Inspirational Video #4

12:40 PM gem 0 Comments

How do you achieve success? Tips from Parokya ni Edgar!

• NEVER WASTE AN OPPORTUNITY

“Wag kang magkakamali
Palampasin ang sandali”

• ALWAYS STAY POSITIVE

“Kailangan palagi positibo parati”

• BELIEVE THAT IT WILL (something will) HAPPEN

“Dapat maniwala ka na merong mangyayare”

• DO NOT BE LEFT BEHIND. Yes! Life is short so you need to think everyday if your actions an decisions are important.

“Dapat lang siguro na wag kang magpapahuli
Sapagkat ang oras natin ay may katapusan
Kailangan mong gamitin sa makabuluhan”

• DO NOT LET HURDLES STOP YOU BY FOCUSING ON YOUR GOAL.

“Mga batang di magpapigil sa pagpursigi
Mga batang di maawat ng mga hadlang
Sapagkat sila'y nakatingin sa pupuntahan”

• GO AFTER YOUR DREAMS. It’s not going to be easy but it’s worth it!

They’re getting hitched! Diane and Alex

11:05 PM gem 0 Comments

Everyone’s getting married. It might be because its 2012. Who knows if there will be a next year after 2012. Kidding! Marriage is something that should be planned because you have to decide and ready yourself for commitment. It shouldn’t be rushed and it shouldn’t be done just because you FEEL a BLISS(given the term… it wouldn’t last long) It’s easy to see if a couple has a chemistry. And that is what I saw with Diane and Alex.

Call time was at 9am and I am so grateful for my ever supportive Yan (my assistant for the day) because we arrived 30 minutes early. I haven’t been to Paco Park before so this is where we will be spending our monthsary, working together.

I used Luminaire Mineral Makeups (eyeshadow, blusher, lip tint). Finally I received them!

Mea is the awesome photographer who contacted me. She got the permit to shoot for today. The place looks really vintage. But unfortunately, the guards said they don’t have a dressing room. Instead of doing the makeup inside the restroom, we opted to enjoy the scenery.

I really enjoy makeups! Time passed by quickly and we had to catch up so a lot of shots could be taken.

Diane is a natural beauty. The makeup I looked good on her. And of course, Alex is naturally handsome too. Since they are not used to photoshoots, it’s normal that they were stiff at the beginning. But I was so happy to catch them smiling and laughing when they finally got at ease with everything.

The place reminds me of Romeo and Juliet balcony although its more Hispanic.

We finished the pictorial around 1:30.

Happy Monthsary Boi!

My favorite makeup artist!

1:11 PM gem 0 Comments

She is my favorite makeup artist! I remember when I was young, I used to observe how my mom shades her eyebrows. Then when she leaves the house, I would climb to the cabinet where the mirror is and I would try out all her makeups and play. And then, I will remove all of it before she gets back home. Oh how funny those memories were.

This is why she is my favorite makeup artist. She reminds me of myself and all the other girls who loves to play with colors on their faces!

Yan is 28!

7:27 AM gem 0 Comments

Yey! This month of the year I enjoy teasing Boi that we’re of the same age till the end of March. For that, he cannot tease me for being a year older than him. People sometimes do not want to share their age. But for me, why keep it? It would be a concern if you look WAAAYYYY OLDER than your age. That would really suck! But if you look young though you are adding another year to your life, that’s something you do not want to hide right?!

This year, because of our busy schedule, I really didn’t have other surprise for his birthday than bringing out this cake on the eve of his birthday, singing a “Happy Birthday” and a light beer drinking while watching a movie.

And when we woke up, we celebrated his birthday at Manila Ocean Park. It wasn’t just Megan who enjoyed the experience but us too! I made a video documenting what happened to us that day! Check it out!

This trip is way better than Ocean Adventure in Subic. Yup, they have the dolphin shows etc… but they didn’t have enough aquariums to see the sea world closely. I really felt one with the sea during my stay here in Ocean Park. There were different fishes ranging from small to hugeeee ones! The fish spa was the bomb!!!! I couldn’t stop myself from laughing because they tickle!!!!!!

This makes me realize how mature we’ve become. We are happy when Megan is happy and if that isn’t maturity, then we might just be weird. Haha! Kidding!!!!  Happy Birthday Boi!!!!

Inspirational Video #3

8:32 AM gem 0 Comments

Yesterday was a very good day for me and Boi. After months of waiting, we finally are seeing the fruits of our hard work in the business. Not just that, I am very happy to have helped someone today who has been very patient in learning and improving herself. She deserves a celebration for our shared achievement!

And for that, the first thing that came to my mind was how kind God is for another blessing. To show how thankful I am, I would like to share to you Inspirational video #3. This is exactly what my message for everyone is. If you are feeling lost, or tired of what’s happening, or hurting,  I highly recommend you watch this.

BELIEVE AND ALL THINGS BECOME POSSIBLE.

“Never Give Up Hope, You’re gonna do great things, I already know…”

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

12:08 PM gem 0 Comments

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!!!!

Sharing with you some things that I did as a young adult with a 1/8 or 1/16th Chinese blood! haha.

CLEANSING

It is true that it is important to make your house clean when you welcome the new year. Well, even if we do not talk about Chinese traditions, it is always better to work and live in a clean environment. But like in our house where my aunts have a habit of clinging to all things, and throwing unnecessary things is a very big deal, I still managed to cleanse the house by doing the following:

Mix 2 tablespoon of salt with 2 cups of warm water.

Get a clean cloth and dip it in the solution. Clean all the doorknobs in your house. This will help cleanse the house from impurities or negative energies.

WISHLIST

They say you have to tell the world what you want and then TAKE ACTION on it. So instead of the normal WISHLIST, which becomes just a wish, I prefer to call this my GOAL LIST. Write your goals for the year on a piece of paper. And then burn it. Afterwards, face where the sun rises (it could be from a door or window where the sun rises), and then throw the burnt goals.

WEAR RED

Red color in Chinese means good fortune and luck. It wouldn’t hurt for us to wear Red anyway. So believe that you will have lots of luck this year and think of it everyday. Who knows, you might attract the luck that you are looking for.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to MY CHINESE FRIENDS and RELATIVES!!!!! Let’s bring out the TIKOY!

Remember when you were a kid?

6:32 AM gem 0 Comments

JUST GOT INSPIRED BY THIS VIDEO

When we were kids we dreamt of big things. But as we grow old, we started to think that they are impossible. Hey! SAYS WHO???? Never forget your dreams and always remember that it still is POSSIBLE!

Inspirational Video #1

6:17 AM gem 0 Comments

I always ask God to talk to me everyday. I always ask for HIM to inspire me in my search for my purpose in this world. While browsing and reading my 2012 horoscopes, I do not think it is just a coincidence that I found this. Thank you Lord for all the blessings. And I pray for those who are suffering and are not at peace. I see beauty in Your creations and it reminds me that You are there watching.

What is your luck this 2012?

5:14 AM gem 0 Comments

Happy Chinese New Year to all!!!!

This year is the Year of the Black Water Dragon! And like the people closest to me know, I am very fond of horoscopes whether it be Western or Chinese. First of all, you have to remember that the Chinese year do not start on January 1st. Some people get their animal sign confused specially if they were born on January and February. First thing to do is to check what date did the animal year start. Like this year, The Black Water Dragon starts on January 23rd 2012. Thus, if you were born before January 23rd, you belong to the previous animal year.

I have found some very good resources to help a non-expert astrological reader like me know how my luck will go for this year. And I am sharing it so you can check too!

• First, you have to know your birthdate (like you don’t know) and your time of birth.
• Second, go to this link and complete the information needed in the box. If you don’t know the city longitude, that’s okay.
• Third, read the results and find out what is your LUCKY ELEMENT.
• Fourth, once you know, go to this link and read your luck for this year.

I find the readings more accurate than just basing the predictions from my animal year which is PIG. Keep in mind that there are still different types of ANIMAL year like water pig, fire pig, metal pig etc… so it helps to know exactly what your lucky element is for a more accurate reading.

And tada…. 2012 is going to be a FAIR year for me.

My Lucky Element is EARTH.

Earth. Lots of Water can flush away Earth and make Water dirty. Luckily, Dragon contains Earth. Therefore, the luck of 2012 cannot last too long, but the opportunity is always around. You will have better luck between the change of seasons.

Water is afraid of Earth. Earth brings pressure on Water. So Earth represents law, career, boss or position. If you have a lot of Water in the birth chart, then Dragon will bring a job opportunity. If you waste money in spending, Dragon will give you advice on how to save money. If someone wants to borrow money from you, then sometimes Dragon will help you to say no. If you have a little Water in the birth chart, your friends and siblings will fully support you when you face trouble in career, argument or lawsuit.

If you have strong Earth in your birth chart, then money opportunity is around you all year long. Your income, investment and wealth will increase quickly. But if you have a weak Earth in the birth chart, then money trouble will come to you soon. Therefore you shouldn't do any risky investments. There is no easy money. You have to earn money the hard way. You probably should not loan money to friends. It is also advisable to not loan money for investments, either. Otherwise, money opportunities will become debts.

Okay. HHmmm…  Sorry friends but I will not be lending money and be overly generous this year. I have to learn how to manage money. No more spending! I know that I have to STAY POSITIVE all the time. I shouldn’t drown into boredom because knowing myself, I might change a path when I get bored. I’ve proven that a number of times.

So how about you? Try it!

But always remember that no matter what your luck for this year is, I still believe that WE MAKE OUR OWN LUCK. We can always look at the things that we MUST learn whenever unfavorable things happen. When we do that, you will realize that no year is BAD! Is learning bad? NEVER.

I hope this helps you all!

Want to look Perfect? Here’s how.

11:52 AM gem 0 Comments

My Memorable Timeline

10:56 AM gem 0 Comments

Which one do you have more, memories or dreams? I was asked this question this year. Surprisingly, I have more memories than dreams. And we were told that for us to be successful in life, we should have MORE dreams. (Okay, maybe that part I have to work on really… really hard) They say that if you have more memories than dreams, it means you cannot let go of the past- or you live in the past which hinders you from seeing what great things you can do and look forward to in the future. (awwww!)

Well, right! Memories should be there to keep us happy when we are down. And true, our dreams should be more than our memories. But let me take some time to check what my TIMELINE would look like. It really gives one a lot of pride and happiness to know that you’ve developed good friendships that withstand time. These are the flashbacks that you would want to see when your skin is already wrinkled.

I met 13 unique individuals when I was in second year highschool (St. Peter). And from there, these individuals became one Barkada which grew together and is continuously growing with our significant other and our growing family.

Nene and Totoy looks… Feels like the TGIS times… Nananana… nanana… nanana… I’m walking on sunshine… woo ohhh… Sige na nga… memory lane nman… for those who cannot relate, you can check the opening credits.

Thanks to this kind of youth oriented show (wholesome). Come to think of it, I think this played a big role in inspiring not just our barkada but other barkadas of our time to bond so strong. really!!!

And from then on… we’ve grown together, grown apart physically but there is still this invisible rope that connects all of us.

We’ve made so many good memories together and that is something that should not be forgotten but instead be the battery that keep us motivated to make more happy memories together. My friends Jeri Paul, RJ and Ryan might not be with us due to distance but we are still one and WE MISS THE THREE OF YOU!!!!

Sabi nga ni LOLO MARIO sa Coca Cola Commerical, have FRIENDS AND FAMILY and LIVE HAPPY EVERYDAY. Never waste your time on nonsense. I am happy that I have not wasted my time in finding true friends. Thank you Lord for making me realize how much you have blessed all of us with the gift of friendship!

If you will create your own TIMELINE, what would it look like? =)

To LIVE a 100 years old? (Inspired by the New Coca Cola Commercial)

1:09 AM gem 0 Comments

You’ve probably seen Lolo Mario. He’s a 100 year old grandfather who visited his granddaughter when she gave birth. And while he was travelling to the city to see the baby, he was giving his message for this little one.

My name is Lolo Mario

And in my 100 years of life

I have been lucky

Lucky to have been born like you

To have friends and family

To live happy to this day

You have been born in challenging times

The world is a big place

It’s easy to get lost

To guide you, my advice is simple

GO FIND WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY

Time flies so fast

Don’t waste it on nonsense

And no matter where you end up

Don’t forget where you came from

Looking back on all my years

I am grateful for every moment spent

with my friends and family

Now I can see that 100 years IS NOT ENOUGH TIME

to spend with them

Happiness is your birthright

Your friends and family will help you find it.

I have watched this video over and over and I love its’ message.

We are winners!

We were all born winners. Conception, was the first battle that we have won. Imagine how many sperms fought their way to live. Out of the millions, YOU were the strongest! Nobody was born a LOSER. It is just a state of mind that some people chose to accept as their personality. Think of the people who were born with disabilities, people who are sick who might be happier if they were given what you have now, a complete and healthy body. So before you complain about your salary, your love life, the domestic issues with your parents/relatives, why don’t you think first of your blessings.

Learn to be strong

True indeed that we live in challenging times. One’s life can easily be influenced by merely watching the television (without proper guidance (for kids)), listening to unhealthy music, being with negative people etc… When I was younger, I remember how my aunt and parents would always tell me to choose my friends. By “choosing” they meant not by social status or face value but by their values. And this is a never ending habit that should extend beyond picking friends. You can never go wrong with interacting and being with positive people. Whatever thoughts or advice you believe in becomes you. You have to be careful.

Value relationships

TIME FLIES SO FAST. If everyone can only realize how true this is, maybe they’d lessen their time watching soap operas or playing video games and do something of importance. One’s life can be so busy that he doesn’t even know what it is that will make him happy. We were given a purpose in life. There is always a reason why we were born. And unless we realize what that is, we will continue to be lost, discontented, and we will get tired of life. Others get so busy with work or their business that they neglect their relationships with the people they love. It is “being with them” that really counts. So do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Say and show how much your loved ones mean to you.

Find your purpose in LIFE

In a couple of presentations I did, I have asked the question “Do you want to live till 100?” I was surprised by those people who answered “No” I respect their reasons. They do not want to look old, or do not want to live that old and be sickly. Well, who says being a 100 means you’re weak and will get sick. Look at Lolo Mario! (skip the part where he drinks Coke which isn’t really advisable- maybe on special occasions)

Quoting a book that I’ve read. Dr. Bernie Siegel found that he could predict which of his cancer patients would go into remission by asking the same question that I asked. “do you want to live to be one hundred?” Those with a deep sense of purpose answered yes and were the ones most likely to survive. And yes again for Lolo Mario’s statement that 100 years is not enough time if you are living happily on earth. 

Make your body HEALTHY

One of the next important thing after finding your happiness is to take care of your health. How will you get to live to a hundred when you do not even take care of your body? do not even care about the food that you eat? or you stress yourself everyday? I chose the word “MAKE” because for me it is a MUST nowadays for people to LEARN how to be healthy. You can join fun runs to be fit but if you are not eating the right food that your body needs, you will still be prone to sickness.

So how do you get to 100?

1. Eat the right food

2. Exercise

3. Take the effective VITAMINS (I can help!)

4. Do not stress yourself

5. Be happy as often as you could by doing what you love and being with the people you care most

This is the time to be grateful for life! Find your purpose and you’ll find your happiness. Value yourself, your health and live to be a hundred with the people you love the most. Now who wants to reach a hundred years old?

Find where Gemmalyn masungit is…

2:56 PM gem 0 Comments

When I was teaching in high school years ago, a lot of students thought that I was a snob, “masungit”, and unapproachable just because of a simple thing… I rarely smile. Yet those who really got to know me would know who I really am. My students told me before to smile. And when I was a trainer and was asked to do a training demo, again, the feedback I got was that I do not smile. It made me look so serious. So my major AFI even before was to smile!

Smiling is not new to me. But oftentimes, my smile is good for the flash of the cameras and on events when my excitement is through the roof!

Until, I saw myself in this video that we took last New Year’s Eve. Captured was my very “masungit” facial expression (complete with rolling eyes). I never thought I looked so “mataray” until I saw myself.

Thus, part of the things that I will be improving is to START SMILING often! It may feel awkward at first but like the saying goes, WATCH YOUR HABITS FOR THEY BECOME YOUR CHARACTER. So if you see me with a smile pasted on my face, be kind for I am just developing the habit of SMILING!!!!

We are naked

9:39 AM gem 0 Comments

It might not be known to a lot of people that I graduated High school from a Catholic school. And now that I am no longer in the academe, (as a student or teacher), nobody monitors me on whether I go to Sunday mass regularly, say my prayers and renew my relationship to God. Come to think of it, a life without God feels like being naked. As I speak now, there are thousands of people out there who live their lives naked.

The first week of January was already meaningful to me because my business leaders arranged a 3 day retreat for us. We stayed at Word of Life in Laguna enjoying all of the camp’s amenities like their football field, swimming pool, swings, zipline and a lot more. We fed our stomach with delicious food, fed our brain, heart and most importantly, our soul.

Yes, I could have easily said “It’s not me!” singing songs of praise. I really realized how work has really made me so busy to forget or neglect my relationship to God. I still pray but everything I think about back then was work, my needs, my family’s needs. And sadly, the last would be to pray.

We were so privileged to hear some words of wisdom from one of the best motivational speakers in our country, Mr. Francis Kong. And among the countless ideas I wrote in my notebook, I will never forget the line “IN EVERYTHING, GIVE THANKS.”

Have you ever wondered why bad things happen to us? Sometimes life gets too sucky that we question God “why me?” People lose their faith and question if there really is a God. However, always remember that in all events, we just have to ask the question “WHAT IS THE MESSAGE THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO TELL ME?” “WHAT SHOULD I LEARN FROM THIS?” It is possible that because of one’s busy life, one fails to see that God is sending a message which if we can only decipher, will make  us understand the reason behind everything. So in everything, we should be thankful because without those, we will not learn.

If your 2011 was not that good, if you have lost a loved one, lost a job, got a debt, had a misunderstanding with your loved one/s, got sick… whatever happened last year, give thanks and learn from it. IT IS IMPORTANT TO LEARN FROM IT. And if you did, then this year will be great because you will be a better person.

Lastly is to surround yourself with positive people because we achieve great things when there are people who help you believe in yourself.

God created us lesser than the angels and gave us a special gift of choice. Our choices will determine whether we will achieve our goals or not. Thus, it is your choice to see the positive in things and be on the road to success or complain and see the negativity in everything and get tired of life.

I am writing this not to show that I have a good relationship with God because to be honest, I have just realized how I was living my life. But those 3 days made me committed to renew that relationship. I am writing this to share my experience and hope that I get to touch other people’s lives to or somehow enlighten them like how I was enlightened.

A Fresh Start

2:59 AM gem 0 Comments

For the 3rd time, I have changed my blog theme and this time, I intend to keep it for as long as I could. I made it very simple and bright because that is how I want my 2012 to be.

So before anything else, HAPPY 2012!!!! It was probably a false information that I got that this year’s colors are either green and yellow. I wore green just for luck. But unluckily, this year’s color was yellow. I was so close to picking the right one! Anyway, nobody in the family really stuck to the theme. This was my first year to spend New Year in a different home. I felt guilty about it but we all have to adjust. I was amazed at the fireworks display that I saw from neighbors. Who said that the people in this country is poor when they managed to spend thousands of money for fireworks? =)

When communicating online, think about this

10:28 AM gem 0 Comments

A look at the year that was

8:43 AM gem 0 Comments

One achievement I am very much proud of is the opportunity to graduate in Maquillage Professionel. My friend Mich planned to open a Photography business and she said she would need a makeup artist. I have always loved makeups. My highschool and college friends relied to me on this whenever we have school plays. Thus, I never thought twice on enrolling myself to a professional Makeup school. And it was a right move. Though the photography business has not materialized yet, I have started my career as a freelance Makeup artist. My weakness now is going to any makeup store because I know I will end up buying a lot of things to add to my collection. I managed to finish my own website entitled Makeup by Gem Taopo and have started a makeup tutorial video which I have forgotten to update because of my busy schedule.

Photography Makeup by Gem Taopo

And the greatest about the year of the rabbit was that I took a path that is so different from what I was taught and was used to, I couldn’t thank the Lord for the knowledge that was shared to me.  After 8 years of being an employee, I was able to resign and give up the path I thought will give me financial success. One could say that it’s not all about the money but the fulfillments you get. But I believe that one thing is common to us all, our need to give happiness to the people we love- That for me is the greatest fulfillment.

Having just enough is not enough. I realized that dreams should not be adjusted based on our salary or on our savings. Dream big and find ways to achieve it. We often think why the rich gets richer but a few really takes the risk in asking them how they did it and apply the advice that they give. Safely put, I learned how to think big and to take my mindset off from a 60k monthly income.
I had Danlyn’s Videoke Bar and Restaurant managed by my aunt, and I became a fulltime businesswoman in one of U.S.’ top 5 best companies to invest in by Forbes. I have a long way to go towards my goals but its good to know that the path I am in can take me there faster.
So much as changed and it is true that when I look back at my life, I’d be glad that I took the risk because things are more exciting now. Challenges will always be there but I know that I am being developed to live life literally “to the fullest.”
It takes the right time, the right attitude, and most important of all- the right opportunity to succeed. I learned that in our grandparents’ days, they taught their children to study hard so they can graduate and get a good job- then they’ll be rich and successful. However, that is not applicable in our days anymore. Imagine how many people from different industry are in the call center because their profession doesn’t pay as much. In our era, you have to be creative to be successful. All those who play it safe will just live for survival.
2011 is a year of realization, knowledge and acceptance for me. I hope, like everybody else, that 2012 will bring more blessings.