Tuesday, December 22, 2009

2009: A Look Back on the All-time Low

Yes, it's the end. While we are all hoping and praying for a better and brighter 2010, let's take a look back on 2009. I felt like I was on top of the world, not in its true sense and feeling, but like a god watching over everyone, replaying the past year in my mind.

Overall, I considered 2009 an all-time low. The start of the year was marred by the global financial crisis, with world-wide unemployment, bankruptcy, and instability everywhere that we have lived the year continuously tightening our belts. Then came a sort of "epidemic", the H1N1 virus that has affected hundreds of thousands worldwide. We have also lost several well-known names of the day, the King of Pop Michael Jackson, on top of the list.

And as if we weren't struggling enough just to be able to continue to survive, the Philippines was struck by several calamities, killer typhoons which killed numerous people and left thousand others homeless. There were massive barbaric killings that placed the country in the global headlines. 2009 was about to end and still, a volcano was threatening to explode and several thousands more were to spend Christmas in evacuation centers.

We now welcome 2010, filled with fervent hopes that it will promise a better and brighter days for everyone. Though the past year has been an absolute turmoil, we have to face the coming year with smiles in our hearts and pray that all our lucks will turn and finally favor us.

Great Expectations

When you've had great expectations, you start to think of a lot of possibilities. You imagine things you would want to happen, what you want to be. You dream about things and continuously think about it, how you would feel. But what happens when those expectations were not met? What happens when all those dreams burst out like bubbles?

Denial
It was the first thing I ever felt. Could there be some mistake? Was there some erroneous event that occurred? Were my eyes blinding me? For a moment, I paused and thought that it could not be true. Yet, eventually the truth sinks in and you start to feel other emotions.

Disappointment
When I have finally convinced myself that I am staring truth in the face, I felt disappointment. I felt disappointed that all my efforts have not been fruitful. I felt disappointed that a lot of people have counted on me and I felt that I have let them down. I felt disappointed feeling it was not worth it.

Regrets
Luckily, I didn't feel any regrets. I did not regret that I have not exerted more effort to achieve my desired outcome. I didn't have regrets for not spending more of my attention and time. I didn't feel any regrets that I have not given my best.

Acceptance
After some time and thoughts vent out on the negatives, I finally decided it was time to let go. There was no point in crying over spilled milk. The worst is over and done.

Moving On
I have to move on. There is no turning back. I have to face what lies ahead. There are many lessons learned here. And one thing that keeps a smile on my face is the fact that I bravely did it. Without anything on my sleeves but guts and faith, I have ran through the battle. I may have lost, but I was alive and ready to face more battles in the future.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

The Blind Side


Teenager Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is surviving on his own, virtually homeless, when he is spotted on the street by Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock). Learning that the young man is one of her daughter's classmates, Leigh Anne insists that Michael—wearing shorts and a t-shirt in the dead of winter—come out of the cold. Without a moment's hesitation, she invites him to stay at the Tuohy home for the night. What starts out as a gesture of kindness turns into something more as Michael becomes part of the Tuohy family despite the differences in their backgrounds.

Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. And as the family helps Michael fulfill his potential, both on and off the football field, Michael's presence in the Tuohys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own.

Based on the best-selling novel by Michael Lewis, "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game."

I really loved this movie, it has deeply touched my heart. It is one of those stories which gives inspiration and hope to everyone who sees it. No wonder the movie grabbed the top spot on the box office from Twilight Saga: New Moon. Though I don't particularly criticize New Moon, as I'm also a fanatic of Twilight Saga, I don't doubt that The Blind Side has more meat and value and truly inspiring family movie. It's a movie you would never tire of repeating over and over.

http://www.theblindsidemovie.com/

Thursday, December 17, 2009

This Sh*t Called Life


Life is so hard. Sometimes you just feel you've had enough. Sometimes you feel like not wanting to wake up. Everything hurts. Everywhere are problems. Sometimes you feel like all the weight of the world is upon your shoulders. And you have no strength to carry on. Sometimes you just wish it would all end. There is no escape. How to go on?

Sometimes it feels like you are awake but feel dead on the inside. Sometimes you feel that your body is nothing but an empty shell. You laugh, you go along with your everyday life, but deep inside you are torn apart. How to will you heal?

Sometimes you feel like the world is playing a painful joke on you. Sometimes you wonder why everyone around you seems fine and you are not. Sometimes you just wish it would all stop. So you will stop hurting. How will it stop?

Sometimes you think that you will not have to think at all...

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Catching Up

There are a lot of things that I wanted to blog about these past few weeks but I haven't got time to do so and so here I am to do a little catching up. Firstly, I was finally able to announce to the whole world that I am becoming a mom and I was overwhelmed by the raining congratulations and greetings.

Then I was busy during the last weeks of November since my exams are fast approaching. Though I didn't force myself to study too hard, even if I had, I won't be able to. I went to Abu Dhabi on December 1 and before that, we had some holidays. On November 27, we went to Oman to go fishing. It was a long and tiring day eventhough I didn't fish myself. The next couple of days were devoted to cd burning. I took the side job from Karl and finished the day before my scheduled departure for Abu Dhabi.

On December 1, I drove all the way to Abu Dhabi. I was so amazed with myself that I was able to do it without any hassles. The registration for the exam was mostly waiting and walking and by the time we went to the hotel I was too exhausted. I took a quick nap and ate dinner afterwards. Then we tried to peruse our notes.

I didn't know if it was nerves or what but I didn't sleep well that night. The day of the exam arrived. I woke up at five in the morning and prepared. We just walked our way to the school and waited for the examiners. I was astonished and relieved that the day just went by like that. I was finally halfway through the entire exams.

The second and final day of the exam went smoothly as the first. I was one of the firsts to finish at three in the afternoon. At around four, I was driving back home. It was not quite a long drive but exhaustion finally overtook me when I reached home.

I stayed at home for the rest of the weekend until I finally went back to work on the 7th of December.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Weekenders

http://www.timeoutdubai.com/gallery/11386-360-weekend-pics?image=6

After office on Thursday, we went to Abu Dhabi hoping to catch Beyonce's live performance in Abu Dhabi's F1 Grand Prix. Unfortunately, we were already late and only arrived for the last couple of songs. We went home so late and had to get up early on Saturday to bring the Lara couple to the airport.

At quarter before twelve on Friday, I went to the airport to pick up Niko who just came back from the Philippines. I had to be the one to pick him up since Karl was busy on the setup of his event at 360 later that night.

Karl was able to come home at around 2pm, we had lunch and prepared to leave at 4pm. The car was full with all of us ready to go to 360. The view was exhilarating. You can't get any closer to the Burj Al Arab and teaming up with a nice weather, it was perfect.

The only hitch though, all of us are not into partying that much and no one was drinking. We had to leave at around 8pm to go to Madinat Jumeirah and had dinner. When we came back to 360, it was only Val and I. The others decided to roam around Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

Then I had no choice but to meet and join Karl's boss, Steve with his wife with adidas executives Ellen, Eddy and his wife. We were all so tired and left the place at 1am already. It was a great weekend overall.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Listen


Listen to the song here in my heart
A melody I start but can't complete
Listen to the sound from deep within
It's only beginning to find release

Oh, the time has come for my dreams to be heard
They will not be pushed aside and turned
Into your own all 'cause you won't
Listen

Listen, I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried to say what's on mind
You should have known

Oh, now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what you made of me
I followed the voice you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own

You should have listened, there is someone here inside
Someone I thought had died so long ago
Oh, I'm screaming out and my dreams'll be heard
They will not be pushed aside on words
Into your own all 'cause you won't
Listen

Listen, I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried to say what's on mind
You should have known

Oh, now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what you made of me
I followed the voice you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own

I don't know where I belong
But I'll be moving on
If you don't, if you won't

Listen to the song here in my heart
A melody I start but I will complete

Oh, now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what you made of me
I followed the voice you think you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own, my own

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Uninvited

Alanis Morissette - Uninvited from Alanis Morissette on Vimeo.

Just happen to tumble upon this one again. Really love Alanis and I always will!

Like anyone would be
I am flattered by your fascination with me
Like any hot-blooded woman
I have simply wanted an object to crave
But you, you're not allowed
You're uninvited
An unfortunate slight

Must be strangely exciting
To watch the stoic squirm
Must be somewhat heartening
To watch shepherd need shepherd
But you you're not allowed
You're uninvited
An unfortunate slight

Like any uncharted territory
I must seem greatly intriguing
You speak of my love like
You have experienced love like mine before
But this is not allowed
You're uninvited
An unfortunate slight

I don't think you unworthy
I need a moment to deliberate

Stop Trying to Fix People


You know what our monstrous mistake is?
We try to fix the people in our life.
Oh, I see it everywhere.
Everywhere I go, I see people complain about the people in their life.
Wives complain about their husbands.
“Bo, please talk to my husband. He eats too much.”
“Bo, can you help me? My husband watches too much TV.”
One frustrated wife told me, “Bo, please advice my husband. He doesn’t have a one romantic bone in his body. Last year, he gave me a bar of soap for Valentines Day. The brand? Mr. Clean.”
But husbands complain about their wives too.
“Bo, please talk to my wife. She’s gastadora.”
“Bo, help me with my wife. My wife is always hysterical and historical. She remembers all my past mistakes, including date, time, and place.”
One husband told me, “My wife is so talkative. If the universe paid 1 centavo for every word she said, I’ll be the richest man in the world today.”
Another man said, “My wife is always angry. When she’s angry, she causes global warming and the melting of the ice caps in the North Pole.”
Parents complain about their kids too.
“My kids are too messy.”
“My kids can’t focus on their studies.”
One mother said, “My kids are so lazy. If given a chance, they’ll ask someone to breathe for them.”
And everywhere I go, I also hear many kids ask me to fix their parents.
“My parents are too strict.”
“My parents are too corny.”
“My parents are too kuripot.”
One girl told me, “They allow me to swim only if I wear a long gown.”
All over the world, people want to fix people.
Let me tell you why…
Are You Sick Of Comparasonities?
First of all, you want to fix people because you love them.
But sometimes, our motives aren’t pure. Sometimes, we want to fix our loved ones because of shame. We’re ashamed of what other people will say about our kids, our siblings, our spouses, and our parents.
Another reason of our “fixing other people” tendencies is we’re afflicted with the disease called comparisonities.
Humans like to look to the other side of the fence to see if it’s greener.
Someone told me that marriage is like going to a restaurant. After you ordered your dish, you learn what the other table ordered, and suddenly regret what you ordered.
Believe me, this urge to compare causes so much misery in marriages.
If you always compare your wife’s body with Beyonce or Angel Locsin, she can’t compete. Or if you compare your husband’s salary with Manny Paquiao’s earnings, he can’t compete.
Many times, we compare our spouse to someone who doesn’t exist. For example, we fantasize about Hollywood stars who aren’t real. Because all their blemishes were removed by photoshop and a huge PR company.
Even the pretty officemate who seems so gorgeous on the outside may actually be your worst nightmare the moment you live with her. You really don’t fall in love with her. You fall in love with a projection of how you imagine her to be.
Even parents are guilty of this.
Motivate Your Kids In Other Ways
We have a tendency to compare our kids with other kids.
We even verbally share our comparisons in the hopes of motivating him.
I overheard one mother tell her little boy, “Junior, why can’t you get good grades like your sister? She gets straight A’s in all subjects. But you’re highest grades are Recess and Lunch.”
Parents compare their kids to their classmates, their cousins, and even to themselves when they were young. Their sermons begin with this famous line: “When I was young, I wasn’t like you…”
Kids cannot flourish in an environment where they are being judged. Kids flourish in an environment of appreciation. They need to know that their parents accept them for their uniqueness.
Parents, stop comparing!
And there’s also another disease that causes us to fix people.
The Virus of Criticalities
I’ve met people who have a strong critical spirit in them.
I pity them so much. Once afflicted, they become very miserable people.
These people think God created them to criticize others. All day long, they look for the faults of the people around them.
But behind this critical spirit towards others is really a critical spirit toward oneself. In fact, the critic pulls down others so that he can hide his own failures.
Let me now tell you what you should do.
Question: Do You Want Less Stress and More Joy?
Do you want less stress in your relationships?
Do you want less fights?
Do you want less wrinkles?
Do you want more joy?
My solution is really simple: Stop trying to fix others.
Big clarification: In my message today, I’m not talking about the big sins. Like marital abuse, alcoholism, adultery, and all the other major violations against the Ten Commandments. I’m also not talking about tolerating the sins of your kids. I’m not teaching you to say, “Wow son, you’re very good in stealing. Perhaps you can be a Congressman one day.” (I’ll talk on “tough love” on the sixth instalment of this series, Relationship Reborn.)
Today, I’m talking about idiosyncrasies, eccentricities, personalities, and persuasions that make your loved one very unique.
If you’re not going to fix people, what should you do?
Appreciate them. I’ll now explain a mystery.
What You Like And What You Don’t Like
Maybe One And The Same Thing
I have mixed feelings about my cellphone. My relationship with my phone is ambivalent. I like it and I don’t like it. There are days when I think it’s the greatest invention since peanut butter. And there are days when I want to fling it into the mouth of a volcano.Here’s what I noticed: The very features that I like are the very same features that I don’t like. Absurd but true.
Why do I like my phone? I like the fact that I can call up the 954 people in my phone directory anytime. Useful when I have a flat tire, when I need a prayer, or when I’m on the rooftop because of Typhoon Ondoy.
Why do I not like my phone? I don’t like the fact that these 954 people can call me up at anytime—even when I’m lying on a hammock in a tiny island far out in the Pacific Ocean.
Why do I like my phone? Because I can bring it everywhere I go.
Why do I not like my phone? Because I can bring it everywhere I go!
Question: Have you ever had the absurd experience of leaving your cellphone at home and having to make a U-turn to come back for it? Nuts, right? Cellphones are now like one of our kidneys. You can still survive if it gets lost, but it’ll be risky.
I repeat: The very things that I like are the very same things that I don’t like.
Funny, but this is also true with our relationships…
Why Did You Fall In Love?
Don’t be shocked, but the very thing that made you crazy for a person will be the very same thing that will drive you crazy in the years to come.
I’m not kidding.If you fell in love with your wife because she was bubbly and the life of the party, today, you want to zip her mouth so that there would be world peace.If you fell in love with your husband because he was quiet, strong, and steady as a rock, today, you want to curse him for being so cold and unresponsive—like you’re talking to a rock.If you fell in love with your wife because of her stunning beauty, today, you find yourself pulling your hair in the car, waiting for her because she takes 3 hours just to dress up and put on her make-up.
Remember: Every strength has a weakness.
My friend Jon Escoto says that “a weakness is really a strength applied inappropriately.” (As another friend loves to say, “You’re right in the wrong way!”) You can’t have only one side of the coin. You have to have both.
Why My Wife Married Me
One day, I had a very serious talk with my wife.
“Sweetheart, I want you to be completely honest with me,” I said to her. “Aside from the fact that I look like John Loyd and Piolo Pascual put together, what else made you marry me?”
After laughing out loud and rolling on the floor, she finally said, “Sorry Bo, your looks weren’t the reason why I married you. I married you because you have such a big heart for God.”
But I bet if you ask her today, “Marowe, what are the difficulties of being married to Bo?” she’ll tell you, “Because Bo has such a big heart for God!”
She will explain to you, “Our schedule isn’t normal. Our entire married life isn’t normal. Bo runs 9 non-profit organizations. He’s constantly stretched. He travels a lot.” She’s accepted that as her lot in life.
Here’s something she’s also accepted: When we have our weekly dates, she already expects it to be interrupted. Many times, a total stranger would approach me, cry on my shoulder, and ask for prayer. In the middle of the busy mall, I hold an instant mini-healing rally—because the moment people see me praying for one person, people fall in line.
She’s come to accept this reality as part of the set package called Bo Sanchez.
She’s accepted the fact that when she married me, she also married the people I love—the flock I care for.
Why am I telling you all these?
Stop Trying To Fix People
To repeat my million-dollar point: If you want to have happy relationships, you’ll have to stop trying to fix people and start appreciating them.
Jesus said, “Love your neighbor”; He didn’t say, “Fix your neighbor.”
Two reasons why you need to stop fixing people.
First, you can’t.
Second, I’ve realized that people are like old houses. If one thing gets fixed, another thing gets broken.
Let me tell you what I mean by appreciate.
Two Levels Of Acceptance
The first level of acceptance is tolerance. The second level is appreciation.
Let me tell you a story.
Jean came up to me one day and said, “Bo, can I share something with you? My story might help women you talk to.”
Jean said that her husband is addicted to watching basketball. She told me that it drove her insane. “Brother Bo, there was a time when his passion for watching basketball made me so angry. I would nag him, I would throw pots and pans in his direction, I would hide the TV remote control—just so he can’t watch.”
She told him, “I think basketball has become your god. And the churches you attend are NBA, PBA, PBL, NCAA, and UAAP. All you talk about is basketball.” And her husband would answer back, “Foul yan.”
“But after a couple of years,” Jean said, “I just gave up. I realized that nothing was going to happen. That he will never change.”
That was the day when Jean began to tolerate her husband’s passion for basketball. Whenever she saw him sitting in front of the TV watching a game, she felt less irritation in her heart. But one day, Jean had a bigger epiphany.
That fateful morning, Jean’s best friend called her up crying hysterically on the phone. Through many tears, she said that she discovered her husband was having an affair. After an hour of trying to comfort her, Jean’s friend said, “I wish my husband was like your husband, Jean—so faithful to you.”
That one sentence was like a slap on her face.She woke up.
Jean realized she was blind to the great blessing that her husband was to her.
Because she was so focused on his basketball addiction, she never appreciated how faithful her husband was to her.
She also began to count the many ways he was a wonderful husband: He was hard-working, he loved the kids, he went with her to her prayer meetings, and he was sweet in his own manly, clumsy way. Today, she sometimes joins him watching basketball. She still doesn’t appreciate the game. She told her husband once, “Why don’t they just give one ball to each team?” But she enjoys being with her wonderful husband now. That day, Jean moved from tolerance to appreciation.
And that was the day her marriage became very happy.
Are You A Judge Or A Painter?
What I’m sharing with you is so earth-shaking, I should be charging you a million for divulging this secret to you.
Believe me, if you apply this secret into your life, you will change your entire life—radically. You’ll have less stress. You’ll have less fights. You’ll have more peace. You’ll be more joyful. You’ll feel and look younger by ten years.
It was Dr. James Dobson who said that before you get married, you should have both eyes wide open. But after the marriage ceremony, close one eye.
What does he mean? Before you get married, you should be very careful in evaluating your future spouse. Check everything. Values. Background. Preferences. Reactions. Beliefs. Examine everything!
But when you get married, stop evaluating. Stop critiquing.
It’s now time to stop fixing the other person and start appreciating the entire person in his totality.
Remove the robes of the courtroom judge. Instead, put on the robes of a painter capturing the beauty of a scene. An artist simply accepts what is and nurtures a gratitude for what is there.
When you accept the other person and become grateful for him, a great miracle happens: The person learns to accept himself too and thus bring healing of his Heart Wound. Changes begin to take place spontaneously.
You can never fix anyone. Because fixing is an inside job. Never forced from the outside. Yes, you should inspire. You should guide. You should teach. But you cannot force. At the end of the day, the only thing you can do is to love the person by creating space for the other person to fix himself.
Your Assignment
One of the ways to show gratitude is to simply to say it.
Here’s your assignment for this session: Go to 1, 2, or 3 people in your life and thank them for the blessing that they are to you.
Be specific. Write them a letter of gratitude.
Thank your wife for the small things she does for you.
Thank your husband for going to work everyday.
Thank your mother for the way she serves you.
Thank your child for being a wonderful child.
The next time a loved one presses your clothes, or takes out the trash, or fixes the car, or takes care of the baby, appreciate them in your heart and in your words.
I promise: Gratitude will be like oil in the engine of your relationship.
Your relationship will function in a whole new level.
Final Story:
“I Love The Perfection Of Your Imperfections.”
Let me end with one of my favorite stories.
One day, a wife came to her husband with a magazine in her hand, “Darling, this article is wonderful. It describes a little activity that we can both do to improve our marriage. Can we do it together?”
“Sure,” her husband said.
“It says here that for one day, each of us will separately write a list of what areas we want the other to change. Little annoyances, little irritations, etc. And then tomorrow, we share this list to each other. Deal?”
“Deal!” the husband smiled.
That day, the man sat on the living room with paper and hand. The wife went to the bedroom and did the same thing.
The next day, over breakfast, the wife said, “Game? Can I start first?”
“Yes,” the husband said.
The wife pulled out three pages. Single spaced. Font 8. It was a long list. She began to read her list. “Darling, I don’t like it when you do this…” On and on, she read the little ways her husbands annoyed her. The man felt a sting in his heart. The wife noticed this and asked, “Do you want me to continue?”
“I can handle it. Go on,” the man said.
So the wife continued to read.
Finally, the woman said, “Okay, it’s your turn.”
The husband pulled out his piece of paper and said, “Yesterday, I asked the question what are the changes I want in you. But hard as I tried to think, I couldn’t think of one thing.” He then showed to her the empty piece of paper in his hand. “Because to me, you’re perfect in your imperfections. I’ve accepted who you are—strengths and weaknesses. And I love the whole package. I love the mix. You are a wonderful person and I love you so much.”
The wife began to sob, rolled up her three pages in her hand, and beat her husband on the head, “Bwiset ka!” And hugged him tight for a very long time.

May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez

Source: http://bosanchez.ph/stop-trying-to-fix-people/

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Energy Zappers


See nine things that zap your vitality and how to get it back

It's 3 p.m.--do you know where your energy's gone? You probably expect to feel that late-afternoon drag, but you don't always have to. Turns out, some of your regular habits may be sneakily zapping your zip. Fix some or all of these energy stealers, and you just may be feeling brighter this afternoon.

Energy Zapper #1: Being Addicted to E-mail
Isn't being wired to the hilt--e-mail, voice mail, IM, BlackBerry--supposed to boost productivity, freeing up your energy? More often, the opposite is true. If you continually halt what you're doing to answer e-mail, check voice mail, and attend to a thousand other beeps and blips, your attention becomes diluted, which leaves you feeling depleted.

There are two things going on here, says John Salerno, MD, a New York City family physician and director of the Salerno Center for Complementary Medicine. "The brain needs a lot of physical and mental energy to multitask, which gets drained," he says. And continually redirecting your attention from the BlackBerry to other stimuli siphons more energy and distracts your brain further.

Energy Fix
Switch off electronic gadgets during your most productive work hours, which for most people tend to be in the morning, says Laura Stack, author of The Exhaustion Cure. As for e-mail, try to limit yourself to checking it once every hour, instead of hopping to whenever it beeps. (Hint: Turn off the beep sound.) If something pops into your mind that you need to remember--call back your mom, e-mail the soccer coach about the snack schedule--write it down and take care of it later.

Energy Zapper #2: Visual Clutter
We may be used to living in enclosed spaces with lots of stuff--a refrigerator door packed with artwork, a countertop laden with mail, a desk that's little more than a shifting pile of folders and paper--but it's not how we're meant to live, says Dr. Salerno. "Clutter signals disorder, which makes us anxious. Our brains sense that anxiety."

Energy Fix
Do your best to clear visual clutter, so when you look around, your eyes can "rest" rather than dart from mess to mess, says Janice Ash, organization expert and owner of I Declutter!. Instead of layering papers on a bulletin board, leave a small border of space around them. Clear the front of the fridge of all but the most current kids' artwork, and make a habit of leaving the kitchen counter stuff-free before bed each night.

Energy Zapper #3: Being Bored
Ever sat around for an hour or more not tackling a chore or work because it's just so darned monotonous? Mental foot-dragging, boredom and lack of motivation are draining, says Dr. Salerno. "Put simply, we like to see results, and getting things done gives us a mental energy boost." So avoiding tasks deprives you of that high.

Energy Fix
Find a partner for encouragement--a friend, a coworker--and call or e-mail to enlist her in a time challenge. "Say, ‘I'll check back in with you in an hour, and we'll see if we've gotten these reports/ organizing chores done.'" Or promise yourself motivational rewards for completing the task at hand, suggests Dr. Salerno.

Energy Zapper #4: Poor Posture
You already know that not sitting or standing straight is bad for your body. But all that hunching over a computer screen or cradling a phone on your shoulder wreaks havoc on your energy level, too, says Pia Martin, a San Diego health and wellness chiropractor. "When you sit for long periods, you tend to slump forward, leading to rounded shoulders and a tilted lower spine. Your muscles contract, and blood flow is impaired," which limits the amount of oxygen to your brain.

Energy Fix
Sit up straight! Your legs should be at right angles to the floor, your arms at right angles to your keyboard. Be conscious of keeping your shoulders down, not up near your ears. Adjust your computer screen so your eyes gaze at the middle of it. And don't just sit there--if you have to, set a timer to go off hourly to remind you to get up, stretch and get a drink of water. When you get back to your desk, do a quick posture check: Shoulders down! (Reboot your posture with these tips.)

Energy Zapper #5: Toxic Indoor Air
Humming copy machines. Cleaning products. Dry-cleaning chemicals. Synthetic carpeting. Even the desks in your office may be contributing to the load of toxins you breathe each day, because all of them release chemicals into the air. "No one knows for sure how much harm these cause to our bodies, but they do build up over time, and can drain your energy by potentially interfering with thyroid function and overloading the body's detox system," says Frank Lipman, MD, a New York City physician and author of Spent: End Exhaustion and Feel Great Again. (Reduce your exposure to chemical toxins.)

Energy Fix
Get outside. If you're feeling tired, go out for 10 minutes to breathe fresh air. Indoors, cultivate houseplants, which are remarkably good at absorbing toxins. And don't wear shoes inside the house--you're dragging not just dirt indoors on your soles, but pesticides and other harmful chemicals too.

Energy Zapper #6: Eating Too Much at Once
Consuming a big meal is always something that will cause a dip in energy later, but that effect is most noticeable in the afternoon because the slump happens at that reach-for-coffee-or-sugar hour: 3 p.m. Here's what happens: You fill up on a carb- and calorie-rich lunch and, as nutrients are absorbed by your body, excess glucose is dumped into your bloodstream, and your body releases insulin to process all that sugar. "A better idea is to spread out what and how you eat throughout the day to keep energy levels steady," says Gloria Tsang, RD, founder of the nutrition website HealthCastle.com.

Energy Fix
Eat every four hours, instead of the usual six. To reform lunch, "try to brownbag more often than eating out," says Tsang. It's a fact that if you buy takeout or dine in a restaurant, you're likely to eat more. Four hours after lunch, have a snack. If you're going to eat dinner a couple of hours later, keep the snack small, such as half a turkey sandwich, or a yogurt and some crackers. Other ideas: Drink liquids (water, tea) all day. "Dehydration makes you tired, too," says Tsang. If you usually have coffee right after lunch, try it a little later in the afternoon and make it a latte. The caffeine's an obvious pick-me-up, but the little bit of fat and protein in the milk gives you a snack-like boost. (Increase your energy with a smarter lunch.)

Energy Zapper #7: Living in Artificial Light
Our natural body rhythms are keyed to the rising and setting of the sun, says Carol Ash, DO, medical director of Sleep for Life, a sleep-disorder clinic in Somerset, New Jersey. When you open your eyes in the morning and get your first glimpse of sunlight, your brain receives a signal that helps it set its sleep-wake clock for the day. Similarly, seeing sunlight during the day gives your brain a boost. So if you are awake before the sun, and/or don't see much sun all day, your body is experiencing something a lot like jet lag.

Energy Fix
Instead of hitting the coffee cart when you're flagging, hit the sidewalk--the combination of physical exercise and a shot of sunlight will energize you. You don't need much: "A 10- to 20-minute walk in the sunshine will give you a boost," says Dr. Ash.

Energy Zapper #8: Listening to Negative Nellies
You may be upbeat, but it can be exhausting to listen to complainers all day long, whether it's the fellow mom who calls to trash-talk the neighbors or the coworker who never has a positive word to say. It's not your imagination: A 2006 study at Chicago's Northwestern University found that people forced to listen to "high-maintenance" colleagues became frustrated and unfocused, and suffered a decline in the quality of their work.

Energy Fix
Insulate yourself as best you can. If a coworker loves to enumerate her complaints, cut her off with a firm but polite "I really have to get this finished," then smile and get to work. She'll get the message. If it's your own negative thoughts that drag you down, train yourself to banish them by listing, daily, the things you're grateful for, so you can pull out that list when the negative stuff intrudes.

Energy Zapper #9: Holding a Grudge
It takes a surprising amount of energy to remember whom you have a grudge against, and to continually update the faults, missteps and things you're mad about. "Resentment is a huge drain physically as well as mentally," says Dr. Lipman. "Anger, resentment, grudges--all of these emotions are toxic, and we hang on to them in our bodies especially in tense, tired muscles."

Energy Fix
It takes practice, but try to forgive old mistakes. An easy way to start is to simply be aware of the times negative thoughts about others creep into your mind, says Dr. Lipman. "Think of others as flawed humans, which we all are," which makes it easier to forgive-and free up energy.

Source: http://health.yahoo.com/featured/50/out-of-energy/

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Not Too Perfect

Yes, I am pregnant. It might still be too early but as I already had my tests and checkup, it was already confirmed. Of course, we are all so happy including the whole family and friends. I feel so blessed and ecstatic with happiness.
But as I am always praying for another miracle to happen, I knew it won't. I suddenly understood that had it been given to me, everything will be perfect. And there is no such thing as perfect. I feel enlightened about my new understanding that everything happens for a reason. I am blessed, as always. I have my family and friends and my loving husband, and we are having a baby. What more can I ask for?
There are those tiny hitches, tiny, compared to all the blessings that continue to come my way. And I am happy that everything is not too perfect.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Time Traveler's Wife




My long-awaited movie. I have read the novel by Audrey Niffeneger and the story really touched my heart. When it finally hit the theaters here in Dubai, I queued on the first day.
The movie was very closely adapted from the book. There might have been a lot of missing parts but it really happens when books are made into movies. All I can say is, it was worth the wait. The Time Traveler's Wife is a story which will really touch your heart that you would want to believe that time travel really exists.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Bookaholic


'You know you're a bookaholic when...you can't leave a bookstore without buying something, even when you have a "to-be-read" pile a mile high.' You won't find the term "bookaholic" in the dictionary but the word exists as it rings true to a lot of people who are addicted to books. Yeah, you can be a bookworm, but personally, I feel the term denotes something else. I can call myself a big fan of books but not until yesterday that I admitted that I was a "bookaholic". I spotted several books at Virgin the other day but I was able to stop myself from buying anything. Honestly, I shouldn't be reading any novels at the moment since I have to cram to study for my exams but I can't help myself.
Yesterday while at Burjuman, I dropped by a Virgin store again and found the same books I was eyeing the other day. They also had a great sale, buy three for two, which sounded perfect. But since I knew that there's a Magrudy's store in the mall, I went there to peruse some titles.
I've been waiting for Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol but I was planning to wait and buy the paperback version. Addicted as I was, I was completely enticed by the hardbound book and so I bought one.
Then I went back to the Virgin store and grabbed a handful of different titles: The Atlantis Code by Charles Brokaw, The Beach House by Jane Green, Julie & Julia by Julie Powell, Things I Want My Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble, This Charming Man by Marian Keyes and Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea.
I was so delighted by my great haul, different books with different themes and genre. But I also felt sad that I have to keep myself from reading the books I just bought since a mile-high pile of reviewers are awaiting my attention. Sigh! I have to get myself away from temptation. I really do hope that I can!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Bits and Pieces

Alright. So I've been out for a while and here I am again. I managed to collect some photos of some things which could summarize the happenings around me during the past few weeks. And so here they are:
Yogurberry! Yum! Yum! I really can't get enough of this sweet and sour strawberry-flavored frozen yogurt topped with my choice of fresh blueberries, strawberries and chocolate chips. It's really mouth watering! The bad thing though, is that they only have one store right now in Dubai. Hope they'll put up more stores in different malls.




This is Niko trying to let his creativeness get the better of him. I baked the cake during the weekend and as I was trying to perfect the icing, they all got excited about decorating the cake themselves. Unfortunately, my piping bag burst and icing was everywhere. And so Niko took the liberty of "fixing" the cake which surprisingly turned out okay. The cake only lasted for a couple of days, thanks to my housemates' sweet teeth!


It's Val, me and Alex, trying to squeeze in for a photo. We went to Dubai Mall on this day without real plans on what to do. We just roamed the mall until we were so hungry and there was no way to eat at the time because it was still Ramadan. We bought Patchi and sneaked into the rest rooms to shove the chocolates into our craving mouths!




This is the ultimate masterpiece of all time. It was chocolate cake with chocolate filling and covered with chocolate ganache. Surprisingly sumptuous! It was thickly covered by liberal amounts of chocolate which was not so sweet. The only downside was the ultra-sweet decorator's icing I placed on top. As this was the greatest cake I have baked so far, it only lasted for a couple of hours and everyone was trying to find where it had gone. I will definitely bake more of these and get it perfect the next time.

This is Karl posing beside the giant billboard of the Dubai Metro 3d theater and Niko inside the theater at the Mall of the Emirates. We just had a whim to see the 9-minute 3d presentation and we were happy that we had. It was a brilliant presentation about the Dubai Metro and although I already knew all these facts, it was still worth watching. The coolest part was during the second half of the film when we were asked to wear the 3d glasses. It was beyond cool! Though it was a bit disorienting, the 3d experience was so fantastic that you would want to reach out and touch the things in front of you which were really not there. Thumbs up!

And finally, it's me again wearing my new Skullcandy headphones for the first time. I already bought one for Jho a few weeks ago and I thought that it was a great buy and so I have to have one. What I liked best about it though is the attached mp3 player that you won't have to worry about having those annoying cords tangling all round you.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Today is Really my Kind of Day!


Hell, yeah! I woke up at 3am... again! I can't figure out why do I suddenly jerk awake at 3 in the morning when I am tired when I go to bed and I fall asleep at the same time as usual. What is it at 3am that suddenly shakes my mind into consciousness? It's really a mystery. Sometimes I just wake up thinking of nothing then I will force myself to fall asleep again.

But today was different. I woke up because of a bad dream. Trying to remember what it was all about, I'm not really sure if it was really bad or not. I'm not going into details but some part of it was gory, scary, funny and incredible all at the same time. But all the same, I knew that I wasn't going to fall asleep again no matter how I force myself into it.

And so I picked up my laptop and browse some sites. Predictably, I opened my FB. Then I watched some videos on Youtube. And the time just went by like that. At 5am, my laptop seemed to be complaining of the unusual time I used it and so it picked that moment to register some error and it suddenly shut down.

So I had no choice but to get out of bed and take a shower and get dressed. And so I was all dressed up for work when my alarm clock hasn't even gone off. I took my time to eat breakfast, brush my teeth and get ready to leave. I went down early and drove Marshall out of the sands and parked from where I took out Sydney.

And now I'm already here in the office with my eyes wanting to close at the moment. Exactly the right moment to sleep? Sigh... and now I have to endure the day with my brain half asleep. And this is the day we are relocating to the other office. And the day where there is supposedly a massive retrenchment.

Hell, yeah! It's Thursday! And it's really my kind of day.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Between Work and Fun


By Francis Kong (Philippine Star Nov 15)

I train, I speak, I give keynotes and this is why I meet people all the time.
I see different kinds of people all the time. I see people who are so happy and productive in their jobs and then I see people who look like they have entered their career as the cruise director for the Titanic.
After my talks, participants would come to me for advice. Our conversation would go like this. As I share this with you I want you to think it through as it may carry the answer to your questions about your own work and fun issues.

Participant: "I am not happy with my job Francis, I am thinking of resigning, should I or shouldn't I?"

Francis : "Well show me a job where you can be happy all the time and I will resign and join you!"

Participant: "But there is no fun with my work, Francis!"

Francis : "Sure, That's why they call it work, and that's what they pay you to do it! Had work been fun, it would have been called "FUN."

Participant: "So what should I do? I heard a lot of speakers tell me that I need to love what I do but I simply don't."

Do you get the point? Now let's be real.
You want fun? Go to a circus. But if you want to be paid, go to work, Duh!!
Work in itself is never fun. That's why it is called labor.
Fun is the feeling part in you and work is the doing part you have to deal with.
Let me ask you a couple of questions:
Do you like to be promoted?
Do you want to stay employed?
Do you use your pay check to pay for luxuries such as paying off your loans and buying food for your family? Then it's got nothing to do with your job. It's got everything to do with you. Get this, it's not what you feel. It's what you do with what you feel.

Maybe there's something lacking in you/in what you do and this is why you are not happy. There are people doing the same jobs and they are happy aren't they? Maybe age has caught up with you. You're bored and you are tired. And you want to try something else. It is not a bad thing. But you have to be practical.

Times are tough. Jobs will be hard to find. If you carry the baggage of not being happy with your current job, you will bring it with you where ever you go and you will become more unhappy wherever you are.

Why not try something else with what you are and what you currently do?
Here are a few ideas.

1. You can pretend to be happy with your work. And you're probably saying, "But that's not me." And you are right. It's you that your officemates and co-workers do not like to associate with. If you whimper and whine and moan and groan all the time, not only do you make other people unhappy, they in turn will reinforce your not being happy. If you pretend to be happy, you might just get to the point of really being happy.

2. Be grateful. Do not look at things you do not have. look at things you have and be thankful. Be satisfied with what you have but never be satisfied with what you are and you are becoming which brings me to another point.

3, Grow and learn-Learn and grow. You need to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. Develop a positive attitude. Get out of your comfort zones. Read more books, listen to more tapes, attend more seminars and improve your skills. Accept more challenges and make yourself a lot more useful that you currently are today.

THE INTENSITY OF YOUR HAPPINESS, those moments when you are given a promotion, when somebody swept you off your feet, when you won the jackpot in a game show are nice but they are not important. Frequency is. What matters are those moments of quiet happiness that comes to you as being content in whatever situation you are in your life.

There is a Swedish proverb that says: "Those who wish to sing always find a song." Same thing : "Happiness comes to those who will to find it."

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Death

I never thought that dying can be as simple and as quick as switching a light on. Or as smooth as trying to swallow a big bite of banana. Or as horrific as anything you could see in a movie. But whichever way the end was met, all of them is true.

No one could really fathom the mystery behind death. It just feels a total loss and despair thinking that one's life can easily end in a second. Sometimes without a warning, sometimes a complete shock. And as the saying goes, death comes like a thief in the night. Accidents happen everywhere. Even in a sickbed, no matter how the family thinks they are prepared, it still comes as a terrible shock.

Even if you don't know the person so well, his or her death may strike you as a big blow. But some things are always true no matter how close you are to somebody who died. It is always sad. There is always pain. Grief may be unbearable. Denial may be inescapable. Life may be full of surprises. But death is the one who always surprises people.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Another End


The days seem to move with surprising speed. But they have moved in a whirlwind of ominous monotony. I'm not sure if I should be happy or not. It seems that the days are not enough to do what needs to be done or simply to do what I wanted to do. But sometimes the days feel so long and dragging.

I feel so trapped in the routine of everyday living that I feel like cracking up a bit just to break the tedium. How I wish that I could just snuggle under my bed covers and wake up when I already feel up to it. How I wish that I could fly to a distant place where all I could hear is the cracking of the waves on the shore. How I wish that I could simply make an escape.

Sigh. But I can't. This is another end that looks forward to a new beginning of same old boring routine. And I have no idea when I could finally escape, when I could finally be set free.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

The Joy of the Unexpected


Amidst all the sad and unstoppable going ons here in the office because of the financial crisis, a truly unexpected thing happened yesterday. The knowledge that it is July, the month for bonuses, has been completely driven out of my mind. Who would have guessed that such thing still exists when just last week more than a dozen people got their notices that they will have to cease work after the end of the month? Then there is the abominable decrease in salary which took effect last month.

But it was a truly wonderful surprise to have received the white envelope. I received an email from a colleague that our boss was wandering and handing out envelopes. I didn't know why but I immediately thought that it was good news. I somehow wished I hadn't known beforehand though, then I will be truly surprised. Nevertheless, it was still quite a shock. I waited for my boss to hand me over the mysterious envelope. And when I finally got it, I can't help but put a big grin on my face.

My boss told me not to get overexcited because it was not that much. It was really not that much, not even half of what I previously received. But it's not the amount that has sent me over the moon. It was the fact that there is something, even so tiny, and it is definitely better than nothing.

Before all the euphoria has worn out, I got into a deep thought. Everybody seemed so happy about the little surprise though it was such a tiny thing when the previous year, I have heard a lot of rants as to why their bonuses were not enough though it was triple of the amount we just received. Then there's the realization that the fact that it was truly unexpected made the big difference. Everyone has expected nothing but when they got a tiny thing, they were overly grateful.

Perhaps people should always be like this. We should not expect for too much things because when we receive something less than what we expected, we will get a heavy disappointment. On the other hand, when we don't expect for anything and get small things unexpectedly, we will truly be grateful. Then this is the key to our happiness and contentment.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Living in a World of Men

I sometimes caught myself thinking if I am in the right place. Sometimes I feel awkward finding myself in a group of men, the only female among them. I don't really find it disturbing, but I am just amazed to realize that I blend well with them.

Looking back, I thought growing up with men made me understand them more. As I am the eldest, I usually mingle with a lot of guy cousins while I was growing up. Though I started in an exclusive school for girls, I never had any aversions with dealing with the opposite sex. I have learned to adjust with them, frequently on the same page with them. One thing I have realized though, is that men and women are equal. I know this has been an ancient battle of the sexes but as we acknowledge that there are things men can do and women can't or men can't and women can, we may say that we are equal. No need to pride ourselves to pinpoint who's the superior one.

There are pros and cons, as there are always two sides of a coin. But I'd rather not dwell on the disadvantages. I find it amazing to be living in a world of men in the sense that I really belong there. Male dominates the workplace but I never find it hard dealing with them. I even smile when I read emails addressed as "Lady and Gents", making me feel distinct and special. I find them easier to persuade and eager to listen to whatever you say.

There are occupational hazards but as I said, it is simply amazing. As a realization though, there is no such thing as a world of men. We all belong in the same world.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Anticipation

Another idea of Jojo's:

I can hear the roaring thunder. I can see the flash of lightning. As I stand still in the middle of the vast and empty meadow, my anticipation started growing. The sky is turning from blue to gray, making the meadow an immense shadow in the growing darkness. I close my eyes. I can hear the gentle rustling of the trees surrounding me. But there are no birds that can be heard. All the animals have long before scurried away to shelter. The wind is starting to blow harder and colder. I can feel its breeze already damp with coldness. It makes me feel like being pricked with a thousand tiny needles. Yet I remained still. Here I stand alone. I am not betrayed by fear. I close my eyes tighter and face the now dark sky. I stretch out my arms wide to welcome the coming downpour. I wait with baited breath as my anticipation reaches its peak. It is as if I can already feel its cold drops on my skin, taste its sweetness on my lips. This is my bittersweet moment, so sad and so beautiful at the same time. I know something will happen and some part of me wanted to prevent it but I don’t have any power to stop it from happening. And as the rain finally falls, I decide to accept that it is really happening. As the first drops hit my face, I felt my own drops of tears, and the rain and tears blended together. I drop onto my knees and gently and slowly open up my eyes. Though everything is a blur and darkness and coldness, I felt no fear. I suddenly feel the calm and peace the rain brings, knowing that after this rain, a beautiful sun will shine toward a new morning.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Warning: YM Hacker on the Loose!

This is not a chain or spam email, just a warning to all Yahoo Messenger and Yahoo Mail users out there. As I am totally relying on my YM account as most of you also are, I feel it’s just right to give you this warning.

Just this morning, I received an instant message (YM) from one of my contacts, asking me for a favor. Since I know the person, I said yes and asked what favor. She said she wanted to show me pictures of a girl who she thinks I know and sent me a link. She asked me to click the link and sign in. It was this link - http://surney15.t35.com/image.html

When I clicked the link, it was a yahoo flickr site asking to sign in my email and password. As I don’t have any doubt that I am talking to someone I know, I was about to sign in when I received a text message on my phone coming from the same person. The message said her YM account had virus and if someone sends instant messages asking for favors, ignore it. I got confused and called her. I then understood that her YM account has been hacked. Somebody else was using it. She cannot login anymore but at that moment while I was talking to her, her YM account continuously sends me messages asking me to sign in. She said it all started when she clicked a link similar to this and signed in. She got disconnected immediately and wasn’t able to sign in anymore until this moment. I also found out that the person using her account sent the same message to one of our common friends who was also on her contact list asking for a SMARTLOAD! Our common friend can’t believe that she was asking for a prepaid load so she asked around until we came to this conclusion.

It’s obvious that another hacker is on the loose. Just be careful and send this warning to everyone you know.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The Saddest Birthday of My Life

Oh, yes, it's my birthday. I'm 28. And I'm supposed to be happy, coz it's my special day. But I don't feel any happiness. I don't feel that today is something special. Worse is, I even cried early in the morning. I don't know why but I wasn't able to help it. I just feel a tad frustrated about everything that's happening around me. Everything feels so wrong, so tiring, so sad. Everything is the same, or getting worse. I just feel bad and nothing is worth celebrating. Maybe just the fact that I'm still alive, and healthy enough to have another birthday. Sigh. It really feels like the saddest birthday of my life.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

A Poem for my Mother

Through the years, I sit and look back,
A good mother, you really have a knack;
You have raised me strong and wise,
To live a life without rolling the dice.

At first it was just me you have to endure,
Two more siblings seem to be the cure;
To make our family happy and complete,
With daddy and us, no need to compete.

Our life may have been hard and tough,
Staying together, in hardships we laugh;
Now I am here to help with the struggle,
You are never alone, in this lifelong battle.

Fifty-four years have quickly passed by,
Priceless memories in your heart surely lie;
Even before until forever we are beside you,
Our dearest mother, we’re born to love you.

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Bulilit!

This is a very nice tv commercial from Camella Homes. It seems that the cute little girl has grown so popular in a very short period of time. Her name is Trisha Louise Canete, Chacha Canete for short. Watch the video and for sure you're gonna love her too!

Twilight Saga: New Moon

See the official teaser trailer:

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON trailer in HD

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Halo


Remember those walls I built
Well, baby they're tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make up a sound

I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It's like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
It's the risk that I'm takin'
I ain't never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Hit me like a ray of sun
Burning through my darkest night
You're the only one that I want
Think I'm addicted to your light

I swore I'd never fall again
But this don't even feel like falling
Gravity can't forget
To pull me back to the ground again

Feels like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
The risk that I'm takin'
I'm never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
Halo, halo

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

How to Have a Breakthrough in Your Life

Have you ever been denied a visa?
If not, believe me, you don’t want to experience it.
I’ve been denied a visa. Twice. From the US Embassy no less.
Look into my heart and you’ll find two ugly scars.
I remember my first attempt.
I was still in my teens.

When I woke up, I was already wet with nervous sweat. It didn’t help that when I arrived in the US Embassy, I saw a humongous crowd of hopeful Pinoys outside the gates of American Heaven. They were standing in long lines, all of them begging for a visa. I felt their collective fear. It was nerve-wracking. Each step closer to the interviewer made my stomach churn. I could actually hear the loud beating of my chest and wondered if everyone else heard it. Dub-dub. Dub-dub. Dub-dub.

Finally, it was my turn.

I walked up to the glass window and said with a trembling voice, “Good morning…”

Am I Human?

The consul, a thirtyish guy with square spectacles, was all business. He looked at my passport. I bet he already made up his mind right there, but the interview had to go on. He asked, “So why do you want to go to the US?”
I said, “I’m a preacher and a Catholic convention is inviting me to give a talk.”
That was when I realized—My gosh, who in the world would believe me? A pimple-faced, scarecrow-looking teen-ager being invited to speak in a religious convention?
The man abruptly left his cubicle. I imagined he was laughing out loud and rolling on the floor. When he came back, he said matter-of-factly, “I’m sorry Mr. Sanchez, I can’t possibly give you a Visa.”
Again, I imagined him say instead, “I’m sorry Mr. Sanchez, you’re so totally unworthy of stepping on the beautiful shores of America because we only accept human beings.”

Another Rejection

The second time I applied, the interviewer was an American lady. She was very kind to me. Instead of saying, “I’m sorry, I can’t possibly give you a Visa,” she said, “I’m so very sorry, I can’t possibly give you a Visa.” But it still broke my heart. By the third time I applied, I thought I was already an expert in the body language of foreign diplomats. I got ready for another denial.

Here were the signs I was looking for:
If the consul has an emotionless zombie look on his face, I’d get denied.

If he shakes his head… Denied.
If he raises an eyebrow… Denied.
If he yawns… Denied.
If he looks at his watch… Denied.
If he inhales oxygen… Denied.
If he exists in front of me… Denied.

I’m A Human Being After All

So I was so shocked when he approved my visa. Just like that.
Without asking me a question, the guy said, “Have a nice trip.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
He smiled and repeated himself, “Have a nice trip.”
“Where am I going?” I asked. But I finally got it. I almost ran out of the embassy jumping up and down. Hey, I’m a human being after all!

Life With A Visa

When I still didn’t have a visa, I remember visiting my neighbor who had a potted plant from the US. I put my foot in it and announced, “Hey guys, I’ve finally stepped on US soil!” When I didn’t have a visa, I couldn’t step on an inch of US territory. But because I got the visa, I’ve now preached in 34 cities in North America.

Friends, there’s something better than a US visa.
There’s a visa to the land of abundance and love and victory that God wants you to have.
I should know.
I’m experiencing it right now.
It’s Harvest Time For Me
People ask me, “Bo, how can you be so blessed?”
They point to my loving family.
They point to my fantastic job that blesses the world.
They point to my financial blessings from my small businesses.
They point to my incredible circle of friends.
They point to my irresistible good looks. (Note: “They” consist of my mother and my wife.)
Yes, I’m living a dream life.
Sometimes, I have to pinch myself. Is this really happening?
Let me tell you a curious thing that started happening when I hit 40.
In 2006, I was named Ten Outstanding Young Men, awarded by the President in Malacañang Palace no less.
In 2007, I was given the Serviam Award, the highest award of the Catholic Mass Media Awards by none other than Cardinal Rosales himself.
And just last week, another fantastic recognition: The Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International—the highest award given to non-Toastmasters for public speaking.
Do you know why I’m so blessed?
Here’s my theory:
There are two seasons in this universe:
• The Planting Season
• The Harvest Season

For 40 years, I was in the Planting Season. Today, I’m in the Harvest Season of my life.
It’s that simple. For years, I’ve planted and planted…and planted! Crossing the line between planting and harvesting was like receiving a visa to a land of abundance and ease. In other words, I’ve experienced a breakthrough. Let me describe these two seasons as simply as I can. I cannot think of a clearer explanation as this:
In the Planting Season, I chased after blessings. In the Harvest Season, blessings are chasing after me.

How to get to Harvest?
There really are only 2 Powerful Steps…

Step #1:

Even If You See No Results,
Keep Planting Many of you are getting tired of doing good, of doing the right thing.
Why? Because you don’t see the results. So you want to give up. Don’t! Or there will be no Harvest.
Perhaps you’ve been applying for a job, but the right job has not been coming. Never mind. Keep applying anyway.
Perhaps you’ve been reaching out to your son, but he’s still distant as ever. Never mind. Keep reaching out to your son anyway.
Perhaps you’ve been working on your finances, but you’re still buried in debt. Never mind. Keep working on your finances anyway.
Perhaps you’ve been working on your marriage but the relationship is still strained. Never mind. Keep working on your marriage anyway.
A wife said to her husband, “I’m so tired of our fighting. I can’t take it anymore. I’m leaving the house!” And the husband said, “Me too! I can’t take it anymore as well. I don’t want to stay in this house too! I’m coming with you.” That husband wasn’t about to give up! (Note: I’m not talking about abuse in marriage. These are the exceptions where it may be better for a husband and wife to live apart. In this article, I’m talking about the regular problems that slowly destroy marriages if we don’t work at our relationship.)
Some of us think if we plant, we’ll harvest. That’s not how this universe works.
You’ll need to plant and plant and plant…and then you’ll harvest. My friend, don’t give up. Believe that harvest is coming!

Keep Showing Up!

Friend, if you want to succeed in life, you need to show up. In the US embassy, I needed to show up for my interview. And when I got denied, I just applied again.
When life denies you of what you dream for, here’s the key: Show up again. What if I got so depressed and I never tried again? I would never have been able to preach in 34 cities in North America. Remember that in the Planting Season, not all your seeds will grow. Many of your seeds won’t reach the Harvest Season. Some of your seeds will die. I remember one area of my life where I had to plant again and again, almost giving up because it seemed as though nothing was happening…

Planting Seeds Of Love
In My Emotions
For almost 30 years, I was run by my fears.Each morning, I would wake up with a profound sense of sadness. For many years, I didn’t know why I felt so sickeningly sad. Many years later, I was able to define it: it was shame. I had a shame-based personality, rooted in my molestation as a child and teen years. (I talk about this painful part of my life in my 2 books, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future and 7 Secrets To Real Freedom.) I was totally ashamed for who I was. I was ashamed that I existed in the world.
For years, I tried to please everyone. Because if someone didn’t like me, I would panic. I would die within. I was desperate for people to love me.
But daily, I planted seeds of love in my heart.
I received God’s love. I loved myself aggressively. I allowed others to love me. There were days when I was okay. But there were more days when my old fears would grip me again.
There were days when I wanted to give up.
I felt it was all a waste—that I would never get healed.
And then one day—I just noticed it—my fears were lessening. Its intensity weakening. My shame reared its ugly head less frequently.
I knew a miracle was happening.
I knew love was conquering my soul, edging fear out of my life.
Today, as I write this piece, my life has totally changed.
Harvest has come!
I now profoundly love myself. I’m no longer ashamed of myself. I cannot begin to describe to you the change in my inner life. It’s like night changed to day—and I’m a brand new person inside.
But there’s a second step to Harvest Season…

Step #2:

Plant In The Right Environment

The Law of the Harvest says, what you plant, you harvest.
But hidden in this Law is the need to plant your seeds in the right environmental conditions: Good sunlight and abundant water.
If I plant the right seeds in the wrong environment, there’ll still be no harvest.
What is the right environment? Faith.

You need to plant your seeds with blessing mindset. Faith is the water and sunlight of your seeds.

What is a blessing mindset? That no matter what happens, you expect to be blessed. That you expect good things to happen to you.
I know people who work on their finances—but don’t expect to be truly rich.
I know people who work on their family relationships—but don’t expect that they’ll ever get better.
I know people who work on their health—but don’t expect healing.
If you want to be blessed you have to expect to be blessed.
You have to expect the harvest.
Let me give you an example…

Develop Your Wealth Mindset
In my last Blog, I said that if you want to harvest more money, you have to plant value. Why? Because money is simply a symbol of value.
But why was it that for the first 30 years of my life, I was poor, even when I was planting the right seeds?
When I started serving God at age 13, preaching almost daily and leading non-profit organizations, I was already planting value into my life and enormous value in others—by helping countless of people. I planted what I believe are the 3 seeds of wealth—character (integrity), competence (gifting), and connections (relationships).

So why no harvest?

I didn’t have the right blessing mindset to make the seeds grow. In this case, I lacked a wealth mindset to make the seeds of money grow.
In other words, I didn’t want to become rich. I didn’t expect to be blessed.
It took years to get rid of my scarcity mentality. It came from…

•Wrong beliefs about myself: I identified myself with poverty.
•Wrong beliefs about God: I thought He wanted me to be poor.
•Wrong beliefs about money: I believed it was the tool of the devil.
I remained poor because I didn’t want the harvest.

I was already giving so much value to people, all I had to do was ask and I’d get paid handsomely. But I didn’t want to be paid.
So I remained poor.
When I hit 30 years old, I began to open myself to harvest.
I began to grow a wealth mindset.
And I began to grow my wealth too.

I remember reading all the books I could get on money and searching for all the mentors I could find. Sometimes, it seemed like the more I knew, the more confused I became. But I didn’t stop. I kept learning. Until everything made sense.

I also got into 8 small businesses—and failed in every single one of them. I lost tons of money. (I didn’t have much money then, so “tons” is a relative term.) It was devastating. Depressing! But I never gave up.

And then breakthrough came.

Today, money flows to me like a river. (Compared to my multimillionaire mentors, my river is more like a trickle from a leaking faucet. But it sure looks good to me!) I don’t look for business opportunities; Business opportunities come to me. And the right people, the right resources, and the right wisdom just come to me.
Yes, harvest has come.
And greater harvests are coming because I keep planting.

Even At Harvest, Keep Planting
Some of you are enjoying your Harvest Season in various areas of your life.
Don’t stop planting.
Don’t forget to take some of the seeds that you harvest and plant them.
If you do this, greater Harvest Seasons will come.


May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez

Monday, June 1, 2009

Nuts - The Healthy Snack


Since I am on a diet (again!), I have nuts for snacks. I dug out the information on nuts below which may help us to fully appreciate these healthy seeds.

Nuts are very likely nature's perfect, bite-sized, convenient, power snack. They have many unique and health benefits and taste o-so-good. High in protein, fiber, antioxidants and monosaturated fat (in case you haven't heard the good for you fat!) Monosaturated fats protect from chronic heart disease and help to keep your belly flat.

The protein in nuts helps you feel full longer which results in you eating less. Recent studies have shown that consuming one ounce of nuts daily reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

The FDA recommends a daily serving of one ounce of nuts (approximately two tablespoons). Let's take a look at a few of our favorite nuts and all the healthy benefits they have to offer.

ALMONDS: A one ounce serving is about 24 nuts with 6 g. protein, 160 calories, and 9 g. monosaturated fat. Almonds are loaded with Vitamin E (an antioxidant that helps prevent heart disease and cancer) and magnesium (strengthens bones).

BRAZIL NUTS: A one ounce serving is about 8 nuts with 4 g. protein, 190 calories and 7 g. monosaturated fat. Brazil nuts are packed with selenium (an antioxidant) and phosphorus (strengthens bones and teeth & assists with energy metabolism.

CASHEWS: A one ounce serving is about 18 nuts with 4 g. protein, 160 calories and 8 g. monosaturated fat. Cashews are rich in selenium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron.

HAZELNUTS: A one ounce serving is about 20 nuts with 4 g. protein, 180 calories and 3 g. monosaturated fat. Hazelnuts contain large amounts of
Vitamin E.

MACADAMIAS: A one ounce serving is about 12 nuts with 2 g. protein, 200 calories and 17 g. monosaturated fat. Macadamias have the highest level of unsaturated fat (cholesterol lowering).

PEANUTS: (not actually a nut, but a legume, though often thought of as a nut so here it is) A one ounce serving is about 28 nuts with 7 g. protein, 170 calories and 7 g. monosaturated fat. Peanuts are a good source of Vitamin B3 (promoting healthy skin), Vitamin E and zinc (renewing tissue), potassium (muscles) and Vitamin B6 (immunity).

PECANS: A one ounce serving is about 20 halves with 3 g. protein, 200 calories and 12 g. monosaturated fat. Pecans are packed with Vitamin B1 (thiamine energy) and zinc.

PISTACHIOS: A one ounce serving is about 45 nuts with 6 g. protein, 160 calories and 7 g. monosaturated fat. Pistachios are full of phosphorus.

WALNUTS: A one ounce serving is about 14 halves with 4 g. protein, 190 calories and 2.5 g. monosaturated fat. Walnuts are rich in Omega-3s (reducing fat and cholesterol).

Keep in mind that all these wonderful choices need to be consumed in moderation (1 ounce of your choice daily) and in the roasted or unsalted variety. Now you know how healthy nuts are so how can you get more in your diet besides just as a snack. Here are a few ideas. Nut butters make great spreads on crackers, bagels, pancakes and fruit. Chopped nuts make a great, crunchy topping for salads or in your morning cereal. Use nut butters in soups and sauces for a unique seasoning. You can coat fish or chicken with crushed nuts instead of breading for great added flavor. Get your heart-healthy serving of antioxidant packed nuts everyday nature's perfectly wonderful, bite-sized convenience food.

Source: http://www.helium.com/items/824263-the-different-kinds-of-nuts-and-their-nutritional-value

Halfway Through the Tough Year

It's the 1st of June. We're already halfway through the tough year 2009. The year started of with a big bang- the global economic crisis that has gripped every nation and every individual. It felt like a sudden downhill crash and now that we're on the bottom, we still continue to go down.

It is really tough but all we can do is endure all the hardships because there is really nothing we can do about it. Innumerable people lost jobs, plunged down in the sea of debts, sunk into deeper poverty.

Despite all these hardships we are experiencing, we are all looking forward to rise up again. Some may have lost hope, but there are more who are wishing, praying and hoping to have better life in the near future. And this includes me.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Turning Three

It's the 26th of May. I couldn't bring myself to think that I have turned on my third year of staying away from home, here on this foreign land. These three years seemed long and short at the same time. Too long were the times I missed my family, my country, my home. Too short were the times I had yet to stay here to become who I want to be. There had been ups and downs and many more to look forward to, yet I have to live through it all. The good times and the bad times, all part of life I cannot avoid.
As I turn three, I sit back and think of where I had begun. But most important of all, I focus on what lays ahead for me. I believe that life is a matter of choice and you end up where you are because of your decisions and so I always decide to plan ahead. There are a lot of things I want to achieve at once and I have to remind myself that everything will not always happen the way I wanted it too.
There is still too much to gain, too much to achieve, too many to learn. And now as I turn three, I am looking forward to turning four.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Feelings

Have you ever felt like giving up but know you can't? Have you ever felt so numb that you are able to drive your car at 80mph yet didn't feel a thing? Have you ever felt so envious to others who don't have to think about life because they can live the most of their lives? Have you ever felt so tired that you just want to lay still for hours or days or weeks? Have you ever felt so helpless that all you can do sit down and cry? Have you ever felt sleepless for days that when you are truly awake you think you are just dreaming? Have you ever felt angry knowing that you have no one to blame for everything that is happening all around you? Have you ever felt so empty that you just stare into nothingness for what seems like infinity? Have you ever felt like doing nothing at all but you know you can't so you do everything like a robot? Have you ever asked why all these are happening to you knowing that you are a good person and have done nothing bad to deserve this? Have you ever asked why do you have to suffer when others don't have to? Have you ever had thousands of questions in your head but not even one gets answered?

I do...