One of the first things I do each single morning is make the bed almost immediately after I wake up. I squeeze in a few small things before then —like go to the bathroom or pour myself a cup of coffee — but, for the most part, my bed is made before I even sit down to eat my breakfast, or log onto my laptop, to start work, or do anything of any real significance.

I’m not sure why, but I physically can’t proceed with my day without having the bed made. …

As I’m working remotely, sitting at my desk in the comfort of my own apartment, I’m simultaneously listening to the inauguration of United States’ 46th President, Joe Biden, in the background.

It’s an absolute understatement to say that it’s been difficult to focus on work lately (let alone this morning) given the state of the nation. But, it’s not only because of the events happening within the world around us but also because of the events transpiring within my own personal life — specifically within my own family.

I can’t really complain about my home life growing up. I was raised by two loving parents alongside a sister who is happens to be my best friend in the entire world. …

This morning I woke up with eyes, red and puffy, after crying throughout the night last night. I could barely open them, they were so swollen. Last night was the kind of night where everything just hits you from every angle, all at once— all of your struggles, fears, and stresses. Everything balloons up until it finally explodes.

It was the first big cry I’ve had in a really long time. It was the kind where, at the end of it, you feel as though you’ve spared every last drop that’s in there and you have no tears left to shed. …

I’ve had the privilege of being employed at quite a number of companies throughout my career — all of varying employee sizes. Though there have been both good experiences as well as bad ones, I can say for sure that each experience has been extremely meaningful, and I’ve learned quite a lot from every company I’ve worked at.

I’m refraining from blatantly sharing a list of those companies. Instead, I will share some of the key differences I’ve learned in terms of the pros and cons of working at a small company, a mid-size company and a large corporation.

1–50 Employees (Small Company)

Pros

• Higher visibility with upper…

Last night, I made my-ever first Filipino dish based on a recipe that was passed down from my Dad. Growing up, he was always the chef of the house. He made dinner for our family almost every single night using recipes that were passed down from his own family in the Philippines.

Now, at thirty years old, I guess you could say that I’m a bit late to the game in learning these not-so-secret family trades. But, better late than never, right?

As I prepared the ingredients to cook this meal, I was feeling a little nervous — like there was this intense pressure on me to live up to my Dad’s standards and make him proud. I made sure to carefully peel, cut, and measure every single item in the most precise fashion. …

There’s no doubt that 2020 was definitely no one’s shining year — admittedly, it was a year full of despair and tragedy for everyone across the globe. And just because you may not have suffered a personal loss doesn’t make the events of this past year any less tragic.

We all faced — and are continuing to face — a global pandemic that still shows no sign of stopping yet. Many of us have found it difficult to carry on at times. …

A new year has begun and despite the lack of normalcy that’s been present in the past year, I’ve decided to continue on with my annual habit of participating in dry January.

This year is my sixth (or maybe seventh) consecutive year participating in dry January and for the most part, I haven’t been met with much resistance or disapproval from my peers. For the most part, I’m welcomed with support and and some level of admiration for this type of self-control.

However, based on some recent observations throughout my personal social media feeds, I’ve noticed a lot of backlash, negativity, and judgement for dry January and those who participate in it, which I find very odd. …

I turned thirty this year and I’m shocked to say that it wasn’t nearly as scary or horrible as I had anticipated it would be in the years leading up to it. In hindsight, I’m actually quite impressed with how natural it felt — like I’ve been preparing for it all along. Like I was ready.

I soon realized that the simplicity of adding an extra digit to my age wasn’t really the thing that scared me after all. Instead, it was all of the things that came with it that made me truly nervous.

It was the realization that as I get older, the people around me — in particular, my parents — are also getting older too. And the helplessness that you feel in knowing that you can’t stop time for those people, let alone yourself, is what makes growing up a little terrifying. …