Brokeback cartoon

It seems to me that tha word "cartoon" is the "hottest" word in the world today. This cartoon however is not in anyway related to it.

It's been awhile

'Been away for awhile. Just need some time out to do some deep exploration. Thinking so hard about the good things and bad things in my job. There are things I can change and some things I cannot but the signs of my dissatisfaction growing each day. i was thinking sometimes that I'm killing myself slowly by continuing my job. Sometimes feeling so dumb why I am still here. But the question of financial security hovers in the mind. I don't want to burn the bridge by now. Haste makes waste. To be truly responsible to myself, I need some time to manage my personal life. Sometimes we need to be reminded about how to face life that's why I included the attachment below.

THE MAYONNAISE JAR & 2 CUPS OF COFFEE


When things in your lives seem almost too much
to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough,
remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and
had some items in front of him. When the class began,
he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They
agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and
poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The
pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and
poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything
else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students
responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee
from under the table and poured the entire contents
into the jar effectively filling the empty space
between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things--your family,
your children, your health, your friends and your favorite
passions---and if everything else was lost and only they
remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like
your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff.
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued,
"there is no room for the pebbles or the golf
balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all
your time and energy on the small stuff you will
never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to
your happiness. Play with your children. Take
time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse
out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always
be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first---the things
that really matter. Set your priorities. The
rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired
what the coffee represented. The professor smiled.
"I'm glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full
your life may seem, there's always room for a
couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

got this nice photo from flickr.com and i take no credit on it.

Welcome 2006

A winter’s day
In a deep and dark december;
I am alone,
Gazing from my window to the streets below
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
I’ve built walls,
A fortress deep and mighty,
That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain.
It’s laughter and it’s loving I disdain.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

Don’t talk of love,
But I’ve heard the words before;
It’s sleeping in my memory.
I won’t disturb the slumber of feelings that have died.
If I never loved I never would have cried.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

I have my books
And my poetry to protect me;
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries.

Money Blog

I can't talk much about money in front of other people. it is really a boring topic for some and it's inappropriate to remind people of their savings and credit card interest while they're choking on their chicken sandwich. That's why blogging is helpful to me. it's anonymous (to some extent)and I can plan about my personal income seriously. The idea of financial freedom became clear to me ever since I read the book Rich Dad Poor Dad a year ago which is really an inspiration and an eye opener for me. My friend told me that I'm wasting money like water. I am the type of person who always eat outside and over generous in inviting people to eat outside too, wasted money on bottled water ( 400 Rs./month,4800Rs./ year on my calculations) but no option really as drinking tap water here is same as injecting yourself with fresh salmonella and its allies, coffee (which reminds me of the wine bottle in the fridge, that should go, cellphones (now proud to say that I'm trying to break my record of holding same cellphone for 5 months, and promise not to buy a new one unless it's broken or something), extra unnecessary clothes,unnecessary watches ( I have two), and so on but have no savings. So, here I am, and the focus of this blog is my financial situation. Somebody had said:

"You Can Save a Bundle Without a Large Income".

I have to agree because that's what I'm striving for and because I don't have a big income either. The other one is

"Money Goes To Where It Is Needed The least".

Maybe my Europe tour last time is an example, or the digital camera I bought for 20,000Rs. (already sold it for 11,000Rs., lost some money there but good lesson for me).

It's My Life (accdg. to survey)

Not so related about my quest for financial freedom but I came across this quiz about life and asking hair raising questions like how many of your grandparents are still alive or if you could run a marathon or not. Anyway, here's my life according to the quiz. The quiz asked me if I'm paying the rent of my house by myself and i said yes and got this high score which I don't really agree. My score should be 5 on Finance. About the rest, can't agree or deny them but really interesting.

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	6.4
Mind:	7
Body:	8
Spirit:	6.7
Friends/Family:	5
Love:	4.3
Finance:	7.1
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Financial Freedom: the new mantra

Nice t- shirt I got from the net. Again, the "Law of Diminishing Interest" trying to catch me. Actually, just been busy for awhile. Went to some place and can't find time to surf the net. I really can't understand my mind sometimes. I decided to go home this xmas to the Philippines. Feeling homesick maybe. It's been a year since my last vacation. It was a privilege vacation anyway so I just grab it but again it will be against my plan to save money as going home means spending again. The company also has given me a bonus trip to some exotic destination on february next year. This is a real challenge as I was trying hard to discipline myself on saving or how to spend less. It seems to me that the company is forcing this tour to us as a way of spending all our money and to beg again for the coming months for our salary and again be trapped in a RAT RACE (thanks anyway). Entire trip will be free but again this "small leaks" in the pocket that will drain me. The occassions of sins (in a financial point of view) will be more. I am an impulse buyer and see things in the market as "necessities" (like I own two watches, for what, for my two hands? jerk..) This has to stop of course. But xmas is coming, and Santa Claus is coming to town, perhaps, this will be a real challenge for me. Hmm. Instead of just rambling and ranting about how easy or difficult the life here, maybe it will be productive to blog things that is important to me. Hope this blog will help me gather strength to control myself and the "material desires" , to attain financial literacy, sharing my daily life struggle to financial freedom,and encourage me more to RESIST RESIST RESIST spending. So help me God.

2006 Year of the Dog

I've been swamped by reports. I'm making a marketing report regarding our forecast for next year. I feel the need for a small break so I just browse the net to check the "other" forecast . January 29, 2006 is the first day of the new year for the Year 2006 which according to Chinese calendar is the year of the DOG. I don't really believe on this stuff but I enjoy reading it so if youre "curious" what's the next year will bring u, just read. I am more worried about my financial future so I have to plan about it. I will blog about it next time though as time won't permit me now. Sometimes, the best advice is just a reminder of what we already know.

Overwhelming Force

We're like this only. They always say it here in India, It's maybe on the part of our culture to just accept our "fate' or a pure sign of our philosophical resignation by just saying "we're like this only". But deep inside is a scream that no we're not like this only. Talking about myself, i failed to anticipate the long term needs to change. Always my plans will be on the table and on a drafting stage for years because I talk too much, unwilling to go to the starting line and face the most difficult yet crucial part, the start. Taking the initiative to start. I became delusionary, spending hours a day in a fantasy worlds escaping the painful realities of life which is a part of the problem.rantings about how unjust the world is but fail to see myself as a part of it.

"Leaving a life
I have no right to leave,
to look life in the face
and to know for what it is"

I was an angry man always, but I begun to understand my anger and transform it. I begun to appreciate the beautiful things in life and begun to understand that I deserve more and that I can change my concept of living. I understand what I really need and work for it. I always feel before that I am suffering from acute feeling of time poverty, like being busy and fatigue is a badge of honor to please somebody, the more stress, the more feeling that I did a good work (for others) and started to forget my life. Now I want change and to change, I need an Overwhelming Force to do this. This article I got is helpful in understanding how to face change.