2015 - 21 days gone.

So there goes one of my resolutions! HAHAHA! I was supposed to blog more. I seriously could not find the time to seriously sit down and blog. I know they don't have to be long, etc. but I still had no time. Life has been one whirlwind after another.

It's been 21 days since the new year, and here's what's been happening.

I finally went back to Bootcamp. Got myself signed up in the 3-month program. One of my resolutions this year is to be fit and strong once again. Weight loss isn't the biggest deal because I already am seeing a decrease in my size, but I would like to be that girl that can run marathons, do continuous classes, and be fitter in general. Many people have questioned the choice of going back to Bootcamp (including my mom!) but trust me. I know what I'm doing. I'm going into my 3rd week now, and it's been nothing less than amazing. That feeling of coming out of the field stronger after every session, priceless. :)

Took part in my first CSR campaign under Yellowshorts, hosted by No.11 Espressolabs, called "Flood Gone, School Onz". We had a donation/packing drive to prepare care packs for school-going students who were/are affected by the floods in the East Coast of Malaysia. It was extremely exhausting, but the positive energy and flow of inspiration was just amazing. I completed the last day of the drive feeling motivated and inspired to make a difference, even in the smallest way I possibly can. :)

I turned 29 in the quietest, most mature way possible. I cancelled class ("mature") to have dinner with my mom, sister and closest friends. We talked a lot over cake and teh tarik. Mom got to know my close friend (Sherena) a bit better and I was glad to finally introduce her to my family. SammoBammo was there as well. It was nice, simple and quiet. The best way to celebrate my birthday :)

The next day, I also celebrated my birthday with Dennis, Kellen, Kerry-Ann, Jeremy, Lyn Sheng and Chrisy, who are my theatre class friends. We had a screening party of our showcase to review our "acting" skills. It was great having that company around and simply being in the company of people who love me. As narcissistic as that sounds, I was proven right when they bought me a simple dinner, a lovely yummy cake, and the best present one could give me; their friendship. Everyone gave me presents at the end of the night and each one of them had been well thought out. Lyn Sheng got me a concealer palette I've been eyeing for ages, Chrisy got me the cutest pink and purple travel body care set, Kerry-Ann got me a keychain with my name and a star on it (because of my character in the showcase!) and Jeremy made me a hand-made card that was so incredibly beautiful, I couldn't stop looking at it. Even until today, reading the messages that each and everyone of them wrote makes me a little bit teary. You guys really made my birthday such a beautiful and amazing one and I can't thank all of you enough. Lots of love to all of you!

Work has been taking up some time. It may not look that way, but preparing the behind-the-scenes work for a new business is incredibly taxing. It makes me pretty exhausted but the idea of a new business, one that I am starting, is priceless. It makes me feel inspired, motivated, and everything else in between.

2015 promises to be a year of change for me, personally and I've already gone through some "changes" and it's barely been a month into the year. And for that, I promise myself that 2015 will be nothing less than amazing. For me, at least.

Stay inspired.

DancerGal Sheryl.

Self-Reflection: #2013Resolutions

In my last post, I blogged about my personal #2012Reflections. Today, on the last day of 2012, I will be noting some of my #2013Resolutions.

Here's the thing about resolutions. To me, resolutions are not about setting insane goals that seem almost impossible to achieve, and then being demotivated or discouraged so much that you can't even be bothered to even work to achieve them. That was my mistake for the past 25 years. In 2011, I only set ONE resolution. Not only did I achieve that one goal, I also achieved goals I didn't even know I had. It took one simple step. To step out of my comfort zone.

For 2013, I'm going to put everything that I've learnt back in 2012 into practice as well as grow personally and professionally.

First of all, I'm going to work at maintaining my body, and *hopefully* lose a bit more. I had no idea that I was going to lose that much, nor do I have any intentions of looking anything like the girls in America's Next Top Model. I believe that part of my success was being realistic about my goals. So I signed up for OBC back in January, and once tomorrow comes, I will be going back to my 'reducing junkies' plan, and choosing the healthier stuff :)

Then, there's my personal KPIs for motivationMY.com and inspire.fm. I aspire to have approximately one post/interview within a span of 2 months. This means that I should be producing at least 6 interviews and 6 blog posts in the year of 2013. I don't think it's unachievable, nor do I think it's over-achieving. I think it's achievable and I'm nothing less than excited to make it happen :)

Well, for 2013, those would have to be my main goals. Everything that I achieve aside from these would be the icing on the cake.

I had a great 2012, and I look forward to an awesome 2013 :)

Love always,
DancerGal Sheryl!

Self-Reflection: Passion vs Commitment!

Something drew my attention to this particular topic as of last night.

Passion vs Commitment. 

This can be used in reference to many things. Friendships, relationships, career paths, interests, and basically anything that involves YOU! 

According to Wikipedia, Passion (from the Ancient Greek verb πάσχω (paskho) meaning to suffer) is a term applied to a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something. The term is also often applied to a lively or eager interest in or admiration for a proposal, cause, or activity or love – to a feeling of unusual excitement, enthusiasm or compelling emotion, a positive affinity or love, towards a subject. It is particularly used in the context of romance or sexual desire though it generally implies a deeper or more encompassing emotion than that implied by the term lust.

According to the same source, Commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.. It is also known as a pledge or an undertaking. A commitment is never supposed to be broken, if it is broken; that means it was never a commitment rather was just a pretention and lying. Commitment may refer to:

• Promise, or personal commitment
• Contract, a legally binding exchange of promises
• Brand commitment
• Involuntary commitment, the use of legal means or forms to commit a person to a mental hospital, insane asylum or psychiatric ward

That being said, you can actually be committed to something without being passionate about it (cos seriously, who would be passionate in a mental hospital?), but my question to all is: 

Can you be passionate about something without being committed to it?

I ask this because it has come to my sickening attention recently, that I feel totally and completely passionate about blogging, social media, and other stuffs, but I honestly only have 24 hours in a day. There's only so much I can take. But because I am committed to something that I am not passionate about, I can't commit myself to something that I'm passionate about. It's ironic isn't it? 

And I realized, that this connects to relationships as well. I will not speak for myself, but I have come to realize that I have too many (and when I say too many, I actually mean "TOO MANY"!) acquaintances who tell me that they are staying in a relationship for the sake of staying in a relationship. That's being committed without passion. And to that, I say one thing... 

IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK! 

In general, anything, be it relationships, friendships, career paths, and whatever else, if you're not going to be passionate about it, it won't work out well. But then, how do you leave or ignore your "commitment" without looking like a total jerk? It's basically impossible. So what should or can you do? Pray that time passes fast so that you can just leave. 

What about those like me who are passionate about stuff, but can't afford to commit to it? :( 

I don't really know how, but at this moment, I know that I am passionate about many things which I cannot afford to commit my time too. So what am I doing about it? During this time, I continuously try to strive and learn more about the stuff that I am passionate about and hopefully one day, get to put all this to good use. I am honestly (well, in my personal opinion!) very positive about this because I can see my passion paying off someday. Till then, I will just have to wait it out. 

The most important thing to keep reminding yourself about is that nothing is impossible and that if you keep driving for your dreams, no matter how bad the circumstances may seem, one day, it will come true :) 

Keep striving with passion, and one day, your ideal of passion and commitment will come your way! 

Love always, 

DancerGal Sheryl! 

Self-Reflection: Motivation, Inspiration, Encouragement...

Being involved in MotivationMY.com and Inspire.FM, kinda makes me wonder...

Do I deserve to be called "inspirational" or am I in the right position to motivate others?

Generally, motivational speakers tend to be people who study social science or are licensed psychologists. There are also motivational speakers like Nick Vujicic who have lost everything, worked their asses off, and then gained everything back and more, which technically qualifies them to be motivational speakers. But what about me?

In all honesty, my family isn't rich, but I have generally lived a privileged life, which in turn, makes me quite snobbish (only in certain aspects though!). I have definitely been blessed in many ways, which then leads me to question myself on how I can motivate, inspire and encourage others? But then, I realized something.  While I have nothing to offer in terms of losing limbs or losing all my money, I do have much to offer considering that I'm a 26 year old with a professional job, not out wasting my life on drugs and alcohol, living my life exactly how I want it to be, without all the drama. And obviously, about 13 years ago, I would have never thought that my life would end up this way.

In between 1995 and 2003, I was a horrible friend to have. I disliked people in general, and only had my nose in books. Not textbooks, of course, but story books and novels. At the age of 15, I was already reading books like Harry Potter, CSI, Lord of the Rings, etc. Thick books which take me to a place that wasn't Malaysia or Kuala Lumpur. I didn't speak much to others, and I refused to speak in any other language other than what I considered to be my mother tongue, English. If you didn't speak English, I wouldn't speak to you. Simple as that.

I may not be inspirational or motivational or encouraging in the sense of losing something then earning it again, but I honestly do feel like I've finally started living a full life and I could not be prouder of myself.

I honestly believe that EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE has something to share. Unless you are sitting down and wasting your life away, I believe that at some point in your life, you would've achieved something.

This is what motivationMY.com and Inspire.FM have helped me realize. While I know that no one is perfect, I also know that we can and are able to learn from one another. It's about sharing our experiences. Our ups and downs. Let's help each other and spread more positivity and joy! Let's help make ourselves happier and more cheerful. :)

At the end of the day, I believe that it's about what we want to do for ourselves. I believe the question to ask would be, what do you want to do?

I am grateful for the platform that motivationMY.com and Inspire.FM have helped to provide. When I read and listen to motivating and encouraging stories, especially when I have a bad day, it makes me realize that there is no point being sad for too long because there is just WAYYY too much to be happy about! I am ever so happy when I read about a story or listen to an inspiring interview for the person telling the story! :) It never fails to make me smile :)

So my point. Everyone is positive in their own way. Do share your positivity with me, motivationMY.com or Inspire.FM because everyone deserves to feel like they are positive, encouraging, motivating, and inspiring in their own right!

Love always,
DancerGal Sheryl!

In the life of DancerGal: Hitting the "Refresh" button on "LIFE"

It's almost the end of August. Here's my updates for the past month or so...

Haven't been playing SC2 for the longest time, let alone Diablo 3...
Haven't been to Bootcamp in TWO months...
Haven't been blogging, although I have THREE half-written drafts...
Haven't been running (at least 10km!) within the past two months...

My fitness is BLERGH...
My SC2 level is BLERGH...
Not to mention, feeling FAT and LETHARGIC almost everyday!

So, what exactly have I been doing the past couple of months? Working, sleeping, eating.

So what's the problem? The problem is, I AM NOT HAPPY!!!!

So, what can I do? Time to hit that "Refresh" button. Wait, what?!

Credits: blog.cachinko.com

Yes, you heard me right! I'm going to hit the "Refresh" button on my own life, and it all starts TODAY! Spent about 4 hours plus watching MLG last night (Leenock was declared the Champion :) Mr Chubby Cheeks  ♥

Credits: majorleaguegaming.com

Hence, yesterday at SammoBammo's place, I collected back ALL my gaming gear (mouse, keyboard and headphones) and decided that I would spend AT LEAST an hour a night training. Watching MLG made me realize, while I dream to be like them someday, it will never happen unless I do it myself! :)

Having being a fan of StarCraft 2 for quite some time now, it's been taking me a very long time to get to where I am... While I understand the game relatively well, my mechanics are REALLY BAD! Why? All because I never really bothered to put in the effort. Well, no more. From now on, every night, at least 2 games I will play! All in the name of self-development of eSports!

Then there's my fitness level.

It's been two whole months of Bootcamp that I have missed. Went back today. Felt like CRAP! Threw up in the middle of a circuit. But here's the thing. After throwing up (ok, maybe I should stop saying that so that you don't feel nauseous!), I felt like this wasn't me. I don't want to be like this. I want the Sheryl/DancerGal who could pull off an entire session and even go out for a movie after. I want the Sheryl who watched what she ate, so that she didn't feel lethargic/fatigued after the session! I WANT THE OLD ME BACK!!!

There is only ONE way to doing that, which is actually GOING BACK and doing all that!

Then, there's my barely updated blog.

As most of you may know, I now (should technically) be a regular contributor on the MotivationMY blog. Guess when my last post was? Pathetic.

So with that, while it may be a very tiring move, a very bold move, it's time to hit the refresh button on my life! How?

1. Starcraft 2: Make the effort to play more, train harder, and just simply not make excuses. Watch more streams (where possible) and watch more tournaments (speaking of which, I am downloading the GomTV app for Mac so that I can watch GSL! BOOYAH! :P )

2. Bootcamp/Fitness: Train harder, watch what I eat, and (DO MY BEST!) not to miss any sessions, participate in more runs, and make a conscious effort to train my runs with SammoBammo. Push myself in OBC sessions and make sure that I don't go easy on myself!

3. Regular updates and contributions: Consciously make the effort to contribute to AT LEAST one post a week! Writer's block is a LAME excuse and should not be used in Sheryl's vocabulary!!!

4. Miscellaneous: Try your best to not screw everything else in the process!

Sounds impossible? No, it's not, and it won't be! Wanna know why? Three simple words: FOCUS, DETERMINATION, and PASSION! I love and enjoy all of the above! I want to be better not for anyone, but for myself!

There is no room for "second best" or "complacency" in my life. Either you work your ass for it, or you get stuck living a mediocre life. Your choice.

Before I end my blog post, do find below, some encouraging posters that I hold very personally and it could not get any better than this (source: http://www.facebook.com/StrongIsTheNewSkinny/photos_stream)

Love always,
DancerGal Sheryl ♥

Self-Reflection: Feeling "low" and "blue"? Fret not... You're not alone!

Everyone thinks that they are alone. Everyone thinks that every other person is ignoring or neglecting them. Your first mistake?

WHY ARE YOU LOOKING FOR EXTERNAL APPROVAL???

A motivationMY friend is going through the fact that this person is feeling "left out". My question would be, why? Why are you feeling "left out"? Is there something wrong with you? NO! Nothing is EVER wrong with you. So why do you still feel "left out"?

Have you ever considered the circumstances?

It takes a LOT to feel left out. Wanna know why? I consciously chose to not have "friends" when I was in high school. I never liked anyone, I loved being alone, but I still had friends from church. Circumstances led me to being "alone". I couldn't speak any other language but English while my other friends spoke in Chinese or Malay. I would always go to school alone, in fact I used to sit alone in class, and then eat alone, then go home alone. I was used to being alone. But surprisingly, I didn't feel left out. Why? Of course now I realized why. It was because I didn't really care for the people around me then, nor did I want to know about their lives.

You feeling left out, isn't really the problem. It's the problem of the friendship. The relationship. That is bigger that what YOU're feeling. If you are reading this, please ask yourself. If the people who are making you feel "left out" care for you, you wouldn't be feeling like this anyway!

COMMUNICATE!

Communicate how you feel to the people whom are making you feel this way. Chances are, it would be a 50-50 shot. There could be 2 outcomes:

1. You were wrong. You were being overly sensitive and misreading the situation. This is the best case scenario. Your friendship would be back to normal, and every one would be all happy and dandy.

The second outcome, however, isn't such a lovely one.

2. They aren't really interested in you anymore. They don't really wanna be your "friend" anymore.

But here's the thing. Are you a 5 year old child? That you need friends like that? Get the heck away from people like them! They don't need you and you don't need them. I always believe in this statement:

"Surrounding yourself with the right people 

can turn your day around"

As much as you don't deserve to be treated that way, they don't deserve to have a friend like you. While you may have lost the friendship, but you gain strength. The strength to not be overly dependent and bonded to others. The strength to say "NO" when you need to. The strength to go out there and smile to the other friends around you, who treat you well and make you feel "in". 

When you feel left out, think of whether the friendship is worth salvaging or not. If yes, then communicate. If not, turn around, and just smile. Because your smile could turn someone's day around. 

Remember, there's nothing worth feeling bad about. These days, lifestyles are just so quick, that you don't really have the time to meetup, sit and chat over coffee. But that's what phones, social media and technology are for! Put them to good use! Don't make yourself feel "left out". 

Last but not least, TURN THAT FROWN UPSIDE DOWN AND SMILE... :) 

Love always, 

DancerGal Sheryl <3 

Self-Reflection: Self Improvement and Self Change

I was sorta flipping through the "Photos of Me" section on Facebook, and I went all the way back to 2011 and a teeny bit of 2010 (New FB account). The first thought that crossed my mind was.... "DAYUMMM GIRL! Y U SO FAT?" And then, I kinda woke up, and wondered why was that the FIRST thought that crossed my mind? Was I really that fat? 

This photo was taken back in 2011. Damn. 

At that point in time, I didn't really "see" myself as "fat". I was happy and I was eating. A Lot. I was with my family, I had good friends around me and to be honest, I didn't "see" anything wrong with myself. BOY WAS I WRONG! I was pissed every time I wanted to dress up, and realized that I couldn't because I was too fat. The other lady in the photo? She loves her clothes, and sometimes, she gives them away to us. I couldn't fit into anything that she wanted to give me, and then, I started feeling miserable. 

I was still dancing at the time, but it was getting less and less. One day, I was attending my ballet class, and the teacher mentioned that "I didn't have the stamina". I got even more miserable. I wanted to lose the weight, and I wanted to lose it BAD. Another dance competition on TV was completely out of the question because I had a job at the time, and really couldn't afford to take a 3-month leave. I got so miserable, that I started to lose my temper really easily. Here's the sick part of it all. I was still binge eating. If there was anything I'd refuse to give up, it was FOOD. 

And then, I found the Original Bootcamp programme!!! 

I found this programme thanks to a colleague of mine, who attends the same programme as well. She was fit, and I totally admired her attitude. I thought long and hard about it. Had super long conversations with SammoBammo, just to make sure that I was ready for this. Hence, I took the first step. I signed up for this programme back in November 2011. That was the day, my life changed. 

The first session, was HORRENDOUS! I had eaten too much before, and threw up during the session itself. But me being me, I refused to quit. A few people had actually told me that I wouldn't be able to make it, as it would be too tough for me. SEVEN MONTHS LATER.... Guess what my favourite part of Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are? :) 

So, here I am, seven months later. I look back at everything I have accomplished. I was NEVER an athlete nor did I EVER consider myself an athlete. I go way back, when I could barely hold a 10 second plank. Now, I'm holding planks by the mins (well, actually I can only go 1 minute, but that's 60 seconds :P). I have found it in me to love running. I've done 3 marathons since Bootcamp (Mizuno, Brooks, and PJ Dawn), and I get this sheer joy, when I hold that finisher medal in my hands. :) 

I wouldn't consider this post "bragging", but here's how I look, right now :) 

This photo was taken during Jessica's Birthday, about 3 weeks ago

I feel damn good about myself, and the best part is? I am CONTINUING to work at it. I used to be someone who would seek "external approval". Yes, I do think I could lose some more weight and really trim up, but I know that the possibility of it happening is quite real. Before I started Bootcamp, I kept telling myself that I was scared. Then one day, SammoBammo told me this: The only person stopping you from being happy and achieving what you want, is yourself. Which was true! I was letting people and my fear of failure get to me. It took MYSELF to step out of the comfort zone, and dive into the mud (literally!). 

Original Bootcamp has really helped me with finding myself back in all this mess. The Corporals, Sergeants, and all my Bootcamp-mates have helped me literally stand back on my own two feet. Losing all the weight is one thing (although it was the main thing), but being happy was another. I was not confident with myself. I used to cry during my first few sessions because when we did partner-based workouts, I would actually feel bad for making my partner wait too long for me. But now, it's not about that. The objective of having a partner is so that he/she can motivate you and you will be encouraged to move faster and push yourself. I believe in pushing myself to my limits. I know now, that if after EACH session, if I don't feel DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Syndrome) within the next day, I know I haven't worked myself hard enough and I'll push myself the next day. :) 

To be honest, this post was really about me. About how I pushed myself out of the comfort zone, improved and changed myself for the better. I believe that everyone has a right to be happy, but no one is going to take the first step for you. Be bold. Be brave. You need to take that ONE step. The very first one, and believe in your heart that you can be happy. Because if you don't, you'll just never get there. 

If you are unhappy with how things are right now, MAKE A DAMN CHANGE! 

Love always, 

DancerGal Sheryl <3