NEVER REGRET A DAY

Stumbled upon this blog when I was randomly blog-hopping and link-clicking. It seems to have been inactive for about 3 years. Regardless, there's this gem among the posts which caught my eyes.




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One day I decided to quit. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God," I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me...

"Look around," He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes." I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year, the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo," He said.

"In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit." He said. "Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive."

"I would not give any of My creations a challenge it could not handle." He said to me. "Did you know, My child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots."

"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don't compare yourself to others," He said, "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet, they both make the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high!"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return. 

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes." He said, "Give Me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and brought back this story.

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I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. He will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life.

Keep going. Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human, failures keep you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only God keeps you going!

DO I...

I rely…
More on the head… But should I neglect the heart totally?

I think…
More than I feel… But should I disregard the opinions of those who operate the other way?

I can..
Be right… But do I have to argue the point?

I have…
A pair of eyes… But do I use it only to judge?

I have…
A mouth… But do I have to criticize all things that I find lacking?

I am…
Quite opinionated… But do I have to express it all the time?

I am…
Rather frank and straight-forward… But can I just speak without regards to tact?

I can be…
Quite stubborn and persistent… But do I have to insist on my ways always?

I make…
Mistakes… But do I allow others to make theirs?

I expect…
Swift efficiency and precision to details… But is it fair to expect nothing less from others?

I expect…
Grace… But am I gracious to others?

I expect…
Tolerance and patience… But do I show them enough to others?

I want…
To be understood… But have I understood others?

I want…
To be loved… But do I love myself enough in the first place?

I want…
To love others… But have I done enough?

I am...
Who I am… But should I judge or shun others for who they are?



I want... To be who I am called to be...
Because I only have ONE life to live.

NEVER TOO LATE


As we grow, we learn. We learn that if we want to enjoy the rainbow, we've got to put up with the rain. Even then, we learn that a rainbow does not necessarily always appear after each and every rain. We learn that ugly caterpillars turn into beautiful butterflies, and that that innocent-looking plant is actually a vehement Fly Trap. We learn that a man's greatest battles are the ones he fights within himself. We learn that prosperity is a great teacher, but adversity is a greater one. We learn that the reason why we fall is so that we can learn to pick ourselves up. We learn that we must either find a way, or make one. We learn that man has never made any material more resilient than the human spirit.
AND we learn that we still have loads more to learn.

We learn that even the one person who wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken; probably more than once. The fall might even be worse than the previous. You'll break hearts too. Therefore, remember how it feels when yours gets broken and shattered.

There will be days when you wish the Earth would swallow you up. There will be nights when you dread the dawn of the next morning. There will be times when you raise your fists to the skies and rage blindly in helpless distress. There will be moments when you are so utterly lost and totally discouraged. There will be instances when you give your all, but are not reciprocated even the least.

You'll meet nice people. You'll make new friends. You'll fall in and out of love. You'll give and receive love. You'll dance through childhood, adolescence, youth, young adulthood, adulthood, and eventually, old age. You'll walk down the aisle. Someday. You'll gawk in silent awe at the little bundle of joy sleeping soundly in your arms. You'll derive indescribable and unmeasurable ecstasy from parenthood. You'll relish in the satisfaction and love in starting up a home and family of your own.
You'll grow. You'll make mistakes. You'll also learn in the process, along the way.

You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll get reminded of bad memories. You'll cry because time is passing too fast. You'll grieve because your heart hurts. You'll wonder why you did the things you did. You'll doubt whether the correct decision has been made. You'll regret things that you have done. You'll also regret things that you should have done. You'll be so very disappointed by people - even those whom you had loved, trusted, cared deeply for, and was willing to give up anything for. You'll eventually lose someone you love dearly. Very much.





So, find joy in everything; even the simplest things. And when you've found it, don't let it go so easily.

Share aplenty. Communicate openly. Apologize readily. Forgive sincerely. Forget quickly. Move on steadily. Bounce back resiliently.
Take too many pictures. Smile too much. Laugh too heartily. Love too truly with all your heart. Love like you've never been hurt before. Love others like you love yourself.

Life's too short to make all the mistakes life has to offer. Therefore, learn from everywhere. While you're at it, learn as much as you possibly can. Learn from mistakes - both yours and others'. It's okay to lose everything, even wealth or friends or pride or dignity; just don't lose your own moral values, integrity, and self-esteem. Do anything you want, as long as it's not against your conscience and morality.

Let go of the trivialities. Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. Exploit the negatives in life and extract something good from it. There is always a positive in every negative. Laugh at yourself. Muse at your own clumsiness and embarrassment. Poke fun at others. Play a harmless prank. Build a rapport.

Look on the bright side. Dwell in happiness. Soak in gratitude. Never forsake thankfulness and humility. Don't forget who you are and where you come from. Have a sound estimation of yourself. Have self-awareness. Eat the humble pie occasionally. Know where you stand always.

Don't lose yourself. Don't lose your inner child, your inner self. There's no need to fit in with the norm or go along with the crowd. Don't be easily influenced. Be daring. Be independent. Be yourself. Be real.
Be real to yourself. Be real to other people and everyone else.

Every sixty seconds you spend being upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.


Don't be afraid that life will end; be afraid that it has never truly began!

CARROT, EGG, OR COFFEE BEAN


Got this from an email.

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A teenager daughter was complaining to her father about her life and how things are so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that just as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. Twenty minutes later, he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them on a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them on a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked, "Darling, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

She humbly asked, "What does it mean, Father?"

He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity - boiling water. Each, however, reacted differently.



The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.
But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior.
But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however.
After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.



"Which are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"


How about you? Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength?

Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? Were you a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a divorce, or a layoff, have you become hardened and stiff? Your shell looks the same, but are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart?

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean changes the hot water. The thing that is bringing pain, to its peak flavor reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better. If you are like the coffee bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and make things better around you.

How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

CHEW ON IT


Read this from somewhere, and I thought it is oh-so-true.
Have been storing it in my personal folder for months.
Thought it would be a pretty useful thing to share.

Anyway, just as the topic suggests; chew on it. Slowly.


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I believe -
That we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.

I believe -
That no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.

I believe -
That true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
The same goes for true love.

I believe -
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I believe -
That it is a process for everyone
to become the person they want to be.

I believe -
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I believe -
That you can keep going long after you can't.

I believe -
That we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I believe -
That either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I believe -
That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades;
and there had better be something else to take its place.

I believe -
Courage is doing what has to be done
when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.

I believe -
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe -
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing
and still have the best time.

I believe -
That sometimes the people whom you expect
to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe -
That sometimes when I'm angry, I have the right to be angry;
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel or rude.

I believe -
That just because someone doesn't love you
the way you want them to
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I believe -
That maturity has more to do
with what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them,
and less to do with the number of birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe -
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you need to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe -
That no matter how badly your heart is broken or crushed,
the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe -
That our background and circumstances
may influence who we are,
but we are ultimately responsible for who we become.

I believe -
That just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.

I believe -
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.

I believe -
That two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.

I believe -
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people who don't even know you.

I believe -
That even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you,
you will somehow, somewhere find the strength to help.

I believe -
That credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.

I believe -
That the people you care about most in life
are, most often than not, taken from you too soon.

ADDICTED


I've got to admit, I seriously suspect I'm getting hooked onto blogging.

My entries are the most for the month of May.
I've never blogged so consistently before.

Guess I'm really bored.

Hah!

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Anyway, I was filtering through my email inbox, and when I got to the last pages, I suddenly remember that there are quite a number of meaningful emails that I could not bring myself to delete, and have been storing them in my inbox for years.

Some of them date back to year 2002.
No kidding.

I think I'll make a fine, bona fide garang guni aunty.

*beams*


And here is one of the emails which I like best:

A university professor challenged his students with this question.
Did God create everything that exists?

A student bravely replied, "Yes, he did!"
"God created everything?" The professor asked.
"Yes, Sir", the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are then God is evil".

The student became quiet before such an answer.
The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question, Professor?"
"Of course", replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"
"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?"

The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact, Sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."

The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"
The professor responded, "Of course it does."

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong, Sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"
Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, Sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name: Albert Einstein.

FORGIVE

People are often unreasonable,irrational, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere
people may deceive you;
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating,
others could destroy overnight;
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness,
some may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today,
will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.

Give the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

--Mother Teresa

REFLECT ON IT

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him.
When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar & proceeded to fill it with rocks right to the top, rocks about 2" diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.

The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed.
He asked his students again if the jar was full.
They agreed that yes, it was.

The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life.The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed.

The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, your house, your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff.

If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life.If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important.
Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life.
Play with your children.
Take your partner out dancing.
There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just pebbles and sand."

Never let yesterday's failures shadow over tomorrow's successes.