Improve Your Life: Decide & Commit!

“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”- Tony Robbins

Some people wants to be more successful perhaps in their relationships or careers; other people wants to be wealthier or healthier…but do you wonder why most of us only keep “dreaming” and not exactly live these wants? My belief is that we often fail to realize what we want in our lives because we lack the power to commit to whatever we intend our life would be.

Do you believe that where you are exactly in your life right now is brought about by the decisions that you’ve made in the past? Have you ever wondered how you’ve arrived with those decisions? Are they in sync with your values and based on what are more important to you?

I know a person who wants to strengthen her relationship with her family. She wants to have more quality time with her husband, and she wants to have more bonding time with her daughter. She also wants to improve her health by exercising and becoming more fit. She knows that it will make her happy if she could do these things.

However, this person works night shift for a multi-billion company. She needs to sleep during the day, so she won’t have a problem keeping awake at night. But it’s impossible for her to have a bonding time with her daughter if she sleeps the whole day, so she would need to sacrifice “sleeping hours” and “me time” just so she could spend a few hours of play time and study time with her. But there’s a problem, since she lacks sleep, she also lacks patience and it’s very easy for her to lose temper.

Moreover, since her husband works during the day, she and he don’t get to spend much time together during the week days. There’s even times when they don’t get to see each other. What’s more, since she often gets stressed out with work, and do not get enough sleep, she ends up not having the energy or enthusiasm and time to do much needed exercise.

To cut the story short- this person re-evaluated her life and priorities. She had to decide which are more important to her- is it family or career? is it love and relationship or work and status? is it health or money?

She made a decision based on what she values more and that’s it. Sooner than later, she rendered her resignation and that is one of the best decisions she’d ever made!

Was she afraid or this major change? Of course she is! But she knows that if you want to make a bold change and get more in your life, you need to step up and beat the fear! Do you think this person is happier now? ABSOLUTELY. Not only is she happier but also her husband and daughter! How do I know? Because this person I am talking about is ME! 🙂 Yep, I am now a proud full-time mom and wifey, and part-time with any other stuff I get myself involved with!

My point is this- if you want to improve an aspect in your life but there are things that prevent you from doing it- you have to make a decision, and commit to act on it. How you decide is up to you. As for me, I have this 3 questions that require a solid YES.

1. Will I be happy?
2. Will it allow growth and make me a better person?
3. Will it be good for the people who matters to me?

 

May God bless your life!

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Happy Thoughts: YOU & YOUR ACTIONS

“It’s not what you have, who you’re with, or what you know that define you. It’s WHAT YOU DO that define who you are!”

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How To Live “Lighter”

 

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” – Carol Burnett

Sometimes, life likes to play difficult for us. There are times when we feel we are always struggling. There are times when we feel we’re always failing, or letting other people down. There are also times when we think we’re doing the right thing, but feel otherwise. And there are those times when we wish the world would stop for a while and just let us breathe (or if you’re like me, you wish you could just magically disappear for a certain period of time until everything is great again!)

Well, that is life- at least a part of it is. But we CAN make it better. We CAN make US feel better.

I would like to share with you seven things that I am trying to live by when I decided to live my life in a more mindful way.

1. Know your self before you can accept and love yourself.
2. Forgiveness is not for the person you give it to. It is a gift to yourself.
3. Gratefulness is what makes a person happy, not the other way around.
4. Always prioritize people over material things. Material things give instant gratification, but healthy loving relationships give lasting satisfaction and fulfillment.
5. It is okay to get angry, but always choose to love others and yourself.
6. Failure doesn’t mean you’re a loser. It means you are trying and learning.
7. No matter how big your problems may seem to be, always remember that you have a bigger GOD! 🙂

Lighten up! Life can be good.

Happy First Anniversary!

Hello Everyone,

During my first month of blogging, somebody told me that he thinks I have an undiscovered talent in writing, and he believes that I have a potential to be a good writer. Because he believed in me, I believe in myself and in what I can do.

It has been a year since I began my blog. It was my intention to inspire others by writing positive, motivational, and uplifting posts; but my whole blogging experience became more than that-  it has been a great  learning experience for me and a wonderful journey. I was inspired by many of you, and I am very grateful for all the things that I have learned.

My sincerest thanks to all my readers and subscribers for liking, commenting and subscribing to my blog. Thank you for sharing your insights and friendships with me. THANK YOU for being a part of TheHappyLife101! I hope to have another great year with you.

Wishing you all a happy life,

Feel Good Music #4: WHAT DO I KNOW?

Ed Sheeran is probably one of the biggest names in the music industry right now. He’s a “one-man” performer in his concerts, and he is also a very talented song-writer. This guy is a born artist! He’s amazing and I simply love him!

I was listening to his new album today, and I thought his song entitled “What Do I Know” has this positive vibe that I just can’t help but share with all of you. Enjoy! 🙂

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Video courtesy of Youtube
Photo taken from http://www.EdSheeran.com
Listen to previous song here.

Happy Thoughts: PURPOSEFUL LIFE

“Make it your life purpose to do one good thing to one person every single day, and you’ll never live a meaningless life.”

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What I Want to Be?

“To love and be loved is the greatest happiness of existence.” – Sydney Smith

I’ve recently thought of a goal for myself that I definitely think would help make a huge difference and impact in my life.

I want to be a GREAT LOVER. (Before I go further, let me just make it clear that I didn’t mean that in the physical context.)

Yes. I want to be a great lover- not on my mind. Not on my heart. But on my ACTIONS.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll be honest. I’m one of those people who say “I love you”, but my actions sometimes fall short of the word.

I want to be a great lover to my husband.
This would mean that I should learn to listen more in times of arguments, and control my temper & not burst out “I hate you” every time we fight.
This would mean that I should be more understanding and forgiving of his shortcomings, and less of the “I told so…”
This would mean that I should show him more appreciation and, and I should be more caring to him.

I want to be a great lover to my daughter.
This would mean that I should lessen my disciplining, and be more of an encourager.
This would mean that I should be more available when she needs me and less with “can’t you see I’m doing something?” or “Mommy is busy right now…”
This would mean more play time, more story-telling, more reading together, more bonding moments.

I want to be a great lover to my parents.
Let’s face it, they’re getting older. The more that we should be intentional in spending time with them. I’m lucky I grew up close to my parents and didn’t have any unresolved conflicts with them. But if you are one who’s not in speaking terms with your folks right now, I encourage you to forgive and sort things out. Do that, and let me know if it will not make you feel better.

I want to be a great lover to my siblings.
It’s difficult when you and your siblings have their own family, living their own lives. But I want mine to know and feel that they could always reach out to me by me reaching out to them first.

I want to be a great lover to Other People.
I can do this by being more patient with them, and by always choosing to see the good in them despite the wrong-doings.
I will chose to respect them, to care, and pray for them.

These may seem pretty tough, but I don’t think they’re impossible to do. The key word is to be INTENTIONAL. And the only way to do it is to act like it every single day. So, wish me luck, okay? 🙂

P.S. You might want to do the same and let’s improve at being a great lover together !

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Work with what You’ve Got!

“Have you ever felt trapped in circumstances, then discovered that the only trap was your own lack of vision, lack of courage, or failure to see that you had better options?” ― Nick Vujicic, Life Without Limits

Some people wait for things to happen. Others complain why things happen, while there are also a number who wonder why things happen. My favorite are the people who make things happen.

I believe that most of us want to succeed in life. Be it in our career, health, or relationships. Never have I met a person who admitted to me that he or she wants to fail. We all want the good stuffs. We all want to be happy and satisfied. Unfortunately, not all who wants will have it.

We all know that the key ingredients to success are (1) to ask and to believe that it will happen and (2) to work for it. The first is easy, BUT number 2 is where we often fail.

You see, some people would easily give up when they think that they do not have the needed resources such as enough money, skills, knowledge or education, the right people, the right time, etc… The problem is that most of us forget that we could work with what we have, because we are often focused on what we do not have.

If you want to be fit- don’t wait ’til you’ve got the money to enroll on a gym or to buy that expensive equipment. You’ve got your feet, so you should go start walking or jogging.

If you want a great relationship- you don’t need to be grand or to have lots of money to satisfy your love ones. You’ve got time, so give them your time! Have inexpensive dates and give your undivided attention to your spouses/partners, family, or friends.

Don’t make your goals complicated by setting difficult “means” to achieve them. Simplify your life, and you’ll be amaze of the difference it will make. Be grateful for what you have- they could be more than what you perceive them to be!

 

 

 

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Happy Thoughts: VISION & SUCCESS

“Unless you see it in your MIND and believe it in your HEART, it will not happen.”

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Feel Good Music #3: LIVING IN THE MOMENT

If you’ve been visiting my blog for quite some time, you should know by now that I am a number 1 fan to Jason Mraz!

This Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter has such a great influence to me. Most of his songs are just full of positive messages. Whenever I feel down or unmotivated, I always listen to his music and somehow I’d feel better.

This one I’m sharing with you is my favorite! If I could choose my personal anthem, it will be this song.

I hope you enjoy and get uplifted with it… 🙂

 

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Video courtesy of Youtube
Photo taken from JasonMraz.com
Listen to previous song here.

What My Anger Taught Me

“When angry, count to four; when very angry, swear.”- Mark Twain

Anger is probably one of the most often experienced emotion. I will be the first to admit that there are times when it’s just too difficult not to give in to feeling angry, especially if the source of anger is someone or something that you care about.

Just recently, I was angry and I felt like the intensity of my anger is something I have not felt or  experienced for a very long time. During one of my quiet moments, I was able to contemplate and here are the realizations that I came up with:

• A person who hates is a person who is hurting. 

I was angry at someone because I felt like she was being disrespectful, taking advantage, and abusive. At first I was disappointed and annoyed, but my feelings eventually became hatred. I realized it is because I was hurting- because that person is someone that I care about. If somebody hates you, perhaps it’s because they care deeply about you and even they may just don’t realize it themselves.

• Anger is a reaction, and not a response to the problem.

I could be angry for as long as I want but it will not resolve anything until I deal with the issue. Confrontation is something that we all feel dreadful about, and we would like to avoid it as much as we could.

However, if we want to free ourselves from anger, we need to talk to the person, settle the issue and reconcile. We may agree to disagree, but at least straighten things out.

It is also good to remember that we are angry at what they did and not at them. “I am angry at what you did” is not the same as “I am angry at you.”

• Anger evoke other negative emotions.

If we allow our anger to linger longer, it will stimulate more negative emotions on us. We become more irritable, impatient, annoyed, resentful, ill-humored, pique… Its no wonder our anger feels heavier with each passing day.

• An angry person tends to be more subjective than objective.

When we’re angry, we lack focus. Our heightened emotion clouds our judgment. All we see is the wrong and the bad. We seldom empathize with the other party.

• We need others to improve and be better.

I am lucky that I have a husband who lets me know when I am not sensible anymore. He helps me realize how my pride is somehow affecting the way I am interpreting situations. He is the one who assists me in analyzing the root cause of my anger. It pains to admit but we need other people who do not patronize us. We need other people who could tell us straight when something we do is not right anymore. How can we improve or get better otherwise? It’ll be like us doing surgery to ourselves without a mirror.

It is okay to be angry. Even happy people gets angry. Just know when to let it go before it burns you and the people you care for!

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How Did You Live Today?

“Don’t you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you’re not taking advantage of it? Do you realize you’ve lived nearly half the time you have to live already?” ― Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

If I were to rate how I have lived my life for today, I give it 4/10 (with 10 being the highest). Let me tell you why.

I had the chance to stay at home for 11 or 12 hours before going to work again BUT…

– I didn’t play or had a one on one, heart to heart time with my daughter.

– I didn’t talk to my husband or even asked him how his day was.

– I didn’t get off the bed when I woke up to do much needed exercise.

– I didn’t pray.

– I didn’t enjoy all the beautiful things waiting for me outdoor… I didn’t appreciate the sunny afternoon which could have been a perfect time to do cloud-watching with Gaby, or to watch her play with the other kids in our mini-park.

– I didn’t read a book, nor watch one of the videos for a training that I enrolled myself to.

I was not productive. I was just…lazy.
In other words, I took for granted the wonderful opportunities that TODAY has just offered me.

Most of the time, we may or may not be aware, we tend to neglect the things that we have in abundance.

We don’t take time to appreciate our family because subconsiously, we know that they’ll just be around…

Because of the high-tech generation today, we’re missing the beauty of personal human interaction…

We’re so absorbed in our computers or cellphones, we don’t go out to smell the flowers, to feel the grass on our feet, to feel the warmth of the sun and enjoy nature…

Today, I was lazy to live. But tomorrow, I’ll live a day in my life to the fullest! I hope you do the same!

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Feel Good Music #2: ONLY HOPE

Hello Everyone!

It’s the second song for Feel Good Music and this time, I am choosing a song from Switchfoot.

If you’ve watched “A Walk to Remember”, you’re probably one of those who think that Mandy Moore is the original singer of “Only Hope.” BUT if you are a Switchfoot fan like I am, you would know that they had this song first. 🙂

Here’s Switchfoot’s version- I hope that you’ll enjoy listening to it as much as I do.

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Video courtesy of Youtube
Photo taken from Switchfoot.com
Listen to previous song here.

My God is Awesome!

My faith as a Christian is not about Religion. For me, it is the relationship that I have with my God.

Let me share with you 5 things that I am very happy for being a Christian- or rather, 5 things that love about my God. 🙂

1. My God loves me and wants me to have eternal life with Him.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”- John 3:16

2. My God is a loving God who commands me to love not only Him but others too, including my enemies.

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”- Luke 6:35

3. My God is my Father. (How amazing is that?!)

Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'”- John 20:17

4. My God provides for my need.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”- Matthew 7:7

5. My God tells me not to be afraid.

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”- Isaiah 41:13

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Share this:

“Make Today a Beautiful Day!

You can either be in the lookout for good things or be the reason someone will experience something good.”

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To be Happy, Let Go!

“Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.”– Deborah Reber

For most people, happiness is achieved by gaining something. It could be a reward, an achievement, a recognition, a relationship, or a pleasant experience. Some of us fail to realize that becoming happy may also mean letting go of things, or to some extent, even people.

Sometimes, it is difficult for us to detach ourselves from people especially if we’ve invested in them, and treated them as friends and family. However in reality, there are people who, instead of being grateful that they are valued and cared for, take advantage of the kindness of others.

It is painful and not easy to let go especially if we care about the person, but this is one thing that we need to learn in order to be happy.

We should set the standard of how we like people to treat us. If we allow them to take advantage of us, they will continue to do so. But if we set boundaries, they will learn to respect us.

Don’t be afraid to be honest and let people know how you feel about them. Don’t be shy to say “No” when you feel that you’re being used and abused. Don’t be scared to lose people in your life if you know in your heart that they do not value you or respect you as a person. You owe it to yourself to not allow other people to drag you down.

Remember that forgiving and understanding others do not mean that we have to tolerate their behavior. If you want to be happy, distance yourself from the people who makes you feel sad. You may be surprised how liberating it will make you feel.

Feel Good Music #1- “WHEN WE’RE TOGETHER”

Hi Everyone! 🙂

Some of you probably already know how much I love music.  I even randomly share songs in my blog whenever I get to listen to a song that gives me “goose bumps”, or a song that simply makes me say “Wow!”… so I am going to make it official this time.

Once a week, I will be sharing a relaxing, soulful, beautiful song… and I really hope that you’ll like them.

For my first “official song”, enjoy this thumb-thumping rhythm of Joshua Radin’s “When We’re Together!”… and yes, you may go ahead and dance!

Don’t forget to let me know what you think of the song.

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Video courtesy of Youtube
Photo taken from Pixabay.com

Happy Thoughts: SECOND CHANCES

“Each day is a new chance to make the Right Decisions and Proper Actions.”

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A Happy Story #7- A Baby Coming Soon!

Hello Everyone!

We received a happy news from one of our fellow blogger.

Thank you Ms. Fran for sharing with us your joy of expecting an additional member of your family. A baby is indeed a blessing! 🙂

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Sharer: Ms. Fran
Website: blackgirldownme

My happiness story is more good news, than a story!

I recently found out I’m going to be a grandmother and I’m totally happy!

At first I was a little sad, because I felt my son was too young. With that being said, all I can think about is getting ready for our new addition!!! My heart is melting already.

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Did you miss the previous stories? Read them here.                                                                  Inspire someone today by sharing your happy story! Here’s how to submit.

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Are You Kind At Home?

“No act of kindness no matter how small is ever wasted.”- Aesop

Have you noticed how sometimes,we are nicer to other people than to our family? How often are we more accommodating to our visitors than to our spouses? Why is it that we are more courteous and patient to our bosses than we are to our parents? How come that we speak more gently to colleagues than to our children? This is sad, but it is a reality.

But this can change.

We can start in our own home, with our own family. If our children will grow in an environment where respect and kindness to family members are valued, it will penetrate their being. It will become a part of them.

Why don’t we go back to the basics? Here are some of the important ones that we often neglect or forget.

• Say the 3 magic words: “I’m Sorry”, “Thank You”, and “I love you”.

Immediately apologize when you hurt someone. Who will not forgive you when you just go ahead and say “I made a mistake, and I’m sorry” then hug them right away?

Be grateful for the service that you get even if what they’re doing are already expected of them. Thank your mom for cooking for you. Thank your dad for driving you to school. Thank your spouse for taking care of your needs. Saying thank you is letting them know they are appreciated and recognized.

Don’t ever get tired of saying I love you and hug at least once a day!… this is a cliche that will always work!

• Communicate and Talk.

When’s the last time you dated your parents or siblings? When’s the last time you had a heart to heart talk with your children? Be involve in the lives of your family members by knowing what’s going on.

• Offer to Help or Assist.

When’s the last time we offered to do a house chore that is supposed to be done by someone else?

• Be generous with Compliments, not with complaints.

Highlight the positives! According to psychology studies, if we want a positive behavior to continue, we can reinforce it with positive motivation- that’s the benefit of giving praises!

• Do not compare; but Encourage rather.

Comparing a person to another especially if he/she is on the losing end is just a mean thing to do. It crushes down his/her spirit. We should be helping in building healthy self-esteem by providing words of encouragements and affirmation.

We should show kindness in our home everyday, and then extend that kindness outside. When we do, well…just imagine what could happen. ☺

Wishing you all a happy life,

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Happy Thoughts: FAITH & OPTIMISM

“Great things happen when you believe it in your Heart.”

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Let’s Plant Life Seeds!- Seed #4: WEALTH

There are 5 things things in life that we know are important, but do not treat with much importance. You see, simply knowing is useless until what we know is applied and manifested in our behavior or actions.

Let me give you 2 simple facts:

1. OUR TIME ON EARTH IS LIMITED. The average life expectancy of a person is 78.8 years according to CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

2. WHAT YOU PLANT IN YOUR EARLY YEARS, YOU WILL REAP IN YOUR LATER YEARS.

Some people would see our life as a book, and we’re the authors.
For this time, I want us to picture our life as a garden and we’re the gardeners planting the seeds that we will reap later in our life.

For today, let’s talk about Seed #4: WEALTH. 🙂

“Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.”-Proverbs 21:5

Before we go further, let me first tell you that I am not a wealthy person and no, I am not financial guru either! In fact, like many of you, I am also just starting to learn how to properly manage my finances.

But I wanted to share with you 3 Principles that I have learned thru reading and listening from experts on money matters.

1. Smart Spending Formula.
Are you the person who uses this formula?

INCOME- TITHES (a.k.a. Eternal Investment)  and EXPENSES (a.k.a. Present needs)= SAVINGS & INVESTMENTS (a.k.a. Future Investments)

If so, then STOP doing that. This budget formula will not help you grow financially. Instead, I recommend that you to try this other formula.

INCOME- TITHES and SAVINGS & INVESTMENTS = EXPENSES .

Some people do not grow financially because they spend first and then save whatever is left after. Unfortunately in most cases, there would only be just a few amount or nothing left for the Savings!

The bottom line is we should take care of our future first before we spend for the present.

2. Live Simply- Invest on people, not on things.
Another reason why some people do not grow financially is that when their income increases, their expenses also increases!

You don’t need to buy a new clothes every time you get your paycheck. You don’t need to buy the newest gadgets or cellphone when you get your salary increase. You don’t need to get a new car or house when you get your bonus or commission.

Live simply and enjoy the more simple pleasures in life.
Have stroll along the park with loved ones. Movie nights with the kids during weekend at home. And potluck picnics with friends.

We don’t need to spend a lot to enjoy and have a good time. 🙂

When Income increases, it should be the Tithes and Savings or Investments that increase along with it. When your income grow, don’t let your expenses grow with it.

3. Be Generous. Help when needed.
Somebody wise said that generosity is the start of blessings. “Generosity is opening your palm, because when you open your palm then you are ready to receive…”

God blesses a cheerful giver. So let’s all learn to share our blessings! 🙂

Let’s nurture the seed of financial abundance so that we can enjoy more and share to others the blessings in life!

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Did you miss the previous Seeds? Read them here.

Let’s Plant Life Seeds!- Seed #3: HEALTH

There are 5 things things in life that we know are important, but do not treat with much importance. You see, simply knowing is useless until what we know is applied and manifested in our behavior or actions.

Let me give you 2 simple facts:

1. OUR TIME ON EARTH IS LIMITED. The average life expectancy of a person is 78.8 years according to CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

2. WHAT YOU PLANT IN YOUR EARLY YEARS, YOU WILL REAP IN YOUR LATER YEARS.

Some people would see our life as a book, and we’re the authors.
For this time, I want us to picture our life as a garden and we’re the gardeners planting the seeds that we will reap later in our life.

Let us learn about Seed # 3 today, HEALTH. 🙂

“My purpose is to give life in all its fullness”- John 10:10

When we talk about health, automatically what comes to mind is the gym & the boring leafy greens. But health is rather more than that. It is a LIFESTYLE. And if we want to be healthy for the rest of our lives, we need to develop and practice the habit of a good lifestyle.

1. Mobility– whether we like it or not, the only way for us to burn fats is to move, move, and move. That is why exercise works! Now, if you’re like me who is not really a fan of the traditional exercise, let me introduce you to my “organic gym”.
* commute and walk a lot– according to studies, commuting is one of the factors of life longevity in Japan. When you go to the mall or to your office, park in the area farthest to the entrance door. This way, you avoid the stress of fighting for a nearest parking space and you have the wonderful opportunity to walk.
* go window shopping or stroll in the park more often.
* play with your kids and then clean the house until you sweat like never before!
* befriend the stairs! If you’re going up 2 floors only, use the stairs instead of the elevator.
* dance! Play your favorite rhythm and dance like nobody is watching!

2. Diet– what we take into our body is a big deal. Some diseases are acquired because of the food that we intake. Do we eat more junk foods that real foods? Do we dig in fast and instant foods more often than slow home-cooked meals? Do we digest more fruits, vegetables, fish & red meat? Do we drink more water or alcohol? Help your body to detoxify. Eat healthy.

3. Socialization & Family Ties– According to psychology, strong group orientation is conducive to our psychological well-being. When we socialize with others, we develop friendships and relationships. It gives us a sense of belonging and keeps us from feeling alienated. When we are close to our family, we feel more love from one another. Getting & giving more love equals happier life!

4. Set a time to Get Busy– I don’t mean get busy with work or stuffs that stresses you out! Get busy doing the things that gives you pleasure. Read books, paint, play your guitar and record your song, get creative, write your poetry or novel, plant in your garden. Do the things that sharpens your skills or mentality, do things that gives joy to your soul!

5. Meditate– Meditation is not just for physical relaxation but it also increases the brain’s gray matter which contains most of the brain’s neuronal cell bodies. According to a Harvard Study, “participating in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress”.

Do you want to live more than 60 years old- full of life and still kicking? Then plant the seeds of a healthy lifestyle. Take care of your health while you’re young, your health will take care of you when you get old.

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Did you miss the previous Seeds? Read them here.

Let’s Plant Life Seeds!- Seed#2:RELATIONSHIPS

There are 5 things things in life that we know are important, but do not treat with much importance. You see, simply knowing is useless until what we know is applied and manifested in our behavior or actions.

Let me give you 2 simple facts:

1. OUR TIME ON EARTH IS LIMITED. The average life expectancy of a person is 78.8 years according to CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

2. WHAT YOU PLANT IN YOUR EARLY YEARS, YOU WILL REAP IN YOUR LATER YEARS.

Some people would see our life as a book, and we’re the authors.
For this time, I want us to picture our life as a garden and we’re the gardeners planting the seeds that we will reap later in our life.

Today, let’s talk about the second seed- RELATIONSHIPS.

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”- Ephesians 4:2 

 

There are 3 important relationships in our life: Our relationship with our Self. Our relationship with Others. And our relationship to God. IF we’re doing great on all these 3 relationships, I believe  100% that we can truly be happy.

• Relationship with your Self. 

According to Rick Warren, the author of Purpose Driven Life, there are 2 things that prevents us from reaching our highest potential. Number one is wishing that we are somebody else (perhaps the person that you admire or envy); and number two is people-pleasing (to the extent that we do things that we may not really like to do but do anyways in order to be accepted). Both of these are destructive because it prevents us from accepting our selves as we are!

When you look at the person in the mirror, who do you see?

Do you see the failure or the fighter that keeps going no matter how many times he fell?

Do you see the ugly because you do not fit to the norms of society or the unique person who is confident in his own kind of beautiful?

Do you see the prideful being who cannot let go of past hurts or the forgiving loving person who choose to believe that there is still goodness in others despite negative past experiences?

Be careful what you seed you are nourishing to your self. You become who you think you are. Make your “I AM” positive.

• Relationship with your Others. 

Do you want to know how you impact your family or friends? Why not try this simple test. Ask yourself: When you’re around them, do they become happier or gloomier or no change at all?

When I like a person, I light up when they’re around me. I feel much happier, I feel inspired, I feel like the best in me comes out.

When I don’t like a person, I don’t hang out with him for too long. Otherwise, I feel like all the positive energies in me are being sapped out and my monster tendency is slowly coming out!

Now there are also times when I’m around people who do not affect me much. They may be around or not and I won’t care- my world continues to revolve.

Obviously, we all want to have that positive impact to others. We all want to be desirable because we affect them in such a way that they become their best. Just like how it is stated in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

But how are we as spouses, partners, parents, sons & daughters, and friends? Do we communicate in a positive tone? Do we deliberately set time to bond and enjoy each others’ company? Do we give enough encouragement and affirmation? Do we give more than we get? Do we seek more to listen and understand rather than set rules and so be it? Are we trusted and reliable friends or are we just friends when we can benefit from the friendship? Do you prioritize people or material things?

We all want to be successful, but it’s also important to consider who you will be celebrating your life’s successes with! Nourish your Relationship seeds. You will be grateful for it later in life.

• Relationship with God. 

I am in my mid-30’s and it is embarrassing for me to admit that I have not read the whole Bible. I know that having a deeper spiritual relationship with God is knowing Him more. And the only way for me to get to know Him is to read other people’s account of Him thru the Scriptures.

Like many others, I know about God, but I did not know Him. I’m still a baby in my walk as a Christian. But I’m trying to have this closer relationship with Him now. I still fail most of the time, God is very patient with me. I delight in knowing that He’s mg Father and He loves me and He’s always just a prayer away. (Isn’t it amazing how we can just talk to Him whenever we want, wherever we want?)

Because I know that God loves me, I can love myself and accept even my undesirable traits.
Because I know that God loves me at my darkest, it is easier for me to love, understand and forgive others.

Get to know God. I know you will like Him a lot! 🙂

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Did you missed the First Seed? Read it here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Blog Worth Sharing #11: STICKY NOTE QUOTES

Hello Everyone!

It’s time for me to share another blog again that I feel is worth your visit. 🙂 Allen Kive is fairly new to blogging, but I like his thought-process and his creative way.

He’s written only 4 posts  so far (the 5th is my blog nomination for him); but I’ve got my 2 thumbs up for him! Please visit Allen’s blog and I promise you that you will enjoy reading what’s on his head. 🙂

Thank you Allen for deciding to share with us your rambling thoughts by creating your impressive blog! 

BLOG NAME: STICKY NOTE QUOTES
POST TITLE: STICKY NOTE QUOTE # 3

“Have you ever watched someone put somebody else down, sometimes for seemingly no good reason. I know I’m guilty of having done this, as I’m sure most people are as well. When I question my motives for doing so, I find that it isn’t that I genuinely want to hurt the other person’s feelings, or make them feel or look bad, instead, it’s done for the purpose of making myself look better. Although, it seems like a stupid reason for making others look bad (and it is), I find myself doing it relatively often…”

(Featured Image: Source)

Let’s Plant Life Seeds!- Seed#1:DREAM

There are 5 things things in life that we know are important, but do not treat with much importance. You see, simply knowing is useless until what we know is applied and manifested in our behavior or actions.

Let me give you 2 simple facts:

1. OUR TIME ON EARTH IS LIMITED. The average life expectancy of a person is 78.8 years according to CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

2. WHAT YOU PLANT IN YOUR EARLY YEARS, YOU WILL REAP IN YOUR LATER YEARS.

Some people would see our life as a book, and we’re the authors.
For this time, I want us to picture our life as a garden and we’re the gardeners planting the seeds that we will reap later in our life.

For today, let’s talk about the first seed that we need to plant and I hope that you will ponder on it like I do. 🙂

“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you” -Jeremiah 29:11

I want to believe that God did not put us here on earth merely to exist. We have a purpose. And this purpose in embedded to us when we were born. Aren’t you wondering sometimes why people should have different personalities, interests & skills? Unlike other living creatures, we are the only ones who have unique preferences and potentials. Could they be clues to God’s plan for us? Could they be the hints to our purpose?

What is your Dream?
What skills are you good at that you also love doing?
How will you profit and how can you serve others with that dream?

I know I love to write.
And I also think that I have a skill in writing (please let me know otherwise so I’d immediately kill my delusion of becoming a writer right away!)
How will I profit from it? On the financial aspect, I do not know yet- but I know that it makes me happy, it nourishes my soul, it uplifts my spirit, and it also helps with my mental health.

When I started this blog, I planted my dream seed.

I also have a more personal dream. I dream of a happy family.
I want to stay in-love with my husband.
I want to have a closer connection with my daughter.
I want to have a close relationship with our family (our parents & siblings).

And so I plant seeds for this dream. From a simple ritual to making sure to kiss & hug to spending quality time- one on one and as a family.  We’re not a perfect family (believe me when I say we do have our fare share of disagreements and fights) but we  do our best to do daily acts of love and have fun together.

I read from a book that “If you want to keep your family home, make it a happy home.”

What are your dreams and heart’s desires? What do you do or have done to make it your reality?

 

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Relationships Matter

According to studies, one of the things that makes a good life is having good relationship with other people. Being in a warm, loving, and protective relationship does not only make us happier, but it also makes us healthier because it helps prevent us from acquiring chronic diseases that are caused by loneliness and stress.

However, not all relationships are healthy and happy. They could be messy, complicated, or even toxic. Good relationships are not worked out overnight. They need to be tended in order to flourish.

Here are some tips to develop good quality relationships:
1. Communicate– express what you think and feel. Do not assume that other people could read what’s on your mind. Not all people are expert on body language so it’s best to communicate verbally, otherwise you risk being misinterpreted or worse, being unnoticed.

2.Acknowledge– show that you appreciate your partners, children or friends. There is no such thing as silent gratitude. You have to let people know when they did something that made you happy. It will not only reinforce good behavior, but more importantly, they will feel valued and worthy. So catch them at their best and be generous in giving well-deserved praises!

3.Do not Police– Don’t wait for other people to commit mistakes and reprimand like a police officer. If you care about the person, let them be aware of their destructive behavior before it gets worse. This will show them that you care.

4. Accept– Accept that other people are not perfect and so are you. There will always be instances when they could hurt you, or YOU HURT THEM. But always remember that you love them more! So be quick to say sorry and to forgive, and always remind yourself to forget!

5.Be Playful– Do not take things too seriously. When I was in college, I had this mantra for myself: “All problems have solutions. If it doesn’t have a solution, it’s not a problem! So I will not bother…” Learn to laugh at your mistakes and have fun in each other’s company!

People are special. We all need to feel that we are special so let’s start treating each other one! 🙂

(photo source)

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Written on: June 07, 2016

Can We Love the Unlovable?

Can we love the people who hate us?
Can we show affection and compassion to the people who hurt and curse us?
Can we be kind to the person  who’d be the first to celebrate when we’re dead?
Can we really love the unlovable?

The answer is NO. If it will only be for our own effort, I don’t believe that there would be a single person who’d openly say  “Yes, I love the person who makes my life miserable!”

The truth is, it is our faith in God that will enable us to love radically.

Jesus’ greatest challenge to us is to love our enemies. To do good to those who hate us. To bless those who curse us. And to pray for those who mistreat us. (Luke 6:27)

Perhaps, our mind is now saying “Sure. Easier said than done.”

BUT Jesus did not just gave us this command. He did not just say, love and forgive those who mistreat you. He also taught us HOW.

According to the Scriptures in Luke 6:38, ” Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

The way that I understand this, it is telling us that how we treat people will eventually help change the way that they treat us. If I become nicer to the person who is mean to me, perhaps there would be a greater likelihood that he or she too will become a little nicer to me, when he or she will see that I am sincere. If I treat them with kindness without any pretensions every time we have an encounter, I think it is not impossible for them to have a change of hearts toward me.

I have learned that sometimes our physiology affects our psychology. It is like the principle of “mind over matter” except that this is pertaining to our feelings following our actions.

If we keep doing loving gestures and  acts of kindness to people who treats us otherwise, sooner or later we will develop the feeling of love for them.

Of course this is not automatic. It does not happen overnight. And if you’ve read my previous posts this month, I cannot stress enough the fact that Love is a decision, a choice, and commitment.

I dare you to challenge God. Why don’t you do what He says and let us know how it’ll turn out! 🙂

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Love comes back…

Happy Monday Everyone! 🙂

Only 2 days more ’til the end of the love month, but let’s keep the love up and running!

Here’s a beautiful song from Jason Mraz to kick-off the week. I wish everyone a wonderful week full of love and happiness!

(video taken from YouTube)

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Have Fun When You Can

You don’t stop having fun when you get old.
You get old when you stop having fun.- Anonymous

When is the last time that you did something that you really enjoyed…something that made you lose track of the time?

I believe that doing something fun is one of the easiest way to show some love for your self. Be it as simple as reading your favorite book or arduous like learning a new skill that you like.

Here are some of the things that I do for fun other than blogging. Yep! This is all me… I’m the one holding the guitar (camera shy), that’s my coloring book in the middle, and my favorite headphone! 🙂

Here’s one of the songs that I really enjoy listening to. Enjoy! 🙂

(Video taken from YouTube)

Have fun when you can. Your soul will thank you for it!

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Know Yourself to be Happy

 

“When you know yourself you are empowered. When you accept yourself you are invincible.” ~ Tina Lifford

Do you ever wonder why sometimes, we find ourselves lonely despite our so-called achievements and success? I can think of one reason- because we don’t know who we are. We don’t know what exactly we want in life and we don’t know our purpose. This is why we feel lost and unfulfilled. No wonder even the most successful or wealthy people find themselves being depressed or suicidal.

I strongly believe that to be genuinely happy, we need to know ourselves. We have to figure out what we want so that we can focus and direct our energy and time to that purpose, and not go around wasting another minute of our lives doing the things that don’t give meaning to us.

So why don’t we try to sit down for a while and talk to ourselves as if we are talking to a friend… “What do we like to do?”,  “Can we share that with other people?”, “Would they benefit from it?”,  “Would You benefit from it?”, “Will that make a positive impact in their lives?”

If your answer is YES to all these, then start figuring out what can you do NOW in order for you to do what you want to do. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a major step…baby steps are fine, for as long as you are acting on it. Believe me, even the “process” or “journey” itself is enough to change that feeling of loneliness into happiness.

I say good luck to getting to know yourselves and I hope you’ll find joy in discovering your life’s purpose.

Have a happy and meaningful life! =)

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Written: May 26, 2016

What Room Does Fear Have?

Hello Everyone!

FEAR. All of us experience this. All of us are afraid of something. But do we really have to be afraid?

I came across this very motivational video that I just couldn’t wait to share with you all today. I hope that you’ll like it as much as I do. 🙂

(Video taken from YouTube)

 

Be the Master of Your Emotions

Hello Everyone! 🙂

Let’s do something fun today!

I read this very inspiring quote from Og Mandino  and I thought why not make a good exercise out of it and make it our inspiration for the day!

So, I’ve deleted the end of the phrases and put my own answers. 🙂

How do I change?

If I feel depressed I will offer some time to help others.

If I feel sad I will think of happy times and smile.

If I feel ill I will put on my best clothes (and sneakers! yeah!).

If I feel fear I will pretend to be secret superhero =P

If I feel inferior I will remind myself that I know some things that others most likely do not know.

If I feel uncertain I will fake it ’til I make it.

If I feel poverty I will trust in the Lord’s providence and let go of worries.

If I feel incompetent I will remind myself of my past achievements especially for THAT one time (sorry guys, I’ll keep it my little secret for now =)

If I feel insignificant I will think of people who have appreciated me for showing them kindness at certain points in their lives.

Today I will be the master of my emotions.

I had a really fun time doing this! Now it’s your turn to fill-in the blanks. I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I did and more importantly, remind yourself to be the Master of Your Emotions today!

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5 Ways to Love Yourself More

“If you don’t love yourself in the right way, you can’t love your neighbor. You can’t be as good as you are supposed to be.”-Joel Osteen

• I want you to imagine how you would like someone to love you… For sure, you’d want them to accept you whole-heartedly. You’d want them to affirm you, to be proud of your accomplishments, and to push you to continue to grow and be a better person. You’d want them to forgive you and give you another chance. You’d want them to tell you how beautiful a person you are. And definitely, you don’t want them to drag you down with their negativities. Wouldn’t it be nice if there is someone who could do that? What if I tell you there is- and has always been there. Yes, you guess it- I am referring to YOU.

I could give you 3 reasons why we must love ourselves.

• Because God loves us as His sons and daughters, and we are beautiful in our own unique way.
• Because we are able to love more, and share the best of our selves when we are at our best .
• Because we only have one Self- so why not treat it the best we can, right?

Here are 5 Ways that we could love ourselves:

1. Greet yourself with happiness & affection.
When you wake up each day and look in the mirror, smile at the person who’s looking straight back at you. Tell him or her “Gosh, you’re so gorgeous today! You’re going to have a wonderful day and you’ll do great!”
When you put your mindset in a positive state at the start of your day, you’re attracting positive energies and you will most likely feel nicer and experience a good day.

2. Be compassionate with your self.
Don’t be too harsh or critical to your self. If you fail on a certain task, it’s okay (unless somebody else dies because of it, which I highly doubt!). Treat each mistake as lesson to be learned. If right now, all you can see are the negatives in you- switch your lens and review the things that you did right and the things you did that ýmade other people happy.

When I’m starting to hate myself for feeling like I am not being a good mom because I stay late in the office, I do a flashback and recall the other good things that I did or do- like teaching and guiding Gaby in her assignments, spending some time playing and just having fun with her before I put her to sleep in the afternoon, cooking her new meals, etc… This is not a way to justify a certain action but rather, it’s being mindful of our imperfect human condition and having that understanding with ourselves.

According to science research, “Self-compassionate people are better able to accept who they are regardless of the degree of praise they receive from others. In addition, people who are high in self-compassion are no more likely to be narcissistic than people low in self-compassion.”

3. Nurture your self & your need.
Nurturing ourselves means taking care of ourselves by attending to our needs, in order to be healthy in the different aspects of our well-being.
For instance, if your body is shouting for help physically- then make the effort to exercise, get 8 hours sleep & drink plenty of water. If your mind keeps bothering you because it needs upgrading- then learn new skills or improve what you already know. Enroll or have someone teach you to do things that you are passionate about. If your soul is crying for help- seek to have a deeper relationship with God, meditate, love and serve other people, show more kindness to others.

4. Set your boundaries.
Don’t let emotional vampires take advantage of you and drag you down in their spiraling hole of negativities. As much as possible, avoid surrounding yourself with people who constantly whine, people who are best in blaming others or situations, and people who cannot take accountability. Be with the ones with lighter dispositions and those who you would like yourself to be associated with. As the old saying goes, “birds of the same feathers flock together.”

Learn to say No. It is not your job to say yes to every favor asked of you. Know that not because everybody else do it does it mean that you have to. Just remember that whenever you say Yes to others, you are not saying No to yourself.

5. Invest yourself in happy relationships.
Are your relationships giving you ùpositive influence? They should be providing you a sense of self-worth, self-fulfillment, and self-assurance. Involve yourself in happy relationships that allow you to be you without being judged. Choose to be in relationships where you and the others in it are growing in love!

Make it your business to love your Self first. I agree with the person who  said that “you are so worth your time and attention“. Besides, it will be easier for you to love others and for others to love you when you do love your own Self. 🙂

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I believe in Happy Endings

I have been married to my husband for 8 years and just like many wives, I too wish to have a lasting marriage.

However, I will admit to you that there were times when I thought that I made a mistake in choosing the right husband for me. There were times when I hated him more than I love him. There were times when I thought about leaving him because I didn’t feel loved and appreciated… but I THANK GOD THAT I DID NOT.

So, is there really a “lived happily ever after” when two lovers get married?

I know 8 years of being married is not long enough to be such an expert person in the subject matter of relationship and love- and I must admit, I am always learning. But please let me share with you what I have learned on how to make relationships work and I hope that these would be helpful to you too.

1. Once the feeling of being-in love is gone, real love begins.

What do I mean with this? After the period of cheesy, mushy, heavenly feeling of falling and feeling in love with someone, you will start to see the things that you do not necessarily like with the other person.

The girlfriend you appreciated for looking good when you go out on a date is now the annoying wife who takes hours in the bathroom to get herself fixed.

The boyfriend you were proud of for being smart and dependable is now the irritating husband who always nags when he sees something that is out of tune.

I believe this true to every relationship. After the heightened emotion of being in-love is over, we get back to reality. And the reality is that you and your partner are not perfect. But we need to accept this fact, otherwise, we only jump from one relationship to another. And so we need to decide and commit to stay in love.

I realize that Love is not a feeling, but rather, Love is hard work. When I come to accept this, it became easier for me to deal and worked on the imperfections of our relationship.

2. You need to discover the love language of your partner to be able to show love.

This is probably the biggest relationship-changer for me. You see, I was like other people. I thought that the way I want to be loved is also how my husband want to be loved. Was I ever so wrong in my life.

According to Dr. Gary Chapman, there are 5 Languages of Love. These 5 languages are different ways to show love to a person, and each person has their own primary love language- the way for them to feel that they are loved.

The 5 languages of love are:
1. Words of Affirmation
2. Quality Time
3. Receiving Gifts
4. Acts of Service
5. Physical Touch

A person who has Words of Affirmation as love language will feel very much loved when he is always told “I love You”, “I appreciate what you do”, “You’re doing a great Job!”, “I love how you did this…”, “Thank you for doing this..”

A person who has Quality Time as language of love may appreciate these words of affirmation, but may not necessarily feel loved when his spouse is not spending time talking to him, or when they aren’t going out on a date. He feels much more loved when he is in the company of his loved one with undivided attention.

You see,  for years  I and my husband have been showing love in the wrong language. I didn’t know that his love language is “Acts of Service” and he didn’t know that mine is “Quality Time”.

Since I go to work, I leave most of the house chore to our helper so I could spend more time taking care of our daughter when I’m at home. I didn’t know that I could show my husband that I love him if I just make him his coffee, prepare his meals, or trim his nails (now please don’t judge, I have a different love language!) I did little act of service for him. I could just imagine how little love he must have felt from me.

At the same time, I didn’t feel that much appreciated and loved too since we seldom go on dates- just the two of us. We always go out as a whole family. We go out of town to visit relatives or be with friends, but not alone together as couple. He showed love thru the language he knows- he washes the dishes when the helper is not around, he fixes our bed, he pays the bills- but all these things didn’t speak love to me. Perhaps now you see the disaster! We both love each other and express it in ways that do not speak love to us!

I shared this discovery to my husband and we made adjustments almost instantly. Now we feel much more loved by each other and we are happier definitely! 🙂

3. Love is a choice.
We are humans and we make mistakes. Our partners may do or say things that hurt us. We may fall short of expectations. We may disappoint one another. And we may even hate each other sometimes. But we always have a choice. We can choose to forgive and move on or dwell in past failures and allow hurt to continue to wound us. We can choose to listen and see things in our partners’ perspectives to be able to understand, or refuse to seek understanding. We may choose to stick thru thick and thin, or leave when the going gets tough.

I choose LOVE. I choose to love my imperfect husband like he chooses to love his imperfect wife. I will choose to always forgive him. I will choose to always have hope for him. Just like Jesus loves and forgives us. Together we will do our best to make sure that our marriage will have the “Happily Ever After” ending.

Why Falling In Love is Not Real Love

If I were to be asked the best thing that could happen to a person, my answer would be to feel loved. I bet many of us have enjoyed the experience of falling in love. But what if I tell you falling in love is not real love ?

Before I tell you why. Let us see what Falling In Love is…

• Falling in love comes naturally.

You see the other person, you get attracted- you heart beats fast, you can think of nothing else but him or her. You’ve got butterflies on your stomach. You’re on cloud-nine whenever you’re together. You don’t decide when and to whom. You just feel it. Sometimes we even fall in love to the person we least expect to fall in love with. Moreover, you also cannot force your self to fall in love. No matter how much you want, you cannot just make it happen.

• Falling in love is effortless.

Whatever we do when we fall in love is not difficult to do. Sometimes, we spend money on dates, but it’s okay as long as we’re having dinner with our beloved. We fly to the other side of the world, but it’s okay as long as we could be with our partner even if it’s only for a few hours. You may skip basketball games with your peers because you have to go with her on a tree planting activity. OR you will pass on salon day with your best friend because you will watch him play baseball. ALL these things will be effortless. It doesn’t require much will-power.

• Falling in love is finding your perfect match, and feeling in love forever.

You finally meet the perfect guy or girl who completes you. He/she is everything you’re looking for in a partner. You just know the he/she is THE ONE for you. You will never look at another person again.

Falling in love is an experience of temporary emotional high. It will not last long enough to sustain a happy relationship.

LOVE will. So, if falling in love is not real love. What is Real LOVE?

As a matter of fact, Real Love requires what is not present in falling in love.

• Real Love requires Decision.

Sometimes, we hate the person we love but does it mean we stop loving them? No. You still make coffee for your husband in the morning even if you’re mad at him for not mowing the lawn. You still drive your wife to work even if you’re pissed because she forgot to pay the electric bill. Love is a Choice.

• Real Love requires Effort.

Sometimes, we don’t want to do things but because we love, we exert effort and still do them.

A tired and sleepy mom would still wake up in the middle to the night to feed their baby. A father who worked overnight will still wake up very early in the morning to drive the children in school. You don’t know how to cook but your spouse loves home-cooked meal so you learn the art of cooking and be the best food engineer! That is love.

• Real Love requires Commitment.

The person you love may hurt you, annoy you, make you angry, make you jealous, belittle you, or disrespect you…but if you’re committed, you will always remind your self to love them in spite and despite of. Does it mean you have to just take in and tolerate the negatives? Nope… there is a thing called Tough Love!

In addition, there will always be a time when you will find another person who is better than your spouse or partner in one or more criteria. Again, we have to remind ourselves to be committed & choose to stay in our relationships.

LOVE works with Hard Work in order to survive obstacles. Loving is simple BUT it is not always easy. Nonetheless, the reward is always worth 10 times more the effort! 🙂

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Life is good when there is Love

“Where there is Love, there is Life”- Mahatma Ghandi

There are many things in life that I simply love.

I love reading a good book… I love listening to soothing music… I love coloring my book… I love drinking coffee… I love cooking for my family… I love my movie dates and dinners with hubby… I love stargazing and cloud-watching with my daughter… I love hugs and flowers… I love going out of town…I love a lot more other things…

BUT I made a discovery and found out another thing that I love which for is really sweet and gives me so much more satisfaction. It is something that really melts my heart and you would not guess what it is.

I love combing my mom’s hair.

Yes, it’s downright simple happiness for me.

As I gently comb my mom’s hair, I feel nothing but great love and respect for her. I know more than 30 years ago, she was the one combing my hair with such great care.

My mom loves me and my 3 other siblings very much and I know she does up until now that we have our own family. Her love and care for us never ceased. In fact, she also shows the same affection to her grandkids and treat our spouses like her own children.

So every time I do an act of service for her, my heart delights on it- every second of it!

Whenever we get the chance to be together as family, I realize how my mom and my dad are also getting older… That’s a reality that I can do nothing about. I can’t freeze time and wish that we could all just stay as we are at this present time. No- that is impossible. BUT LIFE IS GOOD.

Life is good because we have a technology that allow us to see each other as if we’re in the same place. Everyday they get to see their grandkids grow up. No matter the distance, we can be there for each other when we need to. We do not feel that we’re alone.

Life is good simply because every day is an opportunity to make people in our lives happy. Every day, I get the chance to tell them that I love them. Life is good because there is LOVE.

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Thank You!

Hello Everyone!

Just wanted to say my quick “Thank You” to all who had joined me in my Meet & Greet Party. I truly appreciate your warmth in welcoming me back to the blogging community 🙂

Dr. Andrea Dinardo

Cyranny

Tanya

Matthew Winters

Di

Brittany

KR

Benjamin

Lacey

Nikki

Tanvir Kaur

Quirky Girl

Jo Smith

Positively Appealing

Jennie

Yamina

Olivia

 

‘Til next time,

MEET & GREET Party!

Hello Everyone!

It’s the second day of my “Meet & Greet”! Anyone is welcome to join! 🙂

 

Cheers,

 

 

A Blog Worth Sharing #12: GROWING SELF

Hello Everyone! 🙂

I have discovered another blog that I feel is very much worth sharing. Growing Self is more than just about “growing”- for me, it is about LIFE.

The blog Author, Rhoda, shares in this blog her life lessons through her journey towards embracing herself and finding real joy. She also shares about her farm life and photography which is an absolute treat for those of you who are animal-lovers and those who enjoy gardening.

There’s so much more to love in Growing Self so please go ahead and visit.

“Thank you Roda for your lovely blog. It is very refreshing & uplifting!”

 

BLOG NAME: Growing Self

POST TITLE: Learn to Ride the Waves

“A few weeks ago, I focused on what to do when life gives you lemons. Most of the time, I choose to make lemonade. But, what about those times when you can’t make lemonade and you don’t have the answers to solve the problem? Then what? These have been my questions over the past week. Yesterday, it came to me.   I was looking through photos, from our anniversary trip to the Big Island last October. There it was… My answer was picture perfect…” continue

(Featured Image: Source)

Today is a Great Day!

I love Mondays. For me, it’s like a clean slate— a fresh new start.
So I try to set my mind to all possible good things that could happen.

Just like what Stephen Richards said, “When you concentrate your energy purposely on the future possibility that you aspire to realize, your energy is passed on to it and makes it attracted to you with a force stronger than the one you directed towards it.”

So let’s strive for positivity!
If something not pleasing will arise, let’s remember to look at the good thing it could bring. I believe that we always have something to learn from experience- including the negative ones.

Let us all be grateful for another day that we’re alive! Let us make today one of the best days of our lives. Enjoy every moment and let’s have this as our mantra:  TODAY IS GOING TO BE A GREAT DAY! 🙂

I hope you’ll enjoy this song that I included in my post for good vibes!

(video credits: YouTube)

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Date Written: June 20, 2016

Hello Work Week!

“Working hard and working smart sometimes can be two different things.”-Byron Dorgan

HAPPY MONDAY! 🙂

I hope everyone had a great weekend.
It’s work week again and I would like to share with you some tips on how we could make this week productive without being burnt out.

1. Get Settled.
Monday is the “transition day” from the weekend to the work week. Ever felt like having your physical body at work, but your mind left at home? You’re not alone. I normally feel like that during Mondays. That is why it is important to allow yourself to get settled first. Don’t force yourself to work immediately! Allow a few minutes to get your mind accustomed to your work environment again.
I normally just sit in front of my desk, stare at my laptop, and drink my coffee while on my earphones listening to my favorite Jason Mraz songs.

2. Plan your Week.
Entering the week with clear goals and action plans results in a more productive week. It helps when you identify priorities based on importance and urgency. Making a “to-do list ” will help you stay on track and focused. You can also schedule time blocks where you cannot be interrupted while working on a certain task.

3. Have a Break!
Taking a Break from work will allow your brain to rest and will help it get more focused after. It will basically jump-start your brain. Moreover, scientific studies prove that Breaks can help improve alertness, memory and cognitive performance too.

4. Don’t forget to BE KIND.
You may become busy at work but no one could be too busy to do a good deed. Offer to help when you can, compliment and praise when there is opportunity, and SMILE! Just asking how a colleague is doing could mean a great deal to them. 🙂

5. Don’t bring work at home.
In other words: What happens at work, stays at work!

I wish everyone a great and productive week ahead! 🙂

Photo Source

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Date Writte: July 11, 2016

It’s all about RELATIONSHIP

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.”               – 1 Corinthians 13:13

Do you want a happy life? A life worth living? A life that is enjoyable? A life that is meaningful?… I tell you what. YOU CAN HAVE IT!

How? By nurturing and growing your relationships. Take great care of them more than you care for your expensive car or jewelries. The other areas of your life like your finances or health could suffer, and you could still be happy- I’ve seen poor people who are happy because they have such close family relationships and good friends. I know people who are sick but are happy because they have people who love and care for them…but I’ve never seen or known someone who’s truly happy living alone for himself.

We need people to satisfy our need to feel safe, to feel that we belong, and to build our self-esteem.

Here are 3 things that will help make relationships better:
1. Say “Thank You”- never keep your gratitude to yourself. say it to people who deserve to be thanked. Say thank you for the fun time, for the good meal cooked for you, for the great conversation, for the encouraging word, for the gestures of love…for the simplest or even the corniest reason.

2. Say “I’m Sorry”- apologize when you did something wrong even if it wasn’t intended. Admit your fault and just say sorry that you made a mistake. And sometimes, even if it’s not your fault, you still apologize. People who care more for the person and the relationship apologize first because caring and loving comes first to being righteous. Pride will give you nothing but a cold lonely heart.

3. Say “I love You”- Do not get tired of saying this everyday. Say it to your spouses/partners, children, parents, siblings, friends…fill-up your love tank. No one dies of love-overdose. This is something a person could get as much as he or she wants. And the good thing is that this is FREE. So give as much as you could and it’ll come back to you doubled or tripled!

If you want a happy life, have happy relationships- with God, with others & with yourself! 🙂

Photo Source

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Written on: October 21, 2016

Searching for Happiness? Know your Heart.

“Devote yourself to what gives you meaning.”- Morrie Swartz

I have a question for you today. Do you love what you do now?

If your answer is Yes, that is great! I am happy for you!

But if your answer is NO, then why do you do it? For whatever reasons you may have, I want you to consider deeply if it is worth sacrificing your chance to live a happier life.

I believe that God has bestowed upon each one of us talents and abilities. It is our duty to unlock, develop and utilize them. If we love something and we have the talent and the ability to do it, then we owe it to ourselves to pursue it. If we are scared to move out of our comfort zones, then we are compromising our chance to truly live a joyful life.

We only have one life. I think that the best way to live it is by doing the things that give us fulfillment, purpose, and satisfaction.

I like how Barbara Sheer put it: “Happy people have two things in common. They know exactly what they want and they feel they’re moving toward getting it. That’s what makes life feel good: when it has direction, when you are heading straight for what you love.”

In decision-making, it is not always wise to think logically. Sometimes, in order to live a happier life, we must learn to listen to what our hearts say. Remember: Where your heart is, that’s where your treasure would be!  If you don’t trust me, I’m sure the internet could provide you a list of inspiring people who followed their passions and found amazing success!:)

Photo Source

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Date Written: August 03, 2016

Happy Thoughts: Life and it’s Lemons

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonades and other good stuffs… then share them to others!”

Every struggle and trial in life has a purpose. If you have such learning and life-changing experience, share your life-story to inspire others. It will give that experience purpose and will add meaning to your life. 🙂

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Written on: April 2, 2016