40 Lessons from 4 Decades of Life

Yours truly celebrates her 40th birthday today. Anong ganap? wala! and I am happy that way. No party, no overflowing food or drinks, no visitors… it’s just any ordinary day and that’s fine with me.

Gone are the days when it’s a big deal for me to have a birthday celebration because well it just happens once a year.

I started the day by attending a mass online, cleaning the house as usual and preparing breakfast for my boys who are still asleep. I also finished doing my daily muni-muni (drinking a hot cup of coffee while reading a book or a daily devotion).

Today, I will share with you some realizations/lessons in random that I learned for the first 40 years of my life and I hope that I will learn more for the next 40 years (God willing I will reach that age).

1. Age is just a number. It is not an indicator of potential, performance, skill, or anything else for that matter. There are some who are in their 20s or 30s who are more mature than me and have more experience in life. So do not expect that older people knows everything, we don’t (aray! asa “we” na sagot ko hahaha).
2. Never stop learning. I am lucky to live and able to experience both the dinosaur and modern technology. Learning should not stop in school, swerte nga ngayon isang pindot lang sa internet andyan na lahat ng information. If you want to do something, you can study it FOR FREE with the help of the net so go for it.
3. It’s ok to say, “I don’t know” because it’s impossible to have all the answers. Even with the presence of internet, there are things you will only learn based on experience so it’s still okay to ask for help and accept that you don’t know everything
4. Dream BIG. It should be something that scares you like owning a house or 7 digits in your bank account
5. Be humble. Do not forget where you came from
6. Every person is likely struggling with something. Be kind. Be helpful.
7. Time is REALLY gold. It is the single most important non-renewable resource we all have. Fill your days with what truly brings you alive, fills you with energy and allows you to grow.
8. Travel while you can. Explore your area, your city, your country and if you can, go travel the world and learn from other’s culture.
9. Listen to your family, friends and people who just want to talk and share their story/problem with you. You don’t need to have a solution to every problems but being there listening to them is already a big thing.
10. Admit when you’re wrong and/or being an asshole. And when you are, learn from those experiences.
11. Be Yourself. You cannot please everybody, so just be yourself and follow your values.
12. Be grateful and write it down on your journal. Even how small it is, it will lift your spirit and will help you get through life.
13. Good physical and mental health is the single most valuable thing in the world. It starts with a good diet, regular exercise and ample sleep (7–8 hours).
14. Forgiving and making amends are brave and powerful acts that can help you turn the page and begin to move forward.
15. Do not pay attention to things you can’t control. It will just give you so much worries and stress. Pray and let God handle them. He is bigger than your problem
16. Life isn’t perfect for everyone but we all have the freedom to choose how we respond to our circumstances. Don’t under estimate the power of faith, hope and positivity.
17. Accept that not all will appreciate you, but do good anyway.
18. Sometimes it is best to keep your mouth closed. Pick your battles; not all are worth fighting for.
19. Compete with yourself and not with anybody else. Keep on improving and don’t mind those who got there first or those who are behind you.
20. Celebrate other’s success. Ang sarap nito sa pakiramdam, kasi nararamdaman mo ang happiness nila.
21. You are not alone. Whatever you are experiencing right now, state of depression, terrible anxiety or financial problem is also experienced by more than 1,000 individuals. You just need to look around to find your support group that experienced the same thing and will help you get through it.
22. Stop being entitled. The world doesn’t revolve around you.
23. There’s only one queen in one house. Bumukod at magsarili para iwas problema.
24. Self care is not selfish. You need to take good care of yourself so that you can take care of others who need you. Rest if you must.
25. You should treat your spouse the way you want your kids’ future spouses to treat them. The marital relationship you model will stay with your children for a lifetime. 
26. Support your spouse and children with their goals and dreams. Don’t make your goals and dreams theirs. Let them live their lives and make that decision for themselves.
27. The secret of a lasting relationship is open communication, patience and compromise. Choose your partner wisely (getting a divorce is not an option… unless you’re getting hurt na).
28. In the 21st century, life lessons and actual training is more important than what you read in books. Expose your kids to both.
29. It’s rewarding to become a parent, but it is also the hardest thing to do. Be responsible and do your best when you become one.
30. Raise your kid to have a fear in God and to be an abiding citizen. For me this is more important than doing excellent in academics and will grow old just like other corrupt politicians because they don’t have values and fear in God.
31. A new car, a credit card in your wallet doesn’t mean you are wealthy. Yes! I dreamed of having a credit card when I was working because I thought those who have it are elite. But I realized that if you will not use it properly, ito yung magbabaon sa’yo sa kahirapan.
32. Live Simply.
33. Make your money work for you and not the other way around.
34. Pay your debt and never run away from it.
35. Peace of Mind is important, make it your #1 goal to achieve
36. Smile and laugh more. Studies show smiling is actually good for your brain.
37. Stay organized. Write down your goals, tasks and track where your money goes. Have a planner and calendar handy.
38. Save for at least 3 or 6 months emergency fund and put it where you can easily get when an emergency arise.
39. Get a Life Insurance and invest part of your money as early as when you start your first job especially if you are the breadwinner of the family. This will help those who you will left behind get back on their feet when an uncertainty happens to you.
40. and lasty, LIFE IS SHORT, LEARN TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST everyday!

I still have a lot of life lessons that I want to share, pero ito yung mga pumasok sa isip ko while typing.

 I may have some gray hairs, fine lines, stretch marks and wrinkles but these things are a daily reminder of my life story.

I would like to thank God for giving me life and to my parents for bring me to this world. I owe them my life.

I am happy, I am contented, I am blessed, I am thankful and I am grateful for everything that I have.

I have the best parents, the best siblings, the best husband, the best child, and the best in-laws that anyone could have asked for.

Thank you to all my readers and followers for being part of my life. I hope in some ways I was able to help you by sharing my life experiences (good and bad) in this blog.

Cheers to the next chapter of my life #levlevlev