~ It's Okay To Bloom At Your Own Pace ~  . Blooming Isn't A Competition. It Doesn't Have A Predefined

~ I made coffee for myself this morning and it tasted perfect-- bitter, nutty. slightly sweet. It was filled with a thick cover of bubbles and was piping hot. 

.

Today I finally begin a passion project here --- sharing my Zen moments with paper. 

.

Thank you for being with me. I hope you have a lovely day ahead. 🌼

.

.

Illustration: https://www.instagram.com/wiwadd/?hl=en 

“How your life feels is more important than how it looks.” - homebody club.

.

.

| Passport Journal |

Affirmation: 

i will make the time

to add joy 

into my day.

.

.

.

Image Source: @ceruleansoleil  Words: anvi doshi

~ Today, I want to share something very dear to my heart, something that's become my Golden Mantra of sorts. I recently learnt and experienced that whenever you feel you're at a dead-end, lost or have 10% of clarity on a subject: . a) Pray: Take that 10% clarity and go ahead with it rather than wait for the remaining 90%. With that 10%, head to the Universe or to whichever divine energy you believe in and ask for help. Pray: about your worries, your hopes, your want for guidance and rest all of it on the Universe. Let it be there for you. . b) Act: Once you've teamed up with the Universe, pinpoint areas where you can start taking immediate action. What is the work you need to put in and in which areas? Prayer is one half of the Divine Teamwork, taking action is the next. It solidifies your hope and makes you feel actively responsible for your path. It makes you feel like a thriving part of it rather than a passive onlooker. . c) Surrender: Once you've acted in the best way you could, however minimal your actions might feel at times, surrender the outcome to the universe. Trust the divine plan and trust its timing. It is never wrong. Let go of your mind's need to control the result and trust the universe's splendid, ever-caring magic. . . P.S: Most often than not, we are the only ones in our way. Let's open our hearts to help (both divine and human), and let's learn to get out of our own way. 🌼 ~ . . ~ notes from everyday ~

~ Over the last few months, I’ve been enjoying more minimal spreads. A funny connection that I’ve observed: the more I declutter my space (clothes, books, stationery, etc.), the more cleaner and simpler my journal pages turn out. I love how content they make me feel. And here’s to the tiny sushi stickers to whom my heart belongs. ~

~ Kodoku no Gurume ~ Ep. 2, S7 ~ Favorite Moments

101 Guide on the intricacies of enjoying a buffet spread by Goro:

~ you owe yourself the love you crave for ~ . since we were children, we've been conditioned to see love as some thing outside of ourselves. We associate it with a soulmate, friends or family. . hence, to feel loved has always been a waiting game for someone's care and attention. To feel nourished, an external dependency. . often, we forget we are love-incarnates ourselves. We are independent lighthouses of love and are fully capable to provide ourselves with the detailed care we crave and need. . healthy companionship with ourselves or others can never exist if we keep seeking the love we need from an external resource and expect it consistently. . if we can just reconnect to that sweet spot which tells you what you need from time to time and ask ourselves how we can provide the same, love becomes an active force in our day-to-day living. . it stops being a dormant, passive energy that only springs up with external association. . loving ourselves isn't a choice, really. Come to think of it, it is a very primal need on which rests the very core of our being. . here's to hoping we look at ourselves a little differently today.🌼

.

.

.

Picture: @llamacafe 

My Thoughts on ‘Our Beloved Summer’

In a line or two: 

Our Beloved Summer was such a healing, therapeutic watch that did not hide the 'humanness' of love.

The story: 

The drama is about two exes--- Kook Yeon Soo and Choi Woong (high-school students when they began dating) who had a 5-year relationship and broke up. They meet 5 years later and agree (fact: are forced) to shoot a documentary similar to the one they shot in high school. What starts from a '100 Things I Hate About You' turns into an introspective, messy yet heart-warming return to each other.

My Thoughts:

1. I love the layers in Kook Yeon Soo's personality. She's smart, socially inadept, deadpan, and more sensitive than she lets herself acknowledge. I love how the flaws in her character actually make her more endearing and relatable.

2. Kim Ji Woong, our male lead's best friend, is actually the prettiest one here, according to me. He's at constant war with himself, but I also love how he returns to the camera to shoot people's raw selves and finds comfort in it. 

I especially love his friendship with Choi Ung, who despite knowing that Kim Ji Woong has feelings for Yeon Soo, doesn’t push him away.

3. I thought the drama would come to be overwhelming given its storyline. But surprisingly, I couldn't keep away from it because of how comforting I found it to be. 

4. Then we have K-pop idol NJ. She's such a fireball. She's funny, adorable, and yet so trapped and defined by people's idea of her. I love how Choi Ung and she decide to remain friends, comforting each other when things aren't going their way. 

5. Okay, I love Choi Ung's parents so much! Honestly, the idea of running a restaurant and feeding people good food is the definition of a beautiful life for me. However, their care for Ung and his art is so cute and heart rendering.

6. It was through NJ that I realized how joy-crushing fame can be. You forget who you are and try too hard to become someone else's expectations of who you should be.

7. I think Choi-Ung's definition of happiness: "To do lie down and watch the sunlight stream through leaves" was when I first fell for him. 

I love how he's never glorified 'living big'. He's so content with his wants. He knows exactly the kind of people he wants to be around and isn't afraid to go for an unconventional way of living if it makes him peaceful and happy.

8. When they all head for a 3-day trip for the shoot, I got really emotional watching Yeon Soo enjoy herself. It was so nice to see her smile and laugh and let herself free. 

That was the first time I realized how lonely she must have been all these years, handling responsibilities and pushing people away to avoid hurt.

9. My favorite moment of the series was when Ung is waiting for Yeon's answer: will she travel to Germany with him as he enrolls in the architecture program? They meet at Sol Yi's restaurant and Yeon Soo chooses to stay back in Korea because that's what feels right to her. 

There is this amazing moment where they know what they have to do for themselves and yet are so supportive of each other, without letting go of the love they've fought so hard to come back to.

10.Then we have Sol-Yi. I mean, who cannot love her? She's Yeon Soo's 'Reality Check Provider' and also her soundboard + BFF. I have to say I absolutely enjoy watching Park Jin Joo on screen. Even with her supporting role in 'Her Private Life', she was fabulous. 

Here, Sol Yi is spontaneous, has a I-am-the-love-guru vibe and is atrocious in her choice of men. She cooks mediocre food but she doesn't give up on her dream. She's sassy, rude, amazing, and absolutely honest.

11. Lastly, I want to say I came to love Chae Ran so much. She's assistant produce to Kim Ji Ung and is also his unmistakable 'soulmate'. She possess so much sensitivity and yet is so calm and cool. 

I love how she decides to wait for Kim Ji Ung to be in a better headspace before she confesses her feelings for him. That was such a mature, soft, 'ah' moment.

Learnings:

1. When the Universe gives you second chances, grab them with both hands and work to give them your all. People do not come into your life accidentally. Each one is there for a reason.

2. Love has a funny, soft, ridiculously amazing way to make itself known. Allow yourself to feel it when it knocks your door. (P.S: Open it wide and let love rain in your heart.)

3. Love is a fairytale, with all the sparkles, the imperfections, the laughs, the tears, the growth, the support, and the gooey-warm feeling you get when you're with someone right for you.

4. Forgiveness is hard. But regret is worse. 

5. Whoever you were has made you who you are today. But you can always change if you don't like who you've become.

Last Words: 

Oh, please watch this show. It is absolutely adorable, warm and mature.💕💕

~'Itaewon Class’ Taught Me That As Long As You Believe, The Universe Will Make It Happen ~

I will get straight to the point: ‘Itaewon Class’ has been radical, powerful, inspiring and downright bomb. It is such a refreshing show and I am so glad to have watched it during this phase of my life.

The story centers around Park Saeroyi, a high school student who gets suspended for standing up against a bully and refusing to apologize for it. Even as life continues to knock him down, Saeroyi decides to get back up each time. His end goal is to bring down his rival, Chairman Jang Dae-Hee of the renowned food corporation, Janga.Co. As a part of his plan, Saeroyi decides to open his own pub in bustling Itaewon. Along the way, he meets and embraces a troupe of societal misfits who become the backbone of DanBam (his pub).

My Learnings from Itaewon Class:

1. Follow your gut, through and through.

I love Saeroyi for having such deep-rooted conviction in his beliefs and in his intuition. While he pursues his goal with logic and passion, it is his open heart that guides him through every rise and fall.

2. Be flexible; that's how you always remain a learner.

Another thing that I love about Saeroyi is the way he accepts new information and new mannerisms. He is open to suggestions, accepts when he is being stuck-up and rectifies his mistakes by learning how to be flexible.

3. Believe in yourself even when nobody does.

Man, this is such a spectacular thing to watch in Saeroyi, Yi-Seo and Hyeon-yi. Even when the world is against them, these 3 continue believing in themselves and that's exactly why they achieve remarkable things.

4. Have a vision for yourself.

It is delightful to meet goal-driven, visionary, Park Saeroyi even when he is far from where he wants to be. It is the vision that he's created for his life that drives him to be better and do better. Each act, word and thought is channeled for this vision and I loved, loved learning this from him.

5. Nobody can move mountains alone.

I love the DanBam family. I love how they have each other's back. I love seeing Saeroyi find a family once again. The people of DanBam prove that moving mountains is collective effort, not a solo job.

My last thoughts: 

.

.

.

GIF Credits: GIF 1 - Annyeong Oppa | GIF 3 &5 - Soompi | GIF 4 - Giphy | GIF 4 - Kdrama Quotes Galore | GIF 6 - The Mind of a Maine Girl | GIF 7 & 10: Netflix | GIF 8: Kdrama Kisses | GIF 11: Soompi Forums

~ Your positive thoughts from today are far more powerful than the negative thoughts from all the yesterdays ~🌼

I hope you have a very good morning.🌞