CHANGE

they say there is nothing permanent in this world... everything is bound to change sooner or later... this is what i keep hearing from everyone i know.. i do agree with them as well, for our life, the country or the world in general, there are things that we need to change.... but that change should come without compromising others, and without disregard to the environment and the community...

it is easier said than done, i do know that for a fact.. but it is nice to know that there are options that we can take.. and i firmly believe that we need to do our own share.... i know that there's plenty of things that i need to change within me... and hopefully i can do my share as well... all in due time

quote to live by:
Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. - George Bernard Shaw

ROLE MODELS

each and every one of us grew up with a role model... some look up to politicians and some to movie personalities or famous person like businessman or philanthropist... for me i always look up to my parents.... though i admire some political figures as well.....

i but for me i would rather be a role model to my son... i want him to see me as a person that he can rely on and someone that is worthy of his admiration... though living up to someone else's expectation is not that easy... it is worth a try.... especially if it is for my loved ones....

quotes to live by:
Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other. - Burke

VISUALIZATION

day by day i see myself in the future, i always dream of the days that i will finally spend it with my family at all times... the days that i don't need to go overseas and work alone away from all my loved ones....

people say that we are more fortunate than people who stay back home because we are better off because we are more financially secured.... I'd say there are some advantages and there are some disadvantages... for i myself has not seen how my son has grown to what he is now... has never been part of all his accomplishments....

nevertheless, i believe that soon enough we will be spending more time together..... and i can see that coming soon enough... it is much clearer in the horizon, now that i started my preparation to do so...

quote to live by:
We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon. - Konrad Adenauer

HOPE

one of the thing that keeps me afloat most of the time... people has a tendency to be depressed at time, simply because they start loosing hope, starting to loose their interest in things...

for me i always keep my hope in the highest level in everything that i do... and make sure that it never dies... for i firmly believe that by hoping, you will keep aiming for your dreams... and that you will always be striving, aiming and working hard to get to your goal...

quote to live by:
Hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier. - Anonymous

ENTHUSIASM

for me it is always easier to do things when you have the right level of enthusiasm.... aside from enticing your interest and curiosity, it helps you concentrate on the task at hand...

life for me has been been wonderful and worth living for... simply because i always try to be enthusiastic in everything that i do... may it it be at work, at play or in my day to day life...

quotes to live by:
Give me a man who sings at his work. - Thomas Carlyle

POSITIVE THINKING, AND SELF-FULFILLING PROPHESIES AND ACTIONS

it always help me through each day and basically through my whole life... i always tell everyone that ask me what is my secret, why do i always have a smile in my face, that it is first my faith, then it is positive thoughts...... when you begin to be optimistic and only think of positive thoughts rather than the negative, things start to brighten up... this is how i live my life...

and this is how, i also manages to stay overseas... work in the multi cultural environment and manages to stay away from all my loved ones...

quotes to live by:
Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you. - Madeline Bridges

DIFFICULT DAYS

i have been through thick and thin. in my almost two decade of working, of which most of them was spent overseas, i would say that there are days that are simply too difficult to pass by.... there was a time when i received a message from my wife that she had a miscarriage and she is currently in the hospital.. this actually happened twice... the first one was in February of 2006 and the last one was just last year, December to be exact, right before Christmas.....

i would say that those two days are some of the most difficult days in my life and that are simply too difficult to live by and forget... i still remember that i was supposed to be with my friends then, i was planning to go out fishing with them but decided against and would rather spend the day with my wife chatting on the computer, but having learned of the situation, i opted to stay with my friends instead, at least to have someone with, to busy myself and make the day more bearable... and i remember that i have made at least 20 overseas call over the course of forty eight hours...

but luckily. we all managed to survive the ordeal... and lived to tell the tale so to speak...


quotes to live by:
The secret of patience … to do something else in the meantime. - Anonymous

AVERAGE, “BORING” DAYS

for some,there are days that are very exciting and some that are worth forgetting... some days just pass by quickly and some days are extremely slow that bores you to death so to speak... for me those days do come every now and then but there are ways that i do to make those days more exciting...

the beauty of my work is i coordinate maintenance activities, aside form reviewing design packages for projects... furthermore i have to supervise on going projects and maintenance activities, at times when days seems slow, i always walk around the facilities that we maintain and try to find some utilities that maybe in need of immediate attention... otherwise i try to discuss some areas of interest with my colleagues...

quotes to live by:
Everything considered, work is less boring than amusing oneself. - Charles Baudelaire

TOMORROW: THE FUTURE

looking into the future is one thing that i always do... aside from living on a day to day basis or living for for today...... preparation for tomorrow better known as the future is a vital part of my daily life and activity... i always have the mind setting to tell myself that what ever i do today is something for tomorrow, though nobody can certainly predict the future, still it is worth doing all requires preparation...

being a contract worker working overseas, i always keep it at the back of my head that i am bound to go back to my hometown, where i was born and raised... where i really belong... it is therefore essential for me to be able prepare such situation, for we don't know when would that be... it may be fife years form now, a year or a month from now, or it may even be tomorrow... so we need to save something for the rainy days...

quote to live by:
Tomorrow is the mysterious, unknown guest. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

EVENINGS

after a long working day, i always look forward to a relaxing evening.... for me it is the time for reflection... to see and evaluate how the day has been spent... how much has been accomplished and how i lived up to my expectations....

evening is always the time for me to communicate with my family back home... and do a bit of other relaxing activities... such as surfing the net, updating my blogs, playing some online games and especially self reflection...

Quotes to live by:
Sum up at night what thou has done by day. - Lord Herbert

MORNINGS

i always look forward to a new beginning, a new day always starts when the sun rises to most of us... but not for me, for what ever odd reason my body clock has always been set to wake up at 4:30 a.m. or earlier... regardless of what time i sleep in the evening may it be at 11:00 p.m. or at 1:00 a.m. my friend used to kid me it is signet of seniority... i keep telling him that we have a saying that only carabao grow old.... but deep within me how i really wish it is the fact...

early morning is the best time for me to start my daily routine, at least i would have plenty of time to counter check thing if ever it doesn't work out the way i wanted it to be....

Quotes to live by:
Even if a farmer intends to loaf, he gets up in time to get an early start. - Edgar Watson Howe

THIS MOMENT

Life is so much wonderful if you would manage to appreciate things around you. I have learned thru the years of living overseas and being away from my loved ones that there is nothing more important than the actual moment you are currently having…

Every time I go on my annual vacation, I always bring it upon myself to ensure that there are ample time I spend with my family, there are many things to take care of around the house, and with the government formalities to go back to work overseas but making the most out of every vacation is something that I always try to do….

But despite all the preparation, regardless of how much you tried to prepare for everything, it will always boil down to the last minute, scampering for thing before you leave and catch your flight… but there will never be more significant than the very moment that you are having right now, regardless of where you are, that is what really matters….

Quote to live by
If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done. – Anonymous

TODAY: THE PRESENT

Life is a many splendor thing, a by line in one of the popular song a few decades back… but I still believe that it really is provided you live your life in a way that makes it worthwhile…. For me I always live my life on a day by day basis…. I always look forward to tomorrow and gets excited on what it is to offer me….

My activities for today is something that I know is based on yesterday that has given me additional knowledge and that prepares me for tomorrow…. It is always nice to know that the day can be savored simply because it is a very pleasant and pleasing day…

Quote to live by
The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today. Elbert Hubbard

YESTERDAY: THE PAST

It has always been my firm belief that we should live for today, look forward to tomorrow and leave yesterday behind…. But of course you can not simple leave yesterday behind, as the saying goes “we learn from our mistakes & Experience I the best teacher” and only through mistakes, either ours or by other would we learn that there are better ways to do things….

Learning is a continuing process and we always look back behind us, see what we have done yesterday and what have we done to get to where we are now…. But we need not dwell in the past for it is already gone… what matters is the present and the future ahead of us….

Quote to live by
Enjoy yourself. These are the “good old days” you’re going to miss in the years ahead. –Anonymous

ONE DAY

through the years of working overseas and being away from my family, i have learned to value each day that i am with them.... luckily i have a yearly contract that allows me to see them every year for at least a month... but considering that you spend 30 days in a year with your family isn't much... it is not enough time for you to be able to savor the bonding that you have if you are staying with them....

it is therefore essential for me to be able to maximize the my schedule and be able to have as much time with my love ones and have as much family activities as we can... now i always live one day at a time but plan ahead for the future....

live is so short and there are plenty of things to be done.... but i cherish each and everyday as they past by ever since i learned how to live life one day at a time....


quote to live by :
Nothing in business is so valuable as time. - John H. Patterson

SIMPLICITY

we all live in a very complex world these days... i remember when i was much younger, life was very simplistic then.... there was no computer, no mobile phone and no Internet superhighway.. life was plain and simple, and not much of a rat race like now... back then we used to play around the house, do our own toys, we play hide and seek and many other kid stuff.

but despite the drastic changes of lifestyle compounded by the massive development of the latest technology, i still see people who prefer to live a simple life... i myself dreams of living in a semi secluded area, where there are plenty of fruit bearing trees, with a clear flowing stream that you can fish, and get your drinking water... with a simple house with the basic amenities that will sustain a bit of comfort in life....

then again, it stay to be a dream.... but we never know, maybe if i strive harder, and work my may to it... maybe then i will be able to attain it...

quote to live by
What I do, I do very well, and what I don’t do well, I don’t do at all. - Anonymous

SELF-CONFIDENCE

one thing i learned through the years, of course with the help and guidance of my elder brothers is to believe in myself and capabilities... that i can do things if i believe that i can do it and put mind to it.... i would say that without the prodding of my two older brothers before, i may not have made it this far in life....

what inspired me further is when i met my wife, we were still in college then... life wasn't easy for both of us having came from a lower middle class family.... we have to strive harder than the rest of our classmates just to survive college....

and i sincerely believe that it is the fact that we believed in ourselves that we managed to get to where we are.. with God's grace of course...

Experience tells you what to do; confidence allows you to do it. - Stan Smith

SELF-CONTROL

one thing that i learned through the years is to control myself... this applies in many facet of work and daily life... when i was much younger i easily loose my temper.... and times i just leave what ever i was doing if i loose control of my concentration and get weary or angry for what ever reason... when i become a teenager, and started mingling with others, then i realized that it is a wild world out there and you need to control your temper not only to be able to survive, but to earn respect and friendship as well...

having learned that in early stages of my life has proven to be worthwhile, when i worked in Mindanao and eventually here in the middle east, it is one of the key factor that really helps me on day to day existence... not only because we live in in a multi cultural environment, but it helps you make the most out of your earnings as well... with so much to buy here at cheaper price... without self control you'll end up broke if you don't control yourself...

Quote to live by
Self-control is the quality that distinguishes the fittest to survive. - George Bernard Shaw

SELF-ACCEPTANCE

there are many things that happens around us... in live we encounters a lot of trials, tribulations and challenges.... everyday is a new challenge... new success and some defeats... as the saying goes you can't win them all..

i always aim high, i have many dreams and aspirations in life... that is what is keeping me on my feet... that is what is keeping me to strive harder than ever... but in life no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, yo will will some and you will lose some... it is just a matter of accepting the fact.... it is supposed to be a way of life...

for me, every defeat, every disappointment is well accepted, for i always uses it to catapult me to a higher level... it helps me become a better man.... and makes me re-evaluate myself....
Quote to live by
You can succeed if nobody else believes it, but you will never succeed if you don’t believe in yourself. - William J.H. Boetcker

PRAYER

i am not a religious person, in fact this is one thing that my mother always complain about me when i was a young boy, where i was born, and raised was just a stone throw away from the local church. not only that, i remember that my parents used to tag me along when i was a young boy to different churches in our province on Sundays...

it started when i became a teenager.. it was then that i stopped going with my parents to churches... but that doesn't mean that i stopped praying.... for what ever odd reasons. i came to impart in myself that it is through prayer and meditation alone in a room, that i manages to have a more peaceful and solemn communication with God...

i can't forget my 10 minute prayer back in 1999, when i was diagnosed with a malignant thyroid nodule/tumor.... but when i completed a 10 minute prayer while waiting for the other doctor who will re-test me.... it was then that a miracle happen...

Quote to live by:
Prayer moves the hand that moves the world. - John Aikman Wallace

FAITH AND BELIEF

many people believes that it is their religion that will save them... some thinks that the mere fact that they pray each day, do penance and take confession is the key to the so called golden gate of heaven....

i have a different perspective in life that some people tend to find it odd... as I've said i am not a religious person, i seldom make it to the church due to my workload and the absence of a formal church where i belong from where i work and live at the moment...

for me it is more important to live a life based on Gods teaching, by trying to live a godly life.. away from vices and by doing good to others.... i know it is not easy to so with all the tribulations and trials we have to hurdle every single day.... but then again it all depends on your faith and belief


Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up. - Guideposts

OUR HIGHER POWER, OR GOD

many people tend to be disappoint much depressed whenever they are faced with problems... some even blame blame others, worst blame God for all the misery they suffer with.... am not a religious person, but i would say i am God fearing... and i believe that everything that i have to date, oi owe it the the highest power, the Lord... i sincerely believe that our blessings are dependent on how we live what God has taught us to live by...

for me i sincerely believe, that there they will be no amount of challenges that will come my way that will prod me to despise my believe...

When we lose God, it is not God who is lost. - Anonymous

FRIENDSHIP

they say true friends are hard to find.... working overseas for a good over 10 years, i have managed to meet a few people, of different nationalities, religion and culture.... and i am really glad to say that it is truly an experience having friends on different part of the globe...

i have one good friend, a Pakistani guy... a lot of his compatriots seems to be questioning him why he are befriending us... despite many criticism from them, he still pursue his friendship with me and my compatriots.... our friendship started a good 9 years ago when we were assigned on the same project some 8 years ago.... to date he still is one of my best friend who never fails to call me and inquire how my family is, greet me on every important occasion...

right now he is in on an emergency leave, and i just hope and pray that everything turns out well for him... i look forward to see and chat with him again and dine together every now and then when our schedule allows us to...


Quote to live by
True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable. Dave Tyson Gentry

HELPING OTHER PEOPLE

one thing never fails to to amaze me is whenever i see people trying to do their best to help and be of service to others.... this is despite the fact that they have their own problems and at times can barely make both ends meet so to speak, but they never give second thoughts and still manages to lend helping hands to the needy....

i remember some years ago when i was on my way to my annual vacation, i was sitting on the lounge waiting for the boarding time which is a good hour to go, there was two ladies chatting in front of me, and i overheard that on lady was being repatriated by our consulate, she has been in the embassy for a over 8 months since her employer abandoned her... the embassy then has to process her repatriation and all formalities from the host country to be able to send her home...

then after that the other lady she was talking to stood up and announced her predicament, and asked our compatriots who are willing to help the lady in distress.... i was overwhelmed by the gesture of goodwill by my fellow passengers when like a precision machine, everybody starts sharing a certain amount of money, so at least she can have something to bring home and start over...

though this this gesture of helping others seems to be diminishing for one reason or the other, but still there good Samaritans everywhere...

Quote to live by:
Make yourself necessary to somebody. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE

Every time I read this quotation, it always reminds me of another famous by-line…. In search of a greener pasture…. For me it is always nice for people to dream and aim high… to look forward to a better tomorrow, provided that it is not out of envy or jealousy…. And you don’t run over other people or step on other people’s toes so to speak….

Each and every one of us are unique, we are given our individual talents, we all have purpose in our lives… all we have to do is believe in our selves and strive…. Eventually we will have get to where we want to be…. With God’s grace

Quote to live by:
Envy comes from people’s ignorance of, or lack of belief in, their own gifts.- Jean Vanier

COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS

A lot of people I met usually complain whenever they are faced with something that they are not familiar with; much more when they are faced with problems. Unfortunately some people don’t take trials lightly and unaware how to handle them, reasons why we here in the news that some, even a few well known personalities has committed suicide….

I sincerely believe that it all depends on how we look at life’s perspective differently…. As form me I have learned to count my blessings…. For one am lucky enough to have a loving and supportive family, able to land a good job that provides our basic needs plus a bit of comfort… I have learned to count my blessing beginning from the day that I open my eyes, thanking God for another day that He affords me with, until night fall and when I lay down in bed to go to sleep, for I was given the opportunity to take my days worth of challenges and managed to survive it….

Quote to live by:
God brings men into deep waters not to drown them, but to cleanse them. - Aughey

FORGIVENESS

it is not easy to receive nor to give..... many people tend to be difficult to pardon people when they are at fault.... but at times it really is, especially when i hear the common excuse of most people at fault; "i am only human" something that implies that because we are human we are susceptible to make mistakes??? it is a fact???

never the less, whenever someone asked for forgiveness for any wrongdoing they have done towards me, i can only think of one thing... "if God can forgive who am i not to?"...

quote to live by:
Forgiveness means letting go of the past. - Gerald Jampolsky

on Marriage

i got this from one of my e-mails and i believe it s something worth remembering, especially for us OFWs, who are away from our family most of the times....

This is a nice piece for those who are married, about to get married and for the singles as well who wish to be married. Please take the time to read.

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her! With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again. In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage. This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully. My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her. On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger. She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her,Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore. She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion,the car, property, the money in the bank, blah..blah.. blah. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you. If you do, you just might save a marriage.
anything that is of value in life only multiplies when it is given

ACCEPTANCE

it is such a simple word yet so complex.... i sincerely believe that it is one of the key to happiness and peace of mind.... a lot of people starts complaining for one simple reason... they can not accept the truth or the fact at hand... t

it is my humble opinion that we will be living in a much better and peaceful society if everybody will learn to accept the many things that people tend to oppose... we should accept the fact that there are things that we can change, and there are those that we can not... and we therefore need to differentiate them from one another....


quote to live by:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. - Reinhold Niebuhr

HAPPINESS....

I always believe in the saying that "Happiness is a state of mind". it's odd to think that statistics shows that a lot of few are unhappy all over the world when it is simple a state of mind.... what seems to be making people think so much that they are unable to leave themselves happy???

there are many things in my opinion that should make everybody happy. for me despite being away from my family, i can still make every single hour of the day almost as happy if not as happy if i am with my family.... happy thought of our happy moments keeps a smile in my face... the thought that all the hard works i am doing is to give them a bit of comfort and a better future makes me happy... but nothing makes me happier than opening my eyes in the morning and seeing the ceiling above me; for it meant another happy day ahead of me.... and i can look forward to the day that i will be taking my annual vacation and spend every single day of it with my loved one...

quote to live by:
There is no duty so much underrated as the duty of being happy. - Robert Louis Stevenson

PEACE OF MIND.....

everybody deserve to have peace of mind... but unfortunately this is something that seems to elude most of us if not all of us ...many factors affects our state of mind.... and the sate of our mind affects every single thing that we do single hour of the day....

i always tell my friends who asked me for advices "never do anything that you will regret in the later stage of your life" therefore it is always important to think things over.... as the saying goes "think before you act"

i always get asked by my friends and relatives why do i seem to be unaffected by many things that happens around me, the country and the world in general... my simple answer to them is why should i get affected??? i always tell them that my simple principle in life is that God has given us the wisdom to change the things we can, and accept the thing we can't.... and having this in mind at all times gives me a bit of peace of mind....


Quote to live by:
The mind is never right but when it is at peace within itself - Lucius Annaeus Seneca