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Hopes and Thanks in a Jar

This is a slightly different take on the memory jar. I figured, most of my best memories should already stand out enough for me to remember them long term or documented somewhere somehow on this blog. So instead of memories, I decided to put my hopes and thanks inside a jar.

I wrote my goals on strips of paper–where I see myself in the next couple of years, what I see myself doing, what I hope I would already have accomplished. I folded them into stars, then wrote the year I hope to reach those “stars”. Then every year, I plan to open them to see how well I fared.

And because often, I neglect to remember all the good things that has happened in my life; the great friends and people who inspire me; the adventure my life has turned into. I decided to write them down as a constant reminder of all the positives, so I have something to turn to whenever I only see everything that has gone wrong.

This was going to be a DIY, but it ended up being pretty straight forward. But here are some notes on what I used for this mason jar project:

a small square-ish mason jar, which came with a silver lid. However, gold seemed more fitting for this little projects. So I whipped out the gold paint pen and colored it in.
archival pen (because it might take yearssss before I open some of these things and I wouldn’t want any of the writing to fade)
card stock and archival paper

I plan on adding to the jar as I find more things to be thankful for and more goals I want to reach. Then hopefully, soon, this little jar will be filled with many great things!

Don’t think it’s too late for goals and resolutions for the new year! Are you done writing down yours? How are you committing to it? Leave your ideas and comments below.

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Staying Inspired and a Growing Obsession

Another 2013 Resolution: To make a conscious effort to stay inspired.

A confession: I have a growing obsession with magazines. My taste in reading materials used to be very limited and quite honestly, a bit judgmental. I used to only read the classics, not pop culture young adult novels; journals from the library, not glossy magazines. But lately, magazines of all sorts and topics are starting to grow on me–from photography to health, crafts, DIY, home decor, design and yes, sometimes even fashion.

The thing about a good magazine is that it can give just as great an escape as an escapist novel. Flipping through a few pages with detailed photography and I’m already taken to a world or field that I may not be familiar with! Skim through a photography magazine and it could inspire you to be a better photographer. When I see home and decor magazines, it makes me want to get out of bed and and clean the frustrating room. I’d look through Craft and DIY magazines, I feel like I could be the next Martha freaking Stewart!

This year, I resolve to actually push myself to always be inspired: by simple pleasures, the everyday adventures, little projects. I want to learn more about lifestyles and experiences that I used to dismiss as “just not my thing”. I want to be inspired by things and experiences that are out of my comfort zone and to take a second look at where I don’t normally see beauty or interest.

I want to take in the world and be inspired by it.

Being Financially Responsible: Learning to Pay for Your Lifestyle

The independence and responsibilities that comes with being an adult is overwhelming. While independence is often addicting, the responsibilities–well, most of us try to push that to the back of our heads. Often, the weight of the responsibilities often don’t sink in until we’re in some sort of financial trouble. Many of us (yes, myself included), grow up used to being provided for by someone else, so starting to be financially responsible for our own wants and needs can be somewhat of a foreign concept for many young adults.

Being self-sufficient is a big milestone. It’s something most (f not all) of us constantly strive to achieve. Some strive for this sense of independence in their teens–starting with odd jobs or part-time jobs–while others start after they’re done with school. Regardless, at some point in our lives, we have to learn to fend for ourselves. It’s one of the crucial things that come with learning to be a functioning adult. Yes, Mommy (and/or Daddy) is going to stop giving you money.

Growing up, I was never really obligated to get a part-time job. My family was pretty old school. It was school, University, then work after graduation. Consequently, I wasn’t familiar with how much living expenses cost. It wasn’t until I finally moved out that I realized how expensive it was just to live independently. It can eat away at most of our paycheck just to live comfortably. I don’t even mean luxuriously giving in to every whim!

What I am getting at is that we won’t always have the luxury of being supported by our family. As we become adults, one of our many responsibilities is to start relying on ourselves. We start paying for our own meals, transportation, the things we want. Then we move out–pay for rent, utilities, and a whole lot of other bills. It’s not an easy adjustment. It’s anything but! And the best way to deal with it is by being prepared early.

So where do you start? Start by evaluating, then re-evaluating your lifestyle. Adjust your lifestyle and live within your means. YOURS, not mom’s or dad’s or anyone else’s. Stop being reassured that there will always be someone who will bail you out.

A common mistake that most young adults do is how they spend their first few paychecks. Starting work and earning money is exciting, and many of us, see that paycheck as extra income instead of just an income. Extra meaning on top of the allowance money they still get from the parents. STOP it right there! The whole point of making your own money is to support yourself and be independent. So even if say, you haven’t moved out and have no plans of moving out in the next year, it’s still important to start imagining the money you make as the only money you get to prepare yourself for when you do move out. Just because you still live with your mommy, doesn’t mean you should still depend on her to pay for your expenses while you use YOUR MONEY to buy a new, top of the line laptop, justified because you know, you need it cause you have a 10 month old desktop that just wouldn’t do anymore.

Extra important thing to remember: SAVE MONEY. No matter how much or how little you make, you can never save too much money. As soon as you start earning any money at all, get into the habit of saving a portion of it(NO MATTER HOW LITTLE) so it becomes a habit.

Also, know that it’s okay to ask for help. Sometimes, we have to cut ourselves some slack. Even big companies get bailed out, right? Just make sure it’s because you needed the help–not because you wanted to spend on something that your new lifestyle and financial situation cannot afford you anymore.

This is not meant to preach how you should be handling your finances, no. After all, we all have different priorities. These are just a few things I wish I knew before my first few real paychecks. Not that the adjustment is something you can totally be prepared for, but to at least make the transition bearable.

The transition to being a self-sufficient adult is not easy for most of us. It involves sacrifice. We have to re-evaluate our lifestyle and get our priorities straight. How was your experience, learning to be financially responsible? At what age did you start paying for yourself?

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The REAL Winter

This year, I’ll be experiencing my first real winter–ever.

I say real because I never lived in a place where it snowed. I grew up in the Philippines, a tropical country located in southeast Asia. There, we had two seasons: Tag-init and Tag-ulan which, I’d say, closely resembles the summer and spring in Northern America.

Tag-init wasn’t just warm, it was usually sweat-inducingly hot. The other half of the year,tag-ulan, we get a lot of rain ranging from the afternoon drizzle to a terrible typhoon that floods multiple cities at a time. No that isn’t an exaggeration, if anything it might be a bit of an understatement.

From the Philippines, I moved to Southmost Texas (right by the Mexican border) where it was often just right; sometimes a bit too humid; occasionally chilly when there is a cold front. And by chilly I mean between 50 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It sometimes frosts but it didn’t really snow.

Earlier this year, I moved to Canada–northern Alberta, no less. I arrived just as the winter was leaving, and I thought that was COLD.

The past week, the temperature was consistently in the negative 20s, except for one day when it warmed up a little at a low of -11 C. It was definitely quite an adjustment. I didn’t even know how to properly dress for the cold. I didn’t even own winter boots or winter jackets.

Back in the Philippines, I didn’t even own a hoodie or a jacket! I only ever wore light sweaters when I’m in a cold air-conditioned classroom. Even when I was in Texas, boots felt like they were only worn to look fashionable, not for keeping yourself warm or trying to keep your toes from falling off!

Here’s a few things that I used to consider optional or even unnecessary but have now come to really appreciate:

a humidifier
lip balm
scarves, gloves, hats: I used to think they were more for fashion than function. WRONG.
REMOTE CAR STARTER: Saved me from freezing while the car desperately tries to defrost and warm up.

How’s the weather been treating you? From what I’ve been hearing, it’s only going to get colder here (because it’s not really quite winter yet)! Any tips and tricks for surviving the winter without having to look like a bundled up marshmallow all the time? And what are your winter must-haves?

I seem to be moving to colder places everytime. Where to next? Alaska? The NORTH POLE? 🙂

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Committing to Purpose

One day, I spoke with a friend that I had not kept in touch with for years. The friendly chat about life in general and being in a foreign country changed to a more serious one about careers, frustrations, and plans for the future.

She asked me what I wanted to do; my plans. I said I wanted to be a social entrepreneur, then dodged the questions about the specifics with vague, non-answer answers.

You see, I have always had big dreams. No, actually I have always had almost-too-ridiculously-BIG-dreams, that I rarely tell anyone about. Not because they were really ridiculous; not because they were selfish or absurd. What really scared me was failure–and what everyone else might have to say about my dreams and consequent failure.

So I figure it was better not to say them out loud. Makes perfect sense, right? No? What, I’m being fucking vague again? Well–

You see, I had always thought that I would be one of the many “movers and shakers” of my generation (vanity, mayhaps?).

I thought I’d known that I–just like many others–have this special calling, a purpose. I wanted to inspire the world at least half as much as it has inspired me. I wanted to to give back to a nation that, although often seen as a 3rd world mess, has given me the experiences and values that had made me into the person that I am now. But as much as this desire to do something had been nagging me for years, there’s this little voice that silently asks, “But what could you do? You are just you. A 23 year old, without any real influence.” It was a small voice, but it resonated like the voice of reason.

I’d say to myself, Maybe one day, when you are in the position to do something, because right now I am powerless. Right now, I can’t do anything. I have no influence.

Am I really that powerless though? Or is it an excuse? Is it really just something I tell myself so I won’t feel bad about not even trying?

Not too long ago, I was reading a local weekly paper when I chanced upon one of the featured people from the community. Eleven year old Nathaniel Crossley, a 6th grade student, is a humanitarian. At 11, he has been raising funds to build water wells in Tanzania and is one of impossible2Possible’s inspirational ambassadors. He was eleven–a 6th grade student.

The truth is, I am not as powerless as I make myself believe. No, I will not be able to initiate a huge change overnight, but I can do something right now. Anyone can, and it all starts with commitment. I never had the courage to say my hopes out loud; I was always too hesitant to reach out and share my visions and dreams because I knew that if I did, I would have to truly commit to it.

I am a person with many big dreams. I want to help better the world; help others see that the future is not so bleak. I want to help give hope–even if it means making a difference to one person at a time.

I don’t know how to make this happen; I don’t have my plans laid out, but this is me committing to a purpose. This is me, taking a pre-calculated plunge into a mission that I am truly passionate about.