Don't Forget To Smile :)

That is the big message for me today - the first workday of the year. Thanks to my Belle De Jour Power Planner for the very timely reminder. Sharing it here for those who might be in need of it. :)

There's a tendency for us to get caught up in our daily tasks, with the urgency of what's coming up, and the distractions of being online. And we forget to smile.

With all the rush and stress of wanting things to happen a certain way, we lose the enjoyment of each moment.

In every moment, there's a capacity for happiness. It's not that we need to be ecstatic, full of pleasure, excited or even joyous every time. Who needs that kind of pressure?

And it's not that we can never feel sadness or anger or stress. It's that we can feel happiness, in some form, any moment we like, even in the midst of stress and sadness.

It's exceedingly simple. We just need to remember to smile. You can smile in each and every moment.

It changes your life, because too often, we miss the smile-ability of life when we are not paying attention.

I had a great first day of the year and this morning, I was all ready to win the first workday of 2014. On my way to the GMC, I received a call from Mama. When I heard her crying, I knew something went wrong. She told me that Lolo Banoy (Papa's father) is already gone. He has been sick since last month but yesterday, according to the stories of Papa's siblings, Lolo was very enthusiastic in conversing with them that they even thought he's already well. They never imagined that it would be his last night. Life is short. Death is certain.

In order to be able to send some financial support to our relatives there, I decided to pawn Teddy (my laptop). Sigh.

But that's not the end of the story. I admit, I felt sadness, and to some extent, despair. But hey, the year is just starting! No room for negativity! :)

And so, right after the morning worship (where I really poured my heart out to God), I did exactly what I had originally planned: Check my weight! :D

For the first time in a long while, I am no longer underweight! Hooray!

Official weight: 100 lbs

BP: 100/70

That made me not just smile, but extremely happy and fulfilled. And that started my workday - full of joy, enthusiasm, love, hope, and dependence on God's providential grace! :)

As Nat King Cole sang, smile though your heart is aching, smile even though it's breaking.

Our journey is never without struggles, never without difficulties, never without reasons to cry, but definitely never without a reason to smile. :)

Cliche, but definitely so true: Smile. God loves me and you! ♥

Comments

Understanding Lupang Hinirang

Every Filipino knows Lupang Hinirang (though some know it better as " Bayang Magiliw "). How can you not know it when it is the national anthem of the Philippines? But do we really mean the lyrics that we sing? Do we understand it in the first place? Photo Credit: http://diazi.ism-online.org This video has gone viral weeks ago. This afternoon, I shared it to my teammates, and one commented, "Yun pala yun . Ngayon ko lang naintindihan." He immediately downloaded it and converted to MP3. So for those who have not seen it, once again, here is Joey Ayala's version of Lupang Hinirang. And I agree, you would never want to sing it in another way. (But that's just me. :D) This rendition is simply beautiful. Truly Filipino. :) Of course that doesn't mean we need to revise our national anthem but maybe we can consider about correcting the way we sing it (read: proper pronunciation). Read more about the Philippine National Anthem here . ...

Jesus Week 2015: A Time To HEAL ♥

I had the best, most meaningful HOLY WEEK ever, so far (the best is yet to come!). :) Thanks to Joy who shared the Jesus Week poster on Facebook. It was God's personal invitation, and I couldn't thank Him enough for the grace that He also gave me to respond. Everything is grace. It was not just my personal decision to join. It was God's grace that allowed me to. So how did it go? Well, as what I have told my friends, it was amazingly beautiful! The experience was priceless! On Holy Monday, I posted Fr. Jerry Orbos' acronym for HOLY WEEK . I experienced all of that and more! :) I won't be able to share everything as there is just a lot of personal, intimate encounters with the Lord. But if I were to summarize, it was a time for me to HEAL. :) H alt . Indeed, I was able to stop and just rest in the Lord. Before leaving Manila, I have already told myself that this retreat will be all about Jesus ( Jesus Week nga e :D ). No emails, no texts, no calls. I...

Thank You, Lord! :)

It has been a long and stressful day (the past three days have been lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng and stressssssssssssssssssssssssssssssful), but You are just so amazing, Lord that I couldn't sleep without telling You how grateful I am. :) Thank You, Lord for the miracle that You did yesterday. Break even and more. :) Thank You, Lord for the laughter and stories shared during the post-mission meeting with Team Thailand. :) Team Thailand - Princesses from SFC Metro Manila :) Thank You, Lord for Lawrence. He is just the (almost) perfect man. He has his flaws, but they are acceptable; he makes mistakes, but they are all forgivable. There are a lot of men but there can never be anyone else. He's really the one. And You know it very well. :) ♥ Nemo. Love. ♥ Thank You, Lord for giving me strength and endurance each day. :) Thank You, Lord for the short but restful sleeps. :) Thank You, Lord for every waking moment and every opportunity that You give ...

The Holy Spirit*

*Cluster 4 Household Topic Reflections from John 15:26-16:4 True friendship is strengthened in adversity. Jesus offers His disciples the best and truest of friends. Who is this promised friend? Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our Counselor and Advocate (also translated Paraclete or Helper). Counselor is a legal term for the one who will defend someone against an adversary and who guides that person during the ordeal of trial. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Helper who brings us safely through the challenges and adversities we must face in this life. As Jesus approaches the hour that He was to be glorified - through His death on the cross and His resurrection - He revealed more fully to His disciples the person and the role of the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit? First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life - the very life of God - and who kindles faith in hearts r...

Interesting Facts Courtesy of Celebrity Bluff :)

I was writing a different post, but Celebrity Bluff is just so fun and informative, I had to stop from blogging to list down the fun facts that I learn from each round. :) Thought it would be nice to share them here as well. For future reference. :D Q: In 2012, what kind of animal was named after Beyonce? A: Horse Fly Q: What rare job in China will pay you US$50,000 a year? A: Fart Smeller Q: What alcoholic drink literally means "water of life"? A: Whisky Q: In which part of the body can you find the tragus? A: Ear Q: According to Merriam-Webster, what is the female equivalent of dude? A: Dudine Q: What is longer in the male turtles than in the females? A: Nails And the final question is... Q: According to Box Office Mojo what are the top four (4) movies of 2013 according to global profit? A: (1) Iron Man 3, (2) Despicable Me 2, (3) Fast and the Furious 6 (4) The Hunger Games: Cat...

These Little Wonders

Search This Blog