Cuckoo's Nest

Going back to basics

2011-11-07T20:09:00.000-08:00

I was making creamy scrambled eggs for breakfast when this image just popped out of my head... me jumping to the sizzling sound of frying. I had Mageirocophobia or the fear of cooking. I would cringe away from the sight of pots and pans. Just kidding. I just don't want all the fuss and the mess. And I prefer washing the dishes rather than cook. It's quite a shock knowing that I can now cook let alone learn how to cook and experiment with ingredients I've never thought of.

I realized when you cook, you just have to keep these basic ingredients:

salt

pepper

olive oil

basil leaves

parmesan cheese

parsley

Even the simplest dish like scrambled eggs or a can of sardines would taste better with these basic ingredients. It's just a matter of seasoning. If you season well, you'll end up having a great dish.

Life also provides us with these readily-available ingredients. How do we cook these basic components?

a dash of yourself

When you lose something, it gives you a lot of time of think. It may sound so cliche, but it's true. You learn that everything doesn't always end up according to your plan. So you learn to let go and let God. "If something doesn't work, you reflect on it and then you make yourself better." Words from a friend who shares my zest for life. It's my coping mechanism and a better version I would say. Instead of drowning my sorrows over alcohol, I prefer going out of my comfort zone. Don't get stuck in the same place, clinging on to a past you're not even sure if it's worth holding on to. Realign your goals. Reinvent yourself. Learn a new skill and master it. Go back to your first love - running and writing. Meet new friends and explore opportunities that would make you a better person. With all these, you become better AND you feel good.

a pinch of family

Life is short. There are some things that can't be borrowed. Our parents will not stay with us for the rest of our lives. They too, will get old and wither away. Grab every opportunity to spend time with them while they are still alive. Their wisdom makes sense most of the time especially in this topsy-turvy world.

season with friends

Surround yourself with people who will help you stand up when your face is stuck in the mud. Reconnect with friends whom you've lost contact over the years. Expand your social network. Join a club, a group meditation, or a salsa dance class. Meet new and exciting people. (*wink*wink*)

serve while still hot

While you're still alive and kicking, explore this vast world. Learn something new. Travel. Get to know other people on the other side. Life is an endless source of new experiences waiting to be unraveled.

The thinking cap is on

2011-10-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

When should you consider an opportunity?

When it falls on your lap the second time?

Or when all else fails and you need the change of scenery...

I worry too much. I think I need to get rid of some of these samskaras. As my prefect says unless you practice it on your own, you'll never know the difference. Hmm...I need to stick to my night and morning rituals.

How do you know if something you really want so bad is not really good for you? Do you wait for "signs" that would give you the answer? Or do you base it on logic by doing a comparison of the pros and cons?

I came across this one funny article from Bo Sanchez's book. He said people wait for the extra ordinary signs to figure something out when in fact the ordinary signs will give them the answer they need. What do you call that? The art of overlooking the obvious.

Discernment takes time even years for some. I hope I get mine soon...

For the love of gray

2011-02-21T17:52:00.000-08:00

“ Once upon a time there were only two colors–black and white. The beauty of this lay in its simplicity. But as life became more complex, people learned how to mix the two colors, yielding various hues of gray.” - Shall We Dance, Rediscovering Christian Standards

Why do we love gray? Because of its complexity. People find complicated things interesting. That’s why if your FB status says “It’s complicated”, your friends will most likely ask you a lot of questions. So why not just black or white? Black. Death. White. Clean sheets. Both colors signify directness and simplicity. It’s easy to understand. No fuss. No confusion. Then why do we like to complicate things? Is it the thrill of scheming and having control over mind games?

I say if it’s giving you too much drama, get out before it eats you alive. Life should inspire you to do great things and not pull you down. Life is too short to sweat over the small stuff.

"Dance like no one is watching, love like you'll never be hurt,sing like no one is listening,and live like it's heaven on earth."- William Purkey

Does size matter?

2009-09-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

They say it does. But I say it doesn't.

I'm referring to the size of the malls here in Manila by the way...

I just want an organized mall...where the shoe stores are located at the 2nd floor, the appliances on the 3rd or the restos at the ground floor.

I was never a fan of MOA or Megamall. The stores are disorganized. It's big but everything is all about WALKING...Sigh! It's exhausting my dear. Even my feet hurts just by the thought of it. And the worst part is, the rest rooms are located at the far most part of the mall. It's like it's saying "hey, if you really need to pee that bad, come and find me..." By the time you get to the rest room you probably peed in your pants.

So I'm sticking with Greenbelt and Glorietta. They're not that big but they can give you all the comforts that you need...rest rooms everywhere...

Retirement

2009-09-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

"I plan to retire at 40" I told my insurance agent months ago when I bought my retirement plan. She looked amused. She probably thought I was kidding. And I was probably dreaming because that's more than 10 years from now... I can't say the exact number of years because you'll guess how young I am hehe.

I'm feeling tired lately...emotionally tired I guess. I feel useless...unproductive... since I'm used to having too much work and now I'm beginning to miss it. So I started updating my resume again (for the nth time) and I hope I would have the guts to check my market value outside. It's been a very long time since I last seriously checked the job market.

The truth is, I just want to retire as soon as possible...

change the world

2009-08-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

Change is good.

But most of the time it's not.

It can cause panic, anger even madness...

I was feeling too homey again which can be something bad for someone. It was too soon to be too comfy since I was just a rookie in my new crib. Sigh. I just made my first mark. And it wasn't good. Life can be complicated when you're new and old at the same time.

Thank God there's blogging. It's been a very long time since my last blog. It's nice to be back in my own thoughts...