Late Post (Article published on OFWorld Dec 2012 Issue)
Just like the Romans back in the ancient times we begin each year by making promises of kicking out our bad habits and starting our life anew. 2013 is just around the corner and most of us are getting ready for a long list of our new year’s resolutions. We take time to reflect and think of a part of ourselves that we would like to improve or a change of choices. Over the years I have kept on making these lists and end up fooling myself on the things that I can’t keep up with. I am guilty of having broken resolutions so for this year instead of making a long list of do’s and don’ts I am breaking down my large goals into smaller ones.
LOSING WEIGHT
As expected many will go trampling to hit the gym and exercise like crazy at the beginning of the year. But usually everything gets back to normal because some get lazy or get caught up with their work. This is what many of us have been doing wrong. We waste money on unused fitness club memberships. January is not the only time to start getting in shape. After the holiday feastings I am prepared to set my weighing scale a few pounds forward. With all the sumptuous food, drinks, cookies and candies who will not gain weight? Unless you eat like a French woman. It’s funny how I always include this in my yearly list, shedding off those fats and taming those bulges but haven’t even tried stepping on a thread mill. As for me who’s working on a tight schedule, going to the gym is really not an option. But I’m considering other alternatives like eating healthy and watching my food intake. As they say fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. It’s all about motivation and discipline.
As expected many will go trampling to hit the gym and exercise like crazy at the beginning of the year. But usually everything gets back to normal because some get lazy or get caught up with their work. This is what many of us have been doing wrong. We waste money on unused fitness club memberships. January is not the only time to start getting in shape. After the holiday feastings I am prepared to set my weighing scale a few pounds forward. With all the sumptuous food, drinks, cookies and candies who will not gain weight? Unless you eat like a French woman. It’s funny how I always include this in my yearly list, shedding off those fats and taming those bulges but haven’t even tried stepping on a thread mill. As for me who’s working on a tight schedule, going to the gym is really not an option. But I’m considering other alternatives like eating healthy and watching my food intake. As they say fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. It’s all about motivation and discipline.
GETTING OUT OF DEBT
2012 has been a chaotic year for all of us. With the global economic instability, who hasn’t stretched their paychecks to make ends meet. Europe’s debt crisis has hit us hard. Unemployment, low exchange rates and minimum salary resulted to debt among OFWs. Within the next 12 months I have set a personal goal on how I can save more and spend less. I have to admit money can be a very big source of stress. During my first year of working in Milan I have spent most of my weekend offs going to shops and ended up buying myself something that I really don’t need. But now that I have two kids, I managed to prioritize their needs versus my wants. I became more careful in my spending habits and put in mind that there are a lot of more important things than buying a new pair of shoes or a handbag. Let us all avoid the common mistake of spending more than what we earn. While we may be earning double compared to our salaries back in the Philippines it doesn’t mean that we can splurge it on money wasting culprits such as clothes, shoes and gadgets. It is always a good idea to save some for the rainy days or if you are thinking of an early retirement. We can teach our families back home to be responsible in handling our hard earned remittances. It’s not easy to get out of debt, but being financially free can lead to a life that is worry free.
2012 has been a chaotic year for all of us. With the global economic instability, who hasn’t stretched their paychecks to make ends meet. Europe’s debt crisis has hit us hard. Unemployment, low exchange rates and minimum salary resulted to debt among OFWs. Within the next 12 months I have set a personal goal on how I can save more and spend less. I have to admit money can be a very big source of stress. During my first year of working in Milan I have spent most of my weekend offs going to shops and ended up buying myself something that I really don’t need. But now that I have two kids, I managed to prioritize their needs versus my wants. I became more careful in my spending habits and put in mind that there are a lot of more important things than buying a new pair of shoes or a handbag. Let us all avoid the common mistake of spending more than what we earn. While we may be earning double compared to our salaries back in the Philippines it doesn’t mean that we can splurge it on money wasting culprits such as clothes, shoes and gadgets. It is always a good idea to save some for the rainy days or if you are thinking of an early retirement. We can teach our families back home to be responsible in handling our hard earned remittances. It’s not easy to get out of debt, but being financially free can lead to a life that is worry free.
IMPROVING MY CAREER
We are commonly identified as household workers and caregivers. These jobs are easier to find aside from the good compensation. We are not all rags and brooms. Although we are known for our excellent service we can always take up the notch. For me there is nothing so degrading about being a household helper, baby sitter or a carer but let’s not be content on just earning money and be stuck with our grey hair doing the same old jobs for the next 10 or 20 years. Enrolling in computer, photography or cooking lessons can also beneficial . There are also adult education programs for those who want to finish their degrees. There is a wide variety of learning courses suitable for each and everyone considering a career change. This year marks my sixth year as an OFW and looking back I can say that my previous work experiences were far from what I usually do back in the Philippines. While I am used to sitting eight hours on the phone in a call center set up, here I crouched doing household cleaning and cried of back pains from carrying a patient who is double my size. I said to myself that I can do better. It has always a habit for me to check job opportunities in newspapers and magazines. Luckily I was able to find a part time job in teaching. Now I do private English lessons for kids ages 3 and up. Next year taking a language course in Italian and French is a target. It’s also a good fallback, if ever I would like to go back for good in the Philippines I can use my linguistic skills to find a job as a teacher or translator maybe.
We are commonly identified as household workers and caregivers. These jobs are easier to find aside from the good compensation. We are not all rags and brooms. Although we are known for our excellent service we can always take up the notch. For me there is nothing so degrading about being a household helper, baby sitter or a carer but let’s not be content on just earning money and be stuck with our grey hair doing the same old jobs for the next 10 or 20 years. Enrolling in computer, photography or cooking lessons can also beneficial . There are also adult education programs for those who want to finish their degrees. There is a wide variety of learning courses suitable for each and everyone considering a career change. This year marks my sixth year as an OFW and looking back I can say that my previous work experiences were far from what I usually do back in the Philippines. While I am used to sitting eight hours on the phone in a call center set up, here I crouched doing household cleaning and cried of back pains from carrying a patient who is double my size. I said to myself that I can do better. It has always a habit for me to check job opportunities in newspapers and magazines. Luckily I was able to find a part time job in teaching. Now I do private English lessons for kids ages 3 and up. Next year taking a language course in Italian and French is a target. It’s also a good fallback, if ever I would like to go back for good in the Philippines I can use my linguistic skills to find a job as a teacher or translator maybe.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Learning is an endless process. Everyday we discover new things. With all types of technology available, there is no reason to be ignorant. Despite our schedules there are many ways to keep ourselves updated with what’s happening to the world. Read books, magazines and newspapers. Information is everywhere it all depends on what type of tool you want to get it from. As a busy person, the Internet has become very helpful for me. I just log in to my facebook and twitter account and voila! I have updates and posts about the politics, weather, sports, entertainment, food and recipes, places and people. When I can’t go to the bookstore to buy a newly released novel or haven’t grabbed a copy of the daily newspaper I just download an e-book or search online for the latest news. Travelling is always a great way of learning and can be relaxing too. Finding out new cultures and learning a new language can be in everyone’s bucket list. It is already in mine and I am looking forward to visit a different country next year hopefully with my family.
Learning is an endless process. Everyday we discover new things. With all types of technology available, there is no reason to be ignorant. Despite our schedules there are many ways to keep ourselves updated with what’s happening to the world. Read books, magazines and newspapers. Information is everywhere it all depends on what type of tool you want to get it from. As a busy person, the Internet has become very helpful for me. I just log in to my facebook and twitter account and voila! I have updates and posts about the politics, weather, sports, entertainment, food and recipes, places and people. When I can’t go to the bookstore to buy a newly released novel or haven’t grabbed a copy of the daily newspaper I just download an e-book or search online for the latest news. Travelling is always a great way of learning and can be relaxing too. Finding out new cultures and learning a new language can be in everyone’s bucket list. It is already in mine and I am looking forward to visit a different country next year hopefully with my family.
SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY
We have seen the advantages of working abroad, the chance to give our families a greener future, fulfill our dreams and improve our life situation. But we never really thought on what we have given up. We lose time and love from family. Being physically together with them might be hard because of the distance and cost of flying back. But spending time with them can be in other ways such as chatting and skyping. Work shouldn’t always come first. We are so occupied with our jobs and daily struggles that we unconsciously forget the reason behind our sacrifices. We always say that we are doing these for the best of them but sometimes it can never be enough. It will be more ideal if we can all reunite with our loved ones. Working overseas has been both rewarding and exhausting for me, so I have et a specific work plan. Maybe five to ten years more and with enough money saved I can settle back and enjoy being with my family once more.
We have seen the advantages of working abroad, the chance to give our families a greener future, fulfill our dreams and improve our life situation. But we never really thought on what we have given up. We lose time and love from family. Being physically together with them might be hard because of the distance and cost of flying back. But spending time with them can be in other ways such as chatting and skyping. Work shouldn’t always come first. We are so occupied with our jobs and daily struggles that we unconsciously forget the reason behind our sacrifices. We always say that we are doing these for the best of them but sometimes it can never be enough. It will be more ideal if we can all reunite with our loved ones. Working overseas has been both rewarding and exhausting for me, so I have et a specific work plan. Maybe five to ten years more and with enough money saved I can settle back and enjoy being with my family once more.
REDUCE STRESS
There are many things that trigger stress emotionally, physically and mentally. A tiring job, bills to pay, family obligations and working away from home create negative energies that can sometimes lead to depression. Stress relievers may not always be in form of over the counter pills. It’s as simple as having balance in life. Be clear on what your values are. Set aside material things that will only give you temporary happiness. Be human, laugh, love, meditate, communicate, slow down and enjoy life. One thing I have learned over the years is to keep calm or to quit worrying about the future. Some of you will not agree but we all have our different takes in life or how we’ll particularly plans our lives. Plans change. It’s better if we can concentrate on what we can do for now so we can prepare ahead. Working all day is already stressing and I have tried doing multiple jobs before and it drained me. Now I am trying to avoid doing anything in excess. A day off won’t hurt. Saving a part of my salary will not make me rich right away but treating myself like queen for a day can make me feel good.
There are many things that trigger stress emotionally, physically and mentally. A tiring job, bills to pay, family obligations and working away from home create negative energies that can sometimes lead to depression. Stress relievers may not always be in form of over the counter pills. It’s as simple as having balance in life. Be clear on what your values are. Set aside material things that will only give you temporary happiness. Be human, laugh, love, meditate, communicate, slow down and enjoy life. One thing I have learned over the years is to keep calm or to quit worrying about the future. Some of you will not agree but we all have our different takes in life or how we’ll particularly plans our lives. Plans change. It’s better if we can concentrate on what we can do for now so we can prepare ahead. Working all day is already stressing and I have tried doing multiple jobs before and it drained me. Now I am trying to avoid doing anything in excess. A day off won’t hurt. Saving a part of my salary will not make me rich right away but treating myself like queen for a day can make me feel good.
LEARN TO APPRECIATE
Oftentimes we complain about how unfair life is to us. But if we only learn to appreciate we will have an entirely different perspective. If you think your problems are way too much, just think of other people who might be in a much worse situation than you are. Life is not all about great possessions but rather it’s about having inner peace, creating happy thoughts and living with gratitude. Happiness is not negotiable. It’s a choice and we can only be completely happy if we recognize the value of the simplest things in life. We are lucky to be on earth and not under the grave for life is beautiful and being alive is a gift. I am truly grateful for the past year. I have been through many troubles but I have managed to survived. I may not tweet or update my facebook status everyday but that doesn’t mean I am not thankful for what I have. This year I vow to show my appreciation by helping other people.
Oftentimes we complain about how unfair life is to us. But if we only learn to appreciate we will have an entirely different perspective. If you think your problems are way too much, just think of other people who might be in a much worse situation than you are. Life is not all about great possessions but rather it’s about having inner peace, creating happy thoughts and living with gratitude. Happiness is not negotiable. It’s a choice and we can only be completely happy if we recognize the value of the simplest things in life. We are lucky to be on earth and not under the grave for life is beautiful and being alive is a gift. I am truly grateful for the past year. I have been through many troubles but I have managed to survived. I may not tweet or update my facebook status everyday but that doesn’t mean I am not thankful for what I have. This year I vow to show my appreciation by helping other people.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to our Kababayans here in Europe and across the globe!
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