Bold

You keep on toiling, go on aiming

You keep your feet moving, forget about living

You realize you’re just where you should be

Because the world you’re standing is itself constantly moving

Even if you stop, the world continues

So why tire yourself to keep up on the same track that everybody is taking

Go break free, get yourself a breakthrough

Trust yourself, like how I trust you

Be bold

Put on that red polka dot dress,

Be your own stylist

Swim against the current,

Enjoy the splash of the raging water on your face

Ride on top of the bus,

See the breathtaking view of the cliff sitting beside the ocean

 

Be brave

Drive the truck,

Be in charge of the wheel

Dive in the ocean,

Be the smallest fish in the vast water

Touch the clouds,

Don’t just dream flying

Let go of the traveled path

Make your own trail

Leave a mark

The world is constantly moving

Sunrise will shower its blessings even if you’re asleep

The sun will set even if you’re not ready

You will never ever stop midnight to crack even if you try

You will just never ever

So be brave.

Be bold.

Be you,

Just the way He sees you

Beautiful, strong, and free

Don’t just be a passenger,

Don’t just be the biggest fish in the aquarium

Go breakfree, get yourself a breakthrough

Live!

Move at your own pace

Don’t be a pushover

Don’t let others’ expectations choke you

Let go of the travelled path

Make your own trail

Leave a mark

See the colors of the world

Savor the tastes of life

Know the faces of love

Leave the safe zone

Meet all the emotions out there

So be brave.

Be bold.

Be you,

Just the way He sees you

Beautiful, strong, and free

But with every breath you take

Breathe love in and out

Live and love

Just live and love

Surely your life will be full

Surely your love will give life to all

I wish I were a musician so I could arrange this poem into a song.J

I made this for a very good and dear friend on her 28th birthday... today! 

In Time

It is not always about our convenient time. Sometimes it is about the proper and right time of nature. And all the time, it is about God’s perfect timing.

There’s a time for everything under heaven, a wisdom in the Bible goes.

We know it is true. But sometimes we try to forget it or neglect it or deny it, just for us to pursue what we want or to put off something we need to do.

 

Time can be viewed from various perspectives.

Like one may say, “Wait for the right time, patience is a virtue.” And one would retort, “But time is gold.”

However we view time, one thing is sure—time makes things sweeter and better.

An orange fruit can be sweet when it is eaten when it is ripe. We may choose to (a) harvest it when it gets big but still yellow-green and wait for it to ripen before we eat it; or (b) wait for it to freely fall off the tree, when it is naturally ripe.

In either circumstance, the fruit will naturally ripen on its own and it has its own time to mature and get sweet—our part is just to wait. Or for a third circumstance, we can also (c) pick it the moment we get excited seeing the green young fruit. In this case, the fruit is still sour and bitter, and is not filled with its natural nutrients.

Many of our circumstances in life is like this orange fruit, may it be a relationship with family members, with friends, with colleagues, or even with strangers.

In order to taste the natural sweetness of this beautiful life, all we need is just the right timing. Waiting for the right timing does not necessarily mean you have to sit still or just hover around. Right timing is your capacity to prepare yourself, train yourself, sharpen your skills, or purify your intentions while waiting for that moment to hit the target. Simply put, you don't just force nature to adjust for your convenience; instead, you dance with nature

Right timing does not mean stagnation. While you wait for one thing; you instantaneously equip yourself to be ready to receive or achieve that thing you are waiting for and you enjoy the other facets of your life. This is why timing is an art and discipline.

Your time frame depends on your purpose and acceptance of the situation, so either you:

           a.    grab the lurking potential opportunity and work around it—which is of course risky for some endeavors; or

     b.    wait a little bit more for the sure mature time

The third circumstance of (c) taking action without waiting and contemplation is a sure way to waste many opportunities—of growth, of new relationship, of new business.

You may have lost sight or courage to wait a minute more or go an extra step and you may have felt tired, wounded, or fed up of waiting... remember, a forest that has suffered and has been exploited heals itself on its own. Don't snap or lose morale, just take a break and time itself will reenergize you.

Even without any human intervention (cover up relationship, drinking spree, revenge, getting even, etc), just leave the forest alone and let nature do its wonders, the forest will grow lush and thick faster than you think it would. Like when you scatter seeds—you don’t know how they grow overnight, but they just grow into sprouts.

Same with life, whatever aspect of our lives has been abused (physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually), if we leave it in the hands of God and let God do His wonders, we will be amazed on how He heals us and brings us back to vitality.

So whatever it is that you are going through right now, that you are waiting for, or looking forward to… consider this:

“There is wisdom in waiting. The things you may not understand right now, when they finish their purpose in your life, will make you understand life, others, and yourself better. When things happen how it should be, the result is sweeter and better.”

A wise lover knows when to talk and when to listen.

A wise investor knows when to buy and when to sell.

A wise general knows when to attack and when to retreat.

A wise king knows when to punish and when to forgive.

Timing is special skill. It doesn’t mean you have to wait long all the time… Timing is just a matter of finding joy or productivity while waiting; of taking one step forward to in order to take two steps forward; of feeling the pain now and seize all the lessons so you can start dancing tomorrow; of compartmentalizing things—enjoying one thing, while waiting for another thing to mature to sweetness, while cracking another opportunity to be waited for.

It is not always about our convenient time. Sometimes it is about the proper and right time of nature. And all the time, it is about God’s perfect timing.

Life is more wonderful and colorful if we know how to wait and until when we should wait. Let go and let God! He is in our every circumstance, and His hands are working in our every situation.

Be in the now. Be willing to wait while enjoying what you have now, where you are now!

Managing Stress: Breathe and Start Living

Stress wreaks havoc on our mental, emotional, and physical health. Stress narrows our capability to think clearly, enjoy life, and function effectively. It hampers us in our journey toward our goals.

Time flies so fast!

We are now in the second half of the year. I bet many of us need to reboot or refresh…

In the busy and fast-paced world we are living, stress, burn out, tension, strain are just some of the popular words we hear [and experience] almost everyday, may we be at work, in school, or even at home.

If we are living with high levels of stress, our entire well-being is being put at risk.

Stress wreaks havoc on our mental, emotional, and physical health. Stress narrows our capability to think clearly, enjoy life, and function effectively. It hampers us in our journey toward our goals.

Difficulty is part of life, and this difficulty is the one that makes us feel stressed out. We cannot just shut “difficulty” down or be blind about its presence. The good news is, we can manage it!

Take charge of your stress! Do your best to prevent, reduce, and cope with stress.

The key to enjoy your life in the midst of hustle and bustle? EQUILIBRIUM. A balanced life.

Below are some of the easy-breezy strategies that can help you combat daily stress.

I. Avoid Unnecessary Stress

Managing stress is all about taking charge—of your thoughts, emotions, environment, and your manner of dealing with everyday difficulties.

a. Learn how to say “No”

Identify your limits and work around them. Accepting too much responsibility eats up most of your time and energy. Don’t spread yourself thinly; otherwise, your assets (skills, talents, and good attitude) will become your liabilities because your deliverables would become of less quality, or eventually you feel tired and abused, or your health could suffer.

b. Avoid people who stress you out

Limit the amount of time you spend with your emotional vampires, or those who consistently cause or bring you worry, anxiety, irritation, or complications. If you still cannot prevent them, handle them lightly and don’t allow them get into your nerves by just letting them be and just deal with them diplomatically (like if at work), and do your best to stay focused at what you need to accomplish at that very moment.

c. Take control of your environment

Think ahead. Figure out ways on how to deal with the situations that may arise when scenario A, B, C, or D happens. Don’t push yourself against the stress wall and be stuck, instead, find ways on how to climb it and get to the enjoyable side of life. “Preparation” reduces, if not totally eliminates, stress in every situation.

d. Avoid hot-button topics

If you get easily upset over a certain topic and you often find yourself arguing with people over it, just stop bringing that issue up or simply excuse yourself from the conversation to prevent conflicts that might burn you out.

e. Trim down your to-do list

Know your priorities and schedule your daily tasks accordingly. Distinguish between the “should” and the “musts”; and the “urgent” and the “important. Eliminate the unnecessary tasks. Don’t manage time for it will always be 24 hours a day; instead, manage your tasks efficiently and effectively.

II. Alter the Situation

If you cannot avoid a stressful situation, alter it! Figure out what changes you can do to reduce or prevent stress.

a. Express your feelings

If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your feelings honestly but courteously. Repressing your feelings tends to build up stress and might just complicate the situation. Conversely, opening up reduces your stress.

b. Be willing to compromise

If you want someone to change his attitude or behavior, be willing to meet half-way and change or adjust yours too. That person may also be experiencing something about you that he doesn’t like or agree with. Whether he is the only problem or not, doing your part will help you improve your social skills when learn the art of coping with people having a personality different from yours.

c. Be determined

Delay gratification. If you have something to do, stick to it. Be prepared and focused. If interruptions or distractions come your way, stand your ground by tactfully informing others what you need to finish or by abiding by first-things-first principle.

d. Take quick breaks

Don’t soak yourself in your work. It will not make you the Best Employee in town. Take quick breaks to stretch so blood will circulate well in your body or take a quick snack so your mind can refresh and be able to digest ideas or to release creative juices. During a “toxic” season, avoid overwhelming yourself. Break deliverables into manageable tasks, and do them systematically rather than one-time big time. Committing yourself to tasks that you cannot handle within the day will just affect the quality of your work and your mood.

III. Accept the Stressor and Adapt

Accept the things you cannot change and control. If you cannot control external factors, it’s okay! You can always manage the internal factor—you can choose to do better, feel better, and think better. You can better adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and your attitude.

a. Don’t force yourself to control the uncontrollable

Forcing yourself to control the uncontrollable (like the weather, the traffic, the mood of your boss, etc) will only create your burn out, and even fan the fire. Focus on the things that you can control and change.

b. Look at the bright side and from the upside

When faced with a problem, don’t focus on its inherent difficulty. Look at it as a good break to shine. Trials are opportunities in work clothes. Once you solve or overcome the problem, it will not only take you closer to your goal but will also reward you with good self-confidence and self-image.

c. Adjust your standard and attitude

Perfectionism is a major source of stress. Don’t be cruel to yourself and to others by expecting perfect results or the best quality of work all the time. Set reasonable and attainable standard for yourself and for others.

IV. Back to Basic

Refresh your outlook and reboot your system by going back to the heart of it all—yourself!

a. Nurture yourself

Dedicate one day a week for a really good rest day. Sleep like a baby. Relax! Do the things you enjoy and love. Have a good time with friends or simply have a “Me-time”. The important thing is you afford yourself a window time to recharge and appreciate your life.

b. Laugh

Keep a good sense of humor. Read funny articles, watch funny movies, or crack jokes with your friends. Loosen up and learn to laugh, even at yourself!

c. Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Exercise regularly to allow your blood to circulate well and to stimulate your brain. Have a healthy diet so you feel  healthy and feel good about yourself. Get a good sleep.

Remember, life is a gift to be enjoyed and shared with your loved ones.

Take care of yourself and live a balanced life!

Prisoner

We were young and free

Enjoying our burgeoning

You held my heart

Gently you stole it from me

I didn’t see it, I didn’t see it

Til I noticed

You took me wherever you wanted to go

Never letting me go

Now I was a prisnoner

A prisoner of your love

Your cell was the best place

I myself didn’t wanna go

I wanna be a prisoner

A prisoner of your love

We were young and free

Enjoying the spring time of our lives

You walked into my life

I didn’t see it, I didn’t see it

Til I felt you running
Running in my head

And thumping my heart so fast

You locked yourself up

Threw the key

Never leaving

Never stopped thumping my heart so fast

You were a prisoner

A prisoner of my love

I woke up one day

Still a prisoner of your love

The cell I didn’t imagine this way

Sometimes it’s cold

I laid on the ground alone

Waiting for your gentle arms

Wrapping them around me

Sometimes it’s too small

I stayed on the corner

Sharing the chamber

With two or three more

I woke up one day

Still a prisoner

Now finding the door unlocked

Hesitating, stumbling

Hesitating, crying

I myself didn’t wanna go

I wanna be a prisoner

A prisoner of your love

I woke up one day

Still a prisoner

Now finding the door unlocked

But it was still the best place

I myself didn’t wanna go

I wanna be a prisoner

A prisoner of your love

You still take me wherever you wanted to go

Still never letting me go

Told myself,

I’m in cold, I’m in crowded

Cold and crowded cell of your love

I remembered the days

We were young and free

Now, when I wake up

I remember those days

When I was still a prisoner

A prisoner in your cold, crowded cell

I should thank you

Thank you for making it cold and crowded

It led me back to freedom

Freedom I couldn’t have relished again

The juvenile is now free

Free again

Enjoying the time of my life

Enjoying the time of my life

Like never been before

Thank you for making it cold

Thank you for making it crowded

I’m now enjoying the time of my life

Enjoying the time of my life

Like never been before




Just a simple February art :-) I noticed I haven't written any poem for quite a while. I wish I were a  musician so I could arrange it myself and sing it after saying, "hit it!"

Standard and Choices

If you expect improvement in the quality of your life, deliberately transform your decisions and actions. Cast a vision for yourself and press on it.

If you are a “100%” person, 90% is hard to accept. If you are an “80%” person, 90% calls for a celebration.

 

Setting standards is not bad. It is neither harsh nor limiting. Rather, it allows us to freely choose on the array of better set of actions we have pre-determined before the cloud sets on top of our heads.

Standards lead us to get or land on what we want out of this good life. Standards enable us to sail with stability in the midst of storm of trials and to maneuver with direction on the fork of confusion.

What would be harsh is if you drown yourself on sadness or disappointment if you don’t get what you set yourself to achieve. But life isn’t as cruel as many of us think it is.

Shortcomings, loss, disappointments, and others sorts of pain are there to make us feel uncomfortable and prod us to desire to feel better and determinedly strive to become better.

If you lose an important thing in your life, grieve, feel the pain… but not too long, that you drown yourself in tears.

We always have a decision. Everyday we are given the opportunity and privilege to make our own choices that we deem best for ourselves—sometimes for self-preservation, other times simply as a response to our desire to become better in terms of health, relationships, career, finances, skill, etc.

Standards are there to guide us; to provide us with a concrete handle to grip on as we push towards our goals, our desires. Choices are there to allow us to freely act upon our set standards; to permit us to have a little tightening here and loosening there in times we feel or think it best to adjust the sails toward our goals.

Cast vision for yourself! Press on it.

Set standard on how you must live your life so you can optimize your gifts and resources and live a full life.

Live a balanced life by making the right choices.

Be brave! Worry not. You always have a choice on how to act upon your goals and respond to the accompanying challenges.

Direct your actions toward a certain goal. Focus your energies to your priorities. Systematize your actions. Breakdown overwhelming tasks.

Not only for our goal-setting and lifestyle that we can set standards, but also on whom to follow and be with.

We can choose either to be with someone who gives us tears or bring us joy; who stagnates us or who empowers us. We can choose a leader who acts upon the common good or who acts upon the stale principles of his party. We can choose whom to obey, the one who intoxicates us with sin or the one who died on the cross for us to be saved.

Set a standard so you can discern and choose the right things when faced with life-changing circumstances.

 

But whatever standard we put up, I encourage you to consider five things:

1       -To make what honors and glorifies God your core

2       -To regard only the things which bring good to most people

3       -To be constant in your journey on the path of uprightness, no matter how uncomfortable the trip may be

4       -To remain grateful and hopeful, knowing God is at work in your life everyday

5       -To act responsibly, no matter what you choose to get or act upon on

If you expect improvement in the quality of your life, deliberately transform your decisions and actions.

Change only happens through series of actions, not through words. Go make a choice and act upon it! If you are determined, you can do it!

Set a standard, and make a choice that is rooted in it.

Flash Fiction: Rollin’

Oh so then, I didn't' know I had a choice. Only had I listened and responded to what my heart desired, I could have enjoyed better my ride. 

Various sceneries pass through me. Some beautiful, others weird. Some open field, others walls of trees.

They run so quick past through me. I wanna enjoy their beauty, I wanna feel their queerness.

They don't stop, they don't even pause. I wanna hold them and stay and admire their beauty. I wanna observe them and stay and understand their oddness.

Roll, go roll! Things go so fast past through me. They roll without pausing.

Few moments more, I see no more ahead. Then, I realized, it's me who rolls so swiftly.

Oh so then, I didn't' know I had a choice. Only had I listened and responded to what my heart desired, I could have enjoyed better my ride.

Now I'm at the dead-end  my journey so quick. I didn't get hold of any—I just saw them but I missed savoring their beauty.

The last drop of gasoline couldn't take me back, no matter how much I want to. The hefty bucks I own couldn't do any good to bring me back. Now I'm stuck at the end.

Now where did the quick roll take me? Only if I listened to the desires of my heart. Only if I paused, get off, and touched life’s beauty.

Only if... I knew I always had a choice.

Pause. Breathe. Appreciate life’s beauty. Enjoy. Hang loose. Explore responsibly. Be grateful.

Rollin' without regrettin'.

Flash Fiction: Wind Up

The scent of the crisp air brushing through my cheeks. The silhouette of the past that plays in my mind. The rhythm of the raindrops that outruns the beating of my heart. I let the weird yet familiar stimuli seep through me.

I take a sip of coffee. I taste the sweetness of beautiful lies. I recognize the piquancy of the bitter empty promises. Oh, the il dolce e l’amaro of the good things gone bad.

Images run faster than lightning in my head. Words play quicker than a bullet train in my ear.

 

I let all the emotions stir me up. I am like a bomb exploding anytime.

I breathe deeply. I pause… long pause, and I smile.

I realize I don’t know where exactly I am now… but I am sure I am no longer where I was.

I snap my fingers. Empty my cup of coffee. Stand up from the chair we used to sit on… and all the shadows of the past just fall like leaves in autumn.

All things wind up.

So I tell myself,

“Life, you are wonderful! Whatever flavors the season brings, bring it on!

Surprise my senses!

Provoke me.

Enthrall me.

Teach me.

So my senses may learn to dance with you.”

Ready. Set. GROW!

Growth is vital for us to be able to enjoy to the fullest the various areas of our lives and utilize the gifts and blessings that God has provided us with so we become blessed and become His instruments to bless others.

You have to want to grow!

Growth is and must be intentional. It does not just happen in a split second or by saying it.

In order for one to grow, one must have the drive and purpose to grow. Growth for humans is much like growth for plants and animals. If we want to grow we have to “cathect” or invest time for our growth so we could enjoy what life has to offer; otherwise, we would just grow old wild and in survival fashion or timid and restrained.

Cathect in yourself. Sit down and talk to yourself---know what you want, you love, and you can do about them. Appreciate yourself and know the power inside you. Once you start the ball rolling, you would just be surprised one day how far you have gone and how much the ball has accumulated and how big it has become.

Be determined to grow. Start, no matter how small or big the step is. Just start, and consistently work out your improvement. Day by day by day by day.

Imagine lying on your deathbed and recapping the days you have lived. Would you want to see days that are empty or not spent with your loved ones or doing the things you wish you have done? Or would you want to see days that are filled with meaningful and joyful memories with your loved ones doing the things you love, visiting places together, fighting for the causes you believe in, having the means to help your loved ones and the underprivileged, eating your favorite food, and achieving your goals?

Growing old with time without developing in maturity is like walking aimlessly in the jungle. You don’t know the time and where you are. It is enough to just get by each day and handle anything that comes along. No drive. No plan. No goal. No direction. Just fate at work.

Anything-goes life could seem appealing. But let us not be selfish just thinking about ourselves surviving each day and taking pride on it. Let us also think about our loved ones who would be glad seeing us well and enjoying the gift of life with them. Think about your parents, your spouse, your children, and especially God who gave us all we need—which we just need to tap in order to utilize them.

Think about the life you wish to have!

Choose the area where you want to grow. Just one thing at a time, to surely get things right. Focus on it. Visualize it. Act upon it. Constantly make short-term plans and achieve them, and work them out on a daily basis.

Assess yourself. Put your evaluation in writing so you can keep track of your passion and effort and so you know where to press on each time trials try to dishearten you.

If the area you want to improve on months ago no longer thrills you nor develop into something bigger that tickles your imagination, it means you’re not doing much. If you feel that there’s something wrong or that your boat is sinking , it only says that you’re not done yet.

Use others’ lives as challenges and inspiration; but never compare yourself with them. Your competition is only yourself. Beat yourself daily!

Take heart! Pray. Stay in the boat and row slowly, but don’t stop. God has given us everything we need so we can overcome and grow.

Always remind yourself of your purpose why you decided or wanted to grow on the first day of the process. Your purpose is what keeps things together when they tend to fall apart.

In times of struggle, bow in God’s majesty and let God do things for you. Let God use you. Just trust in Him completely, do your best, and he will surely do the rest so you may bring glory and honor to His name.

Share your vision and have a mentor. Share your goal with the people who care most about you. They will help and guide you. They will be frank with you when you need a feedback or be proud of you when you deserve an appreciation.

Stay away from hushers. They will blur your vision and lose your focus.

Have the humility to accept that things will be easier when done with a helping hand, and acknowledge the fact that there are people who are better than us. Go to them, listen to them and learn from them.

When you have a person or set of persons who support you, there will always be people who will catch your back and cheer you on. You will have prayer warriors and willing ears to listen to your journey. Sometimes this people are so much into your improvement that you just have no other choice but to move forward and upwards.

Growth is vital for us to be able to enjoy to the fullest the various areas of our lives and utilize the gifts and blessings that God has provided us with so we become blessed and become His instruments to bless others.

Growth brings good physical health, emotional maturity, mental soundness, stable financial capacity, and more importantly sound and healthy spiritual life.

Why live in worries and deprivation when you can live in joy and overflow?

Discover and enjoy your blessings! Decide to GROW!

Shine! Be the light that inspires others.