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JRLBENEDICT

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” — Ansel Adams

December 24, 2018

Day 24. Christmas Eve

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December 23, 2018

Day 23. Christmas Spirit

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December 22, 2018December 22, 2018

Day 22. Can’t Change the Past

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December 21, 2018

Day 21. Battle with your Mind

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December 20, 2018

Day 20. Being Judged

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December 19, 2018

Day 19. Willpower

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December 18, 2018

Day 18. Friendships

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December 17, 2018

Day 17. Free Your Mind

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December 16, 2018

Day 16. Living Life

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Less than an hour to go here in the East Coast before we ring in the new year. Here’s to an amazing 2019! #NYE
Day 24. 1 Day to go before Christmas. Tea: Fireside Mocha (Fruit Infusion) Christmas is here once again May the joyful spirit lift all your sorrows and pain And no matter where you may be I hope you are overflowing with glee May your heart be filled with love and peace Let all the negativity and hatred cease For this time is about sharing happiness and absolution Let all wounds heal and pave the way for compassion Spread the jubilation that comes with the season Especially to those who feel alone and need elation And I hope you feel the yuletide cheer Together with the people you hold so dear Merry Christmas!
Day 23. 2 Days to go before Christmas. Tea: Santa’s Secret (Black Tea) Can you feel it yet? We’re only a sleep away from Christmas eve, and I’m living for it. I actually dreamt about carollers last night and, for a few minutes, I was transported back to the Philippines. I was talking to another Filipino coworker earlier this week and we talked about how different Christmas there is. To paint you a picture, it’s very loud, colourful, and bright. It doesn’t matter if you have lots of food or presents. What matters is that you’re with family and friends. It’s all about the spirit of the holidays. After all, Christmas is supposed to be about love, peace, and joy. #24DaysofTea #Christmas
Day 22. 3 Days to go before Christmas. Tea: Tulsi Tranquility (Fruit Infusion) Today’s entry is going to be very short as I’m exhausted. I want to share a quote from Carl Bard that goes, “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” As we’re nearing the end of the year, I think it’s important that we reflect on what we’ve done and what we’re going to do in the future. We can’t change the past, but we have the power to pave a new future. So, in the spirit of the holidays, I would like to take this chance to apologize to everyone I’ve hurt. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. I will try to do better in the future. #24DaysofTea
Day 21. 4 Days to go before Christmas. Tea: Buddha’s Blend (White Tea) I was talking to a friend earlier today about how I let my thoughts control me. Most of the time, I can’t help it. It’s just how my brain is wired. My friend did tell me something really encouraging though. He said that I am not my thoughts and that I am not defined by what’s inside my head (no matter how messed up it may be). I am what a reflection of what I do, of my actions. Most of us let our thoughts dictate or weigh heavily on how we act. I once heard a TED Talks speaker say that great people are great because they never let their inner thoughts or feelings direct how they’re going to respond to certain situations. And it’s not like they never get tempted to follow what they’re thinking or feeling, but they don’t feel like they should. I think the lesson here is that we might not be able to control our thoughts, but we can definitely control how we’re going to act. And in a world where actions speak louder than words, I think that means a lot. #24DaysofTea
Day 20. 5 Days to go before Christmas. Tea: Caramel Shortbread (Fruit Infusion) A lot of us hate uncertainty partly because we’re afraid of being judged by others if we act or react in a certain way. We are afraid of what others might think about us and what the world might brand us. If we put ourselves in unusual situations, we might look awkward or out of place. People might think we’re weird or different. If we push our limits to try to achieve something great, we might fail and people might say that we’ve disappointed them. The thing is we are never going to achieve our full potential if we’re too concerned about what other people think of us. I have heard numerous personal stories where people have turned their lives around by not listening to other people’s opinions. At the end of the day, life will continue no matter how the world perceives you. That’s not to say that you should go crazy and just do whatever without thinking of the consequences. What I’m saying is that in order for you to achieve success, you need to have an open mind when it comes to being “judged” by other people and not let the judgments get to you. You’ll have to accept that not everyone will say nice things to and about you. Once you’ve done that, then the sky is the limit as they say. #24DaysofTea
Day 19. 6 Days to go before Christmas. Tea: Mulled Wine (Oolong Tea) Everyone goes through something very difficult in their lives every now and then. After all, life isn’t and will never be perfect. If there’s anything the past couple of days have taught me, it’s that my woes are nothing to what most of the world is facing. That’s not to say that my troubles are trivial because they absolutely are not. It’s just I’ve had enough time to look at things from a different perspective and see how lucky I am. So what exactly am I trying to convey here? Having some kind of reality-based perspective is essential or, at the very least, helpful in facing life and the problems thrown at oneself by the universe. Like I said earlier in this series, if other people who have greater burdens than I have can survive, then so can I. It’s a matter of will. The only question is how long one can sustain that will. P.S. Today’s tea is quite fitting for what’s been going on in my life lately as my doctor advised me that I should carefully moderate my alcohol intake while on medication. I can’t drink as much as I used to and it’s a little disappointing (it’s not like I’m not a drunk), but it will be for the better. #24DaysofTea
This weather made me get away with wearing a layered fall coat and a shirt on (bonus: I got to wear my clubmasters this late in the year). Very unusual for this season. I actually broke a sweat while walking around campus. 🌞
Day 18. 7 Days to go before Christmas. Tea: Mother’s Little Helper (Herbal Infusion) So this post is a little late as I just got home from Toronto, but I just want to say that it feels amazing to have people you thrive with both in silence and in merriment. As you know, I’ve been having such a tough couple of days lately and it just felt so refreshing and encouraging to be around people I love and support me no matter what. We laughed, dined, and talked a lot as well as enjoyed each other’s company in moments of silence. They didn’t say the words, but I felt them being there for me. To quote David Tyson, “True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable.” #24DaysofTea

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