Wordsley, Stourbridge, England: 11 degrees, a little cold, grey, overcast and wet.
It is Saturday, and I didn’t go out last night. I also don’t have anything planned socially for today, tonight, or tomorrow.
I am surprised by myself that a night out, clubbing, meeting friends, or a girl, etc., are no longer the priorities of my life. Some men are intelligent enough to understand the price it brings, and it is a heavy price when they are young.
It took me until recently, the last couple of years, to reach this kind of understanding and wisdom. Don’t get me wrong, to go out is good, to meet people is good, to go to a party is good, it is all good, but it should never be a priority for your life, for you to live and the reason for your existence.
We have more important things to do, such as studying, earning money, improving ourselves, and being a decent person without being a pushover, which are all essential to our day-to-day happiness, or, more importantly, our inner tranquillity.
We often talk about happiness, the world, and social media, which sell it to us in all shapes and forms, implying that we should be happy regardless of our circumstances. However, I have learned that peace, tranquillity, and calmness are just as crucial, if not more so, than happiness itself.
From these states, we can build, improve, and strive for better things. While happiness can make life feel different, it can also lead to a lack of concentration and focus. At times, we may become complacent or indulge in self-pity, failing to understand the future consequences of our actions fully.
We live in a society where showing off and displaying our possessions to others is seen as a virtue, which can make others feel without or even inadequate. I don’t have anything particularly remarkable to boast about, except for my health, my mind, my daughters and their well-being and education, as well as the many things that have positively influenced me throughout my life, which have gifted me with my experiences and, to some extent, wisdom at the age of 57.
Would I like to have more material possessions? Of course! However, I won’t let myself feel depressed, disappointed, or angry for not having them. I’ve never been overly focused on material things, but I would like to change that a bit.
All we have to do is try our best without being afraid. Fear is the killer, or you kill it, or it will kill you!
Yesterday, I left three A4 printed sheets with my goals for the rest of the year with the owner of Café on the Green in Wordsley, a place I visit at least three or four times a week. I inquired about laminating A4 papers to make them more durable and ensure they would last for the rest of the year.
In Brazil, many print shops/offices offer this service, and it’s easy to ask for. However, in England, it’s not as easy to find this service, and most people do it at home. The café owner kindly offered to laminate the papers for me, as he does the same for the café’s menus.
My three goals for this year:
- Exercise: exercise, good food, good health, look good, be different, and have high self-esteem!!!
- Work/Make money: work, give classes, create content for YouTube, Instagram, PLRs, Facebook, POD, and online courses. The development of ‘The long gringo’ blog, ‘Placebeads’, and ‘Teahogui’. Hustle, pay bills, save money, and invest in Bitcoin!!!
- Peace/Happiness/Truth: be happy, be good, be truthful to yourself, make the most of what you have, and be grateful for everything good, but don’t be a pushover. Travel, learn new things, be a good father, and find the right person; if not, that’s okay!!!
These are my goals for this year, and the three copies are now printed and laminated. I had asked the owner in the cafe if there was a print shop near that could plastify or laminate my pages, just like his menus. He told me that he has a machine and does it himself because it is not common in print shops in England nowadays. He then offered to do it for me. This was yesterday. I said I would like to pay, but he refused.
When I went back today for a coffee, the owner quickly came over and gave me the three laminated copies that I had left the day before. I thanked him and offered again to pay for his time and effort, but he refused, saying it was a pleasure.
When I left the cafe after having a tea and writing my daily entry in my journal, I popped into the supermarket next door and bought a decent bottle of Prosecco. I went back to the cafe, which was bustling with people, and gave the Prosecco to his wife, who was working behind the counter, and who was so surprised.
I didn’t stop to talk, as she was so busy, and it wasn’t necessary. I just wanted to show my gratitude for what they had done. I felt good about solving the problem of laminating the copies, mainly because it was important to me, and I was also very grateful, wanting to show my appreciation for their help.
The rest of the day was spent shopping and walking, and we had fish and chips for dinner at night.
In bed by 10:00 p.m.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
