A MOTHER'S EXPECTATIONS ISN'T THE ONLY FORMULA TO LIFE AND LIVING

                               

 

--- My mom held expectations for me in her heart. Perhaps the same way her mom had hers for her daughter in their time. Mom, though poor, persevered and graduated, but I didn't know if teaching was her dream job, and she married before 30. 🌷

I think I've missed a few things in her list. Life had other plans for me and laid down challenges on the table which were stoically meant for me to hurdle. Not always easy; I had my share of hurt and pain but something was undoubtedly happening. I sensed my life moving... evolving.  I can  understand it now as I look back to it all. 🌷

Yes, I better understand it now that a mother's expectations though with good intent and love isn't the only formula to life and living. 🌷

Because life is not all about what others may think is best for you. Rather it should be lived according to you in your own lived circumstances... in your own allotted time and space and moments... in your best of who you are and what you are, by God's design. God, by the way, always knows best.🌷

Happy in the heart. I hope wiser too. It's still an imperfect life --- but, Mom, it's a good one.💕🌷🤗

CHOOSE. IT'S ONE OR THE OTHER. NO IN-BETWEEN.

As an old friend once said.... "You choose your wine." He loved wine, of course. And certainly pointed out to me that there are wines .. and wines. Meaning that there's a wide array of wines to choose from whatever your taste may be. Good wines, bad wines, mediocre ones, excellent ones. Top of the line or those pretending-to-be-wines. Haha if there is such a thing. But choose, he says.

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But it led me to think.....

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He said "Choose". Agree. Life is always about choices, like it or not. But it's only on two planes ----- the good and the bad. Choose. It's one or the other. No in-between.

From sunrise to sunset. With big issues or small issues. Everyday. Whoever you are-whatever you may be. Young or old ...and older. Smart or not-so-smart. Rich or poor. Working in the corporate world or on back-breaking jobs at the construction site. Local employment or as an OFW in a foreign country out there in the world. Hero or thief. CEO or street sweeper. Friends or enemies. Male, female, or LGBT. None exempted nor excluded. The rule of the universe.

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Life is what we make it. We are tasked to choose wisely. Life goes good for us because we choose wisely. Life goes bad because of wrong choices. Thus called mistakes.

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Can mistakes be undone? I don't think so. Instead, I think, we should better strive to learn from it and turn it into precious gems of learning - growth - development - improvement - progress. For our benefit --- in becoming better persons than the persons that we were yesterday. 👍And this, I think, we're also tasked to make by HIM above. By Divine Design.

 

 

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015 - STRENGTH UNDEFEATABLE

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To quote....
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"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable." ------ Helen Keller, Let Us Have Faith (1940)
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Unquote.
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It is that time of the year .. again .. when we reassess, reevaluate, review, or look back to the year that has passed. The highs and lows of it, its triumphs and failures, its joys and sadness, its successes and bloopers, its dare-do and dare-not, its friends and enemies, its good and its bad. Life!
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There may be things in there which we would like to change ....and then again some which we may hang onto quite stubbornly, whether it be good or bad. And then again some who believe that life is just what it is, that it can't be changed.
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Well, whatever your belief is.... life is what you make it, good or bad. Nobody can tell you what to do with it; nobody has the right to. You are your own author... you write your own story.
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You can make it an adventure.... or an endless chain of excitement.... or an endless round of merriment.... or a pocketful of challenges.... or buckets-full of tears.... or a hopelessly boring one........ The choices are all up to you.
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Savor the triumphs achieved but please don't try to heap blame on things, circumstances, and people when life suddenly turns sour. Because life is all about choices. Even in bad situations you still have a choice. Stand up to the choices you have made and make.
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Life is what you make it.
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Let's look forward to the best year 2015 can be for us all.

  HAPPY  NEW YEAR!!! 

 Be blessed. Stay blessed.

Love you all. 
 Thank you for being with me through all the writing.

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TRUE HAPPINESS COMES FROM WITHIN

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Two quotes I got in my inbox ... wonderful quotes on the pursuit of happiness.

----- "Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it."  -- Andy Rooney

----- "We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."  -- Frederick Keonig

Both quotes say what we need to see, hear, and listen to. We all are chasing after happiness in some way or another, tangibly or intangibly, believing that happiness should be found outside of ourselves and certainly not from within. What a big lie! We have been brainwashed to believe that happiness is achieved from buying a gorgeous red dress with matching red stilettos, a new gadget, new house and car, much money in the bank, travel round the world, a high position and corresponding paycheck, and the like. Oh but I'm not saying all that is bad. We know that those things can lend us some amount of happiness and does help ease the drudgery of living and could be useful perks in life. Yes, I wouldn't mind a fat bank account myself. But, and it doesn't end there ... there must be more to it than just acquiring things.

There is! And it's right here .. in ourselves. It's called learning how to appreciate and value the simple pleasures and joys of life and living. Yet so simple that we often tend to take it for granted or consider it just part of the furniture. Ordinary, nakasanayan na eh. So we treat it as 'Okay fine, no big deal!'

I would disagree to that because contrary to what most think the simple pleasures of life are such big huge colossal deals. All are tremendous boosts to an otherwise mundane life. Life is crazy and we do need something to keep our sanity.

Like wonderful moments such as these.......
-- when someone unexpectedly sends off a nice greeting for you
-- when I see flower buds bloom in my tiny pot garden
-- when a nice refreshing wind blows the heat away from your day
-- when a neighbor greets you with a brilliant smile when you pass by
-- when someone remembers it's your birthday
-- when a man offers his seat to you on the train
-- when a young person opens the door for you
-- when the fruit vendor nicely puts in an extra fruit into your basket
-- when you see a glorious sunrise...  or sunset
-- when your pet dog snuggles close to you on the couch
-- when in the company of wonderful friends
-- when bonding with family on trips or travels
-- when having the family at the table sharing a blessed meal
-- when one day you find a prayer answered
-- when Divine Intervention gives you the solution you need
-- and so much more.....

Just be happy, everyone. True happiness, the kind that truly matters, comes from within. It's just there within always ready for the picking. Be blessed by it and stay blessed, too.