STRESS CAN BE A NUDGE TO GROW

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This Tuesday morning is quite different from other days only because this time two carpenters are working on the rain gutter (alulod) on the roof. So that means a lot of hammering is being done up there and this in turn affects the residents of this household. That is even saying it in milder terms. Because as far as I am concerned I would gladly fly up to Jupiter for the duration of this alulod project. But since I can't.... I decided to cruise down the blog world in a leisurely manner to amuse myself with the writings of fellow bloggers while hoping to myself that time would whiz by as a rocket does!
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Anyway.....
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Glad that I did because I stumbled on these two lovely lines which I would like to share with you.
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"STRESS IS YOUR CHANCE TO SOAR"
--- JasonTourville, Building Champions 4 Life
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"TIMES OF STRESS ARE SIGNALS FOR GROWTH"
--- Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, on JasonTourville's blog
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Have you ever considered stress in that manner?
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When I was younger I had buckets-full of stress (oh not that I don't have any right now but somehow I've learned some lessons) ... So then stress was there even for the slightest reason as not finding a cab under a heavy downpour just when something important was waiting for me. Then followed the stresses of wifehood... motherhood... parenthood... and of course adulthood. They come one after the other, sometimes all together. No place is sacred because it happens in the home, at work, or even in church when unruly kids scream their hearts out in play all throughout the mass, at the mall, in a party, in a meeting, shopping for the right birthday gift, applying for a job, or with carpenters' non-stop hammering on the roof!
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On looking back I now realize that each time I made to address the problem some new or additional skill or ability surfaced which helped me deal with the issue at hand. Or better yet it pushed me to learn new skills or abilities to deal with the issue and in turn resulted in diminishing or eliminating the stress. New skills or new abilities always lead to growth, right? So it also follows that with the solution of a problem comes the feeling of exhilaration -- you feel like soaring up in the air with happiness! I was growing..... I was soaring.... I was happy.
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So I guess that's what stress does to us --- it gives us the DESIRED OR NECESSARY PUSH to try --- to do things better or best..... to respond to it in a smarter way..... to develop..... to improve..... to progress..... to adjust..... to learn..... to think better..... to mature..... to grow. PLAIN SIGNALS TO GROW!
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Amazing, isn't it!?!

TASKED TO BE BETTER AND BEST FOR SELF AND OTHERS

 

A friend shared this on his Fb timeline. I like it. Truth is, I like every post shared on his page. If it isn't about lovely pictures of the Pakistan landscape or some other place he so beautifully highlights, it would be words of wisdom such as this shown above. Wisdom which admittedly we often overlook, ignore, or scuff at because we think we know better. Do we really know better?

One other reason that I do fb is because it allows me tons of opportunities to learn. Particularly from people. People make for an interesting study. Myself included, if I were to learn seriously. Studying people gives you a glimpse of what life is all about. Life is all about people. It's actually people creating life, not life creating people.

People make up a huge kaleidoscope of color, emotions with its good and bad, vibrations, diversity, energy and the lack of it, opinions, insights, impressions, contradictions, biases and prejudices, preferences, choices and decisions, moods with its highs and lows, and certainly not the least experiences of both right and wrong.

Looking at everything one can easily say 'flawed'. Yes we all are flawed. Perhaps the reason why God left it at that is because He wants us to grow some more. This He shows us how to do by utilizing not only our brains and hearts but also our body parts. The bottom line is we are tasked to love one another and help create a better world.

And to do that we start with the self. That, my friends, is by God's design.

My God pour out His grace, light, peace, and love into your lives, families, and homes.

ALL FOR A GOOD REASON --- YOU

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'Everything happens for a reason.' -- I have heard that spoken and written about for hundreds of times then and now.

When fortunes crumble, relationships disintegrate, dreams melt away, or hopes get snuffed out just like that....  they say it must be for some reason. But even to the wisest of men its reason or reasons may not be known right away, except for those already visible to the eye. Oddly its true understanding enlightenment or explanation would come much much later when the dust would have already settled down, so to speak. A dear friend, who I will always remember, said this .. 'Wait and you will know.'
 
I  have always thought that waiting would be too late. Because the hurt, pain, disappointment, frustration, sadness, sorrow experienced would have already taken its heavy toll and leave deep scars both in the mind and heart.... and to the body as well as anxiety would have worn it down, too. All seemingly beyond repair. Or so it all seemed.

But my friend insisted... 'Wait and you will know.'

To cut a long story short, I did wait.

Time took over.

And one by one the reason or reasons unfolded itself to me. Amazingly.

I have learned....  It is when one has learned to receive peace, learned to forgive, learned to adjust one's sails on the turbulent seas of life, grown by leaps and bounds in maturity, gained a better self-worth, and seen the world and its people for its myriad of flaws and imperfections that one is able to see... truly see beyond all of that pain and hurt. And finally begin to understand the why's of it all. And best of all learn even more.. so much more. To be healed and joy be restored abundantly is its reward.

Everything happens for a reason. Definitely it's for a good reason --- You! By God's design. 
Be kind to yourself; wait where the waiting should.
Don't lose your smile. God will make the waiting worthwhile.
Blessings, everyone!

I THINK THEREFORE I WRITE

Whenever I feel the nudge to write I don’t just sit at my desk and words come flowing out like flood waters out of a broken dam or like a wild horse which has broken free from captivity now running wild and free. It doesn’t happen that way. Starting off with this magical nudge, I sit at my desk with my fingers poised over the keys waiting as my thoughts begin to churn. A phrase comes out and I type it. A paragraph comes next and I type that too. Then a pause wiggles in to which my eyes take advantage of wandering outside my window looking out to the blue sky or admiring the tree branches traipsing in the wind. A distraction you might say but not really. Thoughts don’t stop just because you look somewhere else. Well, at least it does that to me. It continues the process of thinking yet further enhanced by and with the observed nuances of a scene, thing, activity, or sound carried in by one momentary second of perceived distraction.

And the writing continues because the thinking cranks up to high gear. Now the typing picks up speed trying its best not to miss every word every thought. Then again another pause... something akin to vigorously running a long mile and coming to losing your wind and so you stop. But does the thinking stop too?

It does not. I may want to walk away from my desk with a new intent to grab a nice cup of coffee and too decide to sit back and relax enjoying it but my thoughts would still keep on tossing and turning ideas in my mind. It does not care about the coffee but it does care about my experience of it. Yes, more food for the thought and for the writing.

My mom, bless her soul, summed it up long ago with this......  ‘You think ... therefore you write.’

This post is also meant to encourage others out there who love to write to .......  connect with your thoughts and W-R-I-T-E !!

Blessings, everyone!

OPEN YOUR HEART AND FEED YOUR SOUL

The question of the day  'What's on your mind?'

It is this ---- THE HEART RULES. And this highlighted quote and the others on the list (all by Goethe) speak my heart. Which of these speak to you? Take it; live it; make it your own.
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My favorite:
"All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, till they take root in our personal experience."  -- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

1) “A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.”

2) “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

3) “It is not doing the thing we like to do, but liking the thing we have to do, that makes life blessed.”

4) “You can’t, if you can’t feel it, if it never
Rises from the soul, and sways
The heart of every single hearer,
With deepest power, in simple ways.

You’ll sit forever, gluing things together,
Cooking up a stew from other’s scraps,
Blowing on a miserable fire,
Made from your heap of dying ash.

Let apes and children praise your art,
If their admiration’s to your taste,
But you’ll never speak from heart to heart,
Unless it rises up from your heart’s space.”
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Blessings to you and more for the weekend up ahead.

OUR BEST TO SELF AND OUT TO THE WORLD

I'm bringing a wonderful quote here. It's a good one and I think we should be taking it seriously if we are to survive this century and those still coming.

Here it is.....  

"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, 

but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." 

(Alvin Toffler)

 

LEARN -- UNLEARN -- RELEARN. That's what life is all about. We don't stop learning because we have finished with school with certificates hanging up on the wall to prove it ...or that we are the best in our chosen field ...or that people look up to us for our brilliance and wit. When we stop learning everything else which we may have gathered or acquired or achieved fall into a dead-end.. become irrelevant as new knowledge begin to replace it.. go stale as its time begins to pass.. diminish as muscles atrophy when allowed to remain still for a longer period of time.

We are not here to gather big mansions, bank rolls, flashing cars, trophies and titles although those are not bad in themselves because they are part of essential dreams or goals and can be blessings too. But life does not end there nor is it everything about life.

It's not what we get from life or for ourselves..... but rather what we give to life which makes this whole business of living truly magnificent. That can be achieved by continuously working on self for a better 'you'. We get the best from life -- the things which truly matter -- when we give it our best as a person within and without.

We do this by working hard at LEARNING new things -- UNLEARNING those which no longer serve a better purpose -- RELEARNING old things which we may have missed or neglected because we didn't pay it much attention the first time.

Life, as mother once said, is one big university .... and we its students. Learning is a lifelong activity and everyday has its lesson ready for us to learn. We are tasked to grow, to develop, to mature, to progress. The big goal is to become our authentic best so that we can give better or best out to the world. That, by the way, is by God's design.

Have a lovely day, everyone. Be blessed... and stay blessed... and bless others with it.

DISCOVERY AND THINKING ARE CLOSE COUSINS

A friend once quipped quite snootily I must say.. 'I see what you see, so what's the big deal?' -- Funny, if I hadn't remembered what Mom said to me long ago.. that person would have received a good verbal smack down from this ole little lady here that he'd wish he had kept his mouth shut... or... better resolve to make learning his quest henceforth. Kidding, of course!  I know.. we know .. that he just didn't understand. I have learned through life that much of knowledge and wisdom would simply pass you by if you don't learn to stop and look and listen. It's what you do with the information presented to you which makes the true mark. When you do that.. it becomes yours. But as in all blessings, make sure to pay it forward so that others may share in that blessing too. Because that matters.

'No two people are alike;  different folks - different strokes.' That's what Mom would always say. So let people say what they want. Because simply said  -- 'you catch a fish by its mouth' ... wisdom or ignorance reveals itself when a person begins to talk. Whenever good lessons are sent us by the Divine, we are expected to -- learn, process, internalize, probe, understand, toss it in our minds, and wrap it 'round our hearts. Because, by God's design, the goal is to grow in mind, heart, and spirit. And that is a big deal!

Here's a wonderful quote that sums it all up in one good bite.....

"Discovery consists of seeing what everyone has seen

and thinking what no one has thought."

(Eden Philpotte, England)

 Discover.. learn.. grow.. enjoy.. and thank God.
Blessings, everyone. Enjoy your lovely weekend.

PEOPLE -- IS GOD'S BUSINESS. FAITH IS OURS.

Today, January 13, Sunday, is a wonderfully sunny day over here.

One time not so long ago, we three friends were walking down the mall and one friend remarked.... 'haaayyy di na maubus ang mga tao sa daan..' (endless stream of people). The other looked askew at her but in jest said... 'pag walang tao sa mundo, wala nang trabaho si God' (literally translated, 'without people God won't have a job'). Well, that somehow managed to calm down the irritation of the other because they were now good-naturedly laughing their hearts out.

But she's right... people is God's business. The caring, comforting, consoling, guiding, guarding, forgiving, saving, providing, healing, managing, the coaxing and the reprimand, and the loving --- that is God's job description. And HE loves HIS job because HE's got lots of love to give. And anyone who does that kind of job must be very much in love indeed. HE is LOVE.

So why still do we worry and fret about what's next, what more to accomplish, difficulties to overcome, and about tomorrows? Simple. That's who we are.... 'O ye of little faith'. You and I, them, and plenty of others more.... we can't help but worry. We do that repeatedly over things we don't understand and even on those that we do. And God -- that's something we don't always understand. Right?

We worry in small measure or big, in the silence of our hearts or openly with our hearts splattered all over the place, alone or in the company of fellow-worry warts, in weakness, and sometimes even in strength.

Whenever the day makes me worry, (oh yes, there's plenty in the day and in life to worry about, we all know that don't we? we do that everyday every chance we get)...... I run to these .... Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd... Psalm 91: The Lord is my refuge... But essentially to this    JEREMIAH 29:11 ...

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I WILL BE FOUND BY YOU," says the Lord.
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If there be contradictions to life vs. His word, that is NOT His fault. It's us --ourselves- who create or form our lives by our thoughts, words, and deeds.. good and bad. Know it or not but we receive or block blessings by the strength or lack of FAITH. It's all there --- the spiritual power is ours... the blessings are all there ready for our taking... 'the yoke is easy and the burden is light'. That is His promise. Why is it so hard to believe that?!

FAITH. Learn it... unlearn that which destroys it... relearn to remember it. That, incidentally, is our job description. Let's try to do our job well day by day.

Hope you're all having a pleasant and blessed weekend.
God bless you all!

WHEN THINGS HAPPEN, PASS IT THROUGH YOUR MIND

"Everything in life comes to you as a teacher. Pay attention. Learn quickly." 

-- A Cherokee Saying

That's what my Mom would always tell me, too. Further adding, 'much of life is understood from thinking about it well...' One day a friend visited our home. Mom took her into the living room to chat and for some refreshments where I was also doing a bit of reading. I was twelve then. Her friend saw me and commented ... 'she should be out playing...' To which Mom replied with ... 'she enjoys reading and thinks much about what she reads...'  To this her friend said ... 'she thinks too much...'  I heard the conversation from where I sat but I didn't look at them, but from the corner of my eye I saw Mom smile and say.... 'oh she's a good kid and I'm mighty pleased. So all that thinking must be good... Besides she just came in from a kiddie pool party next door...'  Hearing that my heart smiled. I've never stopped thinking from then on. Thanks, Mom!

Our minds are a gift from God. He knows that we need one to go through this life. He knows that many things will happen both the good and the bad to which we should --- analyze... process... evaluate... understand... create and recreate.... and we can't achieve anything of that and more without first passing it through some great thought or thinking. It's as simple as that....  think and use your head. That was God's plan from the beginning ... a smart plan from a wise God.

Again.... Merry Christmas, everyone! God bless!

(Photo source:  travel.nationalgeographic.com)

A LIFE TO THE FULLEST

Why do we chain themselves to old worn mind sets, of severe thoughts that serve only to cramp our style and enjoyment of a full life. And you may ask 'what is meant by a full life?'

-- Simple. It only means that we see and acknowledge our blessings, recognize its Giver, realize our God-given spark, know and still like who we are and where we are at. Because as difficult as that may sound, that's what God intended our life to be. May not be a perfect life but it's ours. We and all that we stand for is the vehicle by which we grow, learn and become the person God meant us to be. That's what we're supposed to do. And it's there so that we may live life to the fullest.