A Girl’s Notebook :)

It has been a week since Chichi died. My sister is still grieving though. I must admit that I also miss our “tough guy”.

Talking about “ending”, I wasn’t able to share my thoughts about the recently concluded teleserye of Channel 2, “May Bukas Pa”. The said teleserye was based on a Spanish story, Marcelino Pan Y Vino. A day before the said teleserye aired its last episode, I research the story of Marcelino; what’s it about and how it ended. In the story, Marcelino was carried by Jesus on His arms, where He asked him to sleep. It was a scene where Marcelino left the world and joined Jesus in His paradise. Since, May Bukas Pa was patterned with it, I know that Santino will die in the series. I decided not to watch the ending because it will really make me cry. I was telling my sisters that, since ABS-CBN did a lot of changes in May Bukas Pa (far from what Marcelino Pan Y Vino), they should have at least do a little twist on its ending. Well, they actually did! ? Good job!

I was able to watch the scene where Bro (Jesus) took Santino to a place that I want to go to as well. He introduced him to His own mother, Mary and fulfilled Santino’s greatest wish, to see his mother. In spite of all his hardships he was blessed and was given sometime to be with his beloved mother. He was given a chance to be with his father as well.

To top it all, I am glad that Santino didn’t really die at all. He was just in a deep sleep, enjoying the company of Bro and his parents. ?

I know that Santino has been truly love by his foster fathers, the priests, and most especially by his adoptive father, Father Jose. If I am not mistaken, Dominique Ochoa who played Father Jose, gave Zaijan (Santino) an xbox 360 for his birthday. Wow!

May Bukas Pa taught us not to give up and always be faithful. God would have not created tomorrow if He meant today to be perfect. We may face many challenges in our lives, and we just find ourselves crying. It’s okay to cry, what is important is that we never forget to call on to God, who is always loving, forgiving and caring. He will never leave us.

Here are the 2 last scenes of May Bukas Pa..

\

This episode is so sweet…

I had goosebumps when I watch this!

Ciao!

Some Lessons are learned through pain…

Sometimes, our visions clear only after our eyes are washed with tears…

Sometimes we have to be broken so we can be whole again…

If God meant the day to be perfect, He would not have invented tomorrow…

So, don’t worry if today wasn’t perfect because you still have tomorrow…

And, if there is anything in your heart that feels right, go after it no matter what it takes…

God bless you…

Ciao!

My family heard mass last Sunday at 11AM. We decided to hear mass early for we will go to Pasig City Rainforest in the afternoon to play badminton and to tour the kids on its mini zoo. It was Communion time and the choir sang a song that really strike my heart.

I was watching the news the other night,  and was saddened about the terrible earthquake that hit the country Haiti. Up until today, there are still deceased bodies which have not been recovered yet. I’ve seen in the news how the people fight over the food and water. I heard that they are experiencing food and water shortage in there. While the choir continues to sing One More Gift, I told God, that there is nothing I can do but to pray for those people. I am not rich and I will not be able to be there personally. Yet, I believe that my sincere prayers for their healing and recovery will be heard and answered. A prayer not only for that country but for the world.

In times calamities and challenges, we should always look at the positive side. God is always loving and forgiving. He is always caring. I believe that His reason why the world experienced so many troubles and challenges is for all of us to be united. That in spite of all world’s problems, He still would want to peace to prevail.

In situations like this, I always remember the lesson given in the movie Evan Almighty. When you pray before God to be strong, what He gives is the opportunity to  be strong. So, when we pray to God for peace, He gives us the opportunity to have peace and we should always grab that opportunity.

If there is one more gift
I ask of you lord
It would be peace here on earth.
As gentle as your children’s laughter
All around,all around.

Your people have grown weary
From living in confusions
When will we realized
That neither heaven is at peace,
When we live not in peace.

If there is one more gift
I ask of you lord
It would be peace here on earth.
As gentle as your children’s laughter
All around,all around.

Grant me serenity,within
For the confusions around
Are mere reflections of
What’s within,what’s within me.

If there is one more gift
I ask of you lord
It would be peace here on earth.
As gentle as your children’s laughter
All around,all around.

Ciao!

I resigned in my previous company because of Sales. I never thought that I would end up another job that requires good selling skills as well. I received this email from my friend and hopefully you’ll be able to get some tips like I did. Read on..

Becoming excellent in closing sales is an inside job. It begins within you. In sales, your personality is more important than your product knowledge. It is more important than your sales skills. It is more important than the product or service that you are selling. In fact, your personality determines fully 80 percent of your sales success.

Take Charge of Your Life
The biggest mistake you can make is to ever think that you work for anyone but yourself. From the time you take your first job until the day you retire, you are self employed. You are the president of your own entrepreneurial corporation, selling your services into the marketplace at the highest price possible. You have only one employee—yourself. Your job is to sell the highest quality and quantity of your services throughout your working life.

View Yourself as Self-Employed
In a study done in New York some years ago, researchers found that the top 3 percent of people in every field looked upon themselves as self-employed. They treated the company as if it belonged to them personally. They saw themselves as being in charge of every aspect of their lives. They took everything that happened to their company personally, exactly as if they owned 100 percent of the stock.

Winners Versus Losers
The difference between winners and losers is quite clear. Winners always accept responsibility for their actions. Losers never do but instead always have some kind of explanation for why they are doing poorly.

Don’t Waste Time
The average salesperson today wastes a fully 50 percent of his or her working time. According to research, he comes in a little later, works a little slower, and leaves a little earlier. He spends most of his working time in idle chitchat with coworkers, personal business, reading the paper, drinking coffee, and surfing the internet. Winners arrive a little earlier, work a little harder, and stay a little later.

Develop Empathy and Understanding
Top salespeople have high levels of empathy, i.e., they really care about their customers. Ambition, the desires to achieve, combined with empathy, the genuine caring for the well-being of your customers, are the twin keys to top sales performance. A person with empathy makes every effort to get inside the mind and heart of the customer and to understand his situation and needs.

Keep Your Word
Top-selling salespeople are impeccably honest with themselves and with others. There is no substitute for honesty in selling. Earl Nightingale once said, “If honesty did not exist, it would have to be invented as the surest way of getting rich.”

Do What you Love to Do
One of the secrets of success in selling is for you to do what you love to do. Top salespeople love what they are selling. They believe in it passionately. They will defend it and argue over it. They will talk about it day and night. When they go to bed, they think about their product. When they wake up in the morning, they can hardly wait to talk to prospects about it. Look at the top salespeople in the very best companies, and you’ll find that these people are fanatical, about their products and services.

Action Exercise
Resolve today, that you are going to become one of the hardest-working professional salespeople in your team; start earlier; work harder; stay later.

I hope that these “tips” will help up develop the sales person within us. On a personal note, I believe that empathy would make us a good seller. We should always put ourselves into our customer’s shoes and feel what they feel. Thanks Ime for this email.

Ciao!

I was arranging our bookshelf yesterday and found a Reader’s Digest dated February 1998. I sat a while and browsed through the pages trying to find something I could share with you. Then, my fingers stopped at Points to Ponder. I found this “thought” which was shared by George Howe Colt. It is about “Touch.” He says:

Touch is a primal need, as necessary for growth as food, clothing or shelter. From the nuzzles and caresses between mother and infant that form the foundation of the self, to the holding of hands between a son and his dying father that allows a final letting go, touch is our most intimate and powerful form of communication. Michelangelo knew this: when he painted God extending a hand toward Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he chose touch to depict the gift of life.

Michelangelo’s painting at the Sistine Chapel

Very inspiring isn’t it? Touch is a very effective form of comfort. A touch from someone whom you know cares for you would mean a lot, especially if you are going through a difficulty. Without saying a word, just by a simple touch, you would feel safe and secured.

Ciao!

Aristotle said that the ultimate aim or purpose or human life is to achieve your own happiness. You are the very happiest when what you are doing on the outside is congruent with your values on the inside. When you are living in complete alignment with that which you consider to be good, right, and true, you will automatically feel happy and positive about yourself and your world.

Know What You Really Want
Stephen Covey once said, “Be sure that, as you scramble up the ladder of success, it is leaning against the right building.” Many people work hard to achieve goals that they think they want only to find, at the end of the day, they get no joy or satisfaction from their accomplishments. They ask, “Is this all there is?” This occurs when the outer accomplishment is not in harmony with your inner values. Don’t let this happen to you.

Trust Your Intuition
Self-trust is the foundation of greatness. Self-trust comes from listening to your intuition, to your “still, small voice” within. Men and women begin to become great when they begin to listen to their inner voices and absolutely trust that they are being guided to a higher power each step of the way. Living in alignment with your true values is the royal road to self-confidence, self-respect, and personal pride. In fact, almost every human problem can be resolved by returning to values.
Watch Your Behavior
How can you tell what your values really are? The answer is simple. You always demonstrate your true values in your actions and especially your actions under pressure. Whenever you are forced to choose between one behavior and another you will always act consistent with what is most important and valuable to you at that moment. Values, in fact, are organized in a hierarchy. You have a series of values, some of them very intense and important and some of them weaker and less important. One of the most important exercises you can engage in to determine who you really are and what you really want is to organize your values by priority. Once you are clear about the relative important of your values, you can then organize your outer life so that it is in alignment with them.

Determine Your Heart’s Desire
The spiritual teacher Emmet Fox wrote about the importance of discovering your “heart’s desire.” What is your heart’s desire? As a friend of mine asks, “What do you want to be famous for?” What words would you like people to use to describe you when you are not there? What would you like someone to say about you at your funeral? What kind of reputation do you have today? What kind of reputation would you like to have sometime in the future?

Your Past is Not Your Future
Many people had difficult experiences growing up. They fell on hard times and became associated with the wrong people. Some were convicted and sent to prison for crimes. But at a certain point in life, they decided to change. They thought seriously about what kind of person they wanted to be known as, and thought of, in the future. They decided to change their lives by changing the values that they lived by. By making these decisions and sticking to them, they changed their lives. Remember, it doesn’t matter where you’re coming from; all that really matters is where you’re going.

Action Exercise
Describe your picture of an ideal person, the person you would most want to be if you had no limitations.

Ciao!

While I am fixing my books on our shelf this morning, I found a pocketbook which I bought about 2 years ago. It is called, the Private Prayers of Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II was the most beloved Pope in our generations. When he first visits the country February, 1981, my mother was still pregnant me then. She remembered running along the streets of Quezon City circle where the pope mobile carrying him will pass by. She also told me that if I would have been born a boy, she would name me after him.

I personally seen his holiness during the 1995 World Youth Day. It was a different kind of happiness seeing him. That’s why I really felt sad when he died.

I went through the pages of book and my attention was caught by a certain topic which is entitled: May your Life be a Light of the World. I hope that this will make a difference to everybody who will be able read it.

The words of Jesus are valid for you in a very special way: “Let your light shine so before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Yes brothers and sisters! the light of your faith shines bright; the light of your chastity joyfully; the light of your poverty generously!

How much the Church and the world need this light, this testimony! How deeply we must commit ourselves, so that its full splendor and its utter eloquence may be realized!

How essential it is that we reproduce in ourselves, mortal beings, the mystery of the Christ’s devotion to the Father for the salvation of the world: the miraculous devotion that began with the presentation in the temple, whose memory the whole Church celebrates today.

How essential it is that we, too, fix our gaze on the soul of Mary, on the soul that, according to the words of Simeon, would be pierced by a sword so the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed. (February 2, 1980).

Ciao!

In spite of the many problems, we face everyday, we should not forget that God listens and answers our prayers. Part of my metrics in Dell is total solutions, in other words, we have to make a sale and we need to meet a certain goal. It may be frustrating to know that at this point, though we are technical support people, the focus of the metrics is sales.

There was a memo sent last December wherein, technical support group can now sell Dell systems. I know that I am not a good seller. I am more focus on resolving the customer’s technical problem instead of positioning parts that he or she doesn’t really need. And everyday, I never forget to pray to God that bless me with good sales and a system sale. Days passed, and I still don’t have a system sale. However, I was able to meet my daily target at times.

One day, I believe it was January 6, my Sales Coach approached me and confirmed when I had my system sale. I told her that I have not processed any system sale yet. She said to check my IDD (the tool that we used for sales) and verify my sales. I found out that there was a system sale in my account! To be honest, I told her I could not remember processing a system sale. She said that I must have sent the customer a system quotation and used it. I remember the person who purchased the system and he was my customer. I was very happy and grateful to God upon realizing that He had answered my system sale prayer.

Actually, it was not the first time that God had answered my prayers in a way I have not expected him to. Often times, we people overlooked the way God listens and attends to our needs. Like you, I am also guilty of this. There are times, wherein we thought that He doesn’t listen to us. Well, in fact, He knows what is best for us. He gives our hearts desires on His own special time. He knows very well, when to give and what to give for us even if we don’t say it out loud.

He knows everything about us. He loves us that much!

Ciao!

We woke up at around 8AM the following day. It was January 1, 2010. We usually go to mass to utter thanksgiving and praise; and ask God’s guidance, love, care and blessings for the new year. Aside from that, January 1st is celebrated to remember Mama as the mother of God.

I heard mass at 11AM because I will be reporting for work already on the night of January 1st. There were a lot of misconception about Catholics adoration to Mama Mary. Well, maybe because there were other Catholics who do not know how to practice the proper adoration to be given to her.

Mama Mary is being venerated as the mother of God. She is not God. She is the Mother of God. We do not pray before her but we ask her to pray with us and to pray for us. Like what we do for our love ones, we pray for them. We respect her as the mother of God, our Saviour. Like what we do to the mothers of our friends and love ones.

Mama Mary is our mother. We are blessed to have her as our mother. On a personal note, I know that Mama Mary loves me so much. In spite of my weaknesses, I know that she continuously praying for me and for everybody for us to get closer to Jesus.

Ciao!

While waiting for my officemate/friend Judy, I decided to check my blog and update it somehow. I received a pretty nice comment from my post That’s why we have Commitment. It’s so nice that I cannot help myself but share it to you. Thank you Jhun for this wonderful comment. I just wanted to clear though, that I am not married yet but I am working on it!

although you’re technically single, you’re still bound by the union with your half, i mean your husband. you’re created as one by the Lord through the sacraments of marriage… “ang pinagsama ng Diyos ay huwag papaghiwalayin ng tao”. Although i don’t know much about your situation, i find you loyal and God- fearing. and the fact that temptations came along the way, you still did not entertained the thought of it. you’ve just turn away and that was the right thing to do because complications would lead to another heartaches and frustrations. and everything will crumble and you will find yourself alone again.

just be brave and have a lot of faith with our God. He can turn things positively through prayers and faith. you just have to do your share..

Have a good days ahead of you….

Ciao!

The way of man is forward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right. (Proverbs 21:8)

Lord, I want to have pure thought and a pure heart. Only with You is this possible. On my own I’m full of wickedness. This is not what I want my children to see; I want them to see a mother who has a heart and mind like Jesus.

Some days, when I feel like I’m experiencing a spiritual high, it’s easy to think pure and upright thoughts and to walk in Your ways. On days when I’m having spiritual struggles, my thoughts become full of discouragement and frustration, and that invades my actions and attitudes.

I don’t like to be so controlled by emotions, Father. Please give me the strength to be pure in every situation.

(From: Prayers and Promises for Mothers)

Ciao!

My friend Orville never gets tired of sending me quotes everyday. I know that the text message is being send through group message but I hope he realized how I appreciates those quotes he is sending me everyday. There are times that I really feel bad and I would want to give up, then I would receive a text message from him. I know that it is God’s way of telling me to go on. And He is using my friend to remind me that He is there with me all the time, and there’s no need for me to get worried.

I just want to share with you, the quote he sent me last November 26. It says:

Today, Don’t think of saying any UNKIND WORD. Think of the people who can’t speak. Don’t complain about the food you eat, some have nothing. Don’t complain about LIFE, many die young. When you’re tired of your job, think of the jobless, the disabled and those who wish they had yours. When sad thought seems to put you down, paint a SMILE on your face and thank God you’re alive and you’re still around.

LIFE is a GIFT. LIVE it WELL!

Ciao!