Perhaps this is where I really want to begin my private entry for today. I want to start with expressing my gratitude and appreciation before I talk about anything else. Ever since I’ve made the decision to focus on what I can do, and not what I can’t, things have begun to improve. Nah, it’s anything but miraculous. But as small as the sign may be, I’m still going to treat it like a sign that I’m finally heading in the right direction.

I was initially thinking about making this a “private entry”, but I think I should make it public instead. I want today’s entry to be about gratitude and appreciation. More importantly, I need it to be a reminder to focus on the positive things that I hope to manifest into my life right now.

So I’ll start by thanking a small list of my most recent followers/subscribers. If the list continues to grow every week, I will continue to make the same effort to list them as a way to express my appreciation (no matter how many names).

So here are last week’s subscribers/followers:

• G With Me
• Jeremy Empie
• Jerry Kula

Also, as a show of my appreciation, I will also follow you back as a subscriber. Which…I just did.

I sincerely believe that as a blogger and technical writer, having the support of the community can be really helpful (even when I don’t have access to all the fancy paid features).

grateful for the Food Today

Well, I was hoping that the nearby coffeeshop would be selling the usual buns, but as it turns out, there are no buns today, so that means no food for me today. Well, none that I can afford right now. So I guess I’ll be skipping lunch again today. But hey, look on the bright side, at least now, I’ll be on track to hitting my new year resolution of dropping 10kg. In fact, I have been weighing myself every week for the last 4 weeks, and based on the numbers so far, I am most certainly on track.

Anyway, I want to use this time/opportunity to practice something that I’ve been doing for some time. It’s a coping mechanism that I’ve managed to create with the help of professional counselors and therapists in the past. The goal is to make a list of 20 things that I am grateful for today. So let’s begin:

1. I am grateful for the weather today (eventhough it looks hot as hell outside).
2. I am grateful that God blessed me with a speedy recovery from my flu and cough from over the weekend.
3. I am grateful that I have a home to go back to, a roof over my head and a bed to sleep on at night.
4. I am grateful because I have just learned how to forgive myself. And now I can finally begin to move forward in my life.
5. I am grateful that I’ll be hitting my first goal for this year ➡️ losing 10kg eventhough it’s only possible because I had to skip nearly all of my meals for the past 4 weeks.
6. I am grateful for the official recognition 🏆 by Progress as a Progress Champion because a recognition coming from others is always more powerful than trying to promote myself with my own words.
7. I am grateful for my brand ambassadorship with GitKraken because it would allow me to conduct an upcoming video interview 🎥 with their product team. That also means I get it to add some interesting and meaningful content to my “Dev-to-Design” series.
8. I am grateful for this tablet that I have right now because it is allowing me to do this, while also sending out job applications everyday.
9. I am grateful for this tablet because it’s better than in early 2019 when I didn’t even have a tablet to begin with. At least now I have something that I can use.
10. I am grateful that even though my monthly data plan has expired, at least the free plan still allows free incoming calls 📞 and 200MB of data usage 📶.
11. I am grateful that when I go home at nights, I still have a gaming PC 🖥️ that would allow me to do many of the things that I could never do during the day when I’m outside.
12. I am grateful for the UXPin sponsorship which is still currently ongoing. And I still have a few more years left on that, so I am definitely going to make the best of it.
13. I am grateful that I’m resuming my daily devotionals 📖 again. Having the “My Daily Bread” routine/life is one of the main reasons why my life really transformed for the better the first time around. It made me a better man.
14. I am grateful that I don’t have holes in my shoes 👟.
15. I am grateful that I don’t have holes in my socks 🧦.
16. I am grateful that I still got $2.79 left in my account. So if there is a work opportunity that requires a meet-up, I can still make the trip 🚍🚇.
17. I am grateful that the bus interchange has a water dispenser so that way, I can top-up my water bottle for free.
18. I am grateful that the library is close to my home, so I can walk to-and-fro 🚶from it whenever I needed to.
19. I am grateful for the library because it provides me with a conducive environment 📳 so I can be productive.
20. I am grateful because since I’ve started forgiving myself for my past mistakes/failures, I have been feeling lighter, emotionally & psychologically speaking 🍃. There’s perhaps less baggage to carry around now.

Man, honestly that wasn’t easy. I started having to think a little harder after I reached item 16 on the gratitude list. But I am glad to know that there are still so many things to be grateful for in my life. It is proof that in spite of the lack/limitations I might feel every day, there’s still plenty to be thankful for.

random Updates

Alright, it is time for some totally random shit…

Intentionally dropping league levels in SimCity BuildIt

If you have been following my website for some time, then you’d know that I have a love for a few different genres of games. But mostly, it’s either an open-world RPG game, or a city-building game like Anno 1800 or Cities:Skylines. While I honestly would not classify myself as a mobile gamer, in recent years, one game has been helping me create the distraction that I needed – SimCity BuildIt.

For all of its imperfections, I do occasionally enjoy the distraction. And for a period of time, I’ve been paying for the monthly Mayor Premium+ Pass. It was nice while I lasted. Since then I have gone back to playing with the free version. And then in recent weeks, I’ve decided that I needed a break from the game so that I could focus on other more productive matters, so I allowed the game to drop me out of the top two leagues.

Actually, this is on purpose. For months, I feel like no matter what I do, I can never compete in the top league. I mean, yeah. So I thought, maybe I should stop playing for awhile so the game would demote me. Drop me down to a level where I can actually compete (or have a better chance).

Besides, spending time on this game is really not a top priority right now.

Adding my website to my resume

After much considerations, even though I only have 2 articles related to the Dev-to-Design series on this website right now, I’ve decided to link it to my resume. I figured it is only a matter of time before I continue adding more technical content to the series. Again, I’m done with the whole, “wait until things are ideal before I do something” mindset. It was that kind of thinking that lead to my recent failures. So, no more waiting.

New “word of the day” section

On the current “My Daily Bread” listing page, I have added a new sidebar that would allow me to show my profile as a writer / content creator. And then below it, I have added a section where I could share a particular verse or passage from the Bible. Something that I feel is worth reflecting on that day itself. So everyday, I’ll try to share something. Something you and I can reflect on and think about.

That’s It Folks

Well, that’s it for today. I think I’ve share about everything that I can share for today. Since I don’t have a laptop or something that I can use like a laptop, I’m going to figure out how to better use my time today. Whatever it is, know that I will not waste another minute of my day. I think I’ve already wasted enough time over the last few years. Right now, I can only hope that as I continue to do the best that I can, that I would be able to find some form of work (be it freelance or full-time basis) soon. The sooner the better. I really could use the opportunity to turn my situation around. All I really need is one chance.