On a Lake Thun boat ride, I and my fellow travelers met a lady in her late years.

We strike up a conversation.

The lady kindly shared some tidbits about Bern and what most tourists get wrong about her country.

Later, when I asked what life lessons she could share, she told us…

“Do what you can already do. Don’t wait until you’re old.”

And that struck a chord.

One of the things that led me to that boat ride and the entire Switzerland trip is the idea of “carpe momentum”.

Seize the moment.

I apply this to most of my choices.

For when you don’t seize a moment, it can be gone the next. And you’re left with bitterness from having missed an opportunity.

***

By the end of 2024, I left my decade-long audit career to seize the moment.

I recalled words uttered by the lady during the Lake Thun boat trip.

Do what you can already do. Don’t wait until you’re old.

Yes, I followed her advice.

And because of that, I realized that I’ve already done so many things that people usually do on their retirement age.

For example, I remember one particular moment when I rode a plane in the middle of a workday for a personal trip to Munich before heading back to the Philippines.

I just left my job a few months earlier. My former workplace is close to the airport tarmac. So close that I used to see planes landing and taking off from the floor-to-ceiling window while I was busy auditing.

But that day of my trip, I was no longer stuck inside the office box.

Upon entering the plane, I saw mostly elderly couples (probably on vacation) and a few men in crumpled or fresh business suits.

And I felt so privileged to be taking that trip.

I was seized by this unexpected joy while thinking.

It will not last; whatever joy you have right now will be replaced by equal pain and sorrow.

But that was my thinking before.

Now, I’ve learned to cherish every single moment and not worry about my tomorrow.

I’ve also learned, little by little, to trust, to make mistakes, to laugh with people and laugh at myself, to let go and live to the best of my ability.

And to savor joy and peace in my early 30s.

Here are small pleasures that I learned to cherish:

And yet, outside these small pleasures, I also faced major losses that rocked my world:

On my first year as a solopreneur, I’m still on the surviving phase. And I’ve accepted the gains and losses.

I’m now re-evaluating the sustainability of being an independent (vs employed) while in Belgium.

It was not fun to deal with bureaucracy when you’re doing a business in a foreign country. In my dealings with Belgians, I found that many of them are risk-averse. Plus, the language is a real barrier.

But I’m not giving up yet. And I hope you will not too.

For both me and you, the year-end is a period of recollection and reflection.

Let’s acknowledge:

It may feel big whatever you’re going through right now.

But when you step back and consider the full picture, you’ll realize that your struggles are just minor bumps on the rocky road you call life.

What’s most important?

Keep moving forward—one step at a time.

PS. My next newsletter might come after the holidays. So in case you don’t hear back from me, I’m wishing you in advance “Happy Holidays!”

How to read these journals?

Do you ever find it hard to access essential public services in Belgium? Do you get lost navigating multiple webpages?

But then, you don’t really find what you’re looking for. And worse, most of the online information are hard to read because they’re not in your native tongue.

Two weeks ago, I met Helen, founder of mAIté. She told me how she created a chatbot that will help people struggling with admin complexity in Belgium.

You can ask public service questions directly via WhatsApp, and the chatbot will explain to you in your own language.

The insight I got from talking to Helen?

Tech is becoming more accessible even to non-tech people. Even if you don’t know how to code, you can find ways to use modern tech to solve a long-existing problem within your social circle or community.

But my question is…Are you on the lookout for those problems that can be solved through technology?

***

Interested to know more about mAIté? Feel free to explore the mAIté website. Or reach out to Helen directly and request to pilot-test the chatbot.

The new “Survive and Thrive” Toolkit is now available. I created this for anyone aspiring to live and work abroad (or move to a different country).

Check out the full toolkit here, and my latest website here.

Do you want an independent coach outside work who can keep you accountable for your goals in 2026? Book a discovery call, and let’s explore how we can collaborate to make things happen.

P.S. Like what you’re reading? Forward this newsletter to a friend or colleague, and invite them to subscribe.

PPS. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome. Reply to this email if you have some.

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