🌿 From Depression to Self-Discovery: How I Rebuilt My Life Piece by Piece

A personal story of healing through art, faith, boundaries, and rediscovering what truly matters.

There was a time when I felt completely disconnected from myself. When even the simplest things felt heavy and meaningless. Depression can steal your joy quietly, one day at a time, until you forget what light feels like. But healing, I’ve learned, is not a single moment of awakening. It’s a collection of small, deliberate choices, gentle steps toward wholeness and peace.

This is how I overcame my depression and rebuilt my life piece by piece, day by day.

🎨 Rediscovering Art and Self-Expression

I found my way back through art. The watercolor and acrylics became my therapy. Painting gave me peace, perspective, and hope. Each brushstroke helped me understand my emotions in ways words couldn’t.

Writing, blogging, and journaling followed. I began to pour my thoughts out again, no longer afraid to see them on paper.

🍃 Rebuilding My Routine and Boundaries

I rebuilt my daily routine, making sure it was rooted in intention rather than pressure. I fixed my diet and reconnected with my body. I created a healthy workout habit that I don’t post about online because it’s my quiet date with myself.

I learned to say no to things, people, and situations that don’t align with my values and goals. I let go of toxic relationships and opened my circle to people who share the same depth and authenticity I now seek in life.

🌸 Choosing Growth and Curiosity

I started a business I knew nothing about, but I was curious and eager to learn. I read more books about psychology, philosophy, motivation, and self-growth. Each one added a new layer to my understanding of life and myself.

I discovered simple joys too: that pistachio ice cream and croissants make me genuinely happy. I mastered the Italian way of Dolce Far Niente — the art of doing nothing but in the right time and with purpose.

✈️ Finding Strength in Solitude

I traveled alone without more photos. I put myself in challenging situations to trigger my motivation. I learned to enjoy my own company and listen to my inner voice.

I joined an art group where people of different backgrounds gather monthly to talk about techniques, creativity, and life. It’s where I found belonging again through shared passion, not shared pain.

💫 Saying Goodbye to “Quick Dopamine”

I quit the cheap sources of dopamine, those mindless scrolling, impulsive online shopping, binge-watching, and sugary cravings. I’ve been free from sugar and dairy milk for some years now, and I feel great, lighter, clearer skin, more myself.

I began to choose slow satisfaction instead: the joy that comes from effort, purpose, and genuine connection.

🙏 Strength in Faith and Community

One of the most powerful pillars of my healing has been my faith. Having such strong faith has strengthened me in moments when I felt weakest. My prayer group - the CFC ministry & the English Mass Community I'm with are full of true prayer warriors. They became my safe space, my reminder that I am not alone.

Through prayer, shared reflection, and genuine fellowship, I found hope and comfort that no therapy or routine could replace. Their prayers, encouragement, and unwavering belief carried me when I could barely carry myself.

🌻 Living Authentically

I left a toxic work environment and stopped being afraid to speak my mind yet always with respect, never with resentment.

Now, I live by one rule: alignment.
Alignment with my values, my goals, my health, and my peace.

Healing, I’ve learned, is an art form. It's a daily act of courage. It’s not just about overcoming depression; it’s about rediscovering yourself and choosing to grow every single day.

✨In reflection:

Healing isn’t about going back to who you were. It’s about becoming who you were always meant to be.

Like painting, healing takes time. Every color, every mistake, every layer becomes part of a larger masterpiece of the person you are becoming.

My faith carried me when I couldn’t carry myself. My prayers became my breath, and grace became my strength.

much love,

xoAi

#HealingJourney #OvercomingDepression #SelfGrowth #FaithAndHealing #MentalHealth #ArtTherapy #PersonalDevelopment #Wellbeing #SelfDiscovery

The Filipino film - Only We Know

What is a great love? 💭

I watched the Filipino film Only We Know on Netflix last night. It's such a heartwarming story full of quiet truths about love and relationships. It made me reflect deeply on the kind of love I’ve known from the past, and even the one I have now.

I used to think love was about sharing the same passions, hobbies, or dreams… that being “compatible” meant liking the same things. But now I’ve learned, it’s more about how great life feels when you’re with that person. It’s not about being the same, but about creating a rhythm together from two different souls who somehow fit in harmony.

There’s a line in the film that asked: “What is a great love?”

That question stayed with me and reflected on it.

When I was younger, love was that kilig to the bones feeling (the butterflies) , the thrill, the excitement that makes your heart race. I thought great love was the one that never ends, the one you end up with.

But growing older taught me something deeper. That sometimes, great loves are the ones that remind you life is still beautiful, still worth living… even after heartbreak. ❤️‍🩹

This film also taught me about loneliness and grieving. How even the most beautiful love stories can end, and how losing someone doesn't mean the love disappears. Sometimes, grief is just love with nowhere to go. We grieve not just the person, but the version of ourselves that existed when we were with them. And yet, from that loneliness, we grow, we learn how to carry love differently, more quietly, more meaningfully

And maybe, loving someone isn’t just about being together, it’s about helping each other grow, even when you’re apart. Because real love doesn’t cage you; it lets you bloom. It’s about wanting the best for each other, even if your paths no longer meet.

The film also touched on companionship. That as we age, we long not just for the one who sweeps us off our feet, but for the one we can sit beside in silence and still feel peace. Someone you can talk to endlessly about nothing and everything, and never grow tired.

No one else can define the relationship you’re in. Not labels, not people, not time! Only the two hearts who choose to understand each other. And sometimes, the sweetest kind of love is friendship. 🌿

Only We Know reminded me that while we’re young, we shouldn’t stop loving just because we’ve been hurt. We shouldn’t stop searching for love because youth gives us the chance to experience many great loves. Each one shapes us, heals us, and teaches us how to love better next time.

Maybe that’s what a great love truly is....not the one that lasts forever, but the one that makes you see life’s beauty again. ✨

So, keep on loving and searching for that great love.

Who knows, it might just be in your neighborhood. 💕

I can highly recommend you watch this film. It is not the typical Filipino cringe love film, but heartwarming and full of wisdom about life and love in general.

Enjoy!
xoAi

Embrace the Struggle

One of the most fascinating truths I’ve learned is that the struggle is good.

It’s easy to wish for ease, to hope things would just flow without friction. But growth doesn’t happen there. Strength, character, and clarity are forged in the middle of discomfort, doubt, and effort.

It has been a hard week for me. I’ve had to navigate my emotions in such a way that I could find the lighter side of things. May it be from personal to work-related struggles. But one thing that really motivated me to embrace the struggle this week is the art of reminding and practicing gratefulness.

During one of our office events, we had a short workshop on developing the skill of gratitude in training ourselves to look for three things to be grateful for within the first hour after waking up. It might sound simple, but it truly helps. This daily exercise has shifted my perspective, allowing me to focus on positivity and see the brighter side of things rather than the negatives.

And in that process, I’ve learned to also be grateful for the struggles themselves because they help me grow as a person and appreciate this wonderful life we live in even more.

At the same time, this week in the office, I was recognized as one of the key players at work. Despite the stress, workload, and all the challenges I’ve faced, my efforts were seen and appreciated. That kind of recognition, being valued for your hard work is something no amount of money can replace. It’s such a great boost of confidence and truly rewarding. Definitely a dopamine high! 💫

When life feels heavy, it’s not a sign you’re failing it’s a sign you’re growing. The struggle is not our enemy; it’s our teacher.

💛 Here’s to embracing both the good days and the hard ones because together, they make life beautifully whole.

Cheers,

xoAi

#EmbraceTheStruggle #Gratitude #GrowthMindset #PersonalGrowth #Resilience #PositiveVibes

Love Is Not Enough

For years, I believed love was simple: you meet, you care, you choose to stay. But life  and heartbreak taught me otherwise. Here’s what I finally understand about why love, by itself, is not always enough.

Reflections on heartbreak, growth, and letting go

Love is not enough for two people who are in love.

I stumbled upon a film I had watched years ago. The story was still etched in my memory: two people, deeply in love, torn apart by a choice neither of them wanted to make. I remembered the way they cried, the sound of their voices breaking, the way their hands slipped away from each other. I remembered feeling sad, but not shattered.

Back then, I still thought love was simple: you meet, you care, you choose to stay. And I couldn’t understand why they didn’t. Why would anyone walk away from something so rare?

Tonight was different

Tonight, the scene reached inside me. But it wasn’t only the film. It was also the countless conversations I’ve had with people who came to me seeking advice about love, heartbreak, and moving on. Their stories, each unique and raw, echoed the same truth: love, even when real and deep, is sometimes not enough to keep two people together.

I’ve listened to friends and strangers alike talk about relationships that once felt like forever, only to drift apart. I’ve seen them grieve and fight, hope and despair, and eventually find a way to heal. And in their courage, I found the words and understanding I hadn’t been able to fully grasp in my own life.

As I watched the film and reflected on these stories, I realized: some love steadies us for a season, but cannot carry us into what comes next. Some love fills you, but eventually drains you until all that’s left is exhaustion. And sometimes, letting go is not a failure. It’s the bravest act of all.

The purpose of people

Maybe, in each story I’ve heard including my own the love given and received served a purpose. Maybe the love I could offer someone once was exactly what they needed. Maybe the love they gave me anchored me when I was drifting. People enter our lives with a purpose, though we rarely see it at first. They belong to certain chapters, not the whole story. And when their purpose is fulfilled, life begins to pull us apart, no matter how tightly we try to hold on.

I used to fight that pulling with everything in me. I used to think that clinging harder meant love was real. But when we fight what’s already leaving, we only deepen the wound. Growth demands change. And change asks us to outgrow even the people we love most  even the ones we once promised forever to.

The truth we learn

Listening to others, watching the film, reflecting on my own past, I finally understood: leaving is not always the absence of love. Sometimes it is evidence of it. Sometimes we let go not because love has died, but because we cannot keep growing where we are.

Every story I’ve encountered, every heartbreak shared with me, every tear I’ve witnessed  has reminded me that love can exist without staying. That it can shape us, teach us, and prepare us for the next chapter. That it can heal us even as it leaves.

So tonight, as I watched those characters walk away from each other, I no longer saw weakness or failure. I saw people brave enough to release each other, even while their hearts were breaking. I saw love that was real enough to let go.

Back then, I didn’t understand their choice.

Tonight, I finally do.

Love is not enough.

But maybe that was never the point. Love’s purpose is not always to keep us together. It is to awaken us, to grow us, to help us find strength when forever isn’t possible.

And maybe that is enough.

---

✨ Have you ever had to let go of someone you still loved? Or witnessed someone you care about navigate this painful truth? Share your story or reflect on what it taught you about love, growth, and healing.

Loving Myself as Though My Life Depends on It

I came across a quote by Anita Moorjani that stopped me in my tracks: 

“Self-love is not just about constantly giving yourself praise and telling yourself how awesome you are. It’s about loving the real you, the human you - the person who has feet of clay, who comes undone under criticism, who sometimes fails and disappoints others. It’s about making a commitment to yourself that you will stick by yourself - even if no one else does. That’s what I mean when I say you must love yourself as though your life depends on it, because quite simply, I know without a doubt that it does.”

This resonated so deeply with me because my own journey of healing has taught me that loving myself is not about perfection. It’s about presence and truth.

Last year, I went through one of the most painful seasons of my life. I experienced heartbreak of letting go of an old friendship that was so dear to me, and I lost trust in people who were so close to me. I also lost hope in ways that made me question everything. For a while, I felt broken like I had failed myself and others, like my flaws disqualified me from being loved. Under criticism or rejection, I would crumble inside, and in those moments, self-love felt out of reach.

But choosing to step into therapy changed everything. It became a space where I could unravel safely, where I learned to face my pain without shame. Week by week, I discovered that authenticity, being completely real with myself was the foundation of healing. I didn’t need to pretend to be strong all the time. I just needed to stay with myself, even when it was hard.

Art also became my therapy. With a brush in hand, I could pour out my emotions from grief, hope, anger, and joy onto canvas. Watercolors and acrylics carried the stories my heart couldn’t put into words. Painting taught me that beauty can emerge from brokenness, that colors can heal what words cannot.

Along the way, I’ve surrounded myself with people who value authenticity as much as I do. I’ve let go of the need for shallow connections and leaned into deep, truthful conversations. I’ve realized I no longer have to shrink or hide parts of myself just to belong.

Now, self-love is a promise I make to myself every day:

• To honor my feelings without rushing them away.

• To forgive myself when I stumble.

• To celebrate my growth, even in small steps.

• To stand by myself—even when no one else does.

Anita is right, our lives do depend on it. Because when we love ourselves as we are, with all our cracks and colors, we stop surviving and start living.

So if you need the reminder today like I often do, to let this be it: Love yourself as though your life depends on it. Because it truly does.

much love,

xoAi