By Aries on Friday, 24 of July , 2009 at 1:01 am
To love and to be loved can be the most wonderful feeling we can experience. No amount of joy can surpass the happiness that we feel when we are in the arms of the person we love the most. When we are in love, it seems that everything in our life is fine, that everything is on its place. A state of equilibrium and high morale will engulf our whole being.
Somewhere along the way, destiny can be so cruel to take away the person that makes each day of our life a fairytale. Our world would start to turn upside down and we just find ourselves empty and broken. Myriads of things would start pouring into our minds but at the end of the day we are left with millions of questions. The hardest to answer could be “how could these things happen?” or “where do I start from here?”.
When it comes to love, each of us can have our different story to tell. Nonetheless, all of us can be on the same predicament, which is finding the strength to let go of the feelings that we can’t live without. Though there were able to find their way out of the melancholy of emptiness and despair, many are still trapped or even buried in the tormenting agony of accepting our destiny and learn to let go. Here are some few ways to get over the pain which will hopefully help you move on.
Dwell on the past. Yes, I’ve said it, dwell on the past and let yourself reminisce each moment you’ve spent together. Ironic isn’t it? But sometimes it’s only through allowing ourselves to find painful joy in the broken pieces of our past that we can start to feel tired and willingly wave our hands and give up. When that happens, we can start the next step towards totally letting go. After all, suppressing our feelings and holding back the tears is bad to our nervous system.
Commit to accept. It is pointless to say you gave up and after a few days you start to dwell on the past again. You have to decide whether you want your life to be miserable forever by living with the past or start again and find joy. Once you’ve decided, you need to commit to yourself that you will accept your fate. Total acceptance will allow your state of mind to focus on moving on instead of holding on. This will help you learn to appreciate the brighter side of things and eventually lead you to a new dimension in life.
Plan, plan, plan. Divert your mind by planning out a lot of things, things that can keep you busy or excited. Having something to look forward can plant a seed of happiness into your heart. Indulge yourself into activities that you seldom do. Join a charity group, volunteer, engage into sports, adventure trips, organize events, there are a lot to do out there. Doing worthwhile things and the sense of accomplishment you acquire from it will surely pep up your life.
Love yourself. Sometimes, when we fall in love, we tend to neglect ourselves, our personal goals and plans because every move we make seems to consider our behalf. Now is the right time to contemplate on what you really want to do with your life, what you wanted to attain. It is through loving ourselves and getting to know ourselves even more that we can start to move out from the doomed world that covered us. It is through loving ourselves that we can start to find the light again and start a new life filled with excitement, happiness and hope.
By Aries on Friday, 17 of July , 2009 at 4:31 am
Wearing long skirts with long hair either let through or in ponytail, soft spoken with sweet innocent smile, refined and a bit shy, perhaps these are the things that occur first to one’s mind when thinking about Filipinas. Who would not? These are the classic qualities of Filipinas only that it was decades ago.
As modern technologies evolved and brought forth massive changes in every culture, Filipina ladies also changed. One can see these changes straight away from the clothes and accessories they wear until the very details of their possessions.
Alright, so much about the physical aspect. Now, let’s try to look what’s inside, the character that every Filipina possess. In the past you can find them at home helping their mother on the household chores. Some lucky ones were able to go to school, however, they were expected to show an impeccable manner. Most Filipinas then, if not all, were inferior compared to men. Filipinas are known to be honest. They are very respectful especially to their elders.
A perfect mother figure, Filipinas are very caring, passionate, hospitable and sensitive to the needs of others. They are very romantic lovers, faithful, understanding, loving and thoughtful. When given any responsibilities, they have the common sense emerging from their natural intellect. They can be very hardworking and patient.
Compared in the past, Filipinas of the new generation have come out of their shell. You can now see them active in the community. They become more independent and started to let their voices be heard. They have adapted to the modern way of life. Gone are the long skirts and refined personality. Are all these changes due to modernization? The answer in my opinion is “No”.
Tracing back the Philippine history, one can understand why the typical Filipina image changed. Though the American colonization greatly affected their way of life, still it is not the only reason. Filipinas suffered from different types of abuses during war and foreign invasion. They experienced being treated as slaves. They’ve lost their freedom and identity. Despite all the hardships, something special within them overcame it all, they endured with their indefatigable inner strength. They need to change to partly protect themselves from the maladies of human trafficking.
Now, if I were to say what’s inside every Filipina’s heart, my answer is just one. It’s GENUINE LOVE that keeps them forgiving to people who hurt them; positive in spite of life’s adversities; hopeful that better things will come their way; compassionate to others; and strong in facing negative circumstances.
Time may have changed many things among Filipinas but one thing remained, the genuine love within their hearts. It is the kind of love that lets them endure the grievous experiences of the past and the same love that will let them defeat misfortunes of the changing tides of time.
By Aries on Wednesday, 15 of July , 2009 at 2:17 pm
Happiness in defined as the state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. A very simple thing when defined yet so great that it can turn a peaceful community into a battlefield or a pen into a sword. All of us, definitely, live each day in pursuit of happiness. We are so much overwhelmed with myriads of desires that we tend to ignore the profound joy of simple things.
Each of us has different dreams, wants and plans in life. All of which could make us totally happy and contented. The issue here is, has anyone lived and attained true happiness and contentment? Maybe none, as we knew that as long as we live, we will always search for something that delights our hearts. Even a quest for success is synonymous to quest for happiness – at least for me.
Attaining our hearts’ desires to be happy is not an easy thing that can be obtained in just one blink of an eye. We are forced to take a stride but the roads are bumpy and at times, every step could be painful. These circumstances lead us into feeling the opposite – sadness, frustrations, annoyance, anxieties, all sorts of negative feelings.
Eventually, many of us tend to forget that true happiness and contentment is just around the corner. It is just a matter of state of mind but one has to make the decision to recognize it. No matter how chaotic things may seem to us, at home, at work, or with people around, if we are able to develop a positive outlook, happiness is just a way to go.
Just recently, I realized that seeing a very big lizard crawling at the gate of the zoo after his smooth escape or taking a candid photo of a friend can brighten up my day. Just the thought of silly things, reminiscing memorable memories while the traffic caught the bus on your way to work, rewarding yourself for a good daydream, humming a lullaby, these silly things can actually create a smiley mark in your heart. There is something that we can do to make a simple stuff special, and that is to give it a meaning.
Alright, so much of the superficial idea. Seriously, the best way to accept misfortunes, problems, and the like which are barriers of happiness is to look at the positive side of things. I once applied for a job and was very determined to start my career path on that company. When it was my turn to be interviewed, all of a sudden I started to share about my plans of taking a masters degree, working in a developing country, everything that came out veer away with the kind of job I was applying. I never got the job but in my thoughts I knew that I can have something better. Very soon after the incidence, I land in a job abroad.
If I only let myself mourn over the loose, I would have lost my self confidence and suffer from the agony of self pity. On the contrary, I chose to accept things with gladness and looking at the brighter side allowed me to fully enjoy life happily. We may have different stories but the idea is just the same I think.
Now, I don’t need to burn my eyebrows to the idea of achieving great things to find happiness. I can be happy by just walking in a park, getting a good night sleep, eating my favorite cookies and cream or reading a horoscope everyday. These are just simple things that we sometimes fail to enjoy and appreciate because we never thought that true happiness that’s deep from within our hearts is just around. It just takes a positive attitude coupled with simplicity in our way of life and appreciation of the beauty and meaning around us that we can reach the zenith of bliss.
By Aries on Tuesday, 14 of July , 2009 at 12:18 am
With the sun’s heat penetrating into our skin, perhaps we can’t help but think of an adventurous summer escapade. This summer, try to experience something satisfying, fun-filled but relaxing and of course exciting through exploring the Philippines. You can’t only enjoy the fun of getting more stuff out of your penny; the rich cultural heritage of this country, exotic food and sports adventure will lift your spirits high.
If you want to get tanned and invigorate your body, chill out at any of the white sand beaches in the country. All the excitement await for you in Boracay, Panglao, Coco Beach in Puerto Galera, Mactan Island, Camiguin, Dakak, Honda Bay, El Nido, Pearl Farm, and Siargao.
Don’t fail to add on the list some sports adventure to try on. Cagayan de Oro offers you an electrifying white water rafting adventure. Indulge yourself as well into some mountain trekking, snorkeling, island hopping, kayaking, tubing, caving, scuba diving and a lot more.
Exploring the Philippines wouldn’t be complete without taking a glimpse of some historical sites. Visit Intramuros or Old Manila which was built by the Spaniards in 16th century. This place will take you back to the Philippines in the late centuries. Other historical places to delve include Luneta Park, Corregidor, Vigan and Fort Santiago.
Satisfy your appetite with some tropical food such as balut, kinilaw (raw meat, e.g. fish, squid,), the list is endless. You can find a lot of delicious food in the Philippines that you’ll always crave for. There are also available dishes for vegetarians and health conscious ones.
Now, you don’t have to spend much time fuddling into the best thing to do and best place to go for summer. Pack your bag and head off to the Philippines. It’s the place where you can find everything you’ve fancied to experience.
