What’s the Best Thing That 2010 has Given You #23

This year started bleakly for me if not for a promise of a new life. As you might as well know, I took the Bar Exams last year and was hopeful during the first part of this year to finally be a lawyer. But alas, despite all the perseverance and prayers, the living-the-good-life-hoping-for-good-karma, it was not to be. I am not saying I won’t be a lawyer, but that I just was not meant to be one this year.

While waiting for the results of the exam, I was in a limbo. Floating and suspended in colloids. I was running around in circles with, of course, no direction. With no compass to guide me, I knew I was doomed to fall into an abyss of desperation. Please don’t mistake me. I don’t discount the fact that my family was there to support and love me while I was enduring the torturous long wait for the results. My family after all is everything to me but the bar. Taking the bar though muddles one’s senses. It delineates you from what’s really important in life. It lead me to think that love is just not enough motivation, especially as it involved the ever present pressure relating to the bar.

Even before I fell, the promise was fulfilled. A new sense of direction was instilled in me. I got a call that I was to start training as a Publishing Specialist in Thomson Reuters on that faithful 22^nd day of March. If Napoleon has the ides of March, I have the strides of March.

Suddenly, the bar exam was relegated to the background. Its pulse became so faint and intangible as I started to get busy during the training. When the final blow came, it came softly, deadened by that promise of a new life that is Thomson Reuters. What I thought in the past a blow that would surely stagger and end the life of me, came as a friend, a friend reminding me of the bitterness that comes with life. But a bitterness that is not only an end but also a beginning, my alpha and omega.

There are signs and there are symbols. Is not the timely job offer a sign from the heavens that there is life beyond the bar exams? Is not my turning forty years old during my first few months in Thomson Reuters semiotic? Wise men say, and even those not so wise, that life begins at forty. I began a new chapter or shall I say turned a new leaf in my life here in Thomson Reuters, a new life that started with a promise and is still teeming with more promises, where colleagues are friends and the job rewarding, where your intellect will be honed to heights yet unknown.

Ergo, the best thing that 2010 has given to me is a promise fulfilled and promises abounding.

Thank you TR for lending me direction to a new life.

What’s the Best Thing That 2010 has Given You #22

If I were being superstitious, I would take the way I celebrated last New Year’s Eve as a bad omen for 2010. I welcomed the New Year quietly, nearly sulking. It was unlike the usual way that I celebrate New Year’s Eve. This time it was different. I was being pessimistic.

With the financial crisis befalling us in 2009, I didn’t think that 2010 was going be any better. At best, it would be the same, with economists providing forecasts of a little to moderate improvements in the world economy. At work, I know that this year’s budget would be tighter, salary increases would be conservative, and travels will be limited.  I was bracing myself for the worst to come.

But 11 months into the New Year and I would have to say that the pessimistic me knew nothing of what was to come.  In retrospect, I think that 2010 has proven to be one of my best years. Well, I was not wrong about budget being tight and salary increases being moderate but there are other things that happened this year that I did not anticipate, both professionally and personally.

This year marks my 10^th year in the company. Ten years sounds like a long time, but time really does fly fast when you’re having fun. To me, Thomson Reuters is indeed the best place to work. I have been with six other companies before joining Thomson Reuters in 2000 and there is nothing quite like Thomson Reuters.  It is the only company I know that puts so much value to its employees. When I got the plaque and the wonderful Charriol bracelet during the Service Awards ceremony, I couldn’t be any prouder.  

And this is the year when I get to visit six countries in a span of 4 months – China, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany and France. Half of it was business trips and the rest was all fun. St. Augustine said that the world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.  Indeed, there is nothing like immersing yourself into a totally different world, only to come back on your own with much added wisdom.

Another proud moment is closing down a project which has been in the making for two years. Economics Point in Time was delivered to clients in November 2010 bringing valuable edge to the offering of Datastream. I think I have to right to shed a few tears after seeing the final presentation deck for the clients’ launch.

On a more personal note, this year brings me many wonderful gifts that are totally unexpected. Paramount to that is knowing that I am expecting our second child. Out of the many good things that happened in 2010, this by far tops it all. This little one brings me optimism.

With all these blessings, I think I will go back to my old way of celebrating the New Year’s and welcome 2011 with a bam!

What’s the Best Thing That 2010 has Given You #21

I have to confess. I’m one of those people who for a long time, never really felt to be thankful for anything.

It’s not that I’m ungrateful for the everyday blessings such as life and health that have been given to me all this time. But the constant nature of these blessings makes one lead to look at these blessings as  just routines in life that you’re almost (if not 100%) sure of getting every day in your life.

And for people who look at life as just an everyday routine, it’s easy to fall into such an attitude. Maybe it’s the effect of stress or of being too busy to care for these life blessings. Whatever the case may be, life for these people has become just a regular routine. They’ve become engrossed in their everyday struggles and routines to follow that they’ve overlook or forgotten the little joys and thrills that should make life more interesting to live for. I should know; I was one of them.

For a long while, I felt helpless like a machine pre-programmed to do only things I am supposed to do. As much as I wanted to step back and enjoy a little what life has to offer, the craziness of my world before, with all the toxicity and messed up schedules prevented me from breaking from it. Eventually I became more and more restless as I yearned to get away from it all and start anew, so to speak.

Then came the year 2010, which signaled some new beginnings for me, in my career among others. Perhaps it was by some grand design that I find myself discovering and doing those things I never dreamt of doing in this particular year as well. Looking back, I can’t pinpoint how all this came to pass. Maybe it’s the influence of my new environment with some newfound outlook and courage to help me out.

With what has transpired in my life this year so far, I’m surprised at myself to have done so many things in such a short timeframe. I was going places unfamiliar, stretched myself to the physical limits, gotten the opportunity to help people, found myself on stage. With all the craziness and muscle-straining effects heaped upon me for doing those things, I feel strangely good and grateful that I was able to at least do the things I’ve long wanted to do, even the ones I never wanted to do.

For someone who can’t even think of gifts to get, there’s no better gift that I got this year than the gift of being able to enjoy life in a way I’ve never enjoyed before, thanks to those unforgettable moments. I’m very much thankful as I’ve come to appreciate more the blessings and opportunities each day this year has given me and helped me become a better, fuller individual. More importantly, I’m grateful for the inspiration these moments have given me to look forward to another fulfilling year ahead.

What’s the Best Thing That 2010 has Given You #20

Ever heard this before? “I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet…”  It brings home a poignant point to look back at last year’s challenges, the unfavorable situations, and put all these into proper perspective.

I like this quote because it made me reflect on the points of failure, shudder at the thought of my own pockets of humiliation, throw my own little pity party and then when the clouds settled, to discover that defining “aha moment” that brought me back to the realization that it was not as bad as I first thought it would be.  

I admit I may have had a sense false of entitlement at times, because of what I know I have invested in my professional life, whether it be time, energy, and effort, that I felt the rewards were not commensurate to what I have invested.  I may have wallowed in past failures and regrets, eventually thinking everybody had it better, just because they had it different.  Indeed it would have been easier to ‘cop out’, or what I affectionately call as the armchair statements of; “would have’s, “should have’s” and “could have’s “.

Everything would be better if I use the operative word “IF”, however, reality dictates that I make do of what I have, and be immensely proud of what I’ve done.

So what is the best thing that 2010 has given me?

To appreciate the good things of 2010, I had to experience the bad along with the good, I fought some battles along the way, stumbled more than once, but I always had people in my life who pulled me up, and stayed with me as I dusted myself off.  Eventually I woke up and made a conscious decision to thrive, rather than just survive.  I stopped relying on other people to back me up, and decided to choose, and fight my own battles with as much dignity and respect.  I eventually pulled the plug on my own pity party, and stopped deferring to other people for my own validation.  2010 gave me the opportunity to appreciate myself, my contributions, and the good people in my life who disabled my wound-licking and enabled my confidence.  Reflecting from the quote that guides me as I write this, I was a happier man in my own shoes even during the storm, and even managed to do a little dance in the rain.

What’s the Best Thing That 2010 has Given You #19

            I have always wanted to go places – literally. For many years, I have yearned to travel to the different parts of the city, even its outskirts on my own. But I have always been hampered by my lack of motoring skills and lack of the “sense of direction”. In other works, I did not know how to drive. I am even worse at trying on other modes of transportation (jeepneys, buses, etc.), since I end up getting lost, late and stressed so I gave up on those already. Whenever I needed to go somewhere, it was either I had to ask my siblings or my boyfriend to drive for me, or I had to commute to the place, or worse, walk (hello pollution and heat)!

            In May, my department in Thomson Reuters moved to Mckinley Hill. At first, I thought I would lose half my salary in cab fares. I even considered going back to my previous team in Content, who got to stay in the FGU office. It was either that or I had to wake up much earlier than the rooster to catch the company-hired vans, which I am sure will not last forever. Days of running and swearing on the elevators that took so long just to catch the vans were really ugly… like it was a life-and-death situation for most employees.

            Alas, what I first feared would be an everyday ordeal turned out to be a good thing. The move forced me to swallow my fears and took the plunge. I learned how to drive alone! For more than 5 years, a driving license had nestled in my wallet, but I never had the guts to go behind the wheel on my own. I even had it renewed, only as a government-issued ID. It never served its real purpose…until 2010.

            And what do you know? This turned out to be the best thing that happened to me this year. Driving on my own not only gave me the freedom to go wherever I want, but it also gave me self-confidence as I can rely on myself. I still cannot park flawlessly, but I know I’ll get there. I finally earned my independence and go places. I can’t wait for 2011 to try something new again. Let’s go! Beep! Beep! Beep!

What’s the Best Thing That 2010 has Given You #18

As the “year of the tiger” is coming to a close, looking back, it has been a year full of surprises and challenges. Making TRCS Manila as the “Center of Excellence” was one of the best things happened in 2010; it can be a very challenging experience, but it is possible not only to survive, but to learn so many things at the end. Being part of the Group that services customers all over the world isJobcentre or job centre
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….. Click the link for more information. a very humbling experience. Although, it’s different as it was before, it’s improving every day. For me, personally, I had been challenged. But at the same time, I feel I need to perform better. I tried to transfer some of my old routine to my new routine to help with the transition. I made it a point to develop a culture that started from within that permeated everything we do in order to attract like minded people who shared that vision. I’ve had the chance to learn much about leadership through this experience, such as the necessity of commitment, prioritization and coming together as a cohesive group. I made it clear I was 100% committed to creating an environment where people can improve themselves to stand out and notice. I know at times, it’s like you’re climbing a ladder only to find out it is leaning against the wrong wall.  When this happens, I feel that I want to do more. I have come to realize that coping with changes and accepting them as it is does make me perform the best of my abilities.

2010 also has given me an opportunity to take on one of my proudest activities to date, spearheading the TRCS-Content “Immersion” Program. During which it required me to take a pro-active approach, take the initiative and play a leadership role in executing the project to completion. It has given our resolver groups a newer perspective on how things are done at the CS level and has shown more appreciation of the work that they do for our clients as well as to Thomson Reuters. It also improved team’s collaboration as well as building good working relationships while sustaining accuracy and quality of our data.

Lastly, 2010 marked my 10^th year in the company and, with some other blessings to reckon with, this year was definitely a great year. While waiting for 2011 in anticipation, I know that sometimes I will have a hard time since there are a lot of challenges. But even so, I’ve tried to look in a positive side, because I know dealing with these isn’t easy. In order to improve my work performance and myself, I believe there are still many things I have yet to know, but I feel that I am lucky to be surrounded by great Managers and mentors. Hopefully I will learn more about management and to build relationships with these successful leaders as I move forward.

What’s the Best Thing That 2010 has Given You #17

“Life Talk”

Some people say that life is a kind of adventure filled with exhilarating surprises; others would regard it as a battle arena where each of us fights to win our real purpose. As for me, life is a big school in which all of us are the students, experiences are the teachers, lessons are taught free, and where grade levels are defined by how well we have performed in the quizzes and exams it gives…

2010 has been an academic year full of mind-boggling, real-life examinations that have certainly tested how much I have learned from the school of life.

I had my first exam sometime in January when my family encountered a seemingly irresoluble Trigonometry-like problem for it has made my life turn 360 degrees.

My father was diagnosed with a serious eye complication which totally disabled him. Many doctors have tried to give my father the best possible treatment but unfortunately, none of them guaranteed that they can bring back that lost ability. Because of this, he had to leave his job to which my family owes our everyday survival for more than 20 years.

While I was still in the midst of taking the first quarter exam, a surprise quiz suddenly popped up in mid-February.  Another very close family member, my grandfather, was diagnosed with a chronic lung condition that made breathing difficult for him. After a few weeks of confinement, my family decided to bring home my lolo and just continue with the medication advised by the doctor. It was supposed to be a take-home quiz but eventually turned out to be a project with an approaching deadline. One fine afternoon of April 25^th, three days after my college graduation, the project was finished and submitted to the Principal.

Indeed, “life is full of suffering” as the wise Buddhist saying puts it. Nevertheless, I believe that in those sufferings are embedded life’s greatest experiences and lessons and these are the best things 2010 has given me. In every exam that I’ve taken during the year, my patience or even sanity has been pushed to the limit, almost reaching my breaking point. Difficult as it may seem but I’ve learned how to accept my father’s situation and to believe that there’s a divine purpose for it. The experience of losing my lolo also taught me how to let go of our lost loved ones and give Him the chance to love them more.

The situations I’ve been through may appear hopeless but that very fact helped me mold into a kind of person I am now: strong and always ready to wisely face every new challenge up ahead.

I may have committed mistakes, giving me an almost failing mark. But, I believe that it’s never too late to make amends if you still got the chance. Just keep in mind that there is no retake in the school of life, so might as well grab the chance and make the most of it.

If there’s really a basis for grade-leveling, I know that I still got several years before my graduation. I’m just wondering how my diploma would look like…

What’s the Best Thing That 2010 has Given You #16

At the end of the day it’s all about priorities; it’s about setting and keeping them. – LM

As I stared into the monitor, and fixed my eyes on the moving cursor consuming over me, I started reminiscing and asked myself, “What exactly did year twenty ten bring about to me?”; as simple as this question may sound, it actually consumed most of my brain cells pondering on the right answer. The difficulty was not because twenty ten was a blank sheet of paper but more of a roll of scribbled experiences put together by different contributors.  

In an instant all the stories, adventures, and memories flustered and now I am overwhelmed on where I should start. I could write down all the specific moments that have happened to me throughout this year, but would it really answer the question, “What’s the best thing that 2010 has given you?”

I started 2010 with no expectations, no specific goal, and no direction. As the free spirited person that I am, I rely on my daily impulses and gut feels when I make decisions. I guess it’s just part of my system that I don’t dwell on what the future will bring about to me. Apparently, there are times that the inconsistencies and fluctuations get boring and that major change is clamoring to get out of me. Aside from the tangible objects, countless travels and adventures, variety of food trips, diversity of culture, what really stood out amongst all is the simplest and unnoticeable. I am proud to say that I have acquired many friends and made relationships this year, but the best one is the gift of real friendship. I can collect as many friends that I want to, but only few stand out from the crowd; the ones that I can look stupid with, shout with and hug afterwards, cry on their shoulders and wipe it on their shirts, the ones who will tell me what is wrong with me right on my face and not bash me at my back.

As years gone by, I can truly say that year TWENTY TEN became a roller coaster of emotions for me. It is this year that I started becoming independent, started living up to higher expectations both from home and work, and most of all the biggest impact that this year blasted me with is the value of maturity and contentment. Sometimes, we ask so much from others and ourselves that we see beyond the simplest blessings. Despite all that has happened in my life this year, I know I became a better person, I grew stronger and wiser, and most of all I became closer to living my life the way I really want to.

In life, it all just boils down to starting to know who we really are deep down, and from there we can start appreciating and accepting others. In the end, it will go back to what I just said in the start; that –

What’s the Best Thing That 2010 has Given You #15

Everything in God’s Time

December is just around the corner, and looking back, I have to say that this year, 2010, has been the best year of my life, so far. Let me narrate with you, in chronological order, the series of significant events that took place in my life.

I got married last September 6, 2009 – one of the greatest blessings I have ever received. But then, a few weeks later, my husband and I were caught surviving the famous typhoon Ondoy that left a huge portion of Manila flooded, and worse, destroyed. Fortunately, by the last quarter of 2009, we found ourselves gradually recovering from that tragedy.

I officially became an aunt on December of 2009. My eldest sister gave birth to my first nephew (whose birthday also falls on the same day as my father’s). Spending Christmas and New Year were never the same again.

As we welcomed the year 2010, my husband and I were planning on a lot of things. We wanted to start the year right, as much as possible. And from then on, everything came in God’s good time.

We decided to renovate my family’s old house in QC by February, as part of our “moving on” from that fateful typhoon Ondoy tragedy. A month later, we left Pasig and headed to QC where we would start to build our dreams together. We became the happiest and most excited couple by Mid-April, as we learned that I was pregnant and was due to give birth on December 25. Need I say more?

The following month, we were able to purchase a brand new car – a very useful tool that would make it more convenient for me as I journey throughout this pregnancy. By the middle of the year, we have been so blessed and we were really grateful.

Then came July, when my husband took on a bigger challenge of giving up his ten-year work experience as an IT professional in a bank. As we have discussed, he took his career a notch higher as he moved on to another company – not just for him, but for me and our baby.

We’re having a boy! By last week of August, another prayer has been answered.

September came and we celebrated our first anniversary. Recalling the events for the past year, it felt like we have already known each other for ten years or more, as we have experienced so much. God has not given up on us amidst life’s trials.

And now, in less than a month or in just a couple of weeks maybe, I could already embrace the best thing that 2010 has given me – my baby boy. At 36 weeks pregnant, I am more thrilled than nervous. Finally, I am reaching the end of my nine-month journey, and will be taking on a new role of being a mother.

I am extremely thankful for all the blessings that I have received – Everything in God’s Time.

What’s the Best Thing That 2010 has Given You #14

Shana!

Above all, I want to acknowledge our Creator for all the blessings that He has given us, from the tiny to the small, the glory in them all, for God alone.

I am Marian and here’s my story of the best thing that 2010 has given me.

As the trades fluctuate in stock market, and so for my 2010 experience. Ups and down, laughter and tears, unexpected moments, frustrations, excitement, happiness and most of all LOVE!

From the unforgettable remains of 2009 which brought sadness to most of us due to catastrophic events, I started my 2010 with excitement and happiness knowing that I’m 3-month old pregnant. Mixed emotions, happy because at last, I will be able to fulfil my womanhood, afraid and confused because o f the consequences it may bring. Despite of the objection and misunderstandings from different parties, we solemnized our wedding on June 5, 2010.

It was a stressful February when my fiancé and I are having a hard time to find a home, until March when we finally moved in to our new apartment in Makati.  Good news my husband promoted as a Senior Software Engineer on their company on the same month.

It was a second day of August, 2010 when I gave birth via caesarean section to my 7.9lbs precious lovely daughter, Shaneiah Marielle Perez Tatlonghari. I think it’s the most memorable time in my entire life. I can’t explain the joy of being a mother. I feel so blessed!

A month after when sad news strikes due to bereavement of my mother .So much pain, but on the brighter perspective, she make sure that  everything is on the proper place before she left. On that, I realized that my mom loves me so much! She passed away on September 5, 2010 exactly three months after my wedding and almost a month after my delivery!

On the same day of the interment of my mom, was a shocking incident for our house in Makati. That was almost after lunch when I immediately went to Makati fresh from Laguna to check the incident. The thieves broke our door and got my husband’s shoes and my cheque booklet, good thing I did not funded already that account.

End of September when my maternity leaves completed. We went back to Makati together with our daughter and my eldest sister. It was two weeks after when I found out from my sister that stranger were trying to crash our apartment. She noticed it few weeks ago but she ignored it. Came from office one night and after the arrival of my husband, we were frightened because we noticed that someone is breaching on our back wall. We immediately called the policemen and right ahead we were rescued by my in-laws. It was 12 midnight when we moved to Laguna, carried by our house belongings. Very tragic!

With the help of my officemate and friends, we found another home in San Antonio Village, Pasig early in October. What a co-incident! I realized that San Antonio is my favourite place to be. I’ve lived before on San Antonio Los Baños, Laguna when I was single and in San Antonio Village, Makati few months ago. Now, we find our new home in San Antonio again but this time in Pasig!

So many blessings came to our family on November. Of course, aside from the 13^th month pay, we celebrated the baptism of our daughter, blessings were overflowed.

December is such an exuberant month for us!  Early in December when my husband brought his new phone. I felt blessed too because I’m the recipient of his old phone. One of the greatest thing, we’re able to made a reservation for our dream house in Laguna. And last, but not the least, I got my dream laptop wherein I started typing my essay on “What’s the best thing that 2010 has given you?”!

Shana! It means God is gracious! This is the root word for my daughter’s name because the Lord is so good and gracious to us despite of everything! My family is the best thing that 2010 has given me!

For me, life is equilibrium. We’re all blessed in different ways. God loves us so much, although sometimes, we can’t comprehend His ways. Glory to God!