27 Smileys

In a few days I’ll be turning 27. As expected, I’m being a bit reflective about it and thought of writing about the 27 sources of my smiles, or what I call smileys. These are the activities I enjoy, the things I love, and the philosophies (or short quotes?) I always try to imbibe:

1. Beaching – as in going to the beach. Just the thought of being in the beach makes my heart skip. For some reason, I think the beach’s sand and the sun have antioxidants that make me feel terribly blissful

2. Picturing – as in taking, developing, uploading, compiling, tagging, and sharing pictures. I am so sentimental that I want all moments captured. I am slowly building my library and archives of photos. Slowly, because it’s a bit expensive to develop all my pictures and buy photo albums for them!

3. Body Scrubbing & Massaging – as in going to the spa to have body scrub and massage, or calling a manghihilot to massage me at home. I always can’t get enough of these because I am often stressed out with a lot of things that I just want to hibernate. This is one of the ultimate treats for me.

4. Eating – as in pigging out on my favorite foods. I guess most people divert to eating when anxious, stressed, or simply tired. I can eat any kind of pasta for one whole month. Blue berry cheesecake can lighten up my day. Sushi, California Maki, Siomai, and Shawarma are mood enhancers for me. I have always wanted to learn how to cook kare-kare. If I have lots of money, I’ll splurge on fruits – apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, and watermelon!

5. Journaling – as in writing about the blahhs, the boohs, yiheeees and the yayyyys in my life. I’ve never kept track how many notebooks, diaries, and journals I have in my room. Since Grade Six I think, I’ve been writing journals. I find joy in writing anything I feel about. I feel giddy whenever I read them over and over again. Makes me feel like a child from time to time.

6. Sleeping – as in lying in my bed, eyes shut and dozing off to nothingness. It is now that I truly appreciate the value of sleep. There are times that I give up parties and events just to sleep, period.

7. Emoting – as in talking with a close friend to share your deepest thoughts and emotions. I have a lot to say and I love it that my friends also have a lot to say about certain issues in life. It’s so soothing for me to just rant and rave about anything or anyone close to my heart.

8. Traveling – as in going to far away places. I especially love long rides, because I enjoy sight-seeing. I get enamored easily by new places, especially if it’s close to nature, the people are warm and the food is great. I wish I could go soon to Batanes, Palawan, and Bantayan Island.

9. Reading – as in reading anything that gives me new information. I get bored if I don’t get to read anything in a day. I just feel that I have to read a newspaper or magazine each day to keep me going. I know many hate reading, but believe me, it can do wonders for you.

10. Facebooking – as in exploring Facebook til my eyes twitch. I can express myself in FB, comment about a friend’s status, catch the latest gossips, and browse my photos over and over again. And of course, I still love Café World!

11. Ipod – with all the music I love to hear day in and day out. I can’t focus with work or studies without any music at all. I am more inspired with music – alternative, sentimental, and acoustic rock.

12. Dora the Explorer Doll – with the purple sleeveless outfit I dressed her with. Just looking at her makes me feel so happy, she reminds me of carefree days. I also love squeezing her fat brown hands and fat white shoes.

13. Landbankoop – with forced savings, dividend, and loan benefits. I like the idea of having a forced savings which I cannot withdraw unless I decide not to be a koop member anymore. Seeing my savings grow gives me joy and peace of mind. I always look forward every pay day to deposit even P500 in my koop account.

14. Flowers – with a short note. It’s cheesy, but it’s still romantic. My heart melts whenever I receive flowers, that for a few minutes I feel so high.

15. Mcdo Hot Fudge – with fries and with someone to talk to. This is what I call “cheap thrill.” I instantly get relaxed after a long day, by spending P50 only and having good company.

16. Star Bucks Mocha Frappe – with nothing. Now this is the “not-so cheap thrill.” From time to time I reward myself with a grande mocha frappe from Starbucks, and just share lull moments with a friend.

17. Ukay-Ukay and Tiangge – with stylish but low-cost clothes. I can experiment with a lot of outfits by rummaging through the racks of ukay-ukays and tiangges. I don’t really mind the big crowds, I feel ecstatic when I am able to go home with “good finds.”

18. Dusk – with the breeze. There’s something with this time of the day that makes me feel so nostalgic I can’t help but really smile. Perhaps it reminds me that tomorrow will be a better day.

19. Aquarium – with plenty of fish. I believe studies that say that having an aquarium at home is beneficial to one’s health. I enjoy watching a school of fish swim, it just takes away all my worries, even for just a few minutes.

20. New Bag – with a big space to put all my stuffs. Any new bag perks me up. I feel brand new whenever I have a new, spacious and classy bag. It’s so therapeutic to shop for a new bag, and even much better if it’s a gift from someone else.

21. “Life is short.” – This makes me more eager to do new things in life. Thinking that life is short also encourages me to love more the people around me and to share more to others.

22. “You can’t please everybody.” – Whenever I feel like shutting off from the rest of the world, I put this in mind. It makes me realize that hey, I’m still human. I have to accept and deal with the fact that not everyone will be pleased with what I do.

23. “Let’s see where the winds of the night will take us.” – I take pleasure in a “come what may” attitude. It’s so refreshing to be a kid, and go with the flow from time to time. A rendezvous never fails to make me smile.

24. “Everything happens for a reason.” – I try to see things in perspective, especially when things don’t seem to be fair. Bad things don’t just happen. There’s a reason for them, and the good thing is we learn from them and become stronger.

25. “Happiness is a choice.” – Be sad, and the world will not stop for you. So why stress yourself about things beyond your control? Just be happy!

26. “Choose your battles.” - Be a fighter, but learn how to choose your battles in life. There are challenges which you can deal with, and some which are meant to be simply ignored.

27. “Keep the faith.” – Faith in the Lord is powerful. Just believe that He will give what is for you. I always keep in mind that He answers our prayers in three ways: a.) yes, b.) no, then gives it to you during the right time, and c.) no, then gives you something much better.