Life Lessons Lessons Learned On My Way To Getting There 1:25 PM If you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are, and if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know where you’re going. And if you need to know where you’re going, you’re probably going wrong. -Terry Pratchett Sometimes, it’s easy to feel like life is passing you by. One day you wake up and realize that most of your peers are now getting on with their adult lives, getting married, and having babies. And here you are...still drunk in love with your being single. It could be terrifying when negative thoughts start to enter your mind. When people make you question your choices, you begin to also doubt yourself. That is if you don’t have a solid conviction of who you really are, what you want, and where you are going. On my way to getting there, I’ve learned how to make the journey light, and I’m sharing it here with you. 1. Know exactly what you want. Where exactly is your ‘there’? Living without goals is like driving without direction. You keep on going around in circles. You don’t get anywhere simply because you don’t know where you’re heading. If you know exactly what you want, you can change your strategies or change your timetable and still know it’s okay because you haven’t forgotten your destination. You have a clear vision of where you’re going so you don’t go astray. You may have stopovers or detours, but keep your eyes on the prize. What do you really want to do, and where do you want to go? Giphy 2. Be friends with people from all walks of life. Younger friends are fun to be with because their excitement and curiosity are contagious. They keep you young and updated. Friends who are about your age share the same sentiments. You can share notes about your past experiences, struggles, and plans. They are your reality check. Friends who are more mature or are ahead of you in this life journey could be amazing life mentors. They will guide you and help you avoid making the same mistakes they did. Entrepreneurs have different mindsets and lifestyles from people in the workforce. See things from different perspectives by forming friendships with business owners and employees. Every person you meet has a story, and their story comes with lessons for you to learn. Giphy 3. Do something today that your future self will thank you for.They say money speaks only one language. “If you save me today, I will save you tomorrow.”Learn how to manage your finances. The people who laugh at your frugal ways will one day come to you and ask you for help. (True story!) Take care of your health and secure your future. Learn how to be truly rich. Enjoy the present, but don’t forget to save some for tomorrow. You don’t want to be begging for money when you’re too old or maybe too sick to work. Yes, YOLO! But you only live once, so you might as well not live miserably, right? That piece of steak looks good, but is it really worth it when you know you’re putting your life at risk? Not to mention the debilitating effect of the meat industry on the environment and, of course, the suffering of the animals just for you to get your plate of juicy steak. Your future self will thank you for your choices today. Choose selflessly and wisely for your health, the planet you live on, and the future. Giphy 4. Travel more. Visit a new place. Traveling changes your perspective. You realize that you are a tiny speck in the vast universe. Your primary concern, like your change of career, what other people would think, not having a date for Valentine’s, not having enough clothes in your closet, or not getting the latest gadget, will become insignificant. CALVIN: If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live much differently. HOBBES: How so? CALVIN: Well, when you look into infinity, you realize that there are more important things than people do all day. Imgur 5. Help someone. Your job title, the trophies, and the rewards you received may be impressive and could give you euphoria. But there is a different kind of high when you give without expecting anything in return. Help someone who is not capable of giving you back. At least not directly. Because kindness begets kindness. The love (or hate) you give will eventually come back to you. Have you ever been a part of a ministry and witnessed God’s work through people helping other people? You will be amazed. Giphy 6. Let go. You can never enjoy the present if you keep looking back at the past. As you age, you realize that some dreams are worth pursuing and others are not your dreams but someone’s plans for you, like your parents. Let go of the people who are holding you back. Let go of your excess baggage to make your journey getting there easier and lighter. What are the things that are weighing you down? Is it guilt? Forgive yourself and ask for forgiveness. Confess. Is it an addiction? Seek help. Is it your inner critic? Learn how to silence it. Is it worrying about what people would say? Why does it matter anyway? Is it the limitation you set yourself? Change your mindset. Is it a toxic lifestyle? Learn how to live healthily and live happily. Is it fear? Do it afraid. Is it your lavish ways? Simplify. Giphy Sometimes you get to your dreams fast, and sometimes you face detours. Sometimes on your way to reaching your goals, you realize life is more than just about pursuing a career and living according to society's dictates. Sometimes you get lost and find a better dream, and sometimes you see...a better you. I’m getting to my next chapter. Just taking it slow, enjoying each step, but getting there. How about you? Where are you going? What lessons have you learned on your way to getting there?
Lux Thinking Aloud Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy 10:31 AM You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. -C. JoyBell C. As I grow older, there are crazy things I had to quit to be crazy happy. I have zero regrets in doing so. Are there things that are stopping you from living a life filled with joy? Quit them before it's too late. Don't get me wrong. I'm a believer of keeping on. That is, keeping on with the good things and chasing dreams. When it comes to the negative stuff, I am a quitter. Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy Quit crying over spilled milk When things are over and done, there's no use holding on to it. When an opportunity has passed and you failed to grab it, you'll never get it back by still wishing you should have or thinking about the what ifs. Should have, could have, what if. Simple phrases with a lot of weight to carry. Quit crying over spilled milk. You can always buy another. 😛 "Kids, you can't cling to the past. Because no matter how tightly you hold on, it's already gone." -How I Met Your Mother Giphy Quit living my parents' dreams for me I don't want to cause my folks any headache, so I let them choose my career for me. But in doing so, I was slowly killing my own purpose. Needless to say, I was miserable. You can never be happy living other people's dreams, even when you're doing it for your loved ones. That's because you have a different calling. Your heart wants to lead you somewhere else. Claiming other people's dreams as your own buries your calling deep down that when you finally want to do what you really want...it will take a long time to dig it out. You'll be walking around thinking, "But what do I want? What am I supposed to do?" So a friendly reminder to parents: let your kids discover what they're good at, nurture their gifts, and support their ambitions. Because whatever it is that they keep envisioning for themselves and gives them fire in the belly, that's what they're meant to do. That's their anointing. That's their purpose. You have no idea how much they can accomplish if you let them follow their passion. Giphy Quit waiting for things to happen I've delayed a lot of things and had to choose option B many times because I needed to wait. I needed to wait for someone to be available or I had to wait for the "perfect" timing. I've allowed stress into my life by beating the deadline because I've waited for inspiration to strike. I've waited for people to pay back money they borrowed when they obviously have no intentions to do so. I've waited for someone to accompany when I can totally go on my own. I've waited for apologies from people who never showed regrets. Waiting for things to happen is wasting precious time. It will drain you in the long run. Let go of things you can't control and make peace with yourself instead. Forgive yourself for waiting and for stealing your own joy by doing so. Giphy Quit chasing people Chasing people includes forcing myself to be friends with people who obviously don't want me involved in their lives. Some people may play an important role in a certain episode of your life, but you don't need them until the season finale to complete your story. Quit chasing them! If they want to be in your life, they will make an effort to be. Two things you will never have to chase: True friends & true love. -Mandy Hale Giphy Quit taking crap from others There's a very fine line between kindness and stupidity. The more you some people kindness the more they abuse you instead of appreciating and reciprocating your kindness. You have to accept the fact that there is goodness in everyone, but some people chose a different path. They've made their choice. Now, make yours. In this tough, cruel, wicked world (I like to be dramatic sometimes), you need to stand your ground or you'll be trampled over. When life pushes you around you have to push back. Quit settling I'm done settling for mediocrity. I'm done settling for second best. I'm done settling for a high paying job but is slowly turning me into a zombie. I'm done settling with housemates from hell, with friends who are pulling me down and hinders me from becoming more. I'm done settling with "just fine". I'm done accepting measly pays for my writing gigs. Giphy Quit toxic people Surrounding yourself with gossiping, procrastinating, condescending people will make you like them too. I'm not comfortable doing these things. I don't see myself doing the same things in the years to come. So I cut my ties with them. And boy, what a weight lifted off my shoulder. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. -Jim Rohn Giphy Quit being hard on myself I used to always blame myself when things don't go well. Even in relationships where it takes two to tango, I always thought it's solely my fault. Are you still wondering why this post is called Crazy Things I Quit To Be Crazy Happy? I was crazy! Giphy Quit fixing things and people I tried to fix people who are otherwise happy with where they are no matter how messed up their lives are. I tried to make them see reason. I tried to mend broken relationships and in the process, I drained myself empty. But what's crazier is that I'v met a lot of people who are doing the same thing. This disorder is rampant. I think it's universal. We need to quit it quick. Giphy Quit fighting every battle I used to be feisty. It seems there's not a fight I would surrender to. I was fierce. Obviously, I was always exhausted and preoccupied with unnecessary things. I have little time left for self-improvement. I've realized that walking away from a fight is not cowardice, it's courage. Choosing which battle to fight is not lack of bravery, it's boldness. And some people just don't deserve your time and attention. Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience. -Mark Twain Tenor Quit eating meat This is an ongoing argument in the society. And I know I mentioned here on the blog a few years ago that I went back to eating burger. But I've changed. Dare I say it, I am more enlightened now. Since I've originally written this article in 2016, a lot of things happened. From a happy carefree single gal, I got married. I quit my full time high paying job to freelance. I've traveled to different places I used to just dream about. And my dogs made me a better soon. They proved to me that animals are intelligent, sentient, kind and capable of showing love and loyalty. Sometimes, they're better than some humans. 🤷 I realized that if I will not support killing of dogs for food because they are family, why do I continue to support the torture and killing of other animals just so I can satisfy my cravings? If I will not allow anyone to hurt my dogs, why do I patronize businesses that test on animals, or use animals as commodity? It didn't make sense to say I love the planet, I support causes for the environment and I love animals when I have a dead animal part on my plate. Going vegan goes beyond diet. It's a lifestyle. It's not a hype that will go passé in the future. The future is vegan. Being vegan is about quitting cruelty and choosing compassion and kindness. I quit meat not because I'm crazy but because it's crazy to support the killing of animals for my palate's satisfaction. I quit meat because I love the earth...especially the animals. Giphy I didn't realize how crazy things in my life were making me miserable then. It took me years to finally let go most of them. I had to for the sake of my sanity. And because I have finally allowed God to fix me, and allowed myself to heal from my brokenness that caused me to do these crazy things. Loving myself more means I need to quit the things that are not contributing to my well being. I'm a quitter. And I am a damn happy one. What crazy things do you think you need to quit to be crazy happy? Gifs from Google images.
Life Lessons 10 Life Lessons From Maleficent Movie 10:02 AM Have you ever wondered why villains are the way they are? Only when I got older did I realize people aren’t born evil. Something pushed them. Someone hurt them. Hurt people hurt people. And that has been made clearer with my favorite Disney villain’s story. So here are the ten life lessons from the Maleficent movie and the realizations I learned. 10 Life Lessons Learned from Maleficent Movie1. Forgiveness sets you free.When we close the chapter that has long been over, a new story starts to unravel. Don’t wait for the person who hurt you to apologize before you forgive them. By then, it may be too late. Decide to forgive now for your peace of mind.Forgive yourself for allowing that person to walk through your mind with their dirty feet.Stop hanging on to the past because it’s already done.Stop beating yourself up for what happened in the previous chapter of your life when the part of that story is already over.Choose to forgive and set yourself free.2. We choose the life we want.There’s evil in this world, but it has no power over you unless you allow it to. Every day, you make a choice. Mocha or latte.Save or spend.Choose food that heals or food that harms.Spread kindness or hatred.Respond or react.Find a way or find an excuse.Smile or frown.Love or indifference.It’s up to you.What are you choosing today? It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. - JK Rowling3. What goes around comes around.Kindness begets kindness. Hate begets hate. No matter how hard you try to be kind to everyone, sometimes, someone will repay it with hostility.It may be tempting to give your haters a taste of their own medicine, but that will not heal your wound.The best revenge is success. Nothing kills your enemy more than seeing you happy and prosperous. Sit back. Relax. And let karma do her job.4. Master yourself. It’s normal to be angry when you’re hurt. It is a healthy response.It’s never okay to live with the pain and let your anger control you.Tame that angry beast inside you. Or else...You will drive the people around you away.You will have sleepless nights.You will get sick.Anger steals joy and peace.It will make you miserable. You could end up like the people who hurt you.Allow yourself to be angry. Embrace the pain. And then, let it go. (I’ve learned this one from Tuesdays with Morrie).5. Create your own happiness.Don’t make another person your source of happiness. Make your own sunshine.Choose to be happy. Stop holding on to what causes you misery or stress.Life becomes easier if you free yourself from the tt that are weighing you down. You open yourself up to better options and opportunities.6. Greed destroys. Negative and toxic feelings will eventually swallow you if you allow them.Greed will destroy you. King Stefan, in the movie, wanted more. His insatiable hunger for worldly things destroyed his family and drove him to madness. It eventually led to his death.7. Hurting people hurt people. Misery loves company. People who are wounded tend to wound others. They are screaming for help and desperate for healing but don’t know what to do. They feel empty. Their words are like knives.They are challenging to be around. They will drain your energy.You will never speak to talk more than yourself in your head. Be kind to yourself.8. Know the story behind the story. I used to think that Maleficent was born evil. Who would curse a baby?I never asked why she did what she did. What drove her to become this evil?I’ve realized that, as adults, we understand the villain more. Heck, sometimes we can even relate to them.When you meet a toxic person, do you judge them immediately to them, or do you through them right away?9. Teamwork is essential.We all need a reliable backup to accomplish our goals. A team of people to cheer us on or simply support us.We need friends who believe in us and see our potential---even when we doubt ourselves. We need friends who will point out the wrong in us. But will never walk away.Who is on your team?10. The power of wordsWords can build and destroy life. Be careful with what you say. Once spoken, you can’t take them back.How powerful are words? Dr. Masaru Emoto’s experiment showed that words can affect and change the molecular structure of water.And that’s only water. Imagine the effect of words on a person.Bonus lesson: never mess with a woman with red lipstick. 🤣 Realizations about Maleficent: Whpotenteficent?Maleficent is the most powerful fairy who lives in the Moors, a magical forest realm bordering a human kingdom. She fell in love with her first and only human friend Stefan. Stefan’s ambition and desire for power drove him to betray Maleficent, leaving her heartbroken and hateful. 1. Maleficent represents every one of us. Maleficent was born good. She believed in the goodness of men before she was betrayed. She did not hurt anyone. The concept of betrayal was foreign to her. This left her lost and wrathful. She wallowed in her pain and hatred. She shut the world out and became vindictive. I’ve read stories like this. About villains who used to be good. Until something awful happened to them. For Maleficent, it was losing faith both in love and in humanity. It was the betrayal that pushed her to be vengeful and curse the life of her perpetrator. Hurting people tend to do outrageous and illogical things. 2. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Maleficent had a choice like all f us. She lets her emotions control her or master her feelings and control her. It’s not easy to stay calm when you’ve given yourself only to be taken advantage of. 3. Life has a twisted sense of humor. What she despised and was obsessed with turned out to be why she changed. This is another proof that behind every burden is a blessing. In every trial, there lies a treasure. Final WordsI love knowing the other side of the story. The movie Maleficent is a perfect 5 for me. Have you seen Maleficent? What life lessons have you learned from it? Image and Gifs from GiphyThis post contains affiliate links. Meaning I get a commission if you purchase through my links at no additional cost to you. This helps me maintain my site. Thank you for your support!
How-To Give Something Back To The Community With Your Career 12:13 PM What gets you out of bed in the morning? Motivation is a key factor when choosing which career path to follow. Some people are motivated by money, and while others prioritize low stress and flexible working hours. Others still put their creative or artistic talents to work or pursue their personal interests regardless of income. There’s no right or wrong answer, but it has to be said that there are many people in the world who have dedicated their time and talents to help their community to thrive. Whether you are just starting out on your career path, are looking for a career change, or are returning to the world of work after having a family, choosing a role that helps your community could be the key to lifelong job satisfaction. In terms of the education and training required, some only need a high school diploma to get started. For others, you may need more advanced education. Here are some examples of fantastic careers that give something back to the community. Give Something Back to the Community with Your Career 1. Social Worker A social worker supports people who are going through the most challenging times in their lives by connecting them with the right organizations and resources. The issues social workers are likely to face include family trauma, mental health, childcare, substance abuse, health, and employment. Social workers need to study for a bachelor’s degree in social work.With an advanced degree, they may be able to advance to a higher salary or even obtain a position as a community services manager if they gain enough experience. 2. Community Services Manager While it is the social workers who are directly delivering programs of support in the community, the community services manager is responsible for the planning and development of community programs and social services. They are sometimes referred to as social services managers and are dedicated to developing and coordinating programs that will improve the lives of people in their community. This includes research and administration as well as monitoring progress and analyzing the impact of a program. A community services manager will need to have excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills as well as experience in social work and a master of social work degree. 3. Community Health Worker A community health worker is someone who helps the community live healthier lifestyles and works to increase awareness around potential health issues and preventative measures they can take. They will assess the needs of the community, develop a program that meets those needs, deliver it, and monitor its impact. A community health worker can often represent a community when trying to secure improved health facilities or resources. To become a community health worker, a high school diploma is needed followed by specific training. 4. Law Enforcement Law enforcement is a highly regarded but challenging career, but there are few others that are quite so selfless. The law enforcement officer works to protect their community, often putting themselves in danger in the process. Officers can work at a local, state, or federal level by upholding the law, arresting those who are suspected of breaking the law, and helping people who are in emergency situations. They may also be involved in ongoing criminal investigations and/or legal proceedings. To become a police officer, you need to have a high school diploma, be over 21 and have passed the training (including a minimum level of physical fitness). 5. Firefighter Firefighters are most associated with preventing and extinguishing fires in the community, but they are involved in protecting the community in many more ways. They will also respond to emergencies that don’t involve fire but require firetruck equipment, and they may care for injured people at the scene. Firefighters regularly put their lives at risk in their efforts to serve the community. What they do is not easy. Thankfully, there is now fire reporting software that helps fire services efficiently manage their entire operation throughout every step of the process, while also improving the safety of those involved in responding to incidents.Having achieved a high school diploma, firefighters need to pass specific training, be very physically fit and have a driver’s license. 6. Occupational Therapist An occupational therapist works with people of all ages to try and help them overcome health issues that negatively affect their quality of life. They help young children, teenagers, adults, and elderly people who have suffered injuries or illnesses (mental or physical) that are restricting them. Whether recovering from an accident, a life-changing injury, or an ongoing condition, an occupational therapist can be the key to their independence. Occupational therapists need to obtain a master’s degree and must be licensed. 7. Teacher There is a very famous song that says that children are our future, and if you believe that to be true, helping to educate children is an incredibly worthwhile use of your career.Education is not only about academic achievement but is also crucial in helping young people become the best possible versions of themselves. Equipping children with the academic, social, and practical skills (not to mention emotional maturity) they need in order to thrive as adults are literally building your community’s future. You can play a crucial role in helping them discover their unique talents and passions that could stay with them throughout their lives. 8. Counselor Counseling is a broad term that encompasses several careers, but in general terms, a counselor is someone who supports people who are working through emotional and mental problems in their lives. Often, a counselor will work in a specific niche, such as couples counseling, school guidance counseling, mental health, family trauma or breakdown, or substance misuse and addiction issues. The support provided can take many forms, including cognitive behavioral therapy, talking therapy, and experiential therapy. 9. Registered Nurse A registered nurse is a crucial role in the community.While a physician or surgeon will diagnose and prescribe treatment and/or surgery for patients, it is a nurse who provides practical and emotional care. Nurses are also often able to fulfill a wider role in the community, including educating people about healthy living and preventing illnesses.A nurse practitioner can take on a lot of the same responsibilities as a physician, including prescribing treatment. Are you still deciding which path to take? Steve Jobs once said, "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do."Choose a career that gives back to the community and feel your love tank fill up.
Dogs 4 Reasons Why Dogs Are The Best 9:24 AM Why Dogs Are The Best Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them is wrong.-W.R. Purche We have 17 dogs at home. 17 fluffy, crazy, zooming fluffy balls.It's crazy. But you know what? They're worth the money spent on vet visits, food, medicines, and grooming...The time and effort to clean after them...And waking up at 3am because they need to go or a leaf moved and it spooked them. 😄Because...Nothing compares to the loyalty and love of dogs. Dogs are indeed a man's best friend.They are friends for life.Dogs are simply the best and here are 4 reasons why.4 Reasons Why Dogs Are The Best1. Dogs can cheer you up Stress is inevitable. But you don't need a shrink if you have dogs. Just hug your dogs. Or join them in their crazy games. Their silly antics are enough to turn your frown upside down. 2. Dogs are great protectors Dogs see you as part of their pack. And they will give their lives protecting their own. 3. Dogs are loyal friends When the world turns its back on you, you can count on your dog to stay.There are stories about dogs not leaving their humans when tragedy happens, asking for help when a family member or another animal is in trouble or injured, and even sleeping on their human's grave for days. Do you know Hachiko? His story of loyalty left the world amazed. He's immortalized with a statue. One of our dogs died and his best pal stopped eating for days. He wouldn't sleep. He would sit and look at the part of the yard where we buried his friend. We even caught him lying beside it. Only when we let one of the new puppies play with him every day did he start to recover and cheer up. 4. Dogs can teach us lessons in life Dogs bite their enemies but they stay loyal to their friends. They show kindness to humans and to other animals that will put the self-righteous to shame. They're selfless, unconditional, and all-out when it comes to giving their love. Looking to their innocent eyes is a great reminder of what matters most in life. If forcing your dogs to take selfies is a crime, then I'm guilty. My phone is full of dog pictures, videos, and our selfies together. Taking selfies with your dogs? Which OPPO #SelfieExpert smartphone produces the best selfies? OPPO is no doubt the #SelfieExpert smartphone. But which OPPO smartphone is the best choice in taking selfies with your dogs? OPPO F3 There's Oppo F3. It has a dual front camera. One 16MP camera with extra-large pixels and one double view group selfie camera. So that's perfect for either taking selfies with one dog or taking a group selfie with all 17 dogs. Although in my experience, that's quite impossible as it's so hard to keep them still when they're together. But then OPPO F3 has a Palm Shutter that helps make it easy to take that snap. It also has an anti-shake feature so even when you can't hold your dog still while holding the camera, you'll still be able to get a clear and crisp photo that's ultra HD. The rear camera is 13MP that lets you get awesome night shots even during late-night selfie sessions with your dogs (I take photos of them sleeping beside me too). The thing about having dogs is that you don't only bring your essentials when you go out, you also bring theirs. So the lightweight, thin and sleek design is perfect to bring along during leisurely walks, going to the vet, or running errands. Having dogs will make you alert. You should always be on your toes. OPPO F3 has advanced upgraded touch access that's fast, accurate, and responsive. So no time is wasted trying to unlock your phone when another epic moment happens. You'll surely capture it! OPPO A39 OPPO 39 uses a front camera with extra-large 1.4um pixels and a 1/4-inch sensor. They have higher light sensitivity and frame rate, so you take stunningly beautiful photos. It also enables brilliant night shots with its 13MP rear camera. It's also lightweight at 147G and has a handsome arc edge design. Its 5.2-inch 2.5D HD screen is easy on the eyes. You can store as many selfies with 32GB RAM 32GB ROM. That solves the problem of not having enough space. It makes taking unstoppable selfies possible. If you're out with your dog for a long time, you don't have to worry about the battery. That's a 2900mAh battery. Both OPPO F3 and OPPO A39 have Beautify 4.0 that makes an already great selfie even more stunning. Each has its own unique and impressive qualities. Personal pick Honestly, it is tough to choose. But...Considering that we have more than just one dog and it's always been an epic fail to try to take a group selfie with them, I'd go for OPPO F3 on this one. If only to solve the predicament of taking a group selfie with all 17 dogs. Agree? Do you have a dog? Why do you think they're the best? Which OPPO #SelfieExpert smartphone do you think will produce the best selfie? Update: Because of this article, I won an OPPO F3 phone. Thank you OPPO Philippines and Nuffnang Ph!
