u/HumorAccomplished744

Missing Vietnam a little too much today. 🥹🇻🇳
📍Bep Cuon – Ho Chi Minh

When I was still in junior roles, I experienced different kinds of leaders.

Some made me feel like I was just another employee whose only purpose was to get the job done. My opinions didn’t matter, my struggles weren’t their concern, and as long as I showed up and delivered, that was enough.

But I also experienced the complete opposite.

I had leaders who genuinely cared. They listened. They gave guidance instead of criticism. They made me feel valued, not just as an employee but as a person. One of them even became one of my closest friends, and we’re still friends today.

Those experiences stayed with me.

Finding a good job is hard. Finding good co-workers is even harder. But finding a leader who genuinely cares about people? That’s rare.

Back then, I made a promise to myself.

If I was ever given the opportunity to lead people, I wanted to become the kind of leader I once needed.

Someone who listens before judging.

Someone who understands that employees don’t stop being human the moment they clock in.

Someone who’s maka-tao.

A friend once told me, “If you have a prayer, there should also be a goal.”

For years, I prayed for growth in my career. I prayed for opportunities, for bigger responsibilities, and yes, for promotions too.

But looking back, I realized the promotion was never the real goal.

The goal was to be in a position where I could help people.

Today, I have the privilege of leading a team, and I try my best to remember what it felt like to be the junior employee who just needed someone to listen.

I always make time for my team.

I check in on them, not just about deadlines but about life. If they’re going through something personal, I don’t want them to feel like they have to carry it alone. I can’t solve every problem, but I can create a workplace where they know they’re heard, respected, and supported.

I still have a lot to learn, and I’m far from being a perfect leader.

But if one day someone from my team looks back and says, “Working with you made a difficult season of my life a little easier,” I think that’ll mean more to me than any promotion, salary increase, or job title ever could.

Because at the end of the day, people may forget what position you held.

But they’ll always remember how you made them feel.

I still remember the days na sobrang excited ako kapag end of the month kasi finally, may pera na naman.

During my first year in Dubai, I was living almost paycheck to paycheck. Kabisado ko ang laman ng account ko dahil kailangan. Every expense had to be planned carefully para umabot hanggang next payday.

I even had this habit before na kapag sumasahod ako, wini-withdraw ko halos lahat ng pera ko sa account. 😂 Not because I didn’t trust banks, but because the amount was small enough that it was easier for me to budget when I could physically see the money. Watching the cash slowly disappear from my wallet was my way of knowing how much I had left for the month. 😂

May mga buwan na kung hindi dahil sa tulong ng relatives at friends, hindi talaga sasapat ang sweldo.

I remember praying about finances a lot back then. Not for wealth or luxury—just enough. Enough to pay my bills, cover my needs, and stop worrying kung aabot ba hanggang susunod na sahod ang pera ko.

Fast forward almost 10 years later, payday na naman pala.

And I realized hindi ko na pala hinihintay ang payday the way I used to. Kasi hindi na nauubos ang budget ko bago dumating ang susunod na sweldo. May natitira pa, and for the longest time, that wasn’t my reality.

That’s when it hit me: this is one of those prayers that God already answered.

Minsan kasi sobrang focused tayo sa mga bagay na wala pa tayo that we forget the things we once prayed so hard for.

Today is a reminder that financial peace was once just a prayer.

Lord, thank You for Your provision. Thank You for sustaining me through the difficult years, for the people You used to help me, and for allowing me to bless others too.

Some prayers take years to answer.

This one took almost a decade.
And today, I remembered to say thank You. 🤍

I told them I’ve been stressed and sad lately.

They didn’t ask for explanations. They didn’t ask what happened or why I was feeling that way.

Instead, they showed up at my door, dragged me out of the house, made sure I ate something nice, and refused to let me spend the whole day alone with my thoughts.

What gets me is that they probably have their own problems too. Their own bills, worries, and battles they never talk about. Yet somehow, they still found the time and energy to be there for me.

As I get older, I realize that one of life’s biggest blessings is having people who show up when you need them, even without being asked.

Sometimes I wonder what I did in my past life for God to send me such wonderful people.

Praying that everyone finds friends like this. And if you already have them, don’t take them for granted. Keep them close, be present for them, and remind them that they’re loved too.

Adulting is hard, but having the right people beside you makes it a little easier.

When I was younger, I thought I would be married by 25.

Now I’m in my 30s.

And before anyone says it—yes, I’m happy. I enjoy being single. I travel when I want. I buy things I once prayed for. I have a career that gave me chances I never expected.

In many ways, I am living the life I once dreamed of.

But there is one prayer that still has no answer.

Love.

Maybe that’s why stories about failed marriages affect me more than they should. Not because I’m longing for marriage itself, but because I wonder how people find each other, choose each other, build a life together, and still somehow end up losing what they once had.

Meanwhile, some of us are still waiting for our story to start.

One time, I told my best friend I wanted to leave the country I’m in, because I’m blaming the country why I’m still single. LOL

And he spent almost an hour reminding me how much I’ve built here and how good my career is.

And he’s right.

I have a good life.

So why does it still feel like something is missing?

Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choices.

What if I was too busy building my future that I forgot to build a life with someone?

What if I spent all these years trying to be the right person but never found my person?

What if the love I keep praying for is not meant for me?

Tonight, I feel very tired.

Not the kind of tired that sleep can fix.

The kind of tired from hoping for something for so long and pretending it doesn’t matter anymore.

The kind of tired from another talking stage, another first date, another “you’re amazing, but…” conversation.

The kind of tired that makes you stare at the ceiling and wonder if this is it.

Maybe this is my story.

Maybe the love of my life is just delayed.

Maybe he got lost.

Maybe he’s still stuck somewhere.

Or maybe he doesn’t exist.

I don’t know anymore.

All I know is that tonight, I feel like giving up.

God, if love is not for me, please take this desire away.

Because carrying it for so long is tiring.

And if love is still part of Your plan, please forgive me for being tired.

Please forgive me for struggling to believe.

And please forgive me for crying over a prayer that may not be answered the way I want.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll have faith again.

But tonight, I’m just tired.

I had one of the roughest weeks at work. Sobrang busy to the point na mentally and physically exhausted na talaga ako.

Then out of nowhere, my friend messaged me and told me she booked me a trip to Bali. Alam niyang plan ko na rin talaga pumunta Bali, so she didn’t even ask for confirmation. Sinendan na lang niya ako ng flight confirmation. 😂

Minsan talaga, blessings come when you least expect them. And sometimes, Jesus blesses you through other people.

This week drained me, but this gesture reminded me that there are people who genuinely care. Grateful beyond words🤍✨

Just found this deal and thought I’d share.

Alshaya is offering an Aura Pass for AED 199 as a one-time payment. It gives 30% off at participating Alshaya brands and is valid until December 31.

If you regularly shop at brands like H&M,Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret, Cheesecake Factory, Raising Cane’s, and other Alshaya brands, it could pay for itself pretty quickly depending on how much you spend.

Worth checking the participating brands and terms before buying, but for frequent Alshaya shoppers this seems like a solid deal.

This morning, I opened Facebook and started going through stories.

One story showed a friend’s mom attending the wedding of someone I once had something with back in high school. Hindi naman ako nagulat na ikakasal na siya. Ang unang pumasok pa nga sa isip ko was, “Ngayon pa lang pala?” 😂

Then I tapped to the next story.

My ex’s sister was greeting him on his engagement.

Parang pinagtabi sila ng universe and quietly asked, “O, anong nararamdaman mo ngayon?”

No longing. No sadness. No what-ifs.

Just genuine happiness for people who were once part of my story and are now living their own.

I guess that’s when you realize you’ve truly moved on. Not when you stop remembering them, but when their names, faces, and milestones no longer hurt.

Natawa na lang talaga ako after.

Kasi out of all the stories I could’ve seen that morning, bakit sila pa yung magkasunod? 😂

Universe, ano ba talaga yung point nito? Chinicheck mo lang ba kung okay na ako?😂😅

Someone here DM’d me recently asking how I make big career decisions, so I thought I’d share my story.

10 years ago, I landed in Dubai. Fresh graduate, no experience, no plans, just faith.🤍

Three days after I arrived, I got hired as a Sales Assistant in a retail store. Akala ko nga hindi ako matatanggap kasi wala naman akong experience. The salary was “decent” daw for a fresh grad, pero sa totoo lang, sobrang liit talaga. Halos walang matitira kung hindi ka magtitipid.

Ilang months pa lang ako sa first job ko, nagsisisi na ako na nagpunta ako dito kasi feeling ko mas makakahanap pa ako ng mas magandang trabaho at mas malaking sweldo sa Pinas. May bachelor’s degree tapos pagdating sa ibang bansa, taga-tupi at plantsa ng mga damit sa retail store? I knew I was capable of more.

But the question was: sino ang magha-hire sa akin kung ito lang ang experience ko?

Pero malakas talaga ako kay Lord. A year later, I got hired as an Admin Assistant sa isang sikat na tech company. Medyo okay na yung salary at benefits, mas align na sa tinapos ko.

One thing about me: wala talaga akong dream job. Weird ba? 😅

Hindi ako yung taong may isang title o company na pinapangarap. Instead, I prayed for the kind of work life I wanted—fair pay, growth opportunities, good benefits, work-life balance, and leaders who respect boundaries.

Four years into my Admin role, I felt like I had already learned everything I could. So I prayed again and asked God to lead me to the next step.

And GOD answered every single thing I prayed for.

From being a Sales Assistant, I’m now an Operations Manager.🥹

Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t let my starting point define me. Hindi man naging mabilis yung journey, pero every role taught me something and prepared me for the next opportunity.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: you don’t have to have everything figured out from the start. Sometimes the next step is all you need to see.

If you’re feeling stuck right now, don’t let your current job convince you na hanggang diyan ka na lang. Keep learning, keep showing up, and keep applying. Minsan hindi naman “no” ang sagot ni Lord - “not yet” lang.

Hindi porket maliit ang simula mo, maliit na rin ang magiging ending mo. ✨🤍

I’m so blessed na napunta ako sa group of people who genuinely want to see each other succeed. Walang inggitan, walang hilahan pababa - just support, encouragement, and opportunities.

I actually got my current job through a friend’s referral. Looking back, we all started as minimum-wage OFWs na nangangarap lang ng mas magandang buhay. Wala kaming malaking connections, wala ring madaling path. We were just trying to survive abroad while figuring things out one step at a time.

Fast forward to today, it’s amazing to see how everyone has made it in their own way. Different careers, different timelines, but somehow no one got left behind.

One of our biggest “we made it” moments was when we finally got to travel together. Nung nandun na kami, looking around at the people who witnessed your struggles, breakdowns, sacrifices, and growth, mapapa-isip ka na lang talaga kung gaano kalayo ang narating ninyong lahat.

The funny thing is, I didn’t choose them, and they didn’t choose me. Life just brought us together.

And for that, I’ll always be grateful.

Kasi habang tumatanda ka, mare-realize mo na success isn’t just about the money you earn, the places you visit, or the goals you achieve. It’s also about the people who were beside you through the hard days, cheering for you when you win, and reminding you to keep going when you feel like giving up.🤍✨

Curious lang sa mga nasa 30s na ginawang hobby ang pagta-travel.

1 month pa lang since my last vacation pero gusto ko na agad mag-book ulit ng next trip. 😂

And feeling ko rin na parang nawawalan ako ng gana magtrabaho kapag wala akong nakaabang na flight or travel plans. Parang kailangan ko lagi ng next destination na nilu-look forward para ma-motivate.

Minsan feeling ko tuloy unhealthy siya. Hindi naman ako tumatakas sa responsibilities at okay naman ang buhay ko in general, pero parang lagi akong naghahanap ng susunod na trip.

Ganito rin ba kayo? How often do you travel in a year? And sa tingin niyo, normal lang ba na gawing motivation sa buhay ang pag-aabang ng next flight, o sign na kailangan ko nang humanap ng ibang pagkakaabalahan? 😅