You are there. I am here. We are where we are supposed to be.

 

Haven’t you realized we are where we are supposed to be? We are where we are because we are supposed to be here and not anywhere else..

Most people sometimes wish they are somewhere else other than the place or situation they’re in, sometimes also wish they’re with someone else other than the one they’re already with.. I am one of those people. I have always wished I am somewhere else, sometimes even wish I were somebody else. But as I think about it now, maybe it’s true that where I am, who I am with, is where God wants me to be, and the company I keep is the people He really wants me to be with.

“There are no accidents” says master oogway to shifu in the movie Kung Fu Panda.

Things happen because it is supposed to happen –neither by bad nor good luck. Good things happen because we are supposed to enjoy it; bad things happen because we are supposed to experience and learn from it. Favorable things come to us not because we are nature’s favorable one, nor unfavorable things happen because we are not special.

Regrets. Some time in life, we regret the past, not realizing that it’s because of the past that we are able to enjoy everything we are enjoying in the present. Regretful events happen, because it is supposed to enter our life once in a while.. to teach us to be thankful.

Take for example this: Some people think they’re not as good-looking as the other people they know. Is this because they are supposed to be less of what others are? NO. They may think that way, but I believe that odd things are there because other people are supposed to see the beauty in them.

All things happen because it is supposed to make us learn one thing: that whatever situation we’re in, it’s where God plans and wants us to be, and we just have to recognize it is His Will.

 

something on Tuesday that made me smile on Wednesday..

It was a rainy tuesday the other day. Another day to stay in “Alaska”-temperatured spot/cube in the office, doing nothing else but read read, and read CBTs you can find in the MyLearning site.. After realizing that I have completed almost all my required CBTs, I tried to search for Books24×7, registered for it, clicked on the ‘Recommended’ link, then browse for books that I might find interesting to read.. and so I came upon the book title “The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die” by John Izzo. Hmmm.. found it interesting, clicked the title, then off to read the book..

Somewhere in one of the chapters’ discussion, I learned that:

“..to live life fully, you have to banish the word BOREDOM from your vocabulary”

Thought of it as interesting though It seems hard for me ‘coz I’ve been complaining about it for weeks already.. From the minute after I read that line, it got me thinking and realized that that line is right.. “hmmm.. hmmm..”

Wednesday was just and had been just another day for reading.. Another day that sleepyness won’t leave me..

but surprisingly found me smiling and realized that yes, I’m still complaining to friends..of sleepyness, of hunger an hour after another, and of having nothing else to do but read, but I haven’t complained to them of being bored again!! …..meaning that the last time I told someone “nababato na talaga ako” was just on Monday, and I have subconsciously removed boredom from my vocabulary since tuesday!

yey! ..I also found out that since then, when somebody asks me how I am, I simply would answer them “ayus naman.. basa basa pa rin..”, keeping from telling my now-prohibited words “nakakabato, batong-bato, bored”.. because I’m not bored anymore.. (or at least I try not to feel it, trying not to make it win over me..) ^_^

..and I intend not to use that word anymore..

I’ll try.. I promise..

…madaming promise… 

not about..

^not about^

it’s not about how work seems to be so easy for you
it’s about how hard you work for it..
it’s not about how early you come in
but how motivated you are to come early..

it’s not about the amount of mistakes you make
but about the weight of lessons learned
it’s not about how little you know
but it’s how wisely you put it to use..

it ’s never about who you are
but it’s about what you’re made of..
and it’s never about what you have become
but about everything you did to become who you are..

^_^

-jOkel

Pato. (sometimes we don’t realize that the things or person that makes us happy have been there all along)

Pato. (sometimes we don’t realize that the things or person that makes us happy have been there all along)

Meron akong pato, hulaan mo kung san nakatago.

Pato. Sa karamihan ng mga larong-kalye na nilaro natin nuon at nakikitang nilalaro ng mga bata ngayon, eto yung ginagamit na pampaswerte sa pagtira. Sa larong teks, larong holen, o kahit sa larong pag-alog ng tanzan meron nyan. Eto yung isang piraso ng teks, o tanzan na hinding hindi pwedeng piliin ng iba dahil napili mo na. “Pato ko ‘toh. Akin ‘toh” kumbaga. Eto kase minsan un nagpapanalo sa atin sa laro. Nang dahil sa pato na ‘yon, dumami ang teks mo at naubos na lahat ng pusta ng kalaban mo.

Shempre, darating din sa course ng laro na iyon na matatalo ka. Hindi naman kase sa lahat ng pagkakataon mananalo ka, at hindi rin sa lahat ng laro may laban ka kahit na sabihin mo pang swerte syo un pamatong gamit mo. At minsan sa mga times na feeling mo eh parang napapadalas na yun pagkatalo mo, di mo maiiwasang isipin na ang pamatong minsang naging swerte syo eh minamalas na ngayon.

At dahil sa sunod-sunod na pagkatalo, mapipikon ka. Maiinis ka. Ayaw mong umayaw sa laro dahil baka sabihin nilang duwag kang ilaban lahat ng kaya mo pang ipusta. Higit sa lahat, ayaw mo umayaw dahil natatakot ka lang na makita ang sarili mong kinakain na ng hiya dahil sa pagkatalo. Isa na lang sa dalawa ang pwede mong gawin – mag-suggest ng ibang laro, o ang magpalit ng pamato.

Darating sayo un time na kada- or tuwing matatalo ka na lang, eh magpapalit ka na agad ng pato kahit na hindi pa man din nag-iinit sa laro un patong ipinalit mo. Pag nanalo ka sige un parin, pero pag natalo, palit na ulet agad.

“Palit ka kase ng palit eh. Kita mo ko kahit natatalo ako eto parin gamit ko.” –yan ang minsan narinig ko nuon na sinabi skin nung madalas pako maglaro ng kung ano mang may pamato, at yan din ang sinasabi ko ngayon sa mga batang nakiktia ko habang pinapanuod silang maglaro.

“Palit ka kase ng palit. Wag ka kaya palit ng palit. Pag yan na ang pato mo, wala nang palitan.” –hindi ko naisip na may sense din pala ang statement na ito hindi lang sa laro-larong kalye. Totoo rin pala ang statement na ito sa Laro ng Buhay (lalim!).

Bigla na lang kase pumasok sa isip ko yan sa mga nangyayari ngayon, at sa mga taong nakikilala ko, at lalo na sa sarili ko.

Narealize ko na hindi solusyon ang magpalipat-lipat o magpapalit-palit ng pato para lang hanapin un saya na hanap ko. Gets mo? Dahil kung saya rin lang naman ang hanap ko, masyado pang maaga para bumigay sa paghahanap nito sa lugar na pinamumugaran ko ngayon.

Walang swerte o malas sa mundo. Sabi nga nila,kung meron mang swerte o malas, ikaw lang yun. Ikaw ang swerte at malas ng mundo mo. Hindi ang swerte o malas ang may hawak ng buhay mo, kundi IKAW lang. Ikaw lang ang gagawa ng paraan kung pano magiging swerte o malas ang mangyayari sayo.

Ako, nagkaron na ako ng tendency na once na hindi na ako natutuwa sa mga nangyayari sa akin at sa paligid ko, aalis ako. Ilang beses na nangyari yan. Kumbaga sa laro, ilang beses narin akong nagpalit ng pamato dahil lang sa nagsawa na ako.

Ngayon ko lang narealize na hindi pala dapat ganun. Dahil kung ipagpapatuloy ko ang ganung sistema –aalis pag di na masaya, aalis pag di na kuntento, gi-give up pag di na kaya. Eh sinong natalo? Sinong napagod? Ako lang din, diba?

Naisip ko na hinding-hindi talaga ako sasaya kung ganu’t ganun ang gagawin ko. Gets nyo pa ba? Kase baket? Dahil ang mga taong hindi masaya, ay yun mga taong who never finds contentment. Gets mo na? Sila yun mga taong walang kakuntentuhan sa buhay, lagi na lang may sinasabi at hindi na naubusan ng reklamo sa katawan na lagi nalang may napapansin sa iba at kahit sa ginagawa nila. Silang mga hindi makuntento at laging nakakunot ang nuo –sila ang mga taong hindi masaya.

 Nung matapos ko basahin un The Alchemist ni Paulo Coelho, napangiti ako at napabulong ng “Astig..!” at the same time natawa ako dun sa bidang si Santiago na naglakbay ng sobrang layo para lang hanapin un hinahanap niya only to find out na un huling lugar kung san niya nahanap finally un hinahanap niya eh yun din yung exact na lugar kung san sya nanggaling before he even started his journey.

So, sana gets nyo na… J

ikonek niyo na sa work at lablayp at kung san pa siya pwedeng ikonek:

Minsan ang layo ng tingin natin na we don’t realize that the things or persons who make us (or would make us happy) have been there all along.. J

Ako, meron akong pato at kahit na anong mangyari hinding-hindi ko na ito papalitan.

Ikaw, anong pato mo..? J

God’s Will over Our Choices.. ^^ (sana i made sense)

weeks ago we had a meaningful topic during our “wednesdays with wesley”.. it was about “how to tame your tongue” and one of the ways to tame it is to keep or avoid telling lies.. what’s nice about “wednesdays w/ wesley” is we are able to argue on something, get our points straight, learn how to listen to what each and every one has to say..

Soc presented a situation that made us all think: “pano kung merong mga taong kumatok sa bahay niyo, hinanap ang tatay mo.. alam mo na papatayin nila tatay mo pag nalaman nila kung asan ito.. eh alam mong nasa loob lang ng bahay niyo un tatay mo.. ano gagawin mo? would you lie and tell them you dont know where your father is? Or would you tell the truth and tell them ‘andun po nanunuod ng tv sa kwarto niya’?”

simple scenario, but tough.. may mga nagsabi na parang let God’s Will be Done.. meron namang nagsabi na shempre tatay ko un, hindi ko ituturo kung asan.. at isa ako sa mga sumagot nun.. my point was this.. tama rin naman na i-save mo ang tatay mo, at tama rin nman ang magsabi ng totoo.. para kase skin, hindi na siguro BigDeal ang magsinungaling sa ganung situation.. hindi naman siguro ako itatakwil ni God for lying/saving my father.. tama ba? sa lahat ng situation kase, meron kang choice..

walang “No Choice” sa mundo.. it will still always be a question of “to choose or Not to choose”.. tama na i-submit mo lahat kay God (as what wesley said), and it’s always a choice of “Let God’s Will be done” or Let mY Will be done” (na sabi nman ni mickey)..

for me.. this is what i realized nights ago.. sa pilahan ng jeep pauwi.. mag-iisang oras na kase akong nakapila.. ilan lang sa mga nakapila ang nagdesisyon na umalis nlng dahil muka nmang wala ng darating na jeep.. at ako, nag-iisip na rin.. sabi ko “let Your Will be done, Lord”.. pero, bigla ko naisip.. how will i know what God’s Will is, if i don’t make a move?

i had to make a choice.. people have to make a choice para malaman nila what God’s Will is..

hirap iexplain pero.. can’t you see.. it’s all God’s Will.. whatever we decide on.. whatever choice we choose, meron nang nakahandang Will si God for us..

sa situation na inexample ni Soc, at sa paghihintay ko ng jeep..or let’s say sa everyday life natin.. we all have to make a choice and for every choice we make we simply have to entrust whatever will happen next kay God.. and i think that’s what “Let God’s Will Be Done” means..

sana i made sense..

last trip..

 

Nobody knows his time. Nobody could ever tell what’s going to happen in the next few minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and even years. It’s much wiser to think of what to do next, than bother ourselves with time because we can never know when time is going to stop ticking.

 

I was always lucky to end up taking the last trip going home, especially on days when I am busy making my work and life balanced. And whenever I do get a chance to take the last trip, I automatically whisper “thanks, thanks Lord” because I won’t have to double my trip just to get home.

 

Not all last trips are fun and relieving – not all last trips can bring you home.. at least safely. Sometimes, last trips bring you to a place where you’ll never be able to see your home again. We’ll only know our time when the last trip arrives. Problem is we don’t even have an idea when our last trip will come.

 

I don’t fear getting home late and not be able to take the last jeepney ride on my way home. I have always been prepared for that ‘cause I know there will still be other means for me to get home. What fears me is the last trip itself. No matter how thankful I am that I’m able to take the ride, ‘last trips’ always frighten me. Because every time that I am able to be on the last jeepney, I can’t help but ask myself “What if this is going to be my last ride?”.

 

We only walk through this life once. Roads never get the same, even if it’s always the same path we take everyday.  And no matter how frequent we take the same road, there will always be something that we miss to see, notice, and fail to appreciate – just like the building at the left side of EDSA (if you’re riding the MRT coming from the north bound) of which one of the units is colored blue-green, the clouds that change forms every day –sometimes it forms like an angel with someone kneeling in front of him (my imagination is so powerful I can even make a story out of the clouds), or one of the few people you recognize as your “classmate-passenger” having a new hair cut.

 

Make the most of your day.. every day. Never fail to appreciate things around you. Always try to see good in others even if they are the ones who keep pushing you as you get on the 3^rd door 1^stcoach of a skipping train at the MRT station. Just smile, wiggle yourself in, inhale deeply, smile at those who push you (I know it’s hard.. hehe), who knows they may be the same people you’ll be with on the last ride. Look at its bright side –at least you’re able to get in, and whisper “God Bless My Trip..”

 

Ingat! J

a living funeral

Most of us are afraid to talk about death, but one quote of whose author I don’t know says that Death (that thing we fear) could be a very beautiful experience. I have thought about this — how come it’s a beautiful experience when death means losing the people you love, and leaving them (in case when you are the one whom Death is going to take). As for my such playful mind, there is only one thing I could think of that would make me agree Death is and could be a Beautiful experience.. and that is what they call EULOGY – one that is done during the necrological service.
 
Eulogy.. a kind of ceremony given to someone during his wake, a statement about the good things he has done in his life, the time to reminisce all the good memories each has had with the departed one, and a testimonial of proofs of how good a person someone had been all his life while he was still alive..

Each of us would want to be given or to be offered something like this when our ‘time’ comes. It would be very nice to know how we have affected the lives of others during our time on earth and how we have been a great part in somebody’s life through our own simple ways (consciously, even unconsciously). But haven’t you realized that these Eulogies would be useless anyway? What’s the use of these testimonials about us if we can no longer hear it? How will these people know that we are very pleased to be hearing those eulogies from them if we are not able to react from our own casket?

Ive learned this through Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie where Morrie told his family and friends that he would want to have a “Living Funeral”. For it will be useless if eulogies were to be done in his wake when he dies. Which, I realize was true..

We, who are still enjoying our lives here on earth, and as adults with such young, childlike, happy hearts always want to be given testimonials.. Well, I thank friendster.com for pioneering a site where my friends can take time to tell the world how they are thankful for meeting someone like me..

Unconsciously, the testimonials we receive (and give) are somewhat eulogies, and the sites where we make it can be our “living funeral”.

It really doesn’t matter when, where, and how we want to show the rest of the world how one has been to us. What really matters is that we take time to show each other how each affects each life, how we’re thankful for having met each person, and how we care so much for them that we can’t even imagine losing them for a long time.

So, take advantage of every opportunity that you are able to show someone you love and care for how much you really do. Be it through testimonials online, a pat on the back, or a hug.

Don’t wait for Death to come, have your own Living Funeral while you can still hear, feel, and react to every thing you are able to grasp, laugh at, and enjoy..

and as what Og Mandino said, “live your life as if it is your last”..

Make the people around you happy as though you’re not going to see them tomorrow, as if today is the last day you’ll be able to hear them laugh at your craziness, see them smile at your good deeds, and touch their hearts like it has never been touched (the way you do) before..

hmm.. so, how about giving me a eulogy..?

I’d be more than happy if you would..!

little dream cloud

Life’s too short.. everything that may happen today or that happened today may never really happen again tomorrow.. so sing it, write it, feel everything you’re experiencing because good things may never come the next day in the exact package it came today..

Dream.. and when you do, dream BIG..! it’s one of the very few things we can have and/or consume for free..! Write everything you dream of, wish for, and hope and pray for! Faith is what keeps our dreams alive. The bigger our faith is on these dreams to come true, the higher the possibility that these dreams will be real!

So.. lay back on your dream cloud, fly as far as your mind can take you, write as if you’re chasing for words, sing as happily as your heart is, feel every pain and live each day as if you’ll never be able to see life tomorrow!

Happy reading on my little dream cloud! ^.^