XM Satellite Commercial

Don't you just hate it when you're in the middle of your show and then it goes on a commercial break? And what's worse, you hate the TV commercial they're showing!

But once in awhile you'll come across a TV commercial that makes you laugh, think or touches you and you catch yourself saying, "oh! I love this commercial! It's soooo funny!"

Have you seen the latest XM Satellite commercial where this guys is sitting in his car singing along to a song and he's so into it and then he realizes there were women watching him from his car window and he gets embarassed but the women throw him their underwears? I love that one. It always cracks me up.

a thought...

Patience is a virtue but when do you say enough is enough?

Post #1

This is officially the first post composed from my own laptop!! yey!

I remember Shey, Cheri and I wishing we had a laptop in college. It would have made our life much easier.. and cramming would have been more comfortable.. LOL!

As I write this, Miguel is watching the Simpsons and every now and then I would stop and watch portions of it. I remember Mommy banning JR and me from watching it when we were younger. We were also banned from watching Celebrity Death Match on MTV. I don't know if you ever watched it but it was basically celebrities made of clay, wrestling and it was kinda gory. It was funny though and we loved watching it. So imagine how bummed out we were when our mom told us we couldn't watch in anymore. Mommy thought both the Simpsons and Celebrity Death Match were inappropriate for kids (although when Celebrity Death Match was on, we were already in our teens). There is no point to this story. It just came to mind.

rambling

I’ve been quiet latey. I don’t know if it’s because I’m tired or just not in the mood. My co-workers think I’m bored. Maybe I am. Or maybe I just have a lot on my mind. Not necessarily bad… I just happen to have my thinking cap on. It could also be due to the fact that there’s less sun and the skies have been grey and it’s making me feel depressed. I hate winter.

I was reading an article yesterday about light therapy. Apparently it is quite common for people to feel slightly depressed during the winter months. It has something to do with the fact that we get a lesser amount of sunlight. I think I am one of those people. =P

I’ve been surfing the internet, trying to look for a good template. I am getting a bit tired of the one I’m currently using. Unfortunately, it’s not easy since I’m using blogger beta. I would have to revert to the Classic Template which I don’t really want to do since I enjoy using the features that came with the beta version. It just sucks that there aren’t as many choices when it comes to templates. Blah!

I am saddened by the fact that I would have to wait until the spring to see Heroes again! It sucks big time.

Something to share...

A nice story...this could help put things in proper perspective for all of us.

An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna.

The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, "Only a little while, Señor."

The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.

The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, Señor."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But Señor, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15-20 years."

"But what then, Señor?"

The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions, Senor? Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

"You mean being a Harvard MBA, you have to go thru all that to finally get to where I already am, Señor?"

Life Lessons (Forwarded to me)

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there...to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become.

You never know who these people may be but, when you lock eyes with them, you know that every moment they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you at the time that may seem horrible, painful and unfair but, upon reflection, you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, will power or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck. Illness, Injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul.

Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. Safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet affect your life. The successes and downfalls that you experience can create who you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart to. If someone loves you, love them back, unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and open your heart and eyes to little things.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again.

Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to.

Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you.

On Crying..

My mom had to wake me up 3 times this morning. I was dreaming and she was also in my dreams so I thought her waking me up was part of the dream. Thank God she noticed I wasn’t getting out of my bed and had patiently woken me up 3 times or else I would have been really late for work.

Anyhow, I was just reading Diogo’s post about controlling emotions and just remembered Jerry saying I was such a cry baby. I cry when I’m upset, mad, frustrated, or hurt. I cry when my dad raises his voice while talking to me and I cry when I’m very worried. Funny because I never cry when I get injured unless it’s really, really bad. If Iwere to get slapped, I would probably cry not because of the physical pain but more because you slapped me and I’m emotionally hurt (I’ve never been slapped on purpose by the way). I don’t know how the crying starts because one minute I’m just talking or sitting there quietly and the next thing I know, tears are rolling down my cheeks. I normally cry when I have too much emotion like when I’m really, really upset, hurt or very angry. I prefer crying than shouting or throwing things around. It’s a good outlet for me.

You know what’s funny? I feel more like myself when I cry. What do I mean by that? It means you’re seeing me with my guard down. You’re seeing nothing but exactly how I feel. I don’t care how I look and I don’t care what anyone else thinks... I just need to vent. I need to let it out. I don’t like crying in public but I can’t always help it. Sometimes I’ll just cry. Some of my friends have seen me cry and they can tell you what I’m like. I pretty much say what goes inside my head while I’m crying. I remember when I broke up with my former bf… I cried all night and then I had to work on a project the following day. I went to a meeting at a friend’s house and we were working on our project and I was crying the entire time. They wanted me to go home and rest but I reminded them we needed to finish the project because the deadline was coming up. Imagine me sitting in front of the computer, crying and occasionally banging my head while uttering the words, “I’m so stupid…” It really is a sight to behold. Most people see me as a very cheerful person who always has it together so it surprises them to see my crying.

I hope you never see me cry because it means I’m not ok. =P

Weird

I had another weird dream last night. I don’t recall much of it except that I was on a field trip with some friends from highschool and I have no idea where we went but it was some gallery or building of some sort and we were in a room with marble floors. There was a wooden bench and we were sitting on it, talking and taking pictures. I realized I had forgotten my camera in the bus so I went back to get it and the next thing I know, I’m somewhere else with my mom and my brother Miguel and a few people I didn’t know. Anyway, we were going somewhere and we sat down to eat and take a rest and this very cute guy sitting across the table was talking to us and he kept smiling at me. I kept thinking to myself, “Do I know him? And why is mommy talking to him like I’m supposed to know who he is?” Anyway, he was texting me, asking me if I wanted to go out for dinner and when I looked at the phone I was holding, it was a Nintendo DS and he was holding one too and so was my mom and Miguel. The guy’s was blue, mine was white, mommy’s was red and Miguel’s was something but I can’t remember what. Anyway, we had to go and the next thing I knew I was awake.

Very, very weird!

Hooked!

Last night I found myself watching yet another episode of Heroes. Dammit! I wasn’t planning on getting hooked on another TV series. I really thought it would be one of those wanna-be series but it turns out I was wrong. It almost has the same charm as Lost where you find yourself watching episode per episode trying to find the answers to the big mystery surrounding it. It’s almost as if each episode is a piece a puzzle and when you think you’re about to get the big picture, something happens and you’re back at square one – guessing what’s about to come.

I don’t know how many others even watch it. I only started watching it because of JR. I actually missed the first few episodes but JR had been able to see it via streaming video on the internet and I had him narrate them to me. Hehe! They finally revealed who Sylar is but I still can’t quite figure out how he was able to inherit telekinetic abilities from his first victim and whether he is in fact inheriting his victims’ powers. My favorite character by far is Hiro Nakamura. I think he’s pretty adorable and although he is clueless at present, he seems very powerful in the future.

The more I write about this, the more I realize you probably don’t know what I’m talking about! I also realize it can be pretty hard to follow especially if you’ve missed a few episodes. Anyway, I like watching it.

Childhood Friend

I grew up with a boy for a bestfriend. I don’t re-call meeting him for the first time – I was far too young. He’s two years older, stubborn, smart, and mischievous. He was my hero. We didn’t go to the same school but our houses were right beside each other. I always thought he knew everything. He taught me almost all the games I know from the simple Hide-and-seek to Patintero, Tumbang-preso and Bahay-bahayan including where are the good places to hide when playing hide-and-seek, what to do so a dog won’t bite you (this requires you to bite your tongue while passing a dog but you have to keep your mouth shut or else it won’t work), what makes a good instrument for christmas caroling (extensive research and product testing an absolute must), where babies come from (yep, we saw 2 dogs one day and he said they were making babies – I was shocked, I was only 7 or 8 at the time! And I thought babies were put in mommies’ tummies while they sleep at night…tsk tsk…), how to fake afternoon naps so I can go out and play afterwards (I never mastered the art of faking naps… I always fell asleep after a few minutes), how to scare your baby brother effectively (I always got caught and got in trouble for it), how to make your wounds heal faster (go to church and put holy water in it), among so many other things. We hung out so much that the other neighbors thought he might be gay (I was able to convince him to play Barbie with me on some days – hey, he always played Ken anyways and now that I think about it, I don’t even know where he got the Ken doll because it sure wasn’t mine!).

It took me 2 years to learn how to ride a bike. I don’t know why it took me so long but during the time when I didn’t know how to ride one yet, he would always let me ride on his bike. If we were riding his bike, I could sit behind him since he had one of those really long seats that could hold 2 small children but if we were riding my big bike, I had to stand behind him on those things that stick out the sides of your bike wheels. One day, he was biking and I was standing behind him and my right foot slipped and I scraped my knee on the pavement. By the time he stopped, blood was dripping all over my leg. I would never forget the look on his face. Utter panick. He brought me home and my nanny cleaned my wounds and he felt really bad about it. If you are wondering why I am even writing about this particular incident, this explains the tiny scar I still have on my right knee. I love that scar because it reminds me of my childhood and the special friend who cared for me.

He was my first crush and he knew it because the moment I realized I liked him, I told him. I remember it like it was just yesterday. Funny the things you remember as you grow older. I think I was somewhere between the age of 5 and 7. We were playing with some friends and we were hiding in my garden and I tapped him on the shoulder and I pretty much blurted out that I liked him. I don’t even know why I did it but I never regretted it. He just looked at me, smiled and that was it. It really is so much simpler when you’re younger. No fear, no uneasiness and you can so easily forgive yourself for the things you do. Did he feel the same way? I don’t know and I’ll probably never know. He never said anything. We were bestfriends and eventhough he knew I liked him it didn’t change anything between us.

Sadly, we grew apart as we grew older. I don’t really know how it started. It’s as if one day I woke up and we were strangers. We would smile, say hi and exchange a few words whenever we saw each other but that was it. It broke my heart because I felt I lost my most treasured friend. Sometimes I wonder if he thinks about me when he thinks of his childhood. I’m sure the friend I knew back then is still in him somewhere. One thing is for sure, I am grateful for the friendship we shared.

Sometimes I wonder if I am subconsciously measuring every guy I meet against him… LOL!

Annoying

Don’t you hate it when someone tells you to do something and you do it and then they reprimand you later on – for doing exactly what they asked you to do! I don’t understand that at all and for some reason I always get into this situation. Grrrrrrrhhhh!

If there is anyone they should blame, it's them!

My stand on Peace of Mind

I have published this as a comment on Diogo's blog but I thought I might as well put it here...LOL

You have to admit, everyone has a different opinion on what peace of mind is. So to say that peace of mind can be found or attained in a “specific way” is a little flawed. Some people view peace of mind as having everything they want in life so to them, they attain peace of mind by getting the things they want. Some people view peace of mind as being surrounded by the people they love so as long as they have their loved ones with them, they have peace of mind. Some people view peace of mind as being successful, so they strive to be successful. Some people view peace of mind as being close to God, so they live religious lives to have peace of mind…and so on and so forth.

Ever wonder why so many people can’t seem to find peace of mind? It’s because they haven’t figured out yet what gives them peace while some people want everything in order to have peace of mind.

Diogo is right to say that a glass that is ¼ full is still ¾ empty. The question is, are you ok with that? Are you ok with the fact that life will never be perfect, that you will always want something more, and there will always be something that you lack? Are you ok with the fact that life will not always seem fair and that with every success you attain, you will have disappointments?

Personally speaking, peace of mind is being ok with myself – what I have and don’t have in my life – coming to terms with the fact the life will bring me pain together with each happiness that comes along. I may not always have peace, but I will have moments of it and that is enough for now.

What Kids Say Love Is... (this is cute)

What kids say love is...

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds,

"What does love mean?"

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think?

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
-Rebecca age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."
-Billy age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
-Karl Roberts age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your Frenchfries without making them give you any of theirs."
-Chrissy age 6

“Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
-Terri age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
-Danny age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
-Emily age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen,"
-Bobby age 7

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate."
-Nikka age 6

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
-Noelle age 7


"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
-Tommy age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me ad saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore,"
-Cindy age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at nght."
-Clare Age 6

"Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken."
-Elaine age 5

"Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
-Chris age 7


"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
-Becky age 3

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
-Lauren age 4

"I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her."
-Bethany age 4


"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."
-Karen age 7

"Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."
-Mark age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
-Jessica age 8

Article by Bo Sanchez

Another week and already it’s beginning to get busy. I was reading an e-mail that a friend had forwarded to me. It almost made me cry! It was an article written by Bo Sanchez and in it he talks about how unfortunate it really is that a lot of Filipino women are forced to work overseas as domestic helpers in order to provide for their families. He writes that a lot of us forget how blessed we are that we have our families with us 24-7. About 80% of these women working abroad are already separated from their husbands and most of them haven’t seen their children in years. I can’t imagine being a mother and being away from my children. I must admit I admire the strength and the amount of sacrifice these women make just so they can send their children to school. I thought it best to just post the article here rather than talk about it. So here goes…

We were going to Hong Kong that day. I was going to preach for three days but had two extra days to be with my family. Picture us at the airport: My wife carrying our baby in her arms, my eldest son bouncing about like a rabbit and announcing to the whole world, "I'm going to Hong Kong Disneyland!" And the poor skinny father? Straining to push eight massive bags on a wobbly cart with a stubborn right wheel. (I've noticed that these deranged carts supernaturally end up with me wherever I go.)

That was when we heard the crying.

Correction. Not crying. But spine-chilling, lung-busting screaming.Two kids were holding onto their mother. They were separated by four-foot tall steel bars. But to those distraught children, those steel bars represented two years of being without their mother - the contract of a domestic helper in Hong Kong.

Four small arms clutching, grabbing, not letting go.

The whole world heard their pleading scream, "Mommy, please don't go! Please don't go!" I'll never forget the mother's pained, tortured face - as though a knife was ripping through her body. My wife cried openly. I wept inside and held onto my kids more closely.

That was two days ago.

Yesterday, the story continued...

Those Small Arms Continue to Reach Out

Yesterday was Sunday. And I walked around Central. If you don't know Hong Kong, Central is where thousands upon thousands of Filipina Domestic Helpers congregate. They sit on sidewalks. They sit on overpasses. They sit by storefronts. I walked passed one woman who was reading a handwritten letter. The handwriting was obviously a child's penmanship. I walked passed another listening to a little cassette player - not to listen to music - but to a voice of a kid telling stories. But what broke my heart was the news given to me by Shirley, the head of one organization that tries to help them get financial education. I was shocked by what she said. "Brother Bo, out of our 700 members who are married, 80% are already separated from their husbands."

Families aren't designed for prolonged separation. They're not just made for that.

We're supposed to spend time together.

6 Steps to Spending More Time with Your Family No Matter How Busy You Are

"Bo, why are you telling me this? I'm not in Hong Kong. I'm living with my family under one roof."

Listen. Yes, you're not in Hong Kong. But if you don't have time for your family - and your heart is not focused on them - you might as well be in another country.You could be physically present - but are you emotionally present as well? Let me share with you five important steps you could take to become more emotionally present with them...

Step #1: Be Close.

I'm still in Hong Kong as I write this piece. It's five in the morning as I type this article in bed. And my little family is literally around me because we're all sleeping on one bed. Yes, we've become one mass jumble of intertwined humanity - our limbs, legs and arms crisscrossing each other. And that's when I realize - gosh, I don't know how blessed I am. Why? Here I am with my family. I feel their skin. I smell their scents. We're so close, I feel their breath. And yet I'm surrounded by 148,000 domestic helpers here in Hong Kongthat have been away from their families for months, for years, for decades. And for those who've separated - forever.

Let me say it again: We don't know how blessed we are.

We complain that our families are nutty. But we don't understanding how blessed we are to have them close enough to experience their nuttiness. We complain about our petty quarrels, our cold wars, our dysfunctionality. But whose family isn't dysfunctional? I've talked to some people here in Hong Kongwho would give anything to be with their families again - even for just one day of nuttiness. The first step is to be more emotionally present to your family is to actually be physically present to them. Be close!

You need to know how precious your family is - and treat them that way. You need to see them as your true wealth - that nothing is more precious than your relationships.

Step #2: Be Deliberate.

Because you need to protect this treasure or they get stolen from you. No matter how busy I am, I schedule a weekly romantic date with my spouse. Yes, I actually write it down in my appointment book and treat it like a meeting with the President of the Philippines. These weekly nights are blocked off for the entire year. Nothing can touch it, except some dire emergency. Why? Because if my marriage fails, everything else stands to fail as well: My ministry, my businesses, my soul... So it is an emergency that I bring her out every week.

I also schedule a weekly date with my kids.I believe parents need to do these one-on-one dates with each of their kids. Unless of course you've got 18 children and may need to bring them out by two's or three's. Sometimes my son and I just walk around the village and talk. It doesn't have to be big. But swapping stories and opening our hearts to one another on a consistent basis is already very big to them. It means they matter to you - that you value them - and you'll see their self-esteem grow.

Step #3: Be Expressive.

I tell my wife "I love you" seven times a day. I hug my kids countless of times a day. At night, I tell my kids, "I'm so proud you're my son. I'm so proud I'm your Daddy. You're a genius. You're a loving boy. You're an incredibly gifted young man..." This is true. I have met 40-year olds who long to hear these words from their parents - "I'm proud of you," and feel an empty space - like a gaping wound in their souls because their parents have never told them this.
Don't do that to your kids.

And before I forget: Praise your kids seven times a day.And praise your spouse seven times a day. I'm not kidding. It will revolutionize your marriage. If I say, "Criticize your spouse seven times a day," I bet you'd say, "Kaunti naman. I do that already." But that's the problem. We don't realize that when we criticize our spouses, we actually destroy our marriage bit by bit - not just our spouses. But when you praise and honor your spouse - you build up your marriage.It can be very simple stuff:

Ang sarap ng luto mo ngayon, Hon.
I thank God He gave you to me.
You're so hardworking.
I love it when I see you play with the kids.
You know how to make me happy.
Ganda mo ngayon.

Keep on doing this and you'll see changes in your life and your marriage you thought were not possible.Let me say it again: Praise your spouse - and your children - seven times a day.

Step #4: Be Deep.

Your weekly dates shouldn't just be watching movies, eating out and going home. Talk deep. Talk about your feelings. Enter into each other's worlds. Dive into each other's dreams, hurts, desires, worries, hopes and burdens. When you open yourself up to your spouse or your child, there are more chances for the other person to open up to you.

Step #5: Be Simple

Yesterday afternoon, I preached to 700 people in Hong Kong. I usually give my talks for 45 minutes. That's been my trademark. But yesterday, I gave a solid two-hour talk. Vein-popping, heart-pounding, passion-driven talk - because I had a burden in my heart. Because I preached on Financial Literacy. I challenged them, "Raise your financial I.Q.!" I scolded them, "When you left the Philippines, you told your kids, 'Anak, two years of separation lang 'to. After two years, Mommy will have saved enough and will go home and we'll be together again.' But after two years, you go home and you haven't saved. Because you repainted the house. Because there's a new TV set in the living room and a new gas range in the kitchen. Because the kids have new designer rubber shoes. I taught them how to live simply and ruthlessly save 20% of their income. Because unless they do this, they will be forever trapped in Hong Kong.

Look at your life. Are you living simply? Are you saving 20% of your income?

Step #6: Be Financially Intelligent

I also taught them where to invest. I told them, "It's not enough to just save. You need to know where to put your money. Because savings accounts at 1% and time deposits at 5% won't do. Inflation - which is at 7% - will simply eat them up." So I taught them about mutual funds and other investment vehicles, including the ability to sell something and get into business.
Here's the truth: The more you know about money, the less time you need to make money. So the more time you have for your family.

Actually, a time should come when you don't need to make money. Instead, you let money make money. And that requires financial intelligence. Read. Attend seminars. Look for mentors.

Go Home.

After giving my talk, I took a deep breath and told my audience in Hong Kong, "When you follow these principles and have saved enough - please go home. Please go home to your children."

I made a lot of people cry that day.

I'm telling you the same thing.

Oh yes, you may be living with your family in one house, but it's possible that your heart is so far away from your spouse and kids - and they are far away from you as well.

You need to let your heart go home.

Go home my friend.

Your heart belongs there.

single

Ah yeah that's right
All you single people out there
This is for you

I'm not waitin' around for a man to save me
(Cos I'm happy where I am)
Don't depend on a guy to validate me
(No no)
I don't need to be anyone's baby
(Is that so hard to understand?)
No I don't need another half to make me whole

Make your move if you want doesn't mean I will or won't
I'm free to make my mind up you either got it or you don't

[Chorus:]
This is my current single status
My declaration of independence
There's no way I'm tradin' places
Right now a star's in the ascendant

I'm single
(Right now)
That's how I wanna be
I'm single
(Right now)
That's how I wanna be

Ah yeah Uh Huh that's right

Don't need to be on somebody's arm to look good
(I like who I am)
I'm not saying I don't wanna fall in love 'cos I would
I'm not gonna get hooked up just 'cos you say I should
(Can't romance on demand)
I'm gonna wait so I'm sorry if you misunderstood

[Chorus]

Everything in its right time everything in it's right place
I know I'll settle down one day
But 'til then I like it this way it's my way
Eh I like it this way

Make your move if you want doesn't mean I will or won't
I'm free to make my mind up you either got it or you don't
'Til then I'm single

This is my current single status
My declaration of independence
There's no way I'm tradin' places
Right now a star's in the ascendant

"Single"

-Natasha Beddingfield

I like the message of this song. I believe in taking my time before I enter any relationship and I find that it's better to be happy with yourself rather than rely on someone else to make you happy.

I have to remember

thanks to Tina for this!

If the Lord has you on hold... hold on!
If the Lord has said "NO" to you... thank Him!
If the Lords is molding your heart and mind... go with His change!
If the Lord opens doors that you have asking Him to open... Praise Him!

God has His hands on the situation!

YOU SAY GOD SAYS BIBLE VERSES

You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 3:34 )

You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 )

You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

Blogs about God

As mentioned in my previous posts, I’ve been going through other peoples’ blogs and I just discovered that there are a lot of people that blog about God, religion and their faith. Just when you thought nobody goes to church anymore combined with the number of non-practicing Christians, it really is good to know that God is still remembered and revered by many.

I think it is very healthy to discuss God every now and then. While some people think that questioning your faith is wrong, I think it helps you gain a better understanding of what faith really is and having a deeper sense of belief. If you don’t ask why, you won’t know why. As the Bible says, “seek and you shall find”.

I find it interesting to hear what others have to say about God. Since each person has a special relationship with Him, each one will have a story to tell and an opinion based on their personal experiences. God manifests Himself in so many different ways and when you listen to other people’s testimonies, it’s as if you see Him in a new light and it makes you think.

The best things in life are free...?

Life is so unpredictable almost to the point that it scares me. Just when you think everything is fine and everything seems to be going your way, something will happen and everything just comes crashing down. It’s almost as if the best things in life are no longer free because you eventually have to pay for all the good times you enjoyed with some really bad days. Sometimes I’m afraid to say I’m happy for fear that it will be taken away from me. There are also times when I feel like I have to work so hard for the things I want to get that when I finally get it, it almost feels as if I had paid for it.

I don’t always feel this way. I really do believe in blessings and I know God is good and He loves me. I just get frustrated and overwhelmed by the things that are out of my control.

Now 100!

Officially a hundred posts!

It surprises me how much I’ve written in a few months.

Why?

Once in awhile someone I love or care about deeply will confide in me about a difficult situation he/she is in and I will sit there and listen and I can’t help but wish I could do something about it. I find it really difficult not to get affected. Many times I’ve found myself crying for friend in trouble and it really bothers me to know that a loved one (be it family, relative, bf, friend…) is suffering. I feel like I should do something but Idon’t know what it is that I can do and most of the time I really can’t do anything about it. Sometimes I feel like listening isn’t enough although often times it is. What hurts me the most is the fact that I know this person has a good heart and deserves nothing short of the best that life has to offer and it seems unfair that he/she has to go through some really ugly stuff. I don’t understand why.

I got stood up!

Ok, after a dozen phone calls it’s official – my client has ditched me. He was scheduled for training and he didn’t show up. I should feel bad because he sort-of wasted my time but I don’t feel bad because I didn’t want to go through it with him anyway. I would have probably needed to stay at work until 6:30 PM had it gone through.

Time for some more software testing… fun, fun, fun! (sarcasm here) But I’d rather do QA than train today. If Steve was making chicken ceasar or briami for lunch this day would be perfect.

waiting...

While writing this, I’m on the phone, trying to reach a client. This is my third phone call to the guy and I keep getting his voicemail. It’s funny he has such a long introduction – one in English and another in Spanish (I think) or something that closely resembles it. It sounds very professional though and quite impressive considering he’s only telling you to leave your name, number and a brief message and he’ll call you back. So, I recorded my message and pressed the review button (I have a habit of reviewing my messages before I send it). Content with the message I recorded, I waited for the machine to tell me which button to press to send and it proceeded to give me a long list of options. It got pretty confusing and tiresome so I hung up. It will send it anyway right? Oh well, I’ll try again in a few minutes.

Happy about it

I must have been super tired yesterday because as soon as I got into bed last night I was fast asleep. Jerry came by my house to have dinner with my family and to ask my dad for help with his new laptop. I must say, I love it when he spends time with my family. As soon as we walked through the front door, Miguel and my dad were waving at him from the living room and my mom was giving him a hug. Jerry went to my brothers’ bedroom and said hi to JR while I was changing in my room. Jerry pretty much ate everything that my parents offered him and I could tell my parents were very pleased (poor Jerry must’ve been really full after dinner!). Of course my mom talked to him the entire time he was there.

I really love that he gets along so well with my family.

An unlikely visitor

I was reading this woman’s blog and one of her posts was about her “unlikely visitor”. She was playing with her daughter when she heard a knock on her front door. She thought it unusual since it was a single knock so she went to see who it was or what it was. She found a bird lying on its back. It apparently knocked itself out on her front door but it was still breathing. She felt sorry for it so she was trying to think of ways to help the poor thing. Of course she didn’t have a clue what to do so she was thinking maybe she should get a toothpick and support the bird’s neck with it and maybe nurse it back to health with milk. She ended up calling a vet’s office and by this point, she was already crying because she was very concerned about the bird. The woman who answered the phone told her they don’t help wild birds and advised her to “let nature have its way”. At a loss, she went back to her front door to check on the bird and to her surprise, it was back on its feet as if nothing had happened.

I don’t know why I’m writing about this but when I was reading her post, I was imagining it happening in my head and I guess I found it amusing. Amusing and touching at the same time. To be honest, I don’t know what I would’ve done if I were in her shoes. My first instinct would have been to call my brothers or my dad and ask them what I should do. For some reason, when it comes to things like this, I always think my brothers or my dad has the answer. Would I have cried? I don’t know.

Apologies to those who might mind

I've been clicking on the Next Blog button and browsing through strangers' blogs. Since I don't know any of them personally and I want to be able to go back to their blogs at some point (when I have the time), I've added a separate link list to keep track of them.

I apologize if I'm linking to yours and you don't want me to. If it helps to know, I'm linking to your blog because I happen to think your blog is very interesting. =P

I don't like you but I don't know why

I don't have any problems being introduced to others or meeting new people. I can be shy at times but I'll smile and talk. If I seem very quiet, it isn't due to anything negative, it's probably because you make me nervous. Just give me sometime to get comfortable, I promise to do better.

Although I find that once in awhile I'll meet someone and I'll feel uneasy towards that person or for some reason I just don't like him/her and I don't know why. It's like my instincts are trying to tell me something even though I don't know what it is. I know it's not right to judge others right away and I do try to get to know the person a little better first before I make up my mind but it's hard for me because my guard automatically goes up. It's like my instincts are screaming and I'm trying to shush it down and I'm trying to convince myself that there is nothing wrong with the person and that I should be extremely nice.

The thing with me is that I can't fake my emotions. If I don't like you, you'll know or atleast get the inkling that I don't like you. I won't be rude to you but I will put some distance between us. I will be helpful when needed, I will listen, and I will respect you but unfortunately I can't force myself to like you... it has to happen on its own. Although most of the time my instincts are right, I have been wrong in a few occasions. I guess I have to let some time pass, see what happens and do a re-assessment. LOL

something on a post-it

The other day I was training a client over the phone and I wrote the following lines on a piece of post-it. I’m very bad at writing poems. I can write essays anytime but I suck at poems.

I am a butterfly
A cloud in the sky
I am here one minute
And gone before you know it
I am hiding in thecupboard
Or sleeping under a tree
Sometimes I am lazy
Othertimes busy as a bee
I am lying on a beach
Gazing at the sea
I am jumping on a puddle
Dancing in the rain

I don’t know why I was writing it or what I was thinking of. Ijust started writing andthis is what came out. It doesn’t make any sense but it’s very rare that I would write something like it (eventhough it’s very bad) so I wanted to keep it here. =P

Panalangin

Panalangin ko sa habang buhay
Makapiling ka Makasama ka
Yan ang panalangin ko

At hindi papayag ang pusong ito
Mawala ka sa 'king piling
Mahal ko iyong dinggin

Wala nang iba pang mas mahalaga
Sa tamis na dulot ng pag-ibig natin dal'wa
At sana nama'y makikinig ka
Kapag aking sabihing minamahal kita

Panalangin ko sa habang buhay
Makapiling ka Makasama ka
Yan ang panalangin ko

At hindi papayag ang pusong ito
Mawala ka sa 'king piling
Mahal ko iyong dinggin

Wala nang iba pang mas mahalaga
Sa tamis na dulot ng pag-ibig natin dal'wa
At sana nama'y makikinig ka
Kapag aking sabihing minamahal kita

Panalangin ko sa habang buhay
Makapiling ka Makasama ka
Yan ang panalangin ko

At hindi papayag ang pusong ito
Mawala ka sa 'king piling
Mahal ko iyong dinggin

Panalangin ko sa habang buhay
Makapiling ka Makasama ka
Yan ang panalangin ko

At hindi papayag ang pusong ito
Mawala ka sa 'king piling
Mahal ko iyong dinggin

Panalangin ko sa habang buhay
Makapiling ka Makasama ka
Yan ang panalangin ko

"Panalangin"

-Apo Hiking Society

some words...

I noticed a lot of us who blog, don’t seem to blog on the weekends… it makes me wonder if most of us are blogging when we’re at work…?

I didn’t sleep too well last night. It’s probably because I slept yesterday afternoon and might have had too much sleep. Jerry called me around 2:30 AM to say goodnight and since I was sleeping so lightly, I actually heard my phone ringing, was able to answer it and consciously talk to him. I normally miss his calls when he calls me past 1 AM and if I do get the chance to answer my cell, I’ll be carrying a conversation with him and have no recollection of it in the morning. Sometimes I’ll even ask him why he forgot to call me when he said he would and he would tell me he did but I just don’t remember. It’s weird. If I were hiding something from him, I think I would’ve blurted it out during one of those conversations. LOL…

I’ve been dreaming a lot about moving. I don’t know why but almost every night I would dream that my family’s moving again. It’s a different house everytime but it’s always a house with so many rooms. I hate moving because of the hassle and I guess it’s probably why I dream of it so much.

My youngest brother, Miguel, was doing his homework last night – again, at the very last minute. I heard my mom reprimanding him again for delaying. I had to smile because he reminded me of myself when I was in highschool. I used to love to wait until the very last minute to do my homework and I don’t know why. My mom used those very same lines to me and I would always tell her not to worry because I would finish it on time. My parents could never be mad at me when it came to my school work because I always managed to get really good grades. I loved going to school. To me, it was a game… a challenge… and I loved it. Hopefully Miguel will learn, just as I did, that starting early really helps. I am not too worried, he’s smart and he’s really, really good in Math (I remember him getting a perfect score in his math exam when he was four… he was so little and he would always cry in school but he some how managed to get a perfect score in his finals. Little brothers… they always surprise me.) Occasionally he’ll slack off a bit but when motivated, he bounces back.

I need to get an eye exam. I keep getting headaches. I obviously don’t have much to write…

more money, no chores?

During lunch, one of my co-workers had brought up the topic of household chores (specifically on the subject of who should do the cooking). She said that her former boyfriend had told her that his mom earns less than his dad so she compensates by cooking and looking after the dad. He then told her he would expect the same from his wife someday. This guy believes that the spouse who earns a lesser amount of money should compensate by doing all the household chores. I can’t wait to see what happens if his spouse earned more than him… (maybe he’ll change his mind then? =P)

I don’t believe that this should be the case. Personally, I think it’s a whole bunch of crap (Sorry if I’ve offend anyone by saying so). I think that each one should do what they can when they can. I could be working as hard as I could and still make less than what my spouse could be making. So does that mean, although I’m dead tired at the end of the day since my spouse is making more, I should be doing all the household chores? What if we had children? Should I do the household chores and at the same time take care of the children while my husband sleeps or watches TV? I would understand if my husband was tired or sick or maybe even stressed. I don’t have anything against men and I certainly don’t have anything against doing household chores. I just think that each person should do what they can to help. Even if I were making more than my spouse, I wouldn’t expect him to do everything at home. I would do as much as I can. I think both spouses should compromise, atleast take turns. Who does the household chores shouldn’t be based on who’s earning more money. It almost seems as if this guy is trying to say that the person who has more money should get the upperhand. Selfish.

Sleep..I want more!

This morning had me struggling to get out of bed. I was sooooo sleepy and all I really wanted to do was stay at home, close my eyes and sleep. Is it just me or does your bed seem so much softer when you need to get out of it? During days like today, I wish the TTC would go on strike, the snow to fall so hard we can’t go anywhere or that I would get a fever just so I have an excuse to stay at home. Like always I talked myself into getting up, taking a shower and before I knew it I was on the train.

a slip of the tongue

Today I was doing Staff training again and in the second class I did this afternoon my trainees were very rude. I’m doing this for their benefit and not mine. It’s not my fault that they have to go through it because it was something that our VP had arranged and not me. It’s not even a full day. All they have to do is sit there for an hour, listen and follow instructions. These are sales guys, tech support guys and QA monitors. The purpose of the training session is get everyone trained so that we are all in the same level of understanding. It is bad enough that when we get a tech support call, the tech people often have to pass the question to me because they don’t know the answer. But for them to be offered the opportunity to learn and instead of participating, they sit there and play games, well, it pisses me off. It’s a waste of my time when I could be doing something else (blogging for example…LOL). The sales guys and tech gys asked me if the can do whatever they want and I was so pissed the time that I just blurted out, “sure you can but if you ask me a question I’ve already covered during the training session, I’m just gonna tell you to f*ck off!” I was surprised I even uttered those words… I don’t really use bad words and I don’t want to develop the habit of using them either but I find that when I’m really upset, sometimes they just fly out. Of course I regret it later on but…sigh...must be PMS too!

"we can always blog about it"

Q: How do you know when you’re browsing way too many blogs?
A: It’s when you finally go back to yours and then telling yourself, “shirtz, my writing is crap!”

I was going through Pao’s blog (I miss you Pao!) and then I clicked on a link to another blog that had a link to another one and so on and so forth…until I came upon a blog that I have to admit is very entertaining (minus all the swearing and vulgar language of course). It amazes me how well some people can write and it’s always surprising to read what goes through their heads. It reminds me of the advertisement on TV with the tag line – “Thankfully we don’t always say what’s on our minds” and I kinda feel like adding “but we can always blog about it!”

It’s fun reading someone else’s post and then finding yourself smiling and nodding in agreement or moving your head from side to side thinking, “I know how that feels!” or “You’re absolutely right” or “Haha! Funny! I can’t believe you said that!” followed by a big sigh. It's also fun to see what other people's blog title says or their blog descriptions. Why can't I be that creative? Some people are so creative and have such talent when it comes to writing that it makes you stop and wonder what it would be like if they wrote a book or had their stuff published.

if your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...

Opening Credits:
My Love is Like Whoa – Mya Feat Missy Elliott (what does this mean?)

Waking Up:
So Sick – Neyo (LOL! I had to decide this morning whether I should call-in sick for work)

First Day At School:
Show Me the Money – Petey Pablo (I WAS told in order to get somewhere I needed to get a good education! HAHA)

Falling In Love:
Just A Little While – Janet Jackson (Gee…I sure hope not)

Fight Song:
Smooth Criminal – Alient Ant Farm (oops! You better watch out!)

Breaking Up:
I hope it’s You – Ntwine (ouch!)

Prom:
Higher – Creed (huh?)

Life is good:
Fall to Pieces – Avril Lavigne (what the?! And here I thought life was great..)

Mental Breakdown:
Dilemma – Nelly Feat Kelly Rowland (it sure would be quite a dilemma wouldn’t it?)

Driving:
Otherside – Red Hot Chili Peppers (otherside of the road? Or I should be on the other side of the driver’s seat? Or maybe it means, “see you on the other side?”)

Flashback:
Wisemen – James Blunt (I sure hope I made some pretty wise decisions… I would hate to look back at my life and have regrets.)

Getting Back Together:
I Miss You – Incubus (I’m sure this would be a reason)

Wedding:
The Distance – Evan and Jaron (I can't take the distance I can't take the miles I can't take the time Until the next time I see you smile I can't take the distance And I'm not ashamed That I can't take a breath whitout saying your name But I can't take the distance…)

Birth of Child:
Hey Ya – Outkast (Oh God I hope these are not the first words I utter towards my first born)

Final Battle:
She Wants to Move – N.E.R.D. (you can count on me making a move.. )

Death Scene:
This is Your Life – Switchfoot (nice… like they say, your life flashes before you when you’re about to die)

Funeral Song:
Millenium – Robbie Williams (uh I don’t get it)

End Credits:
Listen – Beyonce (yeah guys…listen!)

nothing

I want to write but my mind is blank.

I've been in a training session since morning and I'm eager to get it done.

I had a bad dream last night and I'm glad it's just a dream. I wouldn't know what to do if it had been real.

It's pretty quiet today... it's making me want to go home, crawl into bed and sleep.

Eeeeekkkkk!

I’m back at my desk… FYI, I was sitting in the boardroom for close to 3 hours doing nothing. No, correction, I was talking and joking around with our VP, my boss, and the sales guys so it’s not like I was there doing absolutely nothing right? (grin)

I just finished opening an e-mail from Tina. I was too spooked out to watch the video by myself so I coaxed my co-worker into sitting beside me and us watching it together. I would have died had the sound been on. Ha!

I must admit I’m such a baby when it comes to horror films and spooky stuff. I will go to a scary movie and spend half the time looking at everything BUT the screen or burying my face on Jerry’s shoulder and then asking him afterwards what happened (Jerry will attest to this =P). The thing is, my imagination just gets the best of me. When I go home at night and I’m alone in my room trying to fall asleep, I will think of every imaginable horrifying thing that might come out to get me. Or when I’m in the shower I’d be so scared to close my eyes for fear that when I open them I’ll see a ghost or something (I’d be so scared I’d rather risk getting soap in my eyes than close them). Another thing that keeps me up at night is the fear of dreaming about something that I saw in the horror film. I can’t control my dreams so that really scares me (I’m really scared of dreaming about being stuck inside the Silent Hill movie – it’s just way too creepy for me!). I tried watching the Exorcist and I only saw 10 mins of it and then turned it off. I watched The Grudge (the Japanese version) at noontime so it was bright and sunny and I my dad was nearby and that part where the girl was crawling down the stairs had me screaming and running for my dad. Back home I shared my bedroom with my brothers and I used to wake my brother up in the middle of the night because I needed to go to the bathroom and I needed him to wait for me outside the bathroom until I finish (I don’t do this anymore by the way in case you were wondering… I just turn all the lights on! LOL). How embarassing is that?!

It must be in the genes… I mean nobody in my family is brave enough to sit through a scary movie without flinching except for my dad (lame exuse I know).

How do you know?

I’ve come across this quote so many times before… “It is true that you don’t know what you have until you lose it… but it is also true that you don’t know what you’re missing until it arrives…”

I was just thinking, when it comes to certain things in life, how do you know when to let something go and when to hold on to it? If you let it go too soon, then you risk losing something that you didn’t know was valuable. But if you hold on to it too long, then you risk regretting missing another opportunity that you could have otherwise taken had you been open to it. I don’t necessarily mean relationship-wise although the question I had just asked seems to come up more often when it comes to relationships. But isn’t it the same question you ask yourself when you’re trying to decide whether it is time to look for another job? Or when you’re considering moving to another place? Or whenever you are trying to decide whether you should take the next step?

How do you know when you should play safe and when you should take the risk?

In my opinion...

Tina has blogged about it. Suzy has blogged about it. I might as well blog about it too! =P

How do you know when you’ve met ‘the one’ for you?

As I mentioned on Suzy’s blog, as little girls we dream of a prince on a white horse coming to sweep us off our feet. Many of us have our minds set on finding ‘the one’. I have to say, Suzy was right when she mentioned romantic movies depicting lovers who meet and instantly fall in-love with each other and everything else falls into place and they knew right away they were meant for each other is unrealistic. Although the idea of having someone to love and love us back is certainly something we all want, it isn’t right to say that we should all jump on the wagon without looking at it in the right perspective. It is the idea of loving and being loved in return, the idea of having someone you can share your life with and the belief that true love exists in this messed up world is, I guess, the main reason I love watching romantic films. It is not to say that I agree with the concept of a ‘soul mate’ depicted in these films. Another thing that bugs me is the concept of ‘Love at first sight’. How can you possibly say that you love a person when you don’t know anything about him/her? Love takes time. It doesn’t happen in an instant.
I once asked my mom how she knew that my dad was the right man for her and she told me, “You never know sweetie. You can spend your entire life together and die and you still wouldn’t know.” I asked my dad the same question and he told me, “There is no way of knowing… it’s all about the choices you make – who you choose to spend the rest of your life with. It is not always asking yourself who you cannot live without, rather, it is who you see yourself living with – someone who shares and understands what is important to you and helps you grow…”

Suzy wrote, “…I mean I always used to say technically there are so many guys I could have dated for years, sweet, smart loving guys (because I mean it has to be someone I can at least have intellectual convos with otherwise shoot me) – hell I could have been happily married to one of them. Statistically speaking so many of us could have ended up with someone different had the circumstances been different why? Because it all depends on what we thought at the time was a “good relationship”… or if we were “wanting to get with a guy asap” or whatever motivation we might have had…” – I strongly agree with her statement. I’m not yet married but I do know that looking back at the relationships I’ve had (both romantic and friendly), I know for a fact that at that time, I saw myself marrying that guy. I have several close guy friends, guys I’ve shared so many experiences with, and all of whom I must admit I can see myself having a romantic relationship with or even, possibly, marrying. First of all, there is no such thing as a perfect man so to say that there can only be one specific person for you is ridiculous. I’ve stopped looking for signs. You don’t hear bells, there’s no singing, no flashing lights and no flashbacks nor visions of a previous or future life. It just doesn’t happen that way. Period.

As Tina quoted, “…Then let's say God puts two people on Earth and they are lucky enough to find one another. But one of them gets hit by lightning. Well then what? Is that it? Or, perchance, you meet someone new and marry all over again. Is that the lady you're supposed to be with or was it the first? And if so, when the two of them were walking side by side were they both the one for you and you just happened to meet the first one first? Or, was the second one supposed to be first? And is everything just by chance or are some things meant to be…?” My mom used to say, “Lucky are those that find true love twice in their lives…” I am not saying that we should go ahead and have more than one partner just because there can be more that one right person for you. I just think it is best to consider your options. Don’t get caught in the moment and don’t rush into a relationship just because there is a need or a want that needs to be satisfied or because it makes you feel good. However, I am also not saying that you should jump from one relationship to another or refuse to commit because you are constantly looking around.

A lot of us mistake attraction with love. I have to agree with Suzy when she said that maturity plays a part. It takes time to know oneself. Heck, I’m still learning new things about me everyday and the more I discover myself, the more I realize what it is that I need and want and the difference between the two. Every person and every experience I come across with teaches me a thing or two. Each one of us has a picture, an idea of what kind of partner we are looking for but there is no such person who will embody all of the characteristics we want. How often do you hear a woman/man say she/he wants someone who is attractive/handsome, smart, understanding, able to provide, loving, sweet, accomplished, kind… we make the mistake of putting our partners on a pedestal even before we meet them. If you ask the people who are happily married if they married their ‘ideal partner’, they don’t say yes! Just like what Tina is saying, we should learn to ‘negotiate’. Try looking for a partner who loves and respects you and has your love and respect in return, who shares the same values as you, someone you can grow with and who looks at the same direction as you. As my dad puts it, “It is important not only to have love but that you and your partner are willing to make it work, to give it your best shot.” I love hearing my dad tell me, “You must remember that you cannot force your partner to be like you, to think or act like you because he is not you. You are two completely different people, who grew up in two different environments, who have different opinions… but what is important is that the two of you are looking at the same direction.”

There so many people out there who might be just as compatible with you as the person you are with now. Keep an open mind and when you decide to enter into a relationship with someone, give it your best, learn from it and see where it takes you.