Why Looking For Your Dream Job Is Just Not Enough…

Ever since I’ve started this blog (back in 2011!), I’ve openly written that my dream job was to be a writer. At first, I meant fiction writer, but as adulthood and the realities of the real world sank in, I diverted to becoming a freelance writer.

Being a freelance writer was not too bad. But at the end of the day, I was like: ‘is that it?’

Is this what ‘living the dream’ meant?

It was exciting to finally get paid to write, yes, but there was nothing more to it. So I started questioning myself: was being a writer really my dream job? Was this what I wanted to do for the rest of my life? The answer arose almost immediately: no.

That was when I decided to ‘change career paths’ and divert to digital marketing. However, my previous freelance work kept attracting companies and writing opportunities, so I ended up merging both my interest in marketing and my content writing skills.

Dear WordPress, It’s Our 6th Anniversary Together.

These past 6 years have been a crazy ride. It’s been complicated.

I’ve not always been the blogger you’ve wanted me to be. Especially for the past three years or so. First, I’d always forget about our anniversary. You’d constantly had to remind me about it. But I logged in so rarely that I’d see your reminder way too late.

I’m actually surprised I remembered this year. Well, I did see your reminder. But I was on time. And I shouted it out to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And I was proud to have been blogging for that long.

I didn’t always feel that way.

Have I Given Up On Travelling?

Honestly, this post was so hard to write. My thoughts are all over the place and I apologise.

***

I’ve had this blog post idea for a long time now. It’s been on my list of ‘topics to write on’ for months.

The original title was “I gave up on travelling.” But I decided to change it. Why?

Who I was months ago had a different perspective and mindset when she wrote that title. Who I am now has gone through a lot of post-graduation thoughts about the future… and some kind of epiphany about who, where, how I want to be.

Back then, even though I didn’t seem like it, I was against travelling as a student, unless you could afford it, i.e. your parents are freaking tolerant about you spending their money (mine aren’t).

The 4 Core Values I Stand For

On Friday 17th February, I completed my internship at Mossery, a stationery brand startup that crafts beautiful customisable planners, sketchbooks and notebooks to the world. However, what I really found special about the company was its huge emphasis on nurturing and communicating values.

Throughout the 2 months and a half (or so) period I was there, I eventually started thinking about my own values. Everyone has a set of values they live by, but I was never really conscious of mine before. Finally, after some deep soul-searching, I figured out 4 core values that I’ve been following pretty much my whole life. And I’m sharing them here, in the hopes that you too will be inspire to look for your own.

1. Ancora imparo.

I am still learning. Okay, so it’s funny but this is the slogan of Monash university, which is basically how I discovered that beautiful, empowering yet humble phrase. At core, we, as human beings, will never cease to learn. If we want to grow, we have to keep on learning.

Who I Am Becoming In 2017

At the last few seconds of 2016, I stood strong, waiting for the fireworks. At the first few minutes of 2017, I noticed how my arm was not tired, my hands not trembling, from holding up my phone to film those 10 continuous minutes of beautiful bursting fires in the sky. That actually surprised me; it seemed that my workout sessions, as irregular as they can get because a university student’s irregular schedule, had paid off.

For many, this is probably a very small insignificant detail, but to me, at that moment, it meant everything. I only started taking care of my fitness and physical health in April 2016 for the first time in my life, and I have come far in terms of physical endurance, as well as pain tolerance and delayed gratification. Maybe not as far as I could have, but far enough.

But most importantly, I stood mentally strong. 

There was a point in 2016 where I felt that all the hardwork I had put into building myself for the past 2 years of staying on my own in Malaysia, all the efforts put into self-esteem and confidence, had been in vain as I was crumbling back to being shy and insecure about the slightest of things. As the saying goes, it takes time to create something, but one second to destroy it. And I had to rebuilt myself in the last months of 2016. I had to slowly but surely get back up and move on with life.

The Joy of Being Alone

Disclaimer: This was written on Saturday 26th November, on the way back home. A short piece, unedited, that I just felt like sharing. 

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I’ve forgotten how to be alone.

I’ve forgotten how it feels to appreciate a meal outside of my home with my own company.

I’ve forgotten how to take solo adventures, like little trips to the city, and reflect on myself.

This year has been the least lonely year I have ever lived. From being part of a committee, to a community to a family. I’ve constantly been surrounded by friends. I’ve been left with very little time to myself.

So when the last semester of the year was over, I was left with mixed feelings. I was eager to go back to a tranquil lonely life, yet I was also apprehensive of it.

Creative Thoughts | What is Love, really?

“What is love?”

“I don’t believe in love.”

“It’s that special connection with that special someone.”

“Love is a feeling.”

“Nope, I’d say it’s a choice.”

“It’s hard work, if you wanna make it last, that is.”

“Do you believe in soul mates?”

“No, please, none of that ‘The One’ bullshit.”

“Yes, I do.”

“I just stopped believing in that.”

“Maybe… I don’t know. What is a soul mate anyway?”

“Well, there’s definitely a difference between a soul mate and a life partner. At least, someone used to tell me that.”

“So what if you mean both of them at the same time? Can you fall in love with two people at the same time?”

My Last Week As A First Year Student

Monday

Round of applause in the auditorium as the last minute of Film Studies class ticked off. It was also the end of our final class test, and since we don’t have any exams for this unit, it was definitely the last glimpse I would ever have of Film Studies.

It took me back to last semester’s TV studies, which is the matching unit for Film, except that this time it was definitely over. Lectures that were basically movie screening times are over. No more watching movies as homework, for assignment research, or for revision.

First year is over. The scoring and easy parts of university work are done.

We also clapped after our last World Politics lecture. Short and sweet class. That’s how my friends and I ended up in the library and I decided that I wanted mugshots hehe.

Mondays have always been my favourite days. Not only because of the idea of starting the week with a movie in the Film lecture, but also because it is the only day when I meet all my friends. Not only in class, but also in our Monash Performing Arts Club weekly meetings 🙂 This semester, as a committee member, I feel even more grateful.

The Past, Who We Are and Other Thoughts

It feels like it’s been ages since I last posted on this blog.

This was mainly because I’ve been doing a lot of thinking (which eventually also includes writing, reading and watching anime/TV series ^^).

Three months’ school holiday is way too long, although it’s been filled with seeing new horizons, since I’m in a foreign country, but at some point it pretty much fucks your mind, especially if you’re living on your own. You start getting all deeply philosophical and start questioning every aspect of life.

Or is it just me?

I’d like to share a few of those haunting thoughts that have been following me for a while… and hopefully read your comments afterwards:

1. On Mirrors

I don’t know if I’ve talked about this here but I moved to a cheaper residence at the start of the year and among the furniture available in my room there was no sign of a mirror! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not your vain narcissist typical girl, but I enjoy making up outfits in front of a tall mirror and… well I simply have this ‘strong liking’ for mirrors. Therefore the mirror chase was on! My friend also joined me because she happened to want a mirror as well (peer influence XD). We were of course looking for the cheap options so we looked a little everywhere and took our time before we finally settled on those specific budget-friendly-but-nice-quality mirrors…

Anyway, this whole ‘chase’, that lasted about a month, made me think of something very peculiar about mirrors. It all started when my friend taught me how to know the difference in quality in the glass of the mirror (quite simple actually: just look into both mirrors one after the one and check for any ‘deformities’ in terms of how your body is being reflected… If your head is way bigger than your body you obviously know it’s not a good mirror…). She thus wouldn’t choose a mirror because it didn’t reflect her ‘normally’ i.e. the way she thinks her body is.

This was when the discussion started and my thoughts started to grow.

But how does she know how she is? If one thinks about it, no one can see oneself, except through reflecting glass, like a mirror, but if my friend just proved me that the mirrors can be flawed, then in truth, one can definitely never see oneself.

Last Thoughts. (MERRY NEW YEAR 2015!)

Since I missed Christmas on this blog, I better say it all together: MERRY NEW YEAR 2015!!!

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to share here on this blog for the last time this year, 2014. And here we are, already on the 31^st, and I have no idea what to write, but at the same time I have so many things I want to write about, that I want to put out there for the whole world to read and be aware of.

So I decided to simply go for the simplest way to deal with this: tell the plain truth. Write, without thinking twice. Type whatever comes out of my mind. Like a first draft. Thus, what will follow will probably be… chaotic, but well. These are the things I just want to get out of me.

“How To Be A Gentleman”

LOL I’m sorry but I could not NOT post this with a post title like that!

Okay, the remaining content of this post is actually serious and if you cannot stand crazy feminists, I strongly recommend you NOT to read any further. Don’t complain. I warned you.

Today, I want to address a particular concern of mine that I’ve been thinking about for a while now. That of gentlemanliness (I had no idea that this word existed until now!) in our present time.

Why Do I Want To Be A Writer?

This is a common question that is often asked, although very hard to answer. It’s like asking: why do you like chocolate? or why do you like that particular colour?

But I finally got an answer!! Sometimes, it’s really helpful to think WAY too much… 😉

So… why do I want to be a writer? Why did my 9-year-old self have this dream and passion and why, even after a decade, do I still have it?

BOOKS VS MOVIE ADAPTATIONS!

This has been and, I feel, will always be a never-ending debate in our world. Books being adapted into movies. Bookworms against the cinematic world. In in this post, I just want to share my opinion about this issue.

Or opinions.

Actually my point of view about this subject has evolved as the years have passed, through the three stages as follows:

Stage 1:

I know most of you have been in this mindset: THE BOOK IS WAY BETTER THAN THE MOVIE!!!

Yes don’t worry I sided 100% with books too a few years earlier. I would always read first, or even if I couldn’t do so, still I would fiercely be excited about how the movie is so different and how the book was like… GOD, compared to a mere mortal…

I think it’s childish though that kind of behaviour… It’s stubborn as well and today it only reminds me of narrow-mindedness (like homophobia, though that’s too much of a serious thing) and… well, fangirling, which I always tend to frown at, although I admit I totally fangirl about Game of Thrones haha!

The Copycat & The Search For Belonging

(SAME) INTRO:

~ Being a future psychology student, I decided to create a new category of posts here on An Evil Nymph’s Blog which will be dealing with some of my weird and crazy theories of life and people. For fun, of course since I don’t have a degree yet. Also I’m not trying to make generalisations and it’ll be best that as you read on imagine putting in the word ‘maybe’ in every sentence. These are only my 19 year old opinions. Anyway, scroll down at your own risk… and enjoy! ~

***

If you haven’t read the first and previous post in this Psychology series, I strongly recommend you to do so here: Narcissism & Manipulation, because the copycat type we’re going to analyse this week is the one whom I let you have a glimpse of in that post.

For those who remember briefly, we encountered the copycat as a victim of the manipulative narcissist, as being easily influenced without a fixed personality to cling on to, copying aspects of the people he admires to fill this identity void of his.

However, he is not to be pitied entirely.