What The World Needs Now



There is a powerful force that sustains the world – intangible but can be felt, invisible yet everywhere. A miracle so nurturing, it heals the wounds of hatred, it cleanses the toxins and purifies the soul. It brings in vitality to all living creatures big or small. Life, existence, time, these terms will never be without one simple yet the strongest four-letter word known to us.

The world is an interesting piece in the complex universe. A subject so convoluted that no human mind will ever comprehend. With all the complexities on it, how moving when you know that all it actually needs is the simplest yet magical “potion” called love.

How fascinating it is thinking how can a simple smile turns an enemy into a friend? Or a hug can make a difference in a choice between life and death. No matter how gigantic issues can be, love has tremendous ways to downsize things and focus on what matters. Amazingly, love resolves even the most intricate!

Looking at life in the most pessimistic perspective makes living in vain. Eating, drinking, merry-making  – all human activities make no sense. But love gives us a sense of direction, leading us to a place of comfort and gives us a good feel of what happiness means. It provides humanity with a sense of purpose – to continue living, to fight and win for the sake of the ones we love and those who loved us.

 

There’s this one family that lives under the bridge that enthuse me the most. With no significant material possessions of anything, one could never have imagined how to live in such a challenging situation. Indescribable but inspiring, I can’t imagine how will I be able to survive and accept things like that without going nuts. Looking at them laughing and playing with their little kids, you will not believe that they go through this adversity everyday. I am at awe at the courage and resilience that these folks have. Love propels people indeed; it never fails to bring one hope and makes the impossible doable.

Love is the wisdom that defines the world; it gives life it’s worth and meaning. It is the fulfillment of yesterday’s promise of a beautiful day – the reason why we get up each and every morning. It is manifested in so many ways, in so many forms. The unconditional type is the purest of all – where kindness is unending even to those who do not deserve it. It is the kind that makes the world the best place to exist.

Don’t Trust Too Much – It’s a Killer

“Everyone is a crook!” a comment I got from one of the many customers that I happen to came across one time. The statement was just so strong that it keeps playing and playing in my head like a CD although I never understood what exactly she meant by it. I never imagined that I would one day come face to face with a situation that will me make spit those words out. I now learned how that memorable customer felt then when she uttered those words.

Funny but true, most of the times, those people we learned to trust so easily are the very ones who are going to send us to our downfall. The old saying about building trust is really a fact I just realized now – only that one needs to experience the ordeal to confirm it’s veracity. It takes years or even a lifetime to build it and a blink of an eye to wreck it.

Trust when destroyed is irreparable and the emotional impact is outstandingly devastating. Respect comes first before love then trust and when the latter is marred everything else vanishes into thin air – domino effect in its very definition.

There are so many ways how this five-letter word is tear down. A lover who left because of one’s dishonesty, a person sent to jail because some cunning fellow took advantage of his wrongdoings or even a supposed friend who simply look for means on how to better his feelings – these are all great examples of how easy TRUST is ruined.

The dog eats dog society exists. Putting your confidence and faith on someone so effortlessly is a mortal sin. Remember that trust is like a precious diamond – it should only be given to those who deserved it, those who were tested and survived, those who endured but it came out victorious.

Lucky are those worthy of trust. Are you one of them? If yes, celebrate today.

I Just Thought

Have you gotten yourself into a party and felt like it was the happiest time of your life? Everyone is laughing, chatting and enjoying and so you do. You go home with that great feeling, sleep for hours and wake up in the morning only to find out that things didn’t changed at all. Or have you felt like you are the most loved person in the world? You have friends who adore you, colleagues who worship you and a family that’s simply perfect. Have you also noticed that during your most trying time you suddenly feel so alone and no one is there for you but yourself?

Most of us, in some ways have experience the feeling of euphoria only to later disappointedly realized that some things don’t last forever. When the momentum of ecstasy starts to subside it signals one reality – things will return to where they should be. And what does it tells us?

Nothing is absolute in this life. You can be the brightest star that you want but the day will come when cheers are no longer deafening and the glorifications you are accustomed to are no longer there. One can be the most accomplished winner – triumphantly win every fight but at some point he realize that fights are over and no need to go further. The richest folks have always things to worry – there are always threats. And happiest one in the world has one thing that’s definite – to sustain it is impossible. So what am I saying?

I realized that in my life, there is a few things I can control but million folds are beyond my grasp. I can only try to hold on for a period but I know, at some point I need to let go. I can only try to be likable but to like me is not for me to say. I can love people as much as I can but it can never guarantee that sufficient amount of it will be given back. 

Too much of everything is intoxicating and too many good things can turn out bad. At the end of the day what matters is to appreciate things as they come and live life one day at a time.

Our Daily Dose

In today’s chaotic world, finding a peaceful place is somewhat unattainable. If you are a fan of television it is a common thing to see news about people fighting over something, people who are in pain because they were attacked for some reason, war against whatever left and right, corruption everywhere (unless you’re in Finland, Denmark or Singapore), perennial problems that have infested various places, groups or race (diseases, poverty, hunger) and a lot more to prove that the world is in such a desolate situation that finding refuge is almost impossible.

There is so much injustice in the world and most of these are man-made. Sad but true, human sufferings are mostly brought about by human actions. Actions such these are powered by greed, ambition and hunger for absolute control. Really, are we destined to err? I don’t know.

What I know is, these dark energies are everywhere. There is no escaping it like a horror movie. There is so much drama, action, thrill and fear, which is brought about by these horrific scenes happening as the story of our lives unfold within our very eyes.

I’m quite surprised that I am writing this type of post. I originally intended to only write about topics that can inspire people, make them smile or laugh a little bit, make their day a little lighter or at least inject a little positivism into their souls. However, I know for a fact that in reality things are not always positive. And by recognizing these imperfections we are one-step closer to our search for personal quiet. Finding a haven is a rarity  (and sometimes it costs tons of money too, hehe!) but searching for serenity and balance amidst tribulation is not impossible if you avoid what is ideal, make things simple by dealing with them one day at a time and more importantly, start the quest within.

Walking The Extra Mile. Anyone?

Without a doubt, walking the extra mile is sure fun. But wait a minute, I just finished helping out a customer as I am writing this post and wow, I feel exhausted. Feels like I ran an Olympic size oval for ten times and I ran out of air and some body fluids. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. And another one. Hahaha!

Yeah, I never thought that “walking the extra mile” can actually burnt so much energy. Maybe that is why it is good for one’s health. It really has the power to put your stored energy in use, which according to many, improve the body’s immune system and in turn raises one’s well being. I’ve read so many articles about it.

Oh well then, I should be doing this more often from now on. I need to be healthy. Time for me to give some sort of attention to my stomach, it’s starting to bulge. Hahaha!

Here We Go Again

 

What a wonderful feeling it is that I get every Christmas season. In our place, Christmas typically starts when the month’s name started to end with B-E-R. Sounds bizarre but yeah that’s how we do it. We celebrate this season for such a long time because we love Christmas so much. I mean, who wouldn’t?  Not only that this a time when everyone has the time to put things on the side to be with family and friends but also this is a wonderful opportunity to go back a little bit and reflect on things that happened for the past months to a year ago.

For most people, Christmas is truly one of the most exciting celebrations. True for all Christians and some non-Christians alike. People start to make list of everything. From special ones in their lives, to special gifts to give, these are simply some of the simplest things to do to be meaningful this season. Christmas seems to bring out the kindness and goodness in everybody. I can’t help but join the list of those wishing for Christmas to be celebrated everyday.

Well, time flies fast. Last year, Christmas has been a hell of a ride. Lots of things had happened. Good and bad. All of those happened for reasons. Reasons I was and the same time wasn’t able to comprehend at all. Regardless, I’m truly blessed last year. There are so many good things I am thanking Him about. As the season is fast approaching for this year, I have lots of optimism within me. God has beautiful things in store for everybody. Let’s start the celebration today.

Seasons’ greetings guys!

Looking Back

 

Going to a bookstore and looking for a good book that’s affordable enough (on sale) is really a hobby. As of this time, Michael Connelly is my favorite author. MC is really an unfamiliar writer to me until I moved into the city because of my work. I am previously a big fun of John Grisham, Sydney Sheldon and Dan Brown (and still is) but now I am adding MC to the list. These guys are really awesome. I consider them to be intelligent writers, so, read their works if your onto “intelligent reading”. Anyhow, the first MC novel that I’ve read is ” The Lincoln Lawyer” and I was totally blown away after reading it. The plot was masterfully crafted and the climax is really heart pounding. Simply amazing!

I’m also into scent tripping. Haha! Since I cannot afford to buy myself an expensive perfume, I would always make it a point to enter a personal care store to try on some expensive scents. Most of the time, the salesman would always do a powerful sales pitch and if you were not prepared for this you would find yourself lured into buying it. Be careful!

Meanwhile, I also miss walking on the beach in the early morning. The beach is one of the most relaxing places on earth. It is even better in the crack of dawn, from 5:30AM to 7:30AM, when the sun is about to rise and the breeze is still very cold. Heavenly! A cup of coffee and a nice breakfast plate just completes the experience.

Now I remember way back in high school how fun it was killing the time on top of the hill when classes are suspended. This would usually happen in the afternoon. Getting into the top of the hill by this time is really fun. The wind is strong and the air is so fresh. Viewing the panorama at the top is really magnificent.

This one is sure fun. We used to live in a house near the sea and we luckily have a small boat with us. During high tides, I would always try to practice paddling the “bangka” from here to there until I grew tired doing it. I would then swim and stay on the water while I have a life jacket on. So relaxing. Time has flown so fast. That was more than a decade ago.

I used to teach before and when the school year ended, some members of the class organized a trip to an island somewhere our city. The island is really bare because it was summer that time but in general the place is beautiful. The water is so blue and the sand around the island is quite white although not as white and as fine as in some other beaches. It was a nice experience though.

Now, here’s one the craziest things I’ve done. When I was younger, I would really try to practice my singing prowess (hahaha!) and since I’m so ashamed to do it at home, I would patiently walk my way till I reach the creek and find my spot. Our house is quite far from this creek and I’m usually bringing a songbook with me when I go there. If you’re going to try this, be careful because you might be mistaken for a bird and someone else might shoot in your direction. Don’t sing “My Way” to be even safer.

Singing in a karaoke with my colleagues is surely one of the things that I haven’t done for a quite a long while too. While working for an IT department of a state university, I happen to meet several great people who are as cool as I am (I guess I’m cool). During our payday (once a month) we would make it a point to lunch together and party a little bit. Sing our hearts out for a while then go back to the university to be nice little teachers again. Love to sing some of the songs popularized by Peabo Bryson, Bryan Mcknight, James Ingram, Maxwell and BoyzIIMen.

Another hobby is cooking. I love to eat and I eventually learned how to cook.  Before, when I have the time, I would usually plan on preparing foods for my folks. Then cooking it for them afterwards on Sundays. Now, I can’t do it since they’re far from my place.

One of the things I love about my shift is the very long interval between each call. No call means no work and that means more time to surf the net. Blogs and forums are my ultimate hangouts. Reading other people’s opinion and their jokes makes my dullest moment exciting. My colleagues would sometimes stare at me probably wondering what the heck is happening to me since I am laughin’ like crazy. Because I love to laugh, I naturally love watching comedy shows. I usually laugh a lot when the jokes are delivered really well. Comedians are my favorite type of entertainers.

Weirdness

 

I am a newbie to blogging and I don’t really write a lot. For so many months now, I have enjoyed myself reading several blogs and I wish others would enjoy reading mine. I am not hopeful though. But I have to try my best, so here it goes…

Well, this has been my fourth post and I haven’t come up with something extra-ordinary so far. My three previous posts were quite philosophical. I usually came up with something like these when I’m a bit sentimental.

I want to write something about me this time. Things that I usually do or think may seem but a little different from ordinary. But how will I start? Hmmn. Let’s see here.

When I wake up in the morning, the very first goal that I want done is uplifting myself. I wanted to feel good, as others would want too. That’s the best way to start the day, right? So, how do I do it? I simply go to the toilet and flush it out. Sounds gross though but the feeling I get after I did it is simply out of this world. For me, that’s really one of the most enjoyable things to do.

Sorry, I’m running out of ideas. My brain isn’t really very active right now. I usually take a break when I am in a situation like this. And that would happen from time to time. I know this isn’t a good thing. But I can’t just go on. No matter what I do, I can’t seem to continue without pausing for a little while and getting something to eat or going somewhere else.

Okay. So I’m back. But still I have nothing to add. Really odd. This brain is not actively working I guess. What a shame. I’m really dormant right now. Maybe next time…

Work and More Work

What do you do when there is something you wanna get at the moment but you can’t, simply because, you can’t? Whether getting a new tee, a new pair of shoes, a nice denim, a new car or a new house is what you desire, not getting it at the very moment your instinct tells you to can be quite tough and very depressing.

Our human nature would always propel us to get it while it’s hot, but our economic nature hinders the latter. This is a reality for most of us who can’t afford to act like some ultimate spenders, simply because we don’t have something to spare. Funny and at times frustrating but so true.

My thinking is, while still I can’t afford to be the spender that I want to be, I will focus on other things while I’m working it out. Maybe, I could read and read until I become a book or maybe work and work until I become the company. Whichever is easier? Haha!

For now, I will beat myself up until this desire for something that I can’t afford subsides. I have no choice but to discipline myself or else I’m going nowhere.

Crossroads

Several times, we happen to come across turning points in our lives. Moments that require decisions, actions that could change things, forever. I call them “crossroads”.

Our journey in life, lead us to various situations that prompt us to make judgments. Each choice sets things in motion so the journey continues.

“Crossroads” are, for me, the ultimate tests to one’s character. Each hurdle will lead one to the next and along the way; one becomes a better version of him. The better he becomes, the stronger he will be. The stronger he is, the better are his chances.

In life, there are always things to aspire, things to do, things to accomplish, things to work for. Opportunities abound. To seize for those can be very intimidating but taking the chance to make something happen out of it is the more challenging task.

Taking the first step towards a journey can be a challenge to do. It even becomes a lot harder as it goes on. Most of the time, it entails a lot of efforts, patience and sacrifices. Regardless of how colossal is the barrier to it; the journey towards something that you truly wanted is always worth taking.

So whenever you’re in a crossroad, do not be afraid. Step forward! After all, the journey of the thousand miles always begins with one step.

Rainy Days

Most people would consider the rainy season to be very inconvenient, especially for those who are always traveling. May it be a commute from home to work or riding on your own vehicle, moving from place to place during a rainy day could be less interesting.

On the contrary, I consider the rainy days, one of the most comfortable seasons. For one thing, during this time of the year, the atmospheric temperature is a lot lower than during the summer days where average temperature for a day never goes down to 30 °C (86 °F). Also, during this time of the year, the air smells fresh and the trees look greener and cleaner too.

The rainy season makes me a bit emotionally engage as well. A rain would always lead me to those wonderful experiences I have while growing up. The kind of life that we had in this small town was simple, free from complications, engaging and most of all full of happy memories and filled with peace.

I love to go back to those times, when we would visit the rice fields after the rain. The surroundings would always feel cold and clean. The dewdrops among the leaves of the trees always look pleasant. I use to remember that we would stay on this hut in the middle of the fields and watch the sun as it descends into the Westside.

Wonderful memories seem to flood my mind every time the rain is falling. It feels good. It restores my faith in things, in people, in life. It makes my life a little lighter and happier too.