Life Lesson 2020!

 

It seems like it was just few weeks back when i came back to Qatar. 14 months has passed! Oh how time fly so fast without telling me, 2020 was a very difficult year for most of us because of Covid-19 Pandemic, and if ever that your reading this blog, Congratulation for making it this far, we survive therefore we made it! 

2020 has bring me to many life lesson and realization, as much as i hate the year for may plan wasn't manifest indeed God's plan will always be perfect. But what are the positive things that i have learn this year that i wanna carry for the years to come.

1. Save and invest 

I consider myself very lucky because i was hired prior to pandemic and i am into a very busy industry which is constructions busy preparing for various project for the most anticipated FIFA2022 and now Qatar has won the 2030 Asian Games bid! Congratulation! we are getting busier!. 

Since i started my work in January 2020 whenever i get my salary i save & invest most to my Philippine bank so it would be difficult for me to withdraw it, seeing my money grow give me confidence and felt more joy while working because i know that if ever i will lost my job again i  have emergency fund to use without touching my investment and savings. Indeed the peace of mind of having financial stability add up to our productivity to work and our happiness. I do not mean that money solve loneliness, just that most of our issue has something to do with money.

2. Live in one income policy

I am earning from multiple source of income as early as 2012 during the time that i am starting in Qatar. Through private tuition and selling. But i made a huge mistakes and that is increasing the cost of my living as i am earning more my life style increased that i end up spending all my money that i have from various source of income. But this year i was really determine to make a change and to do it was never a magic, i put a huge effort to learn and educate myself by reading financial books and watching youtube video that teaches finances and minimalism. 

Every morning while taking my breakfast before going to office i listen to youtube videos about personal finance, money management and living a minimalist lifestyle. I particularly listen to Chinkee Tan, Vince Rapisura, Marvin Germo and many more... I also exert effort to read book of Robert Kiyosaki, Napoleon Hill, Mari Kondo, Fumio Sasaki, books that keep me calm and composed becomes my interest also, i particularly like the Wabi Sabi concept and the book of Haemin Sunim and many others. But the most important thing to do is action. Your learning is nothing without execution so make sure that you are not just listening and reading but also applying those good tips and lessons. 

I also did adopt living in one income policy which is my regular 8am to 5pm work. The money that i earn from other source like E-shop, online job and investment goes straight to my saving and investment account account. I also set up auto deduction from your checking account to various savings and investment account is really helpful. Try it for yourself.

3. Be rational rather than emotional

It affect me allot whenever i listen to my friends baggage's, I was kind of emotional. Sometimes i felt like i should fight for them specially if its my family, but then i figure our that those consumed me a lot that at times it affect my physical, mental and emotional health. This year, carrying the banner of minimalism i de-clutter those concept and try my best to be rational. The book of Mark Masson "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life" Is really helpful in this aspect.

4. Think before you share

During the pandemic, many people turns into social media because it keeps them entertained due to boredom. For us who work double during the pandemic we almost lost time to rest. But still thankful because our finances wasn't affected. Many people has posted so much update about themselves which i think too much and very dangerous in the future. In my view what you post on your social media is no longer your property so you have to think multiple times because it might cause you trouble. So, think before you click!

5. Me time

Rest is just details. That's may motto few years back. I never say no to an event invitation  even if i felt so tired because i came from an event last night, i would still go and would still put forward my best self, I was burned out without even realizing those, pleasing people while inside you are really tired physically and emotionally, i really blame myself for this and promise myself not to overwork and choose only events that i feel good about considering my health situations. 

The pandemic has really shut down most of the gatherings including bazaar events in Qatar and the rest of the world although many entrepreneur hate it because we are loosing business but for me it takes a lost to gain, because year i found "me time" and i thank God for that. I have 6th different major surgeries which made me wish not to have not to have another surgery. Amen! 

So if in the future that the event schedule will go back to normal then i would choose which one to attend and will value rest because health matters.

So what about you?, what are the lesson that 2020 has bring to you that you wish to continue in 2021?

Bird's Shit!

 

I spoke to air to share a secret.

I love him i whisper, I really do! i declare.

Wind softly blow my checks asking me how?

You haven't meet him yet! he protested

Yeah but our parents does, i respond

and he message me once, i added

Stupid! the bird said

Then shit on my windshield. 

Months pass by, 

He become part of my fantasy

looking forward that one day our eyes will meet for real.

Imagining life together as one.

Meeting him becomes a dream 

my nerves started to grow again

colors flash like a twinkle in my eyes

my heart flutter seeing him from far

imagining how he look, how he stand.

It drives me crazy!

I imagine him in different scenario

but suddenly the sun rays reach my face

telling me to stop dreaming  in a day light!

So i tap my face and drive! 

Oh it was just a shit!

(Original Poem written in Doha, Qatar)

Copyright @savingcent

Photo Credit to the Rightful Owner

Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho

 

Once upon a time i have read a book about the prostitute!!! Oh hey before your react here me out. 

Many people may think that Eleven Minutes is a book that would just increase your libido, to satisfy what between your legs. But for me this book is more than that. Way back in College when i have 1st read this book. My friend/classmate Cha is the one who lend me this book. I think this is the 1st Paulo Coelho book that i have literally finish from cover to cover. As a big fan of tagalog pocketbooks way back then this book has change the game and improved my since of reading and my interest. Indeed Paulo Coelho is genius for he can bring us to fantasy. So what make this book a highly recommended book to read. Here me out. Lets go!

1. The book of Hope

Maria work as prostitute, and Ralf is a Swiss painter. Their love story is an example of Rich vs Poor. In real world although not everyone is a prostitute or a painter but their would always be a time wherein we fall in love to a person who is not within our level, maybe he is more rich, more educated, more famous etc. True love doesn't see any of it, it is our heart that decides and find ways and so we move accordingly.

2. Bravery

"I can choose either to be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure"

In our everyday life we are always facing various issue and struggle. We can always choose to fight or give up. Whatever is your choice will reflect your life disposition. If you wanna win life, fight! otherwise stay looser!

3. Love is more than just sex

If you are born in 80's & 90's you will often hear your parents say "boyfriend or school?!". Just like Maria, many of us may thought that a kiss will make us pregnant! (Hahaha) and that men only want whats between your legs. As we grow old we realize that love is more than a flesh, as we grow mature we realized that good looks isn't enough, this is maybe true because if we see those popular people who are beautiful and handsome mostly have difficulty in finding true love. Compatibility, attitude, respect and just few to make the relation succeed.  

4. You only know yourself when you go beyond your limits

If we do not have the courage to try thing, then we will never know how far we can go. In life we always regret the things we didn't do, than those things that we do and we failed. A life live based on societies norm is boring in my opinion, but if we try to live a little bit carefree (with caution) will always be exciting. So never be afraid to try something new, yet do it in caution.

5. And the person who loves wholeheartedly feels free

We all love someone else but didn't work. Perhaps you have experience so. If not then i may say your lucky, If all of those you love, loves you back. But in the real world we may love someone else but that exact person broke our heart so badly. But even though our heart has crash many time because of the wrong person, if we give our 100% then we become free knowing that we did what we can. Do what we can, and no need for us to say "what if" because those regrets will kill us if we do.

6. What the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't grieve over 

Perhaps this is the most difficult to practice and apply in our life. We human has the tendency of wanting to know everything about the person we love. But knowing too much meaning hurting too much. In relationship not everything about the person is something that we love or like sometimes its the opposite. Same as not everything about us is something that they like. No one is perfect, and nothing is perfect. If we focus on good, we will feel good, but if we distract our self for what is bad, we feel bad.

7. Its best to live as if it were the first and last day of my life

Many of us has so many plans of doing something, like traveling to our dream destination alone, trying new hair style, changing career, doing business or anything that we haven't done before. The problem is that we are afraid to do it because we think of loosing rather than gaining. My advise is simple, try to do it even if you lost, because the only dreams that dies are those we never try to do. Be bold, be brave to the limit of the Lord who created you.

8. Loneliness is the worst of all tortures, the worst of all sufferings

No man is an Island, the famous quote displayed in our classroom during our Grade school. Indeed it was true. As much as we need time to be alone with our thoughts and self, we also need to be surrounded by people specially those people whom we can share our pieces and to feel that somewhere, somehow we belong.

Have you seen a person who came from a long relationship who suffer alot? We may say it okey or that is life but we really do not know how painful it was for them, each and every person has dose of suffering. So be kind.

9. Those who touches my body failed to touch my soul, and those who touches my soul failed to touch my body

Perhaps this line has something to do with compatibility and attractions. In life we meet a good looking gentleman with damn personality, while on the other hand we may meet a man with good personality but look off. Indeed no one are been created perfect. Its just that when we choose to love that very person we also choose to love those imperfections.

10. Concentrations

I can recall when Maria walked in a sharp stone. I asked myself, if ever that i am in a situation between life and death would i concentrate in physical or emotional pain? Hmmm...i don't know. I wanna give try though. This brought me to some goals. Like try sky diving, scary roller coaster ride, and many extreme sports. Haha!

The book Eleven minutes has so much to offer, the genius Paulo Coelho always makes us believe in whatever he write. Re-reading it again made me learn so much! How about you? what is your favorite book?