YOU MATTER - DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU DIFFERENTLY

 

- Saw this in a flower shop... it stood out from all the rest. In spite of the others ablaze in brilliant colors, this stood out in its awesome simplicity.🌷

Sometimes it's the same with people. While others huff-and-puff so hard to make an impression, someone just shines thru as it stands confident and sure in its own true worth...and yet humbly so.

You matter. Maybe quite flawed and imperfect as the rest of the world or humanity is... but you matter. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Don't let people bully you into thinking you're not enough. Of course, you have your own personal glitches in character and personality, so what? So does everybody else. They who think they're perfect and have it all is and are just a tiny box in this huge tapestry of life and living. They're there for a reason, too, which Somebody up there alone knows.

Meantime, be that wonderful person God created. Fill up your space with beauty... love... joy... positivity. Use this to connect with equally wonderful people around you and to the bigger world outside.

Shine with your light. While you're at it, help make the world - our world - a better place

God bless you

BLOOM AND GROW WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

That's our pet dog LuckyB, one of two in our home. Adorable actually, loves chest rubs.😙Fiercely protective of his family. And loves bread..

Bloom where you are planted. -- Not everybody may be given grand or perfect lives. I think that's for a divine reason. Imagine a world of perfection...no growth, challenges, experiences, adventure, surprises. Neither would there be the I-ME-MY-MINE of life and living. Disappointing, won't it be? It would just be all the same... bland and boring. Yup, everybody is like you and you are like everybody else. No diversity of thrills and achievement.

I've read somewhere that we are not supposed to aim for perfection. There is none on the planet. But there is this..... excellence!

The essence of life is to be the best you can be with who you are-what you are blessed with in talent and skill. There is no excuse for being so-so. I believe that God gave man his talent for a purpose. The trouble is we tend to ignore our own potential and gifts. At the same time admiring those who bring out theirs.

There is a diversity of talent showered on people. Everybody. None exempted. Believe it. Rich or poor, young or old, schooled or not, whatever your race..color..or creed, good people or bad people. Yes, the latter have it too. God does not discriminate.

But it's all up to us what to do with it. Right, it's a choice.

I believe that God didn't put us in this place, individually or collectively, just to live mediocre lives. Mediocre meaning -- of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate: Neither did He give us our gifts just to hoard it or keep it inside. Nope, that's not the plan.

His intent is two-fold as I understand it to be. First, is using those talents to serve our needs, growth, and development. Secondly, is using those talents to serve others with - to encourage, to help, inspire, comfort, to bless. We are one even if we live individually and separately.

So how do we do that?

Talents differ. We can be.... kind, respectful, hardworking, generous, compassionate, thoughtful, giving, considerate, persevering, courageous, strong, friendly, supportive, loving, does not discriminate, unbiased, positive towards life, defender of the weak, creative, of shining faith and hope, fair and just, caring towards people and nature,... and so .. so much more. You may even surprise yourself.

Giving more or being more is your gift. Honoring and serving your gift with the best you can be with it is... excellence.

Bloom and Grow where you are planted.

God bless you with so much more beyond measure.

REST THE SOUL -- EVEN IF JUST FOR AWHILE

 

--- That's a beautiful place there, isn't it? In its bigger picture I could see the perfect balance of green.. water.. mountain.. and sky. Unfortunately I couldn't bring that here in its perfection.

But it's a place like this which takes us away from the cares and woes of our much troubled world. Even if just for awhile. Rest the soul, so to speak.

Because just like you, I too get weary with all the rumblings and grumblings of our times. Everybody seems right, everybody seems wrong. But in the end, history will tell us who was right or who was wrong. Meantime, we lend our voices to the issues whichever our hearts and conscience dictate creating history, too, with the roles that we take.

Let's just make sure that good must prevail. Under no circumstances should it be coerced.. bought.. fooled.. replaced.. pushed to the sidelines. Our world will survive with good in it. It will fracture under the weight of evil and its forms if this be allowed to reign. The choice is ours to make. To save the world..or..to damn it. Choose well.

But take time to rest, my dear friends. Savor the beauty of nature (here or in real time) -- gifts from above to rest our mind, heart, body, and soul.

God bless you.🌹💖🎶

IT'S THE ACTION, NOT THE FRUIT OF THE ACTION, THAT'S IMPORTANT

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Was sitting by the window watching the activity out on the street. An elderly woman was berating a child. I could see from the kid's face that she was hurt bad by the mean words heaped on her. Gosh, why can't the woman be more kinder to the child?! That image stuck to my mind long after they had passed my view. Peculiarly, thoughts came streaming down my mind but this one stood out the most, written some years ago.......
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""I was reading the book 'Chicken Soup...' (Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen) and this got my attention. Beautiful lines, I must say. Allow me to quote......
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..."It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result." ---- Gandhi
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The quote wrapped up a beautiful article with this title --- 'PRACTICE RANDOM KINDNESS AND SENSELESS ACTS OF BEAUTY'. (by Adair Lara) I suggest that you include this in your list of must-read books. It's a gem.
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Random kindness could be a warm smile given the cashier behind the counter.... helping pick up groceries that dropped to the floor from an old lady's shopping cart..... offer up a snack to the cable guy who comes over to fix your cable lines under the relentless hot summer sun.... and many more we can do for people and also to our four-legged friends.
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Let me tell you this story.......
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I was at a department store and was finished with my shopping as I lined up for my turn at the cashier. I noticed that the cashier seemed weary and tense and bit her lip at some points in every transaction. 'Must be having a hard day.' I thought to myself. But every time she pursed her lip a dimple surfaced at the corners of her mouth. Pretty but it was an on-and-off show. Then my turn came and I paid for my items. While she was making change I remarked smilingly ...
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'That's a pretty dimple you have there, young lady. You remind me of my mom when she smiles."
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She looked at me apparently surprised but only for a minute. Because out burst forth one of the prettiest smiles I have ever seen in that store that afternoon! 😊🌹👍""

YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO YOUR DOG

When dog and its human hug… 🤗💖

Humans have a lot going on for them …. Job, career, travel, hobby, recreation, book, movies, clothes, gadgets, vacations, house and home, family and relationships, goals and dreams. Plus many others more he can create himself. 

Your pet dog does not have all these. All he has is ---- you. You are his morning, noon, and night. You are his world. You are his life. Each day of his life (about 12 canine years) revolve around you. He adores you with hugs and dog kisses and doggie eyes. Follows you around the house. Obeys your every command, except in his playful moods which is every day! Protects you from strangers with a growl.. the fiercest, at least this side of town. He senses your every mood and feels your feelings, too. My Maxie, in my solitary moments, would jump up the sofa and sit so close to me placing her head on my lap. It never fails; love is the healing balm to the soul. And dogs know how to give it. Sometimes I think dogs are angels in disguise.

Your pet dog looks up to you for tons of love, care and affection.. for protection from harm.. for comfort in times of sickness.. for food when hungry.. for a nice warm bath whenever he’s dirty.. for company when he’s feeling lonely, too. You’ll never know just how precious your hug or petting means. When you bring in a dog into your home, he now becomes family.

You – yes ordinary puny human being you – mean the world to her. Sabi nila baligtarin mo ang 'dog'.. g-o-d.

Now you know why.
🌹💖 

REST AND BE THANKFUL

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I always meant to write every week. But it did not happen. Although the willingness to write is there and the words come piling up into my head. But 'have to admit that it won't come out and be written. So then, what was holding it back, you may want to ask.😊

Simple. Times when all you want to do doesn't happen because something else other than what you planned to takes dominion over it. And that something else isn't even of mind-boggling importance. Weird but it's there. It could take you through a day or two.. or even a week or weeks. But you stay there in that moment and just simply... be.

Mom once said to me --- "You get such days when things are not what you want them to be. But there they are staring you in the face. It's not because you did something wrong or you need to do things right. It's more like an intermission or a break or similar to a director telling his crew to 'take five'." 

Well, she further added --- "..don't fight it. Don't even try to be brilliant and devise ways and means to get over it. It might give you the feeling or impression that life is standing still. Strangely. It seems like it yes.... and yet for a reason."

"What reason?" I asked. 

"You'll find out soon enough." she smiled knowingly.

Mom was right. To cut a long story short, I got more from my break than what I could have gathered with my brain working on double-time. And I saw a lot more things to be thankful for.

It works different from person to person. Depending on how you perceive life to be. But it certainly benefits the mind, body, and soul. 

Take five, people. Rest. Embrace it. Thank God for it😊

God bless you.

THE WORLD AWAITS YOUR LIGHT

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🌹💖
"There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." --- Edith Wharton

Stumbled on this quote while cruising down the internet. Yup I have seen this before. In fact, several times. And I think 'have used it too in one of my blog posts long ago. But it never grows old. The message holds true now as it did back then.

It's a choice ....
the candle or the mirror?

Perhaps someone out there may be wondering 'what is this light all about?' Well, it isn't totally meant in the spiritual sense. Some shy away from this task. I know. It is a personal thing between you and your God. But a bit of it cannot harm anyone or yourself either. Yet when we speak of 'light' there is always a connection to the Divine.

What it suggests is sharing the basic goodness of man. It is being that person we were designed to be in the first place. It is doing the things which promote or build peace, happiness, harmony, understanding, courage, faith, compassion, respect, responsibility, consideration, cooperation, generosity, kindness, and other tools of goodness and benevolence towards others and the world.

It is bringing forth this goodness.. your light.. to others .. to our world.

Nope, it need not always be in a grand or grander scale. But it has it uses, too. Rather it can be the simple ordinary things in the daily flow of life done extraordinarily well with your personal stamp of good. Reaching out to a single person or a greater number are both the same in the same spirit of the light.

Either way carries the light to the world. Thankfully it does. I remember mom say....... "Be that light where you are. Grow where yo u are planted. Use your God-given gifts. With a diversity of ways and reason laid out for you. Bring that light to one another .. to the world. It's all by Divine design."

But tarry not; we don't have a thousand lifetimes. God bless you.🌹

ORDINARY IS SPECIAL IF PASSED THROUGH THE HEART

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I don’t quite remember who said this…. “Ordinary is special if passed through the heart.” Or maybe I simply forgot to write down the name. I found this quote on a small slip of paper as I sorted through old files intending to remove stuff which no longer serve its purpose. It’s regularly done to keep files down to the minimum because I don’t have much space to hold things and stuff in the house. Having the penchant for taking down notes or anything worthy for the writing (done 24/7 anytime-anywhere-anyplace), I would say to you yeah indeed ‘have gathered so much to fill up several plastic bins which have made our limited store room space its permanent home. So before the room explodes to the rafters like a paper bomb, I might as well make serious effort to trim it down to manageable levels. Thus the frequent sorting.

Now back to the quote…..

It made me think…..

Firstly, several things are rendered or labelled ‘special’. Those could be experiences, moments, things, possessions, places, and people. Maybe a particular song which brings back lovely memories every time it’s played on the radio. Or maybe there’s a particular brand of car which you hold dear to your heart because it was your first car bought with your own pay check. Or you consider this particular person a very special friend because he or she has stood by your side through thick and thin through the years. Or you simply can’t make yourself discard this sweater which apparently has seen better times because you wore it on your first date. 

But have you thought about this, it’s not really the thing per se which makes it special. Although some things are regarded special by some people for its artsy design, high monetary value, or being itself exotic and rare. 

A song is just one of many thousands composed... a car one of several brands on the market… a friend one of dozens in a select group you’ve bonded with… and the sweater one of three items you wear to fight off the cold on occasions. Just the ordinary usual familiar everyday things in our life journey. Which usually are commonly ignored or taken for granted. They're just there.
Until…..
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..These things pass through our hearts ...touching it ---creating experiences, milestones, moments, memories. We are made happy or sad by it. But each time we would respond to it too…with our hearts.
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That, in any language, makes it special. Very special.
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Have a lovely weekend, friends. God bless you. I SEE you. YOU are special.

DIVERSITY IS ON THE BLUEPRINT OF GOD’S CREATION -- That's You and Me and the rest of mankind

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A good friend of many years was ranting on the phone apparently pissed off by another friend’s behavior. She sounded hurt and angry. But to know what to say to her I had to get to the bottom of it first, I had to ask why. Well, if she called me then she would be willing to tell that much, right? And so I asked.

The gist of the problem was that the other friend didn’t respond positively to my friend’s dilemma as the latter expected her to. To cut a long story short, the matter wasn’t thoroughly resolved as I had found out later as emotions were still running high on the emotional chart but at least she left our chat with a few things which perhaps and I hope would help shed some enlightenment or learning.

That can be quite a problem to many of us. We each deal with the world and with life through our own eyes, understanding, and perception. We heap on a lot of expectations on a lot of things. That’s the human way as we’re often told. We see the world and people as we are and not through somebody else’s eyes. Now that means there are millions of --'as we are'-- out there colliding in this same world we all share. But diversity in our world is an interesting and wonderful thing as it lends color to our existence. Imagine without it how boring life can be.

Yet that can also create a problem or two when it runs against individuals who are typically diverse in character and personality, when they unexpectedly find themselves in an unpleasant situation one day. Like my friend had just experienced.

All around us every day we see a continuing exchange or interplay of everything that is human interaction.. such as diverse situations, personalities, experiences, events, dealings, connections, relations, associations and even so much more. We get so involved in it. It can be quite overwhelming sometimes and can drain the senses down to low... very low. Thus our coping engine will and would sputter or gasp or maybe even breakdown. But as human flaw would dictate it we would lash out in the only way we know how...through our emotions. I know because I do. And experience tells us that in most cases it’s an easy formula to fail.

And so I have learned that life is not always about me. Nope, it’s not about you either. It’s about us... trying to live this life in the best way we can, individually and collectively, by truly learning to understand each other....you have your own mind, beliefs, preferences, and conditioning as I have mine, too. All is valid. Embrace differences as we embrace likeness. Peace in the midst of such diversity can be beautiful, too. That's worth trying for, don't you think so too?

Diversity... One of God’s special talents. Beautiful, isn’t it?

Here's something I saw online..... to quote (no author mentioned)
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"If you feel hurt, angry or upset at the actions of others, realize that every individual is acting according to his own mind, with its prejudices, beliefs and conditioning. Each person would have acted that way even if it were someone else instead of you. Thus, do not take their actions personally."

Unquote.
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Have a pleasant and blessed weekend, everyone. God bless you all.

STANDING IN AWE OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING IN IT

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Back at my laptop again after an early morning's walk.😍
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This morning's walk took about 30 minutes around the village up and down the mountain.... seeing green trees swaying to a mild refreshing breeze .... hearing the chorus of chirping birds, roosters crowing, and dogs barking their morning greetings.... and walking the streets that has seen its good days and bad (so much like life aye?). Of course couldn't ignore the flowers blooming their brightest from several gardens in the neighborhood. Each looking like new everytime I pass through the place. Amazing! Everything under a huge canopy of spotless blue skies. The bluest of blue -- it never fails to take my breath away.
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And ... rounding the bend I come across my good neighbor who lives about three houses away from my house. Probably in his eighties and a really kind friendly person. We chatted though but briefly as I had to take my leave to finish my walk while he was already at the tail-end of his.
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It is in moments like this that you stand in awe of the total tapestry of life. The birth of new plants and buds .. and the decay and withering away in its own allotted time. Everything is and has its own place and time. Same way in the world of humans.
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Everything in its whole and in its every nitty-bitty detail points to a magnificent Creator. One who is aware of our comings and goings. One who is constantly there for us. Who continually loves us, sinner or saint, unconditionally.
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Yup, and that includes the gorgeous smile of AJ as  he saw me coming in through the front door.😍
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Have a great and blessed day, friends. Pay kindness forward. The world needs plenty of that. God bless you.