Inspire Authentic Living | Filipina Nurse Practitioner Diaries
Hi everyone.
Today is January 1st, 2026, and we started the new year in the simplest way—by going on a quiet walk with my mom and my brother here in San Francisco. It had been raining for the past couple of days, but today the rain softened, almost like the universe giving us permission to step outside and breathe.
It’s also my mom’s and brother’s last day here before heading back to San Diego, so I wanted to savor every moment. We didn’t do much during the two weeks they were here—no tourist checklist, no packed itinerary—but somehow, it still felt full. Full of presence. Full of love. Full of quiet joy.
Sometimes I feel bad that we didn’t go out more, but then I remind myself: time together is not measured by how much you do, but by how deeply you are there.
Home, Food, and Small Joys
If I’m being honest, I’ve gained a little weight these past couple of weeks—and I say that with a smile. My mom has been cooking nonstop Filipino food for me and my boyfriend, and he’s been loving every single dish. And I’ve been loving watching him love it.
Food has always been my love language, especially Filipino food. It’s comfort. It’s memory. It’s home.
As a family nurse practitioner, I talk a lot about health—but I’m learning that health is not just numbers, labs, or discipline. Health is also nourishment. Warm meals. Shared laughter. Letting yourself enjoy life without guilt.
This walk, this food, this time—this is part of healing too.
Bittersweet Goodbyes and What’s Ahead
Tomorrow, I go back to work. My mom and brother will be the ones dropping me off, and I already know it’s going to feel bittersweet. But I’m also excited—because I’ll be joining my mom soon in the Philippines, in Povary, and that feels like coming full circle.
There’s something about knowing you’re not losing time with family—you’re just changing locations.
And that brings me to reflection.
Looking Back at 2025: A Year That Tested Me
2025 was not an easy year.
It tested me deeply—mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Early in the year, around February or March, I took another mental health break. Another medical leave. I went back to the Philippines with my mom because I needed space to breathe, to recalibrate, to figure out where I was going and who I was becoming.
I was questioning everything—my career, my pace, my purpose, my place in the world.
And truthfully, I’m still questioning some of those things.
But the difference now is this: I trust myself more in the uncertainty.
Anxiety, Control, and Learning to Let Go
One thing I’ve learned about myself is that my anxiety lives in the things I cannot control. The overthinking. The what-ifs. The imagined futures.
What has been healing lately is learning to loosen my grip.
Letting go of control.
Trusting the universe.
Trusting God.
Trusting that not everything needs an answer right now.
This surrender has brought me peace—not because life is suddenly easy, but because I’m no longer carrying everything alone.
Authenticity, Introversion, and Finding My People
2025 was also the year I truly began embracing my authenticity.
I stopped trying to be louder.
I stopped trying to be more extroverted.
I stopped forcing myself into spaces that drained me.
I realized something at 37 years old that I wish I had known sooner:
It’s okay to be shy. It’s okay to be introverted. It’s okay to move gently through the world.
This year showed me who my real friends are—the ones who value me as I am, not who I pretend to be.
I’ve talked openly about losing friends, and while that grief is real, I now see it differently. Some people are meant to walk with you for a chapter, not the whole book. And that doesn’t erase the love, the memories, or the gratitude.
I am thankful for everyone who has been part of my journey. Even if they are no longer here, they helped shape who I am today.
Finding My Voice
2025 was also the year I started my YouTube channel.
The year I began using my voice.
The year I stopped minimizing my story.
I know I’m not perfect.
I know I’m not the best speaker.
I know my experience is not universal.
But it is mine.
And if sharing it makes even one person feel less alone, less weird, less unseen—then it’s worth it.
There is beauty in being simple.
There is beauty in being real.
There is beauty in being yourself.
Looking Toward 2026: Gentle Commitments
As I step into 2026, I’m making gentle commitments, not rigid rules:
- Showing up daily with my mantra: “It’s another beautiful day to be gorgeous.”
- Moving my body and caring for my health with compassion.
- Making more time for my mom, my brother, and my family.
- Traveling together—starting with the Philippines and Bangkok.
- Choosing presence over perfection.
If I miss a day, that’s okay.
If plans change, that’s okay.
Kindness toward myself is the goal.
Faith, Home, and Healing
2025 was also the year I slowly found my way back to my faith.
Returning to church.
Listening differently.
Feeling grounded in something bigger than myself.
This reconnection—to faith, to family, to home—has been deeply healing for my mental health. It’s helped me release the pressure of needing to have everything figured out.
I’m learning to trust redirection.
I’m learning to trust timing.
I’m learning to trust that where I am right now is enough.
A Note on Mental Health
I want to say this openly, because honesty matters here.
2025 was a year where I survived another round of depression. Another period where it felt heavy just to exist. Another moment where my mind told me it might be easier not to wake up.
And yet—I’m still here.
Talking about it.
Walking through it.
Choosing life, one small moment at a time.
Sharing my truth has helped me heal. It has helped me reframe my world—not through forced positivity, but through honest presence.
Closing: Another Beautiful Year to Be Gorgeous
This platform—Inspire Authentic Living and my Filipina Nurse Practitioner Diaries—is my way of saying:
You don’t have to have it all together.
You don’t have to be loud to be worthy.
You don’t have to rush your healing.
You are allowed to be exactly who you are.
Thank you for walking with me into 2026.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for being here.
Today is January 1st, 2026.
And it is—without question—another beautiful day to be gorgeous.
With love,
Jasmine
Day in the life of a Filipina Nurse Practitioner 
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