It reminds me of one day in November. As I said before, I got some big projects to handle and it’s pretty hard for me even though I’ve been doing this for 3 years. It used to turn into digestive problem after the projects finished, but this year as I could release all of the heavy thoughts into tears, I’m feeling healthier after that. That day when I cried for so long, that made my eyes swollen. At night, I got 2 cute fluffy dogs appearing in my dream and I took them for a walk to the nearest park. They are golden retriever and brown west highland terrier. I woke up happily in the next morning with the calmness and warm feeling. It’s said that dreaming of dogs is mainly a good sign, it’s a symbol of protection and success. I’m grateful that God sent these 2 cute dogs to accompany me in my dream, to ensure that I’m safe and protected. 

Okay. So, I got the word “safe” right after fresh for this month weekly message. One song which popped into my head was Sabrina Carpenter version of Safe and Sound (the original version is sung by Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars) *). This keyword strongly delivers a message that you are safe on your chosen path. You are being protected and guided. As this song is one of my favorites which brings calmness, I feel like this next week will bring similar calmness and peace.

Related post : Weekly Message : Fresh 

You might doubt your own self for starting something new, you sometimes doubt yourself to not being able to live without the things you’ve let go whether it’s a relationship, physical things or old habits. But, as you start and keep doing it repeatedly, you’ll feel that certainty, that you are going to able to get through this path safely. You will be okay.

This week’s color is blue appearing along with the images of seashell, water, hand and plant. Blue represents peace, sincerity, freedom, imagination, wisdom, stability, truth, intelligent and trust. By these images and color, I feel like this week will bring you a state of calmness and peace that you are able to express your ideas into reality freely. You have the power and ability to do what is necessary. You have to know that you are safe, God is protecting and guiding you, never let you get lost in this path. Keep going, keep showing up. The things you are creating are going to bring positive impacts for your surrounding. You have inner wisdom and messages to spread to the world, you have to trust your own self. Even if it seems not turn out good, or it doesn’t reach anyone, but it will, certainly. Everything you planted is going to be harvested someday. 

Don’t stop because you feel like not getting the responses you expected, don’t stop just because you are doing different things among the people doing similar things. Stop when you feel it’s necessary, to take a rest and come back to yourself. Everyone gives different color to this life which makes it beautiful, don’t try to fade your own color in order to fit in to the what’s called society standard. You are safe being in your color, singing your own song, playing your own music. Just because people seem to not pay attention nor listen to you, it doesn’t lessen your value. You might 100 steps ahead of the majority of people, that your messages seem not delivered as you want. That’s your uniqueness. 

You don’t have to reach million followers. You don’t have to get bunch of likes everyday. You don’t have to get nice comments for your artwork. You might launch your ideas and feel like nobody seeing it. That’s okay. You are still alive. It doesn’t make you inferior. Just be you. Be in your own element, bring your own color, be thankful that you are given this unique color to express and contribute to this world in this lifetime. You are completely safe being you. God trusts you that you are going to make positive changes that you’re sent to this world in this physical body with certain abilities and gifts for that purpose. So, you have to trust yourself too. There’s nothing wrong with you. You are safe, protected and guided. You are loved.

Note : blue represents calmness, seashell represent birth, water represents positive impact, hand means power, and plant means beginning. It’s only the beginning of your long journey, everything you are about to give or have given birth to, will bring changes in positive way to the world, you have the power for it. You have to trust yourself and keep doing what is needed. You are safe. 

Journal Prompts :

1. If you were to learn another language, which language would you choose and why?

2. If you had to write a book, what would it be about?

3. What is the biggest stress in your life right now?

4. What superpower do you wish you had?

5. What do you do when you're sad?

*) Related song :

Safe and Sound (Taylor Swift, The Civil War)

Safe and Sound (Sabrina Carpenter)

How about trying to be different version of you for one day? When you sometimes  feel disappointment for both yourself and others, or you often feel like being in the place of a victim and powerless, you might want to change something in your life. “If this person treats me better, I would reach that point”, “If this event never happened, I would never be like this”, “If I weren’t born poor, I would be happy now”.

There are things you can’t drive into your direction. Sometimes those things aren’t essential ones, but we give too much exposure to them. It turns out to seem big and important, but it’s actually not. Wanting to control everything leaves you feeling exhausted and feeling like a victim in the end of the day. 

Something you definitely could change is yourself, how you see things, how you react to circumstances, how you perceive others, how you appreciate the present moment. You may not be able to change events and people around you, no matter how hard you resist some circumstances, it will still happen anyway. You’ll be only hurting yourself by thinking negatively about a situation, it won’t go away until it’s meant to. All you can do is shifting your reaction and thoughts about it. 

Only for one day, try to act differently to the things you used to see as enemies or difficulties. Ignore the urge to drive everything onto your way. Move into neutral side. It’s sometimes not easy being neutral. But, objective and nonjudgmental thoughts lead you to clarity. Clouded mind often puts you into a place of being victim and blaming others, especially in the situation which are new and turbulent. See everything as lessons. Instead of asking from the place of victim by “Why me?”, change it into “Why did it happen?” “What messages do they try to deliver?”

Don’t beat yourself up when you make mistakes or face failures. Sometimes you resist because you are afraid of making the same mistakes. Fear is not a bad thing. Fear is your gift to protect you from danger. There are times when fear goes out to everything both new and old things. It’s sometimes required to listen to your fear to manage your next steps, but don’t let it stop you from achieving your dreams and your life purpose. You are allowed to take a break and plan for the next thing to do. You are allowed to change your direction if it’s necessary. You are allowed to ask for help. If you used to stick on fixed and controllable things, let yourself know that life has good and bad things. Life also gives you both controllable and uncontrollable stuff. You can’t expect your everyday will 100% go smoothly as your plans. But, you will be okay in any situation.

Being positive isn’t about having good mood all the time, but also accepting that sometimes we experience ups and downs. Accept both the good and the bad, then release them when they are meant to go.

Do different things from your routine and see what happens. People around you might react differently, circumstances might feel different, and you might get something new to learn and to be proud of yourself in the end of the day. There are also possibilities where nothing around you will change too. You can’t expect people to treat you nicely because of your nice behavior toward them. You can’t expect the problems will instantly go away after changing your perspective. It seems unfair, but nobody knows exactly what life wants to teach us.

Everything needs time. As time goes by you will get better understanding of things around you, and react wiser toward everything. You will find inner peace and able to see things clearly. You are no longer being a victim, because you have decided to be the hero of your own story.

Sebagian besar bulan November masih bersuhu tinggi seperti bulan sebelumnya, meski di 3 hari pertama sempat turun gerimis, keadaan yang membuat saya tidak bisa tidur nyenyak ini bertahan hingga seminggu setelah fase mercury retrograde berakhir. Baru setelahnya, saat ibu saya sudah berangkat ke luar kota, sore harinya turun hujan yang sangat lebat, yang tentu saja membuat suhu di malam hari lebih sejuk sehingga saya bisa tidur dengan nyenyak hingga esok harinya. Meski suhu pagi hari terukur 22 derajat, namun rasanya tidak sepanas pagi-pagi sebelumnya. Sepertinya sudah masuk musim dingin? Semoga saja ya, hahaha, biar saya lebih cepat masuk ke mode hibernasi akhir tahun.

Untuk pertama kalinya setelah sekian kali ingin datang ke JXB, akhirnya saya bisa datang ke acara Female Daily yang diadakan paling dekat dengan tempat tinggal saya yaitu di Surabaya. Sebenarnya saya tidak tahu banyak tempat di Surabaya, namun ya sudahlah, saya memutuskan untuk berangkat sendiri. Ternyata ada teman saya yang tinggal di Surabaya yang juga mau datang ke SXB, jadinya saya tidak sendirian, mengingat ternyata eventnya diadakan di lantai paling atas Tunjungan Plaza. Sebenarnya saya mau beli lipstik dan hydrating toner, namun kemudian saya teringat toner hada labo saya yang super eternal dan tidak bisa habis masih ada 2 botol lagi, dan saya masih punya beberapa lipstik maybelline yang masih tersentuh ujungnya. Demi menjadi konsumen yang baik, saya harus menghabiskan dulu semuanya sebelum membeli yang baru. Hihi.

Saya yang selama ini kalau naik kereta suka beli tiket langsung di loket, kaget karena menurut petugas loket, mulai 1 September lalu pemesanan tiket hanya bisa dilakukan lewat aplikasi KAI Access. Sedangkan pembelian di loket hanya dilayani 3 jam sebelum keberangkatan, jika tiket masih ada. Seminggu sebelum berangkat, saya sudah menginstal aplikasi ini, namun stasiun keberangkatan dan tujuan saya tidak bisa muncul di aplikasi. Saya yang harusnya berangkat hari Sabtu jadi komplain ke petugas loket karena tiket fisik sudah habis sementara aplikasi saya tidak bisa digunakan. Akhirnya aplikasi di handphone saya diutak atik, diuninstal diinstal lagi direstart hingga beberapa kali. Entahlah. Baru bisa muncul semua stasiunnya. Entah apa yang terjadi sebelumnya, padahal saya sudah menginstal aplikasi sesuai petunjuk di stasiun. 

Akhirnya saya berangkat hari Minggu, karena tiket keberangkatan yang tersisa hanya hari Minggu setelah subuh. Haha. Alhasil saya sarapan di Surabaya begitu sampai disana. 

Pelajaran yang bisa saya ambil dari kejadian ini adalah saya harusnya komplain soal aplikasinya begitu saya tidak bisa menemukan stasiun yang akan saya tuju, sehingga saya bisa berangkat di hari yang sudah saya rencanakan. Selain itu, untuk tips, saat mengakses di siang hari memang sering beberapa stasiun tidak bisa muncul, jadi mending kegiatan pesan memesan ini dilakukan di pagi hari waktu masih segar-segarnya, haha.

Penggunaan tiket online ini tentunya akan mengurangi penggunaan kertas sebagai tiket fisik, dan tentu saja dimaksudkan agar lebih praktis, bisa beli tiket di rumah. Namun, sepertinya memang harus ada peningkatan di bidang teknis untuk mengurangi kejadian macam yang saya alami. 

Untuk tiket kepulangan dari Surabaya, saya berhasil dapat kereta terakhir dan saya tidak dapat tempat duduk, tapi tidak apa-apa yang penting saya bisa pulang, begitu pikir saya saat memesan tiketnya.

Begitu kereta datang, saya memilih gerbong terakhir yang biasanya ada nomor 5 di badannya. Namun, gerbong yang saya naiki tidak ada nomornya, karena saya sudah memutuskan mau naik di gerbong paling belakang.

Gerbong tersebut isinya staf kereta api, begitu saya masuk, mereka mempersilakan saya duduk dimanapun yang saya mau. Begitu pula rombongan sekeluarga yang kebetulan tidak dapat tiket duduk, juga dipersilakan duduk dimanapun mereka mau. Sepanjang perjalanan, staf yang duduk di kursi paling belakang, dangdutan dong. Jadinya gerbong ini tidak membuat saya ngantuk, tidak seperti pengalaman saya sebelumnya saat naik kereta paling akhir dari Surabaya dimana saya selalu ketiduran dan terbangun begitu melewati Sidoarjo dan Pasuruan. 

Bisa dibilang saya dan semua penumpang yang dipersilakan duduk dimanapun dalam gerbong tersebut dapat keberuntungan. Hingga di stasiun tujuan terakhir di Malang, tidak ada satupun dari kami yang digusur oleh pemilik kursi yang kami duduki, jadi itu benar-benar kursi tak berpenghuni mungkin ya. Selain itu, menurut ibu-ibu yang sekeluarganya tidak dapat tempat duduk, yang akhirnya duduk di samping saya, di gerbong sebelumnya cukup penuh dengan penumpang yang berdiri hingga lesehan di dekat perbatasan gerbong. Meski sebelumnya saat saya tidak kebagian tiket duduk, saya selalu memilih gerbong terakhir, namun ini pertama kalinya saya dapat satu gerbong spesial, tanpa perlu pindah pindah duduk hingga sampai di Malang. 

Saya memutuskan untuk membuat post bulanan dan mingguan yang berisi pesan-pesan random yang saya dapatkan. Tujuannya adalah untuk memberi semangat, terutama untuk diri saya sendiri. Saya awalnya berencana memulainya di bulan Desember, namun saya akhirnya memutuskan untuk membuat trial postnya untuk minggu terakhir bulan November ini. Post trial ini pun juga membantu saya untuk tetap menghadapi kehidupan, haha. Bulan ini saya dapat project yang sudah jadi langganan yang selalu membuat saya stress karenanya. Post yang saya buat ini berguna sekali untuk menyadarkan diri saya sendiri. Sejauh ini saya sudah membuat 2 post mingguan dan 1 post bulanan untuk Desember. Semuanya dalam bahasa Inggris. Silakan membacanya jika tertarik.

Baca juga : Weekly Message : Yes!

Baca juga : Monthly Message : December, A New Start

Baca juga : Weekly Message : Fresh

If You Don’t Love Yourself adalah track dari album The Script yang berjudul Sunsets & Full Moon. Dari judulnya sudah ketahuan ini lagu tentang apa, jika kita tidak bisa mencintai diri sendiri maka kita tidak bisa mencintai siapapun. Sangat related dengan kehidupan saya, dimana saya di masa lalu merasa bahwa cinta adalah sesuatu yang eksternal yang tidak bisa ditebak dan bisa membuat kita salah langkah. Seiring bertambahnya usia, saya menyadari bahwa cinta itu tidak perlu kita cari karena kita sendiri adalah cinta. Cinta adalah sesuatu yang indah, yang selama ini dikatakan sebagai sumber kesedihan hingga keputusasaan adalah ego manusia. Seperti kata lirik lagu grup favorit saya C-ute : all of that is not love, but ego.

Spotify

YouTube

Invisible adalah satu track terbaru dari salah satu solois favorit saya, Zara Larsson. Yay. Track ini dirilis untuk theme song Netflix Series berjudul Klaus. Invisible adalah lagu yang membuat saya terharu begitu saya pertama kali mendengarkannya. The greatest thing you’ll ever know is invisible. Satu lagu yang benar-benar langsung saya suka terutama karena suara mbak Zara yang tidak pernah tidak saya suka. Huhu. Love buat mbak Zara pokoknya. How many words does it really take to make a change? How many fights is it gonna take to convince what joy could bring? Lirik ini nyambung sekali dengan kegiatan saya menonton serial gundam bulan lalu, hihi. Lirik lainnya yang membuat saya terharu adalah : You can’t take it, steal it, but you can always be it. Ya benar, sesuatu yang selalu diperebutkan ternyata ada dalam diri kita sendiri.

Spotify

YouTube

Paprika adalah lagu yang diciptakan oleh solois hits Yonezu Kenshi untuk NHK Ouen Song Project. lagu ini dinyanyikan oleh grup anak-anak bernama Foorin yang selanjutnya pada tahun ini Yonezu melakukan self-cover lagu ini dengan vibe yang berbeda. Menurutnya, Paprika dia ciptakan dengan menempatkan dirinya sebagai anak-anak kembali, sehingga lagu ini mampu diterima dan dinikmati oleh anak-anak. Lagunya sendiri juga membuat saya terharu, karena menurut saya membuat saya melihat kebahagiaan, kemurnian dan kebebasan anak-anak di dalamnya. Paprika, we can make our dreams come alive. Rain or shine, we'll find a way to play again another day.

Spotify (Foorin)

YouTube (Foorin)

YouTube (Foorin Team E) (English version)

YouTube (Yonezu Kenshi)

As usual, even though I made this post for the first week of December messages, this might resonate to you anytime, so don't stick to the time. Whenever you see this post, its messages are for you. Another thing is my previous Monthly Message for December turns out to have 1001 words in it. So happy to see this mirrored number recently. I believe there will be more exciting great things happening in December to close this 2019 and welcome 2020. Yeah.

I drew the random weekly keywords at the same time as the monthly one, I got fresh for the first week along with the images of a bowl of soup, snowman, wheel and ring, also the color of orange. I feel that all of them are related to each other, so let’s get started. 

This week’s keyword is fresh.

As I mentioned in this month’s monthly message, December theme is a new start. The first week will be a fresh start. You might feel uneasy for the new things and changes you haven’t experienced before, but it’s okay. You have been living for many years and going through many unfamiliar and new things. You keep growing and you take a lot of knowledge from them. Starting a new start, you will experience freshness in your life along with foreign things which might make you both feeling uneasy and inspired at the same time.

Related post : Monthly Message : A New Start

You will be okay. You are going to learn some valuable things and incorporate them into your life in order to expand. Freshness can also means stepping out of your routine. But, you don’t have to go beyond your limit in order to experience new things. Know your needs. Stop and take a rest when you need it. Be gentle to yourself. It’s okay to start slow with only one step forward. You may take any necessary steps you need at the moment, no rules, no standards, you are your own ruler of your life. You are the one who decides and knows which ones the best for you. 

Related post : Trust the Journey

By keep going the necessary steps, you will feel centered in your journey. No need to rush, no need to hurry. People might take 100 steps, others might only take one step, you can’t compare everyone to you. Nobody is the best, nobody is the worst in this life, everyone has their own story and kingdom to rule. It’s your freedom to create as you want to. What do you want your life look like? What lifestyle do you want? Start small right now.

You may meet people who are similar to you, who will help you along this journey. You are not alone, you are going to receive guidance you need to keep going. Be open for the messages from your surroundings whether it’s from people, things or events. When you ask for help, it will come from anywhere. 

Since I saw orange as the color theme for this first week, I feel that you are going more inspired by these changes, you are going to get creativity boost and the ability to express it in your daily life. Your creativity will inspire you to take the next step and to encourage you to feel the joy of life trip. You are definitely going to succeed when you don’t stop. Just keep showing and spread the goodness. You will receive what you have sent to the world. What’s meant for you will certainly come, it’s on the way.

Related post : Don't Worry, Your Gift is on The Way

Note : orange means creativity, soup means warmth and gentleness, snowman means pure, wheel means changes and ring means offer. In this new fresh start, you will feel inspired and more creative, you have to provide warmth and gentleness for yourself, as this might feel weird because you haven’t experienced these changes, don’t beat yourself up for the mistakes and fears you might have. It’s important to know that you are not alone, life will offer you some help and guidance through people and circumstances.

Weekly journal prompts :

1. If you could choose to be one fictional character, who would you be? Why?

2. What makes you happy?

3. When you meet someone for the first time, what good first impression do you hope to leave with them?

4. Who is someone famous you'd like to meet?

5. If you had a month of free time to learn a new hobby, what would it be?

Hello! We are about to welcome December in days, it’s time to execute one of my plans for this blog. As I said in the previous post, I will have weekly message section which contains any random messages I get for each week. I want this new section to help more  people. Even though I write it for each week and month, the messages are timeless. They are meant for you if you accidentally find and read them even 2 weeks or months after being published.

Since it would be weekly messages, I also create monthly message which covers all the weekly messages I got for a month. Monthly message will be more like a big theme for the month which contains 4 or 5 sub themes for each week. I’ve started the trial for weekly message section this last week of November. Have you checked it out? It turned out well, I like the card I made. Also, the messages I wrote is magically resonated to myself. This last week of November was a bit tough, but as I read my own post, I got relieved and continued to face the challenges. I’ve added some elements here and there for December weekly messages, it’ll have 5 journal prompts each week, so it’s suitable for you to explore yourself using journaling section. 

I planned to make it fun, so if you are interested to use some journaling prompts I provided each week, you can share your journaling stuff using #lailivingjournal both in twitter or instagram. No need to tag nor follow me. I only want to know how people use their journal. Please look forward to the next weekly messages.

Okay.

So, for next month, I got hummingbird as the main theme, followed by the images of rainbow, crown, bus and bell. It’s a new start. December brings a new start. 

Fun fact, my UI version for my phone is also named  hummingbird. So I got excited when hummingbird appeared as this month theme. Hummingbird represents joy, balance, inner peace, lightness, independence, resiliency, life enjoyment and being in the present moment, and infinity.

A new start requires ending and letting go of the old which are no longer serving you. In order to fly lightly, you have to release the stuff which weigh you down. It’s sometimes not easy to let go of the things we used to be with for long time, old relationship which feels not good or toxic for you, old stuff you are no longer using, old habits, or old thinking patterns which limit yourself. You will let go of those things in order to fly toward your dreams, to enjoy the life and find the peace inside. When you release the old, you give the space for the new to come. So, say good-bye happily and be grateful for the lessons they have given to you, and be open for the new to fill your space.

By releasing the old or stuffs which weigh you down, then you are able to enjoy the life to the fullest, being in the present moment, appreciating small things and continuing your journey on the path we have chosen. Letting go isn’t about a shift from the dark into the light only, but also choosing what your heart tells you to do. It shouldn’t always be easy as the life is about sweet, sour, bitter, plain and spicy stuff. The happiness is about accepting those tastes in life. You don’t have to feel the sweetness everyday and beat yourself up when your life gets bitter. It’s life. It needs contrast to balance. When you are able to accept the ups and downs, then you will find the beauty of life. 

Hummingbird also represents independence. You have the freedom to be happy, to choose the happiness to be in your life, and to feel the inner peace you deserve. Your life is fully yours, nobody else can rule it. You are the king of your life, you create the rules for yourself. How do you want your life to be? What rewards would you like to give for yourself? What advice would you give when you make mistakes or fails? Set your boundaries, how large your kingdom would be? When you have set everything for your own life, then you automatically are not allowing other people to lead it. What’s empty will be filled by something. 

A new start is about to begin. Welcome it with open heart and some space in your heart. Be open for the differences in life. Rainbow doesn’t have one single color, so does your life. No matter how many colors a rainbow has, it’s beautiful, right? Differences make it beautiful. You can live different life from others, you are allowed to think differently, those differences don’t make you less or more than other people. Be open for the new adventure which offers new different things. Be alert with what life wants to say to you through signs, and be grateful for it. Allow yourself to experience many things, that your future self will be grateful and proud of you.

“I’m grateful that you were not giving up that day, so that the now me is exist today. You can look at me and be unsure of who I am, but I am the same person you were that time which has grown up and stepped into another level of live. I’m grateful that you have given me the chance to be who I am today.”

Note : rainbow represents harmony, crown means power, bell means alert, and bus means adventure. You are about to find harmony and inner peace, take back your power as a king of your own life, stay alert in the present moment to enjoy even the simplest smallest things, and face the new adventure life offers to you in this new start. Be happy. You are growing. You are on the right path. You are you who will make the future you be proud of you.

Title picture and graphics by lailiving

Bakcground photo by Tomoko Uji

Hello! I’ve been busy with new project at work so I skipped last week’s entry. It wouldn’t turn out good if I push myself to write something when my mind is overloaded by work-related stuffs. Finally, the storm has slowed a bit so I have a calm time to write something here. I’ve been thinking about creating new section for this blog. I have already had monthly post for each month highlights. So I decided to create weekly post for random message I got for the next week’s theme. I will pick one random word which speaks something to me and write it down here. So we have a weekly message post section here. I planned to start this next month but another part of me said like how about trying to post it today?

And my answer is YES! Let’s do it now!

Since I don’t put which week for each message, this weekly message will be timeless. Means, if you read this post a week or a month after it’s being published, this message is for you anytime you find it.  I hope this new section will help anyone who needs some signs or messages to get through their days.

The language I use for this section depends on my mood, but it seems like to be a new section for English entries, yeay!

Okay, let’s jump into the message.

When I see this word, it speaks something strongly to me,  an answer.  Yes is the answer for your dreams and hopes.

I always remember my dad saying several years ago which made me believe that people were born equally in different places, time and backgrounds. He said that we have the same right to pray and have hopes. Nobody is higher than others, nobody is less than others, even though some might possess certain admirable status or stuffs, even though some people choose to not work in certain job. Everyone has the same right to pursue their dreams, to fulfill their life purpose, to make this world better.

If you don’t believe this equality thing, you might not be happy to read this post (I’m sorry for Libra influence in my chart that adores equality so much).

If you think you don’t deserve this because you did something wrong in the past, please change that. You might do wrong things in the past, but you have punished yourself for so long that you close yourself from others, you turn off yourself from wishing and hoping for a better life. No, you might have done those kind of things but you are not living there anymore. You have learned and you understand life better than you at that time. You are now a different person completely. You still have the rights to dream and hope, to live your dream life, to chase your dreams, to ask for guidance and help. When you ask, the answer is yes!

Please don’t punish yourself more.

You are not less than others. We are all human living in the same lifetime. We are different only by our physical appearances in this world, but we were from the same place. Even if you get to switch to other body, you are still you, your soul is still you.

Related post : Monthly Highlight : October 2019

In last month’s highlight, I mentioned the newest song from flumpool titled HELP *). This song resonates to me so much. The vocalist conveyed his feelings during his throat treatment through this good song. He was unable to ask for help. That hurts. HELP is a song which delivers positive messages that you are not a burden if you ask for help. People might reject you, but others will kindly help. In other case, you might want to ask for guidance from God. He will never ignore nor leave you. You are the one who thought you don’t deserve His blessings, that you refused to ask for help. One thing you have to remember, He loves you even though you never realize that, always loves you no matter what you’ve done in the past. For your dreams, the answer is always yes.

Yes, you deserve the life you are dreaming of

Yes, you deserve  help and guidance you need

Yes, you deserve to pray and wish equally like other people do

Yes, you deserve to love and to be loved

Yes is the answer

Kalau sebelumnya saya yang tinggal di daerah dingin mengalami kondisi kulit kering dan akhirnya menggunakan produk-produk yang berfokus pada kelembaban, maka saat ini saya sudah berganti lagi karena cuaca sudah lebih panas dari sebelumnya, bahkan beberapa waktu lalu suhu udara bisa mencapai 37 derajat, sehingga kondisi kulit saya pun jadi tidak kalem. Meski sudah sempat turun hujan, namun hingga hari ini udara masih cukup panas, sehingga rutinitas skincare saya yang ini masih saya gunakan hingga beberapa produk yang saya pakai habis dan harus beli lagi. Satu hal yang selalu saya alami ketika cuaca panas adalah kulit jadi tidak kalem dan pori-porinya tampak melebar, selain jadi lebih oily di area T-zone. Untuk itulah saya tidak memilih produk-produk yang bertujuan mulia seperti mencerahkan, membuat awet muda dan lain-lain, namun produk-produk yang punya tujuan se-simpel untuk menenangkan kulit. Meski kelihatannya simpel, kulit yang kalem bisa membuat kita jadi kalem juga.

Saya masih setia (dan selalu setia) dengan face wash dari Hada Labo yang sepertinya sudah berkali-kali saya sebutkan di post sebelumnya. Mungkin kalian sudah bosan saya terus menyebutkan produk yang sama dalam blog ini, jadi saya bakal skip penjelasan produk murah meriah yang bersahabat dengan jenis kulit se-tidak jelas kulit saya ini, haha.

Baca juga : Winter Skincare Routine

Salah satu exfoliating toner favorit saya yang meski belinya lumayan susah dan harganya lebih mahal dari exfoliating toner saya yang lain, namun saya sudah jatuh cinta sejak pemakaian pertama, haha. Dengan konsentrasi AHA berupa Glycolic Acid sebesar 5,25% produk ini tidak meninggalkan sensasi tingling yang berlebihan saat pemakaian awal dan saat kondisi kulit saya sangat kering. Menurut saya, buat kalian yang punya jenis kulit berminyak, toner ini bakal cucok banget.

Ini juga pasti produk yang membuat kalian bosan kalau membaca blog ini, dia muncul lagi dan lagi dan lagi. Hydrating toner yang tidak habis-habis padahal sepertinya botolnya kecil. Saya membelinya bersama toner AHA/BHA dari COSRX namun saat toner COSRX sudah habis, toner ini belum habis, haha. Padahal saya pakainya cukup membabi buta sampai leher, tangan dan kaki. Dengan 3 jenis hyaluronic acid, toner ini bisa melembabkan kulit yang kekeringan dengan cepat, namun harus dibarengi dengan pemakaian moisturizer juga ya.

Saya memutuskan untuk membeli serum dari brand ini diantara berjuta-juta pilihan serum centella dari berbagai brand karena judul brandnya gemas seperti nama pokemon, haha. Saya memang membutuhkan serum dengan centella agar kulit lebih kalem di udara yang cukup panas belakangan ini. Mengandung 49% centella extract dan niacinamide, membuat serum ini bisa menenangkan kulit yang sedang memberontak, sehingga saya menggunakan serum ini di pagi dan malam hari. Baunya mirip bau jamu kalau kata adik saya, menurut saya baunya serum ini mengandung lavender, dan memang benar di ingredient listnya terdapat lavender oil di dalamnya.

Moisturizer favorit saya musim ini juga, sudah hampir habis. Saya pakai kadang di tangan dan kaki juga karena tidak membuat lengket.

Meski judulnya overnight mask, bisa dipakai di pagi dan siang hari tanpa membuat kulit saya jadi kinclong greasy. Jika dipakai di siang hari bersama serum Purito, membuat kulit lebih kalem dan sejuk, terutama kalau habis wudhu. Mengandung 69% rice extract dan niacinamide, saya lebih menyukai moisturizer ini untuk melembabkan dan menenangkan bakal jerawat yang akan muncul. Saya biasanya mengalami gatal-gatal setelah bersih-bersih, dan di area wajah biasanya muncul bentol-bentol merah setelahnya. Saya pun iseng pakai moisturizer ini juga pada bentol bentol merah tersebut dan mereka pun menghilang keesokan paginya.

NOTE : Karena saya menggunakan serum purito bersama rice overnight mask dari COSRX, saya tidak tahu pasti produk yang mana yang bisa memudarkan bekas jerawat saya yang sudah berjuta-juta tahun tidak hilang juga, kemungkinan gabungan keduanya yang sama-sama punya kandungan niacinamide.

Sunscreen cucok murah meriah dan tidak bikin kinclong. Saya pakai ini dimana-mana, baik di wajah, tangan dan kaki, jadi cepat habis juga, haha, ini botol kedua bulan ini. Meski murah meriah, dia sudah pakai UV Filter favorit saya yaitu Tinosorb S dan M yang tergolong UV Filter baru dan lebih stabil diantara para UV Filter inorganik yang lebih dulu ditemukan.

Baca juga : Basic Skincare : Sunscreen

Sebelumnya saya sudah pernah menggunakan varian Berry yang berwarna pink karena menang giveaway, namun itu sudah berjuta-juta tahun yang lalu, dan baru mencoba varian Apple Lime tahun ini. Kebetulan di musim yang cukup panas ini, saya lebih cepat haus dan bibir juga jadi lebih kering dari biasanya, sehingga lip sleeping mask ini sangat membantu untuk melembabkan bibir yang terkena musim kemarau. Baunya segar dan tidak kalah melembabkan dari varian yang pink.

Nah itu tadi skincare routine saya selama musim kemarau yang cukup membuat kulit saya yang biasanya memberontak karena kepanasan menjadi lebih kalem, hihi. Secara keseluruhan, rutinitas skincare malam dan siang saya mirip, hanya beda di cleanser saja. Apakah kalian punya skincare routine berbeda saat musim sedang panas dan kering seperti sekarang ini? Share di kolom komentar ya.


Coba tebak berapa kali saya menyebutkan kata 'berjuta-juta' dalam blog post ini, haha. Saya sungguh tidak kreatif minggu ini sehingga kosakata yang saya gunakan itu-itu saja.

The first 4 day of November were cloudy and cool, but starting Nov 5 it gets back to its summer mode where it reaches 35 at day. Glad mom bought several fruits during these hot days. Today, when I was about to eat my favorite starfruit, I thought of something which is really not related to it

If you follow astronomy or astrology related stuff, you’ve already known  that we’re now in Mercury Retrograde phase. It started on October 31 until the first 20 days of November. In astronomy, this retrograde doesn’t affect human and earth. In astrology, Mercury retrograde is seen as something which brings delay in communication and transportation, since Mercury rules those things. For me, personally, Mercury retrograde is a reminder for myself to slow down, to not rush, to let things go as it is without worrying nor overthinking it.

I wrote this blog post as a reminder for myself to not rush, to slow down, and to trust the journey. 

Don’t rush.

What’s meant for you, whether it’s now up in faraway sky or it’s near you already, it will come for you and take part in your life at the right time. Anything which comes to your life today might leave you someday. What’s not yours now may come to you the other day. Everything is temporary. Everything comes and goes, and that’s not coincidences, they have purposes in your life. You might hate the things you have now. You might have lost something precious of yours. They have their own timing.

Trust the journey.

Everyone has their own speed and timeline which will match to anything which is meant for it at the right time. You’ll be okay when you go with the flow and let the worries come and go without giving additional feelings to them. Stop comparing. Their timing aren’t yours. Even if you force it to make it the same as your friend’s, it won’t perfectly placed in yours. Everything has its own timing to come into your life.

When you don’t get something you desire, it doesn’t mean you won’t have it forever, it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to have it. It’s just the timing. Let yourself be ready for it. 

Don't rush.

Plants don’t compete each other. They have their own timing. Some plants have beautiful flowers, but can’t produce fruits. Some plants have unnoticeable flowers but delicious fruits. Some plants produce a lot of fruits in months, some plants produce fruits in years. Some plants only live in short time, some plants are evergreen. Some plants can be consumed as a whole, some plants will kill people who eat them. 

Some people might have high-paid job after graduating, some people might keep figuring out their life purpose in their 30s, some people might want to change job after 10 years, some people might get married at 19 and have 10 kids, some people might stay single at their 40s, some people are parents for many kids they didn’t give birth to, some people hold biggest wedding party in their country, some people love each other without getting into marriage, some people keep working until midnight, some people are now trying their best to graduate next year, some people still get acne in their 30s, some people don’t get acne their whole life, some people start their business from the scratch at their 50s.

When you look at the bigger picture, you’ll notice that there’s no same templates for our lives. We get our own timeline. Nobody can force it to be the same even if they were born as twins. What’s called normal life that society set isn’t meant for you. You don’t have to match your life to that standard. Reaching certain degree, getting certain body shape, getting married before certain age, having certain number of kids, etc. Those standards are the roots of problems we face today. We fight and hurt each other in order to protect ourselves to meet those standards, so society won’t question our lives. We want to be recognized, we want to prove ourselves in order to be accepted. Once we get accepted, we are afraid to get kicked out or being left alone once we don’t match those standards. 

Even if we live that ‘normal life’, people will still question our next step, our next achievements. So, instead of worrying and rushing to get everything from society standard list, start doing the small things we are able to do today. Start small. Plant your seeds today.

Trust the journey.

Don’t let the material things which aren’t yours define you as inferior. Don’t let the possession of certain stuff scares you and makes you resist the change.

You are still you whether you have those things or not. You are complete as you, you don’t lose your value when you trust your timing. You can choose to be happy and to feel beautiful as you are now. Your current self is the best version of you for now and you will keep growing by the time.

Don’t rush. 

What’s meant for you, no matter which galaxy it is in right now, will come for you at the right time.

Don’t rush.

Your gift is on the way.

What are the things you didn’t have / you were dreaming of, which are now yours?