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Celebrating ANHPI Heritage month means celebrating

Celebrating ANHPI Heritage month means celebrating the diverse stories our people carry 🌺⁣⁣⁣
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Answering the question "where are you from?" is a unique story of its own.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I was born on the Pacific island of Guåhan (more commonly known as Guam 🇬🇺) to a Filipina woman + Japanese man from Hawai’i.

My mother's family immigrated from the Philippines to Guam so they could earn American wages. My dad comes from a lineage of Japanese & Okinawan plantation workers who immigrated to Hawai’i in the late 1800s/early 1900s.

(I’m a proper child of globalization!)⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Typhoons were a regular part of my childhood. I have fond memories of the electricity being out after typhoons equating to sleepovers with my family in the living room. In Dec 2002, Supertyphoon Pongsona devastated my island.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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After Pongsona hit, schools were out for the rest of the year. Our neighborhood with no electricity was powered by generators + community for over two months.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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It was around that time my parents moved us from Guam to the US. We moved from state to state for a few years as my parents searched for the right place to write their version of the American Dream.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Although grateful to have an American passport by birthright, introducing myself as “just” American would erase the history + culture of my people.

I am not “just” American just like Asians or Pacific Islanders are not “just” API.⁣
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Growing up on an American island over 7,000 miles away from the US mainland I saw the effects of erasure firsthand. In a school full of brown people, we learnt racism as something that was black and white.

Hostility happening from one brown race to another on our playgrounds wasn’t addressed in the classroom.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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This month I celebrate what it means to be multicultural: to be Guamanian + live abroad as I define what it means to dream beyond the bamboo ceiling of expectations. I celebrate the diverse stories Asians, Native Hawaiians, + Pacific Islanders can tell.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Tell me, where are you from? How do you answer that question when people ask?

Lately I’ve been deeply reflecting on my most re

Lately I’ve been deeply reflecting on my most recent relationship and the ways we let that relationship hold each other back.⁣
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Somewhere along the way, I stopped going to dance classes. I stopped putting in the work to build friendships. I stopped challenging myself.⁣

I let myself lean into the comfort of the relationship instead of into the discomfort that comes with growth. ⁣
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These days, I journal almost daily. ⁣
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I journal about the ways I have seen myself shrink to fit into someone else’s life. I journal about how much growth I feel as a single woman. I remind myself about all the things I love right now, so when I’m ready to enter a partnership with someone else, I don’t lose the connection I have with myself.⁣
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Long story short, I just have this pattern of putting my partner on a pedestal. But the past eight months I’ve been learning to put MYSELF on that goshdarn pedestal! ⁣
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I hope you remember to put yourself on that pedestal, too.⁣
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xo

💾 SAVE THIS for when you feel like you need to

💾 SAVE THIS for when you feel like you need to refocus.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It was New Year's Eve + I was surrounded by new friends I made last year in Hoi An. ⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Your girl loves setting intentions - so one of my go-to NYE conversation topics was re: choosing single words to represent my theme or intention for the year.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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"My word for 2020 was calm," I casually told someone.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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"Wow, you really had to work for that, huh?!"⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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She said it jokingly, but I didn't realize how true that statement was until I heard those words come from someone else.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Feeling calm and feeling at peace is a bit like dancing ballet.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When we watch ballerinas, we admire how elegant + sophisticated they look. Yet for the ballet dancer, there is a tremendous amount of strength, training + effort being put into making each moment look effortless.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And there is a tremendous amount of strength, training + effort to live a calm year.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I ask myself these 5 questions regularly: ⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨What ACTUALLY matters to me?⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨What is within my control?⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨What are my new goals?⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨What healthy routines & habits can I cultivate?⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨How can I give myself what I want?⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When you sit down + ask yourself those questions, what comes up for you?⁣⁣⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
x⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
. ⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#femaleentrepreneurlife #solopreneurlife #creativeladydirectory #elevatecultivate⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#bossbabesociete #girlbossesunite #creativemindsatwork ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#womenwithaplan #intuitivebeing #limitlesslife #selfdevelopmentjourney #selfawarenessjourney #chooseyourself #inspiredaction #worthiness⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#findingyourfearless #girlbossmagic #makersandthinkers #transformyourmind⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#trustyourpath #embracewhoyouare #femalefreelancer⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#girlbosshustle #womenwithvision

“Life unfolded in a way that brought me to this

“Life unfolded in a way that brought me to this fishing village of Bai Xep. And life will unfold in a way that brings me elsewhere. Just like the waves crashing onto the shoreline, I feel free.”⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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About one month ago, I scribbled those words into my iPad journal. Fast forward to today, I’m on another Vietnamese shoreline. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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From here, I’ve been watching the way the giant leaves of banana trees capture the sun’s light, the way red lotuses dance in the wind, the way the ocean sparkles as the sun sets.⁣ I feel free.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Last year was a year of setting hard boundaries so that I could give myself the space to focus on *myself*. It was a year of breaking free from the expectations of others. It was a year of realizing I don't even like bread - so I should stop settling for breadcrumbs.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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A part of feeling free, I've learnt, is realizing that I deserve to feel free. I deserve to feel joy. And I deserve to give and receive love.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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A part of feeling free, I've realized, is learning to appreciate the beauty that already surrounds me.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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x⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⁣.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
. ⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#femaleentrepreneurlife #solopreneurlife #creativeladydirectory #elevatecultivate⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#bossbabesociete #girlbossesunite #creativemindsatwork #girlbossinspiration⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#womenwithaplan #intuitivebeing #limitlesslife #selfdevelopmentjourney #selfawarenessjourney #chooseyourself #inspiredaction #worthiness⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#findingyourfearless #girlbossmagic #websitedesigners #ladieswholaunch #makersandthinkers #transformyourmind⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#trustyourpath #embracewhoyouare #webdesignerlife #femalefreelancer⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#websitetips #girlbosshustle #womenwithvision

💃🏻THE OPPOSITE OF DEPRESSION IS PLAY ⁣⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The other day I caught myself mindlessly scrolling through social media and I literally thought: *what in the world am I doing here?*⁣⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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It’s far too easy to get caught up in the hamster wheel of everyday life - deadlines, politics, the comparison trap of social media.⁣⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Sometimes we get so caught up in that hamster wheel that we forget to stop. Slow down. Appreciate. PLAY.⁣⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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A part of my evolution is breaking free from the cage that keeps me quiet, trapped, and depressed. ⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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A part of my evolution is pulling myself away from that daily hamster wheel. It's tapping into my inner child who loved to dance, to sing, to play. ⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Here’s a gentle reminder to incorporate play into your day. Step outside. Dance. Play board games (virtual or in-person) with a friend. ⁣⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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You deserve to experience joy every day.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
. ⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#femaleentrepreneurlife #solopreneurlife #creativeladydirectory #elevatecultivate⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#bossbabesociete #girlbossesunite #creativemindsatwork #girlbossinspiration⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#womenwithaplan #intuitivebeing #limitlesslife #selfdevelopmentjourney #selfawarenessjourney #chooseyourself #inspiredaction #worthiness⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#findingyourfearless #girlbossmagic #websitedesigners #ladieswholaunch #makersandthinkers #transformyourmind⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#trustyourpath #embracewhoyouare #webdesignerlife #femalefreelancer⁣⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#websitetips #girlbosshustle #womenwithvision

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