Thank you for the second LIFE

Second life is what they call it when they experience some sort of redemption from a dark hopeless state or when they have been saved from an impending. As for me, second life is every waking day I breathe out to see life’s wonders.

I was out from the loop for a month or two due to circumstances which drag me to depression and extreme anxiety. I got knocked down but work problems and personal struggles of being away from home. Instead of focusing on my goals and where I want to be, I dwell on the bad things that happened to me and I found myself in a very bad space. When things are out of control, I decided to seek professional help and hoped for a second life to come.

Anxiety, depression, and lack of self-esteem are the hardest to battle. I have to work with my counselor tightly on how to validate my thoughts which are causing the stir inside of me. He guided me along the way and helped me understand why I am feeling that way. He also aided me in re-framing my mind to align with my reality. The first two weeks were quite tough; getting that second life of hopes and mental stability was my biggest challenge.

Second life came after a month when I finally (somehow) manage my thoughts and how they create my feelings or emotions. Every time I get a thought that has the potential to devastate me, I challenge the thought and replace it with something close to my reality and constantly evaluate it.

Today, I still face tons of difficulties yet I am more equipped than I was yesterday. Everyday, I wake up full of hopes that eventually I will successfully manage my thoughts with ease and respond to circumstances in a more positive manner. It does not take one single night or event that changes my whole life to the better. On a daily basis, I progress and become better and that’s for me a second life to be thankful for.

Today is a great day to be grateful of this opportunity to come back writing with great passion. Though it took me some days to recover from my hold backs, I am here. I am living the second life God has given me.

God's Massive Love

30 August 2016

I wanted this post to be structured as a letter of Thanksgiving to God simply for keeping me alive in those day I thought I am already dead.

God has given more than I deserved. He has forgiven countless of times than I could ever imagined. He continues to love me despite my imperfect life and my sinfulness. For all of that, I just want to thank the Almighty even in the simplest form I know how.

Lord, thank you that I wake up today healthy. I know that there are people around the world who are fighting a day to life. Bless them Lord that they may find peace and warmth in your loving arms. Cure those who are inflicted with sickness and restore their health.

God, thank you for I heard the voices of my family over the phone. Knowing they are happy and doing great inspires me to continue despite the daily challenges.

There are countless of moments when I gave into temptation and done mistakes I later on regret but you still find a way to bring me back to your path. There days of impossibilities and hours of total chaos but you calm me and showed me that with your grace I can get through the day.

Lord, I just want to thank you for an amazing life. I want to thank you for the forgiveness and redirection. Had I was not redirected; I would probably get totally lost in this world where hate and evil lure the goodness in people.

I may have failed countless of times but I will never give up following the path to righteousness. I owe this life to you and it is just right that I take care of it and use it to propagate goodness.

There will be days that I would be defeated by my dark side but I will keep on fighting until I conquer myself and allow the good to completely dwell in me. For all of these, I sincerely deeply thank you Lord.

The Power of Moving Forward

Today, I looked back at my life eight months 8 months ago when I was still working at the comforts of my country and realized that time passes so fast that I did not even notice everything has changed dramatically.  I have become stronger and more resilient to life’s adversity.

Though I am still wading with challenges and problems, I am thankful that my perseverance did not fail me. I keep on moving forward with God’s grace. There are days when I thought of not showing up at work due to exhaustion but I ended up working. There are also days when I wish to go home and enjoy that company of my family but when I think of their needs, I am inspired to continue.

Days are not always good; sometimes it felt worst than ever. At the back of my mind, I thought of giving up but for some unknown force, I keep moving. I keep on doing the things I need to accomplish and find out what else need to be done to achieve my goals. Moving forward spares me from the pit of negativity and powerlessness. When I stop and linger on the bad things, I usually get stuck with self-pity and hopelessness.

There are countless of storms ahead but with the spirit of resiliency, I know I will get by. I am grateful not only with this character but to all the people around me who push me to be better. I am thankful to every circumstance that made me tougher and more experienced with life.

With a grateful attitude, I continue to see the good things in the middle of difficulties and that made me move forward.

How about you? What are you thankful for?

Good Things Everywhere

10 August 2016

I woke up today with a guilt feeling of something I did which is I should have done. I am still coping with some bad habits and I know one of these days I will eventually conquer myself. Despite the not-so-good vibe, I am still thankful that I have today to correct my yesterday. Chances do not come all the time but today I am blessed I am still alive to pursue the good in me.

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to join a friend on her street photography session. It was intended to help me on my project for another class. The photo shoot went well despite the hotness of the weather. We finished after sun down and visit one of my favorite pizza stores.

I am grateful for a delightful dinner with a good friend. I have eaten my favorite pizza and Alfredo which tasted heavenly great. After a long tiring day, I’ve got to enjoy a great meal and this is by the grace of God. I remember back home when our family has this afternoon “our time”, we usually visit a local chain where they serve spaghetti, pizza and halo-halo. It was one of the best afternoon snacks I had and I will always miss those great days with my family.

Finally, I am massively thankful that weekend is coming. I am very excited with my upcoming class. It would be our second to the last session and I definitely learned a lot of things that will help me with my online endeavors.

This life has been a bumpy ride but I will surely keep on going. Amidst the challenges and difficulties, there are many great things around me to be grateful for and I will always hold on these good things to remind me that life is beautiful.

What are you thankful for?

Thank you for the WISDOM

5^th August 2016 

How are you today?

Today is a rough day. I have taken two examination which are both mind-wrecking. My energy is massively consumed and now I am feeling totally drained. After my class, I take a nap for 30 minutes but wake up immediately after an urge to write on this clean sheet.

My week has been a roller coaster ride again but I am definitely thankful that it ended well. I finish my work smoothly and tackle my household chores with ease. Indeed, jobs are far lighter when you enjoy doing it. At school, I struggle answering my midterms exam but eventually manage to survive with a positive perspective. Eventually, I appreciate the difficulties on hand and learn from my mistakes.

I am thankful that I am in this learning process where I have pushed myself to another level. I never thought that crossing from one field of study to another is even possible but when I try to get out of the comfort zone it is when I have realized some untapped potentials and learn new views not only the subject but as well as different aspects of life.

I am grateful that I have supportive classmates and friends who are always there to encourage me and constructively gives me comments on my progress. Without these people, I will have given up so early in this quest for self-actualization.

Finally, I am thankful for today’s wisdom, knowledge, and skills. These gifts have helped me move forward towards my dreams and achieve my daily goals.

What are you thankful for? Share them in the comment section below.

How to Thank our Parents

27^th July 2016

We will never be in this world without the love of our parents. From birth, they have been there to provide us with our physiological needs like food, clothes, and shelter, support us emotionally and oversee our growth. They are our strength in our low days and our motivators in those time we almost give up on ourselves. With all the sacrifices that they have done for our sake, we should express our gratitude to our parents through words, gestures, and prayers.

I was raised with the habit of saying thank you every time something good happens to me. Because of this habit, it is every easy for me to express my appreciation to my parents. Every time my parents would do me some favors or would surprise me with something, I would automatically say thank you to them and give them a huge hug with a kiss. In this way, I am to communicate to my parents my utmost happiness for their goodness and acknowledge their value in my life.

Since I was young, I always show my parents respect through placing their hands on my forehead. In our culture, it is a sign of paying respect to elders. I also kiss them every time I arrived from school. I use gestures to show my lifetime gratefulness to them. I assist them when they need my help. In those house chores which need physical aid, I usually offer my help so that they won’t exert much effort.

There are many ways to thank our parents. One of those is helping them financially or by sharing our blessings. Even if they are gainfully employed or they are receiving a pension, we can still offer to pay the dinner at a restaurant, shop for their favorite apparel, treat them a movie date or by simply providing a monthly allowance for leisure and entertainment.

I plan to treat my parents on a trip abroad or buy them their dream house when my budget permits me but for now I will show my gratitude no matter how simple they may be. The important thing is I am able to express to my parent how thankful I am for the taking care of me and for helping me become the person I am right now.

How are thanking your parent?

Blessing in Disguise

26^th July 2016

Blessings come in different shapes and forms. For me, it came through life’s challenges. Today, I received an email from my previous network provider that I still have unpaid balance from my postpaid account. I was surprised with the enormous amount reflecting on the message. I hurriedly communicated my concern through the customer support live chat. I’ve found out that my account was not cut and it kept on charging me all this time until it was deactivated due to non-payment.

Despite the fact that I needed to pay the charges, I am still thankful that I received the notice and their legal department informed me about it. That case if it will remain unresolved could affect my credit-worthiness and my credit rating. Financial institutions, banks, and cooperatives have jointly maintained database where they can easily track client’s credit records. Had this unpaid balance was not communicated; I would definitely have a bad record not only with the telecommunication company but as well as various sectors.

I will figure out later how I will pay for the outstanding balance; right now, I just felt blessed and thankful that those things I have missed out are in one way or another coming up.

Meanwhile, the weather is not as hot last Sunday so I had a great stroll to the train station this morning. I enjoyed the morning breeze though it was a little humid. I also watch bystanders and people going to work while I stride in a slowly manner. I thank God for the chance to just live at the present moment and enjoy my immediate environment.

Tonight, I am planning to eat sandwich or salad since I have eaten too much rice this morning and during lunch. I am grateful that I am blessed with food to eat.

Do you have something to be thankful for? Sure you have!