Let's talk about life and everything in between.
“One of the bitterest ironies of life is that no one truly appreciates a blessing only after having been deprived of it or imagining that.”
Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi
Today,
1. I am grateful I woke up.
2. I am grateful we are healthy.
3. I am grateful I am breathing.
4. I am grateful that I am hurting.
5. I am grateful for life.
Let’s take the time to appreciate what we have on our plates rn. What are you thankful for? I’ll be glad to read them below. Have a blessed Wednesday morning!
When I was younger, I seldom thought about what I wanted to be. Not because I’m privileged enough to be provided with what I need, but because my parents have made it a point to provide us with everything regardless of what little they have. I was fortunate that my young years were never problematic compared to other young people’s today. Let me be clear: The problems that these youngsters are facing are largely out of their control. They were just victims of poor choices and selfish acts of some people who could’ve done better.
Fast forward to the latest former years of my life. The drive to follow through with my dreams doesn’t seem as strong as it was. It hurts me more that I haven’t lived up to expectations in my life because there were times I chose to remain low. For years, I thought I was strong enough to simply shrug it off because I was raised to be resilient and revert to my old ways despite the hardships in my life. It has never crossed my mind to take time to absorb things and let them drown you once in a while. And now, I begin to appreciate how wonderful pain can be to be felt by us. It’s ironic to be grateful when it is hurting at times. Yet I am happy since I know I am alive.
I used to convince myself that it’s okay not to be okay at times. But it seems that my mind can not fully absorb the thought of it. Perhaps, I was used to being on the frontline of everything. That’s why I can not easily admit defeat of thyself. That’s what expectation versus reality feels.
But now, I am proud to say that I’ve grown. My progress may not be as far as I’d like, but I’m glad I’m doing better than I used to be before. I am grateful for my career. I am grateful for the people around me, and for those, I got to meet. I am for those who have laid their trust in me. I am grateful for the blessings, for the instances that have come in good shape and in bad. The inconveniences are always there but I have learned how to move with them. And I hope you will also learn the same. Let’s be kinder to ourselves. Appreciate the beautiful flaws of life.
Do you still keep a journal?
Good if you have one and if you can start it now, it’s way better. As for me, I try to be as faithful as possible with keeping a journal since it allows me to let out negativity I’ve been holding on, inside. Keeping a journal helps me lessen my stress, acknowledge the fountain of my worries, and give me a better point of reflection on how I managed my day. Sometimes, I find myself being annoyed with my laziness, attitude, and independence. But, the good thing about it is that I get to know myself more and more every day.
Well, there are times where I don’t feel like writing any so I just leave a few words on those pages to help me remember how my day went. Better leave something than none.
Anyway, let’s allow ourselves to pause, take a break, meditate, and reflect from time to time. It’ll be a booster for us to work on our goals effectively. And, if you’re one of those people who have been stressed, questions the point of your existence, and feels like quitting, hold on. Take time to process your thoughts. I promise, better days are coming. 
xoxo
Hi, I’m Abi/Abby/Abba. A daughter, a sibling to my two younger brothers, and a sister to my 20+ cousins.
This is quite a long post yet I hope you’ll take time to read this. You will probably check my profile if you were surprised that I messaged you, so I’ll be pinning this on my wall.
As you may notice, I am working as a Financial Advisor under Pru Life UK. You might think, I messaged you maybe because I am after sales commission as you probably experienced on your former MIA FAs, but let me break that stigma and frankly tell you it’s not. Apart from being a Financial Advisor, I am working as a content writer too and other jobs I opted not to disclose. Yes, I have other streams of income, not because I want to but I have to. I do not depend on one income alone, but I am planning to commit my full-time attention to my work as a Financial Advisor, to provide the best service to my clients as well. I shouldn’t be explaining these things to you people but you have to understand how noble our job is as a Financial Consultant and how ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด it is to easily turn down a ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
Most of the Filipino families are just one critical illness away from living a worry-less life, and I think we’re part of that minority too. Where saving will never be a big deal only if we know how to properly do it. Where we can manage to survive even if we lose job for a few months, and any other concerns that can be easily addressed only if you had take time to listen to a FREE Financial consultation. Apart from it, these are the reasons why I wholeheartedly pursued this career and continue to advocate financial literacy:
1. Just like you, I’ve experienced how painful it is to live from paycheck to paycheck. Where income would usually end up on settling bills and sudden debts. Where you can’t enjoy your compensation even for a little slice of cake, since you have to help provide for your brothers and cousins too (this might sound exaggerated for you but this is true if you’re also earning below 10k a month. Nonetheless, my parents doesn’t ask me to help provide for their needs, but I feel the need to do so).
2. It’s painful to lose a loved one knowing that maybe you can save them only if you have the means available anytime-money, the car you can use for emergencies(were living in a rural area, far from the hospital, and other medical institutions), and insurance. And losing a family member working overseas, to provide for the needs of your cousins. What more if I was out of the picture early? Will my family maintain the lifestyle they have now?
3. It’s hard to bring up brothers and (orphaned) cousins to school if you have little to no means of supporting them financially. Regardless if you have a licensed profession or not- provincial rate can not feed you (So don’t blame fresh graduates who would like to settle and find job in the metro). Be aware of the causes of inflation. Learn to have some side hustle.
4. It’s frustrating to always keep your hopes up for tomorrow, on something you know you can control, only if you did better (having OTs for added income, saving extra pesos for fares, etc.). Waking up to go to work is suffocating and exhausting at the same time, especially if you do not find satisfaction in it-but you don’t have any choice, since you have bills to pay. At least with being a Financial Consultant, your career has a mission, and you’re surrounded by good souls too. I pursued this profession because it’s always a pleasure to find happiness and greater purpose in your work plus I can spend time with my loved ones too.
5. It’s frustrating how all these concerns are just money problems. I wanted to be Financially Stable. I want to walk the talk, as early as now. I’m tired of hoping. I have to act now.
Money is not good nor evil. If you think it’s one, you have to change your mindset. Money is just a means to answer money problems. You do not have to glorify it. But you have to make savings and investment a priority. Why? Because that’ll help you realize the dream you’ve been praying for. For the realization of your end goals in life. Remember, you will continue to spend as long as you live. Good thing if your saving, and if you’re already insured. But will your savings beat the inflation? Are you covered against critical illness? Will that savings help you establish your plans? Will that savings be enough for your retirement?
I was a daughter, a sister, and a cousin first before I become a Financial Advisor. And I do hope you’ll realize you were like me too. We have our struggles, yes. But please make savings and insurance a priority. Wonder why other countries have so much for their people? And why they can easily buy the things that they want? It’s because they’re financially literate. So if we wanted to be financially stable, spend more time with our aging parents, and lessen our worries soon, it’s about time to act on the things we wanted. The more that you’re struggling now, the more reason for you to make savings a habit. Be wise enough in your decisions. Keep track of your expenses. Enough with the excuses. Get yourself insured now, and build an investment!
#breakthestigma
#WomanFromPru
#PruLifeUK
Hey! It’s weekends. You’re probably up now and wondering what you can do to survive the day. Ever wonder what you can do extraordinarily on your Saturdays and Sundays? Oh, of course, you get tired of routine house chores. Turn your “Oh-so-lazy” day to an “Awesome-lazy” day with these few tips you might want to try.
Life is hard enough. Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you wanted to do something you’ve been dying to do on weekends, make it happen. Turn that weekend into an “awesome-lazy” day! Treat your hardworking self the rest it deserves. Just don’t forget to be responsible. You’re not always at the wheel.
Hello, friends!
I was supposed to post this journal this 3ish in the morning but I fell asleep ๐ I was so tired to function yet I thought this might be a good read for those who need it. Yes, this one is again unsolicited but hello, I just want to share what I think can be of help to others ๐
Hi, friends!
It’s 2:31 am and I am here writing in the middle of the morning because suddenly a precious realization popped out into my head making me want to write this asap before it’s gone.
Just a quick background story, I was so busy the whole day. I forgot to check my emails, check SMS, WhatsApp, and other communication tools that I use for work. Took a bath after dinner and fell asleep right after changing my clothes. Beautiful memories came out of my head while I was in deep sleep. I do not know if this happened to you before but I think I was in the middle of a sleeping session with a sleeping coach. Flashbacks of my childhood memories, sweet feats, and other things circled my head for some time. There is also this glimpse of the little me and my grandfather having a conversation about something and we were laughing so hard about it. Ugh, those were the good days. Suddenly, I was again pulled out to reality and realized those were just part of my dream.
I woke up, checked my phone, and found tons of messages to check. After sending replies to a few of them, I started to think of the dreams that I had. Have I thought about it before I slept? No. Have I thought of my tatay before I slept? No. What might be the reason for those memories to visit me suddenly? After some reflection, I realized maybe that dream wanted to tell me something. And that is to appreciate the life that I have, more than what I used to.
I was raised by two beautiful people and a loving family. We might not have the sweetest bones to say I love you each day, but the warmth I felt never runs out of flame. I, my brothers, and cousins, were used to battle tough times and maybe that’s the reason why I easily get over with bad experiences. I am not used to dwelling on the things that I do not feel good about. But I know how to acknowledge and understand those kinds of things. Yeah, I feel depressed too. Failures and bad decisions make me cringe and even cry from time to time, but I happen to surpass them. Most of the time, I couldn’t care less about something, not because I am not concerned about it, but because I try to see the goodness in it. You know, whine today and get back on the battlefield after.
Bottom line is, I just wanted to share, especially for those who haven’t realized it yet, that life is just so beautiful. Most of the time, we are so busy thinking about how to make it through the day. Yet we tend to forget how wonderful the process is in making our day a “day”. Yes, it’s tough. The process is tough. Making decisions is tough. But the beauty in it is that we get to learn how to risk. That’s why I am so proud of those people who can file that resignation, start a business, work on their dreams, or change careers in the middle of these hard times given that they also help provide for their family needs. Through risking we get to lessen the “what if’s” and those “could have been”. The flight’s not easy. Making ways to make our goals happen can be a very lengthy draining journey. There will be scars, yes. But the scars bring out the extraordinary in us. And that’s what makes life more beautiful and fulfilling.
Anyway, I am just so thankful for everything I have now. I am thankful for my parents, my family, my loved ones, the experiences, the good and bad times, for they brought about the better version of me. And oh, apologies if I tend to get easy even in rough times. Some people used to hate me for that and label me insensitive, but that does not mean I see your concerns less, than what I have in my baggage. I understand where your pain is coming from and I respect that. May you see the wonders of life even in its darkest times. Have a healthy mindset!
Good night!
WHY DID I START BLOGGING?
Back in college, I have this fancy of starting a personal blog that I can use as an avenue for me to share my thoughts and stories on everything that is happening with my life. Topics on the everyday struggle a college student can experience, the weight of decision making, how to start a bright day ahead, a Communication student must-haves, acing a scholarship, how a follower can become a leader, etc. But because of various affiliations back then, I didn’t have the time to work on it, plus the lack of confidence to start writing. Hahaha. I have this notion inside of me, that my articles have to be perfect and that it has to be pleasing for everyone’s taste. But it was the old me. Now, I will write whatever I want to share. This platform will help me share the learnings I have gained in my life, hoping that others will learn from it. And that I can inspire those aspiring writers that blogging makes sense, and it can go a long way in achieving one’s dreams.
I hope my reasons for starting a blogging career will help you realize how not risking can affect one’s tomorrow. And that self-trust is essential in doing the things you fear. Your first article will not be at its best. Not all of your friends will read it. And that’s okay. There’s always a first time for failure, so don’t be afraid of failing. Instead, fear the times you’ve lost just because your fears and hesitations had consumed you. One can not be successful without risking. So work on your dreams, and unlock the potentials you had inside. You never know your life’s plot twist might be around the corner.
5 KEYS TO KNOCK YOUR GOALS
New year, new you-as what most of us young adults would gladly claim as we welcome another year in our lives. As we embark on another chapter, we excitingly welcome our goals will solidly slam for the year. These can be worldly, spiritual, aesthetic, or anything in between. We’ve heard a lot about the importance of goal-setting in our lives but have we asked ourselves how important these goals are, and if they are, how can we make them more effective? Are there any strategies we can do for the realization of these things? Where should we start? Well, here are the top 5 keys you need to do to knock those goals:
Keeping these keys in mind will surely help you achieve your goals. Have a strong mindset thatโll remind you why you should do such things. There will be days it’ll be hard but always be grounded on your why. Just be faithful to it, and believe you can do everything. And please, don’t forget to celebrate small wins. Appreciation adds sweetness to your life! Choose to be successful!
Abby's Shelf