Happy birthday to a special panda. I am 29 years old today and it’s the 29th!

Technically, It’s already the 30th in Asia but I still have my western blast from the past on my side. To honor my birth, I have decided to host a super special gift for you.

In the Philippines, when people celebrate their birthdays, it ends up being the birthday person’s treat for others, rather than the western sense of treating the birthday person for their special day. People will throw parties… on their own tab! I found this fascinating when I first heard about it, because a birthday dinner in the states usually meant that they treated me.

My treat for you

I am offering a crazy $29 sale for a uniquely designed website/blog header. This normally costs $300, and for 29 hours only, you can get it for $29. The sale will end on April 30th 7:40pm EST.

I think I’m somewhat crazy for offering this at an insanely low price but lets not forget the $5 fiverr jobs and the fact that I live in a third world country that can “support” my low wage experiments.

You’ll have to act fast, but buying the 29 in 29 means that you’ll have a 6 month window towards starting your banner design project with me. Think of it as a coupon that expires 6 months from now. Act now, and you can avail later. So if this is something you could anticipate having a need for, no need to worry about the timing because it’s flexible. Buy it for yourself, or pass it on and gift a friend!

But that’s not all!

And now the obligatory “I’ve always wanted to say that”.

I’ll be donating 29% to a charity that I have a special connection to.

Her Stars Scholars was my first client, and although they are headquartered in New York, their main work is in the Philippines and other third world areas. From their website:

Her Star Scholars helps girls and women who are living in poverty receive an education so that they can achieve their fullest potential. We support a variety of programs including pre-schools, K-12, enrichment programs, leadership training, vocational training, and college scholarships.

I have a heart for social justice and believe that education and educating women and young girls is a big part of the puzzle, and a good start for our future. We’ve all seen the much more branded Girl Effect and why this issue is so important.

Her Star Scholars is my more localized version of the same thing. It is in my heart to help other Filipinos to have a better quality of life, and I truly believe this is part of why I am here, on this crazy adventure, even though it feels like I’m always kicking dust and nothing happens fast enough.

Still not convinced?

Here are some of my client testimonials:

Janet was the first graphic designer I’d worked with in my Crystal Clarity business, and I was a little nervous about how it would all work.

I needed a cover graphic for my upcoming ebook, and I had very definite ideas for what I wanted. But because it was very different from the previous client work Janet showed me, I was initially worried that she wouldn’t fit with my personal style. Also, I didn’t have a huge budget, so I was concerned about cost blowouts.

I’m happy to say I didn’t need to worry about any of it! Janet was friendly, professional and incredibly creative. She spent enough time at the outset trying to understand exactly what I wanted in terms of style and imagery, that when she sent me her first version, it was 80% ready! We quickly hammered out the remaining 20% between us; and I was delighted with both the quality of the final images, and how affordable Janet turned out to be.

I’d highly recommend Janet to anyone looking for a graphic designer. I know her images are going to make my ebook look a hundred times more professional than I could have managed on my own; and she’ll absolutely be my first port of call next time I need any graphics created for any future products!

-TANJA GARDNER, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd.

I am still very much in love with the work you’ve done for my site. You took the words “old photography” and “Writer” and created exactly the mood and tone that I would never have done for myself! I can see an up-tick in traffic, and can see the click throughs between various pages which I attribute to how user-friendly it’s all become.
More than that, I feel this change of “e-scenery” has lit a fire in the belly and makes me want to write and create and bring things to life again! Thanks Janet! Best experience I”ve had with a web designer yet!
-K Syrah, Shoes Never Worn

Whether I make 1 sale or all 29 sales, I am dedicated to donating the 29% to charity. Whether that means donating $9 (I’ll round up) to Her Star Scholars and treating myself to a nice $20 dinner (or maybe that massage/free buffet place), or $261 to charity and $580 for myself (that I could easily use to finally move out of the slums), I’ll be happy no matter what.

Help bring the last year of my 20s out with a bang!

PS: If you’re looking for the brand new redesign of Purple Panda, it’s coming up soon! Keep your eyes peeled as I celebrate my birthday and celebrate my blog launch with a few more tricks up my sleeve. Watch this space!

This story starts back in college when I went to a private art school in the heart of yuppie town; the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon.

There was this blonde bimbo with that air of high-class and superficial flair who was complaining that she was going to go to China and skip a day or two of school just to run a half marathon. First world problems.

The nerve that she was complaining that she’d get to travel. And yes I know I’m being slightly mean-spirited when I say blonde bimbo but it’s my blog and I don’t care.

She hardly trained, she said. And each week I saw her, she was complaining about how she hated running. She was just doing it to support her sister doing the full marathon.. She just wanted in on the ride. And on and on.

I got into running in my early 20s because it was the cheapest way to stay fit, and the only thing that really helped keep off unwanted bellyfat, and also because my boyfriend at the time wanted me to and I had to mindlessly follow everything he wanted because I was young and naive back then. All I needed was to dress appropriately, walk outside and shuffle my legs. I got into planning my route and having a regular route I enjoyed. I loved running in fall, kicking the falling leaves as I ran past piles of raked foliage by the curve, and the slightly cool but bearable air. That fresh sting against my face to wake me up and let me know I was alive. I carried this hobby with me into my mid twenties.

My first running partner was a man over half my age in his 70s. His name was Fred and he was Filipino. I think we were the only brown ones in the whole town. Very white and Republican. It made me almost want to puke and I haven’t puked since I was little. That’s a lie. I puked last year when I drank coke and pineapple juice and coffee all in one sitting. I don’t know what I was thinking.

Fred was about as tall as me. 5’1″ and strong and healthy for his age. He looked at my then-boyfriend and then looked at me, smiled, and said “don’t I look like her grandpa?” His little eyes shined. I didn’t mind because my real life grandpa died after I visited him in the Philippines on a break from college. He had that look like he was proud of what I accomplished, and content, and could finally rest. I have this weird way of showing up in the Philippines right before relatives die. As if they were waiting to see me one last time before they pass on.

Fred had run a handful of marathons all starting after the age of 50. He encouraged me that it’s never too late to start anything. And that he liked me because I was young and it helped keep him younger. Old people always say that though. He was the perfect running partner because of his old age and short legs. For once, I never felt like I was lagging behind. We always ran side by side and once, we ran 8 miles together. I didn’t think I could do it, but he pushed me to keep going. If he can, I can. And he was right.

I was supposed to train for a half marathon then, in Honolulu. Fred gave me my training schedule and I halfheartedly followed until I stopped. A series of missteps, false starts and missed potential, just like the rest of my life. I was breaking up then and running couldn’t keep my interest. I was too preoccupied with a broken heart. Nevermind that running is good for the heart. I should have kept going…

I always knew I wouldn’t make it to Honolulu. When he told me the possibilities and how I could accomplish a half marathon, my eyes glazed over. I made the decision then to stop myself from starting. I was too broke. Too broken. How could I afford it?

There’s nothing like a little bit of inception to jolt you alive again.

The idea of running a marathon plays with my mind now three years later. I wrote it on my bucket list, so it must have some importance. China and that blonde bimbo awaken my rest. I haven’t ran seriously since I left Oregon. I miss the river trail. I miss seeing wild rabbits during my running route and the peaceful fresh air.

I remember seeing a movie from China once on a long airplane flight about a little girl who had no shoes. Her bigger brother would run every day to give her his shoes that they would share. Nevermind the fact that his shoes were too big for her. It was a charming story but also a bit of perspective as I came to realize that no movie would ever have that plot in the US, where having shoes are taken for granted. I guess where I’m going with this is that you should be grateful you’re running a marathon in China, and that you’re running it with shoes on.

I’ve got a long way to go to train for a fucking marathon. Let alone one with 5,000+ steps. But I’m doing it. Goddamn, I’ll do it. And I want to be grateful.

Do it for the blonde bimbo.

For those who need a recap to the recap:
1. Niall Doherty wrote a blog post about his challenge to do a No Self Promo.
2. I got inspired and joined in on the fun, then wrote a guest post for him to pave the way for others to join in.
3. Will Peach joined in and wrote about his experience recap on Niall’s blog.
4. Niall got to post his recap on Keith Ferrazzi’s blog, who is the Never Eat Alone author who inspired him.
5. I was too lazy to write about my recap, until now…

My month of no self promo was a smashing success! During that time, I felt the spark of blogging that I hadn’t felt in awhile. It’s that getting in touch with the community, and people, that makes blogging worthwhile. Forcing myself to keep in contact with people and asking them if they needed help was challenging and I learned a lot.

1. Asking people for help gives you more work to do. Well duh. But it can get overwhelming pretty quick! You create little jobs for yourself with no pay or expectation in return. It’s a hobby at best and something fun to explore. It’s VERY worth the time and effort if you do it right. If I do this for free, and I do, it means I must really have the passion for it. I’m onto something here…

2. It may or may not lead to potential client leads or work. Reaching out to others lets them know that you’re there. It keeps people in your radar, and lets them know that you’re relevant, gung ho and ready to go! Although I didn’t receive work from my No Self Promo challenge, it doesn’t matter. That wasn’t the point, and it was fun to genuinely help others.

3. Blogging becomes more fun. It’s the spark I mentioned. I got my groove back, even for just a little while. I remembered why I loved blogging. I had more focus and discipline and a bunch of ideas that made me feel alive. I wanted to interview people and dreamed about Purple Panda turning into a magazine style with fresh new content.

4. It’s really, really hard. It’s hard to keep consistent. It’s hard to follow through on things that I had wanted to do because I’m lazy. I didn’t interview as many people as I would have liked. Some either declined my requests to help, never answered back on the things I had asked them for a feature write up, or I simply got lazy with my follow up and follow through. I plan to revive this though and get back to everyone that I want to feature!

5. It gave me time to reconnect. Reaching out to bigger, more “famous” bloggers wasn’t my only criteria. I also got in touch with blogging peers that I know, and non-bloggers that have an interesting story. Blogging in itself isn’t an interesting story. The people behind blogs are normal people, and it’s up to YOU to create an interesting life. Not every blogger has an interesting story, and not every interesting person has a blog… I’d rather diversify and highlight those who aren’t in the ‘circuit’. Stories like walking across America or flying to every country in the world might be impressive, but it’s just overdone. I’d rather show something that no one has heard of. Knowing this, and gearing up for blog features made me realize I wanted this to become a more regular part of Purple Panda.

6. My site traffic went up. Despite doing NO self promotion which for me meant no tweets or facebook statuses about new post updates, my traffic remained strong and even spiked up a bit! In helping others, evidently, they were more likely to help me out as well! There is a natural interest to genuinely give back with people I encountered. Although there was no monetary exchange, there still seemed to be a natural energy exchange of some kind. I believe give and take of equal energies is part of our social make-up, especially when encountering positive people.

7. It changed my perspective and changed my life. I use this lightly. It was a game changer, for sure, and I saw the definite need to keep this new model consistent. To help others is to help yourself. There is so much truth to it, but it’s so easy to get back to old patterns and back into my own vacuum where only I exist and I don’t even like it. The good things in life take effort but it is sadly too easy to default into lazy mediocrity. Note to self: don’t be mediocre.

8. It’s inspiring. It’s inspiring to connect with such remarkable people and feel their energy through my interaction. You learn more through others and it becomes much greater to write about. I have been unsatisfied with my writing lately and maybe its time to connect again. In my mind, my writing has become forced and shallow, and I struggle to find my writing voice and style. I love old school Ash Ambirge or even Penelope Trunk. Danielle LaPorte meets Justine Musk.

9. It’s not in my nature to reach out. It takes a concerted effort on my part and doesn’t come naturally. But when I do, life becomes more fun and bearable and light. Life (and love..of life) opens up and I find a little bit of me and who I am through others. I find that spark energy. That essence. The thing that gives me drive.

Go towards your passions. Find out what makes you spark, and do more of it.

There’s more where that came from.

I have a problem. I call it the “deer in headlights syndrome” and have made excuses for myself that never served me because of it. I’d blame the environment. I hated my job. My room was too cluttered. I was just stuck in a rut!

The Deer in Headlights Syndrome can strike when you’ve got so many ideas, dreams, wishes, desires and no plan to get you started. The debilitating perfectionism can hold you back. You might have a million and one ideas and feel total overwhelm, or the vision in your head can never live up to reality. Why even bother?

As an artist, I admit, this has happened far too many times than I’d like to admit. I lack initiative to get a project started. I lack the gusto to keep it going… Even during this so-called blog launch, I fear that I am telling everyone about the launch that’s happening on April 29th and once the day rolls by, I’ll have nothing to show for it. So how do you get past stuck? How do you stop putting off the projects you know you should do but haven’t started? How do you keep on moving?

Partner with a friend for accountability

One solution is to partner with a friend. This partnership, also known as “accountability buddies”, provides support and inspiration to keep on going. The key is to have regularly scheduled meetings, either in person or via Skype, to talk about your progress. I was really inspired by David Krug who started live blogging about his new venture, Freedom Business, and decided I needed to take action on my launch goals too. If it weren’t for this initiative, I might have let my April 29th blog launch slide by and never start working on it.

Tell everyone your plans

As in having an accountability buddy, you have to tell everyone your plans or publically announce it, even before you start. Decide on a goal and announce it, then implement and give status updates as you go along. This helps you feel the responsibility of your decisions, and follow through with action. It’s also a great motivator because you don’t want to embarrass yourself or fall short of the goal now that you know people are counting on you or expecting something to be done. The positive energy and support from other people also helps keep you on track and accomplish what you’ve started (or are about to start). Real implementation: perhaps instead of writing “run a marathon” on my bucket list, I should announce that I’m running a marathon… and act accordingly. The reality (or unlikely reality) of that goal seems like the ultimate accomplishment.

Reach the tipping point

Once you take the steps towards your goal, and work on it little by little each day, there will be a tipping point or “point of no return”. Quitting will be pointless and impractical because there is so much progress. Before I took my cross-continental move from the US to the Philippines, I designed a step by step plan to calm the overwhelm and break things off in measurable baby steps that I could handle. I made it a point to design my “tipping point” into my plan by checking into a group voluntour program in India. This required money and non-refundable deposit fees. Once placed, I was already setting things in motion. It made buying my one-way ticket to the Philippines so much easier.

The tipping point usually comes in bursts of excitement. When you feel that spark, you know you’re on the right track. Once you feel it, you know you’ve gone from being stuck to being in the flow.

Find Inspiration

When Ash from The Middle Finger Project relaunched her site with a sexy new design, I must admit I was jealous. Jealous in that good way. The sort of way that makes you feel “I can do it!” or brazenly declare “I can do better!” and pushes me to work. I’m coming up with a HOT new design that I’m beyond excited to reveal. And I’ll do everything I can do meet my deadline.

Will you be there?

Once upon a time, I decided I might be able to afford a condo and went hunting for a place to rent. And when I say I “went hunting”, I mean that I looked at internet listings for rentals that were all above my price range since the internet means you must have money and the best way to “hunt” for a place in a third world country is the old fashioned way, where deals are much cheaper than the internet, if you know where to look. I didn’t know that then. Being a child of the internet and an American, I automatically assumed this was the best place to look. I mean, It worked on Craigslist where I found my last place. This is what you’re supposed to do!

No, not in the ghetto.

When an offer on the internet displayed a place that was only P7,500/mo ($175) and fully furnished, I thought it was too good to be true. I got a hold of the listing and decided it was worth at least a visit. The condo was called Central Park. A place in New York! That sounds promising. I couldn’t be more wrong. This place was the pits. I live in the slums and I’d rather stay where I’m at than move there. It was depressing.

Imagine low lit lighting all throughout the building. One old, slow elevator servicing over 20 floors and a long line of people waiting to go home that could take as much as an hour. The elevator attendant allowed less than the supposed “maximum”, alluding to the old, unkempt machinery that might break with too much capacity. Dust and garbage surrounded the entrance. Cockroaches everywhere that rivaled the cockroaches in my slum dwelling. Dead cockroaches on stair steps–the one I had to walk up because the elevator wouldn’t work on some floors–and dead cockroaches in hallways. Graffiti on elevator doors, perhaps on the floors that were no longer servicing. Everything was run down and poorly kept. It reminded me of the looks of a bankrupt and foreclosed home. Central Park had promise, but not enough budget.

At least living in the ghetto, I get fresh air, a classy, outdoor bathroom-balcony (oh, it’s classy!), and a community of poor but happy people who aren’t trying to be something that they’re not. In Central Park, I found tired, dead-looking zombies and urban office work drones that seemed as hopeless and poorly neglected as the place they lived. Trying to be something else. Trying, but not quite there.

Energy is important when looking at a place to live. Your space is just as much a source of energy as the foods that you eat. Live in a depressing, negative dump hole and you’ll reflect depressing negativity in your life. Live in a cluttered room full of stuff and you’ll often feel stressed, and cluttered. Your space reflects your state of mind.

Is your website guilty of too much neglect?

Digital space is just the same. Neglect it and you could have a depressed space, full of ruined potential and unfulfilled dreams.

I admit, I could post on the blog more. I admit, I could tie my web design hustle into more posts and “content marketing”. I could do a lot more marketing in general. I could post on more blogs. Develop my community. I could.

REVELATION: Your physical space mirrors your digital space. I am realizing this revelation as I write, so this is stream of consciousness blogging with no real plan other than realizing that the title is pretty funny and ridiculous and came out of a spontaneous google chat (thanks, Vishnu for the creative inspiration!) where all I knew was that I had to consequentially blog about ghettoes!

Check your space. Is it tranquil? Cluttered? Is there an overarching theme? Does it look depressing? Confused? Access your digital space and see what similarities might come up.

For me, it’s no secret that I’m living on under $1,000 a month and still hustling to make shit happen and make it work beyond the third world. But how can physical space, emotional space and digital space improve to accompany this goal? None functions all on its own and all are interconnected.

SOLUTION: Upgrade your life. If you can budget it, you can afford it. And maybe the change of scenery might be just what you need! Whether it’s moving to a new space altogether or decorating your current space, you can make gradual shifts to free you up from unwanted emotions, stress or anxiety. The art of space clearing–purifying your space to get rid of the old and make room for the new–may have its roots in spiritual fluff, but there’s sound practicality behind it. You simply can not function optimally with cluttered space. Space clearing clears the clutter and purifies the space through rituals of incense, sage and meditative sound to help release the negative emotions and simulate the sense of calm.

Perhaps that’s why I’ve decided to upgrade and redesign my blog and welcome it with a proper launch this coming April 29th! And maybe not coincidentally why I’m eyeing a new space to physically move to. It’s all interrelated. It’s all connected. And perhaps my emotional space is seeing greener pastures!

Your Turn

What needs upgrading in your current spaces? How can you improve your physical space to improve your emotional space? How does your physical space reflect your digital space? How can I help you in your transition?

I like the appropriation of the word tribe in technological social media terms because it reminds me of ancient Indigenous groups or anthropological ethnic wear and cultures. Instigating the old with the new. Cycles. That’s how life works.

Was it Seth Godin who first popularized the term for the 21st century in his book, Tribes (NOT an affiliate link. What makes me think I could make money off one measly link? Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.)?

That’s meant as a rhetorical question, partly because I’m not sure, but I think I’m right, and I’m too lazy to research and verify. This isn’t a school paper after all. Crikey! It’s just a blog.

Nevertheless, your tribe, your supporters, fans, followers, “right people” are what make or break you. They are the ones that read your work, buy your products or services or like you on facebook (hint, hint). Your tribe is a group of likeminded people with ideas, interests in common. In my case, my tribe happens to be kick ass entrepreneurs, travelers, rebels, changemakers and people living on the fringes of society. They may be interested in social change or making a positive difference. They’re passionate about their art or craft. They’re into holistic health. They’re spiritual. They mirror my own interests.

Your right tribe is a group of people that you “vibe” with. Someone you could see becoming a good friend in real life with likeminded goals, ideals or interesting stories to share. Like attracts like and vibrations attract vibration. Are you feeling my vibes? (Oh New Agey spiritual bullshit can sound SO dirty… or is it just me?)

Thank You

Although my blog is small and gets less than 1,000 visitors per month, I have a small but dedicated tribe, and I want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your mind words and positive messages. Thank you for your energy and thank you for your time. Thank you for being a pathway to my success. I appreciate you.

The support that I’ve gotten through my online presence has blown me away. Whether you’re a dedicated reader or past client or both, I have been honored by wonderful people. From people who have sponsored my domain hosting when I almost thought of quitting, to people who have sponsored my networking meetup in Puerto Galera with the Tropical MBA crowd when I hadn’t even asked but was down on money (because lets face it, I was broke for most of last year, and I’m still kind of broke now, since I need to budget wiser and learn how to live with under $1,000, HOLY SHIT that’s a hard one to learn. Hint: I’m really bad with money and double hint: I’m not really a minimalist… and I hate it.). Even a random twitter follower donating $50 on the very same day I was in crying fits and asked a higher power/source/universe/God/Goddess for help. Again, I didn’t directly ask for money on Twitter, but I had a “bad day” tweet that he had responded to in kind. That shit BLOWS MY MIND and seriously got me through last year. So thank you.

Knowing that people are willing to pay my way to a beach meet-up or my hosting makes me realize that people are willing to buy from me…. I just need to figure out what people want and how to craft it. And I will. My 30 days to launch is just the beginning.

Your Right Tribe

What’s your tribe? What type of people are drawn to you, your blog, or your message? Who do you hang out with in real life? What types of people do you follow on Twitter? These are all questions that can help you determine your right tribe. At the core of any mission are people who will support that mission. At the core of any niche site, are customers who want to buy. You don’t have to change anything about yourself to find your right tribe. You just have to discover your authentic you. Feel the youness of the passions that you want to explore. Don’t ignore those inner callings. It’s a process of self-becoming. Your awesome tribe helps get you there and mirrors who YOU are.

I’m launching. Or am I?

David Krug is real time blogging his new launch and business plan for 30 days. It got me inspired and questioning. Can I launch in 30 days? Thirty days was… on April 1st and I haven’t really started so I’ve got a lot to do. Can I do it?

Of course I can. It all depends on how much focus and dedication I put into it and actually take myself seriously for once.

I’ve been blogging on this site for a little over a year now but haven’t properly “launched” it, or anything, for that matter. I’ve stumbled around, trying to decide what my “purpose” is and how NOT to be a personal blogger. How to give people “value”. But what if my value is in personal blogging? I’m a memoirist at best. When I think of my favorite books and the things that I like to read, memoirs are by far my favorite. From Anne Frank to Anais Nin, the memoir speaks to me, and I would absolutely be humbled to become a memoirist blogger.

What I’d love to do is have a proper launch on April 29th. My birthday. During this time, I’ll make a much-needed redesign to the blog and add a mailing list. Slowly but surely, I will take my online “brand” more seriously and try to make something out of it and growing the community. I’ve played with the idea of creating/designing products around the Purple Panda theme (brand?) to make my own “kawaii”/Asian cute/poppy stationery, cards and other things. I’ve played around with the idea to make Lessons From the Trenches a paid newsletter, and turn it into a platform for my own social outreach programs and charity work; a different kind of “lessons from the trenches” with social entrepreneurism in full focus. So far, the latter seems to speak to me the most. But how would I get interest?

The interest comes in your execution to launch. Play it right and it will be a success. Fall short and so will your ideas. I want to play this right so I want to be held publically accountable.

29 on 29

This might sound slightly crazy, but on launch day, my plan is to have a $29 sale on any blog header work, normally priced at $250. This should only last for 29 hours so you’ll have to act quickly. Perhaps a proper blog post is in order for more details, but for now, a heads up.

Truth be told, I have many ideas but not enough action. I try to guide my life intuitively and have thought of business ideas while meditating that I have yet to execute. Crazy ideas that involve purple body paint. And nudity. That I’m way too chickenshit to accomplish just yet. The paid newsletter came to me through my intuitive voice. And my connection to tie it into social entrepreneurism came after that. I have always believed that following your intuition is your wisest voice so if my intuition is telling me I should start a paid newsletter/e-zine, I better deliver! The steps to get there involve launching my blog (for real), building my email list and creating a more marketable web design.

I hope to see you on April 29th.

Last month I quit my gym membership to a Les Mills Fitness First. It was pricey. A bit too pricey. But here’s how I justified it: It was just 15 minutes away by foot from where I live, inside the mall that I visited near daily, with hot showers and a smorgasboard of fitness classes all day long! It would serve as my “training wheels” for slum living when I didn’t want to take a cold “shower” from a bucket. And since the membership was more expensive than my $50 rent, I figured I could get away with the extra bill.

For a full year, it served its purpose well but I outgrew those training wheels.

It started off great. Two free personal training sessions and daily gym activity for 1-3 hours straight. But then it gradually sank into the usual slump. You know the drill. You’re all gung ho in the beginning but you putter out in the end. Even with my gym so conveniently near, I couldn’t make a regular habit.

You don’t need a gym to guilt you when you don’t work out. You need *REAL* commitment

It doesn’t matter how near your gym is, as I’ve found out. You can and will always make excuses. So how do you get over it? You commit.

To those who think throwing their money into a gym is “committing”, then think again. The shift happens in your mind, not your wallet. If you don’t take the first step in your mind, then the gym membership is a waste. The free thinking that comes with the shift to commit is free. So utilize it.

Getting creative when you commit

When you commit, you don’t need the gym to workout. I’ve been a fan of home workouts and dvds for a long while, but beyond that, you can take up running. It’s one of the most affordable exercises because you can do it anywhere, as long as the weather permits and you have the right attire.

Use common household objects for workout accessories. Water bottles can double as light weights and couches and chairs can become great workout tools for circuit training and reps.

Dance your pants off. Literally. One of my favorite things to do when I’m alone is dance to loud music naked in my underwear! I do this in “weird” moods, normally late at night, or just randomly. It doesn’t happen often, but if you can make it a habit to dance, you’re well on your way. Part of me wishes I had gotten into the rave scene just so I could have a fun way to get fit.

Mainly, I just make it a point to move. Movement should be a part of your daily routine. With my new job (ahem* more on that later), I now commute 1 1/2 hours every day on foot. It’s a great way to stay in shape. Walking is a pretty underrated exercise but there’s huge benefits and its low impact can make it accessible to anyone. I also take the stairs up and down during my route and try to use the stairs over the elevator with the 7th floor office…sometimes.

Now that I no longer have a gym, I’ve been forced to think more creatively when getting my work outs and that makes me more likely to commit to them because It forces me to plan.

My Tuesdays are fun pole dance classes that I pay per session, in walking distance from work. No gym membership! My Thursdays are now filled with wall climbing that’s also paid per session and every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, I’ve started to run laps at a park across the street from work where everyone gathers to run. Designated running spaces are a plus, but not necessary.

Keep your workouts fun. There’s no use if you don’t enjoy it. Try to have the mindset of play time, like recess during grade school. Even the word work out sometimes makes me shudder. The gym gives me a mental block from “working out” because its often associated with things that I don’t enjoy! By getting into work mode for physical fitness, my mind shifts into the task becoming an unfulfilling chore. Maybe I just don’t have the discipline, but getting as far away from the gym is more my style.

Explore nature. If you can get away from the concrete jungle, nature is a great rejuvenator and an excellent way to exercise or clear your thoughts. Whether you’re hiking, biking, or trail running, there are many ways to enjoy fresh air while you’re moving. I miss the time I was a 10 minute walk from a river trail. Oregon spoils you with its natural beauty.

The Anti Gym

Contracts kill the free spirit. A contract with a gym, living situation, or even a job can send me running the other way. I’m considering “joining” an anti-gym, that has no contracts and pay per session or per bundle packages from month to month or a series of classes. Gym FTX (also walking distance from my work) uses this model with lots of success, and exciting classes including aerial yoga!

Having zero contracts empowers you to make the right choices on your own terms. You’re realize how many options are actually available to you if you think creatively.

Stay away from traditional gyms, if you can help it, and start creating the life you want without the obligations.

For the first time ever in the history of this blog I’m going to toot my own horn and tell you that I’m offering $50 Timeline Cover graphics (I’m not going to do one of those gawdy BUY NOW buttons because that would be too much like tooting my own horn, f’realz, or I’m too lazy to add it).

See, Facebook decided to be Nazi’s and make it MANDATORY starting March 30th that all Facebook Fan Pages (and probably all pages in general but I’m too lazy to check) convert into the Timeline profile. That means if you’re a business and you don’t have anything prepared, your page will look like Plain Jane without a header. And who wants to be that loser?

There’s a lot of opposition but love it or hate it, you’re stuck with the change. The best you can do is embrace it and be prepared.

The GOOD thing is you have much more real estate to beautify your page, match your blog header, showcase your products or just get creative. I can help.

For $50 I can beautify your fan page within a speedy turnaround and for $90 I’ll throw in a custom Twitter background. You’ll get my expertise in Photoshop ninja-ry plus marketing savvy as I research and get in line with your brand. Just email me to get started.

Are you ready?

Facebook is a Piece of Shit and 5 Ways You Can Rock Your Timeline

Yes. That’s right. I’m totally dissing exactly what I’m telling you I offer for a bit of reverse psychology. Because I kind of hate Facebook but its not going away anytime soon and why not attempt to capitalize on something that you have no choice over? That being said, you DO have the power to do it yourself and choose your Timeline cover. Get creative!

1. Think of patterns.
For creatives, bright colors and patterns may just be the right texture for you. There’s nothing like a bit of houndstooth to say you’re hipster, or plaid to say you’re from Portlandia. Party like it’s 1999 with some Purple Rain! If you’re a writer, maybe add a closeup of handwriting for texture. If you’re an artist, add paint blotches! Choose something that best represents you.

2. Break the Rules!
Facebook actually tells you that you’re not allowed to add contact information on your cover graphic, calls to action, or arrows trying to get people to like you. I think its bullshit and if you really want to use your cover graphic as a business card, why the hell not? Since landing and welcome pages that have typically encouraged users to “like” the page is becoming obsolete with timeline, why not make your cover graphic with arrows to ‘like’ the page?

3. Showcase Your Work
If you’re an artist, why not showcase your work on your timeline cover graphic? This could serve as an instant portfolio and gives a glimpse of what you do. Create a collage of your work meshed together in one cover graphic/header! You can also choose one stand alone image and your best piece.

4. Quote it Up
If you love quotes as much as I do, consider adding one that represents you or your biz. Play with the typography, size and positioning to turn it into a graphical element. Google Photoshop text tutorials if you’d like a certain effect. Pair it up with a simple texture as above. Or simply add your tagline.

5. Stock Photography
They say a picture is worth 1,000 words and if you nail the visual element, you’ve got yourself an excellent timeline cover graphic. Don’t be afraid to use stock photos for your graphics. You may have to purchase it, but there are also free options that you can choose. My favorite free stock photography site is stock.xchng. The selection is pretty good but if you’d like an ace image, you may want to go with the purchase option.

Facebook timelines do not have to be a scary transition. With these five ideas, you can get started on your own, or hire a professional. (wink wink, nudge nudge)

Either way, make sure you’re ready for March 30th!

Sui: The Love Warrior

“Being present is the greatest love that you can give to yourself and other people.” – Sui

Sui’s (pronounced Sway) journey starts out much like my own. So much so that I have to wonder if we are twins in a parallel life. Born in China, but raised in California makes her a 1.5 generation immigrant like me. Growing up wanting to be white and having her first Asian friend in middle school is something that I can relate with. That self-loathing and intimate hate for one’s ethnicity and being bullied for being different is an all too common memory.

There was gender and race fluidity. Not identifying as Chinese, or American, or any one specific nationality, but rather a citizen of the world. Like Sui, I find it hard to identify myself as Filipino or American or even Filipino-American. This disjointed sense of identity in a fragmented world… We are simply ourselves, in the most human way.

Gender androgyny was a result of preferring shorter hairstyles that had her being teased as a lesbian, much like how I preferred my spiky pixie in highschol and early college. Oh, and we both eventually shaved our heads.

Deconstructing the gender binary was at the forefront of Sui’s beliefs not to pigeon ourselves in roles of what women and men should do, and the Feminist in me rejoices in her philosophy.

Where our stories veer off is one ripe with emotion and pain. Though I related with the emotional struggles of eating disorders and thought I possessed emotional tendencies to go down that path, I made the choice not to. After all, I loved food too much and my body was a source of hatred. I wanted to have something wrong with me, as if this would be a physical badge of the emotional turmoil I felt within, but I couldn’t become a cutter, or someone with an eating disorder, or become bipolar.

Sui has battled and recovered through depression and eating disorders. As a young woman who successfully supports herself entirely online, I find her ability to overcome pain and teach what she has learned to be incredibly inspiring. Being a professional blogger misses the mark, she says. It’s more like blogging is a pillar that attracts interest in her work. Although she relates with Feminism, and most readers are women, she never uses one pronoun or targets one movement to try not to exclude people in her work. It’s a sign of an evolved and carefully thought out professional writer.

Loving yourself hasn’t been an easy path for Sui, like many. As a young, idealist, 18 year old, she wrote an intention to make 1,000 people happy every day. Perhaps it was her sense of unwavering social responsibility since childhood that gave her the strength to overcome her own demons and learn to love herself to eventually serve others. Her recovery was in large part through the aide of a healthy romantic relationship that taught her how to love her body and genuinely love another. Her recovery also took self forgiveness, patience and acceptance, but would soon relapse when the relationship ended and she had to relearn how to recover on her own.

“My passion comes from knowing pain.” – Sui

Today she is doing well and living life on her own terms by being a digital nomad currently relocated in New York City. The exercise of loving yourself everyday started as a conscious daily choice but has now become a state of being. Loving yourself is automatic. If difficult emotions come up, she asks herself what she needs to do right now and finds a way to give that to herself. Being present is the greatest love that you can give to yourself and other people. Loving yourself is about being present, and being aware of what you need. Living in this conscious love is the best way to guage your authentic path and where to go from here. It’s this presence that has guided Sui in New York, with no set plans on where to live, but things always working out in the end. The purging of emotions, in recovery, is mirrored in her minimalist lifestyle of purging the clutter and unwanted stuff, living off of a suitcase.

Blogging as a pillar for your message is something that has grown organically for Sui. This year marks her 13th anniversary of her first website, and her first domain was purchased 10 years ago. Although she wanted to start a revolution of love through blogging, her blog, Cynosure, was intended to be a fashion blog that would make her “famous” and eventually evolved into the revolution of love that it is today. It is a beautiful expression of inspiration and courage, and her offerings are a gentle outpouring of the value she’s written for purchase. She has struggled with the balance of sales and marketing versus finding her genuine path and authentic self that didn’t like the idea of being too salesy or doing it a certain way. Sui has made me realize that it can be done your own way, if you’re willing to go through the trial and error, but it’s certainly reachable for anyone with a message and enough passion and vision.

Stick with your mission. Give it attention and intention. And watch it evolve organically into something that becomes self sustainable. That–beyond the buzz words of “digital nomad” and “location independence” or “entrepreneur”–is what I ultimately want, in the end.

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To find more of Sui’s work and photography, you can go to her digital hub, So.li.taires or her blog, Cynosure.