by Victoria Herrera
Eis Quos Amo Vivo. A latin phrase I heard it a few weeks ago from a friend visiting Hong Kong. Roughly translated to “For those whom I love, I live” or “I live for those I love,” I took this idea and gently locked it somewhere in my brain to take out for reflection on days like this.
Working with a brand like Emo-emoji this year had me dive deeply into the world of emotions; how it’s communicated and especially understanding its’ role in the messenging space. But that’s only one aspect of my job.
In every tech show/conference or meeting I have, I find myself explaining to people the importance of feeling again. Sometimes the world screams all this BS at us that we become desensitised to everything.
I’m learning different types of feelings while watching The Digital Vandal creative team find different ways to convey that visually. I see them creatively capture feelings into images in a way that people can share them and better express them online.
But in hindsight, I notice it’s also about making people simply feel again. Love it hate it? Did you laugh? Annoyed? At least feel something. Please. Anything.
How do you stay balanced? This week I had to ground myself even more as to not get caught up in trivial pursuits. It’s about staying conscious and moving through the motions.
A quote from Jim Rohn snapped me back into the right perspective, “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” It’s the person doing the job that matters more.
A lot of people I know have amazing careers but feel a sense of emptiness despite the accolades, or they lose their health and family relationships. So while work is fantastic, (yes, blessings) don’t forget to work on your life.
Stay balanced.
“Coming Full Circle” has been a predominant theme in my life lately. I think it’s very important to go back to where you first began, mainly to see how much you’ve grown since them. It’s sort of like a benchmark to compare the You now vs. the You then.
Singapore is one of those benchmark cities for me. It was the first city I moved to from Manila 3 and a half years ago. It’s the first time I really felt personal growth. It’s even where I started this blog. (Scrolling back, I can see how much has changed.)
It’s nice to come full circle and see people from your past and reminisce. But apart from looking back, it was also a good opportunity to make new memories. Just because you’ve come full circle doesn’t mean you fall back into old ways.
It’s more of closing one chapter- with the peace, presence, and perspective you’ve acquired along the way. It’s coming back to a place you once knew, and seeing how you both (yes, you and the city) have evolved.
We’re doing good Singapore. Thanks for the new memories.
“Clarity is often found in stillness.”
I’ve been quiet. It feels great.
Remove the clutter and see the vision with precision.
When in Manila, I try to work on projects I am passionate about. One of them is Mano Amiga Academy, a non-profit school, that is currently raising funds to build their first full-scale campus next year.
I’ve been inspired and volunteering with them for around 5 years already at their temporary space in Taguig. The founder and executive director, Lynn Pinugu, is also a good friend whom I’ve seen put a lot of hard work into this. (Read an article I wrote about Lynn when I first met her) And now, with their own land situated in Parañaque, she is set to really execute her vision 100%.
I posted a photo of the school plans on Instagram/FB today and the response has been overwhelming. I think that this school really has the potential to change the education models in the Philippines, especially for underprivileged kids. I always tell people to imagine an international school, with 100% scholars; adopting the standards of the IS schools to students from low-income families. That is what Mano Amiga aims to be. Building a new future may take time, but it’s definitely worth the wait. xxx
Here’s a post that has to do with some work I did + a ton of reflection-a throwback to the article I wrote for Rappler over 2 years ago on the importance of self-love.
This morning, I was reflecting on that concept because my room mate and I decided to create a “100 days of Self Love” challenge. Basically, we do something everyday that is an act of self-love; whether it’s consciously eating well or doing that one hour of yoga.
The idea stemmed from seeing these “100 happy days” posts on Instagram, and I wanted to put my own spin to it. (However, I’m not posting this challenge online because it’s just a nice, private, roomie ritual that we do and discuss at home.)
I remembered this article I wrote back when I was still living in Singapore. Those days, I was learning A LOT of life lessons about myself and about growing up. But it seems like this concept of self-love is something I will never stop learning about.
Read the Full Article Below…
Something I read today in one of the (many) newsletters I subscribe to.
“Energy is Eternal Delight.”-William Blake (1757-1827)
Think about the energy of the sun. It provides light and heat and even solar power. It is there for us all day; we can count on it. And through the great organizational power of the universe, night falls. Day and night. Activity and silence. There is a lesson for us here. Delight in the differences. Energy gained through silence can be joyful, fruitful, and enriching. -Lissa Coffey
When I was back in Manila a few weeks ago, one of my favorite editors Liza Ilarde, asked me to write about one of my closest girl friends, Sarah Meier, for the “Women Who Wow” issue of Style Weekend.
I met Sarah when I was around 9 years old, and have always looked up to her growing up. Not only are we in the same agency in Manila, CalCarries, but she is also incredibly close to all my siblings as well.
Sarah is the reason why I became a host because she pulled me to co-host a radio show called “The Dollhouse.” Above is a photo I took of her when we were prepping for our morning stint at 6 am. Beautiful vibes already when the sun came up.
Read what I had to say about Sarah below…
So the news is out ❤ I am the newest brand ambassador for TOMS Philippines!
THE NEXT 