A Sunday Reflection: Surrendering the Timeline

Hi, it’s G!

It’s a Sunday as I’m writing this. The kind of Sunday na parang sinadya ni Lord para mag-pause ka talaga. Tahimik. Walang masyadong ingay. Walang deadlines (except maybe yung labahin na nag-aabang). Just time to breathe, be still, and reflect.

And today, I want to talk about something that’s been shaping my life quietly but deeply: Surrendering the timeline.

A Sunday Reflection: Surrendering the Timeline

I used to treat life like a checklist. Graduate by 22. Get rich by 30. Find love by 35. Own a business by 40. Live in Vietnam with my chowsky named Matteo by 45. (Okay, the last one is still a dream. lol)

But here I am — 2025. Not rich. Not in Vietnam. Still living at home. Still figuring things out. Still sometimes googling “how to restart life” at 2 AM. (Relate?)

And yet…

I feel lighter. Not because I’ve achieved everything. But because I stopped strangling my timeline like it owed me something.

The Myth of Catching Up

There’s this weird pressure, lalo na sa mga Pinoy: dapat may naipundar ka na by this age, dapat ikaw yung breadwinner, dapat hindi ka na nagkakamali. Parang may invisible scoreboard na lahat ng tao may access to — and ikaw lang ang behind.

But what if the timeline wasn’t a race? What if it was more like a winding road with scenic detours — minsan parang EDSA na trapik, minsan naman Baguio na malamig at paakyat?

I remember crying once over not hitting a certain income goal. As in, real tears. The kind na parang teleserye breakdown — kumpleto sa background music na sad violin. All because I thought I was behind.

Pero now I get it. I wasn’t behind. I was just building underground. Quietly. Steadily. Like roots before the bloom.

What Surrender Looks Like (In Real Life)

Surrender doesn’t mean giving up. It means opening your hands and saying, “Okay, Lord. I trust You with this. Hindi ko na kaya i-DIY lahat.”

It looks like:

• Choosing to sleep early instead of doomscrolling job posts or TikTok rabbit holes.
• Cooking dinner kahit adobo flakes na lang ang laman ng ref.
• Writing one blog post kahit wala namang likes kahapon. (Hi, self.)
• Going to the gym kahit tinatamad ka at parang may lagnat yung motivation mo.

And most of all, it means letting your peace come before your productivity. Kasi minsan, winning the day isn’t about what you finished — it’s about how gently you treated yourself habang ginagawa mo siya.

What I’m Quietly Building

So what am I building?

Truth is, I’m building tools I wish I had when I ran my old startup. Simple automations for small businesses. Chatbots that actually make sense. Systems that don’t cost an arm, leg, and kaluluwa. I’m doing this slowly, intentionally, with a mix of prayers and prototypes.

But more than that — I’m building a life with deeper alignment. One that doesn’t rely on external metrics to feel like I matter. A life where I get to help people, and at the same time, heal parts of myself that I buried under hustle and fear.

Because yes, let’s be honest — part of why I stopped posting before was fear. Fear of judgement. Fear of being seen. Fear of not being "enough." And oh, vanity metrics — we all say we don’t care about likes… until we secretly check it 10 minutes later. Guilty.

But I’m choosing differently now. To show up kahit may doubt. To write kahit walang audience pa. To build even when no one’s watching.

So What Now?

I still have dreams. Big ones. I want to help more businesses with AI. I want to build tools that make people's lives easier. I want to fund the life I’ve always imagined — kasama na si Matteo, and maybe a beach house na may unlimited taho delivery. (Dream big, diba?)

But I’m not rushing anymore. Because I finally believe God’s timing > my pressure.

And if you’re in a season of rebuilding, same as me, here’s your reminder: You’re not late. You’re just where you need to be.

No need to sprint. Just show up today.

Write the blog. Send the email. Take the walk. Pray the prayer.

That’s already enough.

And if no one told you today: You’re doing great. Keep going.

If this post made you pause — even for a bit — leave a comment or say hi. I'm really glad you're here.

Till the next one, G