Now this Nature Cure-ish path...or somekind of that

When I was about in my late 30s, I said to myself, Id like to be a vegetarian at 40.

But now Im 48, nearly 50 and in that phase when I can say to myself Id like to retire. After all, Ive been teaching for 28 yrs. Ive set up a small school with former co-teachers (me husband included) and there it is, up and running (thanks to co teachers) for the next batch of active preschoolers.  Im back with university work fulltime and will definitely stay put to enjoy teaching courses. 

It is in these settled moments that I can make time to set new goals for the next 10 yrs of my life. There is of course 2 unfinished business:  my Phd and finally getting to be more in touch with my spiritual and healthy self (yeah like I was like that at different points in my life but bec I am consistently inconsistent, there it goes :() 

But perhaps if I look at my life like somekind of an expanding spiral or that maintain a view that life ain't linear  at all but more like cycles of growth, then I think Im ok.

Anyways, during the holidays, I chanced upon a dear friend online and ended up volunteering to look into his work. What was simply an editing job (and a means to delay work Im not up to do ing yet), turned out to be a discovery of something Ive always wanted to try for myself—the challenge of maintaining a healthy lifestyle…and consistently until the day I die. ( and yes I can comfortably say until death because I do believe that death is the way to get to the next life :) 

This former WizIQ fellow who once dreamt of being a filmmaker has become a father to the Montage of his life, only this time, the documentary project which may be playing in his mind for years became something else -- a narrative but in a book format which documents his autobiography using a perspective of sorts, hence  a montage coming to life--to mean truths unfold, meanings revealed, and simply be informed, or get inspired, just like  a documentary which in the end boils down to what I can term as both nature cure and mind cure. See here: Montage of my Life: A self help book

What are my takeaways....here goes: 

WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND

This blog then is a declaration of sorts and this is me making myself accountable to my words:

1)   Keeping healthy takes more than just diet and exercise. It is a mindset to take responsibility for what you can explicitly do and choose to do to keep healthy in mind and in body.

2)   That is it not just a goal, but a journey of getting there that matters.

3)   That innately, we truly can be our healthy selves, or should you believe in destiny, everyone is destined to a life of greatness. But believing in this ain’t enough. It takes conscious effort, every day decisions to act on it.

4)   That each and everyone of us simply need to navigate one’s path to healthy living—and not all paths are the same. Therefore be mindful to define that path. Take time to look back and carry on.

WHAT I CAN RELY ON

Perhaps this is a good time to look back on actions which I know Im capable of doing at different points in my life. And that the goal is to do these more and mindfully:

1)   Yoga – for breathing, centering, energy maintenance and keeping energized

2)   Walking -  and preferably in the morning; also for daydreaming, decluttering quick goal setting or keep my mind off things which I need not worry about to start my day right

3)   Light and simple breakfast – toast, fruit, cereals--- no need to eat right away in case not hungry to complete the process of digestion; use energy to improve digestion of what was taken in the other day then fill up one's tummy right away

4)   Taking fruits and veggies

5)   Less rice intake

6)   No beef – chicken is fine; in case of beef, give up on carbs and sugar for that week

7)   Jog/ run/ bike

8)   Spiritual feeding every Sunday, either mass at least 2x or 3x a month and to take time to be thankful on a daily basis

9) Have fellowship with friends- who happen to be quite few hence take time to connect

To do the above mindfully means if I simply make clear to myself the simple lessons behind each activity above, that should motivate me to keep at it.

WHAT I NEED TO MINIMIZE

Being mindful means I need to work on the above to look into what I can term as weak points. This is me also saying I am currently having difficulties letting go off eating habits because I simply enjoy these with my family.

Ø  coffee with Vic

Ø  eggs

Ø  pork sinigang

Ø  Sunday heavy breakfast than usual

Ø  sticky rice cake—it’s my wedding cake!

Ø  ice cream and cake = all our jokes over dessert included (as long as it is not at the same time or too much)

Ø  chips to go with Walking Dead TV days ( which means give up on the above on TV days)

Ø  Vic’s special dishes which  now we have decided to prepare seasonally… only during special occasions (kare-kare, kaldereta, callos)

WHAT IM WILLING TO START LEARNING IN THE SHORT TERM

This only means that I have to

What Im willing to try:

> fasting – I think I can because Im usually not a heavy breakfast person and that

> choosing tea over coffee

> boxing!

>hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

>be mindful of balance –otherwise buildup of toxins. What I need to watch out for is my sugary foods intake

Now to go about the science behind my choices or to the extent of calorie counting may not be my cup of tea. So perhaps what can work for me are practical lessons based on Lecture series on Toxemia and Enervation (see here: https://youtu.be/c-pinhzARko and https://youtu.be/zC2Swi1WxB4) 

These will surely keep things simple and therefore something my mind can deal with to leave brain space to focus on the research work ahead of me.

…and hopefully IN THE LONG TERM

> do away with “foods I cant do without” at some point in my life

> do away with unnecessary worries which eats up my brainspace

WHY ALL OF THE ABOVE
Why do all the above…because it is the only way to get more out of life. And the MORE Im talking about are these:

1)   Id like to age without needing to succumb to maintenance meds

2)   A healthy body will carry me through my research study – I cannot afford to be unhealthy or get sick while Im away from my family

3)   I do not want to burden my kids of old age health issues

4)   Id love to live a bit longer to be there when my son falls in love, becomes a great teacher or a father or even none of the above but just be with my son or for my daughter to achieve a dream or two she has set herself out to do

5)   I secretly want to be a grandmom bec I think Ill do really great at it

6)   Id like to be around Vic to see all life projects come true

THINK RIGHT. EAT RIGHT. LIVE RIGHT.

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What UP Education Means to Me version 2.017

And so finally those who can make it to the Batch 87 get together made it. I went out of my way to kinda organize it -- tipong when to 2 or 3 are gathered in the name of the Lord kinda thing but obviously, it was in the name of UP Sigma Delta Phi...and let's not forget the UP which goes with our sorority name.

Perhaps it was that common initiation experience held at the grounds of the University of the Philippines which brought us  females together which I may say is part and parcel of the UP brand of education--learning outside the classroom. Like somekind of hidden curriculum, UP education offers that kind of learning for life, never the textbook kind and quite organic cuz the learning sprouts on the path you yourself choose or happen to be in as you literally cut class to explore all types of student orgs, all types of minds (the weirdest kind the better).

It was definitely like that for all of us at Sigma Delta Phi, and even just being with Batch '87 has made my UP life more memorable and colorful.  For how many times did we make that choice to be together-- from our initiation rights and joyrides,  to THAT trip to Baguio, all sorts of fundraisers, and of course, Mammanu Adarna. We spent precious time beyond our acads to be together to work for a common goal, or even just to have the last laugh or the latest chismis or finish that last smoke or drink that last drop of beer.

That was of course 30 years back.  Now at 48, Ive started to rethink my current bonds. I mean, what keeps me tied down in the Philippines despite all odds? And what keeps other fellow UP folks here...or should others decide it best to take flight or migrate, what memories of UP do they hold dear?

Then I ask, what better memories can I create from here until I reach my deathbed? Yeah, living life earns me the right to look forward to death...and it gives me reason to rethink the remaining life Id like to lead.  So yes, Id like to see more of my ka-batches. And this time, take sweeter time to be with them.

So here we are as Batch 87 at Mary Grace, just a few of us. This time, we finally got to talk about where that UP education brought us to where we are and how having that UP brand of education really meant to us. Buzz word - flexiblilty and risk taking. And with Sigma Delta Phi -- that meant having the heart to dare the inconvenient, the uncomfortable and the impossible. I was trying to envision my ka batch Armie in Sudan, Congo, Uganda, Rwanda while I had my share of India.

But then daring the impossible need not be out there but even  closer to home as Liezl recounted her explorations with aquaponics and organic farming,  homeschooling and school searching, while Cujo has gotten back once again to UP, this time as a Phd student.

And same goes for me. Yes, I've decided to give this thesis another shot. The topic is very timely anyway. Only this time, things simply fell in place-- no hassles at all: USQ found my qualifications sufficient, my research adviser invited me for a Skype and pretty much convinced that my research ideas are worth pursuing, my study grant was approved, loans approved so I can rightfully accept the offer...study grant contract and funds to follow.

Finally, this is what UP education means to me now version 2017. UP education to me now means finding time to appreciate where Im at so far and still carrying on with the work ahead --- but this time, pushing the boundaries of what academic excellence is all about. So what is THIS  A-EXCELLENCE all about?

These days, it only means Im not getting any younger and therefore I choose not to settle for anything less. Anything less means 'pwede na' mode. I can just safely supervise a program, teach as usual, do consultancy as usual, learn from peers, as usual. I mean that can be, right? Or so...so...

But when I got back to UPOU, I was confronted with a simple problem or  gap. Just when I thought I could settle, came something unsettling. You come in contact with students in need of research mentoring or a bit of inspiration to carry on just as well because they need their education badly.  So I asked myself, what else can I do? Should I dare again? What if things do not go well...? etcetera etcetera etcetera.  I simply said to myself time to set new goals or should I say, find other reasons to motivate myself to carry on.  Id really like to learn how to mentor fellow teachers to do research and/ or special projects they themselves can be proud of.

So the only way to do this is to do it myself first. And I look forward to the day when I will know I have done it and I can say, if a mediocre UP student such as I did it, so can you-- so can the teacher in you....so can the U.P. in you.

There's is U.P. in all of us, Batch '87...and other students of UP's only Open University. Looking forward to more times together, through thick and thin, till death do us part.

Keep living and learning!