What drives you?

I have come across the book " A Purpose Driven Life"...

Haven't read it...planned to but no time, yet!

I am just curious here guys, just want to know, What drives you? to move on...to fight..to work..to eat...to strive...to struggle...to live?

If at all you have cared, for once, to ask yourself this simple question.

If not, we are no different from robots...just doing what is being told...for no reason at all, just to serve a cause.

I could only think of all the possibilities to this very simple question. I found out, it is not as simple as I thought:

Dream to become a SOMEBODY - this is a personal satisfaction of a thirst for self-glorification. To get the applause and affirmation of others, because we are Somebody BIG, Powerful...and a person with authority. A feel good situation...a situation of assurance that you, are enveloped with the welcoming embrace of society as a whole. Because you are Somebody who have made contribution, in whatever form.

Dream for the family-This is usually a common cry of people who join contests we usually see on television, showing all their talent, singing...dancing...do magic...et al..with all their might...

" I want to win in this contest...because I want to help my family... and I want to get them out of their miserable life. And the family you have ultimately enjoys the fruits of your labor...

Dream to be financially independent - who doesn't like to be able to buy the things you want and need and satisfy the pleasures of your physical thirsts...be it expensive food...chic clothes...fancy jewelries...luxurious sports car...fabulous house...or houses and cars at that...a dream vacation...not to mention the best gizmo's and gadgets galore! All the I wants...

Dream to be able to serve...to live a purpose. According to Abraham Maslow's heirarchy of needs, this is the highest form of all...one lives a life in preparation of the final destiny which is, should we leave to take a final bow, as we all are not exempted from this reality which is death...that he is ready to face his creator...that this life has been dedicated and devoted to the service of others...a selfless contribution to society....a life well lived in the service for...

Well...whatever is your reason for living, I know I remember one person who told me, a mentor...a father..."that you were born in this world alone...and to make this life an easier ride and an adventure of a lifetime...be it with family...or friends...

Should you make a difference...is all up to you....

Water help lose the excess pounds...

There was a time I tried everything,

from crash diets...doing exercise...taking slimming pills of all sorts...to almost not eating at all.

All in the name of a beautiful body...not necessarily healthy.

And all came as a weak solution to solve my weight problems. I am still...looking the same as I was before..only more tired...more hungry...and more frustrated.

Then after giving birth to my 2nd babay, my brother in law told me, he heard from a colleague, that what he does right after waking up...before doing anything else at all, he drinks at least 3 glasses of tap water everyday, not to include the 8 to 10 glasses a day required by health professionals around the world...this helps him move...unconstipated, and to cleanse his body from all the toxins and bad food and drinks he takes in...no diet at all!

I tried...not really thinking of trimming down, but just to follow. Nothing to lose, I've tried after all, for countless times.

Well, 3 months after, on my regular check up to the doctor when we are being weighed in on a regular basis, I was told I lost 5.5 kils, I used to be 69 kilos, now am tipping the scale at 63.5 kg...

Not sure if it is because of the water therapy...or the wonderful results of breastfeeding...or the countless sleepless nights....

Or even a combination of all the above.

All i know is, I did lose weight, and am still looking forward to losing more.

Just wanted to share here, It might also work for you as it did for me...

Good luck!

"He Never Sleeps..."

Early this morning, around 3:30AM Phil Time I went again to my favorite site to listen to good music...as this helps me fight back drowsiness and the strong call to go to bed...Which, I do not have the luxury of, as of now.

I came across Don Moen's inspirational song " He Never Sleeps".

Frankly speaking, I felt so rested and relaxed after hearing this song. Why?

Human as we are, isn't it that we find ourselves confronted by all sorts of challenges everyday, every second of our lives...specially for us adults...

That all the world's concerns lay on our shoulders...and sometimes feel burdened and tired, knowing when we sleep, we still wake up with the same situation and if we indeed are able to solve that problem now, there is always a new problem to show up.

Life is a never ending second in the battleground...

That we are soldiers, supposedly, always ready to fight...

But is not assured to always win,

Sometimes losing.

And that sometimes, our refuge to this battle is to go to sleep...and to overwhelm yourself with the comfort of nothingness...no need to think...to plan and make a move.

All in the comfort of SLEEP...

In the many years we have stopped to pray, how many times do you think have you paused to pray to our God, to ask for divine intervention? Most of the time getting answers, miracles do happen, Don't they?

Countless, you may say. Of course!

In my 36 years, I can't count the times I did pray...infinitely, sincerely or even half-asleep.

With this, have you thought even for just a while...How many billion people pray, every second, asking, thanking and praising HIM?

Whew! Great is Thy Name...

With the beauty, vastness and the wonders of His creation, I have no doubts...

He is working in ways we can not see!...

"So rest in His Love and cast all off your cares on Him..."

Mom's guide to a safe and enjoyable swimming spree with your kids...

Speaking of weekends,

I and my family have gone to a local resort to have a much needed rest and relaxation...taking after an aunt's advise to have one since I've been whining up on her a bit..getting too tired..and much pre-occupied.

So I thought swimming was best...we did for two weekends! for me, husband and two kids...

We ate, swam, ate...slept. Swam, ate, swam...packed our things ready to go home...refreshed and totally bonded!

until I came across the thought, when I slept...were my kids safe? there was a life guard on the pool and plenty of people around...does it give me an assurance they were indeed safe?

Drowning was a scenario far out of my mind...but is a reality too important to be not considered.

It is leading cause of injury deaths for children 1 to 4 years old...

I read it before that, you wouldn't even know a child is drowning. Tell-tale signs of drowning being flapping or waving of hands on the water...shouting for help and gasping for air are dramatizations we usually see on movies.

The fact of the matter is, our instinct would tell us...if we are drowning to gasp for air as we raise our bodies up, hands pushing down on water to get air...no time to shout and ask help...this usually takes seconds only right?

So what are signs of drowning Moms should be aware of?

• Vertical Body - when we swim it should be horizontal or head elevated on a slight angle right?
• Head lowered in the pool
• mouth at water level
• hair over forehead and eyes
• hands pushed down on water
• silence - Kids are and will always be universally noisy in the water. So, time to get up...if they're not and get them out of there.

Better yet, take turns looking after the kids when they are in the pool...regardless of depth! Have floating devices...teach you kids to swim...

Best, swim with them!

What I can do today...

I love Saturdays!!!

Much, much more than Sundays...

Saturdays give me the feel of a two whole day to do what I can't other days of the week.

I remember planning to cut grass on my little garden, arrange the flowers...talk to them!

Yes, I actually talk to them...

I was told when I was a little girl by my late grandmother Eta, that talking to plants would make it healthier, give sprouts faster...that plants actually understand us humans...

Lol! I was sooooo innocent then...But, it's true! Plants do get better color and are healthier...because when we talk...we exhale carbon dioxide right? Which they use for food, and in return, plants expel oxygen which we use to breathe...Indeed, plants and humans live a mutually harmonious relationship... and are beneficial to each other.

I also planned to go to the market, buy some real food...like fresh fish, fruits and veggies

things we haven't bought yet yesterday at the grocery...canned and frozen ones...and be able to ask my hubby to prepare my favorite "Chicken Sisig" served on a hotplate...yumm!

I can play with my two kids...catch up on quality bonding time...

Not to worry on other routine things mothers usually do...moms usually have this impression of not having much time to do all things needed to be done...I can't explain this...

I can watch a movie with my family...

should our budget permit a spur of the moment decision...let me check first, just to make sure!

I can clean the house!

Like really to the truest sense of it...a thorough, every nook and cranny thing "cleaning". I usually breeze up on tidying things at home or else, upon my Inspector Moms' quick visit...i might get a list of reminders I heard of since I was a little kid, LOLoudest!

Well...oh well, I can go think of a thousand things more to do today...or maybe tomorrow,

I just remembered, I needed to sleep first!

Don't Starve...Eat to lose the bulges!

As I was engrossed on writing the previous blog,

I got so inspired and wouldn't want to let go of the keyboard...

I might miss out on the words that flood my mind...

On the emotions pouring endlessly.

My husband Garry...and my daughter Grae, kept coming back and forth...

"Mama, let's eat"...

I said "okay, later"

was called again and said " you go ahead, I'll follow..."

I actually didn't plan to eat tonight,

I'm fighting to win back that figure...

At least the one I had before I got pregnant the second time.

My Oby actually said I got pregnant because I lost weight...

But don't get me wrong, I never want to get pregnant again...

Just want to be healthy and slim...

Then I remembered my cousin Erika, who was a gymnast and a cheerleader now for Oregon...

If you want to lose weight..you need to eat.

MODERATION is the key.

Specially, during breakfast as this is the most important meal of the day...

Fuels up our bodies for the days activities...

Have energy...to burn the fat!

Goodbye to "eat-all-you-cans and unlimited rice" then...

Which has become a food craze or trend as you may say here in the Philippines...

But please...EAt, don't starve!

Food for the Soul...

Last night, around 8:30 PM Philippine Time, as I was preparing my self and setting for work mode...as my usual remedy to fight back the Juan Tamad Syndrome, I opened the Youtube and run over local singer Gary Valenciano's pieces...I didn't have any song specifically in mind, but anything the net would suggest.

First song in line was " Warrior is a Child"...

It was very cold since it rained last night, and I didn't feel any sobriety at all. Suddenly, I was struck by the chorus which Gary V. beautifully sang:

" they don't know, that I come running home when I fall down,

they don't know who picks me up when no one is around,

I drop my sword and cry for just a while,

'Cause deep inside this armour...the warrior is a child"

"Unafraid because His armor is the best...

But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest,

People say that I'm amazing,

I haven't faced retreat,

But they don't see the enemies

that laid me at His feet..."

I realized, we don't need to always be strong ...

be in fight mode,

to fight back when somebody scorns our soul...

Acknowledging our weakness, makes us strong...

because realizing our limitations..

make us know how to strategize our fight plan...

and not compromise the situation..

If it a win or lose battle.

It also sends me the message,

that not all the world dictates as SUCCESS...Is!!!

Our successess and achievements,

big or small...

Contribute to the person we are and have become.

Us, individually realizing our life's purpose.

Is it worth all the applause...?

How Did I Have Real Friends...Near and Far?

Just yesterday, I started to blog again.

Starting from scratch and not being able to write for almost 3 years, left me dumb on all the w's...what, when, where, who. And yes a small little detail, which is most important is H for HOW?

I tried and tried but to no avail...I realized I'm no computer whiz at all. And so I dialed a friend who from the start gave me tips...ending up with a whole script of what to do's. and as if his patience hasn't run out of me yet...ended up doing all that he told me from the start. Gee, thanks Wil!

Mind you, Wil is from another side of Earth.

And so I realized, how did I earn REAL friends who help out, stick-it-out after all these years not to mention the distance, we haven't seen each other for 4 years now give and take.

And more so, I realized he isn't the only one who's dear to me...keeping in touch through all the modern technology has to offer, yahoo mail, face book, friendster, sms, and even long distance cellphone calls which are quite expensive to name a few...both family and long time friends.

How indeed?

I found out, it's just simple! It's just to C - A - R - E.

This being acronym for:

C - ommunicate. Don't stop keeping in touch. It need not be expensive but should be consistent.

A - ssure. Give your friend the assurance that you are and always there, at their beck and call as they are also when you need them.

R - each-out. Don't wait for them to ask help. Offer to give a piece of yourself sincerely.

E- mpathize. There is some kind of bond with long time friends that you just know...when that person needs some pat in the back, or a tap...or simple flying hugs and kisses for a hard day's work. Even if it were just words you read across the screen, the gesture and emotions fly across the distance...and you feel good.

Here' s to Friendship, Cheers!

Day and night...Night and day!

There has usually been a connotation for daytime to be the time to do chores, go to work, to wake up and be alive...

And the connotation for nights, totally for rest and to be in total slumber.

Gone are those days.

The modern society with all it's technology has brought about the concept of 24/7...of modern customer service to be "On-call", and that "Quality time" should be...All The Time.

I indulge in this idea. Not only now, but when I started becoming a mom. Though we do not get paid monetarily for being a 24/7 mom, we get recognition and appreciation during birthdays and annual mother's day celebrations...hugs and kisses and pure love.

Recently, I have also been introduced in the BPO Industry as a part-time Virtual Assistant, where I work on a desk doing all the "field-work"...letting my fingers do the walking..and my mouth the talk...

It is a regular job. My boss does demand a whole lot of quality time...we have sales targets...quotas and reports to do at the end of the day. Much to my surprise, I get the same satisfaction from it as a "Day-job" would.

Gone are the days when I long to rest when Mr Sun goes down,

My world is upside- down...

But...nothing much has changed...only time....

Living la Vida Loca...

Living a crazy...blessed...single life is how I describe my younger sis, Nitch, now working in Doha, Qatar.

Why? You should ask, well, I have seen her adventures right before my very eyes...shaking my head with disbelief to what she usually call as...making known the unknown. E.g. scuba-diving, mountain climbing...quitting your job today and landing a job in Manila three days after...to name a few.

She was here in the Philippines for years and has long been dreaming of how it is to work abroad...to realize a dream.

I follow her adventures on fb, picture after picture, I have felt how truly she has lived a crazy life...a life full of excitement and fun...

and still, young as she is, life has much much more to offer.

So I advised her to enjoy the opportunity that you are in another place...a new destination to unravel...

and not to stop the walk....

She is very blessed with being single...to conquer the world Nitch!...

not to mention the boys?

Life...we should face with anticipation...and without hesitation.

On waiting for the right person to come...

I once read over a social networking site, a dear friend saying " I am waiting for the right girl to come..."

I stopped to ponder on his words...this person is close to me and wanted to give him a sense of assurance that God has specially set the girl of his dreams..for him to find at the right time...

I told him, the right girl will come at a time you least expect it...at a moment you will definitely feel. that was How I knew...I should never let go of my husband, now of ten (10) years, Garry when he came. How I felt that moment until now, hasn't change a bit. We're strong at ten, building this family..with two kids, a girl and a boy at that...living a happy and fulfilled life.

I also thought, sometimes....you wait too long...time is wasted. When it feels good...SEIZE IT! This way...you have more time spent...loving...

So my conclusion to this was, the right girl will come at the time you definitely will feel, and when you now know she is the one...don't waste time dilly-dallying on nonsense talks, and pretending on who you are not. Show her who you really are, and if things feels right...

then...end of story...start of a beautiful relationship...

A new story that I will surely look forward to...shall unfold.

Starting from bits and pieces....

After almost three years being too much pre-occupied with work...not to mention be a "mom" for the second time around...

I found myself speechless...wordless and blank!

I used to have consolation in writing to ease up burdens that I carry and are not able to release...it is either i don't have anybody to share it with...not that I am alone but I don't easily open up on people I don't trust. I used to be too trusting just ending up totally hurt...

I finally had the urge to write again...much to my surprise...I didn't know where to start!

So, I said to myself, why don't I start with how I feel...right now...this very moment that I don't have anything to say...

Much to my surprise...

I have scribbled words and words...just come my way.

Now, I'm relieved...I have an outlet...no need to shout... or sleep...to indulge myself in nothingness...

For I am back...and will promise to have more to share!

Tatta for now...

And welcome back to my site!