Starting all over

If you’re reading this post, it means you once subscribed to my Substack newsletter or somehow you got the link to this post. And if you’re reading this post right now, you have no idea how excited I am that you’re here. I hesitated for a while about coming back. Of course, I love writing—especially motivational and inspirational pieces—and I really missed it. I still journal, but I’ve missed putting my thoughts out here. I’m back to writing, though in a way that’s quite different from before.

First, I promise not to bore you. I’d like to bring you along on my journey—to healing, to building confidence and strength, to embracing courage, resilience, and excellence, to discovering my identity, and so much more. I’m sharing all of this not to elicit a pity party (I’m much better now) but so you can learn a thing or two from my experiences. I hesitated—and even procrastinated—on writing this first piece, sometimes because I have so much to do and sometimes because I didn’t feel up to it (not feeling enough). Over the past year and a half, I’ve battled fear, insecurity, and imposter syndrome; there were moments when I completely lost my confidence and almost gave up on life... hahaha. I’m definitely in a better place now. When I share my experiences, please don’t take them too personally—take the lessons instead.

Having said all that, I’ll start by talking about my March reset, since I’m beginning all over again with my writing this month. My life has always been guided by my faith in God, and I am forever grateful to Him. I can’t promise how often you’ll hear from me, but I know I’ll keep you updated with my monthly resets. This month, my reset includes:

Spiritual:
Beyond my engagement in church—which is important—I value my personal walk with God the most. I want to talk with God more frequently than I used to. One of the things I wrote in my journal is a commitment to morning and evening quiet time. For me, this means not just talking to God, but also listening to Him (I read my Bible, and often I feel He guides me on what to read next). If you’re reading this and you don’t take time to talk to God during your day, consider this a nudge to start. It’s good to share our cares and worries, but don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed. God is my BEST friend—He loves me immensely, and I love Him too (not as much as He loves me, though). I’m just saying, God can be trusted. He cares about you and wants the best for you. I’ll share more about my relationship with God as we continue this journey together. I hope you learn from this piece and share it with others.

Health/Physical:
It might surprise you to know I’m no longer addicted to Coke-cola. I avoid it as much as I can these days—it doesn’t even taste sweet anymore. Besides steering clear of soda, I’m also focused on eating healthy and exercising. I’ve started going to the gym now, and I might write about my gym experiences at the end of the month. For now, I’m committed to staying consistent.

Reading and Writing (Both Academic and Non-Academic):
You may know, or you might not, that I’m currently pursuing my PhD—which means I have a lot to read and write. But aside from that, I’m also making time to read other types of books (my current read is You Are a Badass). While I’m enjoying the book, I don’t agree with every perspective the author presents about life. The book is essentially about how much we can achieve by being ourselves rather than trying to be someone else. It’s all about confidence. Like I said, I’m rebuilding my confidence, and this time it’s bolder than ever.

I have a lot more to share, but I think this is enough for an opening post. By the way, I’m also taking my language learning seriously—I’ve maintained a 345-day streak on Duolingo.

I hope you enjoyed every bit of this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for reading all the way to the end. It means a lot to me. I’ll see you—hahaha—in my next post!