Odessa Zara's

Hook is everything. First impressions shape the experience. The beginning sets the tone. Just like how I used to feel hopeless if I woke up late—like my whole day was ruined before it even began. “Today isn’t perfect anymore.” At least, that’s what I once believed. Then, I picked up Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I started with the Introduction, and honestly? It felt slow. Page after page about some town called Roseto Valfortore. I kept thinking, Why do I need to know all this? What’s the point? But I kept reading, and by the end of those 12 pages—boom. It hit me. Insightful. Eye-opening. Now, I can’t wait to read the next chapter. So why did I stick with it? Maybe because Malcolm Gladwell is a big name—the author of The Tipping Point and Blink , another international bestseller. I knew the payoff would be worth it. Or maybe it was my own commitment—I had already signed up for a daily reading challenge, so I had to finish it this month. Or… maybe it was something else. Maybe I’ve ju...

An early morning walk often feels calm and predictable, but today was different—an ambulance parked in my neighborhood, its lights flashing silently, made me slow down and reflect. While I was leisurely strolling, enjoying the stillness of the early hour, someone else was likely having a very different kind of morning—one filled with urgency, worry, and perhaps fear. I don’t know what happened. Maybe someone needed immediate medical attention, or maybe—just maybe—it was a different kind of emergency, like a birth. That thought gave me a bit of comfort—the idea that, perhaps, a new life was about to begin, offering a positive twist to an otherwise tense situation. Even then, starting your day with a rush to the hospital must feel like being thrown into the deep end of a pool before you’ve even had time to wake up properly. It’s interesting how life can show you such contrasts in a single moment. Life’s like that, isn’t it? Sometimes, we’re on a calm ride. Other times, we’re on a rollerc...

So, for the last few days, I've been staying off my earphones. No music while waiting for the bus, no tunes while walking from the bus stop to my dorm, not even while doing laundry or cooking. Just… silence. Well, not total silence—I hear my own footsteps, the doorknob turning, water boiling, the washing machine humming along. Even the whole chaotic mess of city noise: horns blaring, engines roaring, cars rushing past. Usually, I’m that one-song-on-repeat kind of person, same as I stick to the same food over and over. Once I like something, it's all I want. Guess I don’t like stepping outside my comfort zone. But lately, I’ve hit a wall. I’m bored, but I haven’t found a new playlist—or the energy—to search for fresh tunes. So here I am, just drifting through all these sounds around me, zoning out, barely using a brain cell, until—bam—I’m standing in front of my room door. Didn't even realize I’d arrived. Might as well have a "kidnap me" sign on my forehead the way...

Alright, this is gonna be a short one because I’m knee-deep in work right now. But an idea popped into my head, and I needed to jot it down to clear my head from some confusing tasks. So, here’s the scoop: I’m currently on a 3-month contract, and I’ll be wrapping it up in just over a month. It might get extended, and honestly, why not? I dodge the whole job hunting scene, which can totally crush your confidence for a bit. Plus, the pay’s a smidge above minimum wage, and there are those sweet perks like free snacks or lunch from office events or just random kindness from coworkers. But here’s the kicker—it’s all desk work, from 10 to 7. I’m starting to crave some adventure or at least some fresh air. Everyone here is super nice, but I can’t help but envy some of my friends whose supervisors are inspiring, motivating, and challenging in a good way. Maybe it’s because I’m stuck in a government gig that doesn’t really support that vibe (swear it’s not my supervisor’s fault!). As this is my...

When you don’t like someone, everything they do starts rubbing you the wrong way. My significant other once told me that, and man, it hits home. Recently, someone I don’t really vibe with started crying, and I knew it, but I just didn’t want to care. Part of me, a tiny, petty voice, was like, “ Ugh, are you just looking for attention? ” Meanwhile, the peer counselor side of me jumped in and said, “ Seriously? You call yourself a peer counselor, but you can’t even be empathetic right now? ”  Cue the internal conflict. I’m supposed to be the peer counselor—basically a volunteer “angel” for people. But here I am, feeling more like I’ve got a devil on my shoulder. I just didn’t want to ask what was wrong. I didn’t want to listen if they reached out. They’re not my client; I’m not responsible for them. But is that evil , or is it just being human ? That’s the question bouncing around in my head. And then, because the universe has a wicked sense of humor, they reached out to me. I felt c...

I visited a colleague in the hospital today. She’s just a few years older than me—still young—but diagnosed with cancer. I can’t imagine how I’d feel in her place, like my world had fallen apart.  I went with an old friend, and we caught up, laughing both before and after the visit. But later, as I sat at my desk, I started to wonder: is it really okay to enjoy ourselves like that while my colleague is suffering? She smiled, sure, but there’s no way she’s truly "okay" with what she’s going through.  Of course, we didn’t laugh in front of her. After the visit, we still mentioned her now and then, sent our prayers her way, but we also got back to our own lives. Meanwhile, she’s left facing this unimaginable hardship—alone.  Is that unfair? Or is that just life? People can support you, but in the end, you face your struggles on your own. They can still laugh while you can’t even muster a smile. Here I am, working in a lively, vibrant office, while she’s likely lying in a h...