Carpe diem!

Holding back my emotions is my weakness. No matter how I try not to breakdown, I almost always do. There were tears but words were trapped. There were just emotions, no words.

I know now that I didn't have to die to know who cares.

When I was first starting with ePer, my world was full of pretensions, fake people, and frustrations. I was about to believe that the industry does not hold people who are true to themselves. Everything was about getting ahead of others. Puro hambog, puro pasikatan, puro plastik. Puro pambababae, panlalalaki, paninira, walang tunay na samahan. I felt that there were no one I can lean on to, someone I can open up to without being judged. It was a hell I'd have to deal with. There were a few who were real but had to be fake to survive.

Then I met the people who changed my perception of the call center life. It started with the ROW peeps, then the last bunch of people I've had the pleasure to work with--my JaiHo peeps. I gradually turned from a monster to a human being. I owe it to the people who taught me a few valuable lessons in life such as---

- It's okay to have less. Be content with what you have. Material things don't define a person, those are things that eventually break and had to be disposed of. What is essential is invisible to the eye. I knew that even before but it didn't really sink in. It's okay to wear the same shirt every week, to not have a cool phone, to not drink an overpriced coffee, to not go on gimmicks on your days off. It's perfectly okay, it's better, to be simple and humble instead of being in debt all the time for wanting too much that you can't afford.

- Don't judge. It only shows that you're insecure and that you are envious. There's nothing wrong with being happy for someone else. We all have flaws, we all aren't perfect, so who are we to judge? Unless the person's a really fucked up bitch or an asshole. Char.

- To err is human. We all have our area of expertise, we all are quipped with better knowledge of a thing or two compared to other people. Not knowing something doesn't mean you're stupid. We just have to be patient and open to learning and sharing what we know, without being such a smart ass.

- Laugh often. Jokes are meant to be funny, walang personalan. Ang mapikon, talo. Embrace your flaws and when you get laughed at because of that, be fine with it. At least it makes people happy :-)

- Listen. Intently. Learn to empathize. Learn from other people. Nakakagaan ng loob ang sharing. Mas nakakakagaan ng loob na alam mong may nakikinig sa'yo.

- Don't take life too seriously. We all have our moments, you can cry or shout or be pissed off when something bad happens but eventually, you have to accept it and move on. Turn the negative things into positive things; remember that things happen for a reason. There's always something better in store for you.

- Love without regrets and expectations but don't give your all. Make room for yourself. You have to love yourself before you get to love another.

- Appreciate who and what you have. Enough said.

- Hugs are instant medicines to heartbreaks. :-)

- Be there for each other. Always have each other's backs. When you're down, you're sure that there will be someone to pick you up.

- Don't hold grudges. Give chances. Good karma is waiting for you.

At marami pang iba. Maybe I just can't enumerate them all. But for sure, words aren't enough to let these people know how thankful I am because of them. My family, my brothers and sisters from different mothers and fathers. I will miss you all.