What I Know For Sure: Whenever you're ready

They always say in yoga that a teacher will come when you're ready. In the light of recent events in my life, the said might be true for more than just yoga.

1. Character before anything else. I heard this line from Pastor Carlos from last Sunday's worship that it's been taking our country long to achieve that economic uplift {which we're getting, one statistic at a time} because it's been a slow process, too, to uplift our country's character. While I think the country is an inherently kind nation, we {collectively} don't know how to act as good with a small amount of money, what about with more? I know we will get there and it'll be soon --- and it speaks so much for things we wait for.

It hit me right at the core, this character thing. Most of the time, I am guilty of demanding things because I know I worked for them {and hard!}, because I qualify for it, because I know that I am ready to have it. But it's true when they say that God/a Higher Being/the Universe has other plans for you, and it will come when you're ready. It's true for me now --- there was a whole lot of reasons why I never got what I wanted before and I understand it perfectly now.

2. Sometimes, a disappearance is all you need. I contemplated about shutting down this blog in the process {but decided against it, obviously}. As a preventive measure, I am spending at least a day every week to detox digitally and I am praying that becomes a habit.

3. When I am frazzled, I try my best to find the silence to pray.  And it works. I don't know why I ever doubt it at all.

4. There is nothing absolutely wrong with wanting to buy yourself a nice lace teddy and wear it at home alone while having breakfast.

5. Chocolate is the answer, whatever the question is. Right, Tans? =)

6. Never question the magic of human relations.  It's hard to explain but life is much better for it. It just is!

7. The most rewarding decisions are often the scariest, most harrowing ones. I have said this a long time ago and I'll say it again: there will be those decisions we hope we weren't ones to make because they scare the bejeezus out of us. There are the tasks we want to give up on because it seems hopeless and pointless and seemingly leading to nowhere

BUT most often than not {hardly ever} it is the ones that has so much reward, so much sweetness in it. I should know --- there was this day that I dreaded and wished the world would just skip it away. Of course, the world didn't and I had to go through it, heart beating fast and all and at the end of the day, I was exhausted BUT extremely happy and fulfilled. 

8. Honesty is still and will always be the best policy. A friend had been asking what was the measure I took to get to a maturity level that is indiscernible through my curly locks of hair and my well-contoured face. I answered him that it pays, despite it being a Herculean task, to be honest with oneself, whether it be abilities, money matters, relationships and whatever you're quandaries are all about. It's not easy but it truly is the first step to fixing something --- or accepting something.

9. "Everybody gets an offer they can't resist. When you say no, you'll be okay." - Maria Ressa. I was extremely lucky to have been in the audience when Ms. Ressa was the keynote speaker at a company event. As I have detailed in a TEDx blog post, I am a huge fan --- after all, not everyone can say no to terrorists, to politicians scared of being exposed and still walk unarmed and without a bodyguard {she doesn't have one} and yet be the stalwart of responsible journalism. While I am no journalist, her speech which I've been live tweeting {ha ha}consisted of golden truths, some of which are:

• Draw the line between good and evil. Do not cross it.
• Evil is knowing better and doing worse.
• The more you do the right thing, the harder it is to do the wrong thing.
• Evil people do not know they're evil. Cheaters don't know they're cheating.

I am no saint {no goody two shoes either} but I would like to believe those truths have helped me live my life with a little more integrity and discernment. It is HARD, that much I know but a life lived with integrity is gold in this day and age. I am aiming for that.

10. The lessons you learn and the things that surprise you in life --- they're unlimited if you believe and look at the right places.

I'm typing this on a Friday night when everyone else is out partying or with their respective families doing board games or something cheesy it's enviable. While I am sometimes sad I don't get to be with family any time I like, the Universe compensates with all the wonderful people I meet, the people who inspire me and the ones who are in my life for no agenda at all. It's such an amazing blessing it just humbles me everytime I realize this simple fact. Humbling truth.

11. What you tolerate, you cannot ever, ever change.

It was Pastor Paolo who said this during worship last Sunday and for a moment there, I thought I had the wind knocked out of me. I was guilty of tolerating numerous things --- from myself and from other people with this far-fetched hopes that someday they will just change. It could be your friend who always asks for money, or it could be a colleague who railroads your decisions at work for his own personal gain, maybe because you tolerate it for fear of fighting or discussions. I took a stab at calling out acts to me I didn't like {surprisingly with all the tact and grace I could muster} and it went well. I can't say I'd always have the strength to stand up to myself and to other people but I think that's the first step in changing the way we receive acts from others.

12. Know what you really, truly want. One, because it is God who puts the desires in your heart. And two, when you know what you want, it's easier to know what you don't want and what you wouldn't settle for.

Happy weekend, my dearest readers!
xx