Today is a new beginning as I cross over to the next decade of my life.  As I reflect back, I have slowly evolved, hopefully becoming more mature and mellowing down.  As Anonymous said, “Wine improves with age.  The older I get, the better I like it.”  And I think this simple statement encapsulates it so well.

I am grateful to Papa God for the gift of life, good health, loving family and friends and abundant blessings.  I am thankful for the friendships I have built over time and though I know, it’s challenging to keep and maintain friendships because of time, distance and different priorities but I know deep inside that whatever happens I have friends whom I can confide in, gossip with, enjoy good food and beer or wine, who will challenge me to go out of my comfort zone.  You guys know who you are 🙂  I am happy that I have reconnected with my grade school, high school and college friends.  I hope I can maintain the friendships I have cultivated in my previous companies.

I am thankful to my family, extended family and “adopted family.”  I was never perfect and I thank you for the gift of love and patience.  I wish I could spend time with all of you but as distance is an issue I may have to defer this for the meantime.  But I do hope, in the very near future, time permits that I can travel to Bicol and Pangasinan to see my relatives and spend time in the laid back rural countryside to get away from the concrete jungle I have considered to be my home in the past seven years.  I love Singapore but sometimes I feel caged and I feel that I cannot breathe so I look forward to open space even in nearby Malaysia.  Maybe one dear relative will take the initiative to organize a get together of family reunion 🙂

I am thankful for meeting people in the investing groups and forums as it is good to be around like-minded people who are also focused on learning how to manage money better and planning for a good retirement.  I hope we can spread our advocacy of financial literacy to more Filipinos and give them the opportunity to find different avenues to grow their money versus just putting it in the bank.

I am thankful for being able to use my passion for organizing events.  I started by just organizing family events and out of town trips and get together with friends.  But in the past three years, I have been given an opportunity in the office to organize team building activities and ice breakers but more importantly at a personal level, I have been given a chance to organize financial coaching seminars and outreach programs.  In organizing outreach programs, I get to know more people, I find satisfaction in sharing our blessings to other people and I also get to be a conduit for my generous friends to find a cause to help.

So, what’s next?  Well, that’s for me to know and share with you in my future blogs and for you to, hopefully, read it.  Till next time 🙂

Note: Photo courtesy of http://www.cafepress.com/