For more than a year of working continually for 2 soaps, 1 legal drama & a commercial of ABS-CBN, often stretching self across 5 consecutive 24-hour days, I grew worried for my own health. Hashtag blessed, humblebraggers would say; hashtag hypochondriac for me.
I woke up to this uninvited thought: WHAT IF I NEVER WOKE UP TODAY?
In order to survive, I worked for a "different" sector. Regular hours. Steady. Not as high-paying but not as stressful as working for TV & film production. I resuscitated my dormant strengths & re-channeled some active ones.
On this "plateau," I discovered some peaks. One was the opportunity to interview some of APEC's Women Icons. From Russia to Australia to Thailand to Malaysia to Canada to the Philippines' own - Narda, name it; each of these women gave wise words that could "out-like" any self-absorbed Facebooker's post by virtue of millions of lives they have made positive impact on. Some of them don't even have Facebook.
Wendy Pye of New Zealand talked to me like I were her son. "We need to work together. Not women together. Not men together. We have huge strengths to put on the table...Kids need to read. We need to read."
Empowering words, I thought. In 28 words, I felt the possibly 218 million lives she's affected for the better and that she may have wanted me to initiate myself. Her Sunshine Books have made 218 million people read around the world.
Today, I am still not too far from the crossroads. This is not a bad thing for this means I have more options. A matter of choosing the direction that will bring me (back) to a venture I love and that which loves back.
It's no coincidence that we are celebrating International Women's Day today.
PS:
Try as I might to skip my birthday, somebody made my December 8's waking day an ample reason to be grateful. Thus:
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| Lawyers Do Surprises Too |
