So how was the start of New Year for you? Not so good I bet…
Most people had a bad month in January. In just a span of 4 weeks, there were calamities from different places.
The Australia Bushfire, the Airplane Crash in Afghanistan, Flashfloods in Indonesia, Kobe Bryant’s death in a Helicopter Crash, the almost War between Iran and the USA, and of course, our country didn’t take any exemptions.

First, there was the big Earthquake in Mindanao.
Then the Taal Volcano Phreatic Explosion. A few days after lowering the Alert Level of the Taal Volcano, the Wuhan Corona Virus penetrated our country.
That was just all in 1 month… Geesh!

During the 2019 New Year festive, all of us were filled with optimism and hope for the coming 2020.
Our resolutions were all listed and scheduled according to plan. Little did we knew then…

We were distracted by all of these catastrophes. We were buried with all of these unfortunate incidents.
We are drowning and can hardly breathe. What do we need to do?

This I say to you. It’s time to wake up, get up, and GO!
Full steam ahead baby!
Let’s start over and decide that our 2020 will start on the Love Month of February. We still have hope people.

We should not let any kind of Distractions to demolish our goals. No matter how hard it is and how painful it gets, we still have time to rebound and make things great.

My January started with me and my family getting all sick from the Christmas cold weather.
Then our province (Batangas) got badly hit by Ashfall from the 2nd most active volcano in the Philippines.
Now we have to defend ourselves from the deadly Corona Virus.
All of these tragic events took time away from my schedule and definitely delayed my goals for the year.

But it didn’t really bothered me anyway. I don’t let Distractions destroy me.
In fact, I let these disasters define me. Made me stronger and wiser to move forward.
So while all of these tragic events were happening, I have to adapt and slow some businesses that are affected by it.
With that I have more free time, I devoted my free hours to work on other things that are not affected by these disastrous circumstances.

I looked for a quiet place. Got my cat. Pulled out my laptop. And started writing.
I started by writing campaign materials for my existing clients in the United States. I continued my Web Development projects.
And now I am writing to you guys. It took a while, but I am back.
I feel that I have this responsibility to give some written inspiration to my loyal readers. I owe them that.

In this time of crisis, people need any kind of inspiration in whatever forms.
If you have a little bit of a following, you should take care of them. They are your responsibility.
There is a reason why they followed you in the first place.
Don’t let them go hanging out in the cold. Continue what you are doing best no matter what life brings you.

So if you are a Violinist with a YouTube channel.
Get your Violin. Grab your videocam and start uploading those videos.
Your fans hysterically thirst for your music.

If you make quality and tasty Vegan Donuts.
Go back to baking. Fire up your oven and start notifying your customers that you are back.
Go and satisfy their hunger.

It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter what line of work or profession you are in. People will be looking for you. They will be surprised if you stop doing what you are doing. There is no reason for you to halt.
You may slow down sure, but never get your feet off the gas pedal.
All of us are unique. We are all created differently with exceptional skills that we carry from the day that we were born.

Distractions can slow you down, but don’t let it stop you.
Take 1 step back in order for you to move 2 steps forward.
Always remember that when one door closes, another opens.
You are too talented, too skilled, and too smart to let these distractions demoralize you.
You are way much better than that. Don’t ever forget that.

As I write this article, typing every single word on my relaxing Rattan sofa…
I look down at my Siamese cat, petting her and murmuring to her and saying that “I am beginning again”.

We all have a purpose in this life of ours. Mine is to write and tell stories in hopes to encourage and influence my readers to somehow uplift their lives and change it for the better.

I do hope that you will have a better February. And if you feel that you are still drowning, just keep on kicking your way upward.
You’re too amazing to live a miserable life. You can control your life and take charge of it. You just got to believe!

Here’s to you! Here’s to us! Here’s to a better month of February!
Happy New Year!