Excess.

Buffet. Dresses in vogue. Cute little things. Spending our money on excess things, on things we desire and want but not actually needed. I felt guilty. It was also my doing. I thought how I bought lavish things during my payday, how I eat more than what my body needed during birthdays, how I celebrate Christmas with tons of foods and gifts, while I neglect those beggars who needed only a spare of my money and time. Like the priest preached this Sunday, we are all hypocrite. We'd say 'poor little things', we felt pity but we did nothing -  We have closed our eyes to those who needed us because we felt comfortable and we want more, we dare not to spend a little time not just to give them spare money or food but also to know their little stories.

But what if instead of spending our birthdays on buffets, we celebrate simply and put on the excess money to children who needs the money for their school supplies? What if instead of celebrating Christmas lavishly, we spent it sharing our blessings to those we really needed it? Wouldn't it be more fulfilling and happier?

Chunk it (not junk it)

YOLO - You only lived once. A phrase that brings encouragement to live life fully and happily but on its other hidden side, hints threat as it says that we only have one life to live and wasting it is a no no. A lifetime that seems too short to waste and too uncertain to take into granted, we have lots of to do's in our bucket list overwhelming us and often, leads to disappointment.

My 2 cents of penny - forgive yourself if many times you fail to do this list, to follow your new year's resolution, to incorporate in your life the Japanese term 'kaizen'. The important thing is to never give up when you fail or fall and learn that this overwhelmingly to-do list can never be done all at once, one big at a time and as quickly as possible. What you need to do is to prioritize what needs to be done first, strategically considering your resources. Chunk it. Chunk the buckets into dippers (tabo in Tagalog) and chunk these dippers into mugs. Metaphorically, you can now drink the mug's content, slowly, swallow one a time, two-three mugs a day. And never forget, as what my previous blog says continually do the 'baby steps'.

Patience.

Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig. I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen. - Epictetus

It was a sudden impulse, rooted from my sister's invitation for us to visit Japan and I am one click away to my first overseas getaway. No passport, no visa and only a handful of peso in my savings account, I took the risks. Full of optimism, I still have six months to prepare all this, and clicked!

The past six months was never easy. I invested time and money to prepare my passport and visa. Most especially, a bunch of no's to material things and out-of-town invitations from friends just to feed my savings account. Conflicts arise because of my resignation and new work, misunderstandings and compromises were made to my partner. The 9-month preparation challenged my patience and each time, the optimism fades but I hanged on even if the excitement fell to zero.

Last 7-11 March 2016, I set foot and lived shortly but blissfully in Japan. The most important lesson I learned on this trip is that the fruit of your labor and patience is the most succinct.