Back in Your Arms

I'm back in your arms, my Toilet
After quite sometime
At this moment, so dark

You held me once again
Wiped away my tears,
Took away the hurt,
And gave me reason to live.

Tell me, Toilet
Do I deserve this?
Maybe yes.
Because I did something wrong before.

All I wanted is to love
And to be loved.
Oh my Toilet, catch me!

Shouldn't be like this.
I have to leave.
Thanks again.

Hitchedmag article: Purpose: Who Am I? Why Am I?

As I was checking on this draft post, I could not think of where I got this article from. But at the end of the post, aha! I pasted the link. I got this from Hitchedmag.

Who Really Am I? Why Am I here? I will let you read this article first before answering the questions myself.

Purpose: Who Am I? Why Am I?

With everything going on around you, it can be easy to get off track. Use these 8 tips to keep it fresh.
BY LAURA STACK

The key to purpose and energy is flow.

Are you following your mission in life or do you feel disconnected from what you want to do, believe in and value? Are other people defining who you are? The more your time is organized around your values the more energy you gain from your activities. Here are a few ideas that can help you stay "on flow."

1. Figure out who you want to be and what you want to do. Many of us ignore our dreams in the interest of providing for our families, or because we think we don't deserve them—but all that does is leave us unhappy and listless. If this describes you, spend some time deciding what you want to do and be.

2. Take a good, long look at your career choices. Are you happy? Do you find your work fulfilling? Or are you just going through the motions to pay the bills? If the answer to the last question is "Yes," reconsider your career.

3. Don't equate material success with achieving dreams. Money can't buy happiness. If you have everything you ever wanted and you're still unhappy, maybe it's because you've sacrificed your dreams for money. Reconsider your options, and figure out how you can make the world a better place.

4. Don't let your obligations prevent you from pursuing your dreams. Your dreams didn't cease to exist the day your kids were born. Sure, you're here to encourage their dreams and help them attain them, but not to abandon yours in the meantime. Trying to achieve your own dreams sends your kids a healthy message about life and how to live it.

5. Spend time on what's most important to you. Put some metrics on your priorities. If family, health and spirituality are important to you, don't throw them over in favor of work. Balance your life to reflect what matters to you most.

6. Cultivate faith in a higher power. If you find solace in believing in God, Allah or Prana, embrace that satisfaction; however, you don't have to subscribe to a particular faith to be a spiritual person or to benefit from a daily dose of energy from your spiritual practice of choice.

7. Avoid people who shatter your dreams. Don't try to be what people expect you to be, and never, ever listen to people who put down your dreams. Instead, believe in yourself and work hard to attain what you want out of life.

8. Claim your dream. Stop being all talk and no action. Grab a piece of paper and a pen. Without over analyzing act straight from your gut and finish this sentence: I am a ______________. Then do what you need to in order to make that dream a reality.

The key to purpose and energy is flow. Anything short of flow and you spend lots of energy being restless and irritated. When what you believe and what you do are in alignment, you'll experience higher satisfaction in everyday life. Stop ignoring your dreams!

Laura Stack (www.TheProductivityPro.com) is a motivational speaker who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier with Maximum Results in Minimum Time. She is the president of The Productivity Pro, Inc., a time management firm specializing in productivity improvement in high-stress organizations. Laura has given presentations on improving output, lowering stress and saving time in today’s workplaces for companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks and 3M. She is the bestselling author of "The Exhaustion Cure" (2008); "Find More Time" (2006); and "Leave the Office Earlier" (2004). To have Laura speak at your event, call 303-471-7401.
http://www.TheProductivityPro.com

What I Miss About Diwa

Again, this post is quite late. I was supposed to post something about leaving Diwa last September 2008. Hehehe. Huli man daw, naihahabol din!

Five months ago, I left a place that became my second home for more than a year... a place that exposed me to the REAL corporate world... a place where I learned a lot of things about career and life.

*** I miss the RUSH days when I had to finish writing, editing, and proofreading articles just to meet the not-so-realistic-but-required deadlines. Pressure pressure pressure. I think that's the only thing PERMANENT in the publishing industry.

***I miss the PHOTOSHOOT sessions that I had to do by myself, and with the whatever-is-available digicam. Photoshoot sessions that gave me the chance to meet with students and teachers. Even if my officemates kept on telling me not to spend my own money for my fare and for the merienda of my 'models', I still got bucks from my pocket just to make sure they would not end up complaining. It's also my way of saying 'Thank you!!! matatapos ko na magazine ko!!"

***I miss the super active corporate politics. Hahaha. Oh well, that's what made me say YES to my new company. I got really depressed after learning and seeing myself trapped in the middle of silent-fighting bosses.

***I miss the almost everyday 'I'm tired of working here and I want to find a new job' lines of my officemates. Because from those, we get to talk about our plans in the future.

***I miss Greenbelt---the park, the shops, the chapel.

***I miss Washington&Sycip Park.

***I miss the chats in Stickies.

***I miss being Dr. Love. Hahaha. It's natural in me to help my friends with their L-O-V-E problems, but honestly, there came a time when I told myself, it's enough! I was always the shock absorber, and the bad thing is I keep the 'shock' inside me. I got overloaded with their neverending stories that I could not handle my own problems anymore.

***I miss sleeping on my cubicle. nyahaha.

***I miss the food at Jolli-jeeps.

***I miss the elevator.

***I miss the art sessions with the Super Friends. After a long while, I got to bring back my hobby.

***I miss people calling me 'Donna'.

***I miss the so many bonding sessions---talk about anything.

***I miss the audit days of 5S. "Clean your place! May mag-aaudit!" hahahaha.

***I miss.................................... my friends in Diwa. They are quite different from my new friends in PAL, and despite the problems and conflicts that we had back then, I still miss their super loud laughs and young-at-heart ideas.

Di yan bola ha. :)

Looking Back: Ming Surprises Chik

August 9, 2008, Saturday.--- Days before this day, I already felt that something special's gonna happen. I was just not sure what it is until my look-alike guy from Boracay came from behind while I was sitting on one of the plant boxes at SM Mall of Asia.

Actually, I don't know how to start sharing this story. BASTA! Hehehe.

A week before August 9, JR already asked a list of pasalubong that I wanted. He said it's better to be ready if ever he receives a notice from his office that he will be sent back to Manila. Oh, ok. But I remember asking him about when he'll come home, he said, "October". Hahaha. So I gave him my list. Then he told me, "Uy, lumabas naman kayo ni Ate next Saturday." And why?! JR said he just wanted us to look for a nice polo that he could wear on Ate Sheila's (his Ate's sister-in-law) wedding on August 16 (one week after August 9). He even set the time--which is very unusual. Mga taong walang oras. But who am I to say no? He instructed me to wait for his Ate's call. Ok ok.

And then he said he's so excited to see me when he gets home on August 15. "Countdown tayo!" Eh di countdown... 15 days! From then on, he was always asking me, "Ilang araw na lang?" Yun pala, mas maaga ng 7 days yung pag uwi niya. JR talaga.

I was already having an idea that he'll be coming home very SOON. Tuesday of that week, he asked me if I could buy a travel bag and send it to him through LBC, ASAP. Wah. Thanks for understanding that I didn't have enough time to do that. :)

Thursday came, Lhen (his Ate) and I haven't planned things yet. I was too busy, while her phone was always out of reach. I only knew that we will meet at MoA, 5pm on Saturday. That's it.

Friday: I got a text from JR saying we won't be talking over the phone that night, because he has an event with his friends. Ok... then I learned.. Las-shing daw siya. Hay naku. And maybe because of the alcohol-intake, the clue words just came out from him. He told me that "tomorrow" I will know and understand why all these things had to happen. Huli! Still, I didn't spoil the excitement I was feeling. Tamang hinala lang. :D

Saturday: Last Saturday work of Diwa. I was supposed to teach Issa for her exams, but I canceled it just to attend to my appointment with Lhen. After lunch, JR and I were constantly texting each other. He said he wasn't able to go to work because of hangover, but he still dropped by his office to get something.

With my Diwa friends, I went to Timezone Greenbelt 3 to play arcade, and to wait for 5pm. JR and I talked until 3pm (i think). He ended our conversation because he said he needed to go somewhere. Kwento na lang daw later. Uyy, sasakay na siguro ng plane yun! hahaha. Arcade.arcade.arcade.

And then at about 4:30 or 5pm, Lhen called using Ken's phone. She told me that they're already on their way to MoA. So I headed off to our meeting place and waited for them. Hmmmm...

I bet you already know what happened next. I was sitting on the plant box near McDo when Lhen called. She said they've just parked their van and they'll be there in a few minutes. And then JR called. "Asan na si Ate? San daw kayo magkikita?" were his lines. I was still talking to him when I saw Lhen and her family coming to me. "Andito na sila!" I greeted the kids with a hug.

Then I turned at my back, and saw the BIG SURPRISE.

Hihihihi. Kilig. That day was a blast. Except for the... hah.forget about it, girl.

New Things for New Year

I know this New Year post is a little bit late already. But then I want to start my 2nd blogging year with a post like this to have something to look at when I get lazy writing. hahaha.

So, what's NEW in MADO this 2009?

1. A NEW PAIR OF EXTRACTED WISDOM TEETH. Last November, I had the first round of my two-session impacted teeth extraction. They had removed the upper and lower right third molars(not sure if it's really 'third'), and today (yes, today) I'm going back to my dentist to have the left pair extracted. Hayyy. I just have to do this to get my dental benefits from the company, and to prepare for my ortho treatment soon.

2. A NEW PC. Haha. I'm selling our two desktop PCs and replace them with a new one. This time, branded,flat screen, and with high specs. I think my sister's boyfriend will get the two. Actually he already got the black one the other day.

I wish I could also buy a NEW LAPTOP for myself. This laptop that I'm using right now is kinda. Never mind. Thanks anyway, Nanay.

3. NEW PET. Last week, Gracie texted me, selling their Jap Spitz-Mini Pinscher puppies. I've been wanting a pet dog since we moved back here in Las Pinas in 2003, but I know our place is too small to put up a pet cage. Another thing is we don't have enough 'soil' here, not enough to dispose or bury the animal's poo.

After thinking a hundred times, I finally decided to get the puppies, whether Nanay will agree or not. Surprisingly, when I told her about it, she became more excited than we are (but she doesn't admit it).

I only wanted one puppy at first, but Gracie and Mark suggested that it would be better to get a pair (cheaper, and cuter! hahaha). Oh noh! Can I handle two dogs at the same time?! Luckily, JR offered to take one of the pupppies. Kunwari daw gift!

Bob and Bab are not yet here with us because of #1. I won't be able to take care of them if I'm sick, right? Soon! Soon!

4. A NEW PHONE. JR has been nagging about buying a new celfone. If you get to see my current phone, for sure you'll understand why he's like that!hahaha. My LG unit (the one that we got from the SUN plan) lost its life few months ago, so I have to use my old N6030 alone. Meaning, two SIM cards in one unit. And despite the loose phone case, hard-to-press keypad, and "Insert SIM Card" or "Phone Restricted" alert every minute, it is still the one that I'm using. But latlely, I realized that it's not helping me anymore. So, it'll be soon goodbye to you N6030. It's nice to have you for more than two years.

5. NEW SIDELINES. Well, it's me. I can't keep myself from working all the time. I hate being idle. Hahaha.

6. NEW ADVENTURES. I just hope I would get to the places I'm planning to go to this 2009. My goal now is to spend all the 10 long holidays for this year to have 10 new memorable adventures in my life.

7. NEW COMPANY BENEFITS. In March, hopefully, I would get my 'regular status'. So that in September, my first year anniversary in the company, I will be getting my other benefits---trip passes and discounts, medical and dental benefits, etc. Yehey. :D

8. NEW SKILLS. I can learn programming. I can! I can! hahaha. That's fighting spirit. During my college days I admit I was not good at setting up loops and statements. I felt so ignorant when my professor asked us to code something and I was always the last one to finish. Now, as I read the so many thick IBM manuals, I know that the day will come when programming is as easy as one,two,three.

9.NEW CHURCH LIFE. I'm happy that JR and I finally agreed that we will not miss Sunday mass. One week in their village church, and then the following week in our community chapel. We may not have had the best New Year celebration because of some conflicts, but I'm looking forward to turning our lives a lot better through learning about God.

10. NEW CHANCE. I could not think of what to put in my 10th entry until I heard Joey De Leon in Takeshi's Castle say the word "CHANCES". Above all the new things that I will be having this year, the CHANCE to live my life at its best counts the most.