"Conviction is worhtless unless it is converted into conduct." - Thomas Carlyle
i just remember Sir Jim's favorite line: a principle is not a principle until it costs you something. wala lang.. naalala ko lang bigla..
by the way, i made a mistake on my last post.. it was assault on precint 13 and not assault on prison 13.. sorry.. ^_^
moving on, here are some of the stories, writings, etc., that have helped me reflect and slow down today.. i hope you could find the time to read them.. they're nice, really.. have a great day everyone! ^_^
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ECHO
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?" He receives the answer: "Who are you?" And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!" The voice answers: "I admire you!" Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!" He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?" The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." Again, the man screams: "You are a champion!" The voice answers: "You are a champion!" The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: "People call this echo, but really, this is life. It gives you back everything you say or do."
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If we want more love in the world, create more love in our heart. If we want more competence in our team, improve our competence. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; life will give us back everything that we have given to it. Our life is not a coincidence. It is a reflection of us.
**something to think about..again, i have learned that if i love life, life will love me back. ^_^**
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The Most Beautiful Woman (guys, you need to read this.. para 'to sa mga lalakeng hindi magawang makuntento sa kung anong meron sila.. hehe.. tamaan 'wag magalit! =p)
There was a man walking on the beach who looked up and saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He was awestruck, captured, stunned by her beauty. He could do nothing but forgot everything and followed her. He was so intrigued by her beauty that he followed her for hours on the beach.
For a long time she did not notice him following, but eventually the beautiful woman turned around and asked the man who he was, and why he was following her.
The man explained that he was so captured by her beauty, that he had never seen any woman as beautiful as she was, that he could not help but to follow her, that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and would she be his.
The woman replied, "I am very flattered at such a compliment, but surely, this could not be true, for if you had turned to look behind you, you would have seen my sister who has been following you, and she is ten times more beautiful than me."
The man turned to look, and saw a homely looking girl behind him. He turned to the other woman and said, "I'm confused, your sister is not more beautiful than you. Why would you tell me that? You lied to me."
The woman looked at him and said, "And you lied also, for you turned your head."
**kasi naman e, most beautiful woman na nga diba? could anyone be more beautiful than the most beautiful? c'mon! obviously, bolero lang talaga mga lalake.. may most beautiful woman pa silang nalalaman tapos narinig lang na may mas maganda pa, kinalimutan na yung una nilang sinabihan ng 'most beautiful'.. ang bad talaga! hmp! yan tuloy, ginto na naging pilak pa.. buti nga! hehe.. hindi po ako man-hater.. hindi po.. wala lang.. sana lang kasi makuntento diba? tsaka kung hindi pa sigurado, wag mangangako.. sinungaling tuloy ang nagiging labas niyo.. hehe.. peace! ^_^**
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Give Up
Give up complaining... focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism... become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments... think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry... trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement... be full of hope.
Give up bitterness... turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred... return good for evil.
Give up negativism... be positive.
Give up anger... be more patient.
Give up pettiness... become mature.
Give up gloom... enjoy the beauty that is all around you. [so true! ^_^]
Give up jealousy... pray for trust.
Give up gossiping... control your tongue.
Give up sin... turn to virtue.
Give up giving up... hang in there!
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Leaving the City of Regret (this is my story too)
I got tickets to fly there on WISH I HAD airlines. It was an extremely short flight. I got my baggage, which I could not check. I chose to carry it myself all the way. It was weighed down with a thousand memories of MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the REGRET CITY International Airport. I say International because people from all over the world come to this dismal town.
As I checked in to the LAST RESORT Hotel, I noticed that they would be hosting the year's most important event, the ANNUAL PITY PARTY. I wasn't going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the towns leading citizens would be there.
First, there would be the DONE FAMILY, you know, SHOULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE, COULD HAVE. Then came the I HAD family. You probably know old WISH and his clan. Of course, the OPPORTUNITIES would be present, MISSED and LOST. The biggest family would be the YESTERDAYs. There are far too many of them to count, but each one would have a very sad story to share.
Then SHATTERED DREAMS would surely make an appearance and IT'S THEIR FAULT would tell us stories (excuses) about how things had failed in his life. And each story would be loudly applauded by DON'T BLAME ME and I COULDN'T HELP IT.
Well to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing that there would be no real benefit in doing so. And as usual, I became very depressed. But as I thought about all this, it occurred to me that this trip and the subsequent PITY PARTY could be cancelled by ME.
I started to realize that I did not have to be there. I didn't have to be depressed. One thing kept going through my mind, I can't change YESTERDAY, but I do have the power to make TODAY a wonderful day. I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled, encouraged, as well as encouraging. Knowing this, I left the CITY OF REGRET immediately and left no forwarding address.
Am I sorry for the mistakes I've made in the past? Yes, but there is no physical way to undo them. So if you're planning a trip back to the CITY OF REGRET please cancel your reservations now. Instead, take a trip to a place called STARTING AGAIN. I like it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence here. My neighbors, I FORGIVE MYSELF and the NEW STARTs are so very helpful.
By the way, you don't have to carry around heavy baggage, because the load is lifted from your shoulders upon arrival.
God bless you in finding this great town, if you can find it (it's in your own heart), please look me up. I live on I CAN DO IT STREET.
**nice, isn't it? ^_^ i sincerely thank the one who wrote this story.**
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18 Pieces of Advice from an Unknown Author
1. If you want your dreams to come true, don't oversleep.
2. The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention.
3. Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.
4. The best vitamins for making friends... B1.
5. The 10 Commandments are not multiple choice.
6. The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.
7. Minds are like parachutes.. they function only when open.
8. Ideas won't work unless YOU do.
9. One thing you can't recycle is wasted time.
10. One who lacks the courage to start has already finished.
11. The heaviest thing to carry is a grudge.
12. Don't learn safety rules by accident.
13. We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves.
14. Jumping to conclusions can be bad exercise.
15. A turtle makes progress when it sticks its head out.
16. One thing you can give and still keep... is your word.
17. A friend walks in when everyone else walks out.
18. The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime. [agree! sinabi rin ni Sir Jim 'to.. pero we can still be happy pa rin naman.. CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY and you will be. ^_^]
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The Ten Most Important Things are...
1. Love. The special feeling that makes you feel all warm and wonderful.
2. Respect. Treating others as well as you would like to be treated.
3. Appreciation. To be grateful for all the good things life has to offer.
4. Happiness. The full enjoyment of each moment. A smiling face.
5. Forgiveness. The ability to let things be without anger.
6. Sharing. The joy of giving without thought of receiving.
7. Honesty. The quality of always telling the truth.
8. Integrity. The purity of doing what's right no matter what.
9. Compassion. The essence of feeling another's pain, while easing their hurt.
10. Peace. The reward for living the 10 Most Important Things. ^_^
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The Seventh... and the Last.. but Definitely not the Least.. i swear, this moved me big time!
Be A People of Prayer!
"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his window open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days." - Daniel 6:10
Consider Daniel for a moment.
Here is one of the great rulers of the Persian empire - in charge of the King's affairs and of the affairs of the entire government.
If anyone is really busy - it's Daniel.
But...in spite of all this, he makes it a point to set himself apart from the world and pray three times a day.
How busy are we.. really?
And what are we really doing?
If we are neglecting the important things of God, we are simply doing more than God intended.
Let us keep our priorities in order. Let's be a people of prayer.
**sounds challenging huh? yeah, it is.. but then again, we need to be prayerful as it is our communication with God.. and in order for us to nurture our relationship with Him, we need to communicate with Him..**
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whew! that's a lot of typing.. and as expected, my shoulder aches and so does my back.. but it's okay.. i felt good that i was able to share these wonderful stories/passages.. they've touched my heart.. and i was blessed.. it is my responsibilty to pass on the good news.. ^_^
i am sick but that won't stop me from evangelizing.. and if writing is my talent, i'll use it to declare to the world how great and good my God is.. and how He moves in my life.
God bless everyone! Smile and be happy always. God is good all the time and He loves us so much. ^_^
last note: Work becomes worship when done for the Lord. May we always work for the greater glory of God. We are blessed. Let's be blessings to others.
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P.S. Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion. Take hold of every moment. "One day" is far away.. or might never come. What we have is the "here" and "now". Live each day as if it's your last. ^_^
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and i won't let this day pass without sharing more encouraging stories with you.. i may not have tomorrow to do it.. so i might as well live by the principle i've been talking about and Og Mandino's been talking about.. live today as if it's your last.
i can't believe how God talked to me today.. just this afternoon, who would believe that i was able to read every single story, testimony, article that ate jing turned over to me when i was appointed as the new servant of our chapter.. i've been keeping those papers since December of last year but it was only just today that i was able to read all of them.. just a day before i sell them all.. like i said earlier, tomorrow, we'll be selling the old stuffs.. we've been cleaning since last week and there's already a lot that needs to be thrown.. pero in our case nga, we sell plastic bottles, tin cans, and every recyclable material na may halaga.. we live by the principle 'may pera sa basura'.. hehe.. pero dahil na-touch ako sa mga nabasa ko, i'll spend some time typing them para ma-post ko sa blog ko.. at para ma-print na rin (for my journal).. ang tibay ko no? may blog na, may journal pa.. hehe.. wala lang.. sabi naman sa inyo, writing is my first love e..
enough of my lenghty introduction.. supposedly tapos na ako pero hindi ko talaga kayang hindi i-share yung iba pang stories e.. God spoke to me through them.. i'll let Him speak to you too.. i remember what Tito Taffy said during his talk sa ILC, "you could be the only Bible a person can ever read".. and i won't let this opportunity to spread goodness pass.. life is too short.. ^_^
read on.. listen to God's voice..
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TWO FROGS
A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done.
They saw how deep the pit was and the dismayed group agreed it was hopeless. They told the two frogs they should prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead.
Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump with all of their might.
Some of the frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that the two frogs wouldn't be in that situation if they had been more careful, more obedient to froggy rules, and more responsible.
The other frogs continued sorrowfully shouting that they should save their energy and give up. They were already as good as dead.
The two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could, and after several hours of desperate effort were quite weary.
Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died.
The others looked on in helpless grief.
The other frog continued to jump with every ounce of energy. His body was wracked with pain. He was completely exhausted. His companions began anew, yelling for him to accept his fate, stop the pain and just die.
The weary frog jumped harder and harder and wonder of wonders, finally leapt so high that he sprang from the pit.
Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his miraculous freedom.
Then gathering around him asked, "why did you continue jumping when we told you it was impossible?"
Reading their lips, the astonished frog explained to them that he was deaf, and when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on.
What he had perceived as encouragement inspired him to try harder and to succeed against all odds.
The simple story contains a powerful lesson. "There is death and life in the power of the tongue."
Your encouraging words can lift someone up. Help them make it through the day.
Your destructive words can cause deep wounds; they may be the weapons that destroy someone's desire to continue trying or even their life.
A careless word can diminish someone in the eyes of others, destroy their influence and have a lasting impact on the way others respond to them.
Be careful with what you say.
Speak life to (and about) those who cross your path.
The power of words.. It is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way.
Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.
Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.
There is enormous power in words. If you have words of kindness, praise, encouragement, speak them now.
Listen to your heart and respond. Someone somewhere is waiting for your words.
**see how powerful words can be? kaya next time na magsasalita kayo, mag-isip muna kayo.. hindi niyo alam kung kaninong buhay ang sinisira niyo dahil sa iresponsable niyong pananalita..[kasama rin pala ako dun.. aiza, be careful with your words..*wink*]**
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RAIN (Author Unknown - but whoever he/she is, i thank him/her deeply for sharing this story)
A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.
We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.
The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in. "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.
"What?" Mom asked.
"Let's run through the rain!" She repeated.
"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.
This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain."
"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.
"No, we won't Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.
"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"
"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!'"
The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes.
Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.
"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If God let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said.
Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.
And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.
Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health.. (they can even take away your love and your life.. hmm.. aminin! may mga guilty.. hehe..) But no one can ever take away your precious memories.. (yes, they can't.. i'm sorry, but you just can't.. haha..) So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. I hope you still take the time to run through the rain.
**personal note lang.. i've always enjoyed rains.. basta wala lang thunder and lightning.. hehe.. i love singing, walking, running through the rain.. who wants to get soaked with me? ^_~**
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THANK YOU (By Oprah Winfrey. I don't know the original title but it's all about gratitude.. it's a good read. ^_^)
That's because what you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.
"Say thank you!" Those words from my friend and mentor Maya Angelou turned my life around. One day about ten years ago, I was sitting in my bathroom with the door closed and the toilet lid down, booing and ahooing on the phone so uncontrollably that I was incoherent.
"Stop it! Stop it right now and say thank you!" Maya chided. "But - you don't understand," I sobbed.
To this day, I can't remember what it was that had me so far gone, which only proves the point Maya was trying to make. "I do understand," she told me. "I want to hear you say it now. Out loud."
"Thank you." Tentatively, I repeated it: "Thank you - but what am I saying thank you for?"
"You're saying thank you," Maya said, "because your faith is so strong that you don't doubt that whatever the problem, you'll get through it. You're saying thank you because you know that even in the eye of the storm, God has put a rainbow in the clouds. You're saying thank you because you know there's no problem created that can compare to the Creator of all things. Say thank you!"
So I did - and I still do. Only now I do it every day. I kept a gratitude journal, as Sarah Ban Breathnach suggests in Simple Abundance, listing at least five things that I'm grateful for. MY list includes small pleasures: the feel of Kentucky bluegrass under my feet (like damp silk); a walk in the woods with all nine of my dogs and my cocker spaniel Sophie trying to keep up; cooking fried green tomatoes with Stedman and eating them while they're hot; reading a good book and knowing another awaits.
My thank-you list also includes things too important to take for granted: an "okay" mammogram, friends who love me, 15 years at the same job (and loving it more than the first day I started), a chance to share my vision for a better life, staying centered, having financial security.
I won't kid you, having money for all the things I want is a blessing. But as I look back over my journals, which I've kept since I was 15 years old, 99% of what brought me real joy had nothing to do with money. (It had a lot to do with food, however.)
It's not easy being grateful all the time. But it's when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: PERSPECTIVE. Just knowing you have that daily list to complete allows you to look at your day differently, with an awareness of every sweet gesture and kind thought passed your way. When you learn to say thank you, see the world anew. And as Meister Eckhart so eloquently stated: "If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is 'Thank you God', that would suffice."
**enough said.^_^**
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again, God bless everyone! ^_^
26 March 2008
7:37 PM
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