101 Things to be Happy & Thankful About (2011 Year-ender)

1. My Aliya, my new tiny best buddy.
2. My Lean, my cuddly bubbly kid.
3. My Jolo, my teen-age heart throb
4. My Papi, my old buddy.
5. Successful “Pillow Me” concept
5. Travelled to Palawan at P25 airfare
6. Travelled to Ilocos at P88 airfaire
7. No major sickness in the family
8. My friendship with sisters FLor and Kerol and Natz
9. Surprise parties (dad, tian, pa nick)
10. Taking Mama and Daddy to Antipolo (where they had their 1st date)
11. Chat moments with mama and daddy by the window
12. Books of Mitch Albom
13. Leaping to SVS venture
14. Bestseller pillows like “Like” and “HP”
15. My newly-painted house
16. Puregold 100 stores
17. Sunrise and sunsets at paradise
18. My new venture in stocks
19. My trips in the park with ALiya
20. Beach time with Aliya
21. Snorkeling with Papi!
22. Paddling in the water!
23. Spelunking with cousins!
24. Mentoring my new “leaders”
25. Their appreciation of my mentoring
26. My promotion… without increase :>
27. Arranging Aliya’s photo album
28. Gift of paint/art set
29. My new bathroom
30. Mama and Daddy
31. Playing in the rain with Aliya
32. Volunteering
33. BLood Donation
34. Inspiring others to volunteer and to share
35. My new iPad (gift from SVS)
36. My new gate and terrace
37. Our friends at Hospicio de San Jose
38. Time with my in-laws
39. Winning major in raffles
40. Aliya’s color/art skills
41. Jolo’s love for music
42. Jolo’s 1st stint to perform in stage solo!
43. Lean’s many great lego creations
44. Our new business ventures
45. Time at MOA with Papi and ALiya just watching sunset
46. Eating seafoods with friends
47. The IC Manual
48. “Full-moon” moment with Papi
49. The Paoay church! Magnificent!
50. “Survived” many PI storms without much damage
51. Aliya’s laughter
52. Our new Audit Room, and my new desk
53. The Sumaguing Cave! Amazing!
54. Chance to help new staff to learn
55. Our series of training and workshops
56. Helping kins in tuition fee
57. Seeing my kins in Naga
58. The Classic Series of Readers Digest
59. DQ moment with Lean. Discovered DQ’s Double Dutch Blizzard
60. Helping hands of family
61. Parlor moment with Aliya
62. You Tube moment with Jolo
63. “Me” moment every now and then (at the spa)
64. Watching babaw movies with sisters (friends)
65. Church moments
66. The Palawan Underground River! Awesome!
67. Kikay days with BFF (tried eyelash extension)
68. Books of Francis Kong and Bo Sanchez
69. Beach moment with Papi
70. Stargazing!
71. Gain in FAMI’s investment
72. Church moment (Antipolo) with Daddy and Mama
73. Chat moments with brothers
74. Bookstore moments with Jolo
75. Gift of books by friends and son
76. Found long-lost old letters and diaries
77. Connecting with old friends
78. New SVS office
79. The Vigan walk with Papi
80. Teambuilding with staff
81. Reading books to Aliya
82. Gift-giving at Dagat-dagatan.
83. Zeroing my credit cards
84. Gimiks with old high-school buddies
85. Discovered chocolate of Lido
86. Lean’s new sofa-bed
87. Few moments of Hilot-paa (Jolo)
88. Fireworks moments
89. New friends
90. Eat-out moments with colleagues
91. Visita Iglesia
92. Helped trained the managers
93. Writing for Tips and Insight (T&I)
94. Blogging moments
95. Hearing good speakers, Francis Kong and Jojo Baldo
96. My positive outlook
97. Probono work for a foundation
98. No “casualty” in the family this year
99. Healthy ME.
100. To God and to all of His blessings!
101. This List!

Currently Reading: All pending…for good reasons…

 

Eat Pray and Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
It’s nice to find a book you want to “savor”… not wanting to rush reading and yet enjoying every page… wanting to go on, but keeping the pace slow so it will last much longer… this is THE book you can call a “companion”… (best to read in airports and beach) nice… proud to say I’m not yet finished with it…

 

 

Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
An intriguing book that makes one “dizzy” on plot and sequence but also loving it thinking how clever it was structured. I am not a ‘romance’ reader, but this one qualifies as that with twist of sci-fi?! Not yet finished, because I’m having hard time “digesting” because the idea of “predetermined destiny” is kind of “off” and against compared to my theory of “butterfly effect”… anyway, this book is a source of good discussion between me and jolo, that’s why I am keeping at it.

 

 

 

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Got curious when featured in Readers’ Digest and found the first few chapters as intriguingly interesting. Though quite theoretical its not conventional. “The Power of thinking Without Thinking” it says in its cover… it said don’t overthink… but hey, It made me think quite a lot in every page…. thus, I’m still at it. (a good LRT companion too)

 

 

 

 

 

ABNKKBSNPLKo by Bob Ong
Jolo picked it up, convincing me it will help his tagalog vocabulary. A local book which Jolo and I found funny, light and yet insightful about simple things. I was enjoying the first few chapters (I have to read it first to know if it is suitable for Jolo, or needs PG), when Jolo found me amused and smiling, thus he took it, read it in few days, lent it to classmates and friend… and since then, haven’t seen it yet again to finish it… haay…

Today!

Today…

I will forget yesterday, with all its trials and tribulations, aggravations and setbacks, angers and frustrations.
The past is already a dream from which I can neither retrieve a single word nor erase any foolish deeds.
I will resolve, however, that if I have injured anyone yesterday through my thoughtlessness,
I will not let this day’s sun set before I make amends,
and nothing I do today will be of greater importance.

Tsamba Pic: Manila Bay Sunset, March 10, 2010

(“Today” series is featuring Og Mandino’s “Seeds of Success” from the book “Mission:Success”…
this is my sort of scroll of prayers  I recite almost every morning, to guide me through the day!…
I want now to share this with you!)

Today Series: 2/22

Thank you for this day! … (Today, I start my “Today” series)

God, I thank you for this day.
I know I have not accomplished as yet all you expect of me,
and if that is your reason for bathing me in the fresh dew of another dawn,
I am most grateful.
I am prepared, at last, to make you proud of me.

Tsamba Pic: Sunrise! Club Paradise, Coron Palawan

Today I will start my “Today” blog-series, featuring bits from Og Mandino’s “Seeds of Success” from the book “Mission:Success”…
this is my sort of scroll of prayers (with 20 resolutions and lots of appreciation for Today’s gift from God), this I recite almost every morning, and almost know by heart, this prayer guides me through my day (and life)!…
I want now to share this with you!

Today Series 1/22

Pic Note: Ya Right!

Been Awhile….

It’s been awhile since I made a very personal entry in my blog… maybe because it’s been awhile since that I’m in a roller-coaster of happenings and feelings. And I really don’t know my “mood” whenever I face my blogsite, so I just refrain from it…

Well, anyway, NOW I am good! not great but good!… OR I mean I decided to be just that (anyway it’s always a decision to make)….

So, I need to be inspired and get excited and I need to count my blessings again NOW!
1. I got friends who unfailingly support and cheer me!
2. My kids are as bubbly and rewarding as ever (thanks for amusing mornings)
3. The chance to “touch” my staff’s life whom I know I can still inspire (pinaghuhugutan ko din sla ng lakas)
4. A chance to create arts and hatch ideas (gumagana pa)
5. Ice-Scramble while walking with a friend in an amusement park.
6. Fancy pizza with the same friend, talking about life, age and aging.
7. Chicharon once in a while.
8. Thriving business….
9. Bonding moment with parents and kuya
10. Good books (“uhh-ohh” by Robert Fulghum).

So… I have no reason to be forlorn or grumpy… Hello LIFE! I’m BACK!

My New Camera!

I’ve been wanting to have a professional camera (and be serious in photography), it’s in my 101 list! But I know its too pricey… and there lot of “priorities” in my list before that, i know. And we already have 2 digital cameras … But I saw this sleek semi-professional camera Canon G11, and with a nice price (compared to really pricey one for prof camera). It’s been offered to me since March by my friends-pare in the office, together with an LCD TV. I bought the LCD TV (because it’s for everyone’s delight), and I thought a new ref will do fine with the money I have – equivalent to the price of that camera. Practical mom, di ba! So, I said NO to the camera! (I should not indulge myself for my only sole delight! no-no-no!)

However, my friends, as if tempting me, are allowing me to use it since March. It’s been in-and-out of my “possession.” I really keeps on giving it back to them shunning the temptation. But they keep on bringing it up to me because they know of my indecision to buy it (and my yearning, my “deepest desire”!)… Then the offer went good and I run out of alibi not to buy it. Tapos na daw ang enrollment! After so much thought and computation, I finally succumbed to my guilt-full “craving” to buy this sleek Canon G11! Haaay! Am I happy? Yes!… I just really need to justify this “selfish” decision of mine… haay…. (anyway, its in my 101 and I can slash it now my #46th! and for one thing, Jolo likes it!)

“Lived Fully, Died Empty”

This is “patented” to be used by Bro Jojo Baldo– a favorite speaker– on his tombstone: “HERE LIES A DISCIPLE OF JESUS…. HE LIVED FULLY; HE DIED EMPTY!”. On my day of death, I will have given away all!

Since I’d heard it, I’ve been contemplating on these words. I’ve started to see life and what it offers everyday as my another chance to be a “better me” than I was yesterday….. that I have to give and show what I have to offer back to life…. that eventually, on my last day, I could proudly say, “I have given away all!”

It’s now becoming my everyday goal to do something that gears towards the accomplishments of my goals… I am consciously doing things to make my day worthwhile, and so does the day of people I love around me.

When I was asked during a seminar by (another) speaker, “how long it would take you to make your dreams come true?” I instantly said, “having given my almost 10 hrs of my day to work, well, I still have 3 hours left for me EVERYDAY to make my dreams come true….” Well, I knew (by the look of his face) that I have given him an incorrect answer, the one he is not expecting (his answer was, “I don’t know” because he said we don’t know if we’ll ever achieve our dreams because we don’t know if we’ll ever live tomorrow!)… Well, he is right, I agree. But it’s either I got his question wrong… or I have different perspective than what he had in mind…

He is right, but I still stand to my answer, because I know I take each moment of my life EVERYDAY towards my dreams, may it be grand or simple, or just sheer pleasures of doing things that matters, or tiny steps to reach certain dreams. Having considered also the “dooms-day theory,” I know I am WORKING on my dreams EVERYDAY.

I am now in the wake of a wonderful Tita (who may not have “given all and everything” in the perspective of people around her, but who knows, she might be probably felt satisfied all her life just happy seeing us all succeed and grow, and have contributed on it in the process— but that’s different story…), that’s why probably I been in this contemplating mood…

Now it made me think again…. I have to formulate my own epitaph for my own tombstone…. (since, I cannot borrow anymore from Bro. Jojo’s)…. and I want to imagine that everyone (my mourners, i mean) will “agree” on it…

…and I realized that I don’t have to stray away from the theme of this blogsite, or rather from the theme of my life…. because I been living on this creed (or trying to)….

So, I want my epitaph be read as:
“She Took Each Moment as it Comes For All That It Is Worth… She Lived Her “Dash” Fully”

(this may not be quite original as this is inspired also by Og Mandino’s Seed of Success and poem “How Do You Live Your Dash” by an anonymous author)

image source

39 Lessons I Live By

1. Every Noble Work Seems at First Impossible

2. If it’s has to be, it is up to me

3. Take the Extra Mile

4. Take Each Moment as it Comes For All That It Is Worth

5. Be Fair

6. The Difference Between a Good Day and a Bad Day is “Attitude”

7. What you plant now, you will harvest later.

8. This too shall pass…
9. “The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven” – John Milton
10. “Be the change you want to see in the world” – M Gandhi
11. “If you want to be happy, be…” – Leo Tolstoy
12. A good example of leadership is leadership by example
13. “Go forth boldly in the direction of your dream, live the life you imagines” – Thoreau
14. Have faith
15. Don’t do what you cannot teach your kids
16. Do random kindness.
17. “If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters” ~Alan Simpson
18. Do not repeat anything you will not sign your name to.
19. Goodness is the only investment that never fails. ~Henry David Thoreau

… to be continued….

Pic Note: Happy?

image source

image source

I Gave My ‘Last’ Money

I left home commuting with just a few bucks (for I’ll withdraw money later), when I was about to ride the taxi, I saw these beggars, mother and child. The kid (a baby about Aliya’s age) is visibly sick, he has a big head (he is afflicted with a hydrocephalus), and my heart fell. Too bad I don’t have food or snacks in my bag, and pity this time I don’t have much money…. So except for the fare for my last ride going to office, I gave all my change and money in my wallet. It was not much… my heart ached because I desired to give more…. but unfortunately I couldn’t at that time… I don’t know really if I hoped to see them again… i hope not… I hope so…

(the photo links to a great site of a photographer who gives “tribute” to kids with hydropcephalus)

Today… and Everyday…

1. Today I Will be Careful About What I Say
I will carefully choose and guard my words being certain that I do not spread gossip or say ill about others.
2. Today I Will Not Strike Back
If somebody is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind… I will not respond in a like manner.If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will quietly ask God to bless that person.
3. Today I Will Go The Extra Mile
I will find ways to help share the burden of another person. Or do the my best one step further without thinking of reward or affirmation.
4. Today I Will Forgive
I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way.
5. Today I will do Act of Kindness, But I Will Do it Secretly
I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another.
6. Today I Will Treat Others The Way I Wish to be Treated
I will practice the golden rule with everyone i encounter
7. Today I Will Raise the Spirit of Someone and Affirm his/her Goodness
My smile, my words, my expression of support and affirmation, can make a difference in someone’s daily life.
8. Today I Will Recommit my Attitude, Beliefs, Confidence, Drive, Enthusiasm and Focus
I will recommit the source of my “fuel” to attain my goals. Everyday may not be good, but there’s good in every day!
9. Today I Will Nurture Myself (and the People I Love)
I will do necessary to take care of myself, physically, mentally, spiritually, creatively. I will never seize to learn, experience, explore, live, laugh and love.
10. Today I Will Grow Spiritually
I will spend more time in prayer today: I will find quiet place at some point during the day to listen to God’s voice.

These are not actually new year’s resolutions but just a re-affirmation of my values! So help me God!

Progress Report: 101 in 1001

It’s been 110 days now, that is 891 days to go, and there are still 92 goals to do…
But I think I’m still on the right momentum. Most of my goals are progressing as most of them aim to do repetitive acts before i can say “I’ve Done It”. Or some of them requires too many menial steps before I can say I am satisfied!
Anyways, I reviewed my lists and this is my progress report:
1. Since the family get-together is fast approaching, I am cramming preparing for the itinerary and still coordinating with them the final plan. I have visited some sites (actual and virtual).
2. My parent’s house project is almost done! I just wish I could buy Mama a very nice curtains before Christmas (pro tem the window glass which is not yet in our budget).
3. Have painted the house (actually those walls that are eyesore)
4. Have installed and fixed the lightings and electricals
5. Teaching kids about things and stuff… (but have to spend more time engaging them about religion and spirituality)
6. Have updated and posted the pictures of stuff I want to sell online
7. Created several digital scrapbooks
8. I am learning to cut kids’ hair (aliya’s cut now is courtesy of momi)
9. Organizing and gathering sponsors for my charity gift-giving. I have received substantial pledge from my former boss who started it all!
10. Keeping up with my reading and writing.
11. Have started working on training materials for my staff.
12. Walking again….
13. Having great time seeing and connecting with old friends…
14. Been conscious about promises, punctuality and procrastination!

Start with a Walk…

November 15, 2009, I’ve started “walking” again in the morning. This thing is one of those in my “procrastination” list for a very long time (say 2 years!) It’s always in my goal, but never came around it until on the 15th of Nov.

Without plan, without preparation, without further ado, I just wore my running shoes (now flaky), put my early-riser little girl Aliya on her stroller, picked up the camera, and just walked. I followed the same road to old playground at the back of the village. There, I realized how nice it is to walk again and castigated myself for not doing it so soon….

The benefits are limitless…
I have relaxed moments of thinking…
it seems my mind is clearing of “cobwebs”…
my nerves is calming down
i can feel i can face the day with more confidence and enthusiasm
my rubber shoes are now put into use
regained “smile-back” relationship with my neighbors
the air is fresh and it’s good for my lungs
my belly is sweating (where I put a tight band)
the physical workout is good for my heart
I am working on my photo-shooting
Aliya is enjoying the scene and seen a lot of “tek-tek” (roosters)
and I love every minute with my little girl Aliya!

So, the following day, we did again… and the next day, we walked again… and so on and on….

Great!

Tips & Insights: Live Life to the Fullest

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay ‘them’
I am a good example of this… I am not very quick in answering my age, it’s not that I am ashamed of it, it’s just that it doesn’t really matter… same with my weight… (but that one I have to work on a bit, for the sake of health)

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down..
I’m glad that I have bunchful of funny and witty friends around who are great to laugh with.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’ And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.
Yep, right… that’s why I’m always looking for new things to learn… it still amazes me to know some things, even how petty or irrelevant they are (example: EENT doctors are called othorhinolaringology… hehehe)

4. Enjoy the simple things.
Of course! If simple things will not amaze us, then we don’t deserve the big things! Me? I still enjoy pandesal on sardines, picking ears and reading good old Reader’s Digest..

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
Moments of these are so few, and yet it’s satisfying… I have to remind myself to laugh often… Chico and Del (93.1FM, 6AM to 10PM) are always ON AIR every morning, right?… well, that’s a very good source of hearty laughs…

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
Right! grieve sometime… but life must go on… fail, but fail forward… then stand tall… Choose to be Alive! (for myself and for others!)… As the quote in the image above (in case you can’t see it…) it says, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain!”

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it’s family, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
No matter how hard and heavy was my day, I always long for the refuge of home. Where love is there, where nothing is much expected from me, but be myself, but be at peace…. ohhhhhh….

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it.. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
That’s right, I should not take my health for granted. It’s not really “beyond our control,” I believe. At least, I can prolong it if I’ll really just try.

9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
Why should I? When guilt happens, I just let it pass (or make amends)… Next time around, I should know better!

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
Ommmh, something I am not very good at… But I am working on it….I know it will really make a difference for the one we give love to (and me also) …. Ya, I will have to make efforts….

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

101 Minus 6th – The 29-day Giving Challenge (#60)

I came across a site: 29-day Giving Challenge: Changing Life One Gift at a Time!. It promotes simple acts of altruism and generosity believing that one simple deed can make an impact to anyone. Thus, I challenged myself to do conscious “effortful” act of giving. (But I have a confession to make, I officially did the 29-gift-giving in 59 days, but there are menial gifts in between).

True to my theme “butterfly effect,” I believe that this will change somehow the series of event in the lives of those people I “touched”… I just hope and pray that only good things will it bring….

see also my 29-gift list

by the way, i will not stop on the 29th gift….

Babel’s Daily Goals

I used to monitor my daily goals or “to-dos” at a site “Joe’s Goals” (a free online habit tracker) but was not able to keep at it… anyways, I will just list them here, as my reminders. I set these “daily” goals to improve my habits (which contributes to my 101), that inspite of busy toxic days, my life is still on-track…
(scores are for 44 days)
1. Do it now! (stop procrastinating) – 29
2. Daily good deeds – 24
3. Learn new things -26
4. Do/experience “first time” -18
5. Mentor staff -15
6. Write -12
7. Exercise -6
8. Practice driving -2
9. Practice entrepreneurship -19
10. Create arts – 3
11. Do something for my charity project – 5
12. Save, thrift, live simply – 23 (minus 9 of splurging)
13. Kids’ daily lesson – 14
14. Enrich relationship – 34 (minus 9 “bad” days)

(image is from spongebob…)

Today I came to know how little I know….

Today I attended a seminar required for my CPA license. I was not very enthusiastic to attend because I thought that I already knew the topic (i conduct seminar myself too, plus I read a lot) and this is just a “protocol”…

But I thought wrong… I realized how little I knew about the current business practices in general and the industry trends. And I learned a lot today…

Samples are:
1. That Wilkins earned big bucks by selling its Company at the right time…
2. That ‘lenovo’ is THE IBM
3. That most big companies’ major investors are their own retirement fund or foundation
4. Something about Z-score and Fiscal Fitness and Moog (i will have to learn this more)
5. A big company here pays their director Php10m for just 9 meetings.
6. That text books are for good times! Bad times are better tested through experience.
7. How Yellow Page lost.
and a lot more about risk management…. Plus, our instructor was very good and funny!

I resolved to make myself to welcome new learnings and knowledge, go out some more, have alliances, get mentors, attend seminars…. rather than confining myself in my table (as if i-know-it-all) …

I remembered my former SGV boss when he said (something to this effect), “keep up with the learning! If you think you know much, well that is not enough! Why? because if you will not keep up, you’ll eventually shrink because the body of knowledge is getting bigger and growing fast”!

Goal #48 – Learn New Things Everyday!

101 Minus 3rd – The Person in the Mirror (#99)

I have finally made myself to do some self-discovery (or some sort of self-re-affirmation) about who I am and what I am made of. I’ve been dreading to do this exercise since I feared I might realize that I knew little of myself, or rather I have noting to say at all.

But surprisingly, what I intended to do as few paragraphs, I ended up making a list. I intended to do 50+, but now I’m on the 80th (and will keep on adding) Just like taking inventory.

I realized that I have too much to say about myself (humility aside), my good traits (as I believe), and my flaws (and there are quite many), and some things other people perceive of me (a few that I knew). After this exercise, I feel blessed!

I have faced these facts in a new light, as if I have finally faced that person in the mirror…. and so far what I saw is not bad at all.

(see “The Culprit” for the list)<img

Things I Learned Today!

Don’t rush to please others without thinking about its cost to another.
I should guard myself against people who can “use” me for their seemingly good intent (but it’s not)
I should not make it easy for my dementor to antagonize me. I can make them confused, annoyed, and affected, too, without losing”me” in the process.
Take the chance to know your applicants, they have feelings too, (and life-story!)
Having foresight and vision is a very useful attribute of a leader.
Procedures need not be changed (at all times) if there are just lapses here and there…. Address the lapses, rather than resolving it by changing the process.
i learned the word “otorhinolaryngology” (and i can now recite it properly!)