The Individual Hourglass | Day in the life RCD

 

Hello RCD readers,

We are currently moving through a very busy month. With Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, Carnival, Lent, and Ramadan all coming up, it feels like a marathon just to catch my breath. I tried to be super prepared; during the last week of January, I looked for inspiration for this month's content calendar. I knew it would be hectic, so I decided to keep my content simple—focusing on everything from tips and client viewings to important announcements. The goal is to stay consistent while being smart about what I actually want to achieve this February.

As the saying goes: when you plan, God, your daily life, and your own body laugh. That’s life. We plan everything, yet we often just have to go with the flow and try to hit our deadlines or goals as best we can.

Today is one of those days that isn't going as planned. Between waking up late and having a major deadline for a building cost estimate looming, my day has been turned upside down. Between potential clients and content creation, I’ve had to figure out how to use my time most effectively. Today, I chose following up on ongoing projects and drafting quotes for potential clients to see if we’re the right fit, rather than focusing on that building cost.

Over the weekend, I made time to catch up with a friend who is finishing their Master’s—I’m so proud of them! It was one of those high-speed catching-up sessions. In the midst of it, we started talking about life journeys and that non-existent but very present "hourglass" we often check. We all have an individual hourglass, yet as humans, we naturally compare ourselves to others—our health, our looks, our achieved goals, our relationship status, and our finances.

I can only speak from the perspective of being a woman, and even then, I can’t generalize. Everyone is different. We have different characteristics, backgrounds, upbringings, ethnicities, religions, and life goals. But having reached a certain age, I’ve started analyzing my own life. I saw a reel about "adulting" recently that sparked a deep conversation with my friends: As an adult, do you ever feel like you’re behind in life?

The unfiltered little girl in me would say, "Hell yeah." So, let’s sit in that feeling together for a moment.

The "adult" me is trying to paraphrase these feelings and give them a place to rest. The reality is that everyone is in a different phase. We feel "behind" because we carry an imaginary checklist. For some, it’s kids, marriage, a career, and owning a home. For others, it’s financial freedom, no kids, and traveling the world. Sometimes our checklist is Option A, but life gives us Option B.

So, where do you put that feeling of being behind? There is no better way to say it: put that feeling where it belongs—in the garbage.

Are you "behind" if you haven't achieved it all in your 30s? The message of that reel was clear: nobody is behind. We each have our own individual hourglass. We are uniquely made, and our timing is always right. Our setbacks were actually lessons to help us grow so we could withstand the upcoming blessings. Our regrets often hide a blessing that only we can understand, and that’s okay.

My Hourglass I’m "Option Everything-in-Between." Hahah. I still want it all! I am still a hopeless romantic. I’ve witnessed so much love from the people I let into my life. When it comes to my career, I don’t believe I was late in starting my business. I needed to "shed some skins" to handle the blessings that came with it. The same goes for relationships; I needed those disappointments to truly appreciate the right things.

I am a woman who loves kids. I’ve always been an overprotective, hands-on person (just ask my "baby cousins"). As an adult, I go above and beyond for their growth, but I also know the immense responsibility that comes with having your own. I’ve taken that step very carefully. Do I regret any choices I’ve made? Nope. I wouldn't be able to give what I can give right now if I had chosen differently.

It’s all about the right timing. It has always been the perfect timing for each phase of my life. I have loving memories because I’ve truly lived in the present during every season.