Archive | Dreams & Inspiration

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Destination … Freedom

Posted on 20 April 2010 by Liza Mae V.

I haven’t been updating my blog because I’ve actually been working on business plans for when I get back or even sooner. I am currently not in Shanghai, China but I arrived in Manila, Philippines as of last night. I have no real defined time lines except when my Philippine Visa expires and even that isn’t a deterrent since I have an option to extend it. I know I want to be in a beach soon and see the rest of my family. I feel like I am living a dream where this reality of mine is so surreal.

I went for my morning workout at my Tita’s subdivision community centre at 8am and I am not used to the heat. Apparently this is the cooler time of day, oh my. It was a pretty good workout, I got my heart rate up the entire 25 minutes, maybe it was the heat or I just really worked hard. I was complaining that Shanghai was too cold and wet and now I am in the heat and I can’t handle it. I think I will get used to it in a few days.

Right at this moment I am in the living room watching my niece and three nephews playing Nintendo Wii. While on my way from the airport yesterday something happened which I can not get out of my mind. My tita and I were at a stop in the car and small boy who is about my nephew’s age of 4, plants his face on my Aunt’s window with the saddest face I’ve ever seen. Every time I see little kids like that on the street it just breaks my heart. I wish I could take them all in, maybe one day I can but for now I will try to find out how I can help while I am here. I don’t really know what I am doing here but I am here for a reason.

- Liza Mae

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First Monday Morning … Away

Posted on 29 March 2010 by Liza Mae V.

Everyone was concerned about my alone time when James is working but I am not alone in this small world. His schedule is not too crazy like he is working a corporate job with 8-hour shifts. 3 out of the 5 days he only works maximum 3.5 hours and he is home by noon. On Friday’s he is back by 10:30 am, so it basically feels like a long weekend.

I am currently developing a schedule which consists of fitness & health, my business’, and self-growth through learning.

This is my first Monday morning of my new life and it is pretty productive. The time line is as follows:

6:00 AM >> Exercise: Ran Sprints
7:00 AM >> Cleaned two loads of laundry and hung to dry
7:30 AM >> Devoured a breakfast bun I got from the bakery
8:00 AM >> Cleaned like I was Mrs. Clean
- Bedroom: Pledged the Floors
- Kitchen: Mopped Floors
- Bathroom: Everything
10:30 AM >> Showered
11:00 AM >> Cook lunch of noodle soup and shrimp

I am waiting for the movie “Dear John” to download and the fastest I’ve seen it move is 45kB/s. I just finished watching the movie, “Girl, Interrupted”, and I enjoyed it. I’ve never seen Angelie Jolie play that type of role and it was a good change from her roles as of recently.

My lunch break is coming to an end and I will be working on installing WordPress to my LuxaVision & HomeInvestars websites. I’ve never done it before but it doesn’t hurt to try. Since this is my first time working for myself I realize that I have to set daily and weekly goals. Hrmm … this is what I used to do in my Engineering job but the difference is that I’m not doing it, to DO something, but I’m doing it because I WANT to. There is a major difference and my motivation level has reached the highest I’ve ever seen in myself.

- Liza Mae

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Do You Believe in Happy Endings?

Do You Believe in Happy Endings?

Posted on 25 March 2010 by Liza Mae V.

Keep Moving

As I stepped out of the plane with my backpack and carry-on luggage, I went through the regular process of going to Chinese customs, picking up my two big luggage putting them on a FREE push cart, and going through no bag checks.  The process seemed to flow smoothly, more so than I expected because usually there is always some sort of set back when I travel.

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floating in air … dream turned into reality

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floating in air … dream turned into reality

Posted on 22 March 2010 by Liza Mae V.

I’ve been hearing the words of “You’re Crazy!”, as of late because of my defining decision which took the world, my world and everyone surrounding it, by storm. One of the few friends, Bobby, who understands what I am doing said something profound to me which I hold near and dear to my heart.

He said, “Well you are not trying to be normal, so to them ‘Yes’ you are crazy.”

Whenever someone would comment as such I would go back to what he said. I realize I am not my friends, nor am I the majority. It is not that I am trying to distinguish myself from everyone else, for everyone wants the same thing, to be happy. Essentially, that is what my pursuit is and this is my story.

Cake by Francine

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Live your Life Pt. 4: Cutting the Umbilical Cord

Posted on 09 March 2010 by Liza Mae V.

Monday March 1st, 2010 marks a milestone in my life …

I have mentally prepared and planned this decision to leave my life of the 9 to 5.  I woke up Monday morning feeling anxious and terrified for the decision would change my life.   My boyfriend was no where to be found and I didn’t know what I should do.  Frantically I managed to put a resignation letter together and ten minutes prior to my weekly meeting with my boss, my boyfriend signed online.  To my relief he read it over and suggested to change a couple things and he sent his well wishes.  He seems to know how to calm me during times like this, thanks babe for being there!

As I walked to my bosses office I took a deep breath and  I gave my boss the letter and she was excited for me.  She said she would of made the same decision, given that she was placed in my shoes.  It wasn’t easy for me to do so because it felt like my umbilical cord had been snipped at that moment.  Leaving a place of warmth and comfort to live in the new unknown future ahead.  I always envisioned that at that moment I would of gotten in an emotional breakdown but it was quite opposite.  I was strong and confident and my fear in me disappeared.  I had a defining of moment of … letting it go.

No more mundane Mondays, reporting to a manager, long meetings, etc.  I am trading my current life for the hopes that I can successfully start my business and start living my life the way I want vs. what society wants for me.  I have always lived my life by social design but for once in my life I decided, enough is enough, it is time for me to take a mini-retirement.

I am not too sure how long my retirement from the typical life style will be but for starters, it is a minimum of 92 days or 3 months.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to retire to have idle time but I want to retire from defined schedules which are designed to make one tired and worn out.  Whoever decided that 8-hour days, 5 days a week was the way to go was simply insane.  The working hours seem ludicrous to me but let me leave that in another post.

Floating in air, I continued my day in shock of what I had just done.  Everything just seemed so surreal to me but my worries went away once my flight was booked, 20 days* until departure.   It is not that far away and I have 3 units to rent out before then.  It sounds unrealistic but I try to strive for the unrealistic goals, for if I just strive for the realistic ones then I would just be another statistic in this norm.

*Update: 12 Days left and I have rented 1 of the 3 units.
*Update (March 11): 2 of the 3 units rented.

- Liza Mae

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Live your Life Pt. 3: Making Everyone Aware

Posted on 22 February 2010 by Liza Mae V.

As I dropped him off at the airport today, a trickle of tears ran down my face as we hugged good-bye.  At least this time I did not cry a river for I know I will see him soon.  The 5 weeks he was here just went by so quickly yet it felt like so many things transpired.  It began on a rocky road but things became more smooth between us and stronger than ever.  It was a really trying period for us but here we are again.  I promised us that we will be together again in less than 4 weeks and hopefully before his big Three-Zero!

So I have contacted my boss and made her aware of the situation and I am hoping to get some unpaid-leave of a minimum of 2 months but if not, I have decided to cut my losses and go with the flow of things.  I am quite terrified of doing so because it is like cutting my umbilical cord to my secure life.  I realize that doing this will hurt and disappoint many people due to their own personal reasons, but at the end of the day, I have to take care of myself and my partner.  The weight of their disappointment is weighing me down and I just feel like I don’t need that right now.  I just want support from people but I can’t change their egotistical way of thinking, so be it.  I mean it is really selfish for one to tell me to stay back because it makes them happy but what about my happiness?  I would never be disappointed in someone because they chased after their happiness but I guess their excuse is that they are looking out for me.

I’ve gone tired of trying to make everyone else happy, that I don’t really care what anyone has to say.

I’m done.

- Liza Mae

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Live your Life Pt. 2: Get Motivated

Posted on 16 February 2010 by Liza Mae V.

I feel as though my life is moving so quickly that sometimes I forget what day it is.  Last year we were partying at his house and now I am planning a house party at my house.  By the end of next week, there is a huge possibility that there will be a 3rd house between us.  The third one will confirm that we are officially property investors.  I never envisioned this ever happening years back and sometimes I pinch myself to see if it is real.  I must admit though that without his vision, I would not be here today.  I just never looked beyond this linear road that we let society think it should be.  This road being …

go to college or university > get a degree > find a career > work 9-5 > find a partner to settle down with > get married> buy a house > have babies > continue working until retirement of 65

It may not be in that order but certainly close to that idea, you catch my drift.  I realize that life is not a linear road but a 3D one with many more planes to work with.  I choose not to live this life and don’t plan to work until 65, especially for someone else.  I just feel there is more to do out there in the world than to walk this typical road.

While I steer away from this path, I come across many skeptics.  Everyone is so caught in the fear of insecurity that it hinders one to truly live and love.  I mean, we are so caught up with trying to be secure that we close ourselves off to many brilliant ideas.  Sometimes we got to take that leap of faith and just trust that someone, be it your partner, friend, family, etc.  will be there to catch you when you fall.  If you truly believe in yourself, people will start believing in you.  When you make your ideas into reality, you will be truly amazed at what faith in self can accomplish.  I stop myself and pat myself on my back for having faith and trusting that things will work out in the end.  Some may say I am risky but the numbers should really speak for themselves, I calculate my risks and it is not risky at all.  It is actually more secure than stocks but more return than a savings account.

I was a skeptic but I seen what my bf has accomplished with little to no security and I am amazed that he got through it with flying colours.  When I leaped into my property with little security, more than my bf though, I did not think about it twice.  I just took all my money and invested it in to real estate.  I barely have any savings right now but I know in a year, I will get everything back.  In 2 years from now, I will be profiting from there forward.

“It takes money to make money!”

I can not dismiss the fact that this road also has potholes.  I have invested a lot of my time renovating this house, with that comes stress and frustration but most challenging things in life have this.  If not, it would not be challenging and everyone would be doing what I have done.  I mean we are a lazy society – we want the results but don’t want to work for it.  Now that I really look at the big picture, it was only 4 months of grueling work =  a years worth of my mortgage being paid by someone else + some profit.

I am not trying to gloat but I am trying to motivate.  Things are possible and we don’t have to live this life of the 9 to 5er.  I have only been working for almost 3 years (when I purchased a home I was working for 2.5 years) and saved money every pay cheque.  I didn’t really sacrifice much, I still went out for dinner and parties.  If I did sacrifice more, I think I could of accomplished this much sooner, but I wasn’t thinking about it at the time.

The time is approaching and I am finally seeing the way … I WANT!  No need to walk this linear path any longer.

Until then … keep your head up and believe in self!

- Liza Mae

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Live your Life Pt. 1: Fighting Fears

Posted on 18 January 2010 by Liza Mae V.

It is funny how the last month’s events caused me to amplify my thoughts so loudly that I can not stop thinking about the life I want to live versus the life I am living.  Those two points are far in between but the gap could easily be narrowed if I … stopped worrying.

On December 26th, 2009, I seen a message on facebook from my cousin that our mutual cousin Paula had died.  She was under 40 and had a family (husband and two daughters).  She had been fighting cancer for a couple of years and her time had expired on earth as we know it.  RIP Paula!

Last week, my brother got in a serious car accident which landed him in the hospital with a broken collar bone and minor lacerations.  He could of been seriously hurt or dead but thankfully God gave him another chance at life.

With all these occurrences happening around me it made me think and ask questions within myself.  Why is it that I live my life of mediocrity to only want what everyone else wants?  Why do I settle for a secure life rather than a happy life?  Or if I am so unhappy why do I continue to live unhappily?  Why do I have wait until I find out I am dying or had a life/death experience to do the things I truly want to do?

Fear is the biggest monster one has.  It gets in the way of many things and stagnates growth and disables one’s abilities to be free.   So I’ve decided to make some major changes in my life which will occur in the next 3 weeks.  Story will unfold shortly, stay tuned.

Liza Mae

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let it flow

Posted on 02 January 2010 by Liza Mae V.

stomach turns with the thoughts of you
it is like I’ve traveled on a jet plane
that has gone through turbulence
not that it is a bad thing because
sometimes we need to be scared
sometimes we need to live in fear
for it reminds us how alive we are.

I just want to stand on the edge of a cliff
and scream on top of my lungs
let it all out
lose control
for I feel trapped
in my own skin
yell out to the rest of the world
so I can be heard
and I can finally be freed
from the oppression
of this life.

This life which I have created
this life I have destroyed
this life of sorrow and joy.
I just want to … be.
Happy.

I have embraced this life
held it in the palms of my hands
and let it get out of control
more than I wanted
but who am I to dictate
which way water flows?

I am just laying on my raft
staring into the sky
which surrounds me
and appreciating every cloud
hovering above
with my hands interlaced behind my head
just smiling with the thoughts
of us back on the same wave
of existence.

Just a few days remain …
Countdown To James Arrival

- Liza Mae

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About Liza Mae

I am a twenty-somethings female photographer in search of love, the meaning of life, and adventure. I am passionate about anything photography from the snap to the click.

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