Inspiration

January 27, 2017

I Learned A Major Life Lesson Today

I Learned A Major Life Lesson Today

Today I learned a major life lesson with the sting of embarrassment. As what I have shared to you in my previous posts, one of my major goals for this year is to focus on following my career path online. In fact, January thirty-first would be my last working day in the corporate world. Yes, I already submitted my resignation letter and it had been officially approved.

I posted such major decision in my life in my FB account. Many friends reacted and asked why. I had been in that employment stint for twelve years. Since the path I choose to follow is yet to be started, I did not give any clear answer to the inquirers as to why did I resign. I only said I want to move on to something better. However, some members of our closely-knit family got worried and thought something unlikely might have happened which prompted me with the resignation.

Last night my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law asked me for the reason behind that decision. Out of a deep discontent that I felt in my workplace, I gave them answers that should not have been shared with them. There might be a spark of truth in what I said but it sounded as if the incompetencies of my co-workers were what prompted me to get out of the place—the usual victim story. And that message was not so healthy. My conscience filtered my answer. It then asked me back why do I focus my answer on the negative instead of focusing it on the positive? If a more positive life is what I am after, then I must start now. I am still in this process, so I just have to forgive myself. I must learn once again that I am also not perfect. And even if people aren’t perfect they also made me smile in their own unique ways at some point.

Chasing dreams is subjective. Sometimes it is awakened by the discomfort that someone feels around him, which is really true for me. But it does not mean someone has to get out because he is surrounded by an inept tribe. It might appear to be like that on the surface. Yet, deep down the person is not just meant to be there any longer because his strengths do not fit really well in that place.

As health psychologist Kelly McGonigal said, it is much helpful to focus on chasing the dreams than on the discomfort of the situation. This way stress is lessened. And she is very right. Lesson learned fully well!

pwnezel

Daily Prompt

January 22, 2017

The Path to Success

The Path to Success

Where does success end?

We all strive for success in all our undertakings. Just like my current state, I am ending my twelve-year corporate job to chase my full-time writing dream. Should I fulfill such dream, I could say I am successful.

But is that the end of it? They say some good things never lasts. Does this mean if I attain success in my undertakings, it would never last? Perhaps success is definitely not the end purpose. It is something that we become along the journey. It is our learnings, keeping our feet on the ground and being shaped into the kind of person we supposedly become.

So if we fail to become what we thought we ought to become, it signifies no failure. It means we got the message wrong. We then have to move on and find the right path for us.

And if in my case I get it all wrong, at least I know one more thing that is not for me. The best thing for me to do is to call on my God for the right direction to follow. In Him I know, I would never go wrong. The road may not be smooth, but surely the rewards are great as long as I never get lost all along.

May you too, would find your path to success.

pwnezel

January 19, 2017

3 Ways to Pursue A Lasting Legacy

3 ways to pursue a lasting legacy

It is still January, there are a lot that we could still add to our 2017 goals.

I happened to fall in love with this message of John C. Maxwell. It is very timely to my transition from a boxed life to a life of freedom. I am in the process of re-aligning everything in my life. And re-aligning it with my core values is the ideal way it should be.

These 3 ways to pursue a lasting legacy are my guides to living a life worth living.

Significance Over Success

Success is self-fulfilling, while significance is touching lives while we are on our way to success. I guess success is not something of an end goal. It is something that is with us all along the journey. It is doing the right things when no one is watching. When we have done much, others get to notice it. We are then recognized for the things we do rightly. That is when we or others consider our undertakings a success.

But being recognized for what we do does not satisfy our inner longings. It just takes one innocent soul to say how we have touched his life that makes us really fulfilled and successful.

Influence Over Awards

Awards end with us. Influence is passed down from us to the next generation. It is carving something in other’s hearts. It is etching something in their minds that make them share stories about us. It is the mark that we leave long after we are gone.

Impact Over Income

While money is a great tool in managing our lifestyle it is still never enough. It does not mean we stop pursuing it. We still need to earn money to pay the bills, send kids to school and make life more comfortable. However, it should not be our end goal.

On our way to earning money, we should not forget about the people we meet along the way. Especially when they are the very people who put us into the pedestal we are standing on.

We leave our impact into the world when we invest our time and energy with people. Adding value multiplies impact. The people whose lives we touched usually turn around and touch others’ lives too. The legacy then continues.

The biggest impact we could impart is planting the seeds of significance in the lives of others. We may not live long enough to see the fruits of the trees we planted, what matters is we have started something that makes our life worthwhile and fulfilling. This is truly the legacy worth creating.

Let us live a life of significance, influence, and impact!

pwnezel

 

 

January 17, 2017

Chasing Dreams

Reaching High

“Only as high as I reach can I grow,

Only as far as I seek can I go,

Only as deep as I look can I see,

Only as much as I dream can I be.”

***

Reaching out, chasing dreams is not only for the young ones but for the young once as well. I am talking about her. Yeah, she opens her childlike heart with us. She feels so free and so young now that at last, she listened to her inner child and give time to chasing her dreams.

Perhaps that dream is the purpose God places in her heart. She has done the grown up’s business. However, she finds it boring and chasing bubbles in the air. Life is simple. Her childlike heart knows that. She wonders why people have to complicate simple things. Why do they have to boast their toys such as brand new cars, signature bags and whatever they feel could boost their morale, when in fact, God loves them just as they are?

Now, she does not care. She does chase her dreams, and reach, and seek and look and be all that she can be.

Life is too beautiful to let go.

January 8, 2017

The Newest and Most Amazing Addition to My Core Memory

The Newest and Most Amazing Addition to My Core Memory

Get-together

Float. A word that when heard gives you a feeling of lightness and positive vibes. As a matter of fact, I had a wonderful experience with this one just last December.

As our company’s custom, we were to have our company’s annual gathering a day prior to our Christmas party. For this year’s activities, we had a recollection in the morning and the evaluation of each branch’s performance in the afternoon.

Honestly, I never had the vaguest idea how the recollection would affect me. I thought it would be the same experience we had just like the previous years: listen to what the priest had to share, laugh at his jokes, and plainly follow where he might lead us.

However, this one was far different. I could not explain if my experience of the night before had something to do with it, or it was just a simple coincidence.

Restless

I was unable to sleep the night before. It may be because I was in a different room with four other people or maybe it was due to a feeling of overwhelm as the long preparation for our presentation contest had just been over. Yep, we just danced earlier.

Anyway, yes I was unable to sleep, so restless. I felt a tinge of emptiness inside of me. I longed for silence. Inner silence. The kind of silence where I would not hear the noise from the air-conditioning or the snoring of my roommates. Specifically, I sought God. I missed God. I wanted to talk to Him verbally. I wanted to go outside, but afraid of being misinterpreted for staying out alone in the middle of the night. I felt so helpless.

Thankfully, I fell into a deep slumber after I started calling out Jesus’s name. That was the last thing I remembered upon waking up three hours later.

Recollection

So then when we were inside the conference hall my eyelids were so heavy. The raindrops perfectly added to the sleepiness that I felt. The priest arrived. A not-so-interesting looking guy. Tall. A bit slim. Looked intelligent.

Father Ram was gentle but firm. He ordered us (not requested) to go to the comfort room or do anything that makes us comfortable for five minutes before he would begin because he does not want anyone to be roaming around when he begins.

He was direct to the point. And I loved it. I was surprised when he said he wanted us to meet God not because we were told, but meet God for the sake of meeting Him. Cool. I thought, “ah, meditation.” Just like what I used to do.

I began to get worried when Father Ram told us to close our eyes. I was afraid I might fall asleep. That would be embarrassing. His technique was guided meditation with the help of background instrumental music.

With eyes closed, I struggled to stay awake. Father Ram’s voice echoed. Gentle. Comforting. He brought us to a place we longed for. The most beautiful place we could think of. Any place where we each finds comfort. I told myself, “ah, my paradise.” I began to scroll through my memory the image of my paradise. Because I was so sleepy, I only had fragments of it. The rainbow’s colors were not vibrant. The waterfalls were foggy. The grass on my feet was not so soft. Still, I managed to stay there.

Reunited

I thought that would be the end of it. But I was caught by surprise when Father Ram urged us to welcome Jesus walking slowly towards us. The image of Him walking towards me was disturbing. My tears just fell unwantedly, when we were guided to gaze closely at his blue eyes. His loving gaze penetrated deeply into my whole being; my every bone, my tiniest cell, the darkest corners of my soul. I tried to control those tears because I did not want anybody noticed me crying. But in the silence of the room sobs began to be heard. I felt relieved for that knowledge.

So I continued to focus at the moment, at the blue eyes that gazed lovingly into my sinful soul. I felt so lost in the sea of my emotions. I let go. I could not believe that the night before I longed for Him. And a few hours later, here He was looking into my eyes, loving me, hugging me. It was so good to have Him with me once again.

A light seemed to surround me. At that moment it was only me and Jesus. His embrace melted into my flesh. I felt so light all over. I seemed to float. I wanted to spread my arms and fly. I felt like flying. I was on cloud nine, ten, eleven. Words are too weak to describe the beauty of that moment. It was just so wow!

Reality

Father Ram’s voice brought me back into reality when he told us to offer to Jesus all our pains and troubles. As to this part, I was not so dramatic. For I know, troubles are always there for our growth and learning. The only difference is: when we call on God to carry the burdens with us, life is bearable. If not, it would be a misery.

I felt Jesus telling me that He is just there no matter what. He is always there. I need only to call on Him and listen to the silence in my heart where He speaks. That was all I need.

Re-energized

When we were brought back to reality, I felt very much energized. The feeling of sleepiness was gone. I felt so fresh, so whole, so complete—the feelings I least expected.

It was years gone by when I last had my recollection. And I am so thankful for having this one at the end of the year. Until now the positive vibes I have had still lingers. With this experience fresh in my memory bucket, I know a wonderful year is waiting for me.

May your year started this beautiful too. Have a blessed day!

pwnezel

Float

Specific

Infinite

 

 

 

 

 

January 2, 2017

How to Start 2017 Right

 

Image Credit

 

When I was still in college, we were told by our English instructor to compose an essay about our new year’s resolution, right on the first day of our meeting after the new year.

I never remember anything I wrote in particular. Honestly, I was never a fan of new year’s resolutions. For me, I just have to do what I must do at the moment given to me. A difference in personality perhaps. I used to be the restless butterfly, the curious cat, and the soaring bird. I do things at the spur of the moment. There was just one laid back of this attitude, though. When faced with difficulties, it was easier for me to steer the other way. In short, I chose flight over fight.

Now, it is the new year again. And I need to re-align my priorities because I am no longer alone in my path. I have my family with me on this journey. Thus, I need to adjust my choices if I were to have a happy family.

So, I come to look closely at things on how to really start 2017 that could lead me to achieve my life goals. I found the following tips helpful.

But before everything else, I must make sure that I am well-prepared to do these important things. Preparation before taking a major leap includes letting go of the things in the past year that no longer matters; being well-rested enough inside out to ensure I am very much ready to tackle the things that I need to do in this brand new year. Thus it would take for me a few days before doing the following:

  1. Be clear. Have a clear idea of what it is you want. Whether it would be starting a health regimen or losing weight.
  2. Know the reason behind. This is the “why” of what you do. This is the very reason why you want to do the thing you want to do. This is the reason you hold on to when you face challenges along the way.
  3. Be specific. This is your desired end result. Here, the “how” comes into the picture. You must plan out the details on how to achieve what you want.
  4. Be committed. Stick to the outcome. This is the hard part of it. Almost all the people have the best plan for their life. The difference lies in sticking into it. It requires much discipline to stay committed to your goals. You must be tough in pursuing the things you want.
  5. Write it down. They say you are likely to get things done when you write it on paper. I believe so.
  6. Track your progress. Goals that are written clearly and specifically are bound to be achieved one day at a time. Set a specific time for each step. From here, it is easier to do things one step at a time and track how far you have come.
  7. Create accountability partners. These are your fans, your cheerleaders. They are there to cheer you up when times are tough and celebrate with you in your little achievements.

The above steps may look easy, but starting it out is enough challenge. Well, I would be applying it in my following posts since I am now into creating my own new year’s resolutions.

And, oh, I have to share my big goals for this year too. Liz of Stay Strong, Daily Warrior is one of my accountability partners!

Cheers to 2017!

pwnezel

Daily Prompt

 

November 28, 2016

Pungent No More

pungent no more

“Such a pungent smelling past!”

That line above was what I used to hear from non-working housewives from our previous neighborhood. When the children were at school and the husbands were at work, these wives gathered themselves in someone’s backyard. Their topics ranged from the imperfections of the husbands to the challenges of family life, to misbehaved children, and mostly about the rumors around town. Since we have a conservative culture, anyone who fails in his or her life would be ridiculed, if not openly insulted or criticized.

This kind of practice should not have been acknowledged, yet has become a normal part of our daily grind. Thus, it goes around that one should not commit any mistakes, or else he or she may suffer from some kind of emotional crucifixion.

Because I was a good daughter, I was often appreciated and looked up to.

However, it came to pass that I faltered in my steps too. I was carried away by my humanness. My greatest admirers then turned to be my worst critics. Nothing I could do than face the consequences of my actions.

Yesterday, as I rummaged through my old notes and journals, I happened to read my writings about such experience: The pains, the aloneness, the embarrassment and the feeling of worthlessness. To my surprise, the words in those notes no longer managed to creep into my heart. In short, I was no longer affected. Which means, I have been healed from such unwanted past. I then smiled at it and put those notes in the wastebasket. I no longer need them, for it no longer defines who I am in the present moment.

I am so happy to be free at last and found peace with my past. The pungent smelling past no longer has power over me.

And, if not busy housewives still define me according to my past, it no longer matters. What matters is, I define who I am by who I know myself to be in the present moment.

purposivewriter - nezel yurong

Pungent