Part one of this post can be found at my other blog Minimal Changes.

Earlier today I wrote a long list of things I can cook. I'll probably post it in my Philippine Island Living blog.

Today I lost my mobiles headphones. I realized it when I wanted to test the recording feature of the evernote app. I was hungry then and couldn't think straight. I spoke the note into the phone and looked for a snack.

I was canvassing for some cooking tools. I wanted an oven and a hand blender/food processor combo. The one I liked was about Php 10000 and the oven was about Php 15000. I'm thinking of using all the cash in the debit card I had with me.

I paused and thought about my headset. It would be a pain to buy another one. I shouldn't lose it after all the effort I made to keep my possessions at a minimum to decrease the chances of losing things. Sm's appliance center's headset options are in the high end about Php 1,500 the one in CD r king is Php 65 but it's probably not the quality I want and is out of stock. The mall cellphone store sells it for Php 500- 600 and the nearby cellphone stall for Php 100.

A jeep ride back to the office is Php 7 and it's almost rush hour. I'm about to get crushed in the rush hour traffic. If I pay a hundred pesos now I can run home to beat the traffic. The horde of zombies (I mean commuters) can be seen from the cellphone store. I won't make it.

I just went back to the office. I called to see if anyone found it. There was no answer.

Images of a maintenance person or someone else picks it up and hopefully reports it. An alternate image of them tossing it in the trash bin. Another one of them keeping it for themselves. Impossible I sort of broke it. A piece of it is bound in tape. The image of the headset in the trash is a more likely scenario. Shit. I better hurry. I've been out of the office for a few hours now. There's no way I can catch it if any of those scenarios happen.

I got to the office and the guard greeted me. The office is empty. I've never been to my workplace at that time. I told the guard I left something at my desk. Left my bag and umbrella at his desk and went inside. I went to the first work station I went to and I found it immediately. I remembered moving to a couple of work stations because something was broken. I checked everything before I left and the one I was in was empty so I couldn't think of another place I possibly left it.  I found it. That's all that matters.

I walked to the train station anticipating an insane number of people waiting for the train. I was right. I got my ticket and waited at the platform. Took a snapshot for a future post.

What good can I find in this situation? I can't believe I could be that stupid to leave something I use almost all the time somewhere I don't remember. This totally ruined my shopping plans. If I went ahead with the shopping plans I would have used up my money again for something that can wait. I remember the post I recorded.

Being successful in life will require you to run your life like an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is like a gamer. Make sure your life points does not ever go to zero. Taking on quests that will give better returns for time spent and hit points. Invest in stat points and items that makes your game experience a bit better but also plan a bit for bosses and monsters you want to defeat and a bit for the long term to build the type of character you want to create. Then as a chef you don't always need to use the best tools and gadgets. It's nice to have them but you can improvise and re-purpose what you have and that you shouldn't use the lack of "that tool" or the  "lack of funds to buy that tool" as an excuse to stop you. You traveled to a lot of nice places for less than $10 to $20. You learned the basics of cooking nice meals without paying half a million pesos to go to culinary school. You learned it in a few months with a few books and videos. You can build an extraordinary life for far less money and time that you think if you just play with it.

On minimal changes I used the phrase use what you have and do what you can. I couldn't believe masters of many fields are living it and using some variations of it.

I should never doubt myself again.

I then wrote on my phone how we might have gotten it backwards. Jesus said I have come so you may have life and not just life but life to the full. While everybody is preaching about salvation from destruction. Others preach about how the world is all wrong and God being right. What if God really meant for us to take what we've been given and move forward with it. This naturally results in being grateful and praising Him. Instead of comparing what we have with others and complaining.

That's just me.

A year ago after listening to a Derek Sivers interview, he said something like "one of the things I've learned and struggled with is that in every situation is asking myself, What good can I find in this situation?" I told myself I wanted that skill. I get it now.

What are you complaining about? What are you thankful for? I'd love to hear them. You could send me an email or leave a comment.