Happiness Quotations

Man Has A Soul

2012-01-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things.

William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American novelist and poet whose works feature his native state of Mississippi. He was regarded as one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century and was awarded the 1949 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Building Memories

2011-12-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

A happy life is a life of great relationships; and that great relationships are built on meaningful memories.

Have a happy life, build those good memories.

The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so. Robert G. Ingersoll

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. Mark Twain

Happiness Goes Hand-in-Hand with Friendship

2011-12-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

Oh wow, after about 3 decades, we're here together again. Such a delight!

So much joy to see good friends. Way back then, when we were young, we get to have friends just for the sake of being friends, because you get along well. There were no other reasons why you stick together, not much masks, motives and pretensions, heheh, just fun.

Thanks for fun friends!

Warm in Winter

2011-11-28T16:37:00.000-08:00

Nothing beats the warmth from a son's hug, even in winter.

It was the start of the winter season when I got to visit my son. I never experienced winter (just autumn). It was so cold, my lips and cheeks were stiff.

But what could be more cool than having your son showing you around a wonderful place amidst colorful city lights. Topping my delight? A huge super duper warm hug!

I thank the heavens above for I felt being cuddled by thousand of angels. Definitely from a happy mother's view, heheh.

Photo taken by my cam on a 10-second self-timer, hahah.

Peace to You

2011-11-01T05:06:00.000-07:00

Peace . . .

The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace. Mother Teresa

So at peace while with my family at the cemetery as the nation observes All Saints Day on November 1 (and All Souls' Day on November 2).

All Souls' Day is when the Church commemorates and prays for the holy souls in Purgatory.

Merciful Father,
hear our prayer and console us.
As we renew our faith in Your Son,
whom You raised from the dead,
strengthen our hope
that all our departed brothers and sisters
will share in His resurrection,
who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Eternal Rest grant unto them O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.

Reasons

2011-10-27T18:54:00.001-07:00

When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile. Anonymous

Secrets of the Rich, Sikreto ng mga Mayayaman

2011-10-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading a book entitled "10 Sikreto ng Mga Mayayaman" (10 Secrets of the Rich). I got it yesterday as the title is really catchy and in Tagalog. Who doesn't want to be rich, huh?

I have been reading a lot about happiness, how to be successful and how to be a winner. "Baka kulang lang ako sa pansin (I may just be craving for attention, heheh).

Anyway, no easy step-by-step instructions in the book on how to get rich. Discussions were on building the proper mindset. I guess, that is the foundation.

The author, Al Sembrano shared the following secrets in his book:

1. the new me who believes in me
2. be content without ever being content
3. know the unknown
4. failure is your best friend; not your worst enemy
5. control your emotions; don't let your emotions control you
6. sacrifice temporarily to succeed permanently
7. be a great leader especially if you think you are not
8. cherish what you take for granted
9. the impossible is possible
10. create, carry & carry-out a tactical plan of action

The book I have is just one of a series of 10 books. The author would be teaching more detailed secrets in the 9 books.

I came across a Truly Rich Coaching Progam scheduled next month, launched by motivational speaker, Bo Sanchez. I have attended this two years ago. The participants are introduced to his seasoned mentors from whom you can get valuable advise based on their own experiences.

Honestly, right now I feel rich and happy. There is joy in my heart because of Him. Joy differs from happiness since joy remains, even in the midst of life's challenges (which are ever-present).

I learned from my other readings that what make us happy is maintaining fantastic relationships. That is where I want to invest in right now. My focus is on my relationship with our Lord, with family, with friends, with sports buddies, with co-Community members, with people in the Parish and ultimately making an effort to live in peace with people around me.

Be happy.

Focus

2011-10-12T04:18:00.000-07:00

What do you focus on?

Whatever you focus on, think about, read about, and talk about intensely, you’re going to attract more of into your life.
Jack Canfield

Feed your dreams.

I read that we should not feed our fears unless you want them to grow and overwhelm you and paralyze you.

Fill your minds with truth, fill your hearts with love, fill your lives with service.
President Thomas S. Monson

In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.
Philippians 4:8

Blow The Cake, Happily

2011-10-11T05:32:00.000-07:00

One, two, three . . . blow!

Happy birthday to you . . .

How old are you?

Happiness is as simple as blowing your birthday cake, in the pink of health, at whatever age.

Yoohoo! Blessings to those celebrating their birthdays.

Thanks be to God.

Movie Quote

2011-09-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

No matter how bad things get, something good is out there, just over the horizon…

Got the quote from the movie "Green Lantern". There is hope.

I took this photo when my family went to revisit "Kamay ni Hesus" at Quezon. It was a stress-relieving day for me (something good in the midst of life's concerns).

Flying "I Love You's"

2011-09-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

These are birds I watch every late afternoon before the sun sets. Sometimes I also see them early in the morning, a little bit after sunrise.

I believe God speaks to me through this flock of birds. He is saying "I love you" to me and "I will take care of you".

A Whole New World, A Happy One

2011-09-08T22:55:00.000-07:00

Happiness is having your child experience a whole new world in another country.

Korean? Most likely an Egyptian dance.

Memorable moments at the Gyeongbok Palace . . .

Having fun with brightly-colored, traditional, Korean clothing . . .

How about being buddies with the palace guard?

Finding Happiness in Life's Game

2011-09-01T23:17:00.000-07:00

Well, happiness for me is being able to accept life's puzzles and being able to play it with joy, despite the difficulties.

Step? No.

Simple Happiness - Part III

2011-08-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Gosh! Had a great 24 hours!

A long weekend has passed. No classes for the students from Saturday until Tuesday. My niece suddenly decided to come over for a quick vacation at our home. She came Monday and left the next day.

I was the one who had fun. My niece, who has grown to a pretty lady, is the daughter I don't have, hehe.

The day we arrive home, we immediately took a dip in the pool, even if the weather was cloudy with some rain. It was cold, brrrr.

Fast forward . . . I am truly grateful and happy.

Dreams, Restructured

2011-08-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

What is it in August that makes me review my life plans? Hahah. Possibly it's because it's a month before my birthday, heheh.

Anyway, about three and a half years ago, I started writing down my dreams, my 10 gigantic dreams.

Today, I reviewed them. I crossed-out those I have achieved, some with sweet success, a few with bitter memories but still dreams I pursued and which accounted to my personal growth.

Me in Europe, me walking where Jesus walked. . . me playing the guitar, me doing zip line in a high mountain over vast water and bungee jumping up, up there . . .

I restructured my set of 10 dear dreams.

Now, all I have to do is read them daily and pray that God bless them as I pursue them.

I pray that you who are reading this pursue your happiness. May life treat you well and may our Lord bless you.

Be Happy in Life

2011-08-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Lately, I am being happy more often, and being happy on little things.

I am happy to have read a good book.

It was handed to me by my mother about three months ago and finally I was given the grace to make time and effort to read it. And "Aha", it was a good read. I will recommend it to my son.

I am happy to have bought colorful pens.

These "not expensive" pens motivate. Having these colorful pens just give me an extra boost to write whatever inspiring things come my way.

I am happy the sun has come out and we can take a walk.

Since the rain has stopped, I can walk the dogs. A bonus was that my sons went with us for an early walking exercise. We were able to catch the morning sun. It is a miracle to have my sons wake up early. Because of this, they were able to eat breakfast not in a hurry.

Be happy in our lives. Just try and make an effort.

Add The Right Friends for a Happy Life

2011-08-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yup, friends and more friends! Got my happy community here.

Seems to me that if you start opening up your life, with the secret ingredient (Him up there), everything good gets attracted. The right friends are magnetized and enters my life as I need them.

What you need just comes and if you know how to acknowledge and nourish your blessings, they increase a hundred-fold.

Try it for a happier life.

Happiness

2011-07-08T23:26:00.000-07:00

Happiness is a taste of my favorite flaming dessert . . .
Mango Jubilee . . .

Ever so thankful for every blessing in my life . . .

No to Discouragement

2011-07-06T01:07:00.000-07:00

On the other side of crisis lies OPPORTUNITY . . .

Go-Dream Quotes

2011-07-03T01:02:00.000-07:00

If you can dream it, you can do it.
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.

Mickey Mouse popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner.

All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.

Walt Disney

Source: Brainy Quotes

Things to Ponder

2011-07-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

o All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.

o Worrying does not take away tomorrows' trouble, it takes away today's peace.

o Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, God smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end.

o When God solves your problems, you have faith in His abilities; when God doesn't solve your problems He has faith in your abilities.

o Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.

Just got these from a friend's FB post.

Related Post: Worry-Wart? Me?

What Makes You Happy

2011-06-22T02:38:00.000-07:00

. . . it is more than okay to live your joy. Whatever makes your heart sing is what God wants for you! Of course it's okay to be happy! Of course it's okay to fulfill your heart's deepest desires! What your soul most dearly and deeply desires is the very thing God wants for you.

When I came across this message, I asked myself " Well, what makes me happy??? What is it really that causes my heart to take a leap?" How come nothing solid comes to my mind?

But with all my life's concerns, I find myself just smiling and happy. I thank God for providing inner peace.

Being Happy

2011-06-17T04:26:00.001-07:00

"Being happy doesn’t have anything to do with the size of your problems. Being happy has everything to do with the size of your hope. And that’s what you receive from God..."

- Bo Sanchez

Simple Happiness - Part II

2011-06-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

The hairy critters at play . . .

Such a joy to look at them . . . but a big responsibility to take in these doggies, whom I treat as my additional children.

Was not too hot to have them at first, but am hooked to having them as my pets (addition to the family) NOW.

1 Corinthians 13:4

2011-06-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

St. Paul shares his insights on "what is" and "what is not" love . . .

Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud. Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up;and its faith. hope, and patience never fail.

It struck me that I do the "Love is not" part. Not only that, I do it to those close to me, to family, to friends and to people at the workplace. Whew! Work-in-progress on how to have love.

A Faithful God

2011-05-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

So so happy today.

God has once more showed how faithful He is to His promises, we just have to claim His words.

Thank you Lord!

Thanks to a faithful God.

God's Love Gives Joy

2011-05-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

Joy may be derived from mere appreciation of nature. Creation speaks of God's love.

Pets of Joy

2011-05-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

Come here . . . sit . . . fetch . . . down . . . go . . .

Dogs, cats, birds . . . pets are source of joy to a lot of people.

Feeling a little sad? Chase those blues away. Be happy with your pet.

Quotes for Happy Families

2011-05-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

The enemy of happiness is fear. Our lives are so fueled by it. We run our lives by fear. Thus, very few people are happy. Conclusion: If you want to be happy, we need to overcome our fears. How? The only antidote to fear is love. When you fill your life with love, your fears naturally disappears . . .
. . . love for God, love for others, love for yourself, and love for life itself. The Bible says, Perfect love casts out all fear, and I totally believe it. Bo Sanchez

The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family. Thomas Jefferson

He who does not get fun and enjoyment out of every day...needs to reorganize his life. George Matthew Adams

Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts. Anonymous

Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space. Evan Esar

No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut. Channing Pollock

As a child, my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it. Buddy Hackett

Red meat is not bad for you. Now, blue-green meat, that’s bad for you. Tommy Smothers

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. Desmond Tutu

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's dessert, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it, in the same instance, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that binds us all together. Erma Bombeck

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there. Amy Li

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. Marion C. Garretty

What? Everything Is Useless? Why?

2011-04-14T17:25:00.001-07:00

I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith to move mountains - but if I have no love, I am nothing. I may give everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned - but if I have no love, this does me no good.
1 Corinthians 13

Wow, this was the reading last night at our assembly. Though we have heard and read this not just once, I remain amazed with St. Paul's wisdom.

You cannot say you are perfect. Check if you have done it in love. It is astonishing to be reminded that: worthless is the ability to speak in tongues, to be the most inspiring preacher, being an Einstein, even living as a saint with so much faith and sacrifice . . . everything boils down to "nada", zero, if you deduct love in the equation.

All is made perfect in love.

The next thing to ask is "what then is love"? How does one love? You can't give what you don't have? How then do you acquire love?

Set Your Heart On . . .

2011-04-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

It is love then that you should strive for. Set your hearts on spiritual gifts, especially of proclaiming God's message. The one who speaks in strange tongues does not speak to others but to God, because no one understands him, He is speaking secret truths by the power of the Holy Spirit. But the one who proclaims God's message speaks to people and gives them help, encouragement, and comfort. The one who speaks in strange tongues helps only himself, but the one who proclaims God's message helps the whole church.
St. Paul

Tired? Not Today

2011-04-14T08:42:00.001-07:00

Yup, there are times things are just too heavy for me. Nakakapagod na! (So tiring!)

When everything seems to be going down the drain, I simply stop a while and try to rest at night (though most of the time sleep doesn't come). I then say to myself, "Things will come to pass and help shall come from the One whom I trust, the One who loves me in the dimension of the cross."

A winner is just a dreamer who never gave up. Why then must I give up my dreams? I shall keep on dreaming, then wake up and act to pursue the dreams.

Trust in the Lord.

Our Deeds Count

2011-04-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

This Lenten season, let's not forget to feed the souls as well. Why not add more meaningful acts of mercy, I said to myself . . .

The Corporal Works of Mercy

(1) Feed the hungry
(2) Give drink to the thirsty
(3) Clothe the naked
(4) Shelter the homeless
(5) Comfort the imprisoned
(6) Visit the sick
(7) Bury the dead

The Spiritual Works of Mercy

1. Admonish sinners
2. Instruct the uninformed
3. Counsel the doubtful
4. Comfort the sorrowful
5. Be patient with those in error
6. Forgive offenses
7. Pray for the living and the dead

"Do not tire of doing good . . .", " . . . and run with determination the race that lies before us", says St. Paul.

Doing . . . Winning . . . Succeeding

2011-03-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

Some of the things I've been reading today . . .

Four steps to achievement :
1. Plan purposefully
2. Prepare prayerfully
3. Proceed positively
4. Pursue persistently

A winner is just a dreamer who never gave up.

There is no short cut to success. It’s always toiling and striving and sweating it out and fighting the voice that rings in our head “Give up Francis, this is not getting you anywhere…” It’s refusing to give up when it seems like the effort is futile. Same thing in business, same thing in career and it’s certainly the same thing in the Christian life.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan says: "I've missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot . . . and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

Oliver Cromwell says it very well: “Not only strike while the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking.”

Francis Kong
Success Option Publishing Co., President

Different Kind of Joy

2011-03-21T09:00:00.001-07:00

Am featuring a different hang-out today. It is a well-visited retreat house, run and maintained by sisters. It is known as " Sacro Costato Formation House, located at No. 50 Mother Ignacia street near the Amoranto Sports Stadium at Quezon City.

During our evangelization, we celebrated our Convivence here. Our group of 25 people stayed for the 3 days and 2 nights.

Meals were great and healthy, lots of (but not limited to) vegetables, fish and fruits.

You may want to consider the place, specially now during the Lenten season and what with the Holy Week coming up.

Spiritual happiness . . .

Anything But Happy

2011-03-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

"There comes a time in life when you walk away from all the drama and from the people who caused it. Surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right, and pray for those who don't. Life is too short for you to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life; getting back up is Living."

Simple Happiness

2011-03-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

It's vacation time from school.

Cooked some cheese sticks for snack. My eldest son craved for mango cream pie and Italian spaghetti on the side. My youngest son, on the other hand is crazy over stuffed-crust meat-lovers pizza (delivery).

Me, I just love having my kids here at home and that's happiness.

Peace and Joy

2011-02-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

"Acceptance brings peace."

I ponder on this message.

I've been through a rough sail for the last months and finally, I too believe that I have to accept the cards life has dealt me this time.

And yes, acceptance does bring peace. It pushes me, not only to move on, but also to re-direct my energies to something worthwhile, creative and helpful and to do it to well.

Peace to you, then joy . . .

Creating Happiness

2011-02-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

"Being happy is something you have to learn. I often surprise myself by saying "Wow, this is it. I guess I'm happy. I got a home I love. A career that I love. I'm even feeling more and more at peace with myself." If there's something else to happiness, let me know. I'm ambitious for that, too."
Harrison Ford

"Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it."
Groucho Marx

"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes."
Andrew Carnegie

Giving Thanks Instead

2011-02-01T20:23:00.000-08:00

Today, instead of being sad or sorry for myself, I give thanks to God.

I have so much in life to be thankful for, so many blessings that I have not acknowledged.

Thanks to a big God, a God bigger than any of my concerns in this life. Praise His Holy Name.

Photo is the floor tiles in the Church of Multiplication, in commemoration to the miracle performed by Jesus, the multiplication of the fishes and the loaves to feed the 5,000. Thankful I was able to be in this place.

L - O - V - E

2011-02-01T16:15:00.000-08:00

LOVE, is it really such a big word?

L - O - V - E

I guess it manifests differently for each of us. Then again, you find most of the connected things and feelings being the same with everyone else.

Not to forget, we are never alone.

Rejoice then for having learned the word. Not the end of the world . . . or of the word "Love".

Happy Hearts' Day to all!

2011-01-31T19:22:00.000-08:00

Joyful voices from the youth . . .

To sing is to pray twice. Let us give thanks and praise to our wonderful God of love. Our God is our strength, our song, our joy.

One Day At A Time

2011-01-30T16:09:00.000-08:00

We need to understand that God gives us the grace to live today. He has not yet given us tomorrow's grace, and we should not worry about it. Learn to live one day at a time. By an act of your will, choose to start enjoying your life right now. Learn to enjoy your family, friends, health and work; enjoy everything in your life. Happiness is a decision you make, not an emotion you feel. God gives us His peace on the inside, but it's up to us to tap into God's supernatural peace. To enjoy your best life now is to choose to be happy this morning. Life is too short not to enjoy every single day.

Joel Osteen

Face a new today. Bless you!

A Place to be Happy with Good Friends

2011-01-29T21:45:00.000-08:00

Visit Fuzion Katips. See blog entry:

FUZION Smoothie Cafe at Katipunan Avenue,
Loyola Heights, Quezon City

The best memories are often made . . . of good friends, good food and a little slice of time to be together.

A Blissful New Year

2011-01-01T17:12:00.001-08:00

Let's welcome the new year with sparks in our heart in serving others and glorifying God. Welcome 2011!!!

Have a fruitful, happy new year!

Looking At A Day

2010-12-12T06:13:00.000-08:00

When each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.

Hang On To That Faith

2010-12-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

And so habit dictates that I go power up my laptop and switch on to Facebook. Got this message from a popular FB application:

On this day, God wants you to know

... that infinite possibilities are born of faith. Do you think that's air you breathe; that's earth you walk on? All matter is God's creation. And the source is faith. When you have so much faith that you become one of faith, infinite possibilities open to you.

This a breather after sleeping on a problem last night.

Went to serve mass early today and everything kinda "mellow-downed".

“What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one “dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.” Paulo Coelho

Being Happy

2010-11-22T16:49:00.000-08:00

"Being happy doesn’t have anything to do with the size of your problems. Being happy has everything to do with the size of your hope. And that’s what you receive from God..."

- Bo Sanchez

Happy with My Dog

2010-11-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

Joaqui and I were alone at home today. I decided to let him play after his bath. I wanted him to have fun with something new. I found this red neck pillow, free from a local food chain store for a single purchase of a certain amount.

True to my expectation, Joaqui had a festivity of his own with his new-found toy. He tosses it and catches it with his mouth.

Guess who was the other one in the house having fun, just watching the dog having fun? You guessed right . . . ME . . . or should we say "I".

Pet Cares

Just For Today, But Then Again , , ,

2010-11-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

For today, how about some arts or music?

After saying a meaningful prayer, go to a museum, art exhibit, bonsai show or just head for the coffee shop for a cup your favorite drink or a slice of that dessert you've been craving for.

Be light. Enjoy your day.

From My Sorrow Came My Joy

2010-10-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

Happiness . . .

I felt joy yesterday.

The source of my sorrow for a month has suddenly been lifted from my overly bruised shoulders. What with the help of my prayer warriors (specifically my mom and sisters), I have witnessed the power of both prayers and family.

Thanks so much to a big God who has been my refuge and my strength, a God who is bigger than my big problem. Whew!

Kahlil Gibran on Joy and Sorrow

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Happy Couples

2010-10-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

10 Habits of Happy Couples
By: Mark Goulston,
author of Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone

What does it take to be happy in a relationship? If you’re working to improve your marriage, here are the 10 habits of happy couples.

1. Go to bed at the same time
Remember the beginning of your relationship, when you couldn’t wait to go to bed with each other to make love? Happy couples resist the temptation to go to bed at different times. They go to bed at the same time, even if one partner wakes up later to do things while their partner sleeps. And when their skins touch it still causes each of them to tingle and unless one or both are completely exhausted to feel sexually excited.

2. Cultivate common interests
After the passion settles down, it’s common to realize that you have few interests in common. But don’t minimize the importance of activities you can do together that you both enjoy. If common interests are not present, happy couples develop them. At the same time, be sure to cultivate interests of your own; this will make you more interesting to your mate and prevent you from appearing too dependent.

3. Walk hand in hand or side by side
Rather than one partner lagging or dragging behind the other, happy couples walk comfortably hand in hand or side by side. They know it’s more important to be with their partner than to see the sights along the way.

4. Make trust and forgiveness your default mode
If and when they have a disagreement or argument, and if they can’t resolve it, happy couples default to trusting and forgiving rather than distrusting and begrudging.

5. Focus more on what your partner does right than what he or she does wrong
If you look for things your partner does wrong, you can always find something. If you look for what he or she does right, you can always find something, too. It all depends on what you want to look for. Happy couples accentuate the positive.

6. Hug each other as soon as you see each other after work
Our skin has a memory of “good touch” (loved), “bad touch” (abused) and “no touch” (neglected). Couples who say hello with a hug keep their skin bathed in the “good touch,” which can inoculate your spirit against anonymity in the world.

7. Say “I love you” and “Have a good day” every morning
This is a great way to buy some patience and tolerance as each partner sets out each day to battle traffic jams, long lines and other annoyances.

8. Say “Good night” every night, regardless of how you feel
This tells your partner that, regardless of how upset you are with him or her, you still want to be in the relationship. It says that what you and your partner have is bigger than any single upsetting incident.

9. Do a “weather” check during the day
Call your partner at home or at work to see how his or her day is going. This is a great way to adjust expectations so that you’re more in sync when you connect after work. For instance, if your partner is having an awful day, it might be unreasonable to expect him or her to be enthusiastic about something good that happened to you.

10. Be proud to be seen with your partner
Happy couples are pleased to be seen together and are often in some kind of affectionate contact — hand on hand or hand on shoulder or knee or back of neck. They are not showing off but rather just saying that they belong with each other.

Happy couples have different habits than unhappy couples. A habit is a discrete behavior that you do automatically and that takes little effort to maintain. It takes 21 days of daily repetition of a new a behavior to become a habit. So select one of the behaviors in the list above to do for 21 days and voila, it will become a habit…and make you happier as a couple. And if you fall off the wagon, don’t despair, just apologize to your partner, ask their forgiveness and recommit yourself to getting back in the habit.

A Happy Day in Singapore

2010-09-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

Come on, let's conquer this part of the world today!

This was our mindset, as my sister and I woke up that morning, not minding that we slept late the night before after our tour at the Universal Studios in Sentosa Island.

So we got up in a breeze and went walking at the still nearly empty streets of Singapore. The air was cool though the sunshine was starting its way to be felt, not wanting to be ignored.

Then, I saw these young girls in bright-colored dresses. I had to meet them. My goal was to add new friends whenever I travel.

And viola! Got a photo opportunity (thanks sis). Good item for my memory box.

Smile ladies!

Simply Happy

2010-09-04T22:20:00.001-07:00

Happiness is . . .

. . . finding my good old rubber shoes (and mind you, two pairs huh) and being able to wash them clean, ready to use for some strolling (just have to wait a while to dry up under the hot sun) , yoohoo!

Thanks for a sunny day and thanks for the squeezed-in time and the high-level energy to clean those footwear.

Wish something good will happen to you today as well.

Happy Food Trip

2010-08-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

"Hmmm. Something smells good," my eldest son was saying as he was descending the stairs of our house, from his room towards the kitchen. The kids are home today so I decided to bake brownies for them, even if I am feeling a little tired. I love it when they appreciate my cooking, or say anything good about me.

This is why I have this cake-mood as I work on my blog right now. I just can't resist posting these rows and rows of cakes I took pictures of in a big grocery store in Malaysia. Big and small round cakes and there are big square and heart-shaped ones too.

I went to the grocery to look for Malaysian spices, especially those used for Nasi Lemak, a delicious coconut-milk rice dish.

Great Advice

2010-08-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

The Meaning of Life
by Santé et beauté pour tous
video

1 be happy
2 show up
3 follow your heart
4 find a new perspective
5 have a sense of wonder
6 find people you love
7 set goals
8 help others
9 dance
10 pamper yourself
11 face your fears
12 go to a museum
13 exercise
14 limit television
15 get in touch with nature
16 lighten up
17 get a good night sleep
18 read books
19 buy yourself flowers
20 don't compare yourself with others
21 don't beat yourself up
22 be open to new ideas
23 don't focus on negative thoughts
24 focus on creating what you desire
25 make time just to have fun
26 keep the romance in your life
27 make a gratitude list
28 love your mother earth
29 want what you have
30 be true to yourself

Still A Day to be Happy and Thankful

2010-07-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today is another "D Day" for us as a family. . .

That means, it's chemo therapy session day for us. That is how it works. It is really us, as a team undergoing the session, but of course "Wonder Mamu" as the lead. Got to face this with a bit of excitement and thanksgiving as well.

So at 6 am in the morning, little "ate" sister (our youngest sister) called up Mamu to give her happy thoughts as "pabaon" (like a take out or something). Mamu was able to talk to her grandchildren (Julia, Jareth and Zachy) in the US.

Then came the call from my only brother living in New Zealand who also gave a present to Mamu by having his son JP talk to Mamu before she heads to the hospital. This not only made Mamu happy but busy because she had to rush dressing up for we have to go. We had about four big bags to carry. We were like going to a summer outing. We even forgot our pillow. With all the hustle and bustle, her thoughts were off the chemo therapy. Great!

Our relatives both here and abroad have also showed their own personal ways of caring and support. Mamu's community members (of the Lourdes parish church) have also done their prayers and vespers, all for Mamu's health. Thanks to all of them, not to forget our very own friends too.

We started our day early. That way, we don't have to mingle with the traffic, both vehicles and people. A reward is having to choose "our place". I am referring to our "suki" cubicle, the one we always choose.

We went straight to the BCI unit (BCI stands for Bienavides Cancer Institute), with big sister saying good morning to the secretary, the security guard and the nurses, "parang kakandidato" (like a candidate for a government position). That's how she is.

The hospital has new, up-to-date and clean facilities and equipment. Here is the nurses' station in the middle of the room. At the sides are the cubicles, now with pink curtains and golden yellow bed sheets. The last time we visited, they had light yellow curtains and bed sheets.

We were contemplating on trying out the cubicle near the large glass windows so we can look at the big green trees and the vast blue sky, however, the sunlight might smile on us too much, heheh, so we ended up on our usual "fave" spot where it's super cool, besides cubicle 7.

An elderly couple was occupying Cubicle No. 7. The husband was the patient who completed his 6 sessions, unfortunately, his doctor recommended a 7th. The wife went to this 7th session with a worried face (most probably a worried mind and heart as well, not to exclude a worried financial situation, since this was what she mentioned to Mamu). She quickly received comforting words from my eldest sister for that's all my sister's powers can do for the woman at the moment.

Mamu, the wonder woman that she is, takes her position on the bed with conviction, taking off her pair of golden "Crocs shoes" . . .

The nurse, in blue not in white, diligently prepared the medicines and the gadgets. Would you believe they were so busy because all the cubicles were occupied. The other room for children patients was also accommodating grown-ups for the day.

My sister and I try to cheer up Mamu as best we can. Mamu was sharing her feelings about the contents of the cards her grandsons Justin and Jeric gave her and some funny stories about Angelica, her granddaughter, who was in school, on a Saturday, for her review. Grandchildren are a blessing (most of the time, viewing it positively). We had a lot of chit-chats and laughs before the session plus some eats.

Mamu had a couple of McDonald's hash brown before the session, some delicious sweet crunchy native "turon" (fried sweet banana) during the session and "lumpiang sariwa" with mouth-watering halo-halo after.

We had her listen to nice music to make her relax. She was asleep the whole time, but I guess it's more of the Benadryl (a medicine that makes one sleepy) more than the music, heheh. Of course not, the pop music helped.

According to Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner, we have an experiencing self and a memory self.

From what I get, we define happiness based on our memory of the experience rather than the experience itself. This is something new to me and I find it really interesting.

This is the reason why we make an effort to build a positive experience today for Mamu than any other day.

Keep on believing! Ciao!

Defining Happiness

2010-07-23T01:36:00.000-07:00

Most of us are in pursue of happiness . . .

According to Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner, we have an experiencing self and a memory self.

From what I get, we define happiness based on our memory of the experience rather than the experience itself. This is something new to me and I find it really interesting.

Above is one of my happy moments in Malaysia, experiencing a cable-car ride in Genting Highlands. Well, a thrilling experience that set happy memories.

Are Negative Emotions Getting You Sick - By Bo Sanchez

2010-06-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Germs. We blame them for our sickness. But that’s only partly true. Our immune system is so terrific, it can fight almost all germs. But we get into trouble when our immune system gets weak. And one thing that causes it to weaken is our negative emotions.

The Shocking Truth

This blew my mind. Studies show that 85% of all disease is rooted in our emotions. Wow.

That means that among the 17 million people who died of heart disease last year, and among the 7.2 million people who died of cancer last year, 85% of those diseases were rooted in their emotions.

Man! If only someone taught them to work on their emotions (not just on their bodies), some of them might still be alive today.

Here’s what I believe. Most of our diseases are messages. What message? Diseases are telling us that we have a spiritual need that we need to fill.

But instead of listening to the message, we kill the messenger. We get rid of the sickness without addressing our soul needs. Very soon, the sickness will reappear. Sometimes, in a fatal way.

For example, our sickness may be telling us, “You need to forgive and get rid of your anger,” but instead of forgiving, we take a pill. Or our sickness is telling us, “You need to stop worrying and trust God more,” but instead of trusting, we take a pill. Or our sickness is telling us, “You need to stop working too hard and relax more with your family,” but instead of playing with our kids, we take a pill.

In primitive societies, doctors were also priests. When people got sick, the cure was holistic. Aside from giving them herbs, doctors told them to pray, to forgive, to trust in God.

And then the scientific revolution came, and doctors focused purely on the body. Today, the old model is coming back.

Because now, my friend doctors are praying with their patients, are telling them to have faith, to forgive, and to spend time with their families. They’ve become doctors and priests again.

Two Reasons Why We Get Sick

How do our emotions cause sickness?

In two important ways. First, when we have too much negative emotions. Second, when we have too little positive emotions. Let me tell you how both are deadly to your system.

1. Too Much Negative Emotions

Let’s take stress.

When I was a small boy, I regularly massaged Dad’s shoulders every night. Part of my “chore” as a kid.

But everytime I did, I’d complain.

Because his shoulders were as hard as steel! They were no match for my tiny thumbs.

Even then, I knew the tension in his shoulders came from his job. Dad was a manager in a large food company.

Mom said he also had hypertension. As Filipinos love to say, “mataas ang high blood niya”. (Wow, that’s really high.)

Dad had hypertension all his life.

All his life, that is, until he reached 65. That was the year he retired from his job. From that day on, he never had hypertension, all the way until the day God called him home at young age of 88.

One day, when Dad was already retired—but very busy serving God—I remember he was eating in the dining room. I went behind him and gave him a shoulder massage.

The difference was amazing! His shoulders were soft and supple. No more tension in them.

That’s the power of stress in our lives.

Let me ask you a question: How stressed are you?

Stress And Sickness

Who are those most susceptible to heart disease?

Those with a “Type A Personality”: People who are aggressive, easily angered, competitive, controlling, and always rushing.

Here’s a scary fact. 82% of people who have heart disease have a Type A Personality! Why? Stress. (Type A Personality isn’t just a personality. Type A is a spiritual disease.)

Here’s another fact: More strokes and heart attacks happen on Monday than at another day of the week. (We need a Presidential Decree removing Mondays from our calendar!)

I know a woman who liked her job but didn’t like the boss she was working for. There was a lot of conflict. Wanting a break from her stress, she took a 15-day vacation. And she enjoyed her two-week vacation. But on the 14^th day, when she knew she was going back to her job, she suffered a massive stroke. Today, half of her body is paralyzed.

Which was a perfect picture of her life—half of her body wanted to go to work, the other half didn’t want to!

Because our bodies were not made for prolonged stress.

Another negative emotion is anger…

Anger Has An Expiry Date

One day, a man was sitting in his living room when he heard a knock on the front door.

He opened the door and saw no one. But as he looked down, he saw a snail, saying in a little voice, “Can I borrow P100?”

The man shouted, “Get outta here!” and kicked the snail off his porch.

One year later, the man is sitting in the living room and he hears a knock on the door.

He opens it and sees a very angry snail, asking, “Why did you do that?”

Some of us are snails.

After a year, we’re still angry!

People who are like snails won’t enjoy optimal health.

Here’s the truth: God never designed your body to keep anger for a long time. Anger’s purpose is to spur you to action. Once that purpose is fulfilled, you should get rid of anger by forgiveness.

In other words, anger has an expiry date. Once past is due, it becomes poison in your body.

Are you angry with someone?

Surrender your anger to God.

Angry People Die Sooner

They made a study of 255 doctors and asked them to take a “hostility” test.

In other words, how they respond to drivers who cut them on the road. Or to people who criticize them. Or to friends who are disloyal them.

Thirty years later, the researchers went back to these same doctors. What did they find out? Some of those doctors who scored high in the hostility test were already dead! Their death rate was six times higher than those who scored low in the hostility test. Remember: Angry people die sooner.

Don’t Escape!

If we don’t want to get sick, what should we do with stress, anger, sadness, fear, and other negative emotions? Ignore them? Pretend they’re not there? Nope. That will make it worse.

Here’s my big message for you: What you can feel, you can heal. What does that mean? Don’t escape your negative emotions. Perhaps you have money problems now. Or you have conflicts at work. Or you have a broken heart. Or you have marriage problems. Or you have problems with your kids. Or you’re sick right now. And you’re tempted to escape from your anxiety, stress, anger, fear, and depression.

How? Some people become numb.

Others escape through addictions: drugs, alcohol, sex, video games, food, shopping, relationships, and workaholism. Remember that all addiction is really emotional anesthesia. So we won’t feel our emptiness, our fears, our depression, our anger, we distract ourselves.

But when we don’t feel our negative emotions, they come out in our bodies as respiratory problems, ulcers, headaches, skin allergies, digestive problems, even cancers.

Feel Your Feelings Before God

If you want to be healed from your diseases, feel your negative emotions. More specifically, feel your darkest emotions before God. Weep. Be angry. Question Him. (Believe me, He’s big enough to take it.)

Go to God now. And share your inmost heart. Tell Him what you feel, whether it’s anxiety, stress, fear, anger, sadness…

The Psalms of the Bible are exactly like this! They contain what I call “terrible” prayers.

For example, Psalms 22 says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer…”

And in Psalms 55, it says, “My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.”

But that’s precisely why they’re in the Bible. God is telling you to go to Him no matter what you’re feeling. Friend, God is waiting for you now. So go ahead. Before Him, feel your darkest emotions. Soon, those negative emotions will pass. Because all storms come to an end. And you’ll notice the healing of your body too. And here’s the second reason…

2.Too Little Positive Emotions

Two weeks ago, I met Fr. Georges-Etienne Beauregard—an old Jesuit priest.

His age? 97 years old.

He’s led an incredible life: Imprisoned in China, built churches in the Philippines for 12 years, and worked with the aborigines in Taiwan for the last 42 years.

What is he doing today at 97? Still very busy, working in a parish and hospital (which he also built) among the aborigines in Taiwan.

How healthy is he? When he was 95, he was still riding his motorbike!

I asked him, “Father, what is the secret of your long life?”

He chuckled and said, “I have no problems. Others have problems with me, but I have no problems.”

In other words, he didn’t focus on his problems.

In my short time I had with him, I noticed he chuckled a lot. He loved to laugh!

The secret to his long life was no secret at all. It was very obvious. He had a light, jolly heart.

Your Need For Joy

Your body was made to operate with the “oil of gladness” flowing through your veins, tissues, and cells. You were made to laugh, to celebrate, to be happy!

One day, Norman Cousins was diagnosed to have heart disease. In his book, The Anatomy of An Illness, he shares how he got healed: By taking Vitamin C and mega-doses of laughter. Everyday, he would watch comedy films and enjoy 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter. And he was healed! Doctors thought he would live a short life. But he lived for 30 more years.

That’s why the Bible says, A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22).

Are you a happy person? Do you enjoy life? Are you fulfilled? Are you self-assured? Many studies show that positive emotions strengthen your immune system.

Optimists Live Longer!

Scientists studied 1,100 patients at the Mayo Clinic and asked them to do a personality survey. These studies classified them according to optimists and pessimists. Thirty years later, they went back to these patients.

Here’s what they found out: Optimists have a 19% higher chance of still being alive than the pessimists.

Here’s one fascinating explanation.

In one study, scientists studied one of the body’s natural “good mood chemicals” called serotonin.

When they placed serotonin in a test tube alongside tumor cells of Burkitt’s lymphoma, the cancer cells kill themselves.

Here’s a quote from that study: “An exciting property of serotonin is that it can tell some cells to self-destruct. We have found serotonin can get inside the lymphoma cells and instruct them to commit suicide.”

How To Have More Positive Emotions

How can you be happy more often? How can you have more content, self-assurance, fulfillment, and a deep sense of profound peace more often? Let me end this discussion by showing you two ways:

First, Gratitude

Maricel is our house helper.

She shared to me a very touching story.

Last month, she went home to her province in Dumaguete. She borrowed money from us to buy the little plot of land that her family house was standing on. She also brought home her savings, buying a sack of rice for her family.

She also went home to spend time with her siblings and their children—her little nephews and nieces. So one bright morning, from the barrio, they travelled to Dumaguete City. Maricel paid for all their jeepney fares.

Everyone was excited, she said. Because for some of them, it was the first time to visit the city.

She brought her family to a mall—and the kids were beside themselves with joy.

What they loved most was the escalators. They shrieked with delight, “Ate, yung hagdan, tumatakbo!” (The stairs are running!)

When they went home, everyone was so happy.

One of her little nieces hugged Maricel and asked, “Tita, sa susunod na taon, ipasyal mo kami ulit, ha?” (Auntie, bring us out next year, okay?) Clearly, it was the high point of their year.

Casually, I asked Maricel, “What did you eat in the mall?”

“Hindi po kami kumain, Kuya Bo. Walang budget, eh.” (We didn’t eat. I had no budget.)

Her answer brought me to tears. Those kids went to the mall and went home without eating, and yet they were so happy.

Sometimes, I forget how blessed I am.

Sometimes, we have food in front of us, and we even have the gall to complain that it isn’t our favorite.

No wonder we lack happiness in our lives.

And no wonder our bodies are sick!

Learn to be more grateful for life. Live in gratitude. Celebrate God’s goodness, even in the smallest blessings!

Soon, happiness and healing will flow into your life.

Second, Trust

Heart disease has killed more people than any other disease in the world. It’s the number one killer in the world.

And I believe the number one cause of heart disease is stress.

From my experience, there’s only one antidote to stress: Trust in God. It’s the greatest stress-buster in the world.

How much do you trust in God?

A deep trust in God will make you avoid stress and keep you healthy!

I invite you now to surrender your problems to God. Follow the Bible when it says, Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

He does care for you, my friend.

Give Him all your fears.

Surrender yourself to God.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Something Good

2010-06-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Today, I find myself starting to make a run down of my current worries. I summoned all the strength left in me to stop this trail of thoughts and I started singing . . . "Something good is going to happen to me, this very day, this very year. Something good is going to happen to me . . . Jesus is coming my way."

Felt good!

Through the Happy Eyes of a Sister

2010-05-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is a letter written by my niece to raise awareness on autism and encourage people to support related projects for a good cause, and those with big hearts for children, residing or are in the US, to take the step of donating (but this is a walk donation in the US, through www.walknowforautism.org, no harm in publishing in case somebody there is able to read this).

This is my brother Jareth. He might look normal but he is Autistic. Autism has affected my family ever since he was diagnosed. He is now 10 years old and I’m his older sister, Julia, age thirteen.

Life’s been hard for my family. Thanks to my brother I’ve gone through many challenges and experiences not every teen would go through. My family and I can’t go to the mall together quite often, it's hard to watch movies in theaters never knowing when he may get upset, sometimes my brother keeps us up all night yelling, and sometimes we can never have time for ourselves watching over him.

Those are some downs but there are so many more ups by far. Thanks to having a sibling with autism I’m more aware of others around me, I want to be an occupational therapist so I can help other kids like my brother, I am more patient, I try to understand when someone in the public is having troubles with there young ones, and I also see life in a very different way.

Don’t feel sorry for me or anything, okay? Trust me, I actually have it better than other people with brothers or sisters with autism and I’m grateful for that. My family is very blessed with wonderful friends and family.

Now, my family and I are coming to you for help. We hope you will be willing to donate to this important cause. We are participating in Walk Now for Autism to help find a cure for this still incurable disease. Autism affects one in every 150 children born today. Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of autism is still unknown and a cure does not exist. Research is crucial. Every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. Not only must we find ways to improve the quality of life for children and adults with autism, but we also must find a cure, and soon.

Walk Now for Autism is our chance to make a difference in the fight against autism by raising funds for autism research and heightening public awareness. We will be walking on May 16, 2009 at Soldier Field, Chicago and would like you to support those affected by autism. You can donate to Walk Now for Autism and/or join my team online through my teams webpage at www.walknowforautism.org.

Donations can also be mailed to Autism Speaks using the donation form located on my page or send me a check made out to Autism Speaks. My team name is Woodland Autism Team; please note this on your check and the donation form. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the more than 1 million Americans living with autism today.

Yours Truly,
Julia

Exert the Effort to be Happy

2010-05-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

Another trick I do when down . . . I listen to an inspiring song . . .

Working on a Happy Spirit

2010-04-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a good place to visit for your happy spirit, the Shrine of St. Theresa.

The family went to the shrine for prayer, a trip refreshing for the spirit. It's a pleasure to discover new places to go to pray in the midst of the city hustles and bustles.

Susan Boyle - I Dreamed A Dream

2010-04-26T18:35:00.001-07:00

Never miss an opportunity in your life . . .

Stop Being Lonely, Call Your Friends

2010-03-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

Lonely? Why not call the gang.

With the good deed of a friend of ours, the ladies team was able to have a grand day at the Anvaya Cove. Just a short one-day trip, but that was enough to unwind and just be together, exchanging smiles and laughs.

A feel of nature . . . the sun, sand, sea, trees and mountains . . . wow!

Let the sunshine into your life. Have a happy summer!

Moving On Advice

2010-03-02T06:12:00.000-08:00

"Decluttering not only makes you feel lighter but reminds you of learnings and feelings . . ." Caught this excerpt from Bianca Gonzales' blog and got me quite inspired. Made me recall happy thoughts.

Thanks to my high school batch mate Noel Francisco who shared the site with me. I was planning to get some wacky inspirational wisdom from Noel since I was feeling weird the last few days. He is so patient and determined to have FB friends stay in touch. I like his views in life.

I find Bianca's posts truthful to what she's feeling at the moment she wrote them. Great!

Just today I was in a regretful state. I was unconsciously pulling myself to a low mood just by rolling through my mind, things that I should have done, especially in keeping myself healthy. But lo, out of the blues, I decided to just move ahead and start off with whatever I can instead of counting my "should have's" and "should be's".

Therefore, my action motto for the season is " Move On". Hope this works for me.

Happy Valentine

2010-02-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

A heart-shaped rock at shore of the Sea of Galilee at Tabgha in Israel.

Hanging in There

2010-02-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

Got hold of an old notebook where I had some scribbled things on happiness . . .

How do you hang in there when you seem to be in a hopeless situation? Well, I read that you do as if you were climbing a mountain. Inch by inch, you claw your way out. You focus just on the present moment, taking one day at a time. Do what you can for the day at the present moment, trying very hard to see any light, the little good things that you can find.

Accept your current situation and then move on small step by small step. Every inch you take should be treated as a victory.

Hang in there.

Winning Smile

2010-01-20T21:51:00.001-08:00

So happy yesterday. Can't understand why a simple smile from my loved one can make my day. A smile truly brightens the day and lighten up any heavy load. So, make an effort to smile more often to more people, especially those around you. Smile . . . experience the power of your smile.

Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.
- Unknown

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.
-Quote compiled by H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Happier Life, Happiness Despite Mistakes

2010-01-11T00:29:00.001-08:00

Sharing from Bo Sanchez, motivational speaker, "Preacher in Blue Jeans" . . .

Me? I use my sons’ magic sketchpad. Okay, it’s a toy. But I love this toy. My boys and I would sit on the couch and doodle for hours. Together, we’ve drawn literally thousands of sketches. We’ve created entire worlds and galaxies together. Roller coasters, spaceships, rockets, monsters, aliens—you name it, we drew it.

Here’s why I love this toy. When I make a mistake, I don’t get angry. I don’t curse myself. I don’t condemn myself. I simply pull the eraser button and draw again. Which is what we’re supposed to do in life.

I’ve met some people who think that just because they’ve made mistakes, just because they made bad choices, God won’t bless them anymore. Hey, we’ve all made mistakes.

Perhaps you gave yourself to addictions. Perhaps you were a rebellious child and made your parents unhappy. Perhaps you married the wrong person. Perhaps you didn’t raise up your kids well. Perhaps you made poor financial decisions.

I want to give you hope today. Your future is brighter than your past. How do I know? Because God’s plan is bigger than your mistakes. Your mistakes are no match to God’s great plans to bless your life.

Have you missed your chance at a happy and blessed life? Meet the God of second chances. “You’re wrong. God has a great plan to bless your life. And He has many ways to make this great plan a reality. You made a detour. But that doesn’t mean you no longer can receive His abundant blessing.”

“If you read the Bible, you’ll realize that the biggest stars were the biggest sinners. They’ve fumbled big time. But God’s love is bigger! And God gave them a second chance. And a third chance. And a fourth chance. He will never stop giving you a chance to live a life of happiness and abundance.” I share a powerful Bible verse: Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

God wants you to go to Him with confidence. With boldness. Boldly pray for God’s abundance.

Friend, God loves you. He wants to bless you with great relationships and great people. Because His plan to bless you is bigger than all your mistakes.

Dear friend, God hasn’t given up on you. So don’t give up on yourself. And God hasn’t given up on your destiny. So don’t give up on yours!

Some of you may say, “But Bo, I’ve messed up. I’ve missed God’s best plans for my life.” I say No. Believe that the best is yet to come. And always remember, God’s plan is bigger than all your mistakes put together.

I wrote a special declaration for you to say below. Say it with all your heart. Confess your faith. Let your words define your reality:

“I may have messed up, but this is temporary. I may have made mistakes in the past, but my future is brighter than my past. Today, I come boldly into God’s presence to receive mercy. I reject condemnation. Because of God’s mercy, my best blessings are yet to come. Each day is a new beginning for me. Each day, I shall live a new life. Each day, I shall live in abundance. Each day, I shall walk in God’s favor. Amen!”

May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez

A Happy 2010 Ahead

2010-01-04T23:51:00.000-08:00

Let's all claim it will be a great 2010. Choose to be happy in the midst of about anything. Keep on praying though.

Believe that you’ll have a super blessed year! This is the advise of Bo Sanchez, a motivational speaker and a preacher in blue jeans.

Happy Greetings

2009-12-25T21:04:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays to all!

Feed Your Happiness

2009-12-20T00:07:00.001-08:00

Be happy this Christmas time.

Christmas won't be the same without you. Yup, Christmas is somehow not complete in the Philippines without the simbang gabi (the evening and early morning masses) matched with the delicious-smelling bibingka and puto bumbong (rice cake) being cooked just near the churches.

Hmmm, those bibingka and puto bumbong really smell awesome. Imagine the rice cake with salted egg and cheese cooking on the special parapharnalia (palayok-material thingy). The hot bibingka with butter melting on top. You add white sugar and niyog (grated coconut) to make it a superb simbang-gabi treat.

The same goes with the ube-colored (violet) puto bumbong which is cooked in the bamboo gadget. The warm yummy puto bumbong strips are laid on banana leaves giving that precious aroma. Once more on top is placed the melting butter and grated coconut plus brown sugar. Wow!

This Philippine tradition of the mass and the food is quite enjoyable, building-up good memories of Christmas since childhood. Christmas is a great season to savor good traditions, happy moments and great memories.

Be happy and stay happy.

Happy Thoughts

2009-12-15T05:49:00.000-08:00

Yup, keep on having happy thoughts. Always be ready with them in times of need. Don't make the excuse that you don't have any happy thought, keep on digging. If you really can't recall a single happy moment, then it's about time you start building some, even in the simplest form. Possibly, it starts with being grateful for something.

I remember before going to the hospital for my operation, I already made a mental note of what happy thoughts I will be filling my mind. I decided to collect all my happy moments during my last travel abroad.

I also believe that my effort to keep happy thoughts (plus prayers of course) helped me recover faster.

So be conscious of what you fill your mind. No major harm in having happy thoughts most of the time during your day. It can even make you look younger, right?

Keep on smiling as well. Be thankful at all times. Make the effort.

Living Today

2009-11-20T20:23:00.001-08:00

Happy to Have a Big God

2009-11-17T21:47:00.001-08:00

We have a big God that handles our problems. When we know we have a big God, our problems shrink in size and weight.

I have a lot to be thankful for. I am so grateful for having a loving family, good health and super friends that help in prayers.

I just want to thank the Lord. We do have a big God that takes care of our problems just as Brother Bo used to say.

Definition of Happiness

2009-11-12T05:44:00.000-08:00

Suddenly, happiness has been redefined for me. True happiness is when you experience overflowing joy because of inexplicable love, matched with inner peace. This is kinda heavy and confusing, but that is how I find happiness, right now. I feel God's love, His embrace.

It is such that your serenity is kept in tact, even if you are undergoing pain (both physical and emotional), even in the midst of problems, issues and betrayal. I just have to thank our Maker for pouring out graces on us, unworthy as we are, giving us strength to accept everything that comes our way. It is by His grace that I am able to continue with life, still full of happiness.

Winning Smile

2009-11-09T23:57:00.000-08:00

Mother Teresa said, "Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."

So, keep on smiling!

Autumn Walk

2009-11-06T03:59:00.000-08:00

I possess a happy heart for I am thankful to have seen autumn . . .

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
George Eliot

If a man . . . can paint a landscape, and convey into souls and ochres all the enchantments of Spring or Autumn; it is certain that the secret cannot be kept; the first witness tells it to a second, and men go by fives and tens and fifties to his doors. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Believe in yourself, your neighbors, your work, your ultimate attainment of more complete happiness. It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in Autumn.
B. C. Forbes

Choose Happiness

2009-10-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

Choose to be happy today . . .

“Life is a choice. We can choose to be miserable, or we can choose to be happy in the midst of miserable circumstances.

Today, I choose to be happy. I won't wait for things to be perfect to be happy. My wounds will heal and things will work out good for me for I put my trust in Him.

One of my happiest moments, it was appreciating the very first fountain I saw in Europe. My friend took this clip at the commercial square in Portugal.

Quotes for a Happy Traveler

2009-10-03T19:51:00.001-07:00

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind. Seneca

Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. Benjamin Disraeli

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move. Robert Louis Stevenson

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. Henry Miller

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Lao Tzu

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked. Bernard Meltzer

Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don't say. Anonymous

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend. Henry David Thoreau

Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer. Ed Cunningham

If a man does not make new acquaintance as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man, Sir, should keep his friendship in constant repair. Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784) British lexiographer

Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment. Rita Mae Brown

I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert. Jason Love

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. Walt Disney

Always do right, this will gratify some and astonish the rest. Mark Twain

We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can fly only by embracing each other. Lucian de Crescenzo

What affects men sharply about a foreign nation is not so much finding or not finding familiar things; it is rather not finding them in the familiar place. G.K. Chesterton

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain

There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it. Charles Dudley Warner

Nature's great masterpiece, an elephant; the only harmless great thing. John Donne

When you have got an elephant by the hind legs and he is trying to run away, it's best to let him run. Abraham Lincoln

The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book? David Attenborough

Mountains are earth's undecaying monuments. Nathaniel Hawthorne

More Things to Ponder On

2009-10-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep.
In dreams you will lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for you keep.
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling through
No matter how your heart is grieving,
If you keep on believing,
The dream that you wish will come true.

A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're feeling small.
Alone in the night you whisper
Thinking no one can hear you at all.
You wake with the morning sunlight
To find fortune that is smiling on you.
Don't let your heart be filled with sorrow,
for all you know tomorrow
The dream that you wish will come true.

A new fresh beginning,
promises of new joys,
miracles big and small . . .
God's wish for us all.

The Sin of Omission : by Margaret E. Sangster

It isn't the thing you do, dear,
It's the thing you leave undone
That gives you a bit of a heartache
At setting of the sun.
The tender work forgotten,
The letter you did not write,
The flowers you did not send, dear,
Are your haunting ghosts at night.

The stone you might have lifted
Out of a brother's way;
The bit of heart some counsel
You were hurried too much to say;
The loving touch of the hand, dear,
The gentle, winning tone
Which you had no time nor thought for
With troubles enough of your own.

Those little acts of kindness
So easily out of mind,
Those chances to be angels
Which we poor mortals find
They come in night and silence,
Each sad, reproachful wraith,
When hope is faint and flagging,
And a chill has fallen on faith.

For life is all too short, dear,
To suffer our slow compassion
That tarries until too late:
And it isn't the thing you do, dear,
It's the thing you leave undone
Which gives you a bit of heartache
At the setting of the sun.

10 COMMANDMENTS for those over Forty

Focus on enjoying people, not on indulging in or accumulating material things.
Plan to spend whatever you have saved. You deserve to enjoy it and the few healthy years you have left. Travel if you can afford it. Don't leave anything for your children or loved ones to quarrel about. By leaving anything, you may even cause more trouble when you are gone.
Live in the here and now, not in the yesterdays and tomorrows. It is only today that you can handle. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow may not even happen.
Enjoy your grandchildren (if you are blessed with any) but don't be their full time baby sitter. You have no moral obligation to take care of them. Don't have any guilt about refusing to baby sit anyone's kids, including your own grandkids. Your parental obligation is to your children After you have raised them into responsible adults, your duties of child-rearing and babysitting are finished. Let your children raise their own offspring.
Accept physical weakness, sickness and other physical pains. It is a part of the aging process. Enjoy whatever your health can allow
Enjoy what you are and what you have right now. Stop working hard for what you do not have. If you do not have them, it's probably too late.
Just enjoy your life with your spouse, children, grandchildren and friends. People, who truly love you, love you for yourself, not for what you have. Anyone who loves you for what you have will just give you misery.
Forgive and accept forgiveness. Forgive yourself and others.. Enjoy peace of mind and peace of soul.
Befriend death. It's a natural part of the life cycle. Don't be afraid of it. Death is the beginning of a new and better life. So, prepare yourself not for death but for a new life with the Almighty.
Be at peace with your Creator for He is all you have after you leave this life.

Achieve Happiness

2009-09-30T18:48:00.001-07:00

Let's get into a festive mood. Free flying balloons picture freedom, inner joy, peace and happiness.

Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the Ballooning Capital of the World. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the world’s largest hot airh school balloon festival, takes place each October, when you’ll see more than 700 balloons in the sky at a time. Taken during Special Shapes Afterglow followed by fireworks.

One of my best friends in high school, Melissa who lives in New Mexico attended attends this annual festivity.

Secrets to Happiness

2009-09-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

Got this text message from a friend:

What are the secrets to happiness? Nine (9) answers can be found in the home.
The walls say, "Be strong."
The ceiling says, "Aim high."
The door says, "Learn to give and take."
The clock says, "Time is gold."
The calendar says, "Live each day like it is the last."
The cabinet says,"Keep things in order."
The bed says, "Take time to relax."
The lamp says, "Be like the light."
And God, who is everywhere, including our homes, says
"Keep your faith alive, trust, because I am with you always."

Quotes for Happy Supervisors

2009-09-23T03:47:00.001-07:00

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
Confucius

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.
Alfred Lord Tennyson

All lasting business is built on friendship.
Alfred A. Montapert

Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.
Stephen Covey

Any supervisor worth his salt would rather deal with people who attempt too much than with those who try too little.
Lee Iacocca

Once you choose hope, anything's possible.
Christopher Reeve

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.
George Patton

Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood.
Freeman Teague Jr.

The most important thing in communication is
hearing what isn't said.
Peter F. Drucker

If you are prepared, then you are able to feel confident.
Robert J. Ringer

Confidence and courage come through preparation and practice.
Anonymous

Winning breeds confidence and confidence breeds winning.
Hubert Green

Retirement: When you quit working just before your heart does.

Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don't quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don't quit until you reach it. Never quit.

You’ve got to believe that God is in control of your life. It may be a tough time but you’ve got to believe that God has a reason for it and he’s going to make everything good.
Joel Osteen

A leader is a dealer in hope.
Napoleon Bonaparte

I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?
Benjamin Disraeli

What a strange power there is in clothing.
Isaac Bashevis Singer

People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile.
Lee Mildon

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.The Golden Rule

All things work for good for those who love God. Romans 8:28

It is not the man of great talent who wins but he who pushes his talent, however small, to its utmost capacity. Carolyn Coats

Always do right, this will gratify some and astonish the rest. Mark Twain

Inspiring Short Story

2009-09-21T06:00:00.001-07:00

The Little Prince
By: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

"Go and look again at the roses. You will understand now that yours is unique in all the world. Then come back to say goodbye to me, and I will make you a present of a secret." The little prince went away, to look again at the roses. "You are not at all like my rose," he said. "As yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one. You are like my fox when I first knew him. He was only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But I have made him my friend, and now he is unique in all the world." And the roses were very much embarrassed. "You are beautiful, but you are empty," he went on. "One could not die for you. To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you--the rose that belongs to me. But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have watered; because it is she that I have put under the glass globe; because it is she that I have sheltered behind the screen; because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars (except the two or three that we saved to become butterflies); because it is she that I have listened to, when she grumbled, or boasted, or ever sometimes when she said nothing. Because she is my rose. And he went back to meet the fox. "Goodbye," he said. "Goodbye," said the fox. "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." "What is essential is invisible to the eye," the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember. "It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important." "It is the time I have wasted for my rose--" said the little prince, so that he would be sure to remember. "Men have forgotten this truth," said the fox. "But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose . . ." "I am responsible for my rose," the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

Inspiring Quotes that leads to Happiness

2009-09-19T21:49:00.001-07:00

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

Feed your faith, not your fear.
Bo Sanchez

Meditate on His words.
Believe what you read.
Teach what you believe.
Practice what you teach.
Advise to newly ordained deacons

I run, I fly to take you in my arms, and I expand your boundaries within My Will. Therefore, I allow everything for your good, and also to accomplish My highest designs upon you. However, I do not want you to waste time thinking it over; when I take you in My arms, immediately put everything aside, and follow my Will. (From the writings of Luisa Piccarreta, the little daughter of the Divine Will)

The pure in heart shall see God.

No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wine skins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wine skins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’ ”

Do not be afraid, I am with you.
If I am with you, who can be against you.

Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Mathew 4:4

Pray unceasingly.

I am a child of God.

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta

It isn't the thing you do, dear, it's the thing you leave undone, that gives you a bit of a heartache, at setting of the sun.
From The Sin Of Omission by Margaret E. Sangster

Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good.

Just show up.

It's time to STOP going through the motions of living, and START living.
I am nothing; God is all. Father I love you.

Come Divine Will to think in my mind, to move in my motion.
From the Invocation to the Divine Will prayer

Quotes for Happy Pet Owners

2009-09-13T18:31:00.001-07:00

A dog is the only thing on earth that will love you more than you love yourself.
Josh Billings

Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time;
it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.
Sydney J. Harris

Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.
George Elliot

I used to look at (my dog) Smokey and think, 'If you were a little smarter, you could tell me what you were thinking,' and he'd look at me like he was saying, 'If you were a little smarter, I wouldn't have to.
Fred Jungclaus

I have a great dog. She's half Lab, half pit bull. A good combination. Sure, she might bite off my leg, but she'll bring it back to me.
Jimi Celeste

Don't make the mistake of treating your dogs like humans, or they'll treat you like dogs.
Martha Scott

When you leave them in the morning, they stick their nose in the door crack and stand there like a portrait until you turn the key eight hours later.
Erma Bombeck

My little dog, a heartbeat at my feet.
Edith Wharton

You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'My God, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'
Dave Barry

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
Roger Caras
Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.
Anatole France

They [dogs] never talk about themselves but listen to you while you talk about yourself, and keep up an appearance of being interested in the conversation.
Jerome K. Jerome

In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi human.
The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog.
Edward Hoagland

Money will buy you a pretty good dog, but it won't buy the wag of his tail.
Henry Wheeler Shaw

Tom's Little Dog by Walter de la Mare
Tom told his dog called Tim to beg,
And up at once he sat,
His two clear amber eyes fixed fast,
His haunches on his mat.Tom poised a lump of sugar on
His nose; then, "Trust!" says he;
Stiff as a guardsman sat his Tim;
Never a hair stirred he.
"Paid for!" says Tom; and in a trice
Up jerked that moist black nose;
A snap of teeth, a crunch, a munch,
And down the sugar goes!