From my heart, I reflect on my gratitude for life. We face challenges and struggles, but how we overcome them builds our character.
The will to power through wellness.
The peak pandemic was rough. It felt like endless days of being “stuck.” The 15 lbs I gained was not the prettiest weight (but I am thankful it was just that much). I am so thankful to snap back into a fitness routine, incorporating HIIT, running, and golf. It became a combination where I’d golf so I could be outside more, but to work on my endurance, I’d have to run, and to work on my strength, I’d defer to HIIT.
I am very thankful that I am in a position where I could attend these classes to benefit my health. Thankful that I could push myself to lift heavier weights and run faster. It’ll always be me vs me. You vs you. Never you vs me unless we’re in a legit race.
The ability to play golf.
Golf is a rough but rewarding sport. I am so grateful that golf introduced me to so many opportunities from personal to business, and that I am able to invest this much time, effort, and money into the sport. That I could experience the amazing golf courses out there. Golf is a wonderful experience. People always wish that they started playing sooner, but our roads are paved the way it is for a reason.
The relationships we forged.
I tell everyone that the relationships you forge can last several seasons/chapters, while some don’t even last a chapter in your book. That’s okay.
I’m so happy to meet amazing people along this journey, no matter where we meet. I adore Eena, and we coincidentally met through blogging (via another blogger’s post comment). Crazy how it happens.
The golf girlies elevated my golf game. It’s not about being the best amongst anyone. It’s about having the best time and enjoying yourself. Someone else might have more time and budget to allocate to golf; it’s not that clear-cut. Remember, it’s you versus you. For that, I am so thankful for the empowerment the ladies bring and the funniest memories.
ForeGals Golf ended up being quite a disappointment. I’m a bit bummed out that I put forth a lot of energy helping and promoting the club, genuinely believing that it could provide an active community for women golfers in LA, only for it not to live up to expectations. A lot of it involved the membership value not being fruitful, where the outings ended up being at the same courses, event costs not making sense, shortfalls with the delivery of membership benefits (my SCGA GHIN remains deactivated after 8 months), and observing how a situation of separation was handled. However, looking back, I am thankful that I ran into this club because it made me more comfortable playing with strangers (who end up becoming great friends). The friendships I’ve gained are invaluable and can’t compare to the $600 in membership fees and $500+ in events I’ve spent. At the same time, those $1,100+ took a lot of energy to earn – it’s not cheap.
This situation can’t sour my overall feelings about clubs. There are founders with genuine intentions of creating an inclusive community and hosting exciting social events. The biggest challenge is remembering those original intentions and not caving into greed for money. Success and support from the community will come when your delivery, as a founder, is from the heart. That’s why I’ve started venturing to other clubs and expanding my network, which I am thankful to be able to do.
I have deep gratitude for the individual relationships I’ve formed. We have many fun memories, including spontaneous meet-ups, golf, workouts, lunch at Gucci Osteria, and more.
The career I’ve built.
I’ve shared a lot of the journey of my career in cybersecurity. I was chasing the bag a bit too hard and had a horrible experience that affected my mental health, but we bounced back.
I am so thankful for being in the place where I can work on technical hands-on tasks and worry less about the politics. I used to want to be a manager/leader to create a better place for everyone. I learned I have a gift in doing well as an individual contributor and can still help forge a better place for everyone. I don’t need to do it from the top. I’ll bring the vibe and get the work done. But when the clock strikes five, my carriage will turn into a pumpkin, my horses into mice, my coachman into a rat, and my gown into rags (jokes, just kidding). See? I’m bringing the vibe.
I’ve built a boundary where I disabled my LinkedIn and rejected multiple opportunities for mentorship and volunteering because I wanted to prioritize my time. I am thankful for being able to say no and put myself first. When I volunteered to be a judge at an IT competition, I realized I was burnt out—I was not happy working Monday through Friday and sacrificing my Saturday for more work. However, I’m so happy I could say no and be transparent about my intentions.
My early 20s were spent dreaming about making a name for myself in cybersecurity. Instead, I run a lifestyle blog and a YouTube channel for golf memes. I’m thankful for being okay with that. I’m intentional with my energy for the sake of happiness. I’m happy to say that without the itch of becoming a CISO at a Fortune 500. Instead, I’m fine with doing the work needed to help the CISO organization succeed – just make sure I’m paid well enough to afford Louis Vuitton and golf!
There is a lot for which to be grateful.
The list goes on. Grateful to even be able to do things. Grateful that certain things ARE the problem instead of something worse. I tell people – if this is the worst thing (usually spilled water) that will happen today, then it will not be a bad day.
I will always be the universe’s student; learning how to navigate life, scenarios, and the minutes of the day. Knowing that I am not always right, but at least I tried.
Once upon a time, at work, I received feedback that I was too scared to try something out because I was afraid of failing. The advice was – I would never know unless I tried. Since then, I felt more comfortable with failing. If I did, then what? Get up and try again? Get up and do something different? Get up! I’m not going to be risk-seeking where I will go sky diving or attend a street takeover. I’ll be a lot less risk-averse and just… try. Strategically? Or I’ll just blindly try, like having to swing a golf ball 215 yards to clear the lake – but ended up slicing the ball 180 yards, but it still missed the lake. Take that, one-stroke penalty! I’m thankful for being able to do that.
It’s even the little things, too, such as being thankful for buying clothes for those fun golf outings. Being able to live and enjoy side quests.
To more years of finding more things to be grateful for xoxo.
