Self-Care for the New Year

The new year is a great opportunity for forming new habits. The feeling of having a clean slate is refreshing and motivating especially when you want to get those habits forming. But this year, I'm not too keen on forming new habits as so much as continuing ones I started last year.

If I were to write down some of the changes I made in my life last year, self-care would definitely make the list. These past few months taught me to listen to my body more and work to improve my lifestyle. At the encouragement of my friends, I decided to make changes in my lifestyle. I became more conscious about what I ate and proactive about eating healthier food. Working out returned into my life though not as regularly as I had hoped for it to be. My mental health became a priority for me with me acknowledging I needed professional help as the first step of that journey.

In just a few months, I saw how different my life was compared to my life before I decided to really take care of myself. Seeing the progress I've made so far encouraged me to put in a bit more effort into self-care this year. Knowing I can change my life around returned this passion and drive to turn to a lifestyle where self-care is not only part, but more importantly, central.

There are so many different ways to take care of yourself and which ones to do will really depend on you. What works for me might not work for you and the same is true vice versa. You need to find what works for you so that you're able to really take care of yourself. Today, I'm sharing some of my self-care tips in the hopes that this will help you jump start your self-care journey. Without further ado, here are a couple of ways I'm taking care of myself this year.

1. EXERCISING THRICE A WEEK

Weight goals are doable and I've seen people reach their desired numbers on the scale, but after years of trying them, I realized weight goals weren't working out for me. I needed to change my approach to healthy living. I needed to go back to the basics of losing weight -- diet and exercise. While it's only recently that I tried going on a diet, exercising regularly isn't all that new for me. I've tried incorporating it into my weekly routine for some time now, but I always found myself quitting once I felt better or got busy.

This year, I want to reintegrate exercise into my weekly routines. Exercising thrice a week is a practical and realistic goal for myself. It's light on the schedule and not that intimidating to do. More importantly, a system for weight loss such as exercising thrice a week will help me avoid taking desperate measures in order to lose weight.

Read: Setting Goals for the New Year

2. JOURNALLING SCHOOL-RELATED WORK

While the Notes application on my phone has always been convenient for all my to-do list needs, I needed to dedicate a space solely to school-related work without the risk of being distracted by Wordscapes or my social media feeds. That is why I decided to return to notebooks!

Having a notebook dedicated to school-related work will hopefully help me be more organized and  procrastinate less, which is a goal I've set myself for this semester. After three semesters of trying bullet journals and unnecessarily expensive planners from coffee shop promotions, I've decided to keep it simple and use a pocket-sized ruled notebook where I would write down all my homework from each day in to-do list format and simply check off each item as soon as I've accomplished it.

3. TAKING REGULAR BREAKS

There's nothing like an afternoon doing nothing or an evening snuggled up in bed watching the latest episode of your favorite TV series. With stress coming our way on a regular basis, it's important to take a step back and breathe. Whether it's keeping academics on the weekends at the minimum or having a quarterly social media detox, this year will be the year that I truly balance work and play with rest.

Read: 5 Self-Care Tips

4. MEETING MY DISCIPLER ONCE A MONTH

My spiritual growth is important to me and that's why I value the time I spend meeting up with my discipler. Meeting with my discipler at least once a month outside of our accountability group sessions has been really encouraging and progressive for my spiritual growth. Being open and accountable to my discipler has helped me be more vulnerable and honest about my relationship with God to people both within and outside of the church.

This year, I wanted to be more intentional in being mentored spiritually. There's always something new to learn about God and His character and I want to go through that journey of finding God with someone who's been on that journey for quite some time now.

What are your self-care routines this year? Let me know in the comments!

Portraits Vol. 6

There's nothing like making new friends in old acquaintances. We've all had someone in our lives who we've known for quite some time but never really had the chance to get to know on a personal level. Though Camille and I are more than just acquainted with one another, she and I only grew closer these past few months.

Camille and I were never in classmates in high school having only interacted with one another because we had the same circle of friends and attended the same church. But it's incredible what a couple of conversations can do. I've found that Camille's the kind of person you could easily be comfortable with and her jolly character is one that doesn't go unnoticed.

Framed closely to capture the finer details, the portraits ironically depict a different Camille from the one I've gotten to know. With barely any facial expressions, Camille is suddenly serious and reserved -- completely opposite of her usual outgoing and bright personality. Her stare is not intimidating, but engaging, giving you a glimpse of who she really is.

Taking Camille's portraits was incredibly fun. She's an easy model to shoot with and having her be a part of this passion project of mine is such a joy. Thanks for letting me take your portraits, Camille! I am beyond grateful!

Modeling by Camille Arcilla
Photography and Post-processing by Luis Abesamis

Collaborate with me! Drop me an email at: 📩 whatdoesluissay@gmail.com 📩

A Letter to the Past

This is a letter to my past self -- my self at the beginning of 2017.

Hello, 2017 Luis.

The introduction will make you think that nothing has changed since writing your letter, but trust me, a lot has happened since then. First of all, you made it to 2018! The road leading up to the new year wasn't easy. It had it's own bumps and detours, but you made it. Along the way, you learned a lot of things and because of that, you came out a better person than when you started the year. But before I tell you everything that happened, I'll answer a couple of your questions first.

My eighteenth birthday was really special. Believe it or not, I actually did celebrate my birthday with our friends! It was actually a surprise celebration planned by mom and ate. You did actually plan to have a party but eventually let go of the idea because everyone's schedule couldn't really meet. Thankfully, the surprise party went well! All our best friends were there and it was a definite highlight of our year!

During the summer, I planned to get a driver's license, but eventually put it off until about a week before second year began. You don't actually start lessons until December was absolutely fine because though the first half of the semester was chill, the second half was a struggle. You come out of the semester alive, so that's a good thing! Since finishing your driving lessons, you've actually been driving regularly. You've driven as far as Ortigas which means you passed by EDSA and that's something worth celebrating! But for the most part, you've been commuting to and from school which is something you didn't even know how to do at the start of the year! I will tell you though: don't take the train past four in the afternoon, the jeepney is cheaper than the trike, and always have spare change!

Speaking of summer, the summer of your 2017 was actually quite eventful! You began the summer serving at high school camp. As a photographer and a member of the Activities Team, you realized quite quickly how incredibly exhausting it is to be part of the staff at camps. A month later, you will then find yourself at camp again, but this time as a camper.

The experience was quite surreal. No huge epiphanies were had, but you did have your moments with God. The God-encounters were real and raw. You had them when you were alone and when you were with friends. You had them during plenaries and during buzz group sessions. Having already heard the plenaries at high school camp, you were worried how different your experience would be at college camp. You'll find out that sometimes God doesn't really speak through the plenaries. I mean, at this college camp, He spoke the most to you in your most intimate and genuine interactions with your friends and leaders, and that really moved you.

Right after college camp, and I mean this quite literally, I flew to the United States to surprise our relatives over there! No, we don't end up going to Europe, but we do get to see our baby cousin, who you will soon find out is the only child you do not dislike.

While you were there, not only did you spend a lot of time with our relatives, you went on your first ministry break for the year! Having nothing ministry-related to do really changed your perspective and you came back refreshed and ready to serve. Taking this ministry break really encouraged you and you carried that new mindset with you into the new semester. You listened to your body more and took days off from school when you knew your body needed to rest. At first, you'll feel horrible for cutting classes that day, but trust me, you will thank yourself for it later on.

Late into the year, you will decide to spontaneously cut your hair short, but not too short that your undercut-top knot hairdo will drastically change. You love having both short and long hair at the same time! But that will soon change as this short cut will encourage you to eventually cut your hair so short that you'll start using hair products again. Since we're already on the topic of style, I'm just going to let you know that getting this haircut also encourages you to try different kinds of clothes, and you'll enjoy going out of your comfort zone.

Love will still be a struggle for you, but you will learn to love and be loved in more ways than one. You will look for a certain kind of love in places that don't give that kind of love anymore. Your heart will be broken, but you will soon understand that love is unique in that it comes in different forms, expressed in different languages, and received in different ways. In those places, you will find a new kind of love that is beautiful and genuine just as much as the love you've grown accustomed to. You will find love in places you never thought you would find anything and this love will teach your heart once again what it means to love and be loved.

Because of all that will happen to you, you will find peace in creating once again. You will open yourself up and find yourself creating outside of your comfort zone. You will realize once again how important creating is to you. You will make time to create and just the same with taking breaks, you will feel horrible at first, but the change in your life will ease your doubts and tame your fears, encouraging you to go further down the road of creativity.

The year that has passed for me -- the year that will be for you -- was full of lessons, growth, and experiences that I'm excited for you to have. The joy you will have at the end of it all is incomparable. The faith that will be restored within you is indescribable. The hope you will learn of will be indispensable. There is so much ahead of you, and that in turn makes me hopeful for 2018.

Until next time,

Luis

Read: Dear Future Me

Setting Goals for the New Year

It's that time of the year again when people are sharing and working on their New Year's Resolutions. My social media feeds are filled with people sharing their goals this year and them tracking their journey as they try to reach their goals. To be quite honest, it's encouraged and motivated me to work on my goals and resolutions as well!

Yesterday, my youth accountability group met up for the first time this year. Our discipler asked us what difference we wanted to see this year and we went around sharing our goals and resolutions. While I had been thinking about and writing down all my goals for the new year, I never really thought about how I wanted to achieve them, so I had to think about it deeply before I got to share to my small group.

This year, I wanted to change how I approached the goals and resolutions I've made for myself. Instead of simply setting goals, I also want to create an action plan as to how I wanted to reach them. Of course, I'm leaving room for things to just happen, but I've found that having an action plan is really helpful in achieving my goals.

Read: Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.

Last year, I decided to read my Bible more consistently. But after years of trying to read my Bible on a schedule every day, I knew I had to change my approach if I really want to reach my goal.

Instead of reading my Bible at the same time every single day, I decided I would read my Bible whenever I had the opportunity within the day to read it -- while I'm in an FX on the way to school, at a coffee shop before my next class, or at home after dinner.

Aside from planning how I wanted to achieve my goals, I understood that I needed to set goals that were reasonable and practical. If I kept on setting a goal I knew deep in my heart wasn't realistic, I would only set myself up for failure and eventually discourage myself from trying to reach that goal again.

Now, it seems like I'm giving God the breadcrumbs of my time, but having this kind of setup allowed me to meet God more genuinely and less "formally". And though my devotions haven't been happening every single day, reading my Bible has become less of a chore and more of a joy -- something I want to really devote my time to.

When it was finally my turn to talk about my goals to my accountability group, I shared both my goals and how I planned to achieve them. Being accountable not just with my goals but also with how I was planning to reach them is something I wanted to do. For me, it was the first step to achieving my goals for the year.

Of course, what works for me might not work for everyone. So what's important is that you find something that works for you. You know yourself best. Consider your capabilities and limitations when you create goals. Don't set goals that you know deep down are not feasible or unrealistic. From there, create an action plan that will help you achieve your goals. Once you've got that down, do the work you need to do to turn your goals into milestones.

If you've already started, keep going! If you're still thinking about what direction you want to take this year, keep going! The year just started. We have so much time and opportunities for all of us to work on our goals. 

Here's to 2018 -- the year you achieve the goals you've set and the resolutions you've made!

Highlights of 2017

Welcome to 2018, everyone!

With each year that passes, we make memories we eventually keep for years to come. It's been a tradition on this blog to dedicate an entry to recapping all the highlights from the past year. 

2017 was one interesting year and today, I want to look back on all the memories I made and experiences I had that made my year.

These are the highlights of my 2017.

1. At the start of the year, one of our dogs, Hershey, gave birth to five puppies -- Rocket, Boxer, Dixie, Nash, and Tiny.

2. Last February, I had my very first photoshoot with my friends Jenn, Robert, and Monica!

3. Since then, I've published five volumes of portraits! Check: Portraits

4. My blockmates and I competed in our department's yearly celebration week called BehSciYad where we placed second in the dance performance, a first for the freshmen block in years!

5. For my sociology class, my blockmates and I went to Ronggot, Laguna where we met with the locals to learn about their culture and religion. Read: Laguna 2017

Photo by Pauline Disuanco

6. Before the end of the semester, I joined my church's high school camp as part of the Activities and Documentation Team! It was my first time being part of the staff for camp and I can definitely say that it's a completely unique experience with its own faith-stretching moments and God-encounters.

7. This year marked the completion of my first year in college. This was a very huge encouragement to me especially in this new chapter of my life, and I'm beyond grateful I got to do it with these people by my side!

8. Beyoncé gave birth to her twins, Sir and Rumi.

Photo by Pauline Disuanco

9. At the end of June, I attended my first college camp and my sixth youth camp overall. There, I spent time with my close friends, reconnecting with old ones, and finding myself in God's arms yet again.

10. Immediately after camp, I flew to the United States to spend time with my relatives there. Read: Houston

11. There, I met my baby cousin Ilan for the first time.

12. I wrote and published my first entry on faith. It's one of the hardest entries I've ever written taking me nearly a month and a half to finish writing it. It's one of my favorite entries I've ever written and I'm happy that I have this platform to share not only my victories with God, but also my struggles with Him. Read: Loving Jesus On The Hard Days

13. This year, I finally got to visit New York. It's been my dream to come to the Big Apple and though I only spent ten hours there, the experience I had was breathtaking. Read: 10 Hours in New York

14. While in the United States, I had the opportunity of watching a production of The Lion King at the Houston Center for the Performing Arts.

15.My blog reached 8,000 views while my Facebook page reached 100 likes this year! It still surprises me that people from all over the world read my entries and for that I am beyond grateful.

16. Last July, I decided to eat healthier and better so to help me monitor my progress, I started the @whatdoesluiseat IG account!

17. Last August, I began my second year in college!

18. Since then, I've begun commuting to and from school!

19. In the same month, I had the opportunity of watching a production of West Side Story at the Solaire Theatre with my mom. West Side Story's score is one of my absolute favorites, so to finally be able to see the production live was a real treat for me!

20. A month into the semester, I partnered with my church's youth ministry to start the UP Manila Frontline -- a weekly Bible study and support group for those within the UP Manila community who are part of my church community or are interested in getting to know the faith and who God is.

21. This year, I attended my first ever convention. My friend Andy and I went to Komikon Indieket at the Bayanihan Center in Pasig last September where I bought so much komiks and merchandise. I absolutely loved the entire experience and I can't wait to go next con!

22. I went to the Manila International Book Fair with my mom where I bought so much books from both local and international authors and publishers.

23. Last September, I started meeting my discipler regularly. The accountability and genuine, vulnerable conversations that I've had with my discipler has not only encouraged me during my trials, but it has also been pushed me to get to know God more.

24. This year, I found joy in reading my Bible. Instead of having a fixed schedule for my devotions, I started reading my Bible whenever I had free time within the day -- when I'm on a jeep waiting for the other passengers, while I'm in a coffee shop during my break, on the way to school in the morning, or even while I'm laying in bed before I go to bed. Having my devotions integrated in my day outside of a routine has really blessed my relationship with God and it's something I'm planning to continue in the new year.

25. Last October, my mom and I returned to the Solaire Theatre to watch a production of The Sound of Music. I had never seen the movie prior so I came with no idea what the musical was all about. The production was so beautiful and the story very touching.

26. I attended the Scout Creative Talks 2017 at the SM Aura Premier with some of my fellow church leaders! There, I watched professionals in the creative industry speak about their craft. I left the event immensely inspired and motivated to work on my craft.

27. For my humanities class, I attended my first symphony at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The Philharmonic Orchestra performed that night and it was absolutely breathtaking just how beautiful the pieces and their execution were.

28. Last October, I finally turned eighteen. Read: Eighteen

29. My family and friends threw me a surprise birthday party. Read: Celebrating Eighteen

30. For my geology class, my blockmates and I travelled to Tanay, Rizal where we studied waterfalls and the rocks around the area! This was my second fieldwork of the year and my third fieldwork since I started studying in UP.

31. After my geology fieldwork, my blockemates and I spent the afternoon at an adventure camp in Rizal where I went on a zipline for the first time!

32. After about a year and a half, I finally cut my hair short.

33. At the start of December, my friends Jeremiah and Camille and I went on a quick trip to the National Museum which is my third time this year! We went around the Fine Arts and Anthropology buildings where we saw portraits, paintings, and artefacts of our culture. We even had a quick portraits shoot around the complex!

36. Last week, I went on a quick retreat in Tagaytay with some of my church friends!

37. After the retreat, I finished my driving lessons!

38. This year, I attended several of my friends' debuts and birthday celebrations.

39. Throughout the year, I had the opportunity of meeting up with so many of my close friends! If you and I set a date or we spontaneously hung out because we happened to be at the same place at the same time, I'm happy we got to meet this year!

So much happened in 2017. With everything that happened last year, I'm hopeful for what's to come in the new year. At the end of each year, I find myself wondering how the new year will top the year that had just passed. But if my God is truly the same today as He was yesterday, then I can be certain there will be plenty of moments of pruning, experiences of grace, and unexpected God-encounters that will make the new year better than last.

Have a blessed new year, everyone!