Make It Count

Hello there!

Are we are already halfway through 2018? Wow. As a post to recap back on how the year has been so far, I decided to post something a little different today, something different than the usual photography posts and something a little more personal (~~nerve wracking~~) and close to my heart. Here are some highlights of my 2018 :) Enjoy!

January 2018: Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

2017 was probably my most inactive year in photography mainly because of internship and final year in uni and Taylor's Ball all packed into 1 year. It was crazy.

And more often not, I’ve heard of so many people telling me to “make the best out of my time before working life starts” because of usual reasons like how you won’t be able to have the freedom and time do a lot of things when you start working. And it’s interesting that whenever people tell me that, the first thing which comes into my mind is photography - Will I still be able to take photos when I start work?

I remember sharing with Leroy on my little desire to pursue photography during my post uni break before working life and how I am also scared to do so because it’s been a pretty long break for me and I don’t know if I had lost touch with it, somehow. What if people lost confidence in my photography due to my long break?

So many times, I find myself defeated especially when I look at the work of other photographers who I find so much better than me. And boy does the comparison game run in my mind sometimes - to see who has better gears, who has attended prestigious workshops and the list goes on.

And while I shared with Leroy my fears and struggles in pursuing photography for these few months, he said “Go for it babe”.

So if there’s one thing that I learned, is to just do it. To stop comparing, stop looking down on yourself and to just get up on your feet and try. Hustle and try until you get it right because really, you never know until and unless you try.

Many times, we have a lot of dreams and desires but I’ve always believed that what makes the true difference is action and discipline. To take action in making your desire a reality and to instil discipline in your time management and habits.

So I said a little prayer and kick started the M O M E N T S project and was so thrilled and honoured when I had all 3 slots filled up in less than 1 month!

A dear friend of mine, Sara surprised me with a ticket to Planetshakers Conference 2018 as my birthday gift which was definitely a memorable experience :) And yes, they sound EXACTLY like how you hear them live - so good.

February 2018: Cookies & Calories

Apart from CNY celebrations, I also had the opportunity to share in FireBRANDS service which definitely brought back a lot of memories for me as this was a place where I spent my Saturdays at during my teens :)

I shared on how each and everyone of us are called by God to do something in the different areas He has called us to. Shared on 3 Cs - Calling, Consistency and Company.

My 2018 would definitely not be what it is if it weren't for these boys as well :) Though it comes with some hair-pulling & stressful moments, but it is always such a joy to watch them grow. When people ask me whats the hardest part about leaving home, these boys are my answer, always.

March 2018: A Dream Come True

For the longest time, I have always heard of so many people talking about how amazing Australia is and seeing how I personally know of many who have tried to migrate or migrated to Australia, I've always wondered what was it about this country that so many fell in love with. While it was always my heart's desire to visit Australia one day, I also wanted it to be a trip that is self-funded.

Fast forward to March and I am beyond thankful that this little dream of mine did come true :) I had the opportunity to travel to Melbourne for a week (I thought 1 week was more than enough when I purchased my flight tickets - like really, Eulene?)

Many were surprised to find out that I travelled alone but honestly, I loved it. One of the best things about travelling on your own is that you don't have any sense of obligation, so when I wanted to spend an extra hour or two at a park to take more photos - I didn't have to worry about another person's time schedule etc.

With that being said, I truly enjoyed this trip because of the people I also got to meet and catch up during this trip :)

Yes Adidas, my friend is all available to be your brand ambassador, anytime ;)

April 2018: Do I Have Your Attention?

Being the virgo and planner that I am, I had in mind a timeline & plan of my career and what I wanted in the job/company before applying. While I received a few offers before even my final exams, I just knew in my heart that it wasn't the one.

In midst of searching and application, I was quite discouraged when I found out that I was not shortlisted to some of the companies which I wanted to work for.

So when I heard that my church was having a Fast & Prayer season in March, I felt a strong tugging in my heart to also join in to fast and pray.

While I was deciding on what to fast, I heard Him gently saying "Do I have your attention, Lene?" - I knew that I have been quite distracted in my thoughts and needed to fast from social media (Facebook and Instagram) and to spend more time on His word.

"You never know what you have till it's gone" - I found this to be so true when I decided to fast from social media because it was then I realised just how much I turned to them even when I don't realise it and especially when I wake up from bed and the first thing I check is my social media. How I often find myself not having good and quality conversations with people when the phone is being checked most of the time.

It was when I fasted from social media and all its distractions, I found myself immersing more into His word and just starting to see His heart in what He says. Towards the end of a fast and prayer, I saw a job advertisement on LinkedIn and it was then, the start of something beyond my imagination. The timing of all this was definitely not coincidental as I look back, I knew that I needed to get my heart and mind aligned to His first before going into this job :)

May 2018: Be The Change You Wish To See

Growing up as a Malaysian, I was never really interested in politics and always had this perception at the back my mind that the political scene in Malaysia would never really be different. But as I grew older, I began to realise how important and crucial a good government is for the country and more importantly for the people - for the young and old and for people of all races and religion.

We know so much about the political scene in our country but many times, when it comes to rolling up our sleeves to do the work - we keep silent and say that "someone else" will do it, not us.

Knowing how GE13 and it's results were, I decided that I will get myself involved in ensuring that the same thing won't be repeated again this time. Did I feel like small little me won't really make THAT much of a difference? Did I feel like maybe things may just turn out the same again? - Yes, yes I did.

But I realised that if I continue to think that way, then really - change will never happen.

As a first time voter, I also signed up as Polling Agent and I want to say a big thank you to all the dedicated Polling and Counting Agents (PACA) who ensured that the voting process was smooth and clean. To those who sacrificed their time (less than 3-4 hours of sleep during the weeks prior to GE14) to ensure that there were enough PACA for the various voting stations, thank you.

The beauty of this GE14 is the fact that this victory was not a one man show but instead, the victory was an outcome of different individuals coming together to cooperate and work towards 1 cause.