Looking back at the past year makes me realize things that I wouldn’t be able to at the time they were happening. It’s always a bittersweet chore I have decided to enforce upon myself to find out whether I have achieved my goals, did good for that year, improved  myself, and if my life had more purpose than before. You can call it a reflection, if you will (and a public one at that.)

The past 2012, the Year of the Dragon, supposedly my year, gave me a lot of opportunities for gaining new knowledge and skills, accepting terrible things that have happened to me, and learning how to cope with them in order for me to move on. I’m thankful for 2012 because it gave me a chance to become a better person, foster old friendships, and to just live, love, and laugh!

I’ve read somewhere on the internet (I was reading predictions for Dragons for the year 2013 hihihi) that 2011 and 2012 would be my “seed planting year” and that this 2013 would be the year I sow things that I have worked had for. Hopefully I have planted good seeds that would grow abundantly this 2013 and if I have “bad” seeds that will come into fruition this year, I pray to God that I handle them with grace to correct it. Despite that, I generally have a positive outlook for 2013, I think everybody does. It’s like having a clean slate!

So to start this year right, I have decided to count the blessings I have received last year to keep the good vibes flowing to this year! 🙂 It’s a perfect reminder that I am blessed despite the many losses. 🙂

1. I am healthy!!! This year I was diagnosed with PCOS. It’s nothing major, I think. 🙂 I don’t want to get into details but I do what to tell you that I am better now yet still on medication for a complete recovery. Drew has been pushing me to go to the doctor for the longest time but everything is fine now and I’m on my way to being healthy again. 🙂 Praise the Lord for that. 🙂

2. I’m now a makeup artist. This is probably one of my biggest achievements this year. Last April 2012, I enrolled at Maquillage Professionnel Makeup School (sponsored by Make Up For Ever ) and learned the basics of makeup application. I met new people and became friends with them as we braved through the classes (not that it was a terrifying experience) hihi. 🙂 Now, I have had more clients than my fingers and toes combined and I’m glad. :)) I also became friend with them. 🙂 Some of them are well documented here in my blog. I hope this 2013 will give me more opportunities to beautify people around me to the best of my abilities. 🙂

3. Reached 1 year in one job. While talking to my best friend’s mom about how my career was going, she told me that I was a butterfly. A person who jumps from one job to another. She said it would reflect negatively on my resume. I understand what she meant but I just couldn’t stay in a job that didn’t make me happy or wasn’t fulfilling enough for me to stay in. After three jobs, I have now found a company to which I was able to stay in for one whole year. It’s little but we’re growing. I thank God that despite the slow growth, we’re getting there! Someday I hope we’d be as big as other established companies that has a big heart for their employees rather than their pockets. Congratulate me, please? 🙂

4. I’ve travelled to a new places. Been to Cebu for Sinulog 2012 and I also went to Coron, Palawan last November 2012. It wasn’t my first time in Cebu but that memory of mine was boooring. Anyhoo.. I think this is the most number of times I have traveled to distant lands in the country within a year. This January I’ll be heading to Cebu again with Drew and his friends while on October 2013, my family and I are planning to fly to Hong Kong. If ever, this will my first out of the country trip. I don’t have a bucket list of places I want to go to but maybe I’ll be able to write one in the near future. 🙂 I wish to travel to more places this year (with Drew) hihi. 🙂

5.I’ve made stronger ties with close friends. The meaning of ‘true friends’ changed for me last 2011 and now, I know what it really means. It means having friends that stick beside you no matter what, friends that try to make you a better person and don’t give up, friends that tell the hard truth to your face, friends who still love you even if you’re left with no earthly goods, friends you fight with and makeup at the end of the heated debate, and friends that will try to cheer you up through anyway they can think of.  This year my friends and I have been tested and we passed together!! 🙂 I’m glad I only have a few friends I can call TRUE friends. That’s enough for me. No more users, liars, and scheme-y, and stuck-in-high-school girls. 🙂 Amen!!!

6. Three years and counting. The DrewKist love team has reached three years and is aiming for forever. Hihi Despite our tons of ups and downs this year, we are alert, awake, alive, and enthusiastic. hahaha . We learned to forgive each other for our respective shortcomings. I really believe he is my soulmate. Hihi ❤ He just gets me.

7. New phone! New phone maaaaan! It was an impulse, really. I had no intentions of buying a phone this year but yeah.. I’m very happy with it! Hope it lasts forever. haha 😀

Wow. This has certainly developed into a long post. this was supposed to be short and sweet! I guess I miss writing long passages. My recent posts were mostly filled with pictures instead of words. Prolly add that to my “Things to Do” for the whole year. hihi

Anyway, those are the main blessings I can think of. I know there is more but I don’t want this to end up as a short story, or heck, a novel. haha 🙂 Once again, I’m glad for 2012. There were significant negative things that happened but I’m willing to put them all behind for the sake of this New Slate I, we, all have been given.

Let’s keep up that positive attitude for 2013. Let’s all make it better for ourselves, for our families, and for the people we love. Let’s start giving back to humanity and to Mother Earth this 2013!! that just popped out of my head. haha let’s aim for a better self, career, love life, future. Let’s own 2013! Yahoo!! :))

I hope I have left you with a positive vibe to start the second day of 2013. 🙂 Happy New Year again, friends!! Peace out! ❤

Love,
Kist XO