just minishorts.

We came back from Paul's scheduled 6 week check up today with the latest news: Paul's gained a hefty 1+ kilograms and added another 8 cm to his body length. I'm feeling quite 'accomplished' since Paul's been on nothing except momma's milk.

Of course Paul's papa doesn't hesitate to call me the moo moo cow of the family these days.

*sigh* another two weeks or so before I head back to the hectic world of Public Relations again.

…

I was thinking about the law of attraction and how true it is in my case. All my life, or at least, all of my adult life I've been thinking that if I ever get married, it has to be around the time I'm 27 years old – and that isn't really because I'm THAT eager to get hitched – rather, I've been 'planning' that if I ever have to attempt motherhood, I want to do it before I hit the big three-O. And lo and behold, we registered our marriage when I was 28, got pregnant about 6 months later, and Paul came into our lives when I'm into my third month of being 29!

I think that's the Law of Attraction working in my case.

…

So, if it works THAT well all the time (and I sure hope it does), these are the things I want THIS year:

1. I wanna head my own corporate communications department this year.
2. Salary increment of 30% this year please.
3. Weight loss to original pre-wedding weight before June this year, thank you very much!
4. Paul's first words to be 'mama' please!
5. Please let the maid we employed be a very good, trustable and reliable help around the house.
6. Eric's results at work to improve tremendously.
7. All those damned stretch marks to fade by the end of this year!

There! I hope seven sincere desires aren't too much to ask for.

A confused subordinate?

Or a very haphazard superior?

…

8 years since I joined the workforce, and I am still trying, wondering.

I honestly think they don't actually. And the annoying thing is, it's confusing the whole lot of us. So sometimes, of course, I'm terribly envious of friends in the field, in different industries, who work for supervisors who know what we're talking about. Who understand our actual roles, and respect our responsibilities and efforts to constantly push for integrity and transparency.

Yes, a part of PR is about lobbying for presence in the media. No, lobbying for presence in the media does not have to include 'buying editors'. Yes, some journalists and writers are unscrupulous that way. Yes, it can be an option.

No, it is not a recommended choice, especially not if you're seeking to uphold credibility and build a clean and transparent image for your corporation.

And yes, if we say no to you, even though you're the boss, it doesn't mean we're disrespecting you. It means that we're constantly taking that risk of making you unhappy and angry at us, with your best interests in mind.

…

At least, if you asked me, I'm not the type who would recommend paying off writers to get a story written. SERIOUSLY.

A few weeks ago, a bunch of us old chums from the same school were gathered around some coffee mugs and empty plates, lamenting over the state of diarray we have landed ourselves, a decade since we left the old place. Reunions are like that these days, starting off with great joyous pats on the backs and commenting on how we've never quite changed, or, in my case, how well I now look that I'm complemented with a bump in place of my tummy.

And then we catch up a little, exchange name cards (in case we've changed offices again), and someone buys the coffee. A little over an hour later, we're left with depressed sharings of 'whose work sucks the most'. And someone, someone the wisest of all (or at least, the one a little less wise than I am) would loudly claim, 'Well, it's a job, it's work. You're not supposed to be happy where you're working.'

Because, apparently, 'Work is supposed to be suffering.'

I quite heartily disagree. Many many years ago as a school kid with an affinity for seeking up 'quotable quotes', I stumbled upon this piece of ancient wisdom, 'Do what you love and love what you're doing and you'll never work another day in your life.'

That line has driven me to insist that life isn't about studying the top of the notch courses to find a job that sucks but pays well, to provide me with enough dosh so that I can scrimp and save like a wicked Scrooge until 45 years later, to reap the harvest of my hard work. I don't believe work should be all that hard. On the contrary, I really believe if the work gets overtly tiring, then it's time to leave. It just isn't worth it working like a donkey for 45 years of your precious life for the heck of a few million bucks to enjoy in your later years. Sure I may not be rich doing a job that I enjoy doing, but at least it keeps me happy for the 45 years that I'm working, rather than waiting my entire life, grumbling and wallowing in misery over indecisive bosses and promiscous secretaries, or impossible sales targets and stupid customers (the list goes on). If you can be okay and choose to be happy where you are now, with what little material possessions you have, why aim for happiness only at the end of retirement?

So I really think work is meant to be enjoyed.

Aspirations are fine things, in fact, I think they are necessary to keep you on your toes, allowing you to hit goals and get better as time passes.

However, it's one thing to have aspirations and go for them, and totally something else altogether to have aspirations but insist to achieve these goals by doing things in the old way.

I mean, if you were right all a long, then you would have achieved your goals a long time ago, so why even bother declaring goals when you have no intentions whatsoever to shed your old skins?

…

A snake who intends to grow bigger would shed his old skin in order to get bigger. You can't cling on to your pasts and your methodology and 'get there'. It's just impossible.