Doing the Hard Thing

Sometimes in life, we have to do the hard things. Whether it's as simple as getting up in bed and go to school or work when we don't feel like it. Facing irritating clients or your boss as well as dealing with ill-tempered colleagues or employees. Even eating healthy and working out can often times be a struggle.

Regardless of what that difficult scenario is, there is no escaping doing the hard thing. There will always be circumstances that we dread to do but we must face, especially if you are in a leadership role or planning to get there.

What distinguishes us from being mature and a professional is that 'grit' or resilience in being able to produce results no matter the situation. Successful people go above and beyond what is asked of them not just for the benefit of the institution but rather for them to further learn and grow from every experience. No matter how they feel, they strive to be better everyday.

Do not be afraid to step up, take responsibility and have that initiative. Continue to learn and grow. Keep on pressing on! 

Letting Go...

I've lately realized that letting go does not only refer to relationships but is quite applicable to every aspect of our lives. But ofcourse, I know, many would read this with the hopes of reading some "hugot", so read on to find out. 

If you want to find the gist of this whole post, it's all about choices and commitment. We all have a choice however the question is whether we've got the resilience to stick to our choice, that is commitment.

So let's begin the process of letting go...

When it comes to relationships, I'm sure we've experienced hurt and betrayal at one point in our lives whether from friends or our significant other, opening ourselves to a relationship is giving the other person the potential to hurt us. And indeed the pain that comes from the heart is one that is most devastating.

Letting go of someone does not mean you love them any less. But rather, the act of letting go is the choice of loving yourself first and leaving some dignity. We let go not because we want to but rather we have to for our own benefit.

The first step to let go is forgiveness whether we feel it or not. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, writes that: "Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a commitment. It is a choice to show mercy, not to hold the offence up against the offender. Forgiveness is an expression of love."

By choosing to forgive regardless of how we feel is the beginning of our healing. Through letting go of our grudges, bitterness, unforgiveness and other toxic things in our lives it is a step forward to freeing ourselves from the burden that these emotions bring. Bit by bit, as we commit to choosing to love and forgive day by day, the weight of the hurt slowly lightens up and new things begin to unravel.

The next step in letting go is to stay clear from those toxic people, keep your distance. It could be a person or a group that feeds into your negativity and brings you down even more. The sign of these types of people are that they make you feel good by showing sympathy but in reality this is not helping you let go but rather keeping you in arms length of the very things you are trying to overcome. Based on experience, the truth hurts, but it is also the very thing that will set us free. The moment we accept that truth then things will begin to change.

When it comes to our work and our extra-curricular activities, we also have to learn to balance and let go of those that are not a priority. In other words, let us choose our battles. We cannot keep on adding work to our load when we are currently swamped with other duties. We only end up burned-out and ineffective.

To let go of these, we must take a step back and evaluate our situation. We must determine our priority as to what is really important to us and begin to let go of those tasks and responsibilities that are not that high on our priority list. In doing so, we'd be more productive as we can focus on the tasks at hand rather than be a clown juggling multiple things at the same time. If your worried that no one will do the task, then find another person capable and learn to delegate.

At the end of the day, it's all up to you. You have the power and freedom to choose. By letting go, we are opening ourselves up to other opportunities in the horizon. I pray that you choose to be better and have a joy-filled life with the new things coming your way!

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing!

Isaiah 43:18-19

Stress at the City

We've all had bad days. But in the urban jungle and technology in our grasp, expecting us to do more and have more; often times a stressful day can turn into a stressful week. 

We struggle to juggle our work with our play and everything else in between. Like getting around the city with the heavy traffic and the 'jerk' drivers is not stress enough. Everyday of the week, we face personal issues as well as problems at work in dealing with grumpy, ill-mannered clients (or our boss) and catching up to deadlines. Everything just adds up to more and more stress in our life.

I will not even bother to add to your stress by writing a lengthy post. Here's what I've got to say about this: We cannot avoid stress. It's a part of our modern lives but what we can do is manage it and have hope. 

There will be days or weeks that we are swamped and just want to stay in bed. Be steadfast. Persevere and put your best foot forward. Do your best in completing your work and achieving your goals. Tomorrow is another day, be hopeful!

TGIF! Have a stress-free weekend ahead!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11