A Fresh New Start for 2014

I'm back! Have you been missing me? ;)
It feels really gooooood to back here to recharge and be myself again.
Finally being able to sit down to think and reflect--that sense of secure and serenity of quietly writing in the middle of the night, that inner voice of mine that is no longer masked by the other noises from outside.

In 2013, I opened my eyes to my hidden potentials and strengths, at the same time unveiling my fears and weaknesses.
I wasn't embracing life as much as I wanted myself to.
I wasn't getting inspired that much.
I wasn't being that happy with myself, the way I live and the world I built around me.

A few of my goals for 2014:

1) Be the type of woman I want to be. I want to make myself proud and be someone who I myself can fall in love with.
Develop that attractive personality and charm. Be warm, kind, soft, gentle, accepting and loving. Stay true, honest and sincere, so much that the right people will adore me while the wrong people will think I'm rude but I won't give a shit. Do all things with love. Smile often. Appreciate the beauty in everything. Be chic and stylish by having my own style and building a wardrobe that works for me. Be intelligent and wise. Be independent, brave and strong. Be confident and sexy by knowing what I want and work towards my happiness while at the same time giving the world my generosity and the gift of love.

2) Take better care of myself in every way possible. Time for me to love myself more.
I have been putting my attention and efforts on my relationships and other things that I haven't been listening to my heart enough. It is very tiring to feel trapped and lost, so it's time for a change. Be bold and don't be afraid in making choices. It's perfectly fine to say no and it's actually healthy. Say no to whatever that does me no good, whether it is people, things, beliefs or habits--one of the many ways of self-loving. Be spiritual.

3) Create a better and healthy lifestyle.
For the past year, no exercise, spend a little too much, didn't read enough.
There really were times I felt like I was getting a panic attack, and they are such obvious signs that I'm not living the right way. If I don't slow down a bit to appreciate life more, I bet I'm getting a high blood pressure (or heart attack!) very soon.
Have to make plans to make exercise regular, better manage money and time, make time to relax, read and have better rest.

4) Be inspired and take adventures
Be grateful but never stop the pursuit of a better self. Be open minded. Stop worrying and being nervous all the time.
Always remind myself that if it is both terrifying and exciting, I should definitely go for it.


For the big picture, just one big aim for 2014:
I want the positive good vibes back.
That excitement towards life, that passion, that inner peace, that hope and joy, that positivity, that energy, that love.

I want to once again feel that I radiate and glow with positive energy.
And spreading it to the world around me.


My dear, what are your plans for the year ahead?
If you do exactly the same things you do now, everything will remain the same.
So, whatever your plan is, be a better you. :)

Love,
N

2013: Good or Bad?

Was 2013 a good year or a bad year for me?
To be honest, I still couldn't decide.

As cliche as it may sound, 2013 was a tough year full of challenges and changes.

It was tough for me to have my family away from me and not being able to spend time with my close friends as often as I want to.
And it was certainly difficult for me to deal with problems in my relationships.
Sometimes I caught myself juggling between work and everything else in life that is important.
Constantly feeling lost and trapped, defeated and struggling.
Simply said, it wasn't easy.

But it is exactly in such difficult times that I discover my hidden potentials and see things in a new perspective.
I have no choice but to really open my arms to embrace challenges.
Most of them aren't as scary as they seem actually, all you have to do is to keep your chin up, work hard but still trying your best to enjoy the experience.
Then when it's over and you look back, you'll realise that it wasn't too bad.

Of course, there is always room for improvement.
For example, I'm still in search of my work-life balance, still not taking enough care of myself in terms of adopting a healthy lifestyle, need to fix my relationship.
But the most important of all is: to find myself again.

With so many things happening, I feel both excited but distracted and lost at the same time.
I didn't read or paint as often as I want to. I rarely read blogs or update my own.
I couldn't recall going to any jazz bar for live music in the entire year.
Every holiday or festival isn't festive any more because I am always catching up on sleep and rest.

I became exactly the type of girl who I don't want to be--uninspired and uninspiring.

But again, with terrible things come the good ones.
I'm blessed to be loved and supported whenever I feel depressed and defeated.
And when I'm overwhelmed with choices and responsibilities, it really forces me to streamline my life and focus on the most important things and people, which I believe is essential for my own happiness.

Thank you 2013, for bringing me to a new stage of my life with all these excitements and challenges that make me stronger and better.
Goodbye, 2013 and to all the disappointment, sadness and tears that you brought me.

What a year!
Thank you for being here with/for me all the way through :)

With love and much thanks,
N

Waking Up

To realize and to discover isn't something that is always pleasant.

Friday after work, I realized that I was numbing myself of all feelings throughout the week by diving into work and shutting out my emotions.

Then something woke me up from this illusion that I've been creating for myself, the armor that I shield myself with.

I thought there is hope. 

I thought one day, he'll understand.

I thought one day, he'll wake up and regret.

But I think I'm seeing things clearer now--the only discovery I have made is that I am wrong, all the way through.

The boy I met several years ago, he was different.

He lightens me up, shows me a different way of thinking and a whole different world.

Very different, but exciting.

He is out of the world, I thought. But that was long ago.

At some point, I stopped feeling that way.

Some part of me is still in love with that boy I met some years ago.

But who he is now doesn't resemble the man who is still in my head.

And I'm not sure, do I really know the boy I thought I knew? Or was that another illusion/image that he and I created?

Perhaps I created an illusion. Perhaps I have too good an imagination and fooled myself.

The pain of waking up lies in tearing down everything you once thought is true and to reject everything you believed so wholeheartedly.

It just destroys you.

So much to a point that you don't know what you can believe in anymore.

So much you don't want to believe in anything anymore.

If I were to use just one word to describe how I feel,

this is the word:

"wasted".

N

Thoughts of You

Sometimes when someone stirs a world of emotions in you, it becomes so intense that you can barely stand to be with them.
When you only want to be left alone but at the same time crave only a hug from that same person who caused you so much misery.
Does it make sense at all?

I am in a relationship which more and more I realize is too much.

Desperately I want to leave and shut the world behind me.
And just hide myself in bed--replaying everything he said, everything we did.

With every thought that passes my mind, the heavier the sinking feeling grows; the feeling that it could only get worse and I'm not gonna be okay for a very very long time.
Because losing someone isn't just an event.
It doesn't happen just once--it happens over and over and over again.

I lose you every time I think of your smile.
I lose you every time I spend a day without telling you things and hearing your voice back.
I lose you every time I hear a song we listened and sang together, note by note.
I lose you every time I think of holding you, kissing you and hugging you.
I lose you every time when I open my eyes from sleep, just to find out you were only in my dream and the touches I felt weren't real.

I lose you in thousands of ways and in every way possible.
You are in everything I see, your shadow in every corner of my world.
And with every thought of you, I am paralyzed and die a little more inside, bit and bit.

When I could finally get a moment of peace, something strikes and I begin to lose you over again.
When that happens, I go back and hide myself.
I want to be left alone--with nothing but the thoughts of you.

And the cycle repeats.

N

The Missing Part

This is without doubt one of the toughest moments in my life so far.

Everyday I'm walking on a fine line trying to keep myself sane.

I don't know how I manage to even crawl out of bed and get to work, when all I want is to shut myself out from everything and everyone or even to end my life.

Feel so desperate that my body is in sync with my mind and I got sick.

Stayed at home today because I am too ill to go to work.

But perhaps it is good for me to have a quiet time to rest both the body and mind.

Even though I feel like my world is crumbling and shattering into pieces, 

I know we are doing the right thing--we are searching for the missing part, we are finding the answers to our own questions.

Do we complete each other? Or are we too different?

Is this a relationship that we want?

Do feelings fade? And when they do, what is it that is left behind?

Is that enough to sustain a long-term relationship?

Is a relationship supposed to be like this?

So many questions in my mind and his as well.

At the end of the day, numerous questions all boils down to one: 

do we still love each other and willing to give it one more try?

Fear, insecurity, lack of confidence, worries begin to attack.

What if we couldn't make it?

What if we aren't right for each other in the first place? If so, why should we cling to a dying relationship?

What would my life be without him/her?

Will I be able to someone like him/her again?

Then, fear along with all other negativity begin to kill and suffocate the last bits of hope.

Fear for losing, fear for change, fear for failure.

But none of these actually help us to solve any problem.

It only breeds resentment, frustration and even more sadness.

Back to square one.

There are as many questions, doubts, fears, and worries in my mind as in his.

I understand the guilt, self-blame and confusion he has to bear.

But it's a cruel reality that I can't help him with his search for answers, and he can't help me in my journey.

It's all about discovering one's self and one's needs.

Sometimes, certain conversation or phase of life we have to go through aren't meant to be pleasant.

All we can do is be honest with ourselves and each other, and be open and support each other with acceptance.

Nothing conquers fear and insecurity better than love.

Not in a romantic sense, but just love in its purest form; kindness, acceptance and peace.

Fill your life, mind and heart with love.

Embrace life with love for yourself and compassion for others.

Love,

N

If I were a boy...

Listening to an old song and it strikes me harder than ever.

"If I were a boy" by Beyonce

Lyrics:

If I were a boy even just for a day
I'd roll out of bed in the morning
And throw on what I wanted
And go drink beer with the guys

And chase after girls

I'd kick it with who I wanted
And I'd never get confronted for it
'Cause they stick up for me

If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I'd be a better man

I'd listen to her
'Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
'Cause he's taking you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed

If I were a boy
I would turn off my phone
Tell everyone it's broken
So they'd think that I was sleeping alone

I'd put myself first
And make the rules as I go
'Cause I know that she'd be faithful
Waiting for me to come home, to come home

Guys, be better men and love her right.
If you don't make an effort, love her as much as you can and fight for the relationship, trust me, someone else will.
She gave you her heart, together with love, respect and trust.
Guard it, don't break it.
Make sure you deserve that.

Love,

N

Too Much to Ask For?

Usually this time of the day, I should be already in bed, sound asleep after a day of work.
But not for tonight.
I don't want to cry myself to sleep just to cry myself awake again in the middle of the night.
So I decided to get up and write something to get things out of my head.
The ground beneath my feet begins to shake, things around me seem to dismantle one after the other...

You know, it's just a fine line between being romantic and being pathetically unrealistic.
I couldn't tell which type I belong to.
By "pathetically unrealistic", I don't mean I'm looking for a billionaire to buy me big diamonds, or a model-like handsome man to make me breakfast every morning.
Turns out looking for a person who can share with me everything is already a "pathetically unrealistic" demand.
Is it?

If so, here is my quixotic idea of an ideal relationship with my dream life partner who of course doesn't exist in real life:
I want a man who dares to be nakedly honest with me; for both good things and the bad.

I don't need flowers or rocks, I need someone who gives himself to me; his heart, soul and body, everything.
He has to be a person who willingly and eagerly shares with me his dreams, his pride, what breaks his heart, his worries, fears, secrets, fantasies, and allow me into even the darkest corner in his mind and heart, and dying to know the same things about me.

I want to be soothed by the knowledge that in a world of over 7 billion, he chose me to open up to and I know him best.
When I love a person, I crave him in the most innocent, raw form; a simple but desperate way--I want him as a whole.

It is not only the good and glorious side of you that I'm interested in, it's also the "flawed" side of you that I crave; things that make you interesting, things that make you a human.
Everything. Every bit of it.

And if the person loves me the same way and as intense, I shouldn't have to fight for that privilege to have glimpses of his soul.
If he wants me in his life as much as I want him to be in mine, he'll just put me there.
I shouldn't have to fight for a spot.
I shouldn't have to demand for anything.
And I shouldn't have to spend a lifetime figuring out who he really is and what kind of a person he is.

You know, it's not about whether or not you betray or cheat on me, it's about our connection.
The moment you stop sharing genuinely, the door to your heart begins to close and the connection begins to fall apart.
Stop saying that it's normal for a relationship to evolve and the passion to cool.

To put it simply, I think I deserve to know the real you, with all the truth and honesty.
Is this too much to ask for?

Perhaps, it's too much to ask for...
I hope I'm not asking the wrong person though...

Love,
N

P.S. Dear readers, don't let my negativity affect you.