WE ARE CREATORS

.
Have read this somewhere and it's a good line to remember too, especially good to tell a friend who now is feeling quite down in the dumps with her bland boring day... thinking that life is just one heavy stack of tough luck. And believes that there’s nothing else one can do about the situation. 

Well, I hope that she's reading this now because that line tells us that we need not look far and wide because we can indeed hope to turn things around. 

How? With our innate and inherent -- creativity. 

If you’ll ask Mr. Webster, he’ll tell you that the word is about – ingenuity, cunning, intelligence, inventiveness, cleverness, resourcefulness, and imagination.

Wow! We’re all that!? And it’s right here in our hands to work out something better for ourselves!? That's Wow!! 

So who’s been telling us all this time that it’s out there whatever-it-is that we need to be or have to make good in life? Doesn't he understand that 'out there' is nothing compared to what's 'in here' --- in us, in you, in every breathing living person on this perceived 'supposedly cursed' planet?! 

So why do we persistently think or behave otherwise? Why instead do we spend so much time bewailing the difficulty of our days and times when it isn’t really so hopeless and dire as we perceive it to be? Who’s been pulling the wool over our eyes now?! 

We can actually do something about bad days and bad lives; change alter or transform it -----from poverty to immense wealth of-and-in experiences, or challenges, opportunities, riches, learning, and wisdom. And this is not just all about the material. Sure it does not happen overnight (I struggled with it, I know - 'been there-done that' .. besides good doesn't come easy), but when you decide to get on that road decisively.... you will sooner or later certainly get where you want to go.

Why not give that a thought, my good friend? And while you’re at it, think about this --- 

We are indeed ‘creators’ as we are created in the image of God – THE CREATOR of all things then and now, visible and invisible! Yup, heard that before, right? But it's true. Remember our catechism? Yup, they started us early on that. It's His Will that we should and do something for ourselves, too. He knows it'll be good for us. And if you know your God, you'll know this to be true. 

So why not give life our best shot? Besides, don't you think that life is short to waste it with buckets of tears? 

And in spite of this you still think you can't ... I might as well bonk you on the head with a block of ice. The hot weather must be affecting your brain, dear friend! C'mon, shake yourself (harder please) and get back into the groove again.  

POSITIVITY - IT'S A WINNER ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT

"Life is a grand  party where no one gets to meet the host or stay to the end."  --- Robert Brault 

A very positive and optimistic point of view on life which I honestly don't get to hear often. But we do know by experience that life is everything but a grand ball. And yet, it can be the grand party you may wish it to be if you so choose it. Just a matter of attitude and a huge dose of positive thinking. That's what it said in a book I had recently read.

Life is tough as we hear it often said and as often as we have been told about it. Consequently we get to experience it ourselves as we get down to the real thing in our respective lives. While many would groan and whine going through the fire, there are some amazingly who would simply dance through the flames. And what may be the difference there? Yes, you're right, it's attitude... a positive attitude towards life.

And as I have learned, a positive attitude springs from a positive mind. But how does one describe a positive mind? I think it's one that believes in possibilities, in potential, in hope, in faith, and in believing that there is ONE up there who cares what happens to you down here. So if HE CARES, what could hold you or us back from anything good?!

An ounce of positivity is a pound of _________. So you fill in the blanks according to what positivity did for you. Maybe somebody out there needs to hear it. :-) Pass the positivity around. It's a winner any way you look at it.

(Thanks, Mr. Quote Man, for the quote. And thanks to the internet for the wonderful images.)

Blessings, everyone!

TODAY IS PERFECT FOR A PERFECT DAY

A friend asked recently 'what do you do on a boring day such as this?' I would like to think that she was referring to her boring day as we shared a good meal in a nice resto at the mall. Because my day was getting along just fine, with her in it.

Nope, I didn't take offense on her remark because apparently she was having trouble coping with her so-called 'boring day'. I took a good bite of my cheesecake and asked my best friend .. 'Ba't mo nasabi yan?' ('Why do you think it's boring?')

'Walang magawa eh!' she replied with eyes rolling. (Nothing to do!)
'Eh anong ginagawa natin dito?' I replied. (So what are we doing here?)
'Ala lang!' she retorted with a big sigh. (Nothing!)

That's as far as I will tell you about that chat with my good friend. Of course that chat was longer than usual for obvious reasons.

We do have days like that, don't we all? I do, rather I used to, and I reacted just like her some years ago. Until someone special told me this............... 'Boring is just a perception. Look deeper into the day -- you might be surprised yet.'

So I learned. Better yet ---- create a wonderful day!

And a huge chest of treasures I found right there inside a 'boring' day! On my own time or with my dear family, I learned to blog.... do fb.... painted in watercolor.... designed gowns.... rode on an ATV.... strolled down the white cool sand on the beaches of Bora.... rode on a bus to the Baclaran Shrine.... found great books at my favorite bookstore.... ate a Vietnamese lunch.... enjoyed a late evening snack at Bancheto.... went joy riding through the streets of Manila.... had a delicious lunch at Sonya's Garden in Antipolo.... another lunch at the Buon Giorno restaurant at The CliffHouse Tagaytay.... admired the awesome Taal Volcano.... went to see a great movie at the mall.... had lunch with my three best friends.... bought gorgeous fresh flowers at the flower shop.... painted a wall in the living room.... clipped off weeds in my small patch of a garden.... watched and listened to great music videos at YouTube.... watched the Lights and Sounds show at the Ayala Gardens.... played with my dogs in the garage.... sew two bags out of two pairs of old blue jeans.... sat through my favorite TV shows (National Geography, LifeStyle Network, Food Network, Hawaii Five-O, HBO...) .... and many more I have yet to discover.

So you see there is no such thing as a boring day because that is all up to you. The thing is don't put to waste what God has prepared for you with each day with every hour with every moment. He means to give you a great day and live life to the fullest. Show Him that you agree to that wonderful plan. Thank you, God!

Blessings, everyone!

YOU DEFINE YOUR WORK AND LIFE BY YOUR ATTITUDE

Oh but my friend never misses a day in sending me nuggets of wisdom in my email. Well, he does me a great service because I love quotes. And if some of you would wonder just why he does painstakingly send me quotes? I'll tell you why.... it's his way of nudging me to write! Makulit! :-)

Here's what he sent me this morning.......

"If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper,
sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures,
like Shakespeare wrote poetry,
like Beethoven composed music;
sweep streets so well
that all the hosts of heaven and earth
will have to pause and say,
'Here lived a great street sweeper, who swept his job well'."

Martin Luther King ---

The attitude to work is more important than the work itself!

Unquote.

I like that. Makes sense, doesn't it? Giving our best in whatever job we have or do is just what is expected of us. Anything less than that is mediocrity and mediocrity has no place in the language of successful people. A job done with divided attention, unfocused, sloppy, slipshod, irresponsible, unprepared, poorly thought out, skin-deep, or uncaring attitude won't make the mark I can assure you. Whether we be a -- clerk, mailman, busboy, saleslady, taxi driver, carpenter, telephone man, or a street sweeper ... but also includes positions of high rank -- it's not the job but the person who works it that matters.

What is our attitude towards work and moving that to the bigger realm of life itself? I have learned that --- Your attitude is you.... and you define life for yourself. Nobody can or will do that for you. You either fail or succeed, make it or break it. Enjoy or feel miserable. That's all up to you.

Why settle for less? Success, whether in huge or small measure, is within our control. All it takes is in having the right attitude ---- the attitude of being the best with what or who we are. Besides remember our moms telling us that 'work is prayer' too? :-)

Hope everyone's having a grand time with summer. Hot maybe but good old Sol is simply most welcome when thoughts are bent on vacations, right? :-) Blessings!

LIFE IS A POT OF STEW

Do you know what goes in a pot of stew? I’m not a cook.. well, I try but it comes off much tastier when somebody else does it. But I can see bits and pieces of all sorts go into it. You’ve got meat, vegetables, spices, water, etc. And it all gets mixed up together and the fire cooks it up to just right.

So is life.

We too get all bits and pieces of all sorts of things and experiences which get intertwined in our lives each day. We get knocked up and down and around in that mix which then makes us lose our bearing or hold in life. Easily we can lose ourselves in it.

But wait! It doesn’t happen for no good reason. Look hard, think hard. Every bit of what may seem ‘scrap’ to you – bits here and there – are actually lending interest to the whole of things. Get it? Those odds and ends are just the spice that livens up your life. Every different thing in that odd mix makes its own contribution to the whole effort --- life!

And what creates it into a delicious whole? Attitude – it’s the fire that cooks it up to just right. It helps us appreciate hidden beauty and truths, makes us see where true value lies, and delight in the way it all blends up to create a delicious sumptuous pot of stew –

Yes, life is a pot of stew. :-)

STOP THE WORLD -- I'M GOING FISHING

I was finishing a new post when I got this piece (from Sanjeev) in my inbox. It's nothing new because I have seen it before and maybe so have you. It's been circulating around on the internet for so long. But when I saw this, a friend came to mind. Anyway, do take time to read this. :-)

One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.

About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family. "

"You aren't going to catch many fish that way," said the businessman to the fisherman. "You should be working rather than lying on the beach!"

The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, "And what will my reward be?"

"Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!" was the businessman's answer.

"And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman, still smiling.

The businessman replied, "You will make money and you'll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!"

"And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman again.

The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman's questions. "You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said. "And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman.

The businessman was getting angry. "Don't you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!"

Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?"

The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the world!"

The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I'm doing right now....?"

--- What I think is it's not wrong to work hard for your dreams. And it's okay to enjoy the fruits of your labor too. Lols! Find your balance. And --- pay no attention to some who think you are not doing enough. They haven't yet learned that it's not kind to judge people by appearances. Could he tell that this perceived lazy fisherman was actually a billionaire just having some good clean fun? :-)