Perhaps we can start with food.

Every year there will be parents passing comments on Facebook about how displeased they are when their kids receive junk food as goodies during the end-of-year class party. The way I see it, if you have been feeding your child with mostly quality food for the whole year, then I believe that even if the child receives those goodies, he/she will know which ones she could indulge in more, and which ones to space out in terms of its consumption frequency.

Ramadan is coming soon. I think that is a good month to train ourselves as adults and our kids to make better meal choices during Sahur and Iftar. Malaysia has a very food-orientated scene during Ramadan. The bazaar keeps popping up more than the year before. I would expect the prices would be freaking expensive as well. Sadly, this is where food wastage happens as well. I feel that as Malaysian Muslims, we need to focus on sweetening the ibadat component of Ramadan.

Food should be back to what it is – a form of sustenance to feed the soul and body. Not as a means to satisfy cravings per se. Having said that, I am not against the idea of organising Iftar to form meaningful connections with family and friends. If it is well-planned and promotes togetherness, then that is also a form of Ibadat.

The life we live is based on the choices we make along the way. Make better food choices. Live a better lifestyle. That is what I am aiming for in 2025.