New Habits

In yoga last week, someone said something that really resonated with me:

"How you do anything is how you do everything."

I think that's a beautiful thought. It means that individual actions make habits, and habits define your character. How you approach every little thing you do is how you approach everything. So often, people isolate their actions and claim that certain circumstances influenced their behavior one way or another. In reality though, how you live is defined by how you act in all these small moments. It is the average of your actions, the practice in which you live that defines your character. No moment is different than any other - no excuses as to how you live your life. Every moment is an opportunity to prove to yourself that you are who you think you are.

As I practiced yoga that class, thinking, breathing, letting those works soak in, I pushed myself so hard (even though I was so wobbly from the cross-fit session right before!). So many times during the day, I make small concessions from what I would ideally do/react/say/feel. I quickly forgive myself and move on. The implication of this is that maybe who I think I am and who I actually am are diverging. If you keep making compromises and surrendering small things, in aggregate, you'll find that you are far off base!

This semester, I've been off to a good start -- I've been very blessed with a lot of things and I've created new habits that I'm hoping to stick with for a while.

1. Waking up early. Up until a  couples weeks ago, I would always sleep right up until the last minute, then rush rush rush to work or to school. I would literally give myself 10 minutes to brush my teeth, change and throw on some eyeliner. No breakfast, no fuss - just go go go! Often times I would think, "when I get older, I'm going to wake up earlier and take my time, eat breakfast, get dressed properly." I was never sure what "when I get older" meant, but I assumed that I would eventually mature to that point and start doing such. Silly me, because intentions are nothing without effort and habit's cannot be formed without a first time.  Luckily, jetlag from Spring Break helped me achieve my "first time" and since then I've been making a conscience effort to wake up early every day, give myself an 1-2 hours to get ready, eat breakfast, take time in choosing my clothes and applying my make up. It's given me a sense of calm and peace in the morning. Very grown up of me, huh??
2. Eating healthy. When I was in college, I had amazing metabolism. I don't think I every really understood how amazing it was until I started losing it. I used to eat junk food, and it would magically disappear from my body instantly, all evidence hidden. Now, even just a few years later, when I eat something, it shows. I see it on my hips and I feel it in my energy level. Since doing my first juice cleanse in November, I've been trying to increase my intake of liquids (I never used to drink enough water), and to eat a more balanced diet. Sometimes it's hard, with all the free food school provides, but I think the trick is just to shop smart. Once you get the good stuff at home,  it's easier to eat healthy. You eat what you buy, so start there.
3. Saying "Yes" more. I think in my purest state, I am a home-body. I like to stay home and just hang out. Business school offers so many opportunities to go out that it's easy to get overwhelmed and oftentimes, it's easier to just say no or make excuses instead of making the effort. Now that first year is coming to an end, I'm realizing how quickly b-school is going to fly by and have subscribed to the idea of just saying "yes" whenever I'm unsure about something. I always have fun when I get there, but I just gotta get there first! So now, instead of just going out just once a week, I've up'ed it to 2-3. I've definitely been feeling it in my wallet, but hey... when you're down $10's of thousands, a few hundred more doesn't feel that bad right??? :)

That's it for now! Today, I'm going to see Hunger Games (YAY!!) and then go to Spring Gala.

Onwards and upwards!

Cheers,
Vi

Back to Reality!

So, I'm back from Spring Break! Transitioning from the intense highs and lows of internship recruiting to the excitement of exploring London/Rome and now to the monotony of academia has been a little bit of a roller coaster.

For Spring Break, my b-school bestie and I went to London, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast (Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri). It was such a great time to stop thinking about school (too much), celebrate our internships (we both got our first choices!) and to just enjoy the freedom that business school allows you to travel, make friends and learn about who you are and what you want to do with your life.

Reflections on London:
I ended up loving London a lot more than I thought I would. Originally our "pit stop" in London was just to save on airfare (it was cheaper to fly to London then to Rome then to Rome directly). I'm so glad it worked out the way it did because London was such a welcome breath of fresh air. The beauty of the historic buildings, quaint alleys, and charming shops and people added so much color to our trip. In London, we saw all of the touristy stuff like Parliament, Big Ben, the National Gallery, Borough Market, the bridges, Tate Modern, Harrod's, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey but also had some time to explore small shopping districts and try out British fare (like fish and chips and meat pies!).

Reflections on Rome:
Rome was okay. The city was very interesting in that it was littered with historical treasures amidst new looking buildings. I feel like if you just wandered around the city, you'd hit landmines of important landmarks every half mile. I think would have appreciated Rome more if it weren't so touristy and/or if I was more of a history buff. Since I'm not, I was able to enjoy the beautiful sites but didn't soak in as much of the culture as I had thought I would originally.

Reflections on Amalfi Coast:
The Amalfi Coast is definitely the highlight of our trip - Sorrento and Capri especially! These two cities felt like they've been put into a time capsule that has protected them from all that is ugly and bad in the world. The people were charming and nice and the scenery was unreal. I'm not sure if I'll make it back to Italy in the next few years, but if I do, you can bet your bottom dollar that Sorrento and Capri will be on the itinerary.


Now that we're back for the final term of our first year (still can't believe it...), I've been hit with the harsh reality that b-school is almost half done for me. CRAZY! It's been so easy to fall into the student lifestyle again, but I'm also really excited about interning this summer for a lot of reasons.

1) MONEY!! My bank account has a strong negative correlation between funds and the time I've been in school. Luckily, I've found some part time work to help dampen the downfall a little bit, but I'm really excited about the financial boost that this internship will provide (for more traveling!!).
2) It's my dream job. Literally. When I left Genentech 5 years ago, I swore that I'd be back and now, it's a reality (for at least a summer)! The company has changed a little bit since I left, but I am the same -- I feel very blessed to have this opportunity, the same one I set my eyes on 5 years ago.
3) It's in the BAY!! After living in NYC for the past 9 months, I've definitely come to love the city, but there is nothing like home. SF has become home for me and I am so excited to be able to spend this summer in the company of friends, family and, of course, H.

Love,
V