40 Tips for a Better Life


I'm sharing to you this e-mail message i have received from my Aunt. You might find most of the items useful ans somewhat interestingly familiar.
  1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
  2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
  3. Buy a DVD and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
  4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
  5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
  6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.
  7. Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
  8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of six.
  9. Dream more while you are awake.
  10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants. Eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
  11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
  12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
  13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
  14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, or issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
  15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime .
  16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
  17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
  18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
  19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
  20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
  21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
  22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
  23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
  25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
  26. Forgive everyone for everything.
  27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
  28. REMEMBER GOD heals everything.
  29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
  30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
  31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
  32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
  33. The best is yet to come.
  34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
  35. Do the right thing!
  36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!)
  37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
  38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
  39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
  40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about. I just did.

Fired from Work


“Show me someone who does a good job, and I will show you someone who is better than most and worthy of the company of kings.” –Proverbs 22:29-

From my two years experience on the teaching field together with my confidence in my scientific field, it never occurred to my mind that I would experience being fired from work. Well, I had the surprise of my life when I was asked to leave my part-time job as a tutor of a 5th grader. Everyone have their firsts, and this one is mine.

I had been giving up some of my precious time in the evening to do sideline job aside from my permanent work for reasons I now forgot. I enjoyed it along the way, and I received extra money which I used to invest for a “notebook”. After a few months of leisure work with great benefits, here I am now, pondering on my faults for taking it for granted. I won’t hold grudges against my employer because I saw my deficiencies. What would one do if they paid for something and that they are not satisfied with it? I can sympathize since I’m also one of the nit-picker types of person.

I’m partly at fault because I let my tutee have her own way during our sessions. I wasn’t able to motivate her to study for herself and I fell short on meeting the expectations of her parents. Guess I wasn’t motivated too. I felt frustrated too for being blamed at their child's performance. I was her tutor for around 3 months before but I left for a month for a Quiz bowl preparation. I just got back and continued for two weeks which is exam week already. Its a little unfair for them to be disaapointed at me just because i'm a science teacher and my tutee failed in science (only that subject, the rest, so far so good). My only regret is that I wasn't able to prove that i had my part and that their child hasn't meet the expectation. (sighs...)

“Lazy people who refuse to work are only killing themselves; all they do is think about what they would like to have. The righteous, however, can give, and give generously.” –Proverbs 21:25-

This reminded me of how uncertain tomorrows are. One decision leads to another possibility of doing another decision. It’s like our whole life and future depends on the decisions we are making. We can decide to be on time at work or be late. It’s up to us to do the best of what we can or just doodle and be a mediocre. We are left to choose between good or evil, right or wrong, truth and deceits. It’s a harsh life, but then, all of us go through hard times. If not for the storms in life, we can never fully appreciate the calm and peace. Without darkness, one wouldn’t know what radiance is.

2009 Sto. Nino de Cebu Procession Experience

The Sinulog festival in Cebu is one of the most awaited events in the Philippines. Sinulog, for me, is well associated with the Cebuano culture and how people in Cebu Province demonstrate their devotion and faith to the mysterious and miraculous image of the baby Jesus introduced to the country by the Spaniards. This celebration is annually celebrated every 3rd Sunday of January.



In accordance with most Catholic festivals, preparations start 9 days before the actual day (novena). Fluvial parade is also done where reenactment of the first visit is showcased with known personalities or celebrities taking part as the actors. Before the Grand Parade, also known as the Mardi Gras, the procession of the original image of the Sto. Niño is observed and it never failed to attract a big crowd.

As a Catholic myself, I’m not really fond of following processions. However, with a devoted mother such as mine, well, it just makes me guilty to let her go through such sacrifices on her own. So here I am, adding another jam-packed experience in my life.

As usual, people go through the hardships of craning their necks to have a glimpse of the Sto. Niño, flinging their selves to the people beside them to get a breathing space in the filled streets of Colon, Jakosalem, Boromeo and Magallanes and patiently waiting, rain or shine, for the procession to start. Well, as far as I can remember, it has always been like this. These people didn’t come here for fun, but rather, they’re here to sacrifice for something they have prayed from God. Not that I don’t believe it because amazingly, a prayer of mine has been answered after I went through it but most devoted Catholics prays for something near to miracles. However ridiculous one’s prayer is, most of these devotees weren’t really disappointed with their lives to go on strengthening their faith.


The procession this year is more crowded and slow-paced. It might be because, the original image was brought out of the Basilica first unlike the previous years where it is paraded last. The security along the procession route is not that strictly observed too. There are a lot of people who just came in and out of the procession because the sides are open and most of these people are bravely crossing the flood of devotees just to get across the other side of the street. We've been waiting outside the Basilica for about 2 hours and we endured another 2 hours of following the procession. I was just glad when my companions complained they're exhausted and that their legs and feet were screaming with pain. And so, we cut our way halfway and took one last look of the crowd before walking another 15 minutes to find public utility vehicles that would get us home.

Saying I Love You

Just A Thought...

It has been a very cold January so far. It is at times like these that i wonder what it feels like to have someone special to cuddle with just to raise the temperature of my body from an animated source. And thinking of special someones lead me to think of that "something" that makes the world go round.

I let myself believe that one is actually driven by love. Most of our interest are also connected to what we "love" to do. We do our best for something we "love" and we give our best to someone "love". But the most surprising thought that surfaced in my mind is the uncertainty of it.

People needed to hear that they are "loved". I noticed that one isn't really sure if they are treasured unless they hear the most abused phrase of all time (for me that is). Most TV drama series, movies, manga comics and musics have their climactic moments where one declares their "love" for each other.

Families are bound tightly when the members openly declare their feelings to one another. Married couples strengthens their wedding vows by declaring their love. Young couples feel very secure if they hear those words even if, at the back of their minds, they know they are too young to really have deep feelings of connection to someone. One might even be thrown off balance if their nemesis (most hated enemy) utter those words for people in love even though it is stated with pretentious face and malicious motives. Whichever way you think of it, one will doubt if they mean those words that, somehow, stirred something in the deepest corners of their hearts.

Through the worst sufferings and hardships in life, all these go away when we hear these lines from someone we care for. Doubts, worries and apprehensions about the future dissolves when we hear "I Love You"..