Five Reasons to Take a Career Break

For one thing, you don't have to ride a stuffy train and deal with technical difficulties on your way to work. I need to practice more of what I read and the train fault this morning reminds me the reason why I hate commuting to work so much! I can hear the winds of change....hmmmm....

You woke up this morning, washed your face, looked in the mirror and wondered, “How did I get here? Thirty-something, house, car, excellent job, by all measures “successful;” so why do I hate my life?” You’re not alone. I think eventually most people have the “Is this it?” moment in their adult lives where they step back and wonder if there’s more that they’re missing. The answer, most of the time, is “Yes! There is more and you’re missing it!”
- BootsnAll.com

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Posted in: Entrepreneurship,Nomad Life,Nomad Philosophy

What are your 43 things?

I stumbled upon 43 things recently and although I don't use it on a daily basis I love that it forces me to think about what I wanted to achieve in my life. I think about I want today and as the day progresses it reminds me to take small actions to achieve them in a small way. That way it doesn't become a 5 or a 10 year goal because I never like to plan it that long. Also, I don't know if I'll still be here tomorrow.

The cool thing is you can look at other people’s goals, and get ideas and inspiration from people all over the world. There are also other kinds of lists … books you’d like to read, places you want to visit, your lists of favorites or things you’d like to do before you die. Many possibilities, all of them good. If you haven't started, I suggest you go to the site and try it out.

Of course, you can do this on paper or on any program but what is cool is that you can set a reminder from your future to yourself to keep your goals on track — you may also publicly challenge yourself to do one of your things by a certain date, and if you don’t, you set something that you have to do instead (like eat your shoe, or whatever).

I have started with 20 things and for sure I'll add more to make up 43. I just can't figure out what it is (yet). They are not in order.

	1.	Learn Arabic
	2.	Own a home
	3.	Complete my driving licence and own a car
	4.	Backpack through Europe
	5.	backpack through the world
	6.	film a documentary
	7.	host a documentary
	8.	write a song
	9.	know what I want
	10.	Live in a different country every 3 months
	11.	Pursue dancing professionally
	12.	Complete to read and understand the Quran
	13.	Road trip to Egypt
	14.	See Mecca and complete Haj
	15.	Do splits
	16.	Get lean
	17.	Earn online full time
	18.	Get 2nd citizenship
	19.	Get out of debt
	20.	love unconditionally.

So what's are your 43 things?

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Posted in: Nomad Life,Nomad Philosophy,Random Thoughts and Expressions

I Am Sorry Mum but Tonight, I'm Cleaning Out My Closet

Eminem has seen this coming.

A couple of weeks ago I had my mum rang me and when I answered she screamed “Your closet is broken!”

It seems that the pole that was holding my clothes broke into 2. My closet which has served me for only 2 years collapsed at the insanely amount of clothes I have that seems to pile endlessly on top of one another. I have since cleaned up my closet and replaced the pole but told myself to start a habit of cleaning it every 6 months.

Though I like to think myself as a neat freak or an extremely organized person, I am far from it. When I am pressed for time, I’ll grab the first top I see from the pile and by the same manner grab whatever clothes strewn on my bed and chuck them in my closet. It is an endless cycle.

Now cleaning up your closet can be intimidating and many would dread the idea of spending the afternoon going through your clothes but trust me, it is extremely fun. I find it therapeutic plus I’ve uncovered a few dresses and blouses never worn along the way. I am pretty sure if you ebay some of your clothes it would have come up to a nice dough on the side. Just a thought.

So let’s start cleaning out the closet of the literal kind!

Editing your wardrobe.

Take a look at your closet — is it stuffed full of clothes you don’t wear? Do you have trouble picking out what to wear in the morning? Are there clothes you don’t fit, don’t like, or can’t wear because they are stained or torn? How about your clothes drawers? Overstuffed?

If so, your closet may be in need of editing. Most of us are in this category. And even though I tried to simplify my clothes, I need to go through my closet to see if there’s stuff in there I no longer wear. I pull out a bunch of things and put them in a bag to trash or sometimes donate them to my sister. When my closet is simpler, my mind is more at ease.

To edit your wardrobe, here are some simple steps:

• Pull out all the clothes from your closet. Put them on your bed. Now go through this pile, one item at a time, deciding what stays and what goes. Follow these rules:

1. If you haven’t worn an item in months, put it in the donate pile. There’s a reason you don’t wear that item — you’re probably not going to wear it again for a long while, if ever.
2. If you no longer fit an item, donate it. Yes, you plan to lose 5 kg to fit into that outfit. Well, when you do, go to the thrift shop and get some better-fitting items. Until then, they’re taking up space in your closet.
3. If an item is stained or torn beyond repair, donate it. If you can repair it, put it in a bag and take it to be sewn tomorrow (or do it yourself). If that bag sits in your house or car for more than a week, you’ll probably never do it, so donate it or toss it. For myself, I often keep stained or torn clothing, if I really love an item, but I only wear it around the house. I save the good clothes for company. :)
4. If an item is out of style or doesn’t match anything else you own, consider donating it. OK, if you really love it and still wear it, go ahead and keep it. Butterfly bell-bottoms? You’re still cool.
5. When in doubt, donate.
6. For seasonal clothes, Where I live, there’s always tropical goodness year round, so this isn’t an issue.

• If you still have a lot of clothes left, consider the following:

1. Keep clothes that are of the same color scheme, and toss the rest. This way, everything matches, and you don’t have to worry about what goes with your blouse. Neutral colors like tan and white are great, with some color tossed in. I avoid bright colors, especially those that bleed in the wash. I don’t like to worry about that.
2. Keep clothes that are simple in design, and can be paired with anything. Jeans are a great example (not the kinds with bells and whistles, the simple kinds). You can put just about any shirt with jeans, and you’re good to go. Shoot for this kind of philosophy. Don’t have pants or a skirt that can only go with one or two other items. Be able to mix and match with ease and without some kind of complicated chart.
3. Make comfort a priority. Looks are important, but comfort is more important. You want to be at ease in whatever you wear, so keep that in the forefront as you edit your clothing.

• Hang the clothes back in the closet nicely, in some order. Pairing by color is nice, and has an especially nice effect if you use the same color hangers. If you have fewer clothes, they look much nicer in the closet.

• Repeat this process with your clothes drawers. Throw out the torn underwear and stained socks. Once you weed out a lot of the stuff, fold them neatly and put them back in your drawers nicely. Again, fewer clothes look much nicer in your drawers. If you have time, organize a sale or ebay or you can even do a swap with your friends. That way you'll get fresh edition of clothes without spending pennies.
  

• Edit your wardrobe every 6 months or so. It’s best if you refrain from buying too many more unnecessary clothes, but I know some of you are shopaholics, and even the rest of us accumulate stuff over time. Make this a regular event, and you’ll keep your wardrobe nice and simple.

I still need to edit my wardrobe, though, on a regular basis. I know it’s time when it’s hard to find stuff, and when I look through my closet and find lots of stuff I rarely wear.

Simplify your wardrobe, and your life will be much simpler and stress-free. It’s wonderful. Give it a try!

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Posted in: Nomad Life,Nomad Philosophy

An Author's Post - The Idea of Success (The Beginning Chapter)

This is not just another ‘About’ post. What the ‘About’ page lacks in detail, I’m going to address in this post.

Here’s the deal: I’ve been working full time for almost 10 years. I’ve had a lot of failures and a lot of successes in my attempt to climb the corporate ladder.

In my younger days, success would mean a heavy paycheque, fancy cars, fancy clothes, fancy bags and a fancy boyfriend. By a fancy boyfriend I mean, tall, suave, good looking and he too owns a heavy paycheque, fancy cars and…..well you get my drift.

Having gone through losing my entire savings, incurring debt, climbing the corporate ladder from below (again), being cheated on and a bad dirty break up, my idea of success now is – if I can get through the day only to still feel grateful and happy, knowing that tomorrow is another day and I’ve done the best that I could to celebrate the day I have today.

No longer do I set goals of where I want to be in the next 5 years or 10 or 20. I set goals now on very short specific terms. For example, today I want to wake up at 6am and talk to God. Today, I shall attempt not to make Mum upset. Today, I shall finish work by end day and not think about work. Today, I shall not spend more than 10 bucks. Today, I shall remember to appreciate my boyfriend. Today, I shall exercise. I take care of today Today and let tomorrow take care of itself.

While setting goals for the next 5 years may be useful for you to get ahead in life, I find that for most people are disillusioned with what they perceive will make them happy. In my most depressing moments, though I was earning well and my goals was well on track, there were times when I felt I was just an empty vessel or a plane on autopilot. Why stressed out on the next 5 years when you don’t even know if you’ll be here tomorrow?

Don’t get me wrong. I still want to get wealthy or rich. Having surplus income is honestly nice, getting the latest fancy bag do give me delight occasionally but I won’t sell my soul for it. I started Jeny’s Closet precisely because I want to create surplus income but I don’t do that at the expense of time with my family or friends. If I don’t feel like managing the blog for the day, I don’t do it. If I rather read than write a post, I’ll read. It is not the be all end all. Ultimately, freedom of choice is what I am after. Eventually, if it surpasses my expectations to replace a full time income, great. If it doesn’t and turns out a flop, I will still enjoy the journey to get there anyhow.

Take care of today and tomorrow will take care of itself.

J.

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Posted in: Nomad Life,Nomad Philosophy

Today's TO(Peek) - The Lost Art of Solitude

“I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers.” ~Henry David Thoreau

You don’t need to be a monk to find solitude, nor do you need to be a hermit to enjoy it.

Solitude is a lost art in these days of ultra-connectedness, and while I don’t bemoan the beauty of this global community, I do think there’s a need to step back from it on a regular basis.

Some of my favorite activities include sitting in front of the ocean, still, contemplating … walking, alone with my thoughts … disconnecting and just writing … finding quiet with a good novel … taking a solitary bath.

Don’t get me wrong: I love being with loved ones, and walking with a friend or watching the sunset with someone or reading a book are also among my absolute favorite things in the world.

But solitude, in these days as much as ever, is an absolute necessity.

The Benefits of Solitude

The best art is created in solitude, for good reason: it’s only when we are alone that we can reach into ourselves and find truth, beauty, soul. Some of the most famous philosophers took daily walks, and it was on these walks that they found their deepest thoughts.

The best of anything I’ve done, was created in solitude.

Just a few of the benefits I’ve found from solitude:

* time for thought
* in being alone, we get to know ourselves
* we face our demons, and deal with them
* space to create
* space to unwind, and find peace
* time to reflect on what we’ve done, and learn from it
* isolation from the influences of other helps us to find our own voice
* quiet helps us to appreciate the smaller things that get lost in the roar

There are many more benefits, but that’s to get you started. The real benefits of solitude cannot be expressed through words, but must be found in doing.
How to Find Solitude

You start by disconnecting.

Take every means of connecting with others, and sever them. Disconnect from email, from Facebook and Twitter and MySpace, from forums and social media, from instant messaging and Skype, from news websites and blogs. Turn off your mobile device and phones.

Turn off the computer … unless you’re going to use the computer to create, in which case, shut off the Internet, close your browser, and shut down every other program used to connect with others.

The next steps depend on which of two strategies you use:

1. Holing yourself up. This can be done in your office, by shutting the door and/or using headphones and the calming music of your choice. If possible, let coworkers know you can’t be disturbed during a certain block of your day. Or it can be done at home, by finding a quiet space, shutting the door if you can, or using headphones. The key is to find a way to shut out the outside world, including co-workers or those who live with you.

2. Getting away.Get out the door, and enjoy the outdoors. Take a walk, find a park or a beach or a mountain, find a quiet coffee shop, find a shady spot to rest. People watch, or nature watch.

Other tips:

* Try taking a quiet, relaxing bath from time to time.
* Curl up with a good novel.
* If you’re married with kids, ask your spouse to give you some time off to be alone, and then return the favor. Make it a regular swap.
* Take a walk every day.
* Get into work earlier, and work in quiet.
* Have a nice cup of tea.
* Pray.
* Try a regular time each day when you’re disconnected.


“I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.” ~Albert Einstein

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Posted in: Nomad Life,Nomad Philosophy

How to be a positive person in under 300 words

‘Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune.’ ~Walt Whitman

I’m a pretty positive person — I consider it one of the keys to the modest success I’ve had in creating new habits and achieving things in the last few years.

Positive thinking, as trite as it seems, has changed my life.

I’m not going to sell you on it, but if you’re interested, here’s the condensed guide to changing your own life:

Realize it’s possible, instead of telling yourself why you can’t.
Become aware of your self-talk.
Squash negative thoughts like a bug.
Replace them with positive thoughts.
Love what you have already.
Be grateful for your life, your gifts, and other people, Every day.
Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.
Don’t compare yourself to others but be inspired by them.
Accept criticism with grace but ignore the naysayers.
See bad things as a blessing in disguise.
See failure as a stepping stone to success.
Surround yourself by those who are positive.
Complain less, smile more.
Imagine that you’re already positive then become that person in your next act.

Focus on this habit first, and you’ll have a much easier time with any other.

‘A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.’ ~Herm Albright

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Posted in: Nomad Life,Nomad Philosophy