Home Again

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It’s been a year since the last time I was here. I miss the feeling. I miss showing that other side of me.

I’ve been away following a dream, trying to make things as best as I could. That’s why I miss this place, this place where I’m not afraid to fail or fall.

I may not have gone to a faraway place, but I feel I’ve been to the deepest core of every human existence. This may sound weird, but yes, for more than a year, I’ve exposed myself to the ideas of what makes us who we are, why we do what we do.

Of course, I don’t have all the answers to all my questions because I feel I have only touched the tip of my beingness. But it’s enough to make me understand more of myself and more of others.

How liberating it is to allow others to lead us to take a peek of their perspective, of how they see things much differently from us. The greatest lesson I learn is, there’s no us versus them, there’s only we.

I thought I would stay there for long, but after learning some of the necessary lessons, I have to move on to another path. It’s what I feel I’m called to do. I also learned, discovering our passion can’t always be done in one step. We need to follow a series of steps before we’re finally ready to do that mission we’re called to do.

For this, I’m allowing the waters to take away what no longer serves me and to prepare me with a refreshed mind for the journey up ahead.

Ahhhh. So, refreshing… And so glad to be home again.

The Personalities That Keep The World Functioning

The personalities that keep the world functioning.

This past month I have been exposed to other truths that helped clear some fogginess in my thoughts. I come to understand myself better and others as well.

Socrates was right when he said, “Know thyself.” Indeed, knowing oneself is the beginning of wisdom. Not knowing our self may make us appear, idiots, though, in reality, we are far from being one. We don’t know because we simply lack the knowledge.

Hence, I want to share with you these type of personalities that change our world. All of us may resonate to one or more types. The good thing is there is no type that is above others. It plainly shows how we need each other to make a better functioning world.

Here they are:

1. The Initiator. The initiators are the doers of the world. They epitomize beginnings and initiations. Their decisiveness and courage drive them to get things done. They’re innately strong and positive thinkers that others find them an inspiration.

2. The Healer. The healers bring balance, unifying both positive and negative, dark and light, yin and yang. Their sensitivity makes them more effective in bringing peace and harmony. And they are the advocates of personal growth.

3. The Catalyst. These are the enlivening, enthusiastic, and youthful personalities. They contribute to the world through music, writing, dancing, and public speaking. They have the ability to change people and circumstances with their broadmindedness.

4. The Protector. The protectors are the lightworkers who love the environment and nature. They are loyal, hardworking, and dependable. They contribute to the world by ensuring that all is safe and secure.

5. The Game Changers. Game changers walk their talk. They are intellectual, investigative, versatile, free-thinking and imaginative. Their inquisitiveness makes them the best teacher in life.

6. The Nurturer. The nurturers are the most harmonious personality type. They light the path when others need spiritual and mental balance. They are the mothers who keep the community and family together. Their biggest contributions are fixing things and taking care of others.

7. The Explorer. The explorers are more in tune with the workings of their minds and the universe. They are the visionaries, thinkers, seekers, and searchers of truth, mostly spiritual but not religious. They contribute in healing people spiritually, mentally, and physically.

8. The Equalizer. This is the most misunderstood personality type. They represent authority, personal power, self-confidence, and money. They are more comfortable in material and tangible facts and are result-oriented. They mostly accumulate prestige and wealth and contribute to improving the lives of others in practical ways.

9. The Finalizer. The purpose of the finalizer is for the greatest good. They stand for universal love, eternity, and faith. They contribute in the fields of arts, medicine, religion, drama, philosophy, and metaphysics.

The above personalities are masterfully interweaved and integrated into the millions of people in the universe. This makes each one of us important in our own small way. No one is above or below. Each of us has our own role to play in the bigger scheme of our world. May we have played that role purposefully.

pwnezel

Daily Prompt

 

Seeing Hearts 10: The Many Facets of Love

I thought I was done posting heart-shaped objects. I thought heart-shaped objects are only part of the random things I see daily. I thought heart-shaped objects would no longer affect me.

Well, they do. This time. Today. They’re just too cute to ignore and the messages behind them are too loud to avoid. At least, that’s how I see them.

seeing hearts 10: love in unexpected places.

Heart-shaped stone

This one is a heart-shaped stone that lay along our path. Only a few number of stones have such shape, right? We could hardly ignore it.

It’s like the people we meet along our journey. At times, we are attracted to people who seem to have a heart of stone, adorable yet cold. But people are not made of stone. No matter how cold they appear, deep inside they have a soft spot, waiting for some connection. You might be the one they are waiting for.

Or, maybe, at one point or another, we acted as a heart of stone along somebody else’s journey. Perhaps, we can be a bit more loving.

seeing hearts 10: love in unexpected places

Heart-shaped hole in a plastic bag.

In our household, we recycled plastic bags. The one we can use, we keep, the damaged ones get discarded. Seeing a hole in that one above made me decide to throw it. Surprisingly, the heart-shaped hole caught my attention.

Can showing love makes us damaged goods? When not in the right place, yes, like this plastic bag. But even damaged goods can delight us, especially when it shows love. Whatever form love shows, it always brings delight.

Sometimes one needs to get torn in order to realize the depth of love. But true love brings magic. True love heals and makes perfect even the most damaged of souls.

seeing hearts 10: love in unexpected places

A heart in a bowl headed for the sink.

That one above is kind of dirty. It’s a bowl where we placed the fried bananas. I was about to put it in the sink when the heart-shaped image captivated me. Unusual, is it not?

It’s like when we are about to discard something in our life that it shows value.

It’s like when we value something, but keeping it wouldn’t make us any good.

It’s like a love that is there only for the moment, yet needs to go when the right time comes.

Love has many facets indeed. It’s part of the grand design of this universe. In whatever ways love touches us, one thing is sure – God is there for us and with us.

 

pwnezel

Daily Prompt

Out of Focus, Always in Sight

out of focus, always in sight

Though I find delight in taking photos of every heart-shaped thing that I see, I altogether stopped the activity, except for times when the object is unique and exceedingly adoring.

It is because I found the activity somewhat get in the way of my productivity. Like when I am totally engrossed in an activity but stop in the middle to take a photo of something that caught my eye. I lose my momentum in the process. So, I have to give it up no matter how tempting it seems.

What matters most to me is the realization I have in seeing heart-shaped things. I believed it’s the universe’ way of telling me that I am doing the right thing and I should strive to love more.

I still see heart-shaped objects every single day. It makes me smile and say: I love you. Though the focus is no longer there, yet it’s starting to become a regular part of my life. And it never fails to excite the innocent child in me.

 

pwnezel

Weekly Photo Challenge

Justice or Mercy?

Justice or mercy
Years ago, I had a productive argument with my best friend. She asked me for my preference between justice and mercy. I chose mercy over justice. While she preferred justice over mercy.
 
She then pointed out to me: What would happen if criminals wouldn’t be convicted, instead, they’d be forgiven? That would be a bad case, I conceded with her.
 
In the course of our exchange of views, we arrived at a story of a mother whose son faced a pending punishment due to a robbery case charged against him. The son must deal with the disciplinary action. The mother, however, appealed to the person to whom her son committed the crime. She pleaded that her son would be forgiven. What her son did was unacceptable. But as a mother, she loved him unconditionally and also suffered the way her son did. Thus, she asked that her son might be given a chance for a new life.
 
In this scenario, I told my friend that mercy could work wonders in this son’s life. On the contrary, she insisted that the son must face the punishment due to him that he might learn his lessons well.
 
Could justice save our world? I know that laws are needed and meant to carry justice. When justice is not pushed through, many people would relentlessly commit all kinds of crimes. But then we also need mercy, forgiveness, and love. In some cases, the value of mercy may apply best than pursue justice.
 
All cultures and beliefs have laws to be followed to ensure self-preservation. But then we must not underestimate the power of mercy, and traces of love. As far as I know, love is the only weapon that melts the hardest of hearts and disarms the heavily guarded individual.
So the next time we were to choose between justice and mercy, may we choose the best part.
pwnezel

A Lesson From an Orchid

 

weekly photo challenge: evanescence

Weekly Photo Challenge: Evanescent

 

“Why are you cast down my soul, why groan within me?”

That is the question I ask myself when the turmoil within me is so strong I seem unable to cope up. But lately, I managed to count on my days and focus not on the troubles that prevent the things to happen the way I want them to be. I slowly learned to accept the truth that things don’t happen my way. And instead of fidgeting, I try to see the things that I can do to improve the situation. The thing that leads me to this realization is the fact that my days are but limited like the flowers in my garden.
As I contemplate on the latigo orchid that blooms, it dawns on me how this flower blooms its best. Its flowers are not only attractive but emit a perfumy fragrance as well. It feeds its honey to the birds, butterflies, and bees.
I come to wonder how this flower fulfilled its very purpose in my garden when it doesn’t even know how long will it live? Nor does it worry whether I’ll water it on the next day or not. It just lives. It just blooms. It just beautifies my garden for that is the only thing it knows.
Like this orchid, my life too is passing, my time limited. This orchid provides me the inspiration to be true to who I am and to strive to make an impact on which I was born for; to not be carried away by the little troubles that life brings.
How beautiful it is to make this world a much better place than it did before I came. I can only do that when I finally fulfill the very purpose that brought me here. And that purpose is to share what I know, to impart the God-presence within me, and to be all that I am.
I hope that you, too, have found your purpose and have shared your impact with the world.
pwnezel

A Tale of a Calling

 

A tale of a calling
And I surrender. Gone are the days of planning and ascertaining things are going as they should. All along I’ve carved a path I believe is the right one for me. But, no. Some lives are pre-designed; birthed for a certain reason. That no matter how one labor and toil to design his own fate, he is always lead back to the path he is meant to trod. 
Ever since I knew there was the calling. I followed. Then quitted. Quarreled with God. And granted to have my way. But when you’re called, you’re called. There’s no disputing with that. Things started then to get difficult until I found myself with the wrong people. Groping my way, I asked why; of why things happen the way they did.
The answers came at times vaguely, at other times clearly. But there’s only one answer—that I’m in the wrong place.
After a very long and arduous journey, I got out and designed my own fate again. Yet, the calling gets louder and louder. With each passing of the day, its claws burrowing more deeply into my skin.
No use fighting back. I must do what I was meant to do and be what I was meant to be. I’d been in the maze longer. I give up. And now I allow things to just be.
pwnezel

Faith In The Power of Why


For years I have struggled to follow my dreams. I dream a little each day. Pray a little each day for that dream. Until I was determined enough to pursue that dream head on.

However, things just do not happen as expected. When you believe everything is in your hands, that’s the time when you are tested the most. And suddenly you realize, you are facing the mouth of uncertainty that’s ready to eat you any chance it gets.

That is actually what happened to me. I believe I could benefit from a separation pay that I would receive the moment I resign from my twelve years employment in the finance industry. What took place was the opposite. My kicked out employer denied to me the benefit she gave unto others who resigned ahead of me. This is something I need to settle with the labor agency. To add insult to injury, my laptop broke. Urgh!

With that at hand I begin to feel uncertain as of the moment. Fear is slowly numbing my being. I begin to ask if what I did was right; if I was designed to be here. The what ifs start to surface too. What if I could not find a job in months? What if my husband would no longer receive any projects? So many worst situations loomed before my face. To counter this uncertainty I began to ask for any vacant positions available in our government agencies. My friend gave me the idea too. I told myself it’s just for the meantime. 

But then, how many meantime should I beat before I should reach my final destination? I have already endured a stressful six years staying in the meantime. This time there should never be any meantime. And no second options to turn to. There should never be any second option, or else I would focus my full attention there instead of on my goals.

The best thing that I must do is to focus on my “why.” Why do I brought myself here. Is it just for a selfish reason, or for a nobler one? My first reason is to earn money, yes. I need money to support my children, to send them to school, to live a decent life, and to help others. I live in a third world country where employees earn a meager income despite the degree they possess. And I want to rise above that. I don’t want to stay in shambles just to live.

My second “why” is the very purpose why I am alive. This is answering to what life called me for. This why is what gives meaning and purpose for my life. This is heeding to what my conscience is directing me to do.

As I stand here I realized I am not called to fight life’s battles too soon. I am called to go through a series of trainings like a soldier before a battle. But no, I am not to fight like the soldiers of King Saul. I am called to fight like the Biblical David. I am called to stay in solitude to tend a flock of sheep, to create my own song and drive away foxes and lions that would feed from my sheep. Small and unarmed I may be in the day of battle, still I am able to defeat the biggest giant there is. Because my training would focus on the strength of mind and spirit.

With these realizations, I choose to stay here and not find any “meantime” activities no matter how promising they would seem. For I know, even if I follow the path to another meantime activity, my heart would still yearn to be here with my whole body and soul. My why is so strong it would never leave me even for a second.

So I would stay here. Achieve my goals one step at a time; with the firm belief that He who brought me here would never leave me to wither and die.

Much love,

Nezel

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

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