Recalibration, Again – March 26, 2025 (156/365)

Nothing much to see here, just me getting a hold of myself… I think.

Let’s reel it in for a bit.

Around an hour or so ago, I was back at it – I mean, I was following the 10k step video by Rick Bhullar for, oh, the fifth time. I was having fun for the first thousand steps, then I chose to check on my ‘smart’ watch to see if I was on par with the video’s count… only to see that I was falling back; first, by around 50 steps, then by a hundred, then eventually I saw I was a hundred behind. It was around this point that I started feeling a little frustrated – Was the counter too fast? No, it could just be that I was lagging, because I’m sure I didn’t fall behind during my earlier attempts at completing the video. For the remainder of the said video, in the final thousand steps, I was battling between two thoughts – move faster and catch up with my steps, or the opposite – follow Rick’s cadence, follow the music, and just have fun. Just move.

In the end, I found myself hitting 10k steps – only because I had around 500 steps to make up for the deficit before the video began. Was I feeling disappointed? Partially. I had no inkling to blame, only to tell myself to do even more steps throughout the day.

It made me think about why I was writing, and why I was… well, why I was doing any of this. Was it for the steps? Is this for the words? The trading, for the money? The business venture, for the same? The reading – just to say I’ve been reading?

I’m thinking at least part of me is saying ‘yes’ to all of this, and, well, that’s why I’m saying I need to reel it in. I need to recalibrate, need to remind myself of things.

I’m doing the 10k video, sure, for the steps, but also to condition my lower body – for balance, and, no, really, to have a good time. It just so happens that this video was shot in Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah Boardwalk – close to my heart because (1) well, Dubai is pretty but I had good memories with good friends there and (2) it was on that same Boardwalk that I hit my first ever 10 kilometer run (Had to confirm that from the old MapMyRun app – fun fact, it was December 9, 2019).

I’m doing the boxing, sure, for the steps too, but also to get my body ready for fighting, and to release any stress, any anxiety. I work out in general to exhaust my body so I’m not tense, but just flowing.

I find that’s the same reason that I’ve been writing nowadays – it’s a mix of me hitting my goal of 365000 words a year, and also, not much to exhaust but definitely to drain my mind so, again, I’m not tense – or, rather, I shouldn’t be tense, but I suspect my morning brewed coffee habit may be doing me more harm than good… and, again, I should be flowing.

The trading? Let’s be honest – yes, it’s for the money. But here’s the thing – I want to be earning, but part of me is still insisting that I want to know WHY I’m earning… because any profitable trade I couldn’t explain is STILL gambling.

I go back to that one line I heard from Billions, from an applicant:“The stock market is representation of the psychology of the entire world at at any given moment. Data is an exact thumbprint of that moment, I get to know how the world is thinking and feeling and what it will do next.” (Season 3, Episode 3) You aren’t brute-force consolidating all the data you can from the world in order to make a legitimate prediction of what might happen next (of course, under the general consideration that ANYTHING can happen), but you’re doing what I believe is the next best thing by analyzing what a clear majority of the world is involved in – money.

To that note. If that’s the case I don’t really have to put real money in, to see how the markets are moving. I’d like to trade, but I am also genuinely wanting to learn and to take part in the psychology of the entire world every time I do so. What a simple practice into grand strategy.

…and, finally – The business venture is for the business, but it’s really also for us to get the ball moving in helping out the community. And, long story short – I’m not reading just for the sake of saying I’m reading. It’s me reviving what I believe was a passion during my formative years – I was genuinely entertained by encyclopedias back then. Thanks a lot to those World Book and Childcraft door to door salesmen back in the day.

No, I’m not going to say I just needed to remember my ‘Why’ and give Mr. Sinek all the credit. I don’t know why I don’t like the guy – maybe it’s just how I feel he makes his observations from an analyst’s point of view versus actually being in the field and duking it out with the rest of the rank and file. Anyway it’s clear that ‘passion’ has faded, the ‘spark’ has probably disappeared – and no, I don’t think I’m about to psych myself up…

Today is March 26. Let’s take a look at Psalm 26. Maybe there’s something there.

Psalm 26

I Will Bless the LORD

OF DAVID.

1 Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

2 Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind.

3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness.

4 I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites.

5 I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.

6 I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O LORD,

7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds.

8 O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.

9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

10 in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me.

12 My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.

Cause me to see Your steadfast love in all that’s happening from all perspectives, Lord. Surround me from the outside, and let my senses take in Your everlasting love.

Remind me of Your Son – Remind me of Christ’s finished work; His resurrection vindicating Him, and therefore vindicating me.

Inspire me from within, by way of Your great faithfulness.

…Or, could it be the other way around? Considering the sheer dynamic nature of the outside, or all our senses take in… Considering how it is all chaos, perhaps it is God’s faithfulness that we are surrounded in, and it is His steadfast love (towards us, going deep into the center and the core of our being) that makes us move – and, oh, do we move, not only in physical strength or prowess, not only in mental motivation or sheer discipline… Oh, I’m reminded, here and now, that it’s the Holy Spirit poured into us that does more than strengthen us, more than encourage us, more than inspire or motivate us…

It’s the Holy Spirit that CONVICTS us – of sin (primarily unto those who do not believe in Him), of judgment (for the ruler of this world is not yet judged), and, I dare say for all of us in the body of Christ, of righteousness (for He has gone and we have not yet seen Him).

Yes, it’s the Holy Spirit that convicts us of righteousness – not merely because we have not seen Christ physically, but also because our eyes have seen everything else (signs and manifestations of our failure as a species, and the oblivion this sin-cursed reality is headed towards)

The Holy Spirit, poured out upon us as a result of Christ’s resurrection and ascension – He brings us to proper encouragement and direction, just as much as He prevents us from being overwhelmed by sin and the flesh.

Consequently, as we’ve read in the Psalm, He is our prime Counsel, the Spirit of Truth that leads us to all truth in all our dealings – but not only that. I believe He also leads us to proper counsel in this world, just as much as He prevents us from being unequally yoked with unbelievers. I guess that’s the case, but sometimes our limited minds insist that some folks really should be in our lives… yet here we are, thanking God for the Holy Spirit, who leads us, not only to wisdom, but also to the right people.

Speaking out of experience, just there. That’s a nice way of saying the Tagalog ‘hugot‘.

Ahem.

Takeaway in all this – If you find yourself going through the motions, take some time to give thanks… and find yourself eventually thanking God, thanking Jesus Christ – For the Holy Spirit who is the passion, the motivation behind our intentions, the love that determines our direction.

With all this said, I go back to committing my reading, my writing, my running, my boxing, my earning, my business, my relationships, my concerns, my plans – All to the Lord of Glory.

And I am thankful, because because of Christ’s finished work, and the power of the Holy Spirit, I am established and directed promptly.

All for the glory of His name, forever and ever. Amen.

Thank You, Lord. May all this just continue to sink in.

Until the next post, may the Lord continue to bless us all.

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