking a lighter travel load, it might take time. but the adventurer in me will always be there on the look out for new adventures.  I don’t earn a cent here but I’m earning a lot of goodwill and personal satisfaction.  Not all everything you do has a price and those priceless acts you do are those that give you the most satisfaction.

With too much to happening by the moment, I almost forgot that I am now in the heat of a mid-year rush and in just a few winks it will be board meeting once again.  That makes things more challenging and that’s where I’m at my best.  I guess that’s how things should be viewed… Mark your goals, acknowledge your responsibilities and just go with it until it gets done. When you take ownership of what you do, you will always find a way to get things done even if the odds seem improbable. 

I get the feeling that good vibes hasn’t been on my side this week as I missed my coding cutoff yesterday and today I got my eyes irritated by my contact lens and missed my training.  Even before that there are some few down moments.  I’m resilient. I’ll just keep coming back until the tide has turned.  Time to toughen up.  We create our luck by trying the hardest.  No retreat. No giving up. No excuses.

Mid-Year

“Time is just a blip in eternity that’s why we have to make it count.”

It just seem like a blip of time ago that the year has began and suddenly half-a-year is now gone.  I do live in real time with each moment followed by another like a frenetic-paced race with so little time to take a breather but I don’t regret living in the fast lane.  I am my best when I am busy and when I say I am busy, I say it in a happy and upbeat way.  Well, there’s the up and down times at work and there’s a hectic and exhilarating running, training and travel schedules.

Funny how I’m building up my CV on my running and writing profile as new possibilities have opened up and I am happy that I’m making me progress.  I may be more visible in days to come. I guess the urgency now is not to find a new work environment but to be more in touch with my passions and try to make the most of it. Of course, that does not mean I’m complacently tied up to my chair as  I’ll always be on prowl for a change and It has always been what defines me.

Today, I got a chance to meet old career circles in form of colleagues and mentors and I did have a great time catching up.  Sometimes with all the running, writing and the traveling, I do forget that I am walking in the upper echelon levels in the finance and audit world.  This was my world and will probably still be and I was just able to make room for other satisfying thing. I’m making time matter even if the next few weeks will be back to the tougher times.

Half-year always meant that the busy days are here and that’s how the story has gone for the last eight years and things haven’t change.  I still have to visit Taipei to clear some issues and I’m still trying to figure out how to fit the next few heavy work weeks in my no-shit, no-excuses training program for my first attempt at half a marathon.  My creative juices are on a high thinking on how to make it work but I know how these will pan out, It’ll work with a bit of sacrifice and hard work.  Sacrifice means reducing travel load, shed of a few more pounds and train real hard.

And then there’s the tempting idea of switching to Duathlon, Aquathlon or even Triathlon but that’s a thought I’d reserve once I’m able to finish a 21K run.  Also, I do need to get the morbid thought of being run over while biking or drowning while swimming. These two disciplines would be like a reboot but who knows, the door is open for anything as just a blip of time ago, I never saw myself training hard for a run and probably in the next blip of time, I might be telling a whole new story…    

1,000

“Most of the time, we always want to know how things would end up but the ending is just a moment, it’s the journey that defines it.”

I always remember starting to run and train without any idea what I’m getting into but somehow the healthy and fit lifestyle has become a regular routine.  I guess that’s how things are, we never know how it would end up to be but it is always fun to go on a journey.  I would have never thought that I’d hit more than a 1,000 kilometers of running, battling a busy schedule, heat, rains, injuries and a period of sluggishness but I’m still running.  It’s challenging outdoing yourself and going over varying terrains and in fact, a few kilometers of those were spent in the uphill stretches of Baguio, the cold chills of Taipei, the running trails of Hong Kong, the wide streets of Singapore, the scenic route of Subic and the cobblestone roads of Bellarocca and the hot and humid streets of Manila.  Time to tune up the engine.

People get the impression that I have so much time in my hand but on the contrary I have as much time as any other person, I get to go to my regular work and at times do extra hours, I get to travel and travel much, I get to meet friends from time to time and I get to write this blogs.  I guess if you’re passionate with what you are doing, you’ll always find time.  You’ll focus more to finish everything you have to do in time.  Things are gonna get busy soon and I know I’ll find time to make it work.

I’m also glad that my other passion which is writing has been noticed with my Bellarocca blog having more than 120 hits already and was even posted at team Bellarocca’s group site.  Half of the write up was having a great experience and the rest was just writing about it.  It does help that I get to take those panoramic shots with my NEX3 camera.  I might take this writing stuff to the next level, maybe a career perhaps.  Let’s see, anything goes.

After spending the past three months traveling from here and there, I’m now thinking of making it a regular routine.  I’ll be making the most of my time.  It just seems odd that I don’t have the usual stock of travel tickets with me. Oh wait, I now need to travel to Taipei on Wednesday but that don’t count as travel in my mind as that’s more of business.  Oh well work a bit and play a lot and can’t wait on the play part. It’s just half of a year and I think I’ll get to go more places this time like ever before.

I’ve also officially thrown my hat of a half mary target come October and the races in between are now mere training races but it should be exciting since I’ll be competing in more middle range distances and that I am past the struggling and sluggish part.  It’s an all out effort now and somehow, you’re always not ready but I just have to take a leap and so be it.  I’m gonna cross that distance in time but I for now look forward to the training and races in between.  It’s the preparation that defines the goal.  Time to rev up the engine.

Struggling and Sluggish

“When things don’t go your way, just call them lessons in the course of Life.”

It’s always the easier choice to whine when things don’t fall in their proper places but when you give it more of a thought, you’d just realize that those are pieces of a much larger jigsaw puzzle called life.  Sometimes, things fall apart to make way for new things and that’s what makes things interesting no matter how much you plan, there are always surprises waiting to happen. Life is unpredictable but all that occurs equips us better for the rough road ahead.

I’ve probably spent more time on the road or on air the past few weeks than in the confines of work and I’m glad that I’m on the not so busy part of my schedule.  The busy part was a one tough stretch having to combine all the work worries with a strenuous training and travel schedule.  On the upside I was sharp and focused as ever just to be able to juggle through the limited time.  Now on the flipside, after a few weeks in the lighter side, I am now struggling and sluggish.  A step slower… A yawn harder… A need for a gasp of air faster… I guess, it’s all in perfect balance but being on the slow side is not my comfort zone. I’m starting to get warmed up again and veering away from sloth mode.

Unpredictable as it may, the best way to move towards the future is to prepare for it and how do you do that.  It doesn’t always start with a plan but it starts with toughening up today. Anything can change in a blink of an eye but if your instinct are geared in the right direction, then you’ll always be fine.   Live by the day and take those lessons as they are… the good, the bad and the ugly.  Lean on the constants in your life and be flexible on the variable stuff. So you can go switch from a busy phase, to an easy one, to something fun to something depressing and all those gives a distinct experience.

While the raindrops has started to fall and the heat wave has been on and off which is such a convenient excuse to be sluggish but on the opposite, I’m  upbeat and excited.  I’m doing my trainings in the drizzling skies, I still have one trip up my sleeves and I’m positive that interesting things are meant to happen.  Good or bad??? I don’t know but I won’t want to be caught struggling and sluggish.  Anything goes and that’s the best part of it.

And whatever happens, It’s an all out effort because it’s not fun, if it isn’t the best shot.

Today

“There’ll always be something that could go wrong tomorrow so don’t waste your todays worrying about how imperfect things are in the future.”

My first career choice was always to be a writer and from suddenly joining the school paper back in high school to holding editorial positions after as a student journalist, I knew writing is something that gives me satisfaction. A curve ball thereafter, I ended up with a career in audit, accounting in finance.  No regret whatsoever. On second thought, it does pop out in my mind every time you get to see the rapidly changing standards that are most of the time incomprehensible and how difficult things get at times. So even at my busy state, it’s just so refreshing to write my inkblogs. It’s a passion, a diversion and a way to release all the tension.

Travel has been the flavor of the past two weeks from getting burnt and roasted in Boracay to being a kid-for-a-day at Universal Studios in Singapore.  I’ve always have half my feet going towards the next adventure and most of the time taking it   I’m not done with my jet-setting ways and it may have just began.  It’s always nice to find yourself lost in a new place, plunging into new things and taking a new direction.  Even if I’m starting to feel the sting in terms of finances, I’d still choose to embark on a new adventure than just sit idly and I’ll be in another one in weeks to come.  Travel does break the monotony of the daily routines and if you stress hard, you might as well relax hard enough to keep thinks sane.

Running has been a late and unexpected addiction.  Who’d ever thought that exhausting all your energies risking injury and waking up so early just for trying to chase a time and a distance could be so habit-forming?  It has a lot of upside if you’re willing to go through the rigors of an intense training, muscle pains and a lot of time hitting the streets.  It gets you fit, it gives you confidence and it makes you stronger inside and out.  Sometimes, no matter how crappy my day gets, I always know that I can run at the end of the day.  I run because I can and as in life, I stop if I must, I slow down if needed but I always end up going towards my goals.

Writing, Traveling and Running are things that has occupied my TODAYs… and yes, by the way, I do work too.  I am now past the busy phase of work now.  This is also the opening where I can now freely explore other options without feeling a tinge of guilt for an unfinished workload and I should reconsider all my options  as I haven’t been happy with how things are and I don’t think that would change in an instant.  Oh well, that’s part of tomorrow’s worries and there may be several more things that could go wrong, so I’ll leave it at that but I have today to enjoy, to experience and to learn from and when tomorrow does not turn out right I always have several passions to take my time and attention. 

Life in the Slow Lane

Running is reflective of life’s goal, sometimes you stop, slow down & fall but the goal is to finish amidst the things that go wrong.

It’s been busy past few weekends with me jumping from one event to another and don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying every minute of it.  Life has now been a big race and the frenetic pace has been making me dizzy and at times sick.  This is the reason that I have to spend some time in the slow lane and now is the best time for life in a much comfortable pace.

Bora here we come!!!  Lounging around, massage, water sports, bare foot running, swimming, party, drinks and the LIFE in the beach.  The heat is on and the hitting the beach is the logical choice. I can’t wait to feel the fine white sands in a while.  Time to relax, unwind and think things over.  This is gonna be something I need.

It’ll be a welcome break also from all the training after I had a bout with cramps during my last run.  You gotta expect a result like that when you have to squeeze in four straight days of training. Lessons were learned and it sucks that I have a foot structure that’s so injury prone but that won’t stop me.  I’m gonna persevere to strengthen the weak muscles and become the meanest, fastest and strongest I can be.  Next month’s training would be a real level up and once I’m rested up, I’d be raring to conquer those longer distance at a better time and a more relax pace.

It’s also been great that no matter how busy I am, I still find time to touch base with most of my friends.  After all the busy and tough times, this is a real welcome change of atmosphere and this is just the beginning.  I’ll get more time with old set of friends and maybe new ones in the upcoming weeks.  I somehow have the feeling that something good is brewing and I just don’t know what or when or how or why but I can sense that it’s about to come.  So just bring it. I’ll be ready.

And one thing I’m not ready is on what to do with my career as I am running out of reasons on why I should continue at my current path.  Some things have been intolerable and some thresh hold may have already been crossed so it’ll also be time to think things through but either way, I’m ready to take some risks.  It’s always better to risk everything than hold on to nothing.  So all I can say as things are getting exciting and once I’m done with my life in the slow lane, it’s gonna be full speed ahead and I won’t let anything stop me this time.  =>     

Catch Me If You Can

“Nature at its simplest form is purely photogenic.”

As the summer heat hits this part of the world, you can’t help but be tempted in booking trips in the several islands we have and the nearby countries we can visit.  This is gonna be my super summer… a chance to unwind and explore and see things in its simplest sense that life is indeed beautiful and the backdrop at its simplest form is purely photogenic.

At times, I’m stuck choosing between weekend alternatives just hoping why we can’t have 5 days of weekend and just 2 days of work instead.  I guess, it’s when I’m busy chasing trips, running laps and making everything work out fine is the time I feel I’m fully alive. I have rediscovered the part of myself that loves traveling and this early during the year I already had 3 stops in Taiwan, a weekend in Coron, a drive to Calatagan and I’m just heating up.

The next few months would be a game of catch me if you can… from a weekend in Tarlac and a run in Baguio (am still hoping to fit it in) to another out of town adventure with cousins to Holy Week in Bora to a week in Singapore to a weekend in HK and Macau and to Bellaroca and the weekends in between will be spent in the various runs and training I’d be having.  The kid in me has taken over in gleeful anticipation of all those escapades.  The hard times are over and the good times is now running in slow motion.

Those trips should have me back to my fiery nature as I’ve been numb lately.  I guess, I am more in a state of gaiety and I know at the end of the trip I should map out a new direction.  The vicious cycles that has continued to revolve are already unfathomable.  Fighting the wrong system takes so much time, energy and resources and a fresh start maybe needed and that is something I need to assess with a clear mind.

It’s just good to have many diversions as it always balances things out from things beyond your control to things within your control.  Above all the material rewards, there is no price higher than peace of mind and if people don’t give too much of damn in doing the right thing and it might be time to cease my silence and inaction.  Every action or inaction deserves an appropriate reaction so if I just play numb, it just means I have a grander plan brewing… and it’s gonna be served hot of the platter soon.

There’s another of life’s simple rule to remember, you can’t have it all… so might as well look forward to fun under the tropical sun. =>

Here, There and Everywhere

“Time and energy is always a diminishing resource, don’t waste it on people and things that don’t matter”

I wonder how long can I go on with this lifestyle and to think vacation season has just set in. I’ve been stuck in a myriad of meetings and work requirements, travel and a very rigorous training program. It seems that I’m here, there and everywhere… rushing from one task to another and running on a very thin line. For one, Time is not something on my side but I’ll always have the will to keep going until all task to be complete.

I’m now in Taiwan racing against time and patience and looks like I’m getting the short end of the stick this time. To go on eight cycles of the annual report rush is beyond my imagination. I think I need a new career!!! It’s time for a drastic change and though I have so many avenues apart from the current responsibilities. I’m really caught wanting to change things up… New environment, new challenges, new goals and new beginnings. Please… Please… Please…

There’ll be a lot of challenges incoming, first with a long 15K race this Sunday and I feel it’ll be a tough one given I’m coming straight from the so cold weather of Taiwan and will be cramming to prepare for the race. I just hope I don’t get injured and be able to set new highs or records. It’ll be three racing weekends culminating with a high-altitude run in Baguio. My after-work life is quite exciting and busy… If only work was less demanding and more appreciating…

And then the travel bug takes its bite. I’m booked already for so many adventures in the next three months with a trip to Bora for the holy week, a work and play week in Singapore come end of next month, a breather in HK come May and a long weekend in Bellaroca in June and I’m still in the middle of planning two to three more escapades and my weekend races and maybe in between all the travel, I get to take on new chances. It’s just a consolation that I do get to look forward to a wonderful and legend-(wait for it)-dary summer as last year came and blew by so fast.

So I’m caught up in so many things at the moment and the tide has been turbulent with me struggling with time, patience and keeping my sanity in place. Well, if life doesn’t make you a bit crazy, why bother living it. I’m torn by my excitement and my current frustrations. Somehow, it’s fun to see the end is approaching but you know that the worst is yet to come. Oh well, work hard, play harder and everything will settle down in its due course.

I’m stuck here, there and everywhere and it’s not an easy time but I’d rather be here than to be stuck.. NOWHERE…

33

“You create the perfect not by planning its every detail but by letting it run its regular course and just let the surprises make the difference.”

Different was how this birthday turned out to be. For one, I wasn’t playing the role of an expectant child that I usually do every year counting down the days towards my big day. I am no longer that person and somehow I have joined the bandwagon of just having to spend a regular day as it is… No plans… No parties… No whatsoever…

Zero expectations for the day means everything is a bonus and the response was really overwhelming. I used to plan every detail of how my day would end up well but this year, I just left the room for surprise open. I have over a hundred wall posts, messages, emails, calls and the little acts of kindness you get on your birthday. Well, appreciated really. Thanks!!!

A lot has changed a year ago and as time has progressed, I get to realize that things happen for a reason and from the time I thought I’d be shifting a year older but won’t be moving on by a single step, I’m probably about 700 kilometers away from that idea. It pays to be occupied with so many things… work, travel, run, friends, family and everything under the yellow sun. I don’t have all the free time in the world now but I’m still glad to fit in the necessities.

I think one of worst part of my persona is that I’m always around that I get to be stale. I no longer am. In fact, I’m grasping for time trying to be in one place to another so will just have to make do with the limited time and resources I have. Somehow, I’m now less needy and more independent. Not as reliable but more balanced.

Before the week came in, I did have a creepy scare with my sister having a dream of me getting hit by the water current upon crossing the bridge and getting lost by the river and it happened just as I was to hit the waters of Coron then I got a cryptic comment that my Sub60 blog seemed like a farewell letter. Of course, those are just signs which you can choose to ignore but it somehow made me think for a time and take necessary precaution (e.g. Tying my last vest 3 times before hitting the waters… hahaha). I guess, I’m out of the woods for now as I’m out of the waters and I’ve just turned 33.

I’m now glad to look forward to:
– the difficult times ahead as we try to beat time again to finish the annual report
– the never-ending challenge of catching a better pace as I’ll be racing again in a few weeks and go for longer distance.
– the future travels I’ll be taking as my weekends is being packed by the moment.
– and all the surprises just waiting to happen.

Just bring it!!!

Excess Inkblogs: Ok, I just superseded my supposed to be farewell letter by clicking the publish button on this blog.