February will always be special to me. It is the month when I said yes to my x-boyfriend. It is also the month when I signed a contract with the company that would always be my first love.

I don't know if it is weird to express love for my company every year but I am doing it anyway.

Most of the people in this world don't like their jobs and they always say that they're just doing it for the sake of salary. So here I am, feeling lucky that I don't have to curse my job every day of my life.

I took up BS Electronics Engineering and passed the board exam but the universe knows where I should be planted. I am working in a software company and before, people think that's weird because I should be in semiconductor or telecommunications company.

EXACTLY! Weird! but I have never felt in the right place in my entire college life. I have never imagined that I will be this happy with where I am.

My company doesn't have all the great things but I think I like its meritocracy and its culture of work and life balance. Yeah! there's really no life-balance, it is just a myth. My point is, even my job is demanding (who does not have a demanding job? lucky you!), it still gives me access to my passion.

As Iyanla Vanzant says, everything happens when it needs to happen; everyone is always where they need to be. You will never miss out on what is meant for you, even if it has to come to you in a roundabout way.

When I enter the company as newly graduate, I am full of dreams. My goal was to earn money to make my childhood dreams come true. I've been with the company for four years now and I can say that it has helped me make my dreams come true.

When I first join my team, they invited me to go to Boracay. Reminiscing the past, my route was home-school-repeat. I don't have money and I was brought up with the idea that I need to finish school and find a good job in order to experience pleasure.

It was a pay your own travel and it was the first time I felt that I have money to pay for my dream vacation from then on.

I visited Boracay for the first time

My first ATV experience

To celebrate my first year as a corporate lady, I went to Hong Kong and Macau.

There are so many first times I had because of the ramification of accepting this job. It didn't just allow me to travel but to provide for myself and for my family.

Can you still remember the first thing you bought or you did when you first received your paycheck? Or can you just look back and confidently tell yourself that you have spent your money on things that made you a better person or gave you a better life.

Today, what I am so grateful for the two organizations that is continuously molding me to become a better person. It is also keeping the fire alive in my heart.

I've been a volunteer of Corporate Social Responsibility for 3 years now.
I have taught children of basic computer knowledge, planted a tree and even climb the mountain so we can buy school supplies and groceries for the tribe.

Whenever I join CSR, it's really tiring physically but the joy of my heart and how it lingers to my memory, it is priceless.

They say, follow your passion but I never did because I knew my passion would not give me money. What I do is, I work hard and put effort into what I am doing so I can do my passion on the side. My passion is my way of de-stressing in a way that it still gives value to my whole being.

The universe convinced me that it loves me and so I pay it forward.

Life's great happiness is to be convinced that we're loved.

Aside from CSR, I've been a member of Toastmasters International for one year now. This club helped me fulfilled my dream of hosting. I never imagined that I would have the chance to do segment hosting in our Christmas party. I am even hosting small company events and parties.

My best achievement is to be the champion of Rookies International Speech contest.

Imagine, this is what I wanted to do when I was young but I am fully aware that I came from a poor family. I have to set aside those dreams and look for skills to build on that will give me money. Before we had a notion that if you would take Mass Communication or Journalism, you should be studying in Big Schools in the Philippines or else, you won't get a career. I knew back then that my family has no money to support me and so I have to take a different route.

Do you know the red string theory? No matter how some wanders if it is connected to you and it is for you, it will always find its way to you.

What's meant to be will always find its way.

So many things happened in the last four years. I would like to believe that I am doing great in all aspects of my life.

Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and beautiful at the end.

When I was starting, it was not a walk in the park. I had to give everything I could to master my craft. There were times when I just want to give up but my WHYs were greater than them all.

Up until now, I still feel messy because I know I am still building and nothing is permanet in the future. There are challenges every day and the whole thing in this world needs a better you (better than yesterday) every single day, like WTF!

But life is meant to live and our destination is not the prize. We will all end up in the grave. Your journey will tell how did you live and that's the story of your life.

Wherever you are, keep fighting. Love what you do and do what you love.