Happiness is always a choice we can make, says life coach Janice Taylor. Be inspired and find joy in these simple tips for finding happiness right now, wherever your day may take you.
If you are looking for happiness, you've come to the right place! Happiness is a state of being that only you can create. Happiness is a choice that you make.
"Using what I've learned as a life and wellness coach," says Janice Taylor, "this gallery will share with you the best tips on happiness that can help you to create happiness in your life! Get ready to smile, chant, eat dark chocolate and dream... big!"
1. Be Your Own BFF: Enjoy your own company. Embrace everything about you! Without a doubt, it’s the most important step towards being a happy person.
2.Smile, Giggle, Snigger or Chuckle: Smiling releases serotonin in the brain, which instantaneously gives your moods a lift.
3. Warm Up Your Tootsies: Pull on your best pair of warm socks, wiggle your toes, and enjoy a cozy kind of bliss.
4. Sing Out Loud!: Shut the doors and the windows tight, put on your favorite song, and let your voice ring!
5. Indulge In Dark Chocolate: Savor a small piece and watch your mood improve.
6. Expect A Miracle: Believe that something wonderful will happen for you today. The universe is waiting to shower happy blessings on you.
7. Mediate, Pray, And Chant: Research shows that people who are spiritual tend to be happier and healthier than those who are not.
8. Laugh At Your Shortcomings: We all make mistakes; none of us is perfect. Forgive your imperfections; accept your faults; and laugh.
9. Sleep Baby Sleep: Seven or eight hours each night should increase your energy and decrease moodiness.
10. Count Your Blessings Daily: Gratitude, the emotion of thankfulness, is one of the key ingredients for living a happy life. Make gratitude a habit and happiness will be yours.
11. Wake Up Early!: Start the day off on a happy foot, with a happy thought. The morning hours are full of spiritual energy and prana (life force).
12. Let The Sun Shine In!: Twenty minutes of sunshine or sunlight per day improves moodiness and wars of Seasonal Affection Disorder (SAD).
13. Create A Positive Affirmation: Think it, read it, say it, sing it! "My happiness brings me more happiness."
14. Say "Good Job!": Give yourself permission to pat yourself on the back. Recognize your accomplishments and positive qualities.
15. Catch Happiness From Others: Remembering that happiness is contagious, surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values, goals, and dreams.
16. Grow A Garden: Watching plants grow and thrive under your care is thrilling!
17. Pencil In 'Quiet' Time: Each and everyday sit awhile, without television, without magazines, without the Internet. Just be!
18. Look To The Future: Set goals and then make plans to succeed and take action. Pursuing something we value always makes us happy.
19. Accept What You Cannot Change: Don't waste your precious time, energy, or thoughts on something that is beyond your control. Let it go!
20. Take A Cat Nap: A ten minute nap is all it takes to rejuvenate your spirit and get the happiness to flow.
21. Love Everything: Love who you are. Love what you are doing. Love the person you're with. Love your friends and your enemies, too. Love! Love! Love!
Compiled from the article by life coach Janice Taylor.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
Every year we celebrate Thanksgiving Day as a reminder of the goodness of the Lord and the enormous great blessings we got for the whole year.
And nothing could be appropriate for this appreciation but devoting one day to thank our Almighty for His goodness to us and for the graces we got for the whole year, though how good or bad it was.
And as of me, I always never forgot everything that had happened for me this year especially for a very stable job I have and for having the career or calling that I love most.
My job at the hospital always brought joy to me as I interact with the sick kids and helped them get well. I always cherished every moment I had with them as I learn and grow with them everyday. My problems were always eased up everytime I am with them. Never been a dull moment. It's always a well spent time all the time.
My child advocacy work had always taught me how to be resilient in every challenges life had caused me. The great opportunity of having helped this abandoned and abused kids always brought a lot of joy to me.
And the realization that their life needs to be always watched or monitored, because it is the most critical and crucial time of their life, I now know that they needed to have a firm and well formative stage rather than to have a misguided abnormal life. That's why I am always there to be of service to them.
Since my life had always mirrored their life, I know I can always be an example for them not to get astray and get lost. And I don't want that cycle to happen again that's why I am always volunteering and advocating for their sake. It brought me a lot of fulfillment and love when I helped them in some ways like this.
Also, my part-time job at school gave me the maturity and confidence I never had. I always cherished my time with my students as I guide them in their path to professionalism and love the calling they chose. I am always thankful that they appreciated my presence and help and I never feel so much fulfilled when they hunt me back and thanked me for the efforts I put up with them.
So far, my fulfillment was complete because most of them successfully passed their board exam with flying colors . Soon they will be embarking another challenge in their life which is looking for a decent job. I am so proud of them and for being a part of their growth and their success.
On the other hand, my volunteer work was another blessing I can thank of. It always touches my inner self helping homeless people even in a small way.
Talking with them from time to time and lending a listening ear was even huge for them. And I can't never see any enthusiasm and inner fire in me when I can see in their eyes that at least having me in their midst can make them forgot the harsh realities of life. It greatly complete my existence here on earth.
I also thank God for my loving family though how divided we are in our own individual views and beliefs. Yet we share the same sentiments that we are still connected by blood and with our own past and heritage.
Recently, I had some big issues to tackle with my big sister but good thing I had the tenacity to handle it professionally and real well. And I was able to forgive her despite how it hurt me so badly.
There's always great fulfillment when you forgive someone close to you and who greatly did a wrongdoing to you. And I myself is a testimony to that. It makes your inner soul and conscience feel lighter and complete.
Although, I live alone I feel I am a very happy person because I always have something to keep busy on. It really keeps me away from stressing out myself thereby causing harm with my health. I always have time to contemplate, laugh, amuse, enjoy, give time to myself, and thank God for everything He did to me.
I know my mom's passing had pose a great toll on me when she left us but the hurt I had felt made me more stronger and had motivated me to go on with my life intrepidly and never regress badly and get stuck in that horrible past but to forge on with great determination and continue living succesfully and bravely tackling the challenges and harsh realities of life.
I know everything that had happened to my life had a specific and special reasons so I just leave everything to God to decide what's in store for me although I know I have to bust my butt off all the time to achieve total success and happiness.
So, on this Thanksgiving Day I am so thankful first and foremost for the good life I enjoyed and for all the good and wonderful people who surrounded me and showered me with their great friendship and unconditional love. I am always excited to keep my life going because of this magnificent and wonderful people around me. Thank you all for being a part of my life.
I know God is always good to me and to us all and I can never ever stop thanking Him for everything He did and showered to me. I still feel fortunate to have this beautiful and fulfilling life I had. I know He uses me as an instrument to touch other people's lives and I can only promise Him that I am always ready to be of service for Him.
Thank you very very much for being there all the time though I always felt that I am sometimes abandoned but I now understand that you were always there carrying me most of the time despite I only saw one set of footprints in the sand. Now it is more clearer to me that you never never left me alone. That you were always there all the time and never left me by myself. Thank you so much!
I just can't stop loving and thanking Him for all of these. So, God wherever you are, "Thank you very much for everything! I will always love you and I just can't forget you everyday as I live."
And to all of you, always count your blessings and thank God for everything that had happened in your life starting from the day that you were born, having a great life and loving family, and until the day that you'll die.
God is always good to us. Never stop thanking Him for everything that He did to us everyday. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!
And nothing could be appropriate for this appreciation but devoting one day to thank our Almighty for His goodness to us and for the graces we got for the whole year, though how good or bad it was.
And as of me, I always never forgot everything that had happened for me this year especially for a very stable job I have and for having the career or calling that I love most.
My job at the hospital always brought joy to me as I interact with the sick kids and helped them get well. I always cherished every moment I had with them as I learn and grow with them everyday. My problems were always eased up everytime I am with them. Never been a dull moment. It's always a well spent time all the time.
My child advocacy work had always taught me how to be resilient in every challenges life had caused me. The great opportunity of having helped this abandoned and abused kids always brought a lot of joy to me.
And the realization that their life needs to be always watched or monitored, because it is the most critical and crucial time of their life, I now know that they needed to have a firm and well formative stage rather than to have a misguided abnormal life. That's why I am always there to be of service to them.
Since my life had always mirrored their life, I know I can always be an example for them not to get astray and get lost. And I don't want that cycle to happen again that's why I am always volunteering and advocating for their sake. It brought me a lot of fulfillment and love when I helped them in some ways like this.
Also, my part-time job at school gave me the maturity and confidence I never had. I always cherished my time with my students as I guide them in their path to professionalism and love the calling they chose. I am always thankful that they appreciated my presence and help and I never feel so much fulfilled when they hunt me back and thanked me for the efforts I put up with them.
So far, my fulfillment was complete because most of them successfully passed their board exam with flying colors . Soon they will be embarking another challenge in their life which is looking for a decent job. I am so proud of them and for being a part of their growth and their success.
On the other hand, my volunteer work was another blessing I can thank of. It always touches my inner self helping homeless people even in a small way.
Talking with them from time to time and lending a listening ear was even huge for them. And I can't never see any enthusiasm and inner fire in me when I can see in their eyes that at least having me in their midst can make them forgot the harsh realities of life. It greatly complete my existence here on earth.
I also thank God for my loving family though how divided we are in our own individual views and beliefs. Yet we share the same sentiments that we are still connected by blood and with our own past and heritage.
Recently, I had some big issues to tackle with my big sister but good thing I had the tenacity to handle it professionally and real well. And I was able to forgive her despite how it hurt me so badly.
There's always great fulfillment when you forgive someone close to you and who greatly did a wrongdoing to you. And I myself is a testimony to that. It makes your inner soul and conscience feel lighter and complete.
Although, I live alone I feel I am a very happy person because I always have something to keep busy on. It really keeps me away from stressing out myself thereby causing harm with my health. I always have time to contemplate, laugh, amuse, enjoy, give time to myself, and thank God for everything He did to me.
I know my mom's passing had pose a great toll on me when she left us but the hurt I had felt made me more stronger and had motivated me to go on with my life intrepidly and never regress badly and get stuck in that horrible past but to forge on with great determination and continue living succesfully and bravely tackling the challenges and harsh realities of life.
I know everything that had happened to my life had a specific and special reasons so I just leave everything to God to decide what's in store for me although I know I have to bust my butt off all the time to achieve total success and happiness.
So, on this Thanksgiving Day I am so thankful first and foremost for the good life I enjoyed and for all the good and wonderful people who surrounded me and showered me with their great friendship and unconditional love. I am always excited to keep my life going because of this magnificent and wonderful people around me. Thank you all for being a part of my life.
I know God is always good to me and to us all and I can never ever stop thanking Him for everything He did and showered to me. I still feel fortunate to have this beautiful and fulfilling life I had. I know He uses me as an instrument to touch other people's lives and I can only promise Him that I am always ready to be of service for Him.
Thank you very very much for being there all the time though I always felt that I am sometimes abandoned but I now understand that you were always there carrying me most of the time despite I only saw one set of footprints in the sand. Now it is more clearer to me that you never never left me alone. That you were always there all the time and never left me by myself. Thank you so much!
I just can't stop loving and thanking Him for all of these. So, God wherever you are, "Thank you very much for everything! I will always love you and I just can't forget you everyday as I live."
And to all of you, always count your blessings and thank God for everything that had happened in your life starting from the day that you were born, having a great life and loving family, and until the day that you'll die.
God is always good to us. Never stop thanking Him for everything that He did to us everyday. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
CNN Hero Of The Year Award
The previous days I heard that the candidate from my country the Philippines, who was dubbed as the "Pushcart Educator", was chosen as the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year. And as a Filipino I was so proud that he won the coveted price.
Heroes are hard to see these days. They are special people who spread love by denying theirselves and give without selfish interest to others. How ideal if all of us will be like this, but this is not the reality in our society right now. Yet I am crossing my fingers that it will happen someday and you can call me delusional but I hope it will happen in the future.
Efren Penaflorida, was an inspiration to us all. He dedicated his whole life unselfishly promoting primary education to poor children in my native Philippines, especially in the slums of Cavite City, teaching them how to read and write and also good values in accordance with the teachings in the Holy Bible.
Along the way, he had encountered a lot of discouragement and lashings about his work but it never made him falter. The fire in his heart always kept him burning to serve the small and needy children. He always stood tall against the tides. He is an inspiration to us all.
He was flown to Hollywood to received his coveted award held at the Kodak Theater this past Saturday night. The award show was star-studded and each ten nominees where presented by a celebrity mentor-presentor who also had a cause in helping people around the world. And Efren was been introduced by Ms. Eva Mendes along with his documentary cause to the viewing audience who filled the 3,000 sitting capacity of the Kodak Theater.
As I was watching him received his award through a re-run in YouTube my heart leaped out from me and was so touched by his acceptance speech.
As Mr. Anderson Cooper of the CNN News announced him as the CNN Hero of the Year 2009, I was even more touched and became more proud because my fellow countryman had impacted the world with his simple act of kindness in easing up and fighting poverty and illiteracy in my native country.
His acceptance speech really had an impact in me, too. And I want to include it here so that it will impact and effect on you, too. Here is the jist of Efren Penaflorida's acceptance speech during the awarding night of the CNN Hero of the Year Award at Kodak Theater, Hollywood, CA.
"Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man or woman of different colors, shapes, and sizes. We are one great tapestry. Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need." Penaflorida said upon accepting the honor.
"So to each and every person inside this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers...... you are the change that you dream, as I am the change that I dream, as I am the change that I dream, and collectivey we are the change that this world needs to be." As he ended his speech.
The top 10 CNN Heroes, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel from an initial pool of more than 9,00 viewer nominations were each honored with a documentary tribute and introduced by a celebrity presenter.
Each top 10 Heroes receives $25,000 and Penaflorida as the CNN Top Hero of the Year Awardee also received an additional $100,000 to continue his work with the Dynamic Teen Company, who was selected after seven weeks of online voting at CNN.com wherein more than 2.75 million votes were cast.
This record number of nominations is further evidence of the momentum CNN Heroes has built in just a few short years. And viewers have been engaged by these stories of inspiration and accomplishments beyond our expectations. It is truly an honor to be able to have known and introduced the CNN Heroes to the global audiences every year.
I hope Efren Penaflorida's example will impact our corrupt politicians and will realize that it's not yet late to change and effect our fellow-countrymen to help fighting illiteracy through education which is the root of poverty in our country.
I hope Efren Penaflorida's efforts will set as a basis to educate more underprivileged children and that the government will work hand in hand in eradicating this menacing problems in our degrading society.
Mabuhay ka Kuya Efren Penaflorida! I hope there are more people like you who always geared their work and unselfish ambitions towards the betterment of the children for I always believed that the children are our country's future.
Hopefully, this will be a wake up call to our fellow countrymen and that your inspiring efforts will not be in vain. My prayers to you and to your Dynamic Teen Company who always survived and hurdled the odds and the lashing out of your detractors.
Good luck and mabuhay po kayo! Sana patuloy kayong maglingkod para sa kapakanan ng mga kabataan ng ating bayan. Salamat po sa inyong lahat!
His work of educating underprivileged children to read and write and learn core values through a "pushcart classroom" had inspired many people around the world. His simple approach in mentoring and educating poor children was an alternative to gang membership and thus impacted a lot in decreasing illiteracy and violence in the society.
Efren Penaflorida, was an inspiration to us all. He dedicated his whole life unselfishly promoting primary education to poor children in my native Philippines, especially in the slums of Cavite City, teaching them how to read and write and also good values in accordance with the teachings in the Holy Bible.
Along the way, he had encountered a lot of discouragement and lashings about his work but it never made him falter. The fire in his heart always kept him burning to serve the small and needy children. He always stood tall against the tides. He is an inspiration to us all.
He was flown to Hollywood to received his coveted award held at the Kodak Theater this past Saturday night. The award show was star-studded and each ten nominees where presented by a celebrity mentor-presentor who also had a cause in helping people around the world. And Efren was been introduced by Ms. Eva Mendes along with his documentary cause to the viewing audience who filled the 3,000 sitting capacity of the Kodak Theater.
As I was watching him received his award through a re-run in YouTube my heart leaped out from me and was so touched by his acceptance speech.
As Mr. Anderson Cooper of the CNN News announced him as the CNN Hero of the Year 2009, I was even more touched and became more proud because my fellow countryman had impacted the world with his simple act of kindness in easing up and fighting poverty and illiteracy in my native country.
His acceptance speech really had an impact in me, too. And I want to include it here so that it will impact and effect on you, too. Here is the jist of Efren Penaflorida's acceptance speech during the awarding night of the CNN Hero of the Year Award at Kodak Theater, Hollywood, CA.
"Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man or woman of different colors, shapes, and sizes. We are one great tapestry. Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need." Penaflorida said upon accepting the honor.
"So to each and every person inside this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers...... you are the change that you dream, as I am the change that I dream, as I am the change that I dream, and collectivey we are the change that this world needs to be." As he ended his speech.
The top 10 CNN Heroes, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel from an initial pool of more than 9,00 viewer nominations were each honored with a documentary tribute and introduced by a celebrity presenter.
Each top 10 Heroes receives $25,000 and Penaflorida as the CNN Top Hero of the Year Awardee also received an additional $100,000 to continue his work with the Dynamic Teen Company, who was selected after seven weeks of online voting at CNN.com wherein more than 2.75 million votes were cast.
This record number of nominations is further evidence of the momentum CNN Heroes has built in just a few short years. And viewers have been engaged by these stories of inspiration and accomplishments beyond our expectations. It is truly an honor to be able to have known and introduced the CNN Heroes to the global audiences every year.
I hope Efren Penaflorida's example will impact our corrupt politicians and will realize that it's not yet late to change and effect our fellow-countrymen to help fighting illiteracy through education which is the root of poverty in our country.
I hope Efren Penaflorida's efforts will set as a basis to educate more underprivileged children and that the government will work hand in hand in eradicating this menacing problems in our degrading society.
Mabuhay ka Kuya Efren Penaflorida! I hope there are more people like you who always geared their work and unselfish ambitions towards the betterment of the children for I always believed that the children are our country's future.
Hopefully, this will be a wake up call to our fellow countrymen and that your inspiring efforts will not be in vain. My prayers to you and to your Dynamic Teen Company who always survived and hurdled the odds and the lashing out of your detractors.
Good luck and mabuhay po kayo! Sana patuloy kayong maglingkod para sa kapakanan ng mga kabataan ng ating bayan. Salamat po sa inyong lahat!
My 100th Blog: Counting Your Blessings
Yes! Time always elapsed so fast. Time always has to go on wherein everything needs to evolve and leave its mark. Thus history was been born and will be reminisced.
I didn't know that I've already blogged a lot of entries here. I was always so pumped up in going back here and put my entries with high spirits. Although, there's some bumps along the way but I always triumphed it so well. Thank God!
This blog needs to be special because it is my 100th blog. It took me a while to go back here to blog my thoughts away because I am thinking what to put here.
I was still contemplating what topic I should discuss on this 100th blog of mine. So I decided about counting my blessings will be the apt subject now that the feast of Thanksgiving Day will be in three days time.
Life is always good and I am always bursting with happiness as I celebrate the joys that life has brought me. I never failed to always count my blessings everyday because it is always right to thank God for all his goodness to me.
Though how many bad circumstances I've been through yet I know God has the reason why I have to have it. I always felt that I have to learn from all the challenges that this adversities had brought me thereby making me a stronger person I am.
As I co-exist in this world, life will have to go on, too. It never cease to teach us the rigors of our day-to-day endeavour wherein each one of us can learn from it. And as we continue thriving and surviving in this planet we should never cease to count our blessings for it is always appropriate to thank God for all the graces and glory we received from Him.
That's why probably Thanksgiving Day was been conceptualized in the past because early Christians were so thankful because of the blessings they got from God as they work hard in spreading Christianity to the New World. Thus, the Native Americans embraced it, too.
They celebrate Thanksgiving Day to thank God for all the good harvest they had. And the friendship between the English and the Native Indians solidify the thanksgiving as one in the spirit of Christianity.
When I started this online blog it was an Easter Sunday and I never thought it will grow so fast like this. It was insane sometimes thinking what to blog here. And there comes a time that I almost ran out of ideas but God has always given me light on what to post and publish here. And the finish products never cease to inspire me.
Who thought I could get to write this 100th blog? I mean this calls for a celebration. And this Thanksgiving celebration was just in time to culminate my blogging skills.
Therefore, I can't forget my 100th blog because it was just on time for the Thanksgiving Day wherein I have to be thankful that I am able to keep coming back here and blog all my thoughts away to give inspiration to my avid readers and to all the people who accidentally read my blog entries.
Hopefully, I would keep the same fire in me to write inspirationally and just not keep all my random thoughts at bay. I hope God will always enlighten me to write eagerly and with fervent emotions. I will continue to read more inspirational articles and features and share it here. And that's a promise I have to keep.
But for the meantime, as we celebrate this Thanksgiving Day, we should not forget to always count our blessings for God never cease to fill us up with our spiritual, personal, physical, and psychological needs. We always need to approach life with a warm enthusiasm and determination so that life will always become meaningful.
I once read an article about an enthusiastic radio sportscaster who always delighted his listeners with his emotional play-by-play account of the sports he is hosting. Anyone who had heard him knew at once whose side he was on and the loyal following he built up through the years indicates how contagious and appealing it is when a person gives himself wholeheartedly to a cause he loves.
In similar terms, I hope I effected all of you as I kept blogging here online. I put up this blog with a mission to inspire all those who kept following me here and I hope the analogy I just cited earlier will also appeal to you as my blogs appeals to all of you.
With fingers cross, I am positive that my blog will thrive for a very long time. That's not a promise but it was a goal of mine for I never stopped counting my blessings. Love yourself and believe in that God is always here to guide us and He never leave us in the dark.
God has always a good reason why adversaries happens to us. And always never turn your back on Him but instead always thank Him and never cease counting your blessings all the time.
Celebrate and be thankful for everything that had happened to you. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
I didn't know that I've already blogged a lot of entries here. I was always so pumped up in going back here and put my entries with high spirits. Although, there's some bumps along the way but I always triumphed it so well. Thank God!
This blog needs to be special because it is my 100th blog. It took me a while to go back here to blog my thoughts away because I am thinking what to put here.
I was still contemplating what topic I should discuss on this 100th blog of mine. So I decided about counting my blessings will be the apt subject now that the feast of Thanksgiving Day will be in three days time.
Life is always good and I am always bursting with happiness as I celebrate the joys that life has brought me. I never failed to always count my blessings everyday because it is always right to thank God for all his goodness to me.
Though how many bad circumstances I've been through yet I know God has the reason why I have to have it. I always felt that I have to learn from all the challenges that this adversities had brought me thereby making me a stronger person I am.
As I co-exist in this world, life will have to go on, too. It never cease to teach us the rigors of our day-to-day endeavour wherein each one of us can learn from it. And as we continue thriving and surviving in this planet we should never cease to count our blessings for it is always appropriate to thank God for all the graces and glory we received from Him.
That's why probably Thanksgiving Day was been conceptualized in the past because early Christians were so thankful because of the blessings they got from God as they work hard in spreading Christianity to the New World. Thus, the Native Americans embraced it, too.
They celebrate Thanksgiving Day to thank God for all the good harvest they had. And the friendship between the English and the Native Indians solidify the thanksgiving as one in the spirit of Christianity.
When I started this online blog it was an Easter Sunday and I never thought it will grow so fast like this. It was insane sometimes thinking what to blog here. And there comes a time that I almost ran out of ideas but God has always given me light on what to post and publish here. And the finish products never cease to inspire me.
Who thought I could get to write this 100th blog? I mean this calls for a celebration. And this Thanksgiving celebration was just in time to culminate my blogging skills.
Therefore, I can't forget my 100th blog because it was just on time for the Thanksgiving Day wherein I have to be thankful that I am able to keep coming back here and blog all my thoughts away to give inspiration to my avid readers and to all the people who accidentally read my blog entries.
Hopefully, I would keep the same fire in me to write inspirationally and just not keep all my random thoughts at bay. I hope God will always enlighten me to write eagerly and with fervent emotions. I will continue to read more inspirational articles and features and share it here. And that's a promise I have to keep.
But for the meantime, as we celebrate this Thanksgiving Day, we should not forget to always count our blessings for God never cease to fill us up with our spiritual, personal, physical, and psychological needs. We always need to approach life with a warm enthusiasm and determination so that life will always become meaningful.
I once read an article about an enthusiastic radio sportscaster who always delighted his listeners with his emotional play-by-play account of the sports he is hosting. Anyone who had heard him knew at once whose side he was on and the loyal following he built up through the years indicates how contagious and appealing it is when a person gives himself wholeheartedly to a cause he loves.
In similar terms, I hope I effected all of you as I kept blogging here online. I put up this blog with a mission to inspire all those who kept following me here and I hope the analogy I just cited earlier will also appeal to you as my blogs appeals to all of you.
With fingers cross, I am positive that my blog will thrive for a very long time. That's not a promise but it was a goal of mine for I never stopped counting my blessings. Love yourself and believe in that God is always here to guide us and He never leave us in the dark.
God has always a good reason why adversaries happens to us. And always never turn your back on Him but instead always thank Him and never cease counting your blessings all the time.
Celebrate and be thankful for everything that had happened to you. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
21 Simple Ways To Be Healthy
Compiled from the article of Holly Lebowitz Rossi of the same title.
What does "healthy" mean to you? Whether it's recovering from illness, easing aches and pains, or being super-fit, these tips can give you a boost—starting right now.
What does "healthy" mean to you? Perhaps it means freedom from illness, or the best possible performance of your body. Or health might be a state of mind, something that fits into the category of "I know it when I see it." Regardless of your health goals, these tips can help you feel better—starting right now.
1. Eat: Eat well, eat often--4-6 small meals a day to optimize your metabolism and keep your body energized and in balance. Don't deny yourself treats, but make sure that the majority of your food choices are high in nutrients, fiber, "good fats," and lean protein. Local, in-season, and organic when possible? All the better.
2. Sleep: A recent scientific study showed that people who slept fewer than 7 hours each night were three times as likely to catch colds as those who slept 8 hours nightly. So tuck in and get your zzs!
3. Love: Falling in love feels great, we all know that. Love triggers the release of all manner of feel-good brain chemicals that bathe our bodies in happiness and well-being... even protection from illness. But that's not the only reason love—be it romantic or platonic--is a health-giving thing. When you choose to love, you experience what pianist Arthur Rubinstein famously said "Love life, and life will love you back."
4. Talk: Sometimes you feel bad because something's on your mind, skulking around and sabotaging your well-being, inside and out. Talking to a trusted friend or therapist can help you sort out what's really going on inside—and map out steps to make it better.
5. Laugh: Did you ever think of laughter as an ab-toning exercise? Well, it is! Plus, it's a blood-oxygenator, endorphin-releaser, and general body relaxer. Ha HA!
6. Move: So many of us spend most of our time sitting—on the couch, at our desks, in the car. But the human body was meant to move, stretch, expand, and engage. So take a walk, jump in a pool, skip rope, or just lift your arms toward the sky and see how high you can reach.
7. Breathe: Drawing breath is the most fundamental thing we do to stay alive. But it can be so much more than a survival technique. Try taking ten long, mindful breaths, feeling clean oxygen come smoothly into your body, CO2 and toxicity gently flowing out. Don't you feel better already?
8. Give: Studies have shown that volunteering can help alleviate depression and may even contribute to longevity. So help clean up a local park or volunteer at a nursing home, and know that you can feel great about what you've given, but also what you've received.
9. Learn: Take the time to educate yourself about health challenges that you face in your life. Seek out trustworthy resources, hit the library and the Internet, and above all, don't be afraid to ask your doctor to be your educator.
10. Change: The principle of "cross-training" is embraced by athletes who know that changing things up keeps our bodies primed, flexible, and in top form. Try cross-training your life by bringing healthy variety into your diet, fitness, work, and social habits.
11. Plan: Is there any more comforting feeling than waking up with a cold and realizing you don't have to drag yourself to the store for tea, lozenges, and decongestants? Set your home up for healing by planning ahead, keeping supplies fresh... and doctors' numbers easily accessible.
12. Drink: Water, that is. Imbibe 8-12 glasses (8 ounces each, please!) of clear, hydrating fluid to keep your system functioning at its best—and toxins moving toward the exits.
13. Play: Remember when you were a kid and your mom called you in to dinner? You were so engrossed in playing, you couldn't believe it was already dark outside! Play takes many forms, from a romp around the yard with the dog to doing a jigsaw puzzle to (gulp!) attempting a cartwheel. Play today to feel healthy and alive—make the word of the day "fun!"
14. Create: Do you want to feel better? Make something. Maybe it's a knit scarf, maybe it's a beaded mosaic. Maybe it's a sandcastle or a container garden. Doing creative activities not only engages your brain on an above-the-everyday plane, it is believed to contribute to better heart health and even longevity.
15. Walk: "Me thinks the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow," said Henry David Thoreau. So put one foot in front of the other and take a walk through a park, in the woods, on the beach, or around the block, and see what flows.
16. Sing: Singing requires deep breathing, and deep breathing oxygenates your blood and makes your body happy. So tra-la-la yourself to good health!
17. Rest: A rest is not the same as a nap or a night's sleep, but it is a crucial aspect of good overall health. Schedule "time-out" time each day—make an appointment in your calendar if necessary!—to unplug and vege out with a magazine, a meditation CD, or just the blessed sounds of silence.
18. Think: When health challenges present themselves, think before you act. Research your treatment options, talk to trusted professionals and friends, and take a step back to assess a situation in the larger context of your life and health.
19. Dance: "Stifling an urge to dance is bad for your health," said Adabella Radici, "It rusts the spirit and the hips!" So whether you're in a club, in your bedroom, or even in the bathroom at work, put on an iPod or radio and move, sway, bounce—in other words, dance and feel your body open up.
20. Cry: "Let it out," we whisper to ourselves or loved ones when tears start to flow. And we mean that both emotionally and physically—tears have antiviral and antibacterial properties, as well as health-giving lubricating effect on our eyes.
21. Connect: Simple human connection, whether online, over the phone, or even in the doctor's office waiting room, can be a restorative tonic, not to mention protection against the isolation and anxiety that can come when we struggle with health conditions.
What does "healthy" mean to you? Whether it's recovering from illness, easing aches and pains, or being super-fit, these tips can give you a boost—starting right now.
What does "healthy" mean to you? Perhaps it means freedom from illness, or the best possible performance of your body. Or health might be a state of mind, something that fits into the category of "I know it when I see it." Regardless of your health goals, these tips can help you feel better—starting right now.
1. Eat: Eat well, eat often--4-6 small meals a day to optimize your metabolism and keep your body energized and in balance. Don't deny yourself treats, but make sure that the majority of your food choices are high in nutrients, fiber, "good fats," and lean protein. Local, in-season, and organic when possible? All the better.
2. Sleep: A recent scientific study showed that people who slept fewer than 7 hours each night were three times as likely to catch colds as those who slept 8 hours nightly. So tuck in and get your zzs!
3. Love: Falling in love feels great, we all know that. Love triggers the release of all manner of feel-good brain chemicals that bathe our bodies in happiness and well-being... even protection from illness. But that's not the only reason love—be it romantic or platonic--is a health-giving thing. When you choose to love, you experience what pianist Arthur Rubinstein famously said "Love life, and life will love you back."
4. Talk: Sometimes you feel bad because something's on your mind, skulking around and sabotaging your well-being, inside and out. Talking to a trusted friend or therapist can help you sort out what's really going on inside—and map out steps to make it better.
5. Laugh: Did you ever think of laughter as an ab-toning exercise? Well, it is! Plus, it's a blood-oxygenator, endorphin-releaser, and general body relaxer. Ha HA!
6. Move: So many of us spend most of our time sitting—on the couch, at our desks, in the car. But the human body was meant to move, stretch, expand, and engage. So take a walk, jump in a pool, skip rope, or just lift your arms toward the sky and see how high you can reach.
7. Breathe: Drawing breath is the most fundamental thing we do to stay alive. But it can be so much more than a survival technique. Try taking ten long, mindful breaths, feeling clean oxygen come smoothly into your body, CO2 and toxicity gently flowing out. Don't you feel better already?
8. Give: Studies have shown that volunteering can help alleviate depression and may even contribute to longevity. So help clean up a local park or volunteer at a nursing home, and know that you can feel great about what you've given, but also what you've received.
9. Learn: Take the time to educate yourself about health challenges that you face in your life. Seek out trustworthy resources, hit the library and the Internet, and above all, don't be afraid to ask your doctor to be your educator.
10. Change: The principle of "cross-training" is embraced by athletes who know that changing things up keeps our bodies primed, flexible, and in top form. Try cross-training your life by bringing healthy variety into your diet, fitness, work, and social habits.
11. Plan: Is there any more comforting feeling than waking up with a cold and realizing you don't have to drag yourself to the store for tea, lozenges, and decongestants? Set your home up for healing by planning ahead, keeping supplies fresh... and doctors' numbers easily accessible.
12. Drink: Water, that is. Imbibe 8-12 glasses (8 ounces each, please!) of clear, hydrating fluid to keep your system functioning at its best—and toxins moving toward the exits.
13. Play: Remember when you were a kid and your mom called you in to dinner? You were so engrossed in playing, you couldn't believe it was already dark outside! Play takes many forms, from a romp around the yard with the dog to doing a jigsaw puzzle to (gulp!) attempting a cartwheel. Play today to feel healthy and alive—make the word of the day "fun!"
14. Create: Do you want to feel better? Make something. Maybe it's a knit scarf, maybe it's a beaded mosaic. Maybe it's a sandcastle or a container garden. Doing creative activities not only engages your brain on an above-the-everyday plane, it is believed to contribute to better heart health and even longevity.
15. Walk: "Me thinks the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow," said Henry David Thoreau. So put one foot in front of the other and take a walk through a park, in the woods, on the beach, or around the block, and see what flows.
16. Sing: Singing requires deep breathing, and deep breathing oxygenates your blood and makes your body happy. So tra-la-la yourself to good health!
17. Rest: A rest is not the same as a nap or a night's sleep, but it is a crucial aspect of good overall health. Schedule "time-out" time each day—make an appointment in your calendar if necessary!—to unplug and vege out with a magazine, a meditation CD, or just the blessed sounds of silence.
18. Think: When health challenges present themselves, think before you act. Research your treatment options, talk to trusted professionals and friends, and take a step back to assess a situation in the larger context of your life and health.
19. Dance: "Stifling an urge to dance is bad for your health," said Adabella Radici, "It rusts the spirit and the hips!" So whether you're in a club, in your bedroom, or even in the bathroom at work, put on an iPod or radio and move, sway, bounce—in other words, dance and feel your body open up.
20. Cry: "Let it out," we whisper to ourselves or loved ones when tears start to flow. And we mean that both emotionally and physically—tears have antiviral and antibacterial properties, as well as health-giving lubricating effect on our eyes.
21. Connect: Simple human connection, whether online, over the phone, or even in the doctor's office waiting room, can be a restorative tonic, not to mention protection against the isolation and anxiety that can come when we struggle with health conditions.
Breastfeeding Class
Breastfeeding is always good for the babies. That's what I've learned from nursing school and working in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before. And as a nurse it's my responsibility to inform mother's about the benefits of breastfeeding.
I've been working in Pediatrics for almost eighteen years now and I always encountered some situations wherein mothers are really stubborn to breastfeed their newly born babies. I mean, how come they don't know the benefits of breastfeeding to their child?
It was a stupid decision.... but I can't blame them because they were not just probably educated of the benefits of breastfeeding. So I have to go in in their lives and let them understand how important breastfeeding to the newborns.
Breastfeeding is beneficial to babies for various reasons you can think of. But the ultimate benefit is that the first drops of milk called colostrum (a yellowish trickle of the first breastmilk) is very rich of the mom's antibodies that can help newly born babies fight off infection and other numerous diseases.
We all know that the babies' immune system is very weak thereby they are so prone to any infections. That's why they needed that colostrum to give them antibodies for the first few days of their life. And the mom's antibodies from that colostrum will help them combat this infection and diseases.
Then follows some of the benefits and advantages you can think of like convenience, economical, time-saving, promotes growth, safeguard health etcetera, etcetera.
As a Pediatric nurse I was mandated to attend the two day class for the Birth and Beyond: Breasfeeding Training and QI Project sponsored by the Couplet Care Unit of the hospital I work with. The hospital had received a national grant to promote breastfeeding in the hospital and do some research studies about the benefits of breastfeeding.
Nurses working in Labor and Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Post-partum, Nursery, Couplet Care, and Pediatrics were required to attend the mandatory class. And the class was been offered all year round.
So every nurses who got involved in the care of the newborns and infants were required to attend the mandatory breastfeeding class to learn what to do in educating parents and convincing them to breastfeed their child.
In doing so, we can up the percentile of breastfeeding compliance of the hospital as well as the Los Angeles County in general in promoting the benefits of breastfeeding to the newly delivered babies and their moms.
Sitting in this class for eight hours for two Mondays (Nov. 9 and Nov. 16) we had discussed and delved everything that pertains about the anatomy of the breast, the advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding, the history of breastfeeding, researches done in promoting breastfeeding, and our approaches and suggestions on how to promote breastfeeding in our own facility.
It was a very productive class and we all come up to different solutions and suggestions about maintaining our hospital as promoter of breasfeeding within Los Angeles County and as the save haven for a healthy baby and mom. In short, we are building our hospital's image as a mother-and-baby-friendly hospital within the county.
With the huge budget allocated on this project the hospital is hoping to see great and enormous results. And from a compliance percentage of 13% our target goal is to reach 100% compliance for the mom to carry out breastfeeding at the hospital and home.
So looking for the target of 100% percent compliance imagine how much the population of Los Angeles County will become healthy in the near future benefiting from the advantages and benefits of breastfeeding? Wow.... that's a huge and ambitious plan. I can see how these population will grow smarter, healthier, and better in the near future.
At least, this research had kick-off and started right in our hospital. I truly believe that breastfeeding is very healthy to everybody and is always best for babies. Although there are some exceptions there but try to think of the benefits the society and our country can get.
That's why I couldn't blame the State of California for campaigning statewide in every hospital to promote breastfeeding because of its great benefits to us all.
Education is the only key and way to promote breastfeeding to everybody and I urge everyone to help us in our campaign. I hope this will be fruitful and successful. And eventually we can achieve 100% compliance and enjoy the best results of our efforts to enhance the health situations of our society.
Let us think about the children who will become the future of our country. Let us promote the spread of the advantages breastfeeding to everyone and enjoy the benefits it will give to us and our society in the near future.
I've been working in Pediatrics for almost eighteen years now and I always encountered some situations wherein mothers are really stubborn to breastfeed their newly born babies. I mean, how come they don't know the benefits of breastfeeding to their child?
It was a stupid decision.... but I can't blame them because they were not just probably educated of the benefits of breastfeeding. So I have to go in in their lives and let them understand how important breastfeeding to the newborns.
Breastfeeding is beneficial to babies for various reasons you can think of. But the ultimate benefit is that the first drops of milk called colostrum (a yellowish trickle of the first breastmilk) is very rich of the mom's antibodies that can help newly born babies fight off infection and other numerous diseases.
We all know that the babies' immune system is very weak thereby they are so prone to any infections. That's why they needed that colostrum to give them antibodies for the first few days of their life. And the mom's antibodies from that colostrum will help them combat this infection and diseases.
Then follows some of the benefits and advantages you can think of like convenience, economical, time-saving, promotes growth, safeguard health etcetera, etcetera.
As a Pediatric nurse I was mandated to attend the two day class for the Birth and Beyond: Breasfeeding Training and QI Project sponsored by the Couplet Care Unit of the hospital I work with. The hospital had received a national grant to promote breastfeeding in the hospital and do some research studies about the benefits of breastfeeding.
Nurses working in Labor and Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Post-partum, Nursery, Couplet Care, and Pediatrics were required to attend the mandatory class. And the class was been offered all year round.
So every nurses who got involved in the care of the newborns and infants were required to attend the mandatory breastfeeding class to learn what to do in educating parents and convincing them to breastfeed their child.
In doing so, we can up the percentile of breastfeeding compliance of the hospital as well as the Los Angeles County in general in promoting the benefits of breastfeeding to the newly delivered babies and their moms.
Sitting in this class for eight hours for two Mondays (Nov. 9 and Nov. 16) we had discussed and delved everything that pertains about the anatomy of the breast, the advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding, the history of breastfeeding, researches done in promoting breastfeeding, and our approaches and suggestions on how to promote breastfeeding in our own facility.
It was a very productive class and we all come up to different solutions and suggestions about maintaining our hospital as promoter of breasfeeding within Los Angeles County and as the save haven for a healthy baby and mom. In short, we are building our hospital's image as a mother-and-baby-friendly hospital within the county.
With the huge budget allocated on this project the hospital is hoping to see great and enormous results. And from a compliance percentage of 13% our target goal is to reach 100% compliance for the mom to carry out breastfeeding at the hospital and home.
So looking for the target of 100% percent compliance imagine how much the population of Los Angeles County will become healthy in the near future benefiting from the advantages and benefits of breastfeeding? Wow.... that's a huge and ambitious plan. I can see how these population will grow smarter, healthier, and better in the near future.
At least, this research had kick-off and started right in our hospital. I truly believe that breastfeeding is very healthy to everybody and is always best for babies. Although there are some exceptions there but try to think of the benefits the society and our country can get.
That's why I couldn't blame the State of California for campaigning statewide in every hospital to promote breastfeeding because of its great benefits to us all.
Education is the only key and way to promote breastfeeding to everybody and I urge everyone to help us in our campaign. I hope this will be fruitful and successful. And eventually we can achieve 100% compliance and enjoy the best results of our efforts to enhance the health situations of our society.
Let us think about the children who will become the future of our country. Let us promote the spread of the advantages breastfeeding to everyone and enjoy the benefits it will give to us and our society in the near future.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Hakuna Matata
Hi guys! I quite ran out of pertinent ideas to write lately. And I am just totally blanked out and was just shied away from reality recently. But life has to go on as they say.
I don't have anything to blog these days yet I still want to come back here to just eked out and keep my blog updated and just probably blog some of my usual diurnal musings recently. I don't know what you call it but I am always itching to post my current happenings in my blogs though how puny it was.
I have put out this blog site in the first place to log in all my online journals since April because of the fact that I already got rid of the traditional paper-and-pencil journals I had before. As you can see in my mission statement underneath this blog I am a writing savvy guy and I can't help and stop scribbling everything that had happened with me under the sun.
I feel that my ultimate purpose in putting up this blog site was really carried out well despite of the odds and the hectic schedules I have at work, considering that I am keeping two legitimate jobs (one full time and one part-time) that I really like and love to do. And sometimes managing and juggling my time to scoot in some volunteer works in between just keeps me going all the time.
So far, I liked my part-time job because it gave me so much energy and confidence in dealing with people whom I met from day-to-day life. I now know how to deal and improve my prior weaknesses and my aloofness, by converting it as a positive strength, especially in slowly easing up and dealing with people of all walks of life.
Despite the odds, I still mustered the difficulties and adversities that life had brought to me. Yeah, life has to go on and we just have to admit the circumstances that had come to us despite how much they perk us up or brought us down. God have always some good and rationale reasons why these things had happened to us.
Life is a learning process. And along the way there are a lot of opportunities it has to offer. We always have to learn a lot of things from the good and the bad that life has to offer. Despite the odds we always conquer the zenith of our goals and if not, there's always an opportunity to pick up from the start in this microcosmic life.
Life is a cycle. It's just like a wheel that keeps rolling. Sometimes it is up and sometimes down. And our destiny is the ones that we have to make and not by others to do it for us. Other tangible and intangible things will just influence us in keeping up and reaching up for our own destiny.
Sometimes we have the power to defy gravity despite what the odds are and not other people to influence us. There is no silver spoon or platter that life will promise to us. Whatever happens to us along the way will only depend within or on our own hands, capabilities, and capacities.
I've been a fan of various movies and the one that always get stuck in my mind is the "Lion King" movie. It brought me more lessons in life and despite the odds "Simba" was able to determine and reach his destiny with the help of the people and things that surrounds him in finding himself.
And the song "Hakuna Matata" always keeps reverberating in my mind which always brought more realization to me because it was a very inspiring and promising song to me and to us all. It gave me the realization that despite the odds we always have to enjoy life and go back to a worry free life, hence the words "hakuna matata".
So far, our responses to the adversities of life were sometimes mixed and confusing. And as a we comprise and find ourselves within the different and diversified culture in our society we always succumb to our own individual instincts and sense of belongingness on how to and what to approach life's challenges.
Life is always good and we always have to be optimistic and not pessimistic in dealing with and about it. That's why I am more obliged to likely captioned this blog as "Hakuna Matata" because the words always speaks for itself.
Embrace the truths and realities of life and always don't leave yourself alone in the power of darkness. Love everything that life has offered and served for you on the table for there's a good reason why it happened. Think positively all the time and life will surely lay out everything for you.
Good luck and more power to all of you as you celebrate the meaning of life everyday.
I don't have anything to blog these days yet I still want to come back here to just eked out and keep my blog updated and just probably blog some of my usual diurnal musings recently. I don't know what you call it but I am always itching to post my current happenings in my blogs though how puny it was.
I have put out this blog site in the first place to log in all my online journals since April because of the fact that I already got rid of the traditional paper-and-pencil journals I had before. As you can see in my mission statement underneath this blog I am a writing savvy guy and I can't help and stop scribbling everything that had happened with me under the sun.
I feel that my ultimate purpose in putting up this blog site was really carried out well despite of the odds and the hectic schedules I have at work, considering that I am keeping two legitimate jobs (one full time and one part-time) that I really like and love to do. And sometimes managing and juggling my time to scoot in some volunteer works in between just keeps me going all the time.
So far, I liked my part-time job because it gave me so much energy and confidence in dealing with people whom I met from day-to-day life. I now know how to deal and improve my prior weaknesses and my aloofness, by converting it as a positive strength, especially in slowly easing up and dealing with people of all walks of life.
Despite the odds, I still mustered the difficulties and adversities that life had brought to me. Yeah, life has to go on and we just have to admit the circumstances that had come to us despite how much they perk us up or brought us down. God have always some good and rationale reasons why these things had happened to us.
Life is a learning process. And along the way there are a lot of opportunities it has to offer. We always have to learn a lot of things from the good and the bad that life has to offer. Despite the odds we always conquer the zenith of our goals and if not, there's always an opportunity to pick up from the start in this microcosmic life.
Life is a cycle. It's just like a wheel that keeps rolling. Sometimes it is up and sometimes down. And our destiny is the ones that we have to make and not by others to do it for us. Other tangible and intangible things will just influence us in keeping up and reaching up for our own destiny.
Sometimes we have the power to defy gravity despite what the odds are and not other people to influence us. There is no silver spoon or platter that life will promise to us. Whatever happens to us along the way will only depend within or on our own hands, capabilities, and capacities.
I've been a fan of various movies and the one that always get stuck in my mind is the "Lion King" movie. It brought me more lessons in life and despite the odds "Simba" was able to determine and reach his destiny with the help of the people and things that surrounds him in finding himself.
And the song "Hakuna Matata" always keeps reverberating in my mind which always brought more realization to me because it was a very inspiring and promising song to me and to us all. It gave me the realization that despite the odds we always have to enjoy life and go back to a worry free life, hence the words "hakuna matata".
So far, our responses to the adversities of life were sometimes mixed and confusing. And as a we comprise and find ourselves within the different and diversified culture in our society we always succumb to our own individual instincts and sense of belongingness on how to and what to approach life's challenges.
Life is always good and we always have to be optimistic and not pessimistic in dealing with and about it. That's why I am more obliged to likely captioned this blog as "Hakuna Matata" because the words always speaks for itself.
Embrace the truths and realities of life and always don't leave yourself alone in the power of darkness. Love everything that life has offered and served for you on the table for there's a good reason why it happened. Think positively all the time and life will surely lay out everything for you.
Good luck and more power to all of you as you celebrate the meaning of life everyday.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Pacquiao's The Name
Manny Pacquiao catapulted himself in the sports of boxing with alot of determination and grit. He was the Filipino people's inspiration and sport's hero that's why he was dubbed as the people's champ in their hearts.
Pacquaio grew up in the slums of General Santos City, Cotabato in Mindanao. At a young age he was forced to work early to help his mom feed the family. He secretly challenged and trained himself into joining boxing without the knowledge of his parents which eventually was accepted by them later.
He was a high school drop out but he was determined to school himself in order not to be left out. He never stopped to learn from his past experiences and he always never forget to thank God for his sudden success that's why he emerged as the people's champ because of his humility.
His humility to accept his shorthcomings and the disparaging comments of his detractors fascinated a lot of people. And that's how people had admired him.
On the earlier part of his boxing career he was affected by a lot of bad and bitter experiences personally and in sports which even prompted him to stop for a while and pick up his shattered pieces.
And when he came back to fight for his bantamweight class in the 90's with Juan Antonio Barrera in San Antonio, TX he was a totally different and refined person and his success starts to catapult and take off there.
His last name in Tagalog terms as "pakyaw" means to collect every items or objects in whole especially used in the field of marketing.
That's why with his current standing in the boxing arena, he has almost collected seven champioship belts in seven different weight classes. Hence, his last name suggest it because he already collected all the important weight class belts in the sports of boxing.
As an Ilonggo, one of the major dialect in central Philippines, Pacquiao has the same connotative meaning.
When someone goes to the market and buy all the items in bulk or in wholesale, the term is called "pakyawan". It almost sounds as the last name of Manny Pacquaio, the now world welterweight boxing champ and six other lower weight classes champion.
As his last name says, he will collect all the belts the boxing sports will have. And this is the guy who just won't stop to mark himself in the sports and whom the whole world will watch out. Not only his name can suggest and attest to it, but he is the world's best pound for pound boxer. And he earned that title with his blood and sweat at stake.
He was also named "PacMan" in relation to the famous computer game in the 80's with the same name which is a round face situated in a labyrinth or maze which has the capacity to eat everything on the way in order to gain points. And Manny's nickname suggest everything like that in the computer game. May be he was named after that game. What a coincidence!
And to all boxing fanatics out there please watch out when Manny collects or "pakyaw" all the legitimate belts in the boxing sports as he climbed up to different weight classes and capture all the distinctive honors. My hat's off to this very adorable little guy full of humility and courage.
And to all his detractors I hope you all know now where to lean your judgment. I hope the little guy prove you all wrong. And next time please don't judge the book by it's cover because the real truth will gonna bite you.
Pacquiao is the name..... meaning to take something in bulk, or buy everything in wholesale. And his name has proved and raised some truth to it. He is now the number one pound for pound boxing fighter in the world.
Viva Manny Pacquiao! You are my country's hero, the pride of the Filipinos.... and I am proud to be one.
Pacquaio grew up in the slums of General Santos City, Cotabato in Mindanao. At a young age he was forced to work early to help his mom feed the family. He secretly challenged and trained himself into joining boxing without the knowledge of his parents which eventually was accepted by them later.
He was a high school drop out but he was determined to school himself in order not to be left out. He never stopped to learn from his past experiences and he always never forget to thank God for his sudden success that's why he emerged as the people's champ because of his humility.
His humility to accept his shorthcomings and the disparaging comments of his detractors fascinated a lot of people. And that's how people had admired him.
On the earlier part of his boxing career he was affected by a lot of bad and bitter experiences personally and in sports which even prompted him to stop for a while and pick up his shattered pieces.
And when he came back to fight for his bantamweight class in the 90's with Juan Antonio Barrera in San Antonio, TX he was a totally different and refined person and his success starts to catapult and take off there.
His last name in Tagalog terms as "pakyaw" means to collect every items or objects in whole especially used in the field of marketing.
That's why with his current standing in the boxing arena, he has almost collected seven champioship belts in seven different weight classes. Hence, his last name suggest it because he already collected all the important weight class belts in the sports of boxing.
As an Ilonggo, one of the major dialect in central Philippines, Pacquiao has the same connotative meaning.
When someone goes to the market and buy all the items in bulk or in wholesale, the term is called "pakyawan". It almost sounds as the last name of Manny Pacquaio, the now world welterweight boxing champ and six other lower weight classes champion.
As his last name says, he will collect all the belts the boxing sports will have. And this is the guy who just won't stop to mark himself in the sports and whom the whole world will watch out. Not only his name can suggest and attest to it, but he is the world's best pound for pound boxer. And he earned that title with his blood and sweat at stake.
He was also named "PacMan" in relation to the famous computer game in the 80's with the same name which is a round face situated in a labyrinth or maze which has the capacity to eat everything on the way in order to gain points. And Manny's nickname suggest everything like that in the computer game. May be he was named after that game. What a coincidence!
And to all boxing fanatics out there please watch out when Manny collects or "pakyaw" all the legitimate belts in the boxing sports as he climbed up to different weight classes and capture all the distinctive honors. My hat's off to this very adorable little guy full of humility and courage.
And to all his detractors I hope you all know now where to lean your judgment. I hope the little guy prove you all wrong. And next time please don't judge the book by it's cover because the real truth will gonna bite you.
Pacquiao is the name..... meaning to take something in bulk, or buy everything in wholesale. And his name has proved and raised some truth to it. He is now the number one pound for pound boxing fighter in the world.
Viva Manny Pacquiao! You are my country's hero, the pride of the Filipinos.... and I am proud to be one.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Dinner At Kabuki
My cousin Val and I were close friends since we were in elementary grades. We always talk to each other and confined with each other all the time whenever we have problems. He is my refuge everytime I am in trouble, and he knows that. That's how I trust him so much.
So I immediately called the bank right away and asked if what was the problem about the wire transfer then had it fixed right there. Then I called Val to confirm our date tonight.
Upon confirming that it will be pushed through I immediately prepared myself because I just don't want myself to get caught up with the late afternoon rush hour because the traffic during that time was always bad at Freeways 101 and 110.
When I left the house it was already 5:30 pm and the traffic was very congested. The traffic was very slow when I got out of the Hollywood Freeway until the Pasadena Freeway. It took me sixty-five minutes to get to Old Town Pasadena where Val and me were supposed to meet up.
Upon arriving at Old Town Pasadena on Fair Oaks Avenue I immediately spotted a public parking edifice. I then made a right turn at the parking building and looked for an available parking. I called Val on his celfone that I was already in the vicinity. He told me that he's also on his way so I decided to just do some window shopping.
Old Town Pasadena was so cool. I remembered I went here before when I moved to California from Texas in the early 2000. The shopping establishments and restaurants looks very stylish. There were wide array of signature shopping stores and restaurants around and the shoppers were kind of trendy, too.
I first stopped at J. Crew, browsing some nice cool jackets but I just don't like what they have there so I transferred to the Armani Store and still I don't like what they displayed. I kept walking south of Colorado Boulevard until I saw the Gap Store, so I immediately went in and browsed the items there.
Then Val called me and asked me where I was. I told him I was in the Gap Store. He told me to just stay at the store because he was already walking towards there. When he arrived at the store I was already lining up to pay for the winter scarf and blue gym shorts I got. Val volunteered to pay it up for me because he wanted it to be my late birthday present from him.
After we paid both items we were discussing where to eat until I spotted a Kabuki Restaurant across the street. We crossed the street and headed directly to the restaurant and asked for a table for two.
When we were seated a Latina waitress greeted us and discussed to us some wide array of menus available that night. We told her to give us some time to decide while we order our drinks.
Val and I were talking about life and about new updates while we were choosing the food we'll gonna order. So far he told me that he was been on-call a lot of times and was so busy all the time. He also told me that he recently had a two weeks vacation in the Philippines and also went to Vietnam for two days. I also told him about my life and about my mom's passing.
When the waitress came back we told her about our order and she immediately wrote it down. Kabuki was a fusion Japanese Restaurant. I know they have a lot of branches all over Southern California. The restaurant was kinda posh and the menu items were sorta affordable. They offered a wide array of sushi rolls and tempuras, fresh salads, wine and alcoholic drinks. The ambiance was also good and I noticed a lot of people are coming in and out of the restaurant.
When our order came we started to concentrate eating while Val and I talked to each other occasionally. The Miso soup which was served first was great. I enjoyed it so much. The raspberry iced tea was kind of sweet but also good. When the seafood salad came, we shared it together over chopsticks and enjoyed and devoured it. It was so delicious! We liked it so much.
Then when the entree came, we ordered the Love Boat, with beef and chicken barbecue spread on a bed of green salad with sesame oil dressing, California sushi rolls, shrimp and vegetable tempura, and fried wonton drops and a quarter of fresh pineapple dice with a frou-frou umbrella stuck on it. It was a very large order good for two people. Val and I looked at each other and was wondering how we could eat them all. So he told me to just eat some of it and just take home the rest of it.
While we were enjoying our meal me and Val talked about everything like our childhood days, our work, our lovelife (which I can't supply because I am loveless, unlike him who's totally in love right now), our parents, siblings, and families, also about our friends and classmates in high school.
We have so much to talk about but we have to hold it off because we were already stuffed with the food we just ate and the night already gets deeper, considering that he still has to drive home to Long Beach and me going home to North Hollywood.
So far our dinner was good and we enjoyed it so much. We were so stuffed. At least we had to see each other and talked about what's going on with our individual lives. Hopefully, we got to see each other again on Christmastime or New Year as we have agreed. Thanks Val for the awesome and special time and a wonderful dinner. Thanks for the birthday gift, too.
Hoping to bond with you again soon. Take care!
We always celebrate each other's birthday each year. And everytime our birthday comes we always exchanged gifts and took a day off to treat each other to a posh restaurant. That's how we grew up together.
Apparently, my birthday had passed already because Val unconsciously forgot it. But Val wanted to get back to me by celebrating it late (kind of post celebration) so we planned three weeks ago to just celebrate it on one of the Thursdays that I am off. And today, we had time to see each other at Old Town Pasadena.
I worked last night, for three consecutive nights, so basically, I was asleep all day. When I woke up I got two messages on my iPhone voicemail from my cousin Val and from Wells Fargo Bank about the wire transfer I sent last Monday for the property I bought in Manila.
So I immediately called the bank right away and asked if what was the problem about the wire transfer then had it fixed right there. Then I called Val to confirm our date tonight. Upon confirming that it will be pushed through I immediately prepared myself because I just don't want myself to get caught up with the late afternoon rush hour because the traffic during that time was always bad at Freeways 101 and 110.
When I left the house it was already 5:30 pm and the traffic was very congested. The traffic was very slow when I got out of the Hollywood Freeway until the Pasadena Freeway. It took me sixty-five minutes to get to Old Town Pasadena where Val and me were supposed to meet up.
Upon arriving at Old Town Pasadena on Fair Oaks Avenue I immediately spotted a public parking edifice. I then made a right turn at the parking building and looked for an available parking. I called Val on his celfone that I was already in the vicinity. He told me that he's also on his way so I decided to just do some window shopping.
Old Town Pasadena was so cool. I remembered I went here before when I moved to California from Texas in the early 2000. The shopping establishments and restaurants looks very stylish. There were wide array of signature shopping stores and restaurants around and the shoppers were kind of trendy, too.
I first stopped at J. Crew, browsing some nice cool jackets but I just don't like what they have there so I transferred to the Armani Store and still I don't like what they displayed. I kept walking south of Colorado Boulevard until I saw the Gap Store, so I immediately went in and browsed the items there.
Then Val called me and asked me where I was. I told him I was in the Gap Store. He told me to just stay at the store because he was already walking towards there. When he arrived at the store I was already lining up to pay for the winter scarf and blue gym shorts I got. Val volunteered to pay it up for me because he wanted it to be my late birthday present from him.
After we paid both items we were discussing where to eat until I spotted a Kabuki Restaurant across the street. We crossed the street and headed directly to the restaurant and asked for a table for two.
When we were seated a Latina waitress greeted us and discussed to us some wide array of menus available that night. We told her to give us some time to decide while we order our drinks.
When the waitress came back we told her about our order and she immediately wrote it down. Kabuki was a fusion Japanese Restaurant. I know they have a lot of branches all over Southern California. The restaurant was kinda posh and the menu items were sorta affordable. They offered a wide array of sushi rolls and tempuras, fresh salads, wine and alcoholic drinks. The ambiance was also good and I noticed a lot of people are coming in and out of the restaurant.
When our order came we started to concentrate eating while Val and I talked to each other occasionally. The Miso soup which was served first was great. I enjoyed it so much. The raspberry iced tea was kind of sweet but also good. When the seafood salad came, we shared it together over chopsticks and enjoyed and devoured it. It was so delicious! We liked it so much.
Then when the entree came, we ordered the Love Boat, with beef and chicken barbecue spread on a bed of green salad with sesame oil dressing, California sushi rolls, shrimp and vegetable tempura, and fried wonton drops and a quarter of fresh pineapple dice with a frou-frou umbrella stuck on it. It was a very large order good for two people. Val and I looked at each other and was wondering how we could eat them all. So he told me to just eat some of it and just take home the rest of it.
While we were enjoying our meal me and Val talked about everything like our childhood days, our work, our lovelife (which I can't supply because I am loveless, unlike him who's totally in love right now), our parents, siblings, and families, also about our friends and classmates in high school.
We have so much to talk about but we have to hold it off because we were already stuffed with the food we just ate and the night already gets deeper, considering that he still has to drive home to Long Beach and me going home to North Hollywood.
So far our dinner was good and we enjoyed it so much. We were so stuffed. At least we had to see each other and talked about what's going on with our individual lives. Hopefully, we got to see each other again on Christmastime or New Year as we have agreed. Thanks Val for the awesome and special time and a wonderful dinner. Thanks for the birthday gift, too.
Hoping to bond with you again soon. Take care!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Newborn Baby Care
I was floated yesterday to Newborn Nursery on the 8th Floor. It was a sporadically not busy night on the earlier part of the shift not until the later part wherein newborn admissions was just insane and won't abate..
Once I took care of the initial newborn care, warming and stabilizing the baby, and giving them their initial bath and care; the baby is ready to be sent out to bond with their mother in the room.
But when it started to get busy at 5 am I decided to transfer out that quarantined baby out of Newborn Nursery and off to the mom's room after I took the blood specimens for direct bilirubin ordered for the early morning labs and the due PKU test and Hearing Screen Test. At least, I did all the tests before the baby came out and went to the mom's room.
All in all, I had five newborn admissions. I gave them initial care and bath and had stabilized their vital signs prior to sending them out to couplet care.
I ended up holding and took care of one baby though as a boarder because the mom had to stay in antepartum unit due to the fact that she needs to be closely monitored for a mild PIH and is on a magnesium sulfate drip and her blood pressure needs to be stabilized before she goes up to the post-partum unit.
My night at Newborn Nursery that time was very routinary and uneventful. I was able to perform and carry it out well. If given another chance to go back there again I would love to do it again and I will volunteer to go back there all the time.
Performing the Dubowitz or Ballards Assessment to determine the newborn's gestational age by examining the physical and neurological features of the newborn baby was so innate for me now. I can do it expertly and rapidly now unlike before in the past in which I am always struggling doing it all the time which gives a big toll on me.
So far, right now, I am very adept in doing it. I was so happy with that. And I am always 90% more accurate in my assessments. It takes a lot of years of practice for me to have it thoroughly mastered. I am so thankful for my constant exposure there all the time.
Filling up the cribs and bassinets with diapers, formulas, rubber nipples, dry wipes, alcohol swabs, baby shampoo, combs, bathing bowls etc. was a a tedious job but I am just enjoying my moments in that unit.
Our Pediatric census markedly dropped the previous days so it's time for me to get tossed out to other floors and help them out. Unfortunately, it was my turn to get tossed out. I can't help it but to accept the fact that it was my turn anyway to get floated.
Usually we get floated to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Nursery, and Couplet Care Units. But because I am a male, I am being banned to get floated to Post-partum because of the newly delivered mom's status.
It's been a while back in September since I got floated to Newborn Nursery. I remember the last time I got floated there was when I took care of that Baby Jane Doe #31. I even remembered I made a blog about that baby here. I have no idea where she is now. I hope she is in good hands.
As an experienced Pediatric nurse and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit trained nurse floating to Newborn Nursery was an easy job for me. I always wanted to come back there all the time because the transition for the babies coming in and out the unit was so rapid and quick.
Once I took care of the initial newborn care, warming and stabilizing the baby, and giving them their initial bath and care; the baby is ready to be sent out to bond with their mother in the room.
I came up to the Newborn Nursery with only one boarder staying there. A boarder, by the way, is a baby that needs special attention or sometimes a baby who needs to be closely monitored and whose moms were been discharged, such as babies who have hyperbilirubinemia cases or babies whose moms were still left in antepartum for more close monitoring.
The baby was actually isolated for 48 hours in Newborn Nursery from the mom who was positive for Influenza A and B. The isolation will be culminating at 10 pm that night then after that the baby will be sent out to the mom for couplet care. But apparently, I opted to held the baby until 5 am when my admission started to keep coming.
At first my admission was sporadically few, coming every two hours at the least, just in time for me to finish up the care and send out the new baby to the couplet care to bond and stay with the mom the whole night.
But when it started to get busy at 5 am I decided to transfer out that quarantined baby out of Newborn Nursery and off to the mom's room after I took the blood specimens for direct bilirubin ordered for the early morning labs and the due PKU test and Hearing Screen Test. At least, I did all the tests before the baby came out and went to the mom's room.
All in all, I had five newborn admissions. I gave them initial care and bath and had stabilized their vital signs prior to sending them out to couplet care.
I ended up holding and took care of one baby though as a boarder because the mom had to stay in antepartum unit due to the fact that she needs to be closely monitored for a mild PIH and is on a magnesium sulfate drip and her blood pressure needs to be stabilized before she goes up to the post-partum unit.
My night at Newborn Nursery that time was very routinary and uneventful. I was able to perform and carry it out well. If given another chance to go back there again I would love to do it again and I will volunteer to go back there all the time.
Doing baby care for a normal newborn baby was just an easy task for me. I always loved to hold and feed babies, gave them their initial bath and care, perform necessary blood tests to them before sending them to their moms, stabilizing and warming them well before sending them out to couplet care, and bunch of things needed to do for them.
Although paperworks was quite a nuisance but still I know I can handle it sometimes. I am so glad that the charge nurse was able to help me for it all the time and just left me do all the newborn assessment and care planning by myself.
Performing the Dubowitz or Ballards Assessment to determine the newborn's gestational age by examining the physical and neurological features of the newborn baby was so innate for me now. I can do it expertly and rapidly now unlike before in the past in which I am always struggling doing it all the time which gives a big toll on me.
So far, right now, I am very adept in doing it. I was so happy with that. And I am always 90% more accurate in my assessments. It takes a lot of years of practice for me to have it thoroughly mastered. I am so thankful for my constant exposure there all the time.
Filling up the cribs and bassinets with diapers, formulas, rubber nipples, dry wipes, alcohol swabs, baby shampoo, combs, bathing bowls etc. was a a tedious job but I am just enjoying my moments in that unit.
Maintaining enough supply for the constant flow of newborn baby admission to be stabilize in the nursery is very vital and essential to save time and energy for the nurses working in that closed unit. So in consideration for the oncoming shift nurses I have to fill up linens and supplies for their own convenience and then vice versa.
So far my night in the Newborn Nursery was excellent. I always loved to be there. And to take care of the newborn babies was a breath of fresh air for me apart from the busy and tedious work in my usual floor which is the Pediatric unit.
And this constant exposure to Newborn Nursery always add up enormously to my wide array of experiences and expert routines and job handiworks. I always treasure all my moments when I'm always there.
It's always a challenge to be there and I love to be challenged. We always have the opportunity to learn and grow everyday. And I always believed that challenge is an opportunity to learn.
I always loved it there all the time despite how slow or busy the unit is!
In The Eyes Of The Child
I don't know what to do right now. I am just helpless and hopeless to have my ultimate dream be realized. I don't know if I can ever carry it out successfully without your precious prayers and unselfish help, but I was hoping it will come to fruition someday.
It was been my childhood dream to help children around the world, especially the helpless ones in my beloved country, the Philippines. I've been meaning to work hard all throughout my life working for the cause in children's care and their welfare and I know there's a lot of issues to address for their sake.
But for just a simple nurse like me who always struggled to live my day to day life in order to survive life itself I know I can be an instrument to help them and to address their plight and protect their own welfare.
As I was growing up it was innate for myself to help out little children. I myself was a product of being helped by people who were concerned for the education of indigent kids.
And as I grew up and realized my dreams and ambitions to become successful I was determined and deemed to repeat the whole cycle.
So when I got out of the nursing school, had landed a very secured job, and was in a very lucky position to help out others, I decided to sponsor poor and deserving kids to go to college and helped them attain and achieve their ultimate dreams and ambitions. I can see in them myself when I was a struggling kid.
Now I want my goals to get bigger and higher and I need people to help me out, that's why I made this blog to inform people who have the tenacity to help me and guide me realize my ultimate dream to help needy children.
Children always lighten me up. My world always revolved around them. And my objectives were always geared towards their health and education. And promoting play with children helps them get stimulated mentally and physically. For I always know that children always needs to be happy and smart.
My first goal is to educate parents that they are the first lifeline for these kids to be more active physically and mentally. That they are there to set them as a good example because children always looks up to older adults as their model. By setting them a good standard and values, children will become more respectful to others and responsible with their lives as they grow.
Children who were neglected has a poor family structure thereby they feel they were alone and left out. They even end up mentally incapacitated and has slow judgment. And these kids were the ones who were always got into trouble.
Seldom we can see children who survived alone and live a moral life if their family structure were broken. They're the ones who ended up scarred and affected by the issues and problems of their parents which they will manifest unconsciously and permanently in their behaviors, attitudes, and personalities in later life.
Children should be encouraged to be goal-oriented and responsible to have a better life and some needs extreme guidance such as those who have abnormalities and mental problems. They should be guided well and encouraged to learn and improve their actions day to day.
I've been working as a Pediatric nurse for a little less than two decades now and I know how children reacted if they come in contact with people they don't know and recognized. I am telling you, it is an aweful position.
Children always cling to their parents whenever they encounter strangers and it's really hard to earn their trust and confidence. But believe me once they know you and trusted you, they won't let you go. That's the wonders and joys of children!
Now, I am working as a volunteer in advocating for children's rights. I worked as a volunteer once a month visiting children who were been victims of abuse in their own household. It was a very challenging job and I love challenge all the time.
It is very heartwrenching to see them scarred and fearful. It is hard to get and help them pick up their shattered pieces and make it into whole again. That's why I was there to help them do it gradually so that they will go back to reality again. It is a hard and challenging job but I loved it!
I have to come to their homes or wherever they were fostered and talked to them about their past experiences and encouraged them to open up. Then from there I will make some careful assessment, planning, interventions, and evaluation about their plight and counsel them what to do next and where to seek help.
There's this story of Andy (name withheld because of confidentiality reasons) who ran away from their home because his divorced father always beat him up everytime he got drunk.
As I talked to this scrawny and handsome eleven-year-old-boy I just can't help weeping and bleeding inside my heart looking at his beautiful-and-tearful-aquamarine-colored eyes. He told me how much he hated his father because of what he did to him and how determined he is to get back to him and beat him up.
I just can see the extreme hate, pain, and hurt in his eyes and I can't blame him for that. That's why I was there to listen to him intently and gave him some good guidance with the recommendations of my adviser.
Then I have to make a very long report about my interaction with him and submit it to the child advocate court where I am affiliated at so that it will be deliberated and discussed in the court and whatever decisions they will make will be up to the court to give him back to the family or look or find him a foster parent or a juvenile facility to take care of him temporarily.
I loved what I do, and if given another chance, I will do it again. Advocating for children's welfare gives me a lot of peace of mind. Especially if I helped them greatly and hugely. I just can't help helping kids to have a normal life for I myself was a product of child abuse.
Whatever experiences I had when I was little I just don't want other children to experience and repeat it because I know how painful and hurtful it was to have a scarred life. And as I grew up I just can't help seeing other children getting hurt and pained because of a bad family structure.
I mean this could be prevented if parents were educated enough to take responsibility of their actions whenever they have children. But this picture or circumstance was already banal or commonplace in our society and it's hard to be curtailed or stopped. That's why there's this programs and agencies advocating for the children's welfare and care. Not just children but for other's who were victims of abuse.
Let us work hand in hand in advocating for the welfare of children. For children were our country's future, as what our Philippine National hero once said, Dr. Jose P. Rizal.
Let us always see children through their expressive eyes. Because looking at them always told us or evoked pure sincerety and honesty although there were always uncertainty in them because of their innate youthfulness and ignorance. And there's always the joy when we were around them.
And my ultimate dream someday is to help children have a productive, healthy, and meaningful life. And I hope I can achieve it someday, if God permits.
It was been my childhood dream to help children around the world, especially the helpless ones in my beloved country, the Philippines. I've been meaning to work hard all throughout my life working for the cause in children's care and their welfare and I know there's a lot of issues to address for their sake.
But for just a simple nurse like me who always struggled to live my day to day life in order to survive life itself I know I can be an instrument to help them and to address their plight and protect their own welfare.
As I was growing up it was innate for myself to help out little children. I myself was a product of being helped by people who were concerned for the education of indigent kids.
And as I grew up and realized my dreams and ambitions to become successful I was determined and deemed to repeat the whole cycle.
So when I got out of the nursing school, had landed a very secured job, and was in a very lucky position to help out others, I decided to sponsor poor and deserving kids to go to college and helped them attain and achieve their ultimate dreams and ambitions. I can see in them myself when I was a struggling kid.
Now I want my goals to get bigger and higher and I need people to help me out, that's why I made this blog to inform people who have the tenacity to help me and guide me realize my ultimate dream to help needy children.
Children always lighten me up. My world always revolved around them. And my objectives were always geared towards their health and education. And promoting play with children helps them get stimulated mentally and physically. For I always know that children always needs to be happy and smart.
My first goal is to educate parents that they are the first lifeline for these kids to be more active physically and mentally. That they are there to set them as a good example because children always looks up to older adults as their model. By setting them a good standard and values, children will become more respectful to others and responsible with their lives as they grow.
Children who were neglected has a poor family structure thereby they feel they were alone and left out. They even end up mentally incapacitated and has slow judgment. And these kids were the ones who were always got into trouble.
Seldom we can see children who survived alone and live a moral life if their family structure were broken. They're the ones who ended up scarred and affected by the issues and problems of their parents which they will manifest unconsciously and permanently in their behaviors, attitudes, and personalities in later life.
Children should be encouraged to be goal-oriented and responsible to have a better life and some needs extreme guidance such as those who have abnormalities and mental problems. They should be guided well and encouraged to learn and improve their actions day to day.
I've been working as a Pediatric nurse for a little less than two decades now and I know how children reacted if they come in contact with people they don't know and recognized. I am telling you, it is an aweful position.
Children always cling to their parents whenever they encounter strangers and it's really hard to earn their trust and confidence. But believe me once they know you and trusted you, they won't let you go. That's the wonders and joys of children!
Now, I am working as a volunteer in advocating for children's rights. I worked as a volunteer once a month visiting children who were been victims of abuse in their own household. It was a very challenging job and I love challenge all the time.
It is very heartwrenching to see them scarred and fearful. It is hard to get and help them pick up their shattered pieces and make it into whole again. That's why I was there to help them do it gradually so that they will go back to reality again. It is a hard and challenging job but I loved it!
I have to come to their homes or wherever they were fostered and talked to them about their past experiences and encouraged them to open up. Then from there I will make some careful assessment, planning, interventions, and evaluation about their plight and counsel them what to do next and where to seek help.
There's this story of Andy (name withheld because of confidentiality reasons) who ran away from their home because his divorced father always beat him up everytime he got drunk.
As I talked to this scrawny and handsome eleven-year-old-boy I just can't help weeping and bleeding inside my heart looking at his beautiful-and-tearful-aquamarine-colored eyes. He told me how much he hated his father because of what he did to him and how determined he is to get back to him and beat him up.
I just can see the extreme hate, pain, and hurt in his eyes and I can't blame him for that. That's why I was there to listen to him intently and gave him some good guidance with the recommendations of my adviser.
Then I have to make a very long report about my interaction with him and submit it to the child advocate court where I am affiliated at so that it will be deliberated and discussed in the court and whatever decisions they will make will be up to the court to give him back to the family or look or find him a foster parent or a juvenile facility to take care of him temporarily.
I loved what I do, and if given another chance, I will do it again. Advocating for children's welfare gives me a lot of peace of mind. Especially if I helped them greatly and hugely. I just can't help helping kids to have a normal life for I myself was a product of child abuse.
Whatever experiences I had when I was little I just don't want other children to experience and repeat it because I know how painful and hurtful it was to have a scarred life. And as I grew up I just can't help seeing other children getting hurt and pained because of a bad family structure.
I mean this could be prevented if parents were educated enough to take responsibility of their actions whenever they have children. But this picture or circumstance was already banal or commonplace in our society and it's hard to be curtailed or stopped. That's why there's this programs and agencies advocating for the children's welfare and care. Not just children but for other's who were victims of abuse.
Let us work hand in hand in advocating for the welfare of children. For children were our country's future, as what our Philippine National hero once said, Dr. Jose P. Rizal.
Let us always see children through their expressive eyes. Because looking at them always told us or evoked pure sincerety and honesty although there were always uncertainty in them because of their innate youthfulness and ignorance. And there's always the joy when we were around them.
And my ultimate dream someday is to help children have a productive, healthy, and meaningful life. And I hope I can achieve it someday, if God permits.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Handling Change Gracefully
Change is a natural part of life. From your birth, to your education, to starting and losing jobs, to falling in and out of love, change has been with you from the beginning.
Who you are today is the sum of all the changes you've experienced--the fun ones and the difficult ones, the big ones and the small ones. Going forward, change doesn't have to be hard; you have access to tips and wisdom from others who have been there, as well as expert advice, resources, and ideas that will help get you through any change.
Who you are today is the sum of all the changes you've experienced--the fun ones and the difficult ones, the big ones and the small ones. Going forward, change doesn't have to be hard; you have access to tips and wisdom from others who have been there, as well as expert advice, resources, and ideas that will help get you through any change.
Life's transitions are ultimately positive, even if they don't always feel like it. Here's ten ways on how to navigate them gracefully and with ease. As adapted from Ariane de Bonvoisin's new book: "The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Any Change (and Loving Your Life More)."
~Ten Ways To Handle Change~
By: Ariane de Bonvoisin
Many people think change is hard. But it's possible for the change you're going through to be easier, smoother, and less stressful--you can find the positive in transitions and learn to love your life more... you can become a Change Optimist.
1. Remember That Change Happens to Us All.
Change happens every day, to everyone; it's the one constant in life, the thing that connects us all. And whether life has thrown a change at you or you've sought one out, it's natural to find it difficult.
But I believe change is positive, that anyone can change (you're never too old or too young), and there are always ways to make change easier. It's time to learn one of life's most important skills: how to navigate change!
2. From Every Change Something Good Will Come.
People who are good at change always focus on the positive that will inevitably come from any transition. The gift that comes from change may not be related to what you're currently going through. For example, you may lose your job but find yourself in a rewarding new relationship that you wouldn't have had time to pursue.
Change may lead you to new people, help you develop a stronger faith and belief in yourself, give you new opportunities, or inspire you to live a healthier life. It's important to be on the lookout for good changes, and not necessarily where you expect to find them!
3. Your Belief About Change Are Your Foundation.
What you think about change will have a direct effect on how easy or hard you find the process. If you believe that change is difficult and terrible, then you will probably have a difficult and terrible time. But if you believe that change exists to teach you something--to make you a better person and put you on a new path--the transition will not be so daunting. Identify your beliefs--what you think and say to yourself and others during change--and turn them around.
For example, if you are having financial trouble, you may think "I am incapable of managing money." Or if you're going through a difficult break-up, you may believe "I am unlovable." But you can trade these disempowering beliefs--and their accompanying negativity and complaining--for thoughts that will give you strength and hope.
4. Get Unstuck with the Change GPS.
Because of emotions brought up by change, it's easy to get stuck in the past and to lose your ability to move forward. You may feel trapped by these Change Demons, but you can get unstuck by turning on your Change GPS! A GPS navigator only asks two questions: "Where are you now?" and "Where do you want to go?" Your Change GPS helps you move through transitions by alerting you if you're off-course and encouraging you to focus on your final destination.
If you're hoping to lose weight, for example, be honest about where you stand today (how much you need to lose and the most realistic approach), then create a plan and stick to it. The GPS won't tell you what you did wrong yesterday or what you could have done differently; it simply keeps you moving along the path to your ultimate goal.
5. Turn to Your Change support Team.
It's normal to feel isolated during change. We often think what we are facing is so unique that no one else can help or understand us. But change is easier when you let other people in. Whatever the situation, there is always, always, someone who can help.
One of the quickest ways to embrace change and move through it is to surround yourself with a team of supportive people. They can be family, friends, clergy members, therapists, co-workers--or anyone else who might help you through a change. These people are there to listen, support, and encourage you. They believe you can change, they want you to change, and most importantly, they will keep you on a path of hope and optimism as you move through the transition.
6. Change Demons are a Healthy Part of Change.
Change Demons are disempowering feelings that arise during any change. These emotions--fear, doubt, impatience, shame, blame, and guilt--can wreak havoc with your self-esteem and destroy hope. But they also remind you how you don't want to feel during change so you can return to how you do want to feel.
When Change Demons visit, remember: 1) they are temporary; 2) they encourage you to make a choice--you can choose to feel better or worse than the emotion you are currently experiencing; and 3) they can be replaced with better, brighter emotions that will help you move through change with ease and grace. Faith, patience, endurance, and honesty are some positive emotions that can replace Change Demons.
7. Use Your Spiritual Strength.
When everything is changing, it's important to find the part of yourself that doesn't change--your calm, centered, spiritual side, your higher self. It's the part that's connected to something greater and uses your intuition as a guide. You need to reconnect to it through prayer, meditation, nature, silence, or journaling...anything that helps you go back inside, where your true spirit and power reside.
While your lower self may slip into self-pity and hold grudges, your higher self doesn't allow you to become a victim, to blame someone else when things get difficult, or to get lost in anger. This side helps you shine in strength, compassion, and clarity. During change, make an effort to act from your higher self and ask: "What would the better, wiser, calmer part of me do or say or think right now?"
8. You Have a Change Muscle.
Everyone is born with a will to survive, get better, and be happier--I call this the Change Muscle. It helps you accept the reality of your situation and find your center again. Every time you are faced with a change and move through it, you are activating that muscle. And once you flex it, it's strengthened for life--you can never lose all that you have gained from experience. Next time you're faced with transition, remember that your Change Muscle will give you the strength to get through it.
9. Accept Change.
When change happens, you often look longingly back to what used to be. You don't like where the river of life seems to be taking you, so you cling to the rocks or row vigorously upstream--that's what makes change tough! Accept change by taking in your new circumstances without fighting, arguing, explaining, or asking "What if?" It may be difficult at first, but you will soon see that life will lead you through this change and into a place of greater happiness and peace.
Go in the direction that life is taking you. If it's a divorce, accept it; if it's a health diagnosis, accept it--only then can you focus on re-aligning yourself with a plan and an optimistic view that focuses on the future, not the past.
10. Take Action.
People who are good at change stop talking and take positive action. Whether life has thrown you a change or you want to make a shift, get a journal and start writing down your feelings. Then make a plan that feels right and is realistic and hopeful. Next, start moving physically. Getting some form of exercise is an absolute must when going through change--don't forget the S.E.E.D of all change. (Sleep, Eat Well, Exercise, and Drink Water).
Doing something for someone else--helping a neighbor, calling a lonely friend, spending extra time with your child--will also help to keep you moving forward during change. You can also try something brand new--a new route home, a new class at the gym, a new restaurant, to get things flowing. During transitions it's also helpful to create a "wall of change" with images of what you want to shift and work towards.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Saying 'I'm Sorry' Effectively
Saying "I'm sorry." is the hardest to do. It hurts our pride a lot. And to stoop down with our own ego is even a humiliating position. But there's no closure in us unless we utter that two magic words. Our conscience will even worry us and it will make us incomplete if we bottle it up.
Yeah, sometimes we're out of words when we are bombarded with such a situation to say "I'm sorry." It is an aweful position when you're on the defensive. But they say sometimes that the best defense is the best offense. So if said in a nice way, sincere apologies could be a good way to lead us to a heartache-free, stress-free, and guilt-free life.
I've been reading a lot of articles lately and I was captivated with this article written by Arrianne de Bonvoisin about the power of saying "I'm Sorry" and I just want to share this on my blog so that it can affect you as it effected me greatly.
Here are the ten ways of giving a sincere apology. Hope you all will love it as I love it a lot. Hope you've learned from it as I learned a lot from it. Enjoy the article and live it on your day to day encounters.
Apologies happen—sometimes multiple times a day. We apologize when we unintentionally say something hurtful, when we make a mistake at work, or when we bump into somebody on the street. And then there are the bigger apologies—those what we should have addressed months or years ago.
Maybe we said something to alienate someone, perhaps we judged too quickly or did something that we regret. Saying “I'm sorry” remains one of the hardest things to do. We justify our actions, we present half-apologies, we blame the one we’ve hurt, or we expect something in return. Yet a true apology can clear the air and potentially heal a relationship.
1. Align Head and Heart.
It’s easy to say “I’m sorry,” but meaning it is another story. A true apology occurs when the heart and head are in alignment, when you intellectually and emotionally accept the responsibility for causing another person pain, even if you’ve done it unintentionally. Becoming accountable for your actions is the foundation of an honest apology.
2. Write Before Speaking.
If you are struggling to find the right words, write your apology down first. Writing gives you the space and time to see how you really feel—for instance, you’ll discover whether you are truly sorry or whether you harbor any lingering hostility toward the person. Its important to deal with these feelings before approaching the one you’ve hurt, or you may reopen the conflict.
3. Don't Expect Anything in Return.
A true apology is a selfless act—an apology is insincere when it is about wanting (forgiveness, attention,) and not about giving. If you hurt a loved one with words or actions, take a moment to accept your role in what has happened and to imagine how you would feel if the same was done to you. At that point you can begin to make an apology that requires nothing from the one who is receiving it. Keep it simple: “I understand that I really hurt you and I want you to know that I am truly sorry.”
4. Don't Respond Defensively.
When you apologize you are tapping into humility by acknowledging your weaknesses and recognizing the grace of another human being. For example, if a friend tells you that you hurt her feelings by saying something insensitive, acknowledge the slip without becoming defensive or blaming (i.e. “I thought you wanted me to be honest with you!” or “You always speak like that to me”). When it’s time to apologize, experiment with something like this: “I didn’t realize that my words were so hurtful, but I can see now how they must have stung. I truly am sorry that I caused you any pain.”
5. Create a Clear Intention.
Be sure to clarify the intention of your apology—even when the person you’ve hurt is not open to receiving your words. Ask yourself if you truly are sorry that you’ve inflicted pain and when the answer is “yes,” work to find the appropriate words to illustrate your feelings. Regardless of the words you choose, your true intention will shine through—so be honest with yourself before approaching another with an apology.
6. Be Present.
A sincere apology can be spoken, written, or simply felt strongly (for example, when directed at somebody who has passed on). There is no right way to articulate your feelings of apology. All you need to do is acknowledge your part in the other person’s pain without rushing through the moment.
7. Commit to Being Better.
A sincere apology also includes a commitment to become a better person—to avoid making the same mistake again. After acknowledging the ways in which you hurt another, make an effort to express the ways in which you will act differently in the future. For example: “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. Now that I know that speaking in that tone of voice rubs you the wrong way, I will work to change the way I approach you.”
8. Remain Grounded and Accepting.
As you prepare to say you’re sorry—and during the actual apology— stay grounded and strong; be with the uncomfortable feelings that arise within you; and accept whatever reaction you get from the other person.
9. Drop Your Justifications.
Our tendency is take things personally, so personally that our egos and minds convince us that we were justified in acting in a way that hurt another person. We focus on the “why” instead of their feelings. Instead of acknowledging that we’ve contributed to sadness or anger or disappointment in another, we hide behind reasons for doing what we did. An apology is sincere when we are able to recognize the feeling and move past the “why.”
10. Release Guilt, Soothe Pain.
Though a true apology is selfless, by nature it is also mutually beneficial. A sincere apology releases the heart from guilt while soothing the pain of another. Guilt robs the soul of joy and inner peace. By making a heartfelt apology, you acknowledge the hurt you’ve inflicted on another, releasing his or her pain while also defusing your guilt. This can also begin the process of restoring the trust that’s been broken.
Yeah, sometimes we're out of words when we are bombarded with such a situation to say "I'm sorry." It is an aweful position when you're on the defensive. But they say sometimes that the best defense is the best offense. So if said in a nice way, sincere apologies could be a good way to lead us to a heartache-free, stress-free, and guilt-free life.
I've been reading a lot of articles lately and I was captivated with this article written by Arrianne de Bonvoisin about the power of saying "I'm Sorry" and I just want to share this on my blog so that it can affect you as it effected me greatly.
Here are the ten ways of giving a sincere apology. Hope you all will love it as I love it a lot. Hope you've learned from it as I learned a lot from it. Enjoy the article and live it on your day to day encounters.
~The Power of Sincere Apology~
by: Arriane de Bonvoisin
Apologies happen—sometimes multiple times a day. We apologize when we unintentionally say something hurtful, when we make a mistake at work, or when we bump into somebody on the street. And then there are the bigger apologies—those what we should have addressed months or years ago.
Maybe we said something to alienate someone, perhaps we judged too quickly or did something that we regret. Saying “I'm sorry” remains one of the hardest things to do. We justify our actions, we present half-apologies, we blame the one we’ve hurt, or we expect something in return. Yet a true apology can clear the air and potentially heal a relationship.
1. Align Head and Heart.
It’s easy to say “I’m sorry,” but meaning it is another story. A true apology occurs when the heart and head are in alignment, when you intellectually and emotionally accept the responsibility for causing another person pain, even if you’ve done it unintentionally. Becoming accountable for your actions is the foundation of an honest apology.
2. Write Before Speaking.
If you are struggling to find the right words, write your apology down first. Writing gives you the space and time to see how you really feel—for instance, you’ll discover whether you are truly sorry or whether you harbor any lingering hostility toward the person. Its important to deal with these feelings before approaching the one you’ve hurt, or you may reopen the conflict.
3. Don't Expect Anything in Return.
A true apology is a selfless act—an apology is insincere when it is about wanting (forgiveness, attention,) and not about giving. If you hurt a loved one with words or actions, take a moment to accept your role in what has happened and to imagine how you would feel if the same was done to you. At that point you can begin to make an apology that requires nothing from the one who is receiving it. Keep it simple: “I understand that I really hurt you and I want you to know that I am truly sorry.”
4. Don't Respond Defensively.
When you apologize you are tapping into humility by acknowledging your weaknesses and recognizing the grace of another human being. For example, if a friend tells you that you hurt her feelings by saying something insensitive, acknowledge the slip without becoming defensive or blaming (i.e. “I thought you wanted me to be honest with you!” or “You always speak like that to me”). When it’s time to apologize, experiment with something like this: “I didn’t realize that my words were so hurtful, but I can see now how they must have stung. I truly am sorry that I caused you any pain.”
5. Create a Clear Intention.
Be sure to clarify the intention of your apology—even when the person you’ve hurt is not open to receiving your words. Ask yourself if you truly are sorry that you’ve inflicted pain and when the answer is “yes,” work to find the appropriate words to illustrate your feelings. Regardless of the words you choose, your true intention will shine through—so be honest with yourself before approaching another with an apology.
6. Be Present.
A sincere apology can be spoken, written, or simply felt strongly (for example, when directed at somebody who has passed on). There is no right way to articulate your feelings of apology. All you need to do is acknowledge your part in the other person’s pain without rushing through the moment.
7. Commit to Being Better.
A sincere apology also includes a commitment to become a better person—to avoid making the same mistake again. After acknowledging the ways in which you hurt another, make an effort to express the ways in which you will act differently in the future. For example: “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. Now that I know that speaking in that tone of voice rubs you the wrong way, I will work to change the way I approach you.”
8. Remain Grounded and Accepting.
As you prepare to say you’re sorry—and during the actual apology— stay grounded and strong; be with the uncomfortable feelings that arise within you; and accept whatever reaction you get from the other person.
9. Drop Your Justifications.
Our tendency is take things personally, so personally that our egos and minds convince us that we were justified in acting in a way that hurt another person. We focus on the “why” instead of their feelings. Instead of acknowledging that we’ve contributed to sadness or anger or disappointment in another, we hide behind reasons for doing what we did. An apology is sincere when we are able to recognize the feeling and move past the “why.”
10. Release Guilt, Soothe Pain.
Though a true apology is selfless, by nature it is also mutually beneficial. A sincere apology releases the heart from guilt while soothing the pain of another. Guilt robs the soul of joy and inner peace. By making a heartfelt apology, you acknowledge the hurt you’ve inflicted on another, releasing his or her pain while also defusing your guilt. This can also begin the process of restoring the trust that’s been broken.
Reality Dancing Shows
I've been an avid fan of two reality dance shows right now on two primetime US television channels. They are the Dancing With The Stars Show on ABC channel and So You Think You Can Dance Show on Fox channel. I've been watching these two shows regularly, but not that too often, the moment they've been conceptualized.
The former was on their season eight now and I've been recording it's shows on my DVR week after week for me to re-run and re-watched it. I still remember it's champions starting from the first seasons. I like the show because it offers a wide array of ballroom dancing and the stars even fascinated me, especially the most handsome one. Hehehe.
I also like their fancy costumes which were sometimes the object of criticisms in some tabloids because of the wardrobe malfuctions that was been reported all the time. But it always amazed me how these professional dancers and the celebrities carry and perform with these costumes baring their nakedness on the national television. It had drawn a lot of fan base actually.
The dances includes the upbeat chachacha, the passionate tango, the waltzy venetian waltz, the romantic rumba, the ever heat-provoking samba and salsa, the up-tempo foxtrot, the bouncy swing and boogie (jive dance), the fast-step quick step, they even added the ever tiring jitterbug and the fierce pasa-doble. It was a wide array of dances to chose from which week after week the television audiences can feast on.
In fact, all the past champions from Kelly Monaco (professional partner Alex Mazo), to Drew Lachey (professional partner Cherryl Burke), to Apollo Anton Ohno (professional partner Julie Anne Hough), to Emmet Smith (professional partner Cherryl Burke), to Kristi Yamaguchi (professional partner Mark Ballas), until Shawn Johnson (professional partner Mark Ballas), most of these champions were composed of professional athletes with only Kelly and Drew as the celebrity winner exceptions.
The three in-house judges from Bruno Tonioli, to Len Goodman and Carri Ann Inaba gave their well-sotted opinions about the dance the celebrities did with their professional partners and then showed their score paddles afterwards to rate the choreography and the outcome of the dance which will comprise half of the percentage scores then the other half will depend on the decision of the voting public. Then the pair who will get the lowest score will suffer the burning red spotlight and will be voted off the next week.
Now that season eight had just kicked off, then more celebrities were been drawn to the spotlight and gradually they were sent home until the show will determine the lucky one who can go home with that coveted crystal ball.
So whoever, will get the top prize I hope they will deserve it. So far I am rooting for the Iron Chef guy to take home the bacon now that my favorite Natalie Coughlin, the swimmer, went home last time. But I couldn't overlook Donny Osmond who's been looking great and improving every week, Aaron Carter who is the crowd's favorite but with his arrogance sometimes he puts me off, and to that sexy lady partnered with Derek Hough, they both look good together every time they dance. So by now, my choice is still hanging in the air.
Last year, I accidentally bumped with the profesional dancers when I went shopping at the Grove Outdoor Mall and I was happy to see Karina, Maksim, Derek, Mark, Tony, Lacy and the host Tom Bergeron along with the previous season's dancers Lil Kim, Lance Bass etc. It was just an accident but I was lucky I snapped some pictures with them.
On the otherhand, on Fox Channel, I've been watching So You Think You Can Dance every season except for the third season. But last summer for season five, I was been a regular. My DVR was always full because of it. I just can't stop re-watching and reviewing every dance choreography and the Finals was a blast. I was happy that Jeanine won despite I was rooting for Brandon but I was happy for both of them. Now they were touring all around the country.
And this fall season, the show just kicked-off season six which I even followed religiously and intently despite of my very hectic schedule in school and in work. For sure my DVR will gonna be flooded again with the recorded reruns of both shows and I have to review them constantly and weed out the old ones to make room for the future features.
So far, I like the rundown of the top 20 because there's a bunch of Filipino-Americans who luckily got included but I was sad that Brandon Dumlao (who was apparently called back to replace a sick finalist) was eliminated on the first show though I am rooting for Nathan Trasoras, Victor Smalley, Ellenore Scott, and Pauline Mata to clinch to the top five. These four were the powerhouse judging that they were so adept in their own genre and were looking good with the other dances. Hopefully one of them will be on the top two, fingers crossed.
The choreographers were even more frisk and fierce lately from Mia Michaels, Stacey Tookey, Brian Friedman, Napoleon and Tabitha, Tyce Diorio, Wade Dobson etc. The judges were even demanding from Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy, and Nigel Lythgoe. I cannot even determine what they were looking from the finalists, but in the end the viewers will have to determine who will stay and who will go home. Then after determining two males and two females to perform their solos then the judges will cut one boy and one girl and send them home packing.
So for now, I will have to continue my constant viewing and monitoring for these two favorite reality dance shows that I like. Thanks for these two giant networks who continued to supply us with beautiful dance shows and I just can't help watching it and liking the dance moves. I just can't help getting jiggy.....Yeah!
The former was on their season eight now and I've been recording it's shows on my DVR week after week for me to re-run and re-watched it. I still remember it's champions starting from the first seasons. I like the show because it offers a wide array of ballroom dancing and the stars even fascinated me, especially the most handsome one. Hehehe.
I also like their fancy costumes which were sometimes the object of criticisms in some tabloids because of the wardrobe malfuctions that was been reported all the time. But it always amazed me how these professional dancers and the celebrities carry and perform with these costumes baring their nakedness on the national television. It had drawn a lot of fan base actually.
The dances includes the upbeat chachacha, the passionate tango, the waltzy venetian waltz, the romantic rumba, the ever heat-provoking samba and salsa, the up-tempo foxtrot, the bouncy swing and boogie (jive dance), the fast-step quick step, they even added the ever tiring jitterbug and the fierce pasa-doble. It was a wide array of dances to chose from which week after week the television audiences can feast on.
In fact, all the past champions from Kelly Monaco (professional partner Alex Mazo), to Drew Lachey (professional partner Cherryl Burke), to Apollo Anton Ohno (professional partner Julie Anne Hough), to Emmet Smith (professional partner Cherryl Burke), to Kristi Yamaguchi (professional partner Mark Ballas), until Shawn Johnson (professional partner Mark Ballas), most of these champions were composed of professional athletes with only Kelly and Drew as the celebrity winner exceptions.
The three in-house judges from Bruno Tonioli, to Len Goodman and Carri Ann Inaba gave their well-sotted opinions about the dance the celebrities did with their professional partners and then showed their score paddles afterwards to rate the choreography and the outcome of the dance which will comprise half of the percentage scores then the other half will depend on the decision of the voting public. Then the pair who will get the lowest score will suffer the burning red spotlight and will be voted off the next week.
Now that season eight had just kicked off, then more celebrities were been drawn to the spotlight and gradually they were sent home until the show will determine the lucky one who can go home with that coveted crystal ball.
So whoever, will get the top prize I hope they will deserve it. So far I am rooting for the Iron Chef guy to take home the bacon now that my favorite Natalie Coughlin, the swimmer, went home last time. But I couldn't overlook Donny Osmond who's been looking great and improving every week, Aaron Carter who is the crowd's favorite but with his arrogance sometimes he puts me off, and to that sexy lady partnered with Derek Hough, they both look good together every time they dance. So by now, my choice is still hanging in the air.
Last year, I accidentally bumped with the profesional dancers when I went shopping at the Grove Outdoor Mall and I was happy to see Karina, Maksim, Derek, Mark, Tony, Lacy and the host Tom Bergeron along with the previous season's dancers Lil Kim, Lance Bass etc. It was just an accident but I was lucky I snapped some pictures with them.
On the otherhand, on Fox Channel, I've been watching So You Think You Can Dance every season except for the third season. But last summer for season five, I was been a regular. My DVR was always full because of it. I just can't stop re-watching and reviewing every dance choreography and the Finals was a blast. I was happy that Jeanine won despite I was rooting for Brandon but I was happy for both of them. Now they were touring all around the country.
And this fall season, the show just kicked-off season six which I even followed religiously and intently despite of my very hectic schedule in school and in work. For sure my DVR will gonna be flooded again with the recorded reruns of both shows and I have to review them constantly and weed out the old ones to make room for the future features.
So far, I like the rundown of the top 20 because there's a bunch of Filipino-Americans who luckily got included but I was sad that Brandon Dumlao (who was apparently called back to replace a sick finalist) was eliminated on the first show though I am rooting for Nathan Trasoras, Victor Smalley, Ellenore Scott, and Pauline Mata to clinch to the top five. These four were the powerhouse judging that they were so adept in their own genre and were looking good with the other dances. Hopefully one of them will be on the top two, fingers crossed.
The choreographers were even more frisk and fierce lately from Mia Michaels, Stacey Tookey, Brian Friedman, Napoleon and Tabitha, Tyce Diorio, Wade Dobson etc. The judges were even demanding from Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy, and Nigel Lythgoe. I cannot even determine what they were looking from the finalists, but in the end the viewers will have to determine who will stay and who will go home. Then after determining two males and two females to perform their solos then the judges will cut one boy and one girl and send them home packing.
So for now, I will have to continue my constant viewing and monitoring for these two favorite reality dance shows that I like. Thanks for these two giant networks who continued to supply us with beautiful dance shows and I just can't help watching it and liking the dance moves. I just can't help getting jiggy.....Yeah!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Meandering Around The Vicinity
I never believed the old adage that says; "Take time to stop and smell the roses." I mean, who had that kind of time, especially living in Los Angeles, where it was commonplace to work sixty to eighty hours a week? But today I did it anyway....
I was practically walking towards Western Blvd. at 9 pm, which was just a few blocks from my house. The night was eerily cold and windy. The streets were still teeming with a lot of motorist and passersby causing a lot of traffic on both sides of the streets.
My purpose for walking was just to exercise and walk for a few miles around the vicinity. I was so damned bored so I decided to walk around the area. It was a cool time to relax and feel the essence and importance of what they call a day off.
I was been living here since May, near the Melrose Hills area, but I never had the chance to meander around the place. It was a populated area but you can see life oozing everywhere as the business establishments opens until midnight.
The lively flickering and dancing of the myriad colorful neon lights captivated my attention. The intermittent honking of the motorist on Western Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard added to the bustle and noise of the area.
The sudden appearance of Mexican food trailers on every corners of the streets also contributed to the constant congestion of the traffic including the people eating out in front and beside it.
Also the passing of the huge double-trailered Metro buses on both main streets and the presence of tens to hundreds of diversified people of Los Angeles; comprising mostly of Hispanics, Blacks, and Asians; trying to catch up for the traffic on their way home and hustling for time to get home had added to the bustle and noise.
All in all the area where I live was a commercial area but apart from the area was a residential place where small old modeled houses lined up on each small streets perpendicular to the main streets. It was a quite housing area despite of the busy main streets and the crime rate was on the mild level.
I like living near the area because everything was so convenient for me. If I get hungry or was just merely lazy to cook I can just walk for a few blocks to get to McDonalds and Taco Bell or can chose with some wide array of restaurants situated around the place. There were a lot of Asian fusion restaurants all around the vicinity and the area was been saturated by mostly Thai and Korean restaurants.
There's a lot of gas stations and convenient stores also around the area so if you need to buy something during the wee hours and feel like dropping on one of them they're there all the time open 24/7.
The best place I go one time at 2 am was the donut shop located a block away from my house. One night I was craving for coffee and donuts, so I immediately get dressed and just walked towards Winchell's Donut Shop and jammed there until I got sleepy. It was so convenient!
Yesterday while I was walking near Santa Monica Blvd, I spotted this adult bookstore just right around the corner so I went in and browsed their wide array of adult videos.
I was shocked to see their various collections of sex videos, toys, and books which were carefully organized according to decades and era. When I browsed the 70's section I was even in awe because they still have some of the classic adult videos I heard from my older cousins and brothers.
Word of the mouth, I was been looking for those videos where I grew up with, that I heard from my older relatives, which was already classified as the classics. And I have this fascination to look for it, especially the video series of Taboo. My God.... it was in that adult video arcade!
I heard how good that classic movie was so I can't help myself to rent it and watch it for the whole night. I even rented the whole five volumes and believe me it was an excellent classic adult movie although the plot was so forbidden or taboo, hence the title.
I am glad I tried to walk around the vicinity where I live. Have I not done it maybe I didn't know what it has to offer for me. At least I have the five volumes of Taboo to feast with my eyes for the whole night and at the same time had known that my area has a lot of things to offer.
I'll just have to have the patience to browse and meander around the vicinity and I will discover what it will offer. They say that if you stay put in your place and not wander around then you will lose a lot of opportunities.
Like me, I've been living in Melrose Hills since May and I just have had the chance to wander around it. Had my feet didn't feel itchy to have a small walk last night I haven't discovered all this various interesting places and business establishments all around me. Good thing I was off last night and made the right decision to stroll around the area.
See how much time I lose before exploring the place? Wow! Seven months.... of lost times. But still it's not too late though! At least I made the right decision to wander around last night or else I never had the chance to savor the opportunities it has to offer.
Life is too short. Wander and explore around for you will know what life has to offer. And I regretted those lost times I've squandered. Peace out!
I was practically walking towards Western Blvd. at 9 pm, which was just a few blocks from my house. The night was eerily cold and windy. The streets were still teeming with a lot of motorist and passersby causing a lot of traffic on both sides of the streets.
My purpose for walking was just to exercise and walk for a few miles around the vicinity. I was so damned bored so I decided to walk around the area. It was a cool time to relax and feel the essence and importance of what they call a day off.
I was been living here since May, near the Melrose Hills area, but I never had the chance to meander around the place. It was a populated area but you can see life oozing everywhere as the business establishments opens until midnight.
The lively flickering and dancing of the myriad colorful neon lights captivated my attention. The intermittent honking of the motorist on Western Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard added to the bustle and noise of the area.
The sudden appearance of Mexican food trailers on every corners of the streets also contributed to the constant congestion of the traffic including the people eating out in front and beside it.
Also the passing of the huge double-trailered Metro buses on both main streets and the presence of tens to hundreds of diversified people of Los Angeles; comprising mostly of Hispanics, Blacks, and Asians; trying to catch up for the traffic on their way home and hustling for time to get home had added to the bustle and noise.
All in all the area where I live was a commercial area but apart from the area was a residential place where small old modeled houses lined up on each small streets perpendicular to the main streets. It was a quite housing area despite of the busy main streets and the crime rate was on the mild level.
I like living near the area because everything was so convenient for me. If I get hungry or was just merely lazy to cook I can just walk for a few blocks to get to McDonalds and Taco Bell or can chose with some wide array of restaurants situated around the place. There were a lot of Asian fusion restaurants all around the vicinity and the area was been saturated by mostly Thai and Korean restaurants.
There's a lot of gas stations and convenient stores also around the area so if you need to buy something during the wee hours and feel like dropping on one of them they're there all the time open 24/7.
The best place I go one time at 2 am was the donut shop located a block away from my house. One night I was craving for coffee and donuts, so I immediately get dressed and just walked towards Winchell's Donut Shop and jammed there until I got sleepy. It was so convenient!
Yesterday while I was walking near Santa Monica Blvd, I spotted this adult bookstore just right around the corner so I went in and browsed their wide array of adult videos.
I was shocked to see their various collections of sex videos, toys, and books which were carefully organized according to decades and era. When I browsed the 70's section I was even in awe because they still have some of the classic adult videos I heard from my older cousins and brothers.
Word of the mouth, I was been looking for those videos where I grew up with, that I heard from my older relatives, which was already classified as the classics. And I have this fascination to look for it, especially the video series of Taboo. My God.... it was in that adult video arcade!
I heard how good that classic movie was so I can't help myself to rent it and watch it for the whole night. I even rented the whole five volumes and believe me it was an excellent classic adult movie although the plot was so forbidden or taboo, hence the title.
I am glad I tried to walk around the vicinity where I live. Have I not done it maybe I didn't know what it has to offer for me. At least I have the five volumes of Taboo to feast with my eyes for the whole night and at the same time had known that my area has a lot of things to offer.
I'll just have to have the patience to browse and meander around the vicinity and I will discover what it will offer. They say that if you stay put in your place and not wander around then you will lose a lot of opportunities.
Like me, I've been living in Melrose Hills since May and I just have had the chance to wander around it. Had my feet didn't feel itchy to have a small walk last night I haven't discovered all this various interesting places and business establishments all around me. Good thing I was off last night and made the right decision to stroll around the area.
See how much time I lose before exploring the place? Wow! Seven months.... of lost times. But still it's not too late though! At least I made the right decision to wander around last night or else I never had the chance to savor the opportunities it has to offer.
Life is too short. Wander and explore around for you will know what life has to offer. And I regretted those lost times I've squandered. Peace out!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Random Thoughts
You know, this is what happened when I lagged on my blogging. I tend to enumerate all the events that I've been through these previous days randomly. So just bear with me as I recall all those very important matters in retrospect.
First up, before Halloween, on a Wednesday, I went out by myself to watch a movie. I heard from my students that "Paranormal Activity" was apt for the occasion. I have no premonition what's in it so I happily bought a ticket for the matinee show at my favorite place in Fairfax District, which is The Grove outdoor mall.
I got there just barely ten minutes before the start of the showing and when I went into the stadium sitting theater it was almost packed and the future movie trailers were been playing. I was lucky to find a very good seat just two rows from the walkway and I immediately grabbed the opportunity to take it.
When the movie started, it was just a cheap shot where a couple was setting a camera taping their gory experiences while they were sleeping, having some strange experiences beyond normal and real life explanations.
It was a low budget movie, full of suspense. It will give you a lot of goosebumps and will make the hair behind your nape frisk. It will make you jerk on your seat unexpectedly and unconsciously.
The true eventual purpose of the movie to scare its audience was been highly achieved. It's a perfect movie to get terrified and scream at an instant.
As I turn and look around, people was so clueless of what will happen next. It makes the movie experience more exciting. It was so believable!
I went out the theater with a smile and a devilish smirk despite I puked a little on my popcorn basket because I was suddenly dizzy and groggy by the constant juggle of the camera.
It was worth it though. I got what I deserved from that movie..... to get scared and terrified. Hehehehe...
*******************
Halloween night I went to West Hollywood at Santa Monica-La Cienega junction for the annual Halloween Costume Carnival.
I left the house at around 8 pm with my Grim Reaper costume in tow. I took the Melrose Avenue way but I didn't expected that the traffic was that pack and slow. I got at the Pacific Alliance Parking area an hour after battling the extremely congested and bad traffic.
And when I got there they up the parking fee to $20.00 for an unlimited parking which was usually $5.00 a night. It was so frustrating but what can I do I was already there and besides I don't want to look and drive around like crazy because all the streets were been closed for the traffic.
Revelers from around the town came over the gay district area to just watch the annual showdown of Halloween costumes. When I got to the streets it looks like Bourbon Street in New Orleans typifying the mardi gras celebration.
People were celebrating everywhere, dancing to the beat of the nearby sound system installed in every corner of the streets. It was so packed and people of all walks of life gyrated their scary costumes, some very daring costumes, others have very intricate costumes. It was fun to look at.
I kept taking pictures of some of the revelers costume but apparently my camera was acting up again, and I have to discard some of it because they were so blurry.
Hopefully, when I got time to upload it I will immediately post it here for you to see it. You can also check my Facebook account albums because I will post it there for sure.
I went looking for my cousins who apparently texted me that time that they were in Club Rage dancing and drinking and also having a lot of fun.
I didn't continue going to the club because I decided to go home early because I have a clinical class the next morning. So I texted back my cousin about my dilemma and she texted back that it was okay.
After gathering enough pictures and savoring the joyful screams and dancing of the Halloween revelers I walked back to the parking lot and drove back home. The traffic was still crazy by the time I left the closed out streets and there's still more participants and revelers going towards the streets and celebrate the annual costume event.
It was fun and at the same time crazy. How I wish I could stay for more hours but I can't. I have to hit the sack and go work the next day.
Before I went to sleep at 12:30 am, I set the time one hour back because it was already DST time at around 2 am. Good thing I still have an hour extra time to sleep. Hehehe.
**************
Sunday, I have a clinical with Batch 9 at Centinela Hospital Medical Center. The rotation was uneventful. Same old routines and the students were been shifted to another floor. I also gave them a medication exam and so far they did good.
After the rotation I opted to stay at home and watch my teleseryes. I also checked my school paperworks and went to sleep early because I have a Breastfeeding class the next day.
**************
Monday morning, I have to wake up early despite of the persistent pain I felt from my shingles. It was nagging me the whole night despite of my usual dose of oral Vicodin pills every six hours and I'm finishing up my Valtrex doses.
The pain was excruciatingly nagging and burning me the whole night. My sleep was been bothered too bad all throughout the night.
I showered immediately and prepared myself for the class today. Then I left the house and took the 101 Freeway towards LA downtown.
The early morning Monday traffic was a little bit heavy and congested but because I left early that time, I got at the hospital's parking lot just on time.
When I got to the conference room it was fifteen minutes before the start of the lecture. The class was so funny and very interactive. We have to learn the techniques and the indications of breasfeeding granting that the hospital was been chosen to receive a multi-million grant to promote the benefits of breastfeeding to the parents and the newly born babies.
We have to learn all the legalities, protocols, anatomy and physiology, statistics, benefits, and updates about breastfeeding. And we have to do simulations and return demonstrations on how to implement it to the mothers by performing it to ourselves first.
It takes time for us to get used to it. Practice really makes it perfect. And change has to come to our hospital about the parents perceptions regarding breastfeeding, for change will bring success to the ideals of our facility in promoting a newborn friendly environment.
The class culminated after eight hours and in two weeks time we gonna convene again for part 2 of the two day or 16 hour alloted breastfeeding class as part of the non-governmental organization grant that was awarded to the hospital.
It kicked off successfully and for sure it will bring new change in the Couplet Care, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Nursery, and Pediatric Unit.
****************
Ah well, I hope I jotted down all the things that had happened previously. Sorry for my laxity, if not for my serious painful sensations it didn't cropped up to all of these.
But my apologies to all of you.... Hope you'll understand.
Hopefully I will be okay in a few weeks time.... then I can blog as usual here on my free time. Thanks to one and all.
First up, before Halloween, on a Wednesday, I went out by myself to watch a movie. I heard from my students that "Paranormal Activity" was apt for the occasion. I have no premonition what's in it so I happily bought a ticket for the matinee show at my favorite place in Fairfax District, which is The Grove outdoor mall.
I got there just barely ten minutes before the start of the showing and when I went into the stadium sitting theater it was almost packed and the future movie trailers were been playing. I was lucky to find a very good seat just two rows from the walkway and I immediately grabbed the opportunity to take it.
When the movie started, it was just a cheap shot where a couple was setting a camera taping their gory experiences while they were sleeping, having some strange experiences beyond normal and real life explanations.
It was a low budget movie, full of suspense. It will give you a lot of goosebumps and will make the hair behind your nape frisk. It will make you jerk on your seat unexpectedly and unconsciously.
The true eventual purpose of the movie to scare its audience was been highly achieved. It's a perfect movie to get terrified and scream at an instant.
As I turn and look around, people was so clueless of what will happen next. It makes the movie experience more exciting. It was so believable!
I went out the theater with a smile and a devilish smirk despite I puked a little on my popcorn basket because I was suddenly dizzy and groggy by the constant juggle of the camera.
It was worth it though. I got what I deserved from that movie..... to get scared and terrified. Hehehehe...
*******************
Halloween night I went to West Hollywood at Santa Monica-La Cienega junction for the annual Halloween Costume Carnival.
I left the house at around 8 pm with my Grim Reaper costume in tow. I took the Melrose Avenue way but I didn't expected that the traffic was that pack and slow. I got at the Pacific Alliance Parking area an hour after battling the extremely congested and bad traffic.
And when I got there they up the parking fee to $20.00 for an unlimited parking which was usually $5.00 a night. It was so frustrating but what can I do I was already there and besides I don't want to look and drive around like crazy because all the streets were been closed for the traffic.
Revelers from around the town came over the gay district area to just watch the annual showdown of Halloween costumes. When I got to the streets it looks like Bourbon Street in New Orleans typifying the mardi gras celebration.
People were celebrating everywhere, dancing to the beat of the nearby sound system installed in every corner of the streets. It was so packed and people of all walks of life gyrated their scary costumes, some very daring costumes, others have very intricate costumes. It was fun to look at.
I kept taking pictures of some of the revelers costume but apparently my camera was acting up again, and I have to discard some of it because they were so blurry.
Hopefully, when I got time to upload it I will immediately post it here for you to see it. You can also check my Facebook account albums because I will post it there for sure.
I went looking for my cousins who apparently texted me that time that they were in Club Rage dancing and drinking and also having a lot of fun.
I didn't continue going to the club because I decided to go home early because I have a clinical class the next morning. So I texted back my cousin about my dilemma and she texted back that it was okay.
After gathering enough pictures and savoring the joyful screams and dancing of the Halloween revelers I walked back to the parking lot and drove back home. The traffic was still crazy by the time I left the closed out streets and there's still more participants and revelers going towards the streets and celebrate the annual costume event.
It was fun and at the same time crazy. How I wish I could stay for more hours but I can't. I have to hit the sack and go work the next day.
Before I went to sleep at 12:30 am, I set the time one hour back because it was already DST time at around 2 am. Good thing I still have an hour extra time to sleep. Hehehe.
**************
Sunday, I have a clinical with Batch 9 at Centinela Hospital Medical Center. The rotation was uneventful. Same old routines and the students were been shifted to another floor. I also gave them a medication exam and so far they did good.
After the rotation I opted to stay at home and watch my teleseryes. I also checked my school paperworks and went to sleep early because I have a Breastfeeding class the next day.
**************
Monday morning, I have to wake up early despite of the persistent pain I felt from my shingles. It was nagging me the whole night despite of my usual dose of oral Vicodin pills every six hours and I'm finishing up my Valtrex doses.
The pain was excruciatingly nagging and burning me the whole night. My sleep was been bothered too bad all throughout the night.
I showered immediately and prepared myself for the class today. Then I left the house and took the 101 Freeway towards LA downtown.
The early morning Monday traffic was a little bit heavy and congested but because I left early that time, I got at the hospital's parking lot just on time.
When I got to the conference room it was fifteen minutes before the start of the lecture. The class was so funny and very interactive. We have to learn the techniques and the indications of breasfeeding granting that the hospital was been chosen to receive a multi-million grant to promote the benefits of breastfeeding to the parents and the newly born babies.
We have to learn all the legalities, protocols, anatomy and physiology, statistics, benefits, and updates about breastfeeding. And we have to do simulations and return demonstrations on how to implement it to the mothers by performing it to ourselves first.
It takes time for us to get used to it. Practice really makes it perfect. And change has to come to our hospital about the parents perceptions regarding breastfeeding, for change will bring success to the ideals of our facility in promoting a newborn friendly environment.
The class culminated after eight hours and in two weeks time we gonna convene again for part 2 of the two day or 16 hour alloted breastfeeding class as part of the non-governmental organization grant that was awarded to the hospital.
It kicked off successfully and for sure it will bring new change in the Couplet Care, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Nursery, and Pediatric Unit.
****************
Ah well, I hope I jotted down all the things that had happened previously. Sorry for my laxity, if not for my serious painful sensations it didn't cropped up to all of these.
But my apologies to all of you.... Hope you'll understand.
Hopefully I will be okay in a few weeks time.... then I can blog as usual here on my free time. Thanks to one and all.
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