Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Life Lessons I Learned From My Parents



Now that I'm becoming a parent in a few months, I've been thinking about how I'm going to raise my baby daughter into the best person she could possibly become. It's a lot of pressure when you think about it - the entire life of this tiny human being, all in your hands. It seems easy when you see other people doing it and we easily judge them when they make a mistake. But each person is different, each family is unique,  and there's really no one way of doing things. I wish there was a Parenting 101 book that could give us all the exact answers, but of course, there's no such thing. 

With that, I thought I'd share some of the lessons that I have learned from my parents over the years. They may not be these big life-changing words of wisdom, but they definitely helped shaped the person I am today.

1. Enjoy the simple things.

Growing up, we didn't have the most extravagant life. My parents worked hard to give us the very best they could. They would wake up at 5am, get us ready for school, leave for work by 6am, and have dinner ready when we got home 12 hours later. I remember living in a small home that crawled with cockroaches and had a roof that would leak when it rained, but it didn't matter. What mattered are the moments we spent together laughing, eating ice cream, going to the mall with our 200 pesos budget for toys and ending the day with combo meals from Tropical Hut.

2. Treat others the way you would want to be treated.

No matter one's position in life - treat everyone with respect. This includes waiters, cashiers, house help, carpenters, people you meet on the streets, even the homeless. Everyone you encounter is fighting a battle you don't know about, so it's important to be kind always.

3. Don't dwell on things you cannot change.

I mean, what's the point, right? This is definitely something that's easier said than done. I'm someone who dwells on things, a lot, unfortunately. I don't get over failures and embarrassment that easily, I tend to think about them over and over, which doesn't really help in any way, it's not like it's gonna change what happened. So we have to remember that we always have a choice on whether to move forward or forever stay in that bubble of disappointment.  Learn from your mistakes. Don't dwell on them.

4. Work hard and live life. 

Save money for the future, but still make sure to enjoy life. Money is meant to be spent - you can always earn it back - but you have to remember to spend within your means. Do not go and buy yourself a Gucci bag if it means starving for the next few months. Splurge on experiences, explore new things - remember, work to live, not live to work. Traveling doesn't always have to mean some exotic, far-flung location just so you can snap photos for the 'gram. Spend money and be happy, but be mindful and don't go overboard.

This last one is especially important because I've been married for a year now and we're having a baby soon, so a lot of things have changed, especially financially. This is why I'm currently looking into getting the AIA All-In-One 5/10 Year Pay

Life doesn't always happen the way we want it. The AIA All-In-One 5/10 Year Pay ensures that no matter what life throws at you, your family is cared for. 

Serve as your lasting legacy

  • Life insurance benefit for your loved ones of up to 5x the amount you paid 
  • 2x if death is due to an accident
  • Pay for either 5 or 10 years

Be your safety net against life’s major risks

  • Cash benefits in case of accident, disability, or critical illness (cancer, stroke, heart attack) 
  • Last year of premium payments is free

Let your love live on. Start planning for your family’s future as early as now. For more information about AIA All-in-One, visit AIA Philam Life's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AIAPhilamLife/, website www.philamlife.com, email philamlife@aia.com, or call (02) 8528-2000.
-
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and like my Facebook page for more stories like this!