I Was on Autopilot

I was pretty sick. Sick of having to self-reflect. Sick of having too many writing options, since expanding the my scope. Sick of the incompetent people and systems surrounding me.

I’m still sick, but now I want to do something about it.

What’d You Miss?

I learned a new skill (if you will) at work. I bought a condo in Boston. I stopped my gym membership. I just won a slot in running the Boston Marathon, care of my local running club’s lottery system. And I’m going to take a shot at embracing minimalism.

On My Way to Becoming Indispensable at Work

On the random day I was out on vacation, an issue was escalated to X to review and resolve. Said issue wasn’t resolved until I came in the next day. At that point, I set a tight timeline to develop a training presentation so that said issue does not go unresolved again. You might think, why disseminate knowledge when you can keep it to yourself and become indispensable? Well, for one, because that’d make me a self-serving jerk. Secondly, I don’t want to be next person people tap as on-call. I like my time away from work, thank you very much. Most importantly, empowering other people to do what I can do is both right. Why wouldn’t I help others if our goal to be able support customers is the same? My response has also led to other opportunities, like learning a new skill. I’ve expressed interest in learning more to my higher ups, and now I’m being told, that’s part of your job now — exactly what I want.

If your higher ups no longer challenge you to do something outside of your comfort zone, you’re going to the ER pile — easily replaceable.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still replaceable. Hopefully I sit lower in the pile — c’est la vie corporative (such is the corporate life).

Buying a Condo Is Like Putting Your Head inside a Crocodile’s Mouth

I came out scathed. Admittedly, very few people come out unscathed. The weeks after my offer was accepted were excruciating. I need to write a book about it so that others will benefit from my disaster-not-disaster. All I know is that it could’ve been worse.

Who Needs a Gym?

Some people do, and I respect that. Don’t get me wrong — I absolutely loved the gym when I first started out on March of the previous year. To save on fees, I put a hold on my summer membership thinking I’d be more outdoorsy (mainly running and biking). What I learned is that I only wanted to exercise indoors for comfort. That then led to go crazy on classes when my membership resumed in September and subsequently being lazy about running during the week. The only times I ran were at the many half-marathons leading up to the 16-mile Boston Marathon prep up in Derry, NH. Thankfully I only felt runner’s knees during the first of the half-marathon series.

The other reason I liked my gym was the Les Mills classes I was introduced to. Specifically, BodyCombat was challenging yet doable and, as a plus, didn’t require any equipment. BodyPump made weightlifting acceptable and accessible for me. I mean, how many Asians do you know do weightlifting? I know at least three more now in this suburbian town. Strong Asian women — now that’s what I’m talking about!

After one year, I’ve got some muscles to boot.

While it’s hard to see, I can at least pose more confidently.

But at some point, the gym became a crutch.

Simply put, I don’t exercise when I miss the class. However, I should be able to exercise when I want. Plus, my company has a gym and flavor-infused water (with actual fruits!). Why not put my health benefit towards a few classes at the Y? Now that I have a place in Boston, I should be active simply walking all over the city, right? Time will tell in this case…

Boston Marathon, Here I Come!

I’ve always wanted to run one but never saw myself as a runner until a colleague at work encouraged me to run my first half-marathon. Hopefully I’ll be able to check this off of my bucket list.

My Art is Minimalistic; My Life, Not So Much

I’m a hoarder with a tipping point. That is, I accumulate up to a certain point, and then I get fed up or misplace something and start cleaning up for hours. Let’s just say that I could be spending time on better things.

My first deadline? Friendsgiving part two with the holiday turkey my company gives out.

화이팅! (Hwaiting!)

Just as Running Man can make its comeback with highest viewership ratings since 2015, I can start blogging again about my ongoing journey to be a better shero.

And if you’re curious, this blog explains hwaiting better.

I don’t want to be a passenger in my own life.
— Diane Ackerman

After going through the ups and downs of Biggest Loser at work and reading The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes by Deepak Chopra with Gotham Chopra, I’ve rethought the content and organization of this blog.  As Chopra wrote, “superheroes are anchored in total clarity… They integrate good habits of physical and mental health.” The books is framed under the four levels of existence that superheroes can integrate :

• being – finding “unshakeable stillness in ourselves amid the turbulence and chaos of the world around us”
• feeling – “being absolutely precise in our actions and not getting distracted by toxic impulses that disempower us”
• thinking – realizing that there all problems can be solved by creativity, “in alignment with our highest ideals and values like truth, goodness, harmony, and spiritual evolution”
• doing – “emerging from those more reflective stages and being action oriented… responsive to feedback, decisive and wiling to take calculated risks”

With this in mind, I want the definition of fitness to be more holistic.

Redefining Fitness

Going forward, I’m going to pursue quests in three different areas:

1. Mental – through reflection and constant learning
2. Values – through ways to understand the why of what I do
3. Physical – through regular exercise and healthy eating

To be continued… on how an everyday woman powers up.

There is no other solution to man’s progress but the day’s honest work, the day’s honest decisions, the day’s generous utterances and the day’s good deed.
— Clare Boothe Luce