Sa Puso ng Japan (Part II)

I grew up in a very exclusive family (exclusive in this article is operationally defined as: closely connecting to only few familiar people)..Supposedly, I should have grown up shy and withdrawn, but it didn't happen...I grew up to be an extrovert and drawn to people. This is in fact a proof that sociability factor is never inherited, genetic factor is a rule-out! Ever since I was in kindergarten or even younger, our teachers encouraged me to make friends with others and develop a certain bond with another person. And it is true indeed when they say that having good friends and strong bond of friendship with another person is probably one of the best things that would happen to us in our lives.

In fact, friendship is what we believe as gift from God and one that should be cherished in our lives. Without the warmth of having friends, our lives can be empty and feels like we are living in a black hole sucking us into oblivion of coldness. Yes, the world is indeed a better place if you have friends by your side. I am totally overwhelmed because God opened so many rooms in my heart for new friends. We were drawn by fate and perhaps luck! We may had short emotional bonding, but the quality of our interaction was something deep and lasting. I may say our meeting was part of God's larger plan--we had no choice--we were simply put together for an experience of a lifetime! I am talking about the 23 student ambassadors and the 8 Supervisors I spent almost 12 days with in Japan and the Philippines for the Jenesys Program. Allow me to look into the reasons why I loved each and everyone of them:

Let me start with the 23 young "bagets" in random order: -Jeimee (I love her for being so free-spirited, beautiful and energetic..) -Marvi (I love her for being so cute and funny! I specially love her as the Aichi's Flag bearer--so proud and gay!) -Jerrine (her beauty projects sunshine and youthfullness) -Mervin (although he would correct me when ever I call him "sonny"..i love his being deep and quiet) -Kit (I love his innate antics and funny moves..a great dancer as well) -Jason (jason's innate goodness radiates like ths sun! ) -Jayve (my co-supervisor! I love how she carries herself despite of the little "issues" and I terribly miss her laughs!) -Myat (Small but terrible--goshh--i love how young she looks indeed!) -Quennie (I love her funny but smart moves, her affectionate character and the whole package!) -Third (my once prodigal son whom I learned to love! I love how proud he is with his sexual preference!) -Mund-Mund (My younger brother--so affectionate and courageous! funny with "r" words though!) -Bryl (I will definitely miss his allergies--but impressed with his leadership skills) -Guia (the shy, quiet but runs deep woman!) -Nicole (blessed with beauty+brains+free spirited persona!) -Jon (my guy version! i love his maturity and his blog articles--"iba-blog ko yan!" -Price (I love the way he calls me Ate! Love his funny antics and criminal mind!:-) -Shella (her leadership skill is totally impressive! Responsible and trully an "ate" of the other ambassadors!) -Chu (her silence is her plus point! Silent but runs deep as well!) -Pupple (I love her openness and smiling persona!) -Givette (so young and so fresh--her trademark would be her hair!) -Marko (super talented and assertive Marko! I so love his dancing skills) -Prince (I cant help but admire his intelligence and talent--my new RNB idol!) -Tim (So loving his direct-to-the-point, no non-sense ideas! and...i almost forgot.. his eating skills!)

These students made me appreciate Japan more than I could imagine! Thank you guys for being soooooo fun and so trusting the whole trip! I am soo blessed to meet all of you!

And of course--additional 7 rooms were opened in my heart--the rooms for my co-supervisors: -Ms. Cherry (I so love her accomodating attitude, simplicity and courage. Thank you Ms Cherry for sharing a piece of yourself to me!) -Ms. Eper (the ever motherly and kind-hearted woman! I admire how she manages her family well and how active she is as a woman!) -Ms. MAe (my new kumare--single and ready to mingle! I love her affectionate persona..so intelligent and charming!) -Sir Leo (his seriousness at times moves me to my deepest core--but--when Sir leo is funny-he's really funny in its truest sense) -Sir Dominic (i sooo loving his funny and free-spirited personality! I will never forget "katinko" because of him!) -Sir Randy (The ever-gwapo and quiet supervisor--sooo goodlooking in his "purple barong"..I so loving sir randy's appreciation of my "corny" antics! soo appreciatve and kind. and of course, Sir Jeff (my ever reliable partner, I soo love him for being so responsive and sensitive to the needs of the group!..) I cannot help but count my newest blessings--the gift of presence and friendship with the special people I mentioned above! Because of our efforts in developing this relationship now, not only will each of us enjoy a close unique friendship with each other, but we will surely pass on to others the wonderful gift of future strong relationships. Really, what can be more important and rewarding than that? Not much, it ranks right up there at the top!

Sa Puso ng Japan (In the Heart of Japan)-Part I

It’s been 2 days since we left Japan (with the Student Ambassadors and Supervisors from the Philippines) and I can brutally and melancholically admit that we sincerely miss Japan: it's people and its climate (duh!). I can't help but admit that after arriving from this trip-- I closely follow the news everyday by watching BBC and NHK World (and would be sooo delighted when the news is about the land of the rising sun!) and started appreciating doreimon!. I even started following a Japanese human rights advocate's tweets although I had never used twitter since I activated my account. Truly-the experiences I got from this country would be enough to sustain me for a lifetime!

LEARNING FROM THE JICE My country, the Philippines, and Japan share many things in common due to complicated historical events. The geographical similarity especially makes it more easily for us to feel empathetic towards eachother. The warmth Filipinos boasts for was likewise shared by the Japanese People. Meeting first hand the people at the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE)confirmed this impression. Our JICE coordinators showed to each of us that working with others requires self-control, and it carries the rewards of pride in contributing to the group, emotional security, and social identity. The notion of harmony within a group, requires an attitude of cooperation and a recognition of social roles. If each individual in the group understands personal obligations and empathizes with the situations of others, then the group as a whole benefits. Success can come only if all put forth their best individual efforts. Decisions are often made only after consulting with everyone in the group. No wonder, the whole program went smoothly and organized. Thanks to Obayashi-San, Mori-San, Takahashi-San and all the JICE people. In the Philippines, much was shown from Tomino-san and the other JICE coordinators.Truly, working in a group in Japan requires the development of successful channels of communication, which reinforce group interdependence, and the sense of difference from those who are not members of the group (like us, the Filipino Supervisors of the Jenesys Program).

DEVELOPING CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING I have been travelling for the past 15 years and it has been consistent that when confronted with new culture--it is impossible to avoid culture shock altogether as much of what a person has learnt (I was guilty as charged!). Our trip to Japan at first led all of us to feelings of disorientation (e.g. time difference,bidet, bowing and even the multiple use of "sumimasen")and helplessness (eating the whole bento box, confused what to eat in the mouth-watering and amazing buffets). Japan as a country values its cultivated traditions and practices as much as it values keeping in touch with the future. Whether grounded in history or in religion, Japanese customs are still widely practiced to this day. That made our visit more exciting and a superb learning experience. One of the major attractions of traveling throughout Japan was trying different local cuisines in every town we visited. While sushi is in fact a large part of Japanese heritage, myriad flavors from all around the world have contributed to Japan's robust foodie culture, attracting more and more culinary figures worldwide to try the new eastern hot spot. Thanks to the JENESYS Program--we savored different cuisines while we enjoyed and indulged in the beauty of the countrysides! Truly--visiting Japan is an endless discovery!

ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT After studying Japan's disaster management and risk reduction, I slowly looked into the rather loose discipline in my country that alerted each of us (students and ambassadors)especially to the potential risks but with much worse conditions we might face someday in the Philippines. Many reflections though hadbeen made on the prevention management, quality of medial profession, efficiency of bureaucracy, and on people’s citizenship. After the east-asia great quake, JAPAN is "open for business" and "recovering at surprising speed," from the earthquake that devastated the country. If you imagine that the whole of Japan is covered by debris, that is completely wrong. Most of Japan remains unharmed by the disaster, and the streets have leapt back to life. As one would expect, rich countries with high-quality institutions and populations with high levels of human and social capital recover more quickly, and are most likely to intelligently allocate resources toward improvements over lost capital stock and infrastructure. This reality proved Japan's resiliency as a country.There is no doubt that Japan has the will and strength to rebuild. I know my country will learn from Japan as a country and as an organized institution.

Another Year..Another Chance to Life

Recording my personal stories and life-lessons and those of my life companions (clients) and loved ones is a highly rewarding and most of the time, life-altering experience for me. I am due to celebrate my 35th birthday three days from now and the more the days drew nearer, the more I become melancholic and reflective. My 34th life (as I biologically count it), had been a combination of so many rewarding, exciting, hurting and mystically-filled experiences. The entire year taught me that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. Yes, I had so many beautiful life-enriching experiences and equal share of drawbacks. But all in all--I loved it! This year too--I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. Trusting my heart is simply the name of the game. This year, I learned to just listen and be sensitive to what my heart really want because I discovered that what I really want usually cannot be quantified by words--my words can be limited--and so I listen to what is in my heart--it grounds me to what I really want in my life. This year, I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to suffer too long. I have a choice.This frame of mind kept me not only happy, but healthy as well. It is also a very profound spiritual discipline althuogh I have to learn it both the fun and the hard way. My painful experiences taught me to take Charge Of my mind and believe me, the rest followed! Why? Because the universal law of attraction will be following my lead and what matches my state of mind will be added to my life experiences. Taking charge of my mind in this way attracts not only health and happiness but prosperity as well. I have been a living witness to what I always share in my talks--that you have to choose not to prolong your pain, your suffering. Avoid inflicting yourself by choosing to suffer for so long. If its not apt to say "move on" atleast "keep on".

True, I had several shocks in my life this year..I had my share of painful experiences from people I considered strongly connected with me in the past but those experiences led me to realize that when an event of such improbability occurs, it behooves me to pay attention and spend some time reflecting on its meaning. In my case, thanks to hindsight, I can see that I had to attain a certain level of education and expertise, and that my focus had to be shifted to be with people who really care for me, who loves me truly. Being as focused and resolute as I am, the shock HAD to be significant, or I would have ignored it. As I wrote above, substantial healing was necessary from this final chink in my armor, but I am grateful. Everything happens for a reason! That experience taught me so many life lessons that I should have learned in kindergarten--learn to trust only people who genuinely care and who are constant in your life and most importantly, if you want to be happy and successful, sorround yourself with people who will glue your little cracks and will push you to your goals, avoid those who will make your cracks bigger and will pull you down to the dumps just because you can do something that they cannot. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. This year taught me how to genuinely connect with people in my own little baby steps..I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. I've been touched by a lot of people I met this year so I'm passing on "that" same feeling I got from others. Instead of dwelling on resentments--I was taught by so many people to build my reserves...touch more people by simply being genuinely caring.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn and life has so much to offer. I am really looking forward to what my 35th year will teach me. Counting the days before my birthday..I cannot help but thank God for giving me my dream job (helping others through my chosen prefession). I am literally in heaven for having my loving family and great friends. I am living in a city that I loved. I feelI am succeeding on all fronts beyond my greatest imagination and I have been creating a fantastic sanctuary at home in a neighborhood that seemed to satisfy my every need. Most importantly, God let me experience that all of my hard work, dedication and focus are paying off. I am on the fast track! Now (as I am sipping my hot choco!) I cannot help but be grateful for my seasoned life!

GOD's BOXES

I have in my hands two boxes, Which God gave me to hold. He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box, And all your joys in the gold." I heeded His words, and in the two boxes, Both my joys and sorrows I stored, But though the gold became heavier each day, The black was as light as before. With curiosity, I opened the black, I wanted to find out why, And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole, Which my sorrows had fallen out by. I showed the hole to God, and mused, "I wonder where my sorrows could be!" He smiled a gentle smile and said, "My child, they're all here with me.." I asked God, why He gave me the boxes, Why the gold and the black with the hole? "My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings, The black is for you to let go."

Understanding Carl Jung's Archetype of Shadowing

Last week, our class discussion revolved around Carl Jung's Archetype particularly on one of my personal favorites: Shadow.

The archetype is probably Jung's most difficult concept. Archetypes for Jung are inherited predispositions that makes a person respond to the world usually in certain and unique ways. They are primordial images, representations of the instinctual energies of the collective unconscious.

In Jungian psychology, the shadow or "shadow aspect" is a part of the unconscious mind consisting of repressed weaknesses, shortcomings, and instincts. These repressed needs, inferiorities and shorcomings are superseded during early childhood by the conscious mind. The shadow represents what we consider to be inferior in our personality and also that which we have neglected and never developed in ourselves.

According to Jung, the shadow, in being instinctive and irrational, is prone to projection: turning a personal inferiority into a perceived moral deficiency in someone else. Jung writes that if these projections are unrecognized by the individual. These projections insulate and cripple individuals by forming an ever thicker fog of illusion between the ego and the real world.

When applied the SHADOW archetype to relationships, the example of its expression is perfectly illustrated by the psyche of jealousy and bitterness. Life is made up of many expectations! We entertain expectations in every area of life from
the time we are children.When people dont come up with the expectations set by the self and the society, thats where problems come in. The shadow becomes bigger and prominent. We maximize our failure in our mind creating insecurities. Insecurities magnifies the shadow self. This insecurity later on leads to bitterness if not handled and resolved well. Our expectations can become so-out-of kilter, and so unreasonable. Yet we are not even aware of what mentally we are demanding of life and from others. I think unfulfilled expectations is the number one reason why people become bitter. Actually, we are all probably bitter or angered at some point but there are a lot of people who makes bitterness part of their personality profile.

Dissecting the profile of these people--they fit this frame: they are cynical at work and unappreciative of how they have been blessed and they resent the successes of others. Why? Because most of the time--what they see in others (success) are their unconscious needs for themselves. Unconsiously--they have "ideals" for the SELF--but most of the time, these ideals do not translate to realities ...so when these "ideals" become real in other people--they start to resent. They start to backbite. They start to gossip. These are all part of their coping (unconsciously)---to frustrations and insecurities.When they face their shadow--alive and kicking, they start to ask: "that's what I want to be for myself--but why why can't I be like that?"..so resentment comes in.Bitterness only results whenever somebody's better at something that the other is not.



Its funny how simple theories can put words and cognitively align with human experiences.

Counting my FRIENDSHIPS!

I've been reflecting on the basics of friendship. I am lucky to have so many good friends-- and as i recollect how I met them and how they became a huge part of my life--this made me truly accept the concept of serendipity. Most of them are in my heart over the years and will be stuck there until the end. With my work, meeting people that have the qualities of a good friend shouldn’t be that hard yet, at times, finding true friends can be a challenge as well.

I did some thinking about what really makes a good friend and what characteristics they should posses. This thinking lead me back tothe past friends I’ve had and presently have – how they treated me, how I treated them – why we are still friends today or why our friendship has changed or dissolved.

All of this thoughts led me to ponder on these life lessons:

A good friend may not share every detail of every second of my life, but they do stay in my life for good. I remember being tagged in one of the most beautiful FB posts of my good 'ol friend Loren which says: "It has been said that everlasting friends go long period of time without speaking and never question their friendship. These friends pick up phones like they just spoke yesterday, regardless of how long it has been or how far they live and they dont hold grudges. They know that life is busy and you will always be there to love them". I am super blessed to have good friends who genuinely care for me. They may express this care differently--different people may have different ways of letting you know that they care about you--but these differences have one common denominator--the feeling of their affectionate care.

Friends definitely can read your many faces. I have friends who basically know my emotional state even without me telling them or vice versa-- me knowing their emotional state without them telling me--this means that they try to present an accurate picture of who they are and of different situations (or the other way around!).A good friend is at least a fairly good listener and notices how little, day-to-day things affect you. They can't read your mind, but chances are, they can usually tell when you're happy, sad, excited, shocked or upset.

There's a lot to be said about chemistry and shared interests in friends. From my simple recollection, I know me and my friends are binded by common interests--our profession (we have the same wavelengths), travelling (talk about sisterhood of the travelling pants) and passion (if we like to achieve something--we all work for it with passion). Now I realized why those "temporary" friendships I let go in the past didn't work out right because we dont have shared interests, our passion for everything did'nt meet and most especially, our brainwaves did'nt meet!:-) I know that we have fun simply because me and my friends see life like no one else does.


I had "temporary friends" because they are not on the same page as me or our energies don't meet fairly. I am blessed for having people who know what I want most out of life, know what makes me tick and help me become the person I want to be. They won't try to change who I am or drag me into situations that make me uncomfortable or put me at risk of losing something that matters to me. I'm just glad I let go of the people whose intention is to pull me out of my journey to who I really want to be!).

Most importantly, true friends won't gossip about you or try to damage your reputation. They will let you know when they're concerned and do their best to stick up for you when you're in trouble.A good friend sticks with you in good times and bad. Loyalty is a quality almost everyone lists when asked what they look for in a friend. A loyal friend will stick with you when your activity is a flop or when you get a little taste of success.A true friend rolls with the punches as you grow and change and know how to deal with your quirks and faults. They are also patient when you make mistakes -- even big ones -- and learn how to forgive you when you hurt them. In other words, they treat you as you'd like to be treated, even when you aren't at your best.

I am glad God gave me good sets of friends--honest and trustworthy, people let me be myself and doesn’t try to change me or change to be liked! Friends who care, never would let me do something that would hurt me, people who would be genuinely interested and involved in my life, who could tell if I'm happy or not happy without me saying a word, they stick with me through the terrible-horrible parts of life and someone who may have enough dirt on me to blackmail me for life – but keeps his or her mouth shut, people who forgive me when I make mistakes or screw up and friends who never takes more from me than they can give back (this is important!)and impressively, friends who are respectful towards me and every other person in my life.

"Life without a friend is like death without a witness."
- Spanish Proverb

The Family that eat together, stays together!

I belong to a big family. That I cannot deny! But don't get me wrong please--I am happy and proud that my parents did not practise birth control! As I was growing up, my parents made sure to always include FOODS in the family tradition. As I grow up, it’s always a perfect reminder to take comfort in the things that have remained constant in our lives from year to year—those eating-together traditions that marked our sense of continuity, belonging, and self. It's nice to always believe that with our regular dinner/lunch or even power breakfasts together--it reminds me of what has been before and what will come next! This tradition is so dominant in my family that when I review pictures (regardless if its digital or printed), you will always see us in restaurants, in the dining table or along hallways--eating, munching and savoring not only the foods but the gentle presence of eachother. For me, getting together for either a simple or extravagant meal grounds and reminds me that "this is my family. This is where I belong."

Our meal time together shifts my consciousness from one state to another, forcing me to stop thinking about the negative things in my life and instead share in the special moments of magnificient life stories of each and every member of my family.

For just few years, my family started expanding--but the tradition of eating together provides a sense of continuity among us--things change around each of us—there is death, migration due to career demands, illness—but the tradition continues. I'm glad my parents started this tradition. I know this tradition will leave on until my hair turns gray and my nephews and neices become parents themselves.

I cannot wait to see my family again for our next meal together!

Lunch With God

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer, and he started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Once again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave but before he had gone more than a few steps; he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." But before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we under estimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!

Attitude is Everything

Attitude is Everything
By Francie Baltazar-Schwartz

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man. " I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply.. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

Living Life Fully Even in Turbulent Times

Is it possible to live life fully even in times of difficulty? a question that rocks the human spirit!

Almost everyone is carrying some amount of distress (in varying degrees)--be it in our relationship with people and oneself, in the work or even in simple routinary life events. . Many find it increasingly difficult to simply survive in the world. Truly it's difficult to persevere amidst the complexities of life. Perseverance is the capacity to keep going even long after the passion for our career, work or relationships has dissipated. It is a continuous and conscious choice to not give up, no matter the circumstances.

Because of the difficulties of life, society is now inundated with self-help books, therapists, time-management workshops, massage parlors, and recovery programs (to name just the tip of the iceberg) for immediate relief. Some would even be willing to accept any interventions even if it could only give temporary relief.

In my short reflection, I thought about the theory of "going back to basic". Everyone talks about returning to a "simpler" way of life, but no one seems to even know exactly what that means, or how to attain it.

In my complicated life--i can't help but purposely live a "simplier life". I vow to re-engineer my life and just live life one baby steps at a time. In my facebook shout-out, I mentioned about living my life "now" as it is in the present. Stressing about the unknown and the future could instill fear in my heart. So what is important is the NOW..live myself in the present!

Let me share some of my little reflections on life:

1. I will try not to live in FEAR. Fear is probably the biggest reason many of us do not always live our lives fully. Especially if you are doing something new, it can be intimidating and scary. If you allow the fear to stop you from doing something you know you really want to do, you are allowing that fear to keep you from living your life fully.

2. Clean My Clutter. Getting rid of excess clutter can help free myself and thus enjoy the things that really matter. This one is not limited to the clutter in my physiocal world but even the clutter of people I had and have in my life. I learned that at the end of the day, you cannot please everyone--so might as well--focus my energy on people I care and love (vice versa).

3. Be Careful with too much RESENTMENT. Holding on to feelings of resentment toward people I feel have wronged me can distract me from living life fully. Imay feel and even be totally justified with my feelings for things others have done that hurt me. However, if I hold on to those feelings, I am only harming yourself further.

4. Avoid Being Lethargic. When I feel low in energy and unmotivated, the worst thing I can do is give into it for an extended period of time. the longer I stay inactive, the less motivated I will be. Activity energizes me--so i should invest on quality activities which will not only benefit myself but the great majority as well.

Life is a journey and I repeatedly remind myself to enjoy that journey!