Every Day is a Gift

          While listening to the preacher this evening time during our gathering, what struck me most out of his sharing was his mentioning about two qualities that every person must possess so that he will become successful in his relationship with others and these are LOVE and FIDELITY.           These two comprise the whole package in any positive dealing with one's neighbour. While listening to him talking about those two points, as much as I can, I tried to recall back concrete instances of my life to show those two qualities in my life. Looking around, I could also see affirming faces on the preacher's highlights.  imagecredit:    Ed Gregory           Anyway, you and me could identify certain relationships that we have in our lifetime. First and foremost, we have this significant relationship with those persons so dear to us like spouses, siblings, etc. Then next comes our relati...

          In any relationship, what greatly counts is the trust and respect that partners endow to each other. However, it takes a while before genuine trust will blossom in the relationship. Challenging indeed is the criteria given to the manner of improving trust in the relationship. We all know that we have our highs and lows, yin and yang, strengths and weaknesses etc.   imagecredit           Oftentimes, what is easier for us is to show our good side and merely keep hidden our negative side. However there are also times that situations go wrong and come beyond our control. It is during such events that the "demons"- so to speak, come out of us. Why then are we afraid to show the real "US"? many reasons can come out of our minds yet one among them is our fear that we will not be accepted by others especially by people dear to us if we come out of our comfort zones.           That situation then...

          For Type 2 in the Enneagram, basically the idea of LOVING is such an essential issue. One's self worth plays a major role in this type. And as human as we are, this is one of our primary needs yet for those who belong to this type, if left unchecked and not processed, this could lead to distractions and unwillingness to go forward in one's journey. Here then are some of the characteristics of this type: "Healthy loop  controlled by Basic Desire: Need to be loved  ->  help others  ->  loved  ->  Need to be lovedIn the healthy state, the need to be loved induces Type Twos to help others which causes them to be loved. When Twos feel loved, the need is satisfied and a balance is reached. In the average state, when Twos' are not helping others and are not loved, the need to be loved increases, which helps Twos to again reach out and help others. Thus the balancing loop can help Twos to recover. imagecr...

          Life as it is encompasses so many chapters. There were those which ended and there will be those that are still coming. Yet I personally believe that to be able to cherish life as it is, man should learn how to live life to its present reality- the here and now chapter of our life.           I love to read quotations in life and oneof those which I treasure the most is this one from Buddha:" The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."- Buddha from:www.pixabay.com             What I love in Buddha's words is its invitation for us all not to mourn whatever our past brought to us and not to worry as well to what will happen in our future. Rather we better invest our energy on living in the present for it is there that we can accomplish more in life.        ...

          This is the second part of my post discussing about the importance of practicing and maintaining quality time with others especially with our loved ones. What is another striking element for me in what I quoted from my research, it is the part that says, " Usually time management is a necessity in any project development as it determines the project completion time and scope" .           Personally I consider each one's life journey as a personal endeavor and a project. We are the primary movers and doers in this personal project and whatever we attribute to this will make or break us.   The scope of this personal project ( life journey ) differs from one person to the other. What we therefore need individually is the self awareness that will enable us to plan and set directions to realize the project- our life.  from:www.dreamstime.com           At times, the road ahead us in lif...

          Time is one of our treasures in life. Therefore it is always a daily routine for us to plan ahead what we have to do with our time. Thus, time management is very essential in our life journey. But how much do we really invest in time? How much time do we spend for our family, our loved ones or friends? What percentage of our daily time do we spend for our leisure? These are but some of the questions we can ask ourselves in relation to time.            One of the sources that I researched regarding time is shared below: Time management  is the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity. Time management may be aided by a range of skills, tools, and techniques used to  manage  time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects and goals complying with a due date. from:w...

          While at work, I received a call from a loved one excitedly sharing with me her recent success. It was a sweet one for her since many were attempting to be in that opportunity and she triumphed over the odds of claiming it.  from: www.pixabay.com           In life, there are the so-called spices to it like trials, challenges, tears of joy and that of sadness, ups and downs. And we all need to be determined enough to overcome those negatives ones and generous to share with others the positive ones.            At this time, I will focus on the element of sharing in a relationship. Anyway, what makes a relationship stronger is the bond of sharing between parties involved. from: www.pixabay.com  As the relationship progresses day by day, the sense of connectedness is further strengthened  by those triumphant moments shared by both individuals. Day in and day out, we encou...

          MOTHERS- the very significant people in our life who play essential roles in our growing up. Here then is a guest post from a high school student sharing to us her admiration for her mom. Basing from her own experience, this reflection will show to us how she valued her relationship with her. Mother Mother, mama, mommy or mum-these are just example of names that we usually give to our moms. They're the ones who carried  us while we are in their womb, the ones who`s given us the chance to see the world.  They're the ones who will teach us to be good children for the next generation. They will be the first teachers to teach us to walk, to talk, to write and read. They give us advice on how to live and survive.  from:www.pixabay.com They usually teach us to write and read but from those words the most important is that they also love us ,  no matter what, and even though we are at times stubborn and hard headed. In al...

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” -  Og Mandino           For many occasions in life, our dreams have been stifled and tested by distractions, failures, and limitations. Yet our hold on our dreams pave the way for us to recover from them. Further, emerging triumphant over them showers us with some light that everything will be smooth sailing. Consequently, we then become inspired, renewed and determined by those challenging  moments in our life.  from: www.dreamstime.com           As my favorite inspirational author said, " Failure will never overtake me if my determination to suceed is strong enough"- Og Mandino. We have known many  life changing as well as success stories and they extend to us a reality that life is such a wonderful gift.             What is common among all these names? Guy Laliberte, John Paul DeJor...

          Fidelity- what really is it anyway? There have been numerous meanings related to fidelity. Some may sound realistic and others tend to be so idealistic. As time passes by, great minds have shared their experiences and ideas with regard to fidelity. Allow me to quote some of those thoughts and share my own sentiments on them. " Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose". Helen Keller Read more at  http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fidelity.html#ySMhyu2Ihi51yJYW.99   from: www.kozzi.com           When we practice fidelity in a relationship, it becomes our virtue and a guide to sustain and improve the quality of our relationship until it reaches an unswerving stage. Whatever the nature of our relationship, it is our ability to keep up with our commitment that is valued. As shared abo...

“ Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.”- Og Mandino by: MINDER, www.pixabay.com           Augustine "Og" Mandino II, a famous inspirational author, was once an alcoholic in life. Consequently, his family including his wife Mirriam and their only child abandoned him. Such predicament was so intense that he reached a particular point in his journey that he was entertaining the idea of committing suicide. What changed his life was when he made himself busy by reading books of self help. He then eventually became a famous writer and  speaker. (Source: Wikipedia-the free encyclopedia)           Indeed, we all have our own "Og Mandino story" in our life. A certain point where...

          " In a  support group , members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing  social networks . A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy."-  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia           We all need a support group in our life. As the famous saying goes, " No man is an island." The sense of belonging is such an essential element in our being persons. We could not just ignore the presence of others in our life. Have you realized why we are created unique from each other? There could be many answers to this query yet personally, I believed that we are created to be li...

          Love prospered by time, that fills the memories. Memories are forever that makes us smile for a while even amidst confusions. Heart always beats, even feeling discontentment and suspicion sometimes. Heart is the reason for breathing, so as for dying. Likely, few become insane, desperate, and unhappy bearing the fruit of mishandling the relationship.  from:www.kozzi.com           In crossing through the waves of adversities, the strength comes not from the paddles but the hands that hold the latter. As a cliché says, “It takes TWO to tango…”, therefore, partners form the strength to strongly overpass the challenges.           Love’s worth is more than a life. No one knows the fixed price. It has no monetary value. Some think it pays lower; some think it pays higher. Misunderstanding happens because we tend to gain back the price of how much we invest. Loving is not to outgive ...

          LOVE is such a very complex and vague matter that many meanings are attributed to it. Yet in the midst of all these complexities, there still exists a reality that true love exists. Indeed, it takes a while for true love to prosper. It is like  a rose  that needs to be consistently nurtured so that it will blossom into a beautiful flower.  from Kozzi Inc.'s Portfolio           Try to reflect on your own relationship in life especially in marriage. As the years go by, when the two of you being husband and wife reach a level of deep understanding for each other thus resulting to a feeling of being mutually comfortable with each other no matter what the situation is, then both of you can claim it to the world that real love exists between the two of you.        True love also happens when one could learn to forgive and forget everything painful that is done to him/her. That in spite ...

          Global warming is such a worldwide phenomenon and is actively affecting every human being on this earth. It is such a massive issue that nations big and small are having serious discussions to asnwer to this recent worldwide challenge. As I read in one of the blogs which refer to this subject as a serious phenomenom affecting everyone and everything on earth, its writer Rafi Miller said,  "  For most scientists, the evidence is overwhelming. They see it in  the data ,  the models , and the massive climate shifts  happening   before   our   eyes . Every authority on climate, including  NASA ,  NOAA ,  AMS ,  NAS ,  AGU , ACS , and  APS , warns unequivocally of a grave threat to our welfare."           It is then very evident that global warming's threat is such a very serious one that it entails an urgent action as well on humankind. Rafi Miller...