Moving Interstate: How to Beat the Challenges

A Guest Post:



Change is a part of life. Every day we face different scenarios. Sometimes, we have no control over them. While, sometimes we do. Thus. the graph of life's activities is never constant. One such challenging activity is moving interstate. When we put in such a position,  most shudder at the thought of all the work involved. But, we have to go through the process if it has a positive impact on our career, family, or education.

Moving interstate is a task which could get very annoying and complex, even for those who are used to moving locally. But, getting all irritated and giving up is not the solution. One must learn how to deal with this hectic and time-consuming task efficiently. 

imagecredit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Moving_house.JPG

Presented below are some techniques that will help you get through this frantic challenge. 

1. Pre-Packing Plan

It is very important that one must start their preparation of moving correctly, from the day the news is out. Planning well will buy you time to make sure all your important stuff is packed. Other than that, it will also save you from breaking and losing your fragile stuff in the process. This is the first step to help you beat the upcoming challenges. Once you are done with this part properly, the rest of the difficulties that would have had to deal with when moving interstate become easier to execute. Keep in mind that this step also includes where you would start packing your stuff from. 

2. Time to Pack your Stuff

Once you are done with the first step, it's time for you to start packing your things. Make sure to check and clean every drawer and closet systematically to avoid missing and losing any precious items. Try to pack the same category stuff in one place. Books in separate boxes, clothes in others, electronics in another, and the list goes on. Make sure to list down the category name on the boxes. Try to leave the items that you will need at the end until the last day.

3. Contact Friends and Family Living in that State

Remember to contact your family, friends, colleagues, and relatives (if any) living in the state you're moving to before you move.  This will be of great help for you if you are a complete stranger to the state. They can help you get to know the area and people in your new state a little better. 

4. U-Haul or Movers

There are quite a few reasonably priced movers that can help you move from your home state to wherever  it is you're moving to. However, they are priced higher than what it would cost to move yourself. U-Haul and other trailers that you could hire to move your things are also available for affordable rates.  Consider both options carefully before you decide one. 

imagecredit: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2064/2224917035_88115fd957_b.jpg

With a mover, you'll have to pay more but do less. Whereas, if you hire truck then you'll save more but will need to do a lot more. 

5. Unpacked Systematically

Once you've moved to your home, you're faced with the last challenge - unpacking. Try to come up  with a system rather than aiming to unpack everything simultaneously. Setting up furniture in the bedroom should be the first step, you would also most likely want to unpack some of your clothes second. The process can take hours to weeks depending on how organised you are. The above-mentioned tips can be of great help in facing interstate moving challenges. Remember, there really is no one-size fits all approach to moving. However, moving can be easy or the most difficult thing you ever do based on how well you've planned. Good luck! 

This article is shared by the expert removalist team @Walkmove

For more information about their company, check this link.

                                      

Share One's Talents

          Just today, me and my wife watched the Australian reality series Australia's Got Talent and I was struck by one of the participants who, in spite of her age, she still was able to perform on stage. She's 60 years old already yet at that age, she still is very much willing to share her gifts to others including us who were watching the said show. 

          The four judges were awed by her rendition of a song that they all gave her a thumbs up and she received four yes votes from them. Basically, each one of us is gifted with certain capabilities, skills, and other resources. We differ in our gifts and even for some, their skills and gifts are left unattended and just there inside of them waiting to be tapped. 

          One good response that we can give to these blessings that we have is by sharing them to others so in that way, we even can make ourselves instruments for others to be happy. On the other hand, the very least that we can do is just ignore and hide them instead inside of us. What is worst sometimes is that when envy of others' talents settles in our hearts and we begin to feel unworthy and unloved by people close to us. 

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          Thus personally, I believe that we should be grateful for all these positive things in us (singing, speaking, creating skills etc.) and we should also be willing to extend them to others.

BLOGGING: MEANS TO SELF-EXPRESSION

          Nowadays, people are making busy into various trends such as film making, mountain climbing, clothes, diving, and many more. And one of those trends which is popular today is blogging. Blogging actually is like maintaining an online diary. Moreover, there are different purposes why a certain person blogs and these could be for personal, pleasure or business reasons. 

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        Blogging is a very interesting avenue for anyone to express all about himself/herself. As such, it is a very effective tool in reaching out to others in a sense that each one is so complex and full of experiences that one's life can be relative from the other. We learn to grow in so many factors and one of them is through interaction among others. 

          One interesting development nowadays is the evolution of the so-called web communication. So wide is this development that the world presently becomes a global village- we are seemed to be very close to one another yet in reality, we can be miles apart from one another. 

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          With this perspective, blogging becomes one of those avenues wherein one person freely expresses himself/herself with others both near and far. It is such a great feeling to have our thoughts shared with others thinking that in whatever unique way we communicate with them known or unknown.

THE VALUE OF TIME

          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:www.pixabay.com

 This set encompasses a wide scope of activities, and these include planning,allocating, setting goals, delegation, analysis of time spent, monitoring, organizing, scheduling, and prioritizing. Initially, time management referred to just business or work activities, but eventually the term broadened to include personal activities as well. A time management system is a designed combination of processes, tools, techniques, and methods. Usually time management is a necessity in any project development as it determines the project completion time and scope. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

          From this source, several components are being discussed and I would like to single out the element of "being able to consciously control our time" for whatever we want to do. We therefore  are the main protagonists each day on how we take control of our time from the time that we wake up then perform our different daily activities up to the time that we go to bed. No one could ever dictate us on what we are going to do with our time. However, it should always be a part of our consideration that our time should be shared and be spent in spreading love and concern for others.

          At times, relationships are being destroyed by the failure of each one to accord the other a quality time. Sometimes we think of any other excuses so as not to extend precious time with our loved ones. In some cases, we tend to enjoy and spend more time with officemates and friends rather than spending it with our family. What is being sacrificed is the guidance that our children specifically need from us. Consequently, there is this risk of soliciting this time and attention from other sources such as friends who can be bad influence, drugs, and vices. 

from:www.pixabay.com

          Hence, to rest assured our loved ones especially our children that they will experience quality time with us, we should always make it a conscious effort on our part to initiate interaction with them.  

                 

  (part 1)

THE VALUE OF SELF GIVING

          Just recently, I did watch a movie entitled " SEVEN POUNDS" with Will Smith on the lead role. Just to give you a gist of the story, it all revolves on Tim Thomas (Will Smith). As a flashback, two years earlier, he was involved in a fatal car accident in which seven people were dead including his fiancee and six strangers. 

          Being at fault, he was so remorseful of this tragedy. He was texting while driving his car thus resulting to his failure to control the steering wheel and eventually hits an approaching van. To make atonement for such mistake, he decided that he will select seven people to save their lives.

from:www.kozzi.com

         Hence he planned to donate his body parts to the following: lung lobe to his brother, a part of his liver to a child services worker named Holly, his kidney to George, a Junior hockey coach, his bone marrow to a young boy named Nicholas,  his beach house to Connie, who lives with an abusive boyfriend, his eyes to Ezra Turner, a blind meat salesman who plays the piano and lastly his heart to Emily Posa, who is suffering with a heart disease and has a rare blood type.

          There is a complication with the last one, Emily, since he falls in love with her. After spending some solitary moments with her, he goes back to his motel and fills the bathtub with ice to preserve his vital organs. He then releases his boxed jelly fish and commits suicide. (Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814314/synopsis)

          With this as background, can we identify events in our life that we became like a "TIM THOMAS" to our neighbors? Have we asked ourselves such question, "How many times in our past life that we became self giving to others?" Or are we just solely focus on our own welfare and we tend to neglect our duty of care for others. Personally, this moral of the story is very relevant to my life. In fact, it is always an invitation for me and for others to share the very precious gift of life. 

     

from: www.kozzi.com

         Nevertheless, accepting this challenge doesn't necessarily be in such a huge thing and manner. Being self giving can be expressed in so many ways like giving full attention and care to others most especially to those who belong to our household. Being busy with multiple things most notably with those trivial ones is never an excuse to deprive others of our attention and care.

          Basically as human beings, those two are stand out among our primary needs. If we value receiving them from others then we might as well be generous in extending them. Becoming deprived in any stage of life is such a lonely fate hence may we all become agents of joy for our neighbors, near and far, so as to avoid this tragedy.

SHARING THE JOY OF A LOVED ONE

          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 encounter various life episodes that brought laughters and joys to our hearts.

          Such triumphs as performing well in work or in class, accomplishing assigned tasks for the day, being on time for work/studies, and many more are sources of joy for any of us. When I received that call from a loved one, her joy was automatically radiated to my self as well.

          Hearing her voice, it was so vivid to me her sense of excitement and extreme joy as she narrated her triumph. On my part, I believe that it is but natural to feel the same way as my loved one felt when she told me her good news. Afterwards, the more that I became energized and motivated in performing my work tasks. Such joy is so wonderful when it is shared. 

  

A GUEST POST: MOTHER

          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 all of these, we've been

grateful for her undying love to us, her children. And that is the essence of being a woman, to give life for a child in an unconditional way. No matter what other people say she will always be there to protect and support for every achievements that a child make.

  

from:www.pixabay.com

In a child's eyes, she`s the goddess.

In a child's dream, she`s the fairy god mother.

In a child's world, she`s the superhero of all time.

And for me, she`s my world and my everything.

by: Romee Christine Gallano 

ON FIDELITY: SOME QUOTES TO PONDER

          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 above, real happiness means denying one's self satisfying tendency and rather, put in first place the other person's welfare. Although freedom is inherent in each individual, it negates the fact that one could just ignore the rights of the other especially the right to enjoy life. No matter how we present man as a self gratifying individual, he is still capable of reflecting real needs from mere wants.   

          Thus, staying faithful is in no way entertaining the idea of self gratification but rather, it considers on a deeper level the dignity and welfare of the other.  

from: www.kozzi.com

"That in affairs of very considerable importance men should deal with one another with satisfaction of mind, and mutual confidence, they must receive competent assurances concerning the integrity, fidelity, and constancy each of other".

Isaac Barrow 

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/fidelity.html#ySMhyu2Ihi51yJYW.99 

          The idea of self giving is what seems to be the perfect goal in any relationship. One should be constantly willing to make sacrifices for the beloved. To be altruistic, self satisfaction is relegated to be the next priority over the  welfare and the happiness of the other. Moreover mutual trust and support for each other must be met. Basically, this is a challenging one given man's complex nature which is both pleasant and unpleasant, rational and irrational. Again in order to meet a  relationship that is built on fidelity and trust, man needs to set aside, tamed and control his negative tendencies and invariably displays the desirable ones. 

"He who is faithful over a few things is a lord of cities. It does not matter whether you preach in Westminster Abbey or teach a ragged class, so you be faithful. The faithfulness is all."

      - George MacDonald 

           Faithfulness is everywhere and anywhere. Consequently, it goes beyond time and space. No  matter what state of life we are in, we are all invited and challenged to stay faithful to whatever commitment we are in. Being successful in maintaining fidelity within our relationships, we therefore detach ourselves from allowing any emotional distance between us and our partners. Finally the challenge  of maintaining the positive emotional entanglement in our relationship remains steadily present. 

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

“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 wherein we seemed overwhelmed by those odds before us. Life is such a colorful journey that it is but natural for us to encounter its ups and downs making it more interesting to live by. Amidst of all life's colors, it is so noteworthy for us to also count our own blessings. 

          No matter how we assess life as a struggle, as a constant battle between right and wrong, a persistent tug of war between two opposing forces of this earth, still we all need to embrace all the goodness that we have received and experienced. These are the so-called blessings in our life. We need to count them....we need to constantly remind ourselves that after all, life is still one of the greatest gifts we have received from somebody up there. 

by: TPSDAVE, www.pixabay.com

          May we not merely focus on what others have, may we not be overcome by our limitations such as discontentment, disillusioned, remorse etc for they will just make us blind to see as well as appreciate our own giftedness. Let us count our blessings everyday and thank whoever give them to us. Being as such, we are also invited to share these blessings with others especially to those people who have lost their will to move forward. 

          Remember always the wonderful feeling when we realize that we then become instruments for others so that they will also see the light after each of every darkness that comes into their life. Just like the example of Og Mandino's life, may we constantly strive to get up and face the world after every fall. 

WHY WE ALL NEED A SUPPORT GROUP?...

          " 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 like that for us to realize that we need each other. Nevertheless, there are several groups that we can claim as sources of our support as well as joy and to name a few, here are some of them: friends, classmates, co-workers, relatives, cyber friends so on and so forth. Thus it is very noteworthy to discover and to identify those groups which are making relevance to our life. 

by: WEBSI, www.pixabay.com

          We should not be daunting in life for there are plenty of people out there trying to provide us unconditional support no matter what is in store for us in the future. Each of our dreams is reachable and trekking the way to get hold of it is possible through the presence and assistance of people in our individual support group.We  may stumble along the way yet this will not hinder us to go on and proceed with our journey. There would be changes and even u-turns along the road and there could be distractions in any form however with our will and determination, reaching these dreams will be possible. 

          Finally, all my life I have been receiving support from my own significant group thus it has become a part of my daily  undertaking to communicate with my own community- the community that I love and which accept me in return including all my shortcomings

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WHAT REAL LOVE CAN DO...

          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 of the pain with its natural tendency to inflict pain in return, it is rather forgiveness that is showered to the other party. Real love is ready and eager to do everything for the welfare of the beloved. 

from Kozzi Inc.'s Portfolio

          In the midst of life's suffering especially in one that is inflicted by another party within a relationship, the ideal response should be to embrace sufferings and to shower forgiveness. Meanwhile, suffering is the most difficult thing in life that we all want to eliminate or  at least avoid it. It may be either physical, mental or emotional but we cannot fully understand why it exists and affects our lives. Suffering is so much a part of life that we must accept and go through with courage and patience.  

          Our hope for perfection in any relationship surely does not make our sufferings less real and painful. The only possible answer to this situation is a real love that is radiated from one's heart. To be able reach this level, we all need to ask for grace and wisdom to go beyond what is superficial in life. While it is so difficult for us to grasp the real meaning of love, we can nevertheless open ourselves to whatever grace where we can get strength on. 

          Hence,  may this be our constant desire to enter into a relationship where true and real love exists.

GLOBAL WARMING: Am I personally Affected By It?

          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 continued, 

        "This is an obviously tragic sentiment. But a serious question underlies it. And among my friends, it’s often the first question they ask once I explain the gravity of the disaster we face. What can we do about global warming? Do we have to give up our cars and air conditioning? Are we supposed to turn our economy upside down with new regulations? Should we board spaceship and move to the moon?"

          There are several answers to this questions yet it is most probably beneficial if we can also personally ask ourselves on what can we do in a special way to help prevent global warming's worsening threat to humanity and the world.

          We can think of so many things to answer this question. Some of those are through information drive. We need to inform ourselves how serious is the effect of this climate change to humankind. Recent man made catastrophe such as intense heat stress, more universal drought, uncontrollable wildfires here and there, fatal epidemics, the rise of sea level,  disastrous floods and many other local effects just visibly manifests the fatal effects of climate change.Thus, it is very positive to constantly consider whatever ways that can make us positive contributors to stop the spread of global warming. Several grassroots response that we can think of can be any of the following: energy, forests, education and agriculture. 

          Worldwide, there are several actions undertaken by groups to respond positively to this challenge on climate change. Numerous actions are undertaken such as the program to provide electricity to 500 students in Belize, the project to provide 1,500 clean cookstoves for Haitian families, the program to conserve thousand of acres of Tanzanian rainforest so on and so forth.

          Thus, may we consciously participate in our own ways to take part in these activities. Let our desire to extend concretely to these worldwide projects to stop climate change grow intensely day by day. Let us be persistent in educating ourselves on climate change's negative effects. Let us unceasingly ask ourselves, " How can we become agents of change to counter the evil effects of global warming and climate change to humankind?" 

WE LOVE YOU MAMA...

           We have basically various significant people in our life. We can name all of them yet personally what comes out as one of the most outstanding is that of our MOMS. Indeed our mother extend several sacrifices and their LOVE for us is beyond any price and timeless. Thus I would say that mothers play a crucial role in our development especially on our stages like when we are still babies, toddlers so on and so forth. Their LOVE is unconditional just like that of Mama Mary and we should always reciprocate this love with a genuine LOVE as well.

          Thus here below, I am sharing this reminder with you to remind us on the importance of our MAMAS in our life.

WE ALL ARE ONE IN SAYING " WE LOVE YOU MAMA"......

Kurt Kristoff Jugan and mommy....

THE LORD OF THE RING..............

good vs. evil....light vs. darkness......yin vs. yang.....these are the two contradictions in life.....however for every person there is no safer ground...one has to choose....am i for righteousness or the other way around? ......will you choose good rather than evil?....I believe that everyday we make choices ......and some of these choices lead us either to goodness or badness......

what i think is ought to be so necessary for us all is to endow ourselves a constant time and space to look deep into ourselves what is there deep inside of us......remember everyday is always  a MATTER OF CHOICE ......just like in the movie LORD of the RING the main characters made their choices---to make a difference. Are we ready to do choices which could also lead us into goodness?......kudos......

Every single second counts......

          Just to remind myself as well as others the value of life. First that it is a sacred gift from God and that it is ought to be shared with others. I have that responsibility---in fact-- a very serious one --to take care of my own self. I need not to create complicated ways to do it yet just by takin ggood care of this everyday makes it a very loving way of reciprocating this gift. 

          However, there are many factors in which I can begin with like taking care of my physical aspect and many more (emotional, spiritual, social etc.). There are so many do's and don'ts in my everyday living. Nevertheless, there could be times wherein I would fail in this daily undertaking. Yet at the end of the day, let this be a part of my daily perspective--to look back on all of my daily events and to express gratitude for all the good things I receive during the day and to feel sorry for all my wrongdoings. I may sound egoistic yet that is how the reality looks to me. 

          This is a primary duty to take care of my self growth. On the other hand, I also have that big responsibility to share this gift of life to others especially those who are deared to me. I need other people as well as others need me. That is the beauty of life---that I am able to realize that I am made unique from others so that I will come to know that there is a mutual need for each other. Others may not like me however I will focus on those who will assist me to grow deeper on myself. There is always be beauty in sharing myself with others. Hence, I will always strive for perpection as I am tasked to be and I will always extend this very self with others. There is no appropriate word also to describe when I feel the warmth of other people's care and love for me. 



                                                              

WHAT WILL I DO TODAY?

          Each new day brings lots of potentials to all of us. Different experiences, different people, varied memories. mixied emotions---these are but some of the chapters in our book called LIFE JOURNEY. 

          Everyday that I wake up, questions come out of my mind and what is prevailing to me everyday is the question, " What will I do today?" Upon stumbling this everyday question, it goes down to the very deep of me including my sense of priority in life. Personally this is an important question since I believe that each day brings numerous potentials to all of us. Thus it takes note to keep in touch of our daily priorities so that we can also answer positively the question I posed beforehand.

                               (Photo courtesy of BART MAMARIL)

FAMILY is always a PRIMARY SOURCE OF MOTIVATION

          My daily priorities may vary from time to time yet at top of them is always my family- my wife and my baby Kurt. They are always my daily consideration and that everything that I do daily is always for their own welfare. Knowing their special place in my heart and in my life, I consistently put in mind their own good in whatever I perform everyday. They endow me strength to be full of life in my work and in my other activities. 

          Families may seem distinct from one to the other yet at the onset, what binds them all together is the LOVE that   radiates from one member to the other. Ideally, LOVE seems so abstract yet when it boils down to any family, it then presents itself concretely through the loving gestures and accolades that family members exchange with one another. From the simple words "Good morning dad/mom" to any other act of affirmation such as "You did great in your math subject!", they already show much affection and love to every family member.

LOVE ABOUNDS IN THE FAMILY...

          Thus,  it is my attitude to show respect and love in very concrete ways to my most loved persons in life- to my wife Yanyan and to our baby Kurt. What will I do today" I know what exactly it is and it is to continue showering them with so much love and affection.

QUALITY TIME WITH FAMILY

          One of our considered treasures in life is our family. Thus it becomes a very essential part of our everyday living. Apart from our own life, it is the family that stands as one source of strength for all of us. We can learn bountiful things from our interactions inside our family. Certain values we can attribute to our family are  respect, love, affection, truthfulness, certitude, compassion, faith etc.

          On the other hand, it is very essential to ask ourselves: " Do we spend quality time with all the members of our family?", "Are we willing to commit ourselves to spend more time with our loved ones?", "Do we treat all  members of our family equally regardless of their rank, achievements, roles, etc?"

          These are but just some of the questions that we can constantly ask ourselves since being a family man or woman is a day to day commitment. It is such a wonderful feeling when we see all members of our family bonded together by love, affection, trust, acceptance and mutual support.

BE HAPPY INSIDE YOUR FAMILY

          Moreover, each family is a unique entity of any community. Whatever the uniqueness of each family yet there would always be a unified element among all other families. LOVE then becomes the most important component of every family and this love is radiated to all others. Being able to maintain a spontaneous and a positive relationship among all members of the family will result to a healthier environment. Members then will become more gentle, intelligent and likeable person to others.

          Hence I would like to reiterate that spending quality time with our family serves as a positive tool to produce productive members wherein someday, they will also grow as matured members of our society then finally they will also build their own   wonderful families.

HOW COULD WE BE HEROES to our CHILDREN?

          Trying to check from several sources about what a hero is, I discovered that from these series of meanings for HERO, what stand out as typical among them is that they are all geared towards kindness- towards something GOOD for somebody. Considering our children, they love to identify certain heroes in their life. When they're together with their peers, they enjoy playing the roles of their superheroes. Most common of these are Superman, Batman, Hercules, Darna, and many others. These are but just some of our known superheroes in print and in movies. 

"Heroes are people who transform compassion (a personal virtue) into heroic action (a civic virtue). In doing so, they put their best selves forward in service to humanity. A hero is as an individual or a network of people that take action on behalf of others in need, or in defense of integrity or a moral cause.

Heroic action is:

• Engaged in voluntarily;
• Conducted in service to one or more people or the community as a whole;
• Involving a risk to physical comfort, social stature, or quality of life; and
• Initiated without the expectation of material gain". (from Mike Dilbeck, Founder & President- RESPONSE ABILITY PROJECT, www.raproject.org)

Be a winner in life!

          What are the characteristics and qualities of a hero? Courage, honesty, zeal, compassion, have noble idea, trust, loyal etc -these are but just some of them. Going now to our primary role as parents to our children, are we able to portray these qualities and characteristics to them? Ideally for us to successfully and consistently perform them all is challenging and difficult. Moreover I personally believe that the most urgent call for us towards our children is our being a role  model to them.

 

          And among these qualities of a hero, it is LOVE that unites them together since when one is loving, courage, noble, and others will just naturally flow. Consequently we will be positive in resisting temptations. We can also  endure difficulties since we know from the start that our efforts are geared towards the fulfillment of a dream- that is to witness the positive growth of our children.  

          The present world is befell and threatened by numerous negative things like drugs, poverty, absence of fatherly/motherly image in the home, failure to study, hunger and many more. However in spite of them, we can still contribute to this world's positive growth and development by establishing a home that is full of love. Therefore it now becomes an urgent call for us as parents- to consistently serve as role models and as heroes to our children.