my life, my joy, my dreams
Sometimes, you plan something and it doesn’t push thru. Sometimes, you give yourself a timeline and you don’t get to follow it. Sometimes, you imagine yourself winning on something only to get defeated in the end. Sometimes, shit happens. Never lose faith!
Sometimes, you do your best only to get a less than satisfactory outcome. Sometimes, you think you’re strong enough only to find yourself feeling weak and helpless. Sometimes, you get surprised by the unexpected.
This year, I’ve been cooking less and less. There are several reasons for that. When at my in-laws’ place, my MIL reigns in the kitchen and because she’s a great cook, I’m more than willing to eat and enjoy whatever magic she whips up with her hands. When in our marital home in Bacoor, I usually stay late in bed and before I know it, it’s past lunch time and the hubby is screaming in hunger already (well, not really screaming but you get the point). On some weekends, also in Bacoor, I just get too lazy to cook that I would resort to take-out/delivery for us to survive a meal time.
When I started the Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet (CAD), I thought I’d be able to cook more. But sooner than later, I realized the diet wasn’t for me. Why? Because it seems I’m more of a moderator than an abstainer. (So yes, no more comprehensive review of CAD on this blog; consider this paragraph a brief review instead.) In fairness to this diet, I was able to lose 8 lbs. (from 144 to 136) in just a month and so far, I’ve been maintaining my new weight. You could say I was successful with the diet and that’s right. I just can’t commit to it for a long time. So, thank you very much CAD for giving me a good start in my weight loss journey but I’m moving on.
I have a love-hate relationship with envy. Sometimes, I love being envious because it motivates me to be competitive. Other times, I hate being envious because it makes me feel inferior and lacking. Envy can unleash my hidden strengths and at the same time, uncover my insecurities in an instant. Nakakaloka, diba? But then, I realized that envy is as natural as the air I breathe and the food I eat (wow, that rhymes!). It’s been there since time immemorial. I should just know how to manage my envy and I’ll be fine. No need to live in a cave to escape from it. No need to overreact or something.
Image Source: http://expressivevoicedynamics.com/category/envy/
Because 12 is my birthday number, here are 12 things I remind myself of whenever I feel envious of other people:
I grew up in a lower middle class family. Ours was a one-income household until my father, the wage-earner, lost his job in 1999. Frugality became a clear concept to me when I started assuming the role of breadwinner in a family of six right after I landed a job fresh out of university back in 2004. How our family survived from 1999 to 2004 was clearly a manifestation of the great love and sacrifice of my parents, our relatives, friends of our family, and of course, divine providence.
Frugality as a Need
These days as a married woman, I still find frugality a very relevant concept as I try to be a good and responsible wife. Of course, it’s the same with my other roles such as daughter, sister, friend, and citizen. How can I not apply frugality in my life when I’m not at all wealthy and my income is limited? I have to be frugal if raising my own family and having a comfortable retirement are part of my life goals, right? But the more important question is, how frugal am I?
If I were to rate myself on my level of generosity (with 10 as the highest), I’d give myself a seven. Nope, never a perfect score because I’m not a saint. I’m just human and I can be selfish on occasions. While I tend to be generous to family and friends, I normally hesitate helping other people especially if I don’t know them too well. (I’m actually more helpful to people online than offline.)
In my quest for financial freedom, my generosity is constantly tested. Should I give money to charity on a regular basis or keep it to myself so I could achieve my financial goals faster? I guess the answer to that question should depend on how much I’m willing to give. Some say it should be 10% of one’s income and they have a term for it — tithe. Tithing is a practice, or more like a way of life, that a lot of Christians have adopted as part of their faith. And I admire them for that because let’s be honest here, not everybody can do it or is willing to do so.
I have to admit there are times when I forget to be grateful for the blessed life I happen to have. This is especially true when good things keep coming into my life. I tend to get overwhelmed and preoccupied and eventually, feel a sense of guilt. Somehow, I feel that by forgetting to show gratitude, I am letting God down. For is it not from Him that everything I get to have in this life come from?
Image Source: http://www.littlemiracles.com.au/blog/speaking-life/the-importance-of-gratitude
Is it just me or does this happen to you as well? That’s why I thought of saying thanks first thing in the morning and before closing my eyes at night. Sometimes, I feel that it’s insincere, though. Or pilit lang. Recently, I’ve decided to say thank you to God whenever I feel like it and wherever I may be. Aside from the basics (e.g. life, family, marriage, job, food, shelter, clothing, etc.), it could be for a simple task I finished, a surprise I received (like this one time when I got a cute little ring from my brother similar to those class rings from joyjewelers.com), a small favor I got from someone, a big blessing that came my way, a kind comment from a blog reader, or just about anything that has made me happy. I like how it’s spontaneous and genuine. No pretensions, no exaggerations. No routines, no timing.