Image courtesy of Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Brave-Not-Perfect-Fear-Bolder/dp/1524762334/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=b7526a7d-0775-4dc3-951e-63994e51a26d
Brave, not Perfect.This is how I choose to live. This is how I now describe myself. I was gifted a book with that title written by Reshma Saujani a couple of years back because I was having an existential crisis. When I first saw it, I was honestly insulted. A self-help book? Seriously? But eventually, I got around to reading it and once I started, I couldn’t put it down. The stories and messages really resonated with me and they really changed my perspective on life.
All About Me
Hi everyone, my name is Kim and I was invited to hive by @outwars. I was born and raised in the Philippines and then moved to California after I graduated college. I’ve moved around quite a bit and am now settled in Hawaii with my husband and two daughters, along with our 2 rescue dogs.
Professionally, I am a nurse, and I have been practicing for over a decade. But when I am asked to describe myself, my response is always that I am a mother of 2. I honestly never wanted kids but now? I am completely in love with them. They really do change you.
About my existential crisis, I came to a point where I felt that I have compromised on everything and didn’t really get to just go after what I really want. Then one day, I woke up and love happened and I am not where I truly want to be. I’ve always joked about how I seemed to always get the opposite of what I say. For example, I never wanted to be a nurse, it was a stepping stone for medical school but here I am. I never wanted to be in the US and dreamed of living in Europe, but here I am. I disliked doctors and yet, I got married to one. Thus, the crisis. But I have since chalked it all up to everything happening for a reason. I love my little family and if it weren’t for everything I had to go through, I might not have ended up with them which would have been devastating.
Passion-wise, I’ve always wanted to be an actress. Not for the glitz and glamour, but because I enjoyed the escape it provides, getting to live as someone else for a little while. I did end up doing some things but I never really got to pursue it because it was viewed by my family as a hobby and not a real career. I remember Jokoy’s comedy bit about Filipino parents “shitting on their children’s dreams” and it hits a little too close to home. Honestly, when I graduated high school, no one thought I would be in the healthcare field. I was always branded as creative because I loved performing, although, I did always have a good head on my shoulders.
Image disclaimer: this was taken over 10 years ago so I do t look like this anymore but a girl can dream.
Recently, I came into another crisis, getting post partum depression after my second child. That coupled with the pandemic exacerbated my mental health issues and I was extremely depressed and anxious. Recently though, I rediscovered my creative side and found that it helped with my anxiety. Being who I am, I voraciously watched and read and researched everything I could find about what I can do with my art that a week later, I’ve opened an Etsy store with designs I created from my photos and some graphics, submitted photos on a few websites to be considered for stock photography, and I have written and illustrated 3 children’s books that I self-published on Amazon. Yes, I have been busy and I’ve continued to be.
Needless to say, I am a go-getter. I go 1000% at everything I do and I don’t accept failure. This is of course not healthy but I can’t help it. I often find myself completely immersed in creating more designs and products on Canva, writing more books, editing photos on Lightroom, and researching about SEOs and advanced optimization until 2am because I have to constantly improve and produce and succeed. What can I say, I am a Leo born on the year of the Tiger. Go figure.
So, that is what you can expect to read about from me. My (mis)adventures in the world of small business ownership, what I’ve learned on this crazy journey, and perhaps a few posts about how overwhelmed I am (looking at you @emotions and feelings community!). But I will also post about motherhood, mental health, and movies and tv shows since all that makes up about all of what I do. I am also a foodie/alcohol lover and an avid traveler so I will post about those too.
I hope to be able to bring valuable contributions to the communities I join and to be able to use Hive as an outlet and a listener. I look forward to reading everyone’s posts and getting inspired and motivated.
P.S. I would absolutely appreciate getting feedback about my work and I am open to any tips or advice or even just words of encouragement.
Thank you!