Know What You Want

“You can’t teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself.” Galileo.

It’s another way of saying the popular adage about not giving a man bread to pass his hunger but instead teach him how to fish so he can live on his own. It’s the same with life experience and achieving happiness.

A man can read so many books and imagine all the feeling of happiness, success, sadness, hurt, anger and all emotion he can read about but unless he got the actual experience all he have are theories and he can never truly tell how it feels to be in a certain situation.

Success is sweeter when one knows how frustrating temporary setbacks and failure is. Learning is an active experience and not a passive one.

I don’t approve of labeling people winners and losers because there is no such thing. But I agree labeling rude, inconsiderate, disrespectable, chauvinist and b with itches as losers because they don’t give importance to other people.

Every human is born unique with different abilities and traits despite seemingly manifesting similarities. Everyone is born as something new, something that never existed before and was born to have the capacity to achieve his full capabilities in life. We are all born with our unique way of hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, touching and thinking. Everyone has potentials, capabilities and limitations to make him significant and a creative and productive being.

No other person can think, create and decide for you. You stir the wheel to the path where your life is heading. You choose what is important to hang on and let go. You make a decision when to attain it. You decide when to act on it.

To achieve the happiness and success you desire you must ask yourself what you really want to happen. We often neglect or find shallow answers to this question but we never took time to think deeply about it.

Ask this question as many times as you could to yourself, reflect and meditate on it. What is it as a that I truly, madly, deeply want in life? What is the reason behind wanting it this much? Do you think your life will be much happier when you realize this desire? Does achieving it give you temporary high or long term happiness? What is important to you the long term or the short term?

When you don’t know where you’re going you will probably end up nowhere. Fleeting from place to place, time to time, person to person, experiencing the moment but not the intensity of living and your purpose of living.

Don't Quit Too Easily

"Did you see that? Tasha is so determined to learn how to swim! I'm so proud of her!"

“Quitters are losers.” We’ve heard of that quote too often now, especially when we do something that we just continue failing or keep doing the things that make it not work.

The habit of quitting is the easiest exit for us when we go into an uncomfortable and unhappy territory of failure and temporary defeat. As humans we are guilty of this mistake at one time or another.

Desire plus will power though, will assure our success in life and achieving whatever we want. Life is not an easy path to travel, we will sure to meet temporary defeat in our battles and perhaps some failures too. Determination is your key to achieve what you want. Logically, we will immediately quit when we experience defeat by some setbacks and windfalls, it’s the easiest way out of that painful state. Backing out is what exactly majority of men do. But those who are successful know that temporary inconvenience and minor set-backs don’t compare to the glory of success.

Henry Ford’s attitude with his success “I want it and I will have it.” No matter how other people discourage him that what he wants to achieve is impossible, wanting to build the V-8 motor. But he did not listen to them and still choose to build it, now he is a legend.

Failure is the trickster with a keen sense of irony and cunning it takes great delight in tripping one when success is almost within reach. Keep your focus and remind yourself of the brilliance of accomplishment you will feel once you achieve what you want.

Find Your Passion

“Passion and purpose go hand in hand. When you discover your purpose, you will normally find it’s something you’re tremendously passionate about.” Steve Pavlina

I have this inclination that when I find something new and interesting to do, I get so immersed in it, so immersed that I can’t stop until I achieve the result I want to see.

I guess it’s what they call passion, not the hot loving emotionally intense type or Jesus suffering, but the type when you get so devoted to something weather it be a habit, a person, work etc.

For me writing is my passion, next to creating things with my hands and keeping my fertile imagination up and running. See, I hate idleness because sometimes boredom leads to depression, because we usually think bad things about the people around us or about ourselves, or we become envious of someone having an active life. When we are idle or bored we also tend to do something stupid that we might regret thereafter.

The biggest thing I love about writing and blogging and what it brought in my life was this peacefulness. I found a place where I can write down my thoughts; give this voice in my head a place of its own without restrictions.

I still get passionate about other things, but my passion is not so scattered now and it's not so needy. It's a lot more powerful because it comes with being grounded and in peace. It's about the process and not about the results. It’s like having therapy or rather meditating.

Writing and blogging makes me alive, I hope my sister really understood now sister now why I get so hooked in this thing. This makes me come alive, reach out to people around the world, without even lifting my foot or travelling far. I believe that the happiness of a man in this life lies in the mastery of his passions.
Related to this I would just like to applaud Demi Sorono,28. Now this is a girl who found her passion and aiming high for it. She is a finalist in the You think You Can Dance Australia, who started dancing at the age of 5! Good luck girl!

Be Cheer Leaders Instead Of Crabs

“You find yourself refreshed in the presence of cheerful people. Why not make an honest effort to confer that pleasure on others? Half the battle is gained if you never allow yourself to say anything gloomy.”
Lydia M. Child

It’s sad that some people, instead of being happy and supportive because someone from the company or group have achieved something big and better, becomes bitter and overzealous that they will try every trick in the book to pull that person down.

Crab mentality, an alleged Filipino trait; but I don’t believe so instead it’s a general trait of every human being because everyone has the tendency to become envious of ones achievements especially if they are doing very good; pulls people down that instead of growing together for the better they fall badly together. Instead of making that successful person an inspiration, they make that person a sore to their eyes and a target their hate and resentment.

Wouldn’t it be a better world if everyone will think positively about the success of other people and instead of being upset and envious to strive harder and better? That instead of discouraging the successful one they encourage him more? Instead of being depressing and discouraging and envious have more of a cheer leader or cheering squad attitude who encourages than of being crabs pulling everyone down.

I’m sure you are all familiar with the saying “flattery will get you anywhere.” I am not telling you to lick other people’s shoes but just be happy for them and learn from the things they did to achieve their status.

The law of action and reaction in science and also popularly known as Karma, what goes around comes around. If you sow goodness you will reap goodness and same goes on the opposite. Karma is not just bad for bad but also good for good or nothing for nothing.

A person who is happy, content and successful when praised or encouraged even more will have more drive to succeed and his positive energy will rub on those around him or if not he will try to uplift everyone around him who is not doing good. He will become inspiring and encouraging.

Instead of taking what this person teaches negatively we should accept the “help” and the good deed. It may be true that he may want something from you but think about it you are getting something to in return. You are too proud to think you can do things on your own, no man is an island, believe me. Not a single person who is successful in his life did it alone. Everybody uses everybody, but don’t think about this negatively, being nice and being open and accepting won’t degrade you (don’t just try too much though to the point of licking somebody’s shoes just to get ahead).

Like one of the Ten Commandments said; “Do unto others as you want other do you.”

What A Wondeful World! Happy Earth Day!

Did you all know that you are so lucky to have such a beautiful planet as your dwelling place? Where in the Milky Way or the Solar System or the entire Universe can you see such sight as beautiful as this tree?

"I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed against the Earth's sweet flowing breast. A tree who looks at God all day...uhmmm". Those are just the lines I can remember about this poem. Hahaha!

Where in the Universe can you see such amazing creation?(I know some tree lovers will be mad at this though because the process of carving this tree hurt this tree too but look the tree grew magnificently. Kinda apprehensive though if this is real or synthetic tree like the one in Disney Land Tarzan's tree house.

Earth is the most amazing planet in the Solar System.

"Earth is the only planet in the Solar System to have water in its three states of matter: as a solid (ice), a liquid (sea, rain, etc.) and as a gas (clouds). These are all shown below. Water is, of course, the most important liquid for life.
Earth is almost five billion years old, although life (resembling life as we know it) has only existed on the planet for the last 150 million to 200 million years. This means that life has only been present on Earth for only 5%-10% of its lifetime.

Earth is gradually slowing down. Every few years, an extra second is added to make up for lost time. Millions of years ago, a day on Earth will have been 20 hours long. It is believed that, in millions of years time, a day on Earth will be 27 hours long.

The centre of the Earth, its core, is molten. This means that it is liquid rock which sometimes erupts onto the surface through volcanic eruptions. This core is 7,500°c, hotter than the surface of the Sun!

Earth is the only planet in the Solar System not to be named after a mythical God.
Despite being called Earth, only 29% of the surface is actually 'earth.' The rest of the planet's surface (71%) is made up of water.

From a distance, Earth would be the brightest of the 9 planets. This is because sunlight is reflected by the planet's water.

Earth is the only planet in the Solar System known to be geologically active, with Earthquakes and volcanoes forming the landscape, replenishing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and erasing impact craters from meteors."

Our dearly planet Mother Earth host a lot of wonderful, amazing, magnificent, and magical places in the entire Universe. Well, I haven’t been outside the planet despite they say that Women are from Venus, I am not sure about the men if they have been to Mars.

But, kidding aside, do you really need convincing just to contribute simple things to save our planet and stop the growing problem of climate change? Ok here are details to encourage you what a wonderful world we have The Wonders of the World

Climate Change Solutions

Now let’s get down to serious Earth saving details.

We all have noticed the change in our climate, either it’s too cold, too damp or too hot. This is the right time to start and take your initiatives to help Save the Earth. Here are the Top 10 list of actions the Earth Day Network have enlisted in reducing individuals, organizations and businesses to contribution to global warming.

"1)Project Switch: Change your light bulbs!
There are now highly efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that last for years, use a third of the energy of regular bulbs and actually produce more light. Look for the government's ENERGY STAR label, which means the bulb has been tested for quality and efficiency. While each ENERGY STAR qualified bulb can cost more initially - anywhere from $4 to $15 a piece - remember that there are two price tags: what you pay at the register and what you pay in energy costs over the bulb's lifetime. You may pay more up front, but you will actually save hundreds of dollars in your household budget over the long term because of their long life. Five ENERGY STAR light bulbs will save your household at least $150 over their lifetime.

Here's the impact. If every household in the U.S. replaced a burned-out bulb with an energy-efficient, ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent bulb, the cumulative effect is enormous. It would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that from nearly 800,000 cars. It would also save enough energy to light 2.5 million homes for a year.
There are other, simple things with household lighting you can do to conserve. Turn off unneeded lights, dim lights when you can and bring natural sunlight into your home when it is feasible.

But changing those old light bulbs and replacing them with ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescents that can last seven years or more is by far the best thing you can do.

2) Drive your car differently – or drive a different car altogether!
The sad truth is that a gas guzzler emits as much CO2 as some homes! That's the bad news. The good news is that anything you can do to improve the fuel efficiency of your car will have an impact. On average, a passenger car emits 11,400 pounds of CO2 each year while a home emits 9,000 pounds of CO2 per person each year in the United States.

Horribly inefficient SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks now make up more than half of the cars on American roads. The real tragedy is that automakers could double the current average fuel efficiency of SUVs if they wanted. Even improving fuel economy from 20 miles-per-gallon to 25 miles-per-gallon would prevent 10 tons of CO2 from being released over a vehicle's lifetime.
Buying a fuel-efficient car (like a Hybrid) is wonderful. In fact, replacing your gas-guzzling car with a fuel-efficient one is by far the best thing you can do, out of all your choices. But not all of us can do that - at least, not right now. So, in the interim, there are things you can do with the car you drive now to conserve energy and be more fuel-efficient.

Drive less. Every year, Americans as a whole drive more miles than they did the year before. Stop this trend. Telecommuting and public transportation are great options. Leaving your car at home two days a week will reduce your CO2 emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. Even piling multiple errands into one trip helps and if you can walk instead of drive, even better.

Get your car tuned up. Just a simple tune-up often improves fuel efficiency. Studies have shown that a poorly tuned engine can increase fuel consumption by as much as 10-20 percent.

Slow down, don't race your car's engine, and watch your idling. All of these save on gas (saving you money) and have a big impact on burning gasoline. You can save gas by turning the engine off and restarting it again if you expect to idle for more than 30 seconds.

3) Your house – not too hot, not too cold!
The bad news is that about 42 percent of your household energy costs go toward just two things - heating and cooling. The good news is that means you have a lot of room to make a difference and even small changes can make dramatic improvements in household fuel efficiency.

Replacing older heating and cooling systems with new efficient models can cut your annual energy costs by 20 percent. So replacing the old with the new is a wonderful idea, but not very practical for most of us. Things you can do right now to make sure you're maintaining the right temperature in your house efficiently include:
Tune up your heating system. By keeping your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted, you can save up to 5 percent in heating costs.

Clean vents, close unused vents, and change filters in the vents. Again, just these simple things will save you up to 5 percent in costs.

Buy a programmable thermostat, which can regulate different temperatures at different times of the day. And if you have one, use it! These thermostats reduce energy use by 5-30 percent and save you $100-$150 in energy costs each year.
If one in 10 households serviced heating and cooling systems annually, cleaned or replaced filters regularly, used a programmable thermostat and replaced old equipment with ENERGY STAR models it would prevent the emissions of more than 17 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.

Add two degrees to the AC thermostat in summer, and two degrees in winter. If everyone did this, the cumulative impact is significant.

Make sure windows and doors are sealed. Again, this will dramatically improve your household fuel efficiency. Sealing air leaks and adding insulation can reduce your annual energy bill by 10 percent.

Of course, if you can stand it, by far the best approach is to avoid using air conditioners. Ceiling fans use 80 percent less energy than central air conditioners. By only using ceiling fans you can reduce your annual cooling costs by 10-65 percent. In warm weather run the fan blades in a counter-clockwise direction to feel 5 degrees cooler. During the winter set the fan blades to rotate clockwise at a low speed to force warm air from the ceiling down into the living space.

4) Tame the refrigerator monster!
Did you know that your friendly refrigerator has a voracious energy appetite? It is the biggest consumer of electricity among household appliances and responsible for 10-15 percent of the electricity you use each year.
Older refrigerators, as a rule, are far less efficient than the newest ones - as much as 50 percent less efficient. But buying a brand-new, energy-efficient refrigerator is not always in the cards for most of us. Fortunately, other things will help.

Don't set the thermostat too high. Lowering the temperature even 1 degree will make a big difference.

If your refrigerator is near a heating vent, or always in the sun, then change the location, cover up the heating vent near it or cover the window.

Turn on your "energy saver" switch near the thermostat.

Clean the condenser coil. This one, very simple thing can improve the efficiency of your refrigerator reducing your annual energy costs by $20.

Get rid of your second refrigerator. If you don't need it, don't waste the energy.
Make sure the doors seal properly, and keep the cool in.

5) Twist the knobs on your other household appliances!
The other big users of energy in your household are your hot water heater, your washer and dryer, and your dishwasher. Each, in its own way, can be inefficient. Here are some things to try:

Either turn the hot water heater down to 120 degrees, or turn on the "energy conservation" setting. Some manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140 degrees when most households only require them at 120 or 115 degrees. For each 10 degrees reduction in water temperature, you can save 3-5 percent in energy costs.
Buy insulation at a local store and insulate your hot water heater and pipes.
Install a timer on your water heater to turn off at night and on just before you wake up in the morning.

When possible, wash a few dishes by hand. Over time, that will save a few loads in the dishwasher, conserving energy.Don't pre-rinse dishes. Today's detergents are powerful enough to do the job.
Wait until you have a full load to run the dishwasher.

Wash clothes in warm water, not hot. Ninety percent of the energy used in operating a washing machine goes toward heating the water that washes and rinses the clothes. The clothes will be just as clean, and you'll cut energy use.
Don't over-dry your clothes.

6) Green plants with less water, more trees to provide shade.
While it is true that planting more trees will help in the short term because they essentially soak up carbon, they also release carbon dioxide when they die. So it just postpones the problem. But there are other reasons to plant trees - as wind breaks to save energy, and as shade to lower cooling costs. And even the short-term help while we get our act together is a good thing.

As for plants, do everything you can in your yard and garden to create ways in which plants use less water. Choose hardier plants, plant things in groups that need more water and put in mulch to help keep moisture in. When you mow your grass, make sure you do it smartly - with sharp blades, and only when the grass needs cutting. Finally, make sure you water your lawn sparingly. All of these will conserve energy.

7) Buy Green Energy, and invest in green energy stocks.
Imagine if we ran out of fossil fuels tomorrow, what would we do? Well, we'd get our electricity from renewable energy, such as solar panels, geothermal and wind power sources. Many utilities now give consumers the option to buy "green power." Ask for it!

Learn the truth about nuclear power and natural gas as viable "green" options. They aren't. Radioactive waste will be a problem for tens of thousands of years into the future. Even though natural gas emits half as much CO2 as coal, it is still responsible for 20 percent of CO2 emissions in the United States while only providing us with around 23 percent of the energy consumed. Natural gas can help us make a transition, but it isn't the solution.

Finally, invest in green stocks and renewable energy companies through socially responsible funds. They perform just as well (if not better) than all of the unfiltered funds.

8) Go organic.
Even with our vast reservoir of scientific knowledge about farming, most American farmers still spray a billion pounds of pesticides to protect crops each year.
Now here's the kicker: when chemical pesticides are used to kill pests, they can also kill microorganisms that keep carbon contained in the soil. When the microorganisms are gone, the carbon is released into the atmosphere as CO2. And when those organisms are gone, the soil is no longer naturally fertile and chemical fertilizers become a necessity, not a luxury.

But besides going organic - thereby saving the carbon release from soil - there are other simple things you can do with food that will also make a difference:
Eat locally grown food. If the food doesn't have to travel far, there's less CO2 from the trucks that ship it.

Eat fruits and vegetables in season. Again, that saves the enormous transportation costs.Plant your own vegetable garden. It's not as hard as you might think.

9) Buy recycled.
This may sound simple, but it takes less energy to manufacture a recycled product than a brand new one. So if you and every other consumer buy recycled products, you'll help create a market, and conserve energy along the way.

Because many manufacturers don't go out of their way to tout their recycled products, you should know that aluminum and tin cans, glass containers, and pulp cardboard have a fair amount of recycled content. So buy away!

Recycled products can often be considerably cheaper than non-recycled products. Most recycled paper products are of comparable quality and cost competitive with virgin paper products.

Finally, before you buy, check to see if the product or its packaging can be recycled. The recyclable logo (three arrows forming a triangle) is fairly common now.

10) Be a minimalist.
We know it's difficult, but in today's consumer economy, an easy way to conserve energy is to simply use - and buy -- less. Every time you buy something, energy has gone into getting that product to you. So the less you buy, the more you save energy-wise. It's a simple equation.

This last item on our Top Ten list may, in fact, be the single biggest way to make a dent in the global warming problem. Again, we know it sounds obvious, but buying less things - some of which you just don't need - changes the energy equation across the board, on every single consumer product. If everyone used less, the impact would be large indeed."

Together we can all make a difference, one small action you do for the environment contributes a lot, imagine if 1 million people do the same thing you did. Here are some small specific things you can also do to help Save the Earth.Global Warming is Real

I Love Earth

April 22 is Earth day and what better way to celebrate than to know more about Earth. What do you know about Earth? Hmmmm I see some people scratching their heads in confusion. Hahahahaha!

Well, Donald asked in a previous comment in my blog, why and how did I become Earthlingorgeous? It’s not the first time I got asked that, almost everyone I meet have that one particular question in mind upon hearing or reading my ID Earthlingorgeous (a combination of Earthling and gorgeous).

The name will speak for itself I am an Earthling and I am gorgeous therefore, I am Earthlingorgeous! Its common sense right, do I have to elaborate that? Hahaha!

Kidding aside, my nickname since I started working more than 12 years ago is Earth, no kidding. Everyone I worked with knows me as Earth and they call me Earth. So I am not misleading anyone or even hiding who I am.

But Earthlingorgeous just happened 6 years ago, when I started writing in English. I used to be Earthlinganda, I even have my trademark with that. My boss would say, “very creative” because all poster/invitations I make for the company events I would put my logo in there. Then people at work started calling me EG when they secretly talk about me, or their codename for me. How did I know when it was secret? Well some tattle tale friend co-worker told me.

Where did I get the name Earth?

Isn’t that an obvious question? Our ever dear planet of course!

Actually, it’s jumbled letters of my full name including my family’s pet name for me. But I bet you will just get dizzy trying to figure out what my real name is or even my pet name for that matter.

I love my nick name, especially the variations people call me. Subordinates call me Ms. Earth, while some would call me Earthy, Earthling, Mother Earth or Earthlingorgeous.

Don’t you just love Earth?
Here are some treats and events you might wanna participate. Or you might want to be included in my links andsend me a Happy Earthday greetings:) A special badge will be sent to everyone who sends an Earthday greeting!

Visit Earth Day

Focus

Affirmative thinking leads to affirmative experience. When you recognize what is good and right about yourself and the world, you start attracting better things into your life. Whenever you desire improved health, happier relationships, prosperity, or a deeper understanding of your own nature, you can have it by changing the way you think.

There will be things that will distract us in what we want to do and what we want to achieve. Sometime we get side tracked and forget what we really wanted because of some diversion/interruption/entertainment/pastime.

“It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do about them that will determine your ultimate destiny.”

Anthony Robbins

Living in this fast phase world, we often get distractions and lots of them too. Our mind wanders and hops from one thing to another. If our goals are that important to us then we have to train our mind to focus and follow through whatever action we have started.

If you were interrupted by an argument itt is wise to direct your anger towards the problem and not the people involved. Instead of focusing on retaliation, bitterness or fear, focus your energies towards answers to the problem and how to improve yourself and not do the same mistake again.

“The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear.”

Brian Tracy

Fight Fair

It’s a fact that everyone in a relationship has long and draining arguments and fights. I am not just talking about husband and wives, boyfriend or girlfriends, but all relationship in general like friends, co-workers, parent and child, etc.

Our mistake is that instead of finding a common ground to resolve the issue we rather delve into going deeper into fault finding and mud-slinging, making it more strenuous and tedious for both parties.

As humans it’s our nature to always want to win an argument. So instead of getting the result we want for starting the fight or wanting to win the fight, the discussion becomes uglier than it suppose to be. We lose our ground because we didn’t handle the situation very well. This ugly brawl will either lead to break-up or separation, and instead of growing together you grow apart because hatred and resentment sets in. Mostly if we are the type who holds grudges and burn bridges immediately without thinking.

I am quite an expressive person, and I like to say everything I wanted to say and say whatever I feel whenever I exchange blow with anyone. It’s because I believe that it’s best to let everything out in the open than hold out because what you keep to yourself will be a hindrance to a smooth flowing relationship and peace of mind. I believe that there will always be a tell-tale signs that you are holding out on something or if someone is keeping something from you, like an invisible wall in between.

But everyone is different, some like to be confrontational, some like to keep quiet for a moment, back-off and cool down for awhile instead of going for a head on collision because they believe that this will just make things worse. Some people belch out personal insults that are really hurtful, especially when mad or hurt.

Remember, you can never take back whatever you said. It’s so easy to fall into a mud-slinging tussle than to be receptive and apologetic. Instead of meeting half-way and making-up, we tend to walk out completely of a relationship because we lost face already.

When in a dispute with someone, instead of finding fault, find a solution. Instead of throwing blames give constructive criticism. What was the reason for the argument, the misunderstanding? Stand on your ground but don’t demean people. What could have bothered you so bad that you are willing to let go of the relationship that easily. What’s important anyway, your pride or your relationship?

Faith and Fear

“You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.” Mary Manin Morrissey

Wow! This hits the mark. More often than not when we stop doing things we love or start being negative about things it’s because of our fears. The fear of something unknown, fear of our own failures and shortcomings, fear of losing and any type of fear that you can ever imagine, that keeps us away from doing what we always wanted to do, what we always dreamed of, what we wanted to achieve in life.

It’s our stumbling block, the great big wall that holds us down into something more fulfilling. Even before things happen we already imagine things that might happen we already panic at the thought of something that doesn’t really exist.

So often times, when our apprehension gets the best of us, we go to our safe zone or comfort zone and stop there because we feel inferior.

“Fear is just your feelings asking for a hug.” Danielle Sanchez

What doesn’t kill me makes me strong, this is something we all heard about but really don’t understand. As we go through our life we experience life’s difficulties and the harsh world around us. We learn from those mistakes and sometimes the lesson of the past is deeply embedded in our subconscious and only awakes when something similar to the situation that break us but didn’t kill us happens, then we either pull back or hold back, preventing something beautiful to happen.

There is a saying that you have to try something once in your lifetime. “Just do it!” as the famous Nike tag line quips. Letting go of fear and keeping more faith in ourselves and the people around us (leaving it to Karma if they did us wrong) will not only make us live in fulfillment but in peace within ourselves because we live a life with no regrets.

“There is much in the world to make us afraid. There is much more in our faith to make us unafraid.” Frederick W. Cropp

Relax

I can’t take this anymore!
Have you heard your self screaming these words while in the middle of doing the common things you do and enjoy everyday? Have you lost the spirit in doing the things you usually enjoy?

I suggest you better stop whatever you are doing that’s been stressing you and putting more pressure on you now or as soon as possible because this is a sign that you need to slow down and take a break. If you don’t stop you will be more annoyed with whatever you are doing and with the people around you. It could also be the reason for not doing the things right.

Back off for a moment or two and clear your head, rest and relax, give yourself space. It doesn’t necessarily mean to take a grand vacation. If you are in an office environment and can’t take long vacations, a five minute every hour break will be very helpful to de-stress you from the tension you feel. If you are a home maker, stop, go take a walk or window shop, go to a salon and treat yourself like a queen, or just soak yourself on a warm bath.

"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."

Leonardo Da Vinci

Everyone should take time out once in a while to recharge and revitalize their energy. This is the key to have a balanced life and avoid burnt out.

Humility

Nobody is perfect. Because of this imperfection, unconsciously and unintentionally we hurt the people around us by the things we do or say.

Sometimes when we are angry or offended we become defensive and instead of being sincerely apologetic of your inconsiderate acts you go full swing on the offensive mode and things could turn nasty than it could have been if you handled the situation differently and less prideful.

Being humble sometimes is helpful in such situation. But who should be humble the offender or the offended? Mad does badly, and if talking or being sensible for a moment is far from happening, step back and refrain from saying more hurtful words.

Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so you apologize for truth. Benjamin Disraeli

Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths. Lois Wyse

Humility is a rare trait these days. Everyone seems to refuse being corrected. Evolution takes a long process and learning and practicing humility could be the hardest thing to do especially for someone who is prideful and stubborn. Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves because deep down a voice tells that something is out of tune. Nothing is more commendable than someone who is willing to stand corrected and willing to listen. It’s not thinking less of yourself but a freedom from thinking about yourself.

Being humble and accepting your mistake and knowing when to bend will help keep the peace in our lives. Try to say the magic words, (sorry, I love you, I didn’t mean to, give me a chance, please, etc.) no matter how hard it is to say because your ego is prompting you not to.

But be wary too, don’t just say the magic words loosely, a stiff apology is a second insult and as good as the actual offense. Because the injured or offended party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt.

To be truly forgiven, we mush show sincerity in all our acts. If we thread along our life at peace with everyone only then we can say we are truly happy.

Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. Paul Boese

It is a good rule in life never to apologize. Haven’t we all heard of love means never to say you are sorry? Do you know the reason behind that famous quote? Simple, the right sort of people does not want apologies, and the wrong sort takes a mean advantage of them.

An apology might help, but you can change your life without one. Robin Quivers

We all make mistakes and somehow have had a pattern of overreacting to others’ behaviors in unkind ways. To rebuild trust we should take responsibility for our behavior, apologize and sincerely let people know that we intend to make a change, and then make the change!

Kind Words

I remember when I was a little girl, our teacher at Sunday school would say it is better to lay a hand than say cruel words because they cut deep and won’t heal like wound.

I do believe that words are the most powerful tool ever invented in the world. Depending on how it is said and not by who said it. Words have the power to manipulate, heal, nurture, destroy, help, inspire, frustrate, sadden, encourage, motivate or make people back off.

It is not what you said but how it was told. A word does not have a permanent meaning, it evolves and ever changing and it’s meaning vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and the time in which it is used.

It is funny how we, no matter how familiar or common talking or speaking in our native language, seem to have not mastered and grasp the real power of words. Sometimes we are not able to really express what we truly feel or sometimes send mixed signals.

When we are happy, there aren’t enough words to describe how we feel or sometimes give understatements. When we are mad, we say really nasty things we normally do not mean but go overboard just to hurt the other person who offended us.

It is said that it is the man who determines what is said, not the words. If you have the choice, never lose the chance of saying a kind word, it is not demoralizing or degrading to do so. Saying kind words can be short and easy to speak but they will remain in the heart and in the mind of the person you have spoken it to.

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. Buddha

***

I am so humbled by a blogger post dedicated for this blog by Arvind those are the kind of words that inspires me more to write more good stuffs in here. Thank you.

Wonders of Nature

I was doing my blog visits when I glanced upon Crissy’s page and gave priority to repost this as my support for our country’s treasures.

It just strikes me though, that when I tried to search the nominees for the New 7 Wonders of Nature I didn’t find anything anything from Palawan. I was hoping somewhere in the list of nominees I would find the Subterranean National River Park more popularly known as St. Paul Underground River in Puerto Princesa, in the province of Palawan in the Visayas region. Too bad that place was really magnificent and I would recommend it to anyone who wish to visit my country.

Take a look at these pictures I took outside and inside the 8 kilometer stretch Underground River in June 2007, to see what I am vouching for. This wonderful work of nature was surrounded by great bodies of water, the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea, and it’s the Worlds Longest Underground River.

So correct me if I am wrong, but that place deserves to be included in the New 7 Wonders of Nature. But, anyway since it's not there here are the other nominees in the Philippines, and I appeal to my countrymen, and Philippines fans to support our own and vote for the following:

CHOCOLATE HILLS (Current Live Ranking: #8)
The Chocolate Hills is an unusual geological formation in Bohol, Philippines. It is composed of around 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills, all about the same size, spread over an area of more than 50 sq km The hills are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, giving them the name "Chocolate Hills."

TUBBATAHA REEF (Current Live Ranking: #10)
Tubbataha Reef is an atoll coral reef in the Sulu Sea that belongs to the Philippines. It is a marine sanctuary protected as Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park. The reef is composed of two atolls, North and South Reefs. Each reef has a single small islet that protrudes from the water. The atolls are separated by a deep channel 8 kilometers wide. Over one thousand species, including many that are endangered, can be found at on the reef. These include manta rays, lionfish, tortoises, clownfish and sharks.

MAYON VOLCANO (Current Live Ranking: #17)
Mayon Volcano is an active volcano on the Filipino island of Luzon, 15 km northwest of Legazpi City.It is classified by volcanologists as a stratovolcano (composite volcano). Its symmetric cone was formed through alternate pyroclastic and lava flows. Mayon is the most active volcano in the country, having erupted over 47 times in the past 400 years, and is a part of what is called the Pacific Ring of Fire.

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.

Jawaharlal Nehruehru

Gratitude is the Best Attitude

Man has the desire of belongingness and acceptance, it is on the top three of the hierarchy of needs (a perfected theory by Abraham Maslow), social needs ranks third of basic human needs following physiological (the need for food, water, shelter, warmth, sex and other body needs) and safety needs (man’s basic instinct to protect his life for survival).

Even without studying human nature, personally we all know that we desire to be recognized, appreciated and accepted either by another individual, a large group or family members. We all yearn for the feeling of being loved and being valued by others.

With the absence of these feeling of belongingness a person becomes susceptible to being sad, lonely, anxious and depressed and depending on the strength of the peer pressure can lead to other destructive behaviors to compensate.

If we want to be happy, we must learn and practice being appreciative of everyone around us. We mush show gratitude to everyone. They don’t need to do anything bombastic for us to recognize them but the mere fact that they are present in our lives is enough to appreciate them.

Haven’t we all heard how one regrets not being able to say “I love you”, or “Thank You” to a loved one while they are still alive. How one cry over the grave of a loved one realizing it’s too late to appreciate them because they are gone wishing they are still alive so they can hear how worthy and valued they are in your lives.

Gratitude is the best attitude. The best way to appreciate something you already have is to imagine yourself without them. Sometimes, we are caught up in the moment; we are always in a rush to do things that we take the simple things for granted.

If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.

It will change your life mightily.

Gerald Good

You are not only making others feel loved, appreciated and valued but you make them feel happy by acknowledging them. If people are more appreciative I believe this world will be a better place and instead of finding fault we should learn to be more appreciative of small things.

A person who is happy and appreciated will do things very well because he feels good about himself, the fact that he is recognized the more she will do things good and pursue to do better because he knows he will be acknowledge for a job well done.

Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.

Practice Patience

It takes months for a seed to grow into a plant, years before it becomes a tree, few more months before it will have flowers to bloom and months before it will bear fruit. It takes a lot of patience and care for the farmer who planted the seed to harvest and benefit from his tolerance and hope that one day the seed he planted will bear fruits.

I strongly believe in the saying that patience is a virtue. With the entire charade and toil one encounters through life it is hard to practice it.
“He who hesitates is lost.” A phrase I passed by and I have for my welcome note. But I ask you now, what is time anyway? Age, month, years, hours are they the measurement of “time?”

Who concludes it’s too long? Who concludes it’s too short? Something good is worth the wait but what if there’s no time remaining? Now tell me who should judge what time is?

There are events in our lives that test our endurance to every obscurity, condition and people we meet along our way. When our stress triggers us to one situation, it’s either we burst out or we give up.

Having the patience of the saint is a rare quality especially in this fast phased life we are living right now. It seems we let the other people around us dictate how we go through our lives. We often think too much about their opinion instead of our own liking and preferences.

If someone or something stresses us, stepping back for a few moments is a good way to gather our thoughts and evaluate the situation. We are no saints but we can practice patience in our daily lives before making a big decision or saying things we might regret later on.

When making a decision analyze if you are doing it for your own good and your preference or you are doing it for someone else’s preferences and their benefit. By the end of the day, even if the objective was good, if you have regrets with what you did or say weighs more because it all boils down to you, if you are happy or not with what you did. Happiness will show from within. You can’t give what you don’t have, so goes a popular adage.

Patience is the ability to count down before you blast off.

Author Unknown

Comfortable Silence

Silence most often than not intimidates us especially when we are used to the people around us being loud and expressive. It seems everyone is expected to speak even in utter non-sense just so we can break the ice and lose the awkwardness of the situation.

In a relationship, weather it be platonic or the other, talking seems to be a pre-requisite. When one turns silent, the other sometimes feel there is something wrong.

People need space to gather thoughts. Thinking and talking or talking while thinking doesn't work. There are times you want complete silence but that doesn’t mean you are withdrawing from communicating, but rather feeling the moment and being more perceptive. When the other is ready to communicate words will flow smoothly without the pressure or the feeling of obligation to do so.

Being a friend or a lover doesn't always have to mean you have to "report" everything in your mind or what's going on in your life. What’s more important is the presence and not the "information" you get from the other.

In a relationship, there are levels of communication, if you are on the peek or gut level of communication, spoken words are no longer relevant. A stare, a smile, or even a frown could immediately tell us what the other needs.

Comfortable silence this is a good sign in a relationship, it is when one feels happy in it rather than being threatened by it. It is not an awkward moment but a precious one.

We can do more work in the silence than we can by moving the lips and letting the mouth make a continuous noise. That interferes with our own thinking as well as with other people. There is stillness in a thinker's mind; there is quietness in a thinker's presence, where even words are entirely unnecessary.
Robert Beesley