No Worries

"Hakuna Matata - No worries for the rest of your days"

~Swahili Phrase

The picture was taken in our school science garden.

Hakunana Matata is the magic phrase for a natural born worrier like me. That's me 20something years ago, before I went back to teaching. Now, the word "worry" was offered a little room for rent in my life hoping that soon it would finally found a new house to occupy.

See what teaching done to me. I'm becoming less of a worrier and more like a clown....well sort of. Clown to make my students alive and to my friends, for them to be happy.  Hahaha!!!

Take time

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life"

~Socrates

I thought when you pour out your effort, heart and all at something you will be fulfilled. But they don't. Being busy doesn't always equates progress, self satisfaction and fulfillment. Now, not only my head but also my heart knows that we cannot make it for the lost time. We don't have the future yet, we only have the present so might as well live one day at a time and enjoy life. There are far more awesome things out there. I know it.

The way home

"Our way to practice is one step at a time,

one breath at a time"

~Shunryu Suzuki

Caleruega

In life, sometimes we have to take detours. But time will always come, when you'll feel that you had reached the end of the road and there's no other way than to turn around and go back where you truly belong.

Appreciation

"Appreciation is a wonderful thing:

It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well"

-Voltaire

Christmas is almost here. I am now on the highest peak of my happy mood hunting gifts for loved ones.

So busy  I may fail to get that one thing I desire the most to practice my new found desire to capture life. I sulked for like 7 hours. But it led me to the conclusion that nothing will happen even if I do that. So I braced myself and accepted the fact that it wasn't here yet cause it's not the time to be.

God has a plan. And for that I will wait for the right time.

Wear your emotion

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nature wears the colors of the spirit.

When I was a teen, I was fascinated with pink. 

I stayed faithful to it until I fell in love with red. A color I despised before. 

But can you believe that now, I am in awe with yellow? A color which made me puke when I was young 

(no exaggeration).

Although this sudden changes in my favorites brought confusion in me, I at least came to the most acceptable reason I can think of. And that is, "we wear our emotions". And by that I mean my color depends on my mood (hope that makes sense)

Life is...

"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect.

It means  you've decided to look beyond the imperfections."

-Unknown

Life has its fair share of bad, sad, stressful and busy days. But in spite the uncertainties, all things are passing and everything will fall into place.

Gratitude

"There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle,

or you can live as if everything is a miracle."

-Albert Einstein

Mary Immaculate Parish (Nature's Church) - Cafe

It's a long weekend (for us). There is nothing more serene than to rest on the comfort of our homes.  This picture reminds me of our old home after the volcanic eruption. A refuge my father built for us while our home was being built on a new and higher location.

Simple, good old days! Love them!!! I want them back, I miss them.
I give thanks for them.

Life is two-riffic with twins

" A friend is someone who understands your past,

believes in your future and accepts you just the way you are"

-anonymous

You know my wishes, you know my words. What more can I say?
Happy Birthday Twin sis!

P.S. - Please spare my life when you get the chance to see this. Love yah!

Heart vs. Eyes

"Judgement prevents us from seeing the good 

that lies beyond appearances"

-Wayne Dyer 

MOA Eye, San Miguel by the Bay

We, humans were not righteous. We commit mistakes but let's not make it a habit to judge others by physical appearances. We're all imbibed with a flaw and be grateful enough if yours wasn't visible. Let's use our heart instead of our eyes.

Industry and Finance

"A man may be very industrious, and yet not spend his time well.

There is no more fatal blunderer than he

who consumes the greater part of life getting his living."

-Henry David Thoreau

Industry and Finance - Tailored for each other. Best match. Meant to be. Right?

Whoever puts the two signs together was a genius. It serves as a reminder that in order for us to have a better finances, we have to be industrious. Nothing is gained without shedding sweat and it's glorious to spend the fruits of your labor.

But anything beyond normal is fatal. With that being said, I am taking  two days leave from work (Cheers to that). My body dictates that it's necessary (right now) to have lazy days, bury my body on the bed and just let the day pass without worrying about anything. 

Don't you just love that?

Brand new day

"Whenever something negative happens to you,

there is a deep lesson concealed  within it"

-Eckhart Tolle

at dawn beside our office

No matter how bad the day is, always look on the brightest side of life. As Eckhart said, there's a deep lesson concealed within it.

May this day be a brand new day filled with love, bliss, and hope for everyone. The sun will shine for you today. *Hugs

Judge not

"Judgments prevent us from seeing the good

that lies beyond appearances"

-Wayne Dyer

Who doesn't judge others anyway? We're just humans right? I do!

Let's assume this door is that of a coffee shop. If vanity strikes, no one will dare to touch the knob but would rather leave outright just because it's full of rust. How would you know what waits for you inside then? By turning your back behind the chances, you were about to miss the best brewed coffee and the rarest and finest combination of herbs.

Same goes to human beings. As much as possible let us not judge others as if we're the purest soul on earth, unless we witnessed what really happened. It's hard to be drowned with self righteous things.

Time fades

"Many fine things can be done in a day 
if you don't always make that day tomorrow"
-Unknown

It had seen the best of time but didn't endured the test of time. 

One of the things I want to ditch this year and the rest of the coming years is procrastination. Procrastinating isn't my forte until I worked on graveyard shift. The darn schedule is really exhausting and you can pretty guess what is the most dominant of my activities - Sleeping!

TIME among other things cannot be replenished and brought back once gone. Better exhaust it in worthwhile activities that makes us happy and productive.

Agree or agree?

Start new

"Every year on your birthday, you get a chance to start new"
-Sammy Hagar

For the past two years, I was half upset during my birthday. I felt that celebrating was really different when you were a kid. I am feeling the same jitters again and as the day comes nearer the weariness multiplies. And to contrast the feeling, I pulled out an inspiring photo and decided that my official 2012 will start on Saturday.

Pillars

"Hope is the pillar that holds up the world"

-Pliny the Elder

Philippine Post Office

College days were the times when I got hooked with Greek Mythology. My memories of  how Poseidon saved me from a quiz bee and Pandora gave the word "hope" a different meaning in my life were still fresh. 

With all the chaos around, I am grateful that hope was left in Pandora's box. With that said, I am hoping that people will unite for the common good of our country. As long as we stand divided with our selfish motives, we cannot move further.  Let's serve as the pillar for our country's betterment.

Every day can be a Good Day

"Every day may not be good,
but there's something good in every day"
-Unknown

Sad.Disappointed.Stressed. Three words that would perfectly describe my last 3 days. Work caught me off guard and overwhelmed with nuisance. But life would never be good without a little spice. The unexpected circumstances add flavors to make our life savory.

It's an imperfect world with imperfect humans, goodness is around to keep the balance. It's just a matter of ATTITUDE on how you deal with life.

Rushing

"There is more to life than increasing its speed"

-Gandhi

Tiangge (Bazaar) 

Tiangge are very in demand especially during Christmas holidays. If I forgot to pause for while, I maybe one of the busy people out there running endless errands to complete their Christmas list.

Enjoying the walk and the scene was the best thing I ever did that day. The scent of Christmas gives warmth to my soul.  If not for taking a pause, I might end up not appreciating the beauty of life.

A Bane or a Boon?

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous"

-Aristotle

Water Hyacinth a.k.a Water Lily

Water Hyacinth is not only a competitor to rice crops, it also alter the free flowing water in the river and other bodies of water. When I was a child I wasn't aware of those facts because it's a major source of playing materials for me during cooking session with little friends. I also came to admire it's attractive flowers.

Discovering that it has fibers, textile manufacturers found a great way to maximize the use of this flowing creature into something that humanity can use. And instead of mass destruction to avoid clogs on rivers, they converted it to textile. 

A proof that even a bane can also be a boon.

Dancing Fountain

"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism

or in the darkness of  destructive selfishness"

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dancing Fountain in Luneta Park

Chaos around will eventually be forgotten when you witnessed  fountains with spectacular lights display dancing in modern tunes. That's what awed us when we decided to visit Rizal unwavering statue. Never in our innocent mind that we thought to see something like this.  An unforgettable experience to end our road trip then.

Refuge

"Everybody's going through a lot of stress these days,

no matter how well off you are and how many advantages you have,

it's a stressful time in everybody's lives.

-Chris Frantz

Life is indeed full of matters which stresses out not only our physical body but our precious mind. And in those times of trouble, when one seek a refuge, there's no other place I could think of than one which is close to nature. Old yet lavishing, not different but unique. A quiet place to run in search for solitude.

Someday I'll  built a serene space like this and complement it with a Dedon's Orbit or the Daydream to woo calmness and soothe the aching heart.