The Darn Diaries

One of the hardest things in life is parting ways to people you once were close to. Not that it’s anyone’s fault, it’s just life taking you to different paths, and that’s okay. But the right ones, those who were meant for you, will stay.

You won’t ever be fully ready to take on every single challenge in school/work/life, sometimes, like most of us, you just have to figure it out somehow. It’s scary, but that’s what growing up feels like.

No one truly prepares you for what comes next after overcoming your greatest hurdle or toughest mountain you've ever had to climb. It begs the question: "Where do we go from here?" and "How do we approach the unknown?"

Delays There's a good chance I might've gotten COVID again but am recovering quicker than expected. You feel like a nuisance when you're not at your 100% but there's always a lesson out of it. Life update Listen and find out ;)

Evolving capabilities (min 0) I've always shied away from tough courses, especially when it involved memorizing a ridiculous amount of terms until I chose to take kinesiology. I regretted it at first, but as I went through it week after week, I gained more than I thought I would. Becoming an Academic Weapon (min 2) The secret to doing well or at least applying the things you learn that you can...

Meaning It's ironic how even the word meaningless has, in fact, a meaning, and I think in life, there's a reason for that, and you get to decide how you choose to define it: A stepping stone or a comfort zone. Habits Behind every successful man/woman lies this thing called consistency of repeated action that we know as habits. The goal is to make the good ones easy and the bad ones hard. W...

I mean it's pretty self-explanatory there if you think about it. Jk. I think burning out teaches you a multitude of things: Understand your capacity, your self-regulation mechanisms, and how + when to unwind and recharge. It's an iterative process which comes with consistent trials-and-error runs until you hit a better sweet spot each time.

Worth the wait Whether it be a long-waited vacation back to your hometown or meeting your significant other, there's always a reason why you were meant to be put on hold. It's usually during those waiting times where growth occurs the most because I know I did (not the relationship part - yet). Letting go If you have a knack for planning and anticipating, I think we should be friends HAHAH...

Taking on a capstone For any busines student out there, you know how important the capstone course is. Essentially, you'll be acting consultants with a team to help assess and offer strategic advice to a real business client. It's an interesting blend between academics and actual work, which I am slowly starting to enjoy (oddly). Handling overworking I've always been a let's-get-th...

Pursuit of struggle I don't know what it was, but ever since I first took 5 courses in a single semester, I got invested in challenging my capacity and capabilities. Physiologically, our bodies were built to grow against gravity (sth I learned in my Kinesiology course), so challenge yourself. Trust me, it's worth it. W/L Balance I'm probably the worst person to ask advice from when it...

Getting past the discomfort I started running recently, attempting to become a hybrid athlete with the goal of being jacked while still being able to have the endurance to not sound like a wheezing machine every mile I run. I've always loved how alive I felt during runs, but weightlifting makes me feel confident and disciplined, so how do I do both? Closing chapters Every season is beautiful i...

Why life gets hard I recently took a kinesiology class, and my instructor mentioned something about how our body was meant to resist gravity and grow from it as a result. We were made for challenges and will, one way or the other, thrive from it. Clean-slate mentality Whenever you come into a new project or work with a new client, you need to let go of the past results. Yes, they will help you hon...

Through uncertainties It's easy to get carried away in a sea of thoughts when you have no control over the outcome, but I later learned how to weather through one storm at a time, knowing I'll make it out alive. So here's a snippet of what I'm doing amidst all the stress and anxiety that comes and goes like waves. This shall pass Time doesn't stop for anything, and that include...

Top tips for straight A's I've had over 5 years of trial and error to land the best grades every semester while still managing to work my day job and a side gig as a content writer. Recently, my grades have shot through the roof, and it's been a sustainable pattern, so here are 3 tips to ace your semester! The Clean Slate Mentality When a semester ends, another one begins (until it&#39...

I started lifting when I was about 18, a skinny, 106 lbs (48 kg), clueless teen. Today, I'm in a lot more decent shape with muscle built over the years. I am now standing at 152 lbs (69kg), with more confidence in how I look, talk, and act, but that's not always the case. Deep down, I'm still that same skinny 18-year-old kid with all his insecurities and self-doubts, but I somehow mana...

Thank you To every single one of you who tuned in and follow this podcast. You have no idea how much this means to me, and I hope you get a thing or two out of these late-night skedaddles and talks. Making hard choices There's that saying that goes: "Hard choices create an easy life. Easy choices create a hard life." I never truly understood until I lived through it, so here's a...

It all works out in the end I felt gutted when my co-op instructor told me I was going to be soon replaced as soon as my term was over, which got me thinking of sending out resumes, practicing for interviews, and adjusting to a new job role. But one thing kept me calm and centered amidst all this. Leveraging anxiety There are 2 driving factors to help anyone succeed in life: Fear of being a failur...

Climbing Everest There's a saying that goes: "it always seems impossible until it's done," and I just lived through it and will continue to live through more of it in the future. Here's how I think you can best navigate it. The Struggle to Potential Reaching your potential comes with risks, like burnout and getting high on life as you sing terribly in the shower, but it's...

Relationships & Overthinking If you're a thinker like me when we both know it's a blessing and a curse at the same time. When we think too much, we get anxious. When we think too little, we feel unproductive and mildly depressed for a moment. So this was my take on it and how I got the best of myself. Cutting back and social media I cannot stress enough how interrelated this is with re...

Appreciate the mundane I've always had the same routine for the past two years, from when I wake up, eat, sleep, workout, and read to the point where I learn to enjoy being on "cruise" mode. It's easy to get caught off guard by the unexpected in life, but when you have a system in place, it helps you navigate through them better and restabilize yourself. Pinpointing root problems...

March Madness really fulfilled the lengths of its definition for me as I took on projects, exams, and a major client order in one go. In reaching my breaking point, these were some of the lessons I learned to utilize that experience to be better armed against future, complex challenges we all will inevitably take on. Cheers, and see ya in the next episode!

Setting the tone Getting up early and working out early have been two of the greatest trajectory shifts I've had in my daily routine. It taught me how to slowly understand the true meaning of staying present in what you're doing and doing what you have to when the time you've set for it comes. Overcoming overthinking Like many of you, I've struggled with overthinking, especially wh...

It's been a hot minute, but I figured it was time to release some of my unreleased drafts. Amidst all the projects, life, and taxes, I got lost in the moment, and this was exactly what I needed (yes, a recording I did last year). Hope it helps.

Just a heads up, my voice may sound sexier than usual so please do not be alarmed :p Jokes aside, it took so much more effort to post this but to whoever may be going through the same thing, I hope this helps. 

On this WeeklySnips episode, I was kind of going through an uncomfortable shift in my life where I was worried about what will happen in the future, but I was reminded of this quote that led to my eureka moment and I haven't looked back ever since. Hope this helps.