In this life, there are things we know we need and things that don’t give value to our lives. And there are things I never knew I needed until they became handy. There were some habits I formed out of just wanting to improve myself, while some others, I just happened to do just because.
I’m going to share with you some things I never knew I would need until they became handy. And thanks to them, I am what I am right now. Check them out, because you wouldn’t know if you’d need them in the future too.
Reading comics
I can still remember that I used to love reading Archie comic books during my elementary days. That was over two decades ago. And it has leveled up to reading pocketbooks, magazines, and now different types of articles online over time.
I started reading Archie comics because well, one of the characters had the same name as me. And it even made me want to become an editor as a job. Although I’m still so far from becoming an editor, I’m glad that I can write articles now.
Reading has helped me improve my grammar skills. It has taught me when to use the S and base forms of the verb. Apart from that, I became more confident about writing because I have learned many new words through reading.
Applying lotion religiously
I believe I have mentioned many times that I love beautifying myself, and one of them is applying lotion to my body. And that does not happen only once or twice a week, but every after taking a shower.
I know that by doing so, you are locking in hydration into your skin, especially if you apply lotion within 10 minutes after you took a shower. Ten minutes after you shower, the water hasn’t completely dried out from your elastic skin, so by locking them in using lotion, you prevent dry skin.
I was ten when I started applying lotion, and now, I still do. I hope I can still continue this until when I get old to make sure that I protect my skin from drying out. Now, I also have other rituals on my face because it needs more love too.
Learning to cook
I don’t remember how I started loving to cook. All I know is that I started cooking by myself when I was 10. Probably since I love eating, that cooking has become my interest too. I love imitating what we ate from restaurants.
It makes me feel proud of myself if I was able to cook food similar to the taste of the pricey restaurants. I feel like I saved a bunch of money by doing so, even though I have to wash and clean up after cooking.
And now that I have a family of my own, I freely cook whatever I like, to feed my family. It’s a skill that not every wife has, yet I know that it is an essential one to keep the family happy. However, if you are married and don’t know how to cook, it’s not yet the end of the world.
No one is born with a skill, so you can start learning to cook. As long as you are dedicated to doing something, you are bound to succeed. So, don’t be afraid to come out of your comfort zone, and start holding that frying pan.
Brushing hair 100 times
I don’t know if I was born with shiny hair, or if it’s a product of labor of love. When we were young, we used to have a helper, and that helper told me to brush my hair a hundred times before going to sleep for beautiful locks.
And I, who always wanted to look good, obviously followed her advice. While I can’t continue combing or brushing my hair a hundred times per day now, I still try to brush it very often. Brushing has been proven to help with hair growth.
The massaging of the scalp initiates blood flow, thereby helping to grow more hair. So, if you have time and want to grow more hair, you can also try brushing your hair 100 times. See for yourself if your locks become thicker.
Learning to DIY
Growing up, we often see our mom do her own stuff instead of going to the salon. When she needs to attend a party, she will do her own makeup, hair, and nails. And because of that, we also followed her path and were able to do them on our own.
Our dad also fixed broken stuff at home instead of calling the mechanic and other experts. I don’t mean that he did everything perfectly, all I know was that he tried to fix them first before resorting to help.
Learning to DIY stuff has not only helped us to save money but also has taught us to try first before giving up on something. Besides, being able to do your own also becomes an accomplishment, because not all can do stuff on their own.
Learning a different language
One of the required subjects in my course in college was Spanish. While it was interesting to learn about the different Spanish words, it was slightly hard to memorize all of them in a few months’ time.
Since the Spanish colonized the Philippines for 300 years, many Filipino terms originated from Spanish. Some of them were, kutchara, tsinelas, merienda, and the pricey sibuyas.
However, I never knew my Spanish learnings will ever become useful until I benefited from them. In one of the restaurants we ate at in Spain, the server had a hard time understanding English terms.
We asked for hot water, but no matter how many times we requested it, he had a question mark on his face. Until I remembered what Spanish word equates to the word “hot” in English. After saying “caliente,” he immediately nodded and went off to give us what we requested.
I was not so good at Spanish, but I was very thankful that Spanish 101 was required during my college days. I hope I can still use them in the future, and be able to remember the words that we used to memorize.
The Takeaway
I have certain habits that I just because, and never once had I thought they’d become useful in the future. I was glad that I started them early because habits are harder to break especially when you’ve started young.
What are the habits that you have started and are still doing right now? Did you find their benefits to your present life? Share them in the comments section below, I’d love to hear about them!