slave to foreign brands

I'm upset realising how much of a slave I am to international brands when it comes to clothing.

I've pretty much succumbed to the superficial comfort that retail therapy brings. It feels so wrong for me to say this but what the heck... it's a real emotion that bothers me.

All the stress I feel from the sources of stress in my life feels like I have a justified reason to find solace for a few minutes in the embrace of beautiful superficial things.

It's wrong. Must substitute it with something more meaningful and has better value.

I am happiest when...

I have been having my ups and downs... We all go through this.  And somehow... Today was pretty clear to me.

I was at mass and it was a pretty good one. Nothing out of the ordinary.. I went to mass with Celine.  After the mass, I asked her, "Celine, what did you learn in church today?"

Her answer was simple: "I learned that life is how you see it".

The Gospel today was about that woman who was accused of adultery and Jesus said something like, whoever has not sinned may cast the first stone...

That short conversation with Celine, with my own intention of instilling Christianity into my 9 year old sister - may have affected me more than it affected her.

Spending the first activity of the day with my sister and God set the tone for the rest of the day and I think today was a great day.

And so... It made me reflect on the things that make me happy.

So I'll start my list...

I'm happiest when...
(in no particular order)

• I'm with my family and just being a normal family... laughing, teasing each other, eating. 
• I'm with Chad 
• I'm cooking or baking 
• I'm putting makeup on other people and I could see the happiness in their eyes on how I enhanced their natural beauty 
• I'm with R&D and they're laughing and having a good time 
• I'm with my small group of close friends talking about anything and everything 
• I'm travelling - seeing a different culture similar yet different from what I'm used to and getting inspired by the differences and amazed by the similarities 
• I'm eating refreshing food and it revives my soul 
• I'm able to walk and able to take in all the sights, sounds, smells of the streets 
• I'm learning something new 
• I'm researching and there's a Eureka moment or a surge of new information sort of downloading inside my brain 
• I'm affirmed by God's words that He is real and He loves me 
• I'm shopping and find a great bargain
• I'm reading an interesting book and get so absorbed in the plot 
• I'm watching CSI 
• I'm watching Crime Investigation Channel or Law & Order with Chad 
• I'm able to meet acquaintances that turn into instant friends 
• I'm in Korea and someone talks to me in Korean and I can totally have a conversation at that given time 

I guess this list goes on and on... 

I'll just have to remind myself about all the things that make me happy whenever I'm down.