Delayed Gratification to Self-Control

The Marshmallow Test:

Hilarious but enlightening....enjoy watching!

Origins

Girls don't tell their age to public (its our top secret) because, we like to look younger than our age. My mother does not read my blogs so I am freely announcing that she turned 57 years old this April 23, 2013 (Praise God.). She left the Philippines and came here almost 30 years ago, so my grandmother took care of me. Now that I work also here in the UAE, my 'Nanang' (grandmother) is alone back home. She is old and weak already that is why many times we ask a distant relative to stay in our house to look out for her. But we would always have a problem after a week, the relative would leave and does not want to go back. Maybe because my Nanang shouts a lot :) like my mother, she talks like 'she's shouting', same like me. When people hear us talking, they think that we are fighting. Mama will eventually retire and go back home after few months and will take care of Nanang. They will have to endure each other's shouting.

Last night, while lying in bed I looked up and saw the moon lit in a perfect circle. Some clouds were slowly passing in front of it so it looked like a horror movie. While staring at the moon I realized that I am also getting older, after two months I will also turn __ years old. Life is getting shorter. I feel like the moon, my life is not moving....just the clouds are passing by, just like the experiences passing us by. 

Oh life. Teach me to number the days.

Review Your Goals

Do you agree that its more fun to live if you have a list of goals to guide you through your life? If you have it already, its important to review it as often as possible because its easy to neglect and forget it when we get caught up in our routine works.
I will share some of mine...hehe.

1. Improve traditional farming methods in our hometown

<we are proud hardworking farmers>

2. See and enjoy the wonderful places around the world

<victoria falls, zambia>

3. Condense all my thoughts and write a satisfying book

<dream book>

4. Build a humble home on top of the mountains overlooking the sea

<you are all welcome to have vacation here once its built hehe!>

5. Become a talented speaker

<i am afraid to speak in public, tsk. tsk. tsk.>

6.Continue changing, transforming to becoming a person of integrity

etc....etc...etc...

(pictures borrowed from google)

What makes you Happy?

On my way out the mall this Friday evening, I couldn't resist passing by the bookstore again. So voilà! 2more books added in queue...'just loved to read good books. Oh, it would be heaven if one will be isolated for a week in a quiet nipa hut in the mountains without another human being, together with these books and surrounded by the sight, smell and sound of nature, only.

Ok sometimes it gets expensive and will cost me up to 10 percent of my salary. But it simply makes me happy.  And you, what makes you happy? Here are some suggestions:

Simple things that makes a simple heart happy:

1. Hang out and share stories with your best friends.

2. Play a game with a young child (if there's no child, then to a young at heart).

3. Cook breakfast or lunch or dinner for your family.

4. Give a gift or a 'thank you note' or a simple message to a person you care about.

5. Watch & enjoy the sunset or the sunrise.

6. Remove your shoes and freely step on the grass.

7. Give a big hug to someone you love.

8. Go out, discover and visit a new place.

9. Play your favorite song and sing it out loud, give it your best shot.

10. Wear your rubber shoes and run around the nearest park....really sweat it.

11. Adopt a pet. Like a fish or a hamster.

12. Watch a good movie. Comedy is the best.

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“Do what makes you happy, be with who makes you smile, laugh as much as you breathe, and love as long as you live.”

―by Rachel Ann Nunes

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Déjà vu

Got a surprise call from an old friend today. Its a birthday invitation so I rushed to the nearest gift shop to buy her a gift. The celebration also turned out to be like a reunion.

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Friend's Birthday Gift??? <stuff toys again>

It feels good to see old friends and familiar faces once again after a long time. Out of all the values we have learned from Hadeed Emirates, our old company, one of the most precious is friendship. We have all moved on to different companies here in the UAE and its cheerful to hear that everyone is doing well and in better position than before. One thing that did not change is the warmth and care we feel for each other.

Lanie, Ana, Ermie, Jrome, Maryann, Ate Christy, Ermie, Donna.....

"Kowloon_18.04.2013 

45minutes

She said its their new year so we celebrated with special dish prepared by our one and only colleague from the beautiful country of Sri Lanka. Great. We had 45 minutes of fun and stories in front of the strange but delicious snack of "square" shaped rice.

Happy New Year!!!
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Dreams Vs Home Country

All my kabayans are still anxious at work. It is normal because we are expats here in the middle east. We left our homes and families and came abroad hoping to have a better life for ourselves as well as for our loved ones. After some time our contracts will end and then have to go back home or find another employer. Maybe for some, to go back and stay in our own home country is more comfortable. But for others, they already get used to and enjoy the way of life here in the UAE.

It is like we are living two different lives- ofw life and home life. 

Living in the Middle East is good because-

1. Life is more active and upbeat and busy.
2. We grow and learn faster- mentally, socially & emotionally.
3. Here we have more chance to reach our dreams and become financially free.
4. We get to meet many different people from various countries.
5. We become independent and strong and able to support our families back home.
6. Our vision enlarges and we are open to more possibilities to set higher goals.

Living at Home is good because-

1. There is mental freedom compared to being an employee which feels like a slave.
2. You enjoy being with your family and happy to meet old friends and relatives.
3. You can have the luxury to enjoy laziness and be stress free.
4. Life is so relaxing just watching the sea or the mountains around you.
5. You can sleep anywhere you like -big space compared to a small rental room in UAE.
6. Local people, local language, local food, local transport is so familiar.
7. You can have a bath for one hour or more...no hurry.
8. Nobody mind what you do, how you spend your time is completely up to you.
9. Wake up to the sound of the many kinds of birds singing and dogs barking.

In both cases, it is good. So whatever happens, we can choose to remain happy or to unnecessarily worry.

Shout Back or Smile?

How to deal with - 
shouting (slash) swearing (slash) immature (slash) emotional (slash) angry people:

Heart's advice:
1. Listen patiently and understand their point of view and then acknowledge it.
2. Maybe they are under stress so empathize with them.
3. Try to get in their shoes in order to see their feelings.

Mind's advice:
1. Do not take it seriously, people sometimes become 'angry cows' and lose their self control.
2. No one has the right to shout at anyone so ignore whatever they say.
3. Just leave and keep away if they persist.

Psyche-life advise ^^,
1. If someone swear at you and say:  'Sh-t!'.... yell back at him asap: "Sh-t to you also!"
2. If someone shout and provoke you....take a video at him and say: "I will report this to police!"
3. If someone continue yelling at you....gather all your strength and punch at his nose!

<disclaimer> **This is just my blog post. Incidents are just products my imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental ;))

Climb

Got inspired by this post today...

So true and meaningful.

The higher we reach, the wider becomes our perspective, the deeper will be our understanding, and yet in a way also the more humble our hearts will become. It is fulfilling. So we got to continue, lets keep climbing. Eventually we will reach the top. And then there are still so many more mountains to discover!

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Success doesn’t come to you, you go to it.

-by Marva Collins

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