Breathe

In Japan, people work themselves to death so often that they have a term for it: KAROSHI. It can be literally translated from Japanese as "death from overwork." It's a terrible thing, and maybe not just Japanese suffer from this, but other people as well. It's ironic that even with technology helping us to make our lives easier, people nowadays are more stressed than before. Workaholics want to accomplish many things that they sometime forget to breathe. We all need to BREATHE. If you have so many tasks to do, breathe. It will help you bring into focus, and help you realize that work is just work. Breathing can transform your life. It will help you realize and enjoy each moment of this life. Let us not die because of our work. Let us have some time to breathe so we can spend our life with our loved ones too.

Doting Grandparents

Whenever my children get sick, I try to keep my cool, remain calm and collected and be rational about everything. My mother and father on the other hand, panic and advise me to go to the doctor ASAP. When this happens, we have a disagreement, and they become an expert in parenting all of a sudden and boss me around.

I think grandparents love their grandchildren exaggeratedly. They become overly excited about very little things, and become overly anxious with a simple mosquito bite. It is annoying, but I can't blame my parents. I was an only child. Maybe when they were younger, they wanted to have other children too. Now that I have kids of my own, they dote on them, and who am I to reject this over affection?

For their peace of mind, I go to the doctor, even if its unnecessary. Because if I don't, they threaten to punish me, as if I'm still 10 years old. 

Why Do We Shout In Anger?

This is not my original composition. I saw this from Facebook which was shared by a friend. I believe, a guy who calls himself Story Weaver made this story. It's so beautiful, I just had to share it.

A Hindu saint who was visiting river Ganges to take bath found a group of family members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other. He turned to his disciples smiled 'n asked.

'Why do people shout in anger shout at each other?'

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout.'

'But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.' asked the saint

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the other disciples.
Finally the saint explained, .

'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to cover that great distance.

What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either nonexistent or very small...'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper 'n they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other 'n that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

He looked at his disciples and said.

'So when you argue do not let your hearts get distant, Do not say words that distance each other more, Or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.'

Starting 2013 with a List of Challenges

Every January, it has been a tradition for most people to make New Year's Resolutions.


resolution (n) - a firmness of purpose or determination; something determined or decided

People make resolutions every start of the year and many end up discontinuing these resolutions by February. Exercising for example is one common resolution for most people. Chubby people, such as myself, would try to exercise vigorously during the first week of January, and then finally give up on it when the results are not that immediate. Another resolution, such as reading the Bible, would also be in one's list, but then after reading the book of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, etc., some people would get bored, and forget reading the rest of the year.

Resolutions are not just things that you want to do, but are also things that you want to quit. Some would like to quit smoking. At first, they would be successful, but in a moment of weakness, or perhaps, in a moment of heightened emotional state, one would succumb to the attraction of nicotine, and would be a worse smoker than before. Some people, would like to quit drinking coffee. Some, want to quit their current job. Only a few people become successful in quitting. Others, continue to do what is comfortable, too afraid to leave the comfort zone.

Resolutions are not just things that you want to do, or things that you want to quit. Resolutions are also things that you want to change about yourself. Every year, people would promise to be more patient, more loving, more generous, more understanding, more passionate, more responsible, and so on. People try to change outwardly, and try to exercise their self control. In January, most people seem to be kinder. Most people seem to always be in control of their feelings. However, in the following months, they are back to their usual self. This is a fact. Change is not something outward. It's something inward. It's very difficult to change into someone that you're not. Deep inside, we really do not want to change, because our personality is what makes us different from others. Subconsciously, we use the concept of individuality as an alibi for us to remain the same. In the end, we realize that we are the same kind of person like who we were last year.

So this year, I am not making resolutions, nor promises to myself. This year, I made a list of challenges instead. These challenges have equivalent rewards. The motivation of doing the things in my list, is having the sense of achievement, and the reward that comes after each task. Many people are motivated by rewards, so I am using this strategy instead.

For example, this year, I made a blog entitled: 365-Day Instagram Challenge 2013. This year, I challenged myself to take one photo a day. My reward at the end of the year is a new digital camera or a cellular phone with a better camera resolution.

I will treat 2013 as one big contest. Life itself is indeed a challenge. The fact is, if you succeed in any endeavor, there is a prize waiting for you. This year, I listed them down and I will treat them not as a resolve or as a promise to myself, but as challenges that I have to do in order to have that sense of self-fulfillment. If I lose the challenge, then I have no reward. At least I don't have to punish myself if I fail to accomplish the task.

There will be no more resolutions this year, only challenges. What I need now, is to focus on the prizes that await me and also the strength to follow through.

The Book That Was 2012

Today I reviewed the events that happened in my life written in The Book That Was 2012. As I read through the pages of yet another chapter of my life, I discovered things about me that were both inspiring and unsettling. I figured that even I get surprised with my actions sometimes.

2012 has taught me how to ask forgiveness, especially to the ones that I have wronged before. These persons forgave me and I was able to find a little measure of peace which gave me an ultimate high. Last year I also faced my fear and had a pap smear. Going to the doctor and having some invasive test upsets me so, but I overcame, and with that, I also had a little measure of peace and will never be afraid of pap smears again.

I realized that I have read a lot of life-changing books last year, most of them were Newberry Winner awardees like The Giver and The Hundred Dresses. Unfortunately, I should have also read the Bible, which I seldom did, and I think I failed God in that aspect. I also was able to watch a lot of movies last year, like The Avengers, The Hunger Games and Rurouni Kenshin, but now I realize that I should have done more important things, like learning how to drive a car, or learning how to swim.

2012 has given me carnal temptations which I have fought valiantly. I realized that the devil will try to oppress you with these kind of things, but I remained faithful, because I fear God and I have love. But I also had moments of weakness and because of that I remember that I would just sit in a corner and cry uncontrollably because of my low self-esteem and self guilt.

I have learned how to let go of someone I love so that he would be able to achieve his dreams and have self-fulfillment and self-respect. I realized that letting go was hell at first, but it gets easy with time.

Reading The Book That Was 2012 has made me realize a lot of things that I need to improve on, like my patience for example. There were a lot of things that I accomplished, but I realized that I could have accomplished more. This 2013, I will strive to be better. I will learn from my mistakes and continue to do the good things that I have done before. I will learn new things and spend more time on things that matter. I can't wait to write my next chapter.