Hakuna Matata!

What makes a movie interesting is not knowing what comes next, however in life that would not be the case. In fact, it is the uncertainties of life and not knowing what is to come which is the very source of our anxieties and worries.

Everyday there is always something that preoccupies us in worry. We get anxious about our career whether we should stay where we are or find greener pasture. We worry when our pay or commission will be released and wonder if it is sufficient for the mounds of bills that we need to pay. We think about when Mr. or Ms. Right will pop up in our lives or whether we will ever get married at all...

Sometimes the issues that we constantly dwell on are beyond our control. There are some that we can deal with on our own and should address now rather than to procrastinate it for later. But for sure, majority of our worries involve things that is to come or might not even happen. We have the tendency (myself included) to over-think thus leading us to worry.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own.

Although often times it cannot be helped but to worry, here's two things that help me cope with anxieties: (1) take it one day at a time and (2) prayer. By focusing on the now, I am able to be more productive as the energy I waste worrying is channeled to the tasks at hand. Being preoccupied with the worries of the day helps me from thinking about other worries that is yet to happen.

Secondly, there is just that peace that comes when you pray. There is no alternative to that feeling of being able to lay down your worries and anxieties to God, especially when the thing we worry about is beyond our control. So it is up to us to pray and trust God that He has a great plan for our lives.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7  

For those with a curious mind: Hakuna Matata is a Swahili phrase which means 'No Worries' and has been popularized in the movie The Lion King.

The quote mentioned above is a passage from the book of Matthew 6 verse 34.

Moving On...

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, or so they say... Often times it is so easy for people to speak these words when in reality they have not experienced nor can comprehend the pain of life's affliction.

If this is so, then you can consider yourselves lucky for not having undergone such an experience. But for the rest of the people, it is a daily struggle that one has to live with.

For those that have or are currently going through something: it does get better. Things may not make sense or does not appear like there is any hope of your circumstance improving, but it will. This may not be what we want to hear but having gone through a time of testing myself: time does heal all wounds though it leaves a scar. We've got the power to change things it all boils down to our choices.

Often times we share our story to our friends thinking and expecting that they can fix the issues we face. To allow someone else to make up for our mistakes or just not take responsibility of our shortcomings. We also share in order to throw ourselves a pity party that our life is messed up because it does feel good.

In life's adversity;
Do not seek sympathy.
Rather allow it to work,
To toughen your personality,
and strengthen your mentality.
Build up your character and integrity.

Whatever concerns we face, the important thing is that we start moving on... We let go of the past and look at the brighter things ahead. In order to do that, we must first choose to forgive those that have hurt us and the most important part is that we learn to forgive ourselves. Let's not be too hard on our self.

Everyday is a new day. A new beginning. A fresh start with troubles of it's own. It's time to pick-up the pieces and choose to move on.

It's normal: The first step is always the hardest. Be strong!

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.  

John 16:33

How Many Tacos?

2 Tacos?! Really...

How many tacos do you see?

Over the weekend after watching Wonder Woman, my gf and I grabbed dinner in a Burger + Burrito place in Ayala. Kind of famished, I ordered a taco which was advertised to be two (2) pieces, however upon being served there was only one taco on the plate. (As seen on picture above)

I was not happy with what I saw. Being "hangry", angry when hungry, I was about to react having to pay a premium price for something that was misrepresented on their menu. When my expectations did not meet reality, I was going to transform into Wonder Man and add end credits to the movie by making my own action scene right there and then.

In reality: 2nd Taco right behind the first taco

Lucky for them (Lucky me to be honest), my girlfriend pointed out that the second taco was tucked away behind the wrappers. So when I changed my viewpoint and looked at the plate from a different angle, there it was, the beautiful crispy shell filled with juicy beef with refreshing vegetable salsa topped with creamy cheese... Thank God for food! 

Now I'm hungry...

But back to point. I'm sure we can all relate to this. When it's so easy for us to react because we rely on how we feel. We easily flame up when we're stressed and facing issues at work or in our personal lives. We easily get agitated during certain times of the month or when our blood sugar goes low, in my case. We may also lose interest in doing our work when our mind wanders over other issues affecting us.

When our expectations are beyond what is happening in reality, we are also easily disappointed, thinking our life sucks. Even going to extremes by saying there is no God, just because things are not going our way; or everyone else is in a relationship or getting married, while we're still single.

To be real: Life is hard. As we progress in this journey called life, we will face trials and difficult points. There is no escaping that. Nonetheless there is one thing we can control and that is our perspective. At first glance, we may face an impossibility, but we could actually take a second look at our circumstance and have a different viewpoint. Our challenges may be possible after all, it would be hard but we can overcome.

Over-all do not make decisions based on feelings, we will later regret it. Do not lose hope when our expectations don't meet our reality, we can overcome it. At the end of the day, it all matters on the perspective of how we look at things. Nothing is what it appears to be.

In every circumstance, good or bad, take a second look. You never know the second taco is just right in front of you.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - - his good, pleasing and perfect will.  

Romans 12:2

Live Louder

In today's world, we are all interconnected. It's so easy to get your voice heard. We have become not only a "selfie" generation, we have also become one that is loud and vocal.

Now, being vocal is a good thing however the problem lies in being real. There are so many people who are opinionated that rant and bash online through social media but when push comes to shove and it is time to take action, they cower behind their anonymity and online profiles.

On the other hand, there are other people who are masters of perception management. No, this is not a new type of business management style. What this refers to are people that have a front: "artistas", "tupperware", "plastic", "imitation", "fake" and down right hypocrites who maintains an image online as well as offline for people to see. Their agenda is to make people believe that they are one thing when in reality they are another.

It is so sad to see that they think they are fooling people, when in reality they are only fooling themselves. No matter who you are, please take note, it's not about what you say, it's what you do that truly counts. Words may be powerful but it is through our actions that we are able to make an impact.

It's not about what you say, it's about what you do that matters.

If you're reading this and feeling guilty, please don't. I'm not talking about you. I'm referring to the person beside you.

But seriously, kidding aside, I've learned through experience that it's so easy for people to say one thing but then do another. We can always talk but does our walk back it up?!

Essentially, you can be loud with your words but you can even be louder with your actions. Here's my challenge:

Stop Saying, Start Doing: Live Louder!

But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2:18

Promo:

For friends in Cebu who have nothing planned next Friday, 16th of June. Let's get together for the loudest event in Cebu this 2017: Live Louder! Tickets are at P200. It will be an event that can change your life. See you there!

For tickets or details you can contact me or visit the following page: http://www.citichurch.ph/event/live-louder/

For more info visit http://www.citichurch.ph/event/live-louder/

Be Positive

Okay, this would not be good when it comes to STD’s (if you don’t know what that is, then you’re too young to read this) or a pregnancy test, especially if you are NOT married. But really, be positive.

Either it’s a cultural thing or just human nature but we can really be a negative bunch. When it comes to describing people, why do we use derogative descriptions like “opaw” “tambok” “lagum” “pangag” and so on. Towards our friends, why do we tend to remember the bad things they’ve done rather than the good? During our trips, we talk about the delays and difficulties that we encountered. Now this may be nature’s way of teaching us to learn from our bad experiences so we can later avoid them, but it is not a healthy attitude to maintain.

We have become a pessimistic and spoiled generation that has lost the ability to appreciate the little things in life. Our technological advancement that has made things faster and easier for us has also served as an anesthetic to our contentment that we continually pursue greater and grander things.

We may not be able to change the world but we can change how we view it. Rather than looking at the negative, let us be conscious of the positive things around us. Look at the bigger picture, adopt the attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude & Victory Notebook (GV Ntbk)

Like always, this is easier said than done. However like any discipline, we can learn to be positive through practice until it becomes a habit and second nature to us. A good exercise is to keep a daily journal and write down things that you are grateful for as well as the victories you’ve encountered during the day. It doesn’t have to be major victories, it could be as simple as a good meal or being able to go to work that you are grateful for. The whole point of the journal is to allow us to appreciate the small things in life that we tend to miss out. It is also fun to look back at our past entries to remind us of our good experiences and victories, no matter how little.

Ultimately, life is like a roller coaster, it’s got it’s ups as well as the downs, it will even turn you upside down. Whatever your position is, do not lose hope and continue to be positive!

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8