Have you every thought of being FREE?

Today is Friday and all I am thinking of is FREEDOM.

Free from may routine job, free from too much pressure from others, free from going home tired because of doing things that I don't love.  I want to be free.  But when will I be free?  I set three years, MAX.  I will make things happen.  I want to become a full time dad and a full time freelancer, doing things that I do love.  Yes, three years will bring me somewhere.

Friday for some is translated as FREEDAY.  It is the last day of the week and that means, the following day is a weekend with friends, family, and with anyone you don't know.  Friday is Freeday...freedom and being free.  But in the case of some people, Friday is not significant anymore.  I remember a friend telling me of somebody he know.  That guy rarely know what day it is because of being too busy.  In my case, sometimes true, but will not be anymore in three years time.  My Fridays will be my freedom days soon.

Can somebody make you happy?

In John Maxwell's book, Today Matters, his wife was asked if John makes her happy. She responded, No. Everybody was shocked.

Can somebody make you happy? I believe, John's wife is right. It's nobody's business to make you happy. For example, Maria and Mario are twins born 7th of February. Both are healthy and happy. Maria really really loves Barbie Dolls while Mario really really loves Pokemon dolls. One day, their parents brought them in a toy store for being the top students of their classes. Their parents knew what they wanted so they asked the salesperson, "Do you have Barbie dolls and Pokemon dolls?" The salesperson replied, "Sorry Ma'am and Sir, but we only have Barbie dolls right now." Who do you think will be happy that day? Yes, it will be Maria. If you give Mario a Barbie doll, how do you think would he react?

Same Barbie doll, but different reactions for Maria and Mario. My friends, it's nobody's business to make you happy. The only person responsible for your happiness is You. You are happy because you said so. Be truly happy.

Best regards from your happy friend,
Niño

My True Friends....

You will know who your really friends are when you are down and you share same visions.

I have lots of friends but I have few from the pack who are real friends. They are the ones who can let you down, yet ask forgiveness and give efforts to be a better friend. It's sometimes sad to think that some people you consider real friends are acquaintances but it's great to know that some acquaintances are your real friends.

It's sad to think sometimes that no matter how you wanted them to bring them to success, they will reject it. Before, that rejection was a big thing to me. I'm glad that a friend of mine reminded me that some will reject your offer, but they are rejecting the offer, not you. True.

The American Idol Season 10 NEW Judges

Have you heard the news lately?  The empty judge slots are now filled.  Drum rolls for Steve Tyler and Jennifer Lopez!

The producers of the show is really optimistic of the new judges.  They are hoping this season to be the best in all of the American Idol seasons.  Well, I hope it will be!

Can you choose your boss?

Disclaimer: This is an article not to make not so good impressions about bosses.

This morning, I was asked by my boss to do more activities on a job that I currently do. I have no question about it but what made me feel not so good about it is the "delayed response". I actually have requested him days before to do some stuff for me regarding the job. I can't blame him because he's also busy talking to his bosses or whatever stuff he was doing that made him busy.

I felt not so good (thank God, I feel better now) a while ago that it made me hate anybody in position to dictate what I do. It is true that we cannot choose our boss, it is God who chose them for us. I believe God has hidden agenda why something not so good to my eyes happened this morning. Yes, this too shall pass but I won't let it pass without doing something productive. As Robert Kiyosaki said, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn." There is no such thing as defeat but only when you give up. Keep moving forward and of course, look to where you are going.

As a reflection to what happened this morning, the way I see it, it's an opportunity for my growth, professionally. I am blessed this morning. I am human to feel not so good, but I trust God's intention why He made me felt not so good. All I can do is trust Him and of course, with my effort.

I believe everything that is happening to and in us are really important. It's up to us now how we deal with it, how you change it, how you improve it. Everything should start in the heart and mind.

All About Attitude: Can do and Can't do

In a nutshell,

What your Attitude cannot do for you:

1. Your attitude cannot substitute for competence
2. Your attitude cannot substitute for experience
3. Your attitude cannot change the facts
4. Your attitude cannot substitute for personal growth
5. Your attitude will not stay good automatically

What your Attitude can do for you:

1. Your attitude makes a difference in your approach to life
2. Your attitude makes a difference in your relationships with people
3. Your attitude makes a difference in how you face challenges
4. Your attitude is the difference maker

Source: John Maxwell's The Difference Maker

My thoughts on overcoming fear of flying

Earlier, I posted about how I wanted to fly an airplane.  A recap:  I wanted to learn how to fly in order for me to conquer my fear of flying. 

Anyway, I realized that in spite of  all the  safety  measures  and precautions conducted by the airline  officers  and owners, there are still a growing number of  people who are having a hard time  in overcoming fear of flying.  Experts   say that this panic may stem from the person’s inferior experience in the course of one of his or her flights. Studies show that many that have developed fear of flying are the ones who are used to travel via plane before. This is because of the frequency; it is inevitable for them to experience a bad occurrence at some point. These bad experiences may include prolonged or heavy turbulence that is caused by natural phenomenon such as bad weather or an aborted flight wherein the airplane needs to take an emergency landing that is usually caused by mechanical failures. 

 

Another reason for this fear is the person is exposed too much on media coverage on various tragic accidents in the air which instill a fear for his or her life. Studies show that people who have witnessed an extensive coverage of an aerial accident are prone to having Aviophobia sooner or later.

 

So, what do you think?

Three Tips on how to be earlier in the Office

This morning, almost everyone was late.  Most of the shuttle buses were caught in the middle of traffic.  It was unexpected but expectedly, everyone in the shuttle services was late including me.

So how can you get yourself on time in the office?  How should you prepare?  What do you need to do?  After reflecting in the shuttle bus for about two hours (usually it would take the shuttle bus 45 minutes to take everyone in the office), here are some tips on how to be earlier in the office.

Tip 1:  Have a good rest the night before

Having a good rest is one of the factors for you to wake up earlier.  It also will keep you refreshed and ready for battle in your job.  I have tried a stress experiment before.  I kept myself awake until dawn and I had about 2-3 hours of sleep in five succeeding days.  I went to the office tired and stressed.  The result?  I was moody, I was weak, I was disoriented, I was sleepy most of the time, I lacked focus, and I got my boss’s attention.  You can call me crazy, but I did it to tell myself that sleeping in under 6 hours is not good.

Again, having a good rest the night before is a BIG factor keeping you earlier in the office.

Tip 2:  Have a “Time Allowance”

If your time in is at 7:30 AM and your travel time is about an hour, then have a time allowance.  Leave your place for at least an hour and 30 minutes earlier if you were to travel for an hour.  The reason?  There are some uncontrolled events along the way.

Also, if you are to travel along a very busy road, make sure that you came earlier than my earlier recommendation.  It’s up to you what your Time Allowance would be.  Study your way, study the road, study the crowd…then decide your time allowance.

Tip 3:  Set your alarm earlier than your desired wake up time

Most of us have a tendency to take more snoozing.  Sometimes, when we had set our alarm at 5 in the morning, we left our beds after thirty minutes.  I don’t know with you but taking a nap more after the alarm is what most of the people I interviewed do.

One Problem Solved

Last Thursday, our telephone and internet lines were installed at home.  I was very excited when I found out that our provider installed the lines successfully.  That day, I decided to go home early to check out the internet but I got no internet connection.

I called their hotline and asked them why I had no internet connection.  The customer sales representative (CSR), I should say, was trained very well.  Anyway, the CSR presented me some details why I had no internet connection.

I was happier the following day when somebody from their company called me with the information that my internet connection was established.  I checked the line and I had an internet connection.  I tried the internet and realized that something was not right.  The speed was slower than expected.  I subscribed for a 1MBps connection but all I got was 300KBps.

I called again their line support and asked why I only get 1/3 of the speed that I am subscribed to.  Again, I was lucky to be answered by a well-trained CSR.  He instructed me to do this and that to improve the speed of my internet but none of what he suggested helped.  So, he advised me that he asked their line support to check on it.

Fortunately, on the same day, my internet connection speed is now at 1MBps.  I am happier and my problem is solved.

Never ever Complain

I'm on my third day of doing my assignment---NO COMPLAIN.

I found out that along the way, I complained but the good thing is, I remind myself not to complain, I remind myself to appreciate life, I remind myself I'm great and everything is great. Most of us complain about the recession, about how "hard" life is, about how demanding our bosses are, about anything that we don't appreciate. We see all the "bad things" in our life. We seldom see the "good things". I believe God design our world, ourselves, everybody---perfectly. We just have to accept that fact. Don't you trust Him? As for me, I'm starting to.

Be careful little Eyes!

"Please be careful little eyes what you see..." Yes indeed. Our eyes is said to be the window of our soul.

This morning, I am reminded after hearing Casting Crowns' Slow Fade. At the last part of the singing, a child is singing a Bible kiddy song I used to hear when I was younger. "Oh please little eyes be careful what you see." I believe we have to be reminded by this. What we see greatly influences us. As it is said, our eyes are the windows of our souls. What we see are always influential, it depends on how we take that influence in our lives.

Let me share with you a simple reminder of EYES---Everything You Envision Substantiates. So be careful little eyes what you see.

How to think better when you are stressed?

Everyone gets stressed, even kids!  Nobody is excused from a Zero Stress.  Nobody.  But it's a fact that we can minimize the effect of stress.  We can be happier regardless of whatever kind of stress we have.  Stress...stress...stress.

The magic question is, how to think better when  you are stressed?  I'm sure you will agree with me when I say that we think differently if we are stressed.  Specifically, we think worse when we are stressed.  We are out of our own minds, we scream loud, and we do stupid stuff.  That is only normal.  I have been there, I have done that.

It is OK to shout, to do stupid stuff, to run around the house, to do things you want (assuming they are not deadly!).  Find an outlet from the stress that you are experiencing.  Let it out.  If it requires you to do some crazy thing, do it!  Just let it out.  That's one of the secrets for you to think better when you are stressed.

Let the stress out when you are stressed.

I want to fly an airplane!

One of my fears was the heights.  I used to shake my feet when I looked down a five-story building.  But now, It does not happen to me.

Travelling by airplane helped me conquer my fear of heights.  I remember one time when I traveled from Davao to Iloilo,  I was shaking when the airplane was cruising at its cruising altitude.  I was so cold and if you were there to talk with me, trust me, you would not want to talk with me because you can never ever talk with me in that situation.  Every time there was a little shake in my seat, my heart beats faster and I could almost hear it!  It was beating fast, hard, and maybe loud!

Now, I love to travel by plane.  I simulate that I was the pilot every time the plane lifts off and every time it touches down.  I then raised my interest on airplanes.  Oh, by the way, my favorite is still Boeng 747.  I haven't tried Airbus 380 yet.

Let's go travel by airplane!

Why you need to have a Paper and Pen

I am never used with pen and paper.  I mostly rely on Notepad and Word.  Until I realized the value of a pen and paper when you are doing a project.

I am in the middle of doing my project when I realized that I need to write.  I need to write a draft.  There were no pen and paper and I was struggling to express my thoughts.  Realistically speaking, we cannot draw neither write on Notepad.  Although Word has great image design features, nothing beats expressing your thoughts on a paper.  It is so direct.  Low tech, yes.  But still helpful.

So, I decided to take a pen and paper then I listed down all the things I need to write.  Scratched out some stuff, added some stuff, and bam!  My ideas are now organized.  I have a goal now because of using a low technology equipment, pen and paper.

Magic as both a Science and an Art

If you know me personally, you would probably ask me to do some "magic tricks" for you.  Yes, you guess that right.  I know how to perform some magic.  But I don't want to call it "magic tricks" because I never consider magic as a trick.  Magic to me is both a Science and an Art.


Magic as a Science

Some magic requires the magician enough knowledge about Science.  Just imagine if the magician miscalculated the right proportion of of gun powder.  I'm sure things will look really messy on stage.  Just imagine if that happens.  Funny but sometimes, tragic.

One of the deadliest acts in magic is the bullet catching.  Many magicians were injured in this act and a few were already dead performing it.  Why did those unfortunate magicians die while catching the bullet?  Simply because they miscalculated.  Their simple miscalculation caused their lives.

Safety is a primary concern in magic considering that it is a Science.  As I told you earlier, Magic is a Science.




Magic as an Art

Magic will be boring if no Art is incorporated in the act.  The stage is lovelier if there are dancing assistants, colorful banners, and a lot more.  Magic is an art because it showcases the talent not only of the magicians, but also their assistants.

Like playing a guitar, Magic also requires constant practice.  Most magicians I know practice a lot.  They practice with mirrors, trusted friends, assistants, and more to mention.  If you want to become a magician, you need to practice.

Dai Vernon, called the Professor and one of the most respected magicians and mentors in the magic community, said that if you know one magic effect, practice it over and over and over again, and people will remember you for it.  Magic is an art and it requires you to do some serious practice.