Grateful Dad #3: Thoughts On Turning 40
I turned 40 years old last October 19, 2021 but I didn’t really give much thought about it. Well, I really wanted to write about it since it’s considered by many as a milestone. However, my mind during that time was preoccupied with a lot of things that’s why I wasn’t able to focus on it. Anyway, three months later, I think it’s never really too late to write about it so here it goes.
Grateful Dad #3: Thoughts On Turning 40
First, I really don’t have a “40 Things I Learned At 40” write up. I considered my 40th birthday to be like any other of my previous birthdays. I mean, I felt ordinary and normal. Just the same, four decades is quite a long time so I still felt grateful to God for giving me 40 years of good health and many wonderful experiences.
If there’s really one thing that I’m thankful for, it’s being blessed with good health even though I don’t particularly consider myself as a health-conscious person. I do try to eat a well-balanced diet and walk but that’s just about it.
I worry a lot and I still sleep late. I hope to finally have the strength to worry less and I will touch on that later on.
Second, I’d like to share some of the most valuable things that I realized during the last two or three years leading to my 40th birthday.
Taking on these learnings or realizations is probably the best thing that I did for myself. You see, when I was younger, I did worry about what other people would say about me. I never admitted that because I wanted to always put up a brave face but I’m sure you are also like that although in different ways.
We worried about how we looked, how we spoke, or how others perceived us. For me, I worried too much that people wouldn't like me to the point that I was even too conscious of being perceived as having a personality problem. What I’m trying to say is that I wanted to always appear jolly and friendly.
As such, I was always apologetic. I would always say, “Sorry, I think I misunderstood you” or “Sorry, I didn’t know that.” I would always blame myself when things go beyond my control. When I lose my temper, I blame myself for being too sensitive.
My point is that I was too unkind to myself. Eventually, it took its toll on me especially because I bottled my emotions up. I was always stressed out and I got irritated easily. I’m still irritable though but I’m working on it.
Just last year, I told myself that I should be kinder to myself and that I should learn to acknowledge my emotions. If I get hurt about something, no matter how minor the reason is, then I should acknowledge it as it is and not blame myself for being too sensitive.
That way, I get to tackle the issue easily and then move on from it. If I don’t acknowledge it, I realized that I had the tendency to carry the weight of it for years and then bring the issue back to life later on. In short, face an issue now, address it, then move on.
On another note, I also told myself that I should celebrate every achievement, no matter how small it is. Better yet, I promised that if anything makes me happy, then I should celebrate it as long as it’s not causing any harm or damage to myself or anybody.
So far, the practice of acknowledging my emotions has been doing me good these past few months. I’m still a work in progress though and I celebrate that, nonetheless.
Speaking of celebration, we just had a simple one at home since the COVID-19 pandemic is still out there. We ordered our favorite food items from Hotdish like the pancit sisig, empanada, spaghetti, and the beef caldereta.
It was our first time to try the beef caldereta from Hotdish. It was really delicious. The sauce was thick and flavorful with just the right hint of spiciness. The beef, meanwhile, is meaty and very tender. It’s one of the best beef caldereta that I’ve tasted.
I also appreciated that Mommy Khris ordered a quite upscale (at least for me) cake from Naked Patisserie. The cake is called Chocol-icition cake which is basically a chocolate overload cake. It does look overloaded with chocolate. It’s topped with truffles, cookies, and chocolate bars.
Chocol-icition cake from Naked Patisserie
This Chocol-icition cake from Naked Patisserie is highly-recommended if you want to give something extra for any special occasion. Plus, it tastes as good as it looks.
So that’s how my 40th birthday went. There was nothing spectacular but what made it special was because I was able to celebrate it with my loved ones.
How about you, what are you thankful for these days? Share them in the comment section below.
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