Happiness is Relative

Different generations, different definitions of happiness. Different people, different sources of happiness.

Many people equate happiness with success when in fact they are two different things and are both relative to each individual.

There are those who associate happiness and success with job title, status in the society, and salary. There are others who break free from the stereotype and find happiness in their discovered purpose or simply in what move their souls. Some measure their success based on how well they perform their chosen roles in life.

Happines--like life and love--is what you make it. 

It is you who discover or decide what makes you happy and feel alive. As you live your life, you will discover what pumps you up, moves you, gives meaning to your life, inspires you, makes you look forward each coming day.

Interestingly, as the saying puts it: different strokes for different folks. Simply put, happiness does not have an exclusive, hard-and-fast meaning or way of finding and achieving it.

What is even more interesting is that finding and sustaining happiness is an endless pursuit.

Usually, happiness changes or evolves with time, circumstances, place you're in, or people you're with. Your happiness may also be fixed already, and you just have to sustain it.

In discovering your own happiness, do not let other people define it for you. Find your own happiness or decide what, where, how, and even why your HAPPINESS is. If you have same sources of happiness with others, great. If not, it's totally fine.

Some of the keys to finding your own happiness are:

1. Discover your talents and interests;
2. Know which area/field you excel at;
3. Find out what relaxes you and gives you peace as you continue to grow as an individual;
4. Know your goals and priorities in life;
5. Enjoy what you're doing without thinking of competition;
6. Have time-off to enjoy yourself and recover;

7. Find out what your purpose or vocation is;
8. Consider your loved ones as you embark in your pursuit of happiness... but never let them be the only factor in deciding what makes you feel alive, grow, and do things;

In short, know yourself in a more intimate and meaningful level. More importantly, maintain balance in all aspects of your life. 

No matter what pace, level of ease, place, etc you discover that make you feel alive or that work best for you, press on them.

In this day and age, more often than not, "meaningfulness" and "purpose" give us long-term and genuine happiness, and "gratitude" sustains the [source of] happiness that we discover.

Empowerment and inclusivity have become the "in" thing, and competition and individuality have become passé.

What works best for you in attaining your happiness may not work for others, and that's totally okay.

There is no fixed standard, no time or age limit, no certain place, no season in finding happiness. It is you who discover, feel, and work on your own happiness. Others don't find, serve, and sustain it for you.

Happiness is discovered by going out there, knowing yourself better, and living your best life. But remember, sustaining happiness is an inside job.

So go define and find your own happiness, and share it with the people around you.

If you have already found yours, I'm glad you did. If not yet I hope you find your happiness in what you do, in places you visit, in people you are with, and in every single day you get to live.

When one is happy, she/he shines.
Go spread your light.

Sunrise: New Day, New Life

When a dream slips out, you can always make another one, a better one. When your drive withers, you can always take a break...but never stop progressing! Or sometimes on the way to your dream you get lost... just keep moving forward, you'll find a better one. Keep on keeping on! There is joy and wisdom in waiting and working.

Rise and shine!

New year, new life, new learnings, new opportunities, and new goals are here!

The holiday has just ended... Christmas, our time for loving, giving, and reconciliation. New year, our time to start anew and set our goals for the year and years ahead.

Some of us started the year right. Others did not.

The good news is, it’s okay! Whether it was because of our own choices and actions that we started the year right or not, the important thing is we sustain our desire to become better, wiser, and live a more joyful life.

Christmas, the time for loving, and New Year, the time to change, are NOW! Every day is a day to love and to become better.

Focus on your goals! Pray for them. Write them down. Read them everyday. Act upon them.

Better than new year is NEW DAY every single day.

You can always decide to transform and elevate your life every single day.

Everyday we have to test ourselves and do something for ourselves… if not, it would be a wasted unrecyclable, unreusable day that is supposed to be a priceless resource.

If some things get in your way as early as now, don’t be disheartened. Just keep on moving forward and upward. Dedicate yourself to your goals and remember your feelings and thoughts when you decided to make them your goals.

When a dream slips out, you can always make another one, a better one. When your drive withers, you can always take a break...but never stop progressing! Or sometimes on the way to your dream you get lost... just keep moving forward, you'll find a better one. Keep on keeping on!

There is joy and wisdom in waiting and working.

 

Don’t be fixated on the problems, trials, roadblocks, and vampires… focus on your PURPOSE. What are your goals? Why are they your goals?

Be patient.

When things don’t always turn out the way you plan them to be, it’s alright. God is not in a hurry anyway… Besides, impatience never works. Press on!

You cannot right a wrong with another wrong (impatience). Never operate out of ego, selfishness, envy, nor impatience.

If some people, things, or circumstances beyond your control try to dishearten you or pull you down, let them do their thing but you… you keep on moving like a snowball—getting bigger and better and rolling towards your goal.

Pray for your goals. Focus on them. Always do something about them everyday—no matter how small or simple—because God wants you to be involved and part of the solution and your improvement.

Don’t be concerned on how fast you get them, focus on how good you get them and how long will you be able to sustain them once you get them.

Focus more on your journey than on your destination. It is always better to get there equipped and deserving, than get there quickly and pass out or unhappy or could not enjoy things for long.

If along the way you lose something important… move forward focusing your time, resources, and energy to the new things you may receive, learn, and get hold of.

Keep on rolling! Be patient. God has a wonderful future for you… enjoy each step every single day.

Live out your PURPOSE! If you focus on the purpose, the problems and losses become irrelevant. Aspire and achieve!

Enjoy every sunrise! Hope and give hope. Be blessed and be a blessing.

Live each day a happy life… Decide uprightly and maturely. Like a piece of clay that we mold into whatever we want, our decisions are what form our future.

Rise. Shine. Give light to others.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” ~ Isaiah 43: 18-19

PS: Joyful, meaningful, and blessed 2013! May you start the year with thanksgiving for the year that was, and with stronger faith, refreshed spirit, renewed ways, and transformed heart. More than relying on gems and charms, utilize and let shine your inner gem—loving, generous, cheerful, grateful, and faithful heart. Let prayer and faith in God be your shield and strength. Have a blessed and meaningful 2013! Pray. Work. Bless.

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.