How Are You? (A Simple Yet Powerful Question)

How are you?”

 A short and simple message that can make all the difference during this period of our lives.

I used to hear this phrase from my favorite barista in Starbucks near our office.

I used to hear it from the security guard in our lobby who greets me with a smile every day.

I used to hear it from the Grab driver on my way to client meetings.

Normally, I would answer with the usual “I’m good, thanks” and would ask them how they are in return.

I engage with them whenever I can but there are days when I could only wish them a good day, smile and off I go with my daily hustle.

It’s been more than one and a half months since the lockdown was announced here in Manila.

It’s been more than one and a half months since the last time I drop by my favorite coffee shop near the office. Since I last saw the friendly guard in our lobby. Since I had a small talk with a Grab driver on my way to a client meeting.

It’s been more than one and a half months since I had what I used to call a “normal day”.

Our lives have changed in an instant. Our freedom has become limited. Our plans have been canceled.

This is definitely not something we asked for. We didn’t want any of this at all.

Yet, here we are, faced with the challenge of coping with what they call the “new normal”.

3 weeks ago, I was supposed to fly to New Zealand, but my flight has been canceled.

3 days before my supposed to be departure date, I received a call from Qantas airlines saying that they’re sorry for the inconvenience and that they are doing their best to process a complete refund for me.

I told the representative that she should not be sorry. I was broken-hearted that this trip didn’t happen, but it was out of our control.  It was beyond anyone’s control.

“Hundreds of flights were canceled”, she told me. “It’s sad news for us because we’re losing business but it’s probably more upsetting for our passengers because that could mean a missed opportunity to visit a loved one, to see friends, hug your parents after a long time, attend reunions or family events.”

She was right. They were more than just canceled tickets. They were precious times and moments that we have all been waiting for.

Truth be told, I cried after our call.

The past few weeks have shown me that when everything is uncertain, everything that is important becomes clear.

This is the time when we realize the things that we take for granted, who matters, and what matters to us the most.

I guess this shows us the irony and fragility of life.

We realize the value of someone or something when it’s out of our reach and when it’s almost impossible to have it. The most tragic of it all is to realize it, only to find out that it’s too late because it’s gone.

This ain’t easy. It’s a difficult time for everyone so it’s okay to not be okay.

It’s okay to feel anxious, worried, and scared but we all must do our part to survive.

One day at a time. Moment by moment.

Amidst this global crisis, we all have our own stories to tell. Our own battles to fight.

I think that kindness can go a long way these days. Open your hearts to those around you because they may be feeling just alone as you.

Sometimes, all we need is someone to listen. Someone to show you that you matter and someone cares for you.

Let’s not take for granted the power of reaching out and asking the simple question, “How are you?”

It can put a smile on someone else’s face. It can brighten up someone’s day.

It can give someone the hope they might need at the moment.

Hope is what we need more than ever. Hope is what makes us believe that one day: we will be reunited with the people we love. One day, the planes will fly soon, parks will be filled with children playing, coffee shops will be teeming with people chatting and we have all come out of this stronger and better.

The next time you ask a friend, a family member, or a loved one the words “How are you?”

Mean it.

Ask because you care.

It can make all the difference.

Kissing 2019 Goodbye with a Smile

4 hours before 2020 and here I am writing my heart out about 2019.

What a year.

At the beginning of this year, I was determined and hopeful that this will be a good year for me. I had a vision of what I wanted to achieve and experience but if I will be completely honest, my plan was not 100% solid. I’m not sure if you can even call it a plan. What I just had was this strong belief and a positive mindset to make it a memorable one.

I just knew it in my heart that things would happen for me this year.

I believed, embraced and claimed it.

At the time, I didn’t know how, where or when they would happen. I just knew and they did.

Like a gift, each of them came as a beautiful surprise. Wrapped in a way that I neither expected nor imagined.

Some of the happiest memories of my life this year have happened unexpectedly, but I wouldn’t have them any other way. The best part of it is that they didn’t come in grand, extravagant and monumental moments – they come in the form of little random ones. All I needed to do was to show up and say yes. It’s as if I was put in those places and situations purposely.

The most beautiful lesson this year has taught me is to believe. 

To pray and believe.

To surrender and believe.

To work hard and believe.

To love and believe.

Don’t get me wrong, this year wasn’t perfect at all. I had bad days too. But that’s the thing, I realized that I don’t need perfect.

The beauty of life’s imperfections is that we learn how to appreciate the good moments while we still can. It teaches us that sometimes things don’t work out for the better. All the failures will lead you to better opportunities. And just when you thought that you couldn’t go any further, life will give you the breaks you’ve been waiting for.

All the heartbreaks will lead you to the right person. You had to go through those sad days and cry some nights because they will be replaced by sunnier days with someone who will choose you, someone who will stay with you no matter what, someone who will not easily let go and disappear.

I’ve always believed that one day, it will all make sense.

Timing is the word.

Everything happens for a reason and one day, you’ll look back with a smile on your face because finally, the reasons have revealed themselves.

Sometimes, we go through life thinking we don’t have it all figured out but if we only carry on and believe that anything is possible – life really has a way of making things happen. Everything is figureoutable. 

2019, I’m thankful for you. I’m glad you happened.

4 hours before 2020, here I am looking back at the year that was and looking forward to the year that is yet to be.

I have a strong feeling that the best things are yet to come.

I wish that for everyone too.

A Date with Destiny

As I watch and stare at the pastel Sunday afternoon sky from afar, I think about destiny. About how life can become so unpredictable sometimes – a lot of twists and turns have happened lately.

The sky slowly turns from a shade of dark gray with a touch of blue as the sun sets today. The inevitable traffic gets us stuck in the road for more than an hour now. I look at the cars outside as they rush, one after the other and I wonder where they are all going.

The mix of chaos in the street and the magical transformation of the sky above got me lost in thoughts. It’s almost 6PM from where I am whilst it’s a different time of the day from where he is. It’s almost the opposite. Our time difference can be tricky. I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with timezones.

The skyscrapers from afar make me think about that night – unexpected and totally unplanned. Music blaring. People around us dancing. And then, we found each other in the middle of the crowd. It was as if we were intentionally led to be in the same place at the same time.

Life has a way of showing us that everything happens for a reason. It’s our willingness to put ourselves out there that makes the big difference. When the reasons finally reveal themselves, you’ll realize that all the events, people and circumstances you have to go through are all part of a grander plan. You may not know it at the time, but they will all make sense one day.

I’ve always believed that our destiny is our potential waiting to happen, but we must be willing to take that first step, even if it’s a risk. We must be willing to show up. Take the chance and give it too. The only way to know is to make a choice. It might not always be a walk in the park but listen to your heart and if it tells you it’s worth it, then go for it.

Along the way, life has pulled me in different directions, introduced me to new people – changing my perspectives every now and then.

Regardless, I’ve journeyed.

I’ve remained open-hearted because I know it takes time and patience.

Everyone we’ve met thus far in this lifetime has played a part in our story. Some have taken up chapters while some were just scribbled notes in the margins. But for sure, there’s always going to be the one we want to grace all the pages we have yet to write.

I remember someone once told me that, “Destiny is simply not what happens to you. It’s what you choose to create from whatever and whoever life has given you.”

It’s more like a beautiful, deeply meaningful plan – one that may not be perfect but it’s perfect for you. One that puts a smile on your face every morning. The kind that makes you smile inside out.

I look at the crisp, blue October sky and pondered for a moment. As I put the pieces in place along the way, I know that the deliberate choices I made led me to where I am now and where I’m supposed to be.

The best part is…I wasn’t even looking for it.

Six months down, six to go!

There’s something about today.

There’s something about the way the clouds move.  The way the horizon shows itself off.

There’s something about the way the waves roll as they hit our boat. It sounds like a song without lyrics.

There’s something about the beautiful rock formations around us. It seems as if they were looking after us as we cross the clear blue Pacific Ocean.

Today is a beautiful day. Then I realize that it’s June 30.

I can’t believe that 6 months had passed and the 1^st half of the year is over. Where has the time gone? What happened?

Time flew by so fast that the first 6 months seemed like it was just yesterday. For me, this year feels like reading a really good book. I started with no expectations. I started with Chapter 1 then Chapter 2 and continued to Chapter 3 until I couldn’t put it down anymore. The pages just keep on turning. The stories keep on unfolding. The only difference is that I’m not just reading them, I’m living them.

Looking back, I can say that it has been an eventful past 6 months for me. Some of it is magic, while some of it is a bit tragic. Nevertheless, I’d like to think it’s been a pretty good run so far.

I got promoted. Went on an epic motorcycle road trip and traveled the most part of the Northern Philippines. I put myself out there. I took some risks and showed up.  A lot of what happened next was unexpected. Life really has a way of surprising us.

It hasn’t been perfect. Along with the good times and countless laughter, there has been some tears and heartbreaks too. There’s both triumphs and disappointments. It’s a combination of good and bad; happy and sad. And I’ve come to learn to be okay with that because life can never be perfect.

Sometimes, our plans don’t go as expected and our timelines must be adjusted.

Sometimes, things don’t work out as we wish they would.

But, the beauty with life’s imperfections is that we learn how to appreciate the good moments while we still can. We learn to value the people we love and care about while they are still around because you can never turn back time.

The present is all we have for now.  Sometimes, we get so busy chasing the extraordinary moments that we don’t pay attention to the ordinary ones – the moments that if taken away, we’d miss more than anything. It’s so easy to get distracted and focus on going after the big things that we don’t have yet, thinking that achieving or getting them will finally make us happy.

Truth is, we can be happy now.

Just show up. Every single time. Show up and be surprised.

In my experience, the spontaneous decisions to just show up even if I’m scared or unsure always make the difference. I conquered my fear of heights and motorcycle by showing up that day and putting on a brave face as we ride through high mountains and cliffs. I got to write about my travels now and be paid for it by showing up and passing my first draft.

You will never really know unless you try. You’ll never know how by simply showing up in that coffee shop can turn things around. It’s in those little random moments when the unexpected happens. It’s in those “let’s do this” moments when some of the best memories are created.

I’d like to think that there’s always something to be happy or thankful for. Always.

Even the bad days have something to teach us. The rainy days remind us that after the storm, the sun will shine again.

Life may be unpredictable but that’s what makes it interesting. It gives us something to look forward to. It tells us that the best things are yet to come. It gives us something to wake up to every single day.

There’s something about today.

Something about the way the horizons cleared up after the rain. Something about the way the sun and the sea meet in the middle as the sun sets right in front of me.

It’s a reminder that as today ends, the second half of the year begins tomorrow, and everything will be okay. 😊