The blessings behind the pandemic

How long have you been staying at home? Some might have been staying for two months and some even for three months now. The questions of what, why and how have become less. The worries and fear have become less. I think most of us have become adjusted to the situation. This coronavirus is not in our control. And ultimately we have to accept what we can not control. We have accepted the situation and started focusing more on what we can do.

Some bloggers shared how they spent their days in their quarantine. They shared their tips in quarantine. It was really good. I enjoyed reading it. I reflected on myself and started counting blessings I have been receiving. Here is the list of my blessings behind this pandemic.

1. Less spending and save more money
Basically only for groceries. Veggie and fruits. My credit card bill was the least for the last ten years. So it was good that I save money.

2. Start cooking for my meal
I only eat what I cook. I don’t trust any food from outside. I eat more veggie and fruits. I think I become healthier.

3. Weight Loss
It was really surprising that I lost 10 kgs in only two months. It never happened before. Losing weight has become a never ending struggle for me.

4. Develop cooking skill
I started experimenting on making vegan cakes. And I have become very good at cooking vegan carrot cake and vegan nuts cake. I shared it to friends and colleagues, and they are happy.

5. Learn hosting a webinar
I never thought that workshop through webinar would be effective. I found out that it worked.

6. Serve more people
I have conducted off-line workshops before the pandemic. Many people could not join due to different reasons. When the workshop is online, it becomes more flexible for everyone. Those who are living far away can even make it.

7. Develop my presentation skill
I am pushed to become more creative in making presentation and preparing the topic for webinar.

8. More blessings
If you are doing good to people, helping them, you will definitely receive blessings from their hearts in the form of good feelings. You are happy by helping others.

What about you? How do you enjoy your quarantine? What blessings do you receive?

Do you drink coffee?

I know many people are really coffee lovers. I should say some of them are experts at coffee. I also remember one of my colleague is really addicted to coffee so he always has a cup of coffee to start the day. It becomes his moodbooster for the day. I don’t drink coffee much, only occasionally and it would be a decaf one.

Very recently I met someone who never drinks coffee nor tea in her life. Not even once! She said that when she was small, her parents used to say that coffee and tea were not for children and when she grew up she chose not even to have a try. She gave me a very interesting reason and I really like it. She said that she decided not to have a try because she didn’t want to develop it as a habit. She doesn’t want to create a mental attachment to a particular drink or food. For this, I would agree. When something has become a habit, it is not easy to break it. The mind is craving.

If you have the habit of having a particular drink, definitely you put your heart into it because you enjoy it. You invest your heart in it. And what happens if for some reasons you don’t have one or you can’t have one? My colleague once said to me that he would get a headache without having a cup of coffee in the morning. When we were on a trip together, I saw him restless. He couldn’t concentrate.

Never make a joke with God

Orange has become my favorite fruit for many years. Any types of oranges. I have the reason why I like oranges very much. I have been saved from having flu or sore throat by having oranges. As soon as I got the symptom of flu or sore throat immediately I had oranges in quite big amount, then usually the symptoms were gone. This became my advice to people, to take orange for their flu. I remember many times I told people jokingly that I believed in oranges more than I believed in God.

A few months ago I got a very bad sore throat and fever. I then took oranges. I thought I needed to see a doctor because it was not getting better. After taking antibiotics, the sore throat was getting better, but on the third day I started losing my voice. I had to deliver trainings, so I had to speak. I didn’t recognize my voice. My voice was getting worse for almost 2 weeks. I had to cancel my business trip due to this.

I remember a few days before I got that very bad flu, I said that same words again to someone while we were enjoying our fresh orange juice during breakfast. Perhaps God doesn’t like it. I was joking and He took it seriously. Don’t make a joke with God. It was really bad.

What do you spend your day doing?

When I was conducting a workshop on Time Management very recently, I asked the participants this question – what they spend their day doing. I asked them to write down their activities from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed. I did this exercise myself beforehand. I tried to be honest in writing my own list, which became a long list of activities. I found out that most of the things I do are just mundane or I do it because I have to do it, because of obligation. So it is not purely my choice and there is not much excitement. When you are doing something out of compulsion, you don’t feel the love. You don’t feel happy while doing it. The happiness only arises when you are doing it with love (with your heart).

If you really want to have a happy life, you need to check how do you spend your time day to day. Happiness is generated through doing action. You create your own happiness through choices you make.

Make sure you choose to do something related to your life mission. It can be your passion. When you are doing something with passion, you will generate the most happiness.

Avocado toast lesson

Last week I was on a business trip to Timor island. I should say it is the land of avocados, because this land grows very good quality of avocados. I enjoyed avocado toast for my breakfast. The first morning breakfast was good in the restaurant of the hotel. The hotel didn’t have many guests, so I could enjoy my breakfast. On the second day, I was a bit disturbed. A group of people had come to the hotel the night before. Later I found out they are the wives of diplomats, so they came from different countries. We had our breakfast at the same time. I was ready with my avocado for the toast. I put my avocado on the table and went to the toast station to prepare my toast. A lady was approaching me and telling me that I could not have any toast because the toast was provided only for the group. She seemed to be the group leader. I was a bit shocked by this explanation. It didn’t happen the day before and everybody could enjoy whatever was served. I searched for the hotel manager to get it clarified. I asked the manager if I could have toast or not. The hotel manager said ‘Sure!’ He then went into the kitchen and brought a big package of bread for everyone.

What do you think happened in my mind and my heart while having my toast on the table where the group of the ladies were having their toast on the next table? My mind was very chaotic. My heart got hurt. I noticed angry and defensive thoughts in my mind. I thought I should stand up and talk to the lady that what she told me was not right. I wanted to get back at her. But I decided not to do that. I observed my self inside instead. I watched what was happening inside me. I thought it was more important for me to take care of my mind and my heart than allowing myself to get emotional by the situation and anybody out there. It might make the situation worse, both internally and externally. In that way I settled my own internal chaos.