Think About This:

Should you find it hard to get to sleep tonight; Just remember the homeless family who has no bed to lie in.

Should you find yourself stuck in traffic; don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for the last three months.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in sire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week, for $15.00 to feed her family.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance;
Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking "what is my purpose"; Be thankful, there are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be them!!!

Things Aren't Always What They Seem

Two travelling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guestroom. Instead, the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied..."Things aren't always what they seem".

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel "how could you have let this happen!? The first man had everything, yet you helped him," she accused. "The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let their cow die."

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave her the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

Sometimes this is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later.

I am Learning to Let Go.

I'm learning to let go, set her free and wish her well.
I'm learning to let go, cos sincerely I do not have any resentment,
I'm learning to let go, cos I'm willing to forgive and not to blame each other.
I'm learning to let go, not due to indifference but to lag the feeling behind.
I'm learning to let go, cos I want to release the guilt I hold.
I'm learning to let go, cos I always have to think positive.
I'm learning to let go, to heal my heart and always let it open.
I'm learning.

A Gift

A relationship is a gift.
It gives the opportunity to seek imperfections in us.
It offers us to prepare ourselves for finding and recognizing true love.
It is a gift of discernment.

A Sad Story

It all started when I was 6 years old. While I was playing outside on my farm in California, I met a boy. He was an average kind of boy who teased you and then you chased them and beat them up. After that first meeting in which I beat him up we kept on meeting and beating each other up at the fence. That only lasted for a little while though. We would meet at the fence all the time and we were always together.

I would tell him all my secrets. He was very quiet he would just listen to what I had to say. I found him easy to talk to and I could talk to him about everything. In school we had separate friends but when we got home we would always talk about what happened in school.

One day I said to him that a guy I liked hurt me and broke my heart. He just comforted me and said everything would be okay. He gave me words of encouragement and helped me get over him. I was happy and thought of him as a real friend. But I knew that there was something else about him that I liked. I thought of it that night and figured it was just a friend kinda thing that I was feeling.

All through high school and even through graduation we're always together and of course I thought of it as being friends. But I knew deep inside that I really felt differently.

On graduation night even though we had different dates to the prom I wanted to be with him. That night after everybody went home I went to his house and wanted to tell him that I wanted to see him. Well, that night was my big chance and all I did was just sit there with him watching the stars and talking about what I was going to do and what he was going to do. I looked into his eyes and listened to him talk about what his dream was. How he wanted to get married and settle down. He said how he wanted to be rich and successful. All I could do was to tell him my dream and cuddle next to him. I went home hurting because I didn't tell him how I was feeling. I wanted to tell him so bad that I loved him but I was too scared and frightened. I let my feelings go and told myself that someday I would tell him just how I felt.

All through college I wanted to tell him but he always had someone with him. After graduation he got a job in New York, I was happy for him but at the same time I was sad to see him go. I was sad also because didn't tell him how I felt. But I couldn't let him know now that he was leaving for his big job. So I just kept it to myself and watched him go on the plane. I cried as I hugged him for what I felt was going to be the last time. I went home that night and cried my eyes out. I felt hurt that I didn't tell him what I had inside my heart.

Well, I got a job as a secretary and then worked my way to a computer analyst. I was proud of what I had accomplished.

One day I got a letter with an invitation to a marriage. It was from him, I was happy and sad at the same time. Now I know that I could never be with him and that we could only be friends. I went to the wedding the next month. It was a big occasion. The big church wedding and the reception at the hotel. I met the bride and of course him. I fell in love one more time. But I held back so it wouldn't spoil what should the happiest day in his life. I tried to have fun that night but it was killing me inside watching him being so happy and me trying to be happy covering up my sadness tears inside of me.

I left New York feeling that I did the right thing. Before I left on the flight, he came running out of nowhere and said his good-byes and how he was very happy to see me. I came home and just tried to forget about what went on in New York. I had to go on with my life.

As the years went on, we wrote to each other on what was going on and how he had missed talking to me. On one occasion he never wrote back to me at all. I was getting worried as to why he hadn't written anything for a long time after I had already written 6 letters to him. Well, just when everything seemed hopeless and sad in my life, I got a note that said: "meet me at the fence where we used to talk about things". I went and saw him there. I was happy to see him, but he was broken-hearted and sad inside. We hugged until we couldn't breathe anymore. Then he told me about the divorce and why he hadn't written for a long time. He cried until he couldn't cry anymore.

Finally, we went back to the house and talked and laughed about what I had been going and to catch up on old times. But in all of this, I couldn't tell him how I felt about him.

In the days that followed, he had fun and forgot about all his problem and his divorce. I fell in love again with him. When it came time for him to leave back to New York, I went to see him off and cried. I hated to see him leave. He promised to see me every time he could get a vacation. I couldn't wait for him to come so I could be with him. We would always have fun when we were together.

One day he didn't show up like he said he would. I figured that he might have been busy. The days turned into months and I just forgot about it. Then I got a call one day from a lawyer in New York. The lawyer said that he had died in a car accident going to the airport. And that it took this long till everything was settled. It broke my heart.

I was shocked about what took place. Now I knew why he didn't come that day. Again, I was broken-hearted. I cried that night, cried tears of sadness and heartache. Asking questions why did this happen to a kind guy like him?

I gathered my things and went to New York for the reading of his will. Of course, things were given to his family and his ex-wife. I finally got to meet her since the last time we met at the wedding. She explained to me how he was and how he always provided. But he was always unhappy. She would always try everything but she couldn't get him happy, as he was that night at their wedding. When the will was read, the one thing that was given to me was a diary.

It was a dairy that of his life. I cried as it was given to me. I didn't know what to think. Why was this given to me? I took it and flew back to California. As I flew on the plane I remembered the good times that we had together. I started reading the diary and what was written. The diary was started with the day we first met. I read on till I started to cry.

The diary told of him saying that he had fallen in love with me that day I was broken-hearted. But he was too afraid to tell me what he had felt. That is why he was so quiet and liked to listen to me. It told of how he wanted to tell me so many times, but was too afraid to say anything. It told of when he went to New York and fell in love with another. How the happiest time he had was seeing me and dancing with me at the wedding. He said he imagined it was our wedding. How he was always unhappy till he had no choice but to divorce his wife. How the best time in his life was to read the letters written to him by me.

Finally, the diary ended when it said, "today I will tell her I love her". It was the day he was killed. The day I was going to finally find out what was really in his heart.

What if...

A boy applied for a job as a public bathroom attendant. He was told he would be
given the job after he filled out the form, but the boy replied that he could not write.
The interviewer then informed him that he did not qualify.

On the way home, the boy saw some apples that were underpriced and bought them.
He sold them for double the price. As the years passed,
he ended up becoming a millionaire who owned a chain of twenty fruit stores.

One day his bank manager asked him to sign some papers. "Sorry" he said.
"I can't write. My wife looks after all that." "You're kidding!" said the banker.
"What would you have become if you could write?"

The millionaire though for a moment and said: "a public bathroom attendant."

What I Find to Be Most Romantic

I remember I used to take the public transport when I just finished school and started work. As usual, in the mornings I would take the East bound train to work. Getting into the crowded cabins at Lakeside was never an easy task. Especially when u have to stand all the way to Raffles Place.

This very morning, I sleepily stood in one of my usual cabins,with hands hanging on the railings supporting the rest of my languid body. Before long, I was abt to witness a scene so endearing and vivid that it remained forever in my memory.

There's this couple sitting just across from where i stood. Both of them were holding hands. Soon after, the gal drifted off to sleep while locking her arms around the guys' waist. He sort of provided support with his broad shoulders for her dainty head to rest.

Before long, he too began to slumber. A while later, she woke up. Seeing that he was still in dreamland, she smiled at his countenance, with his eyebrows knitted in a funny fashion. Somehow, he could sense that she was watching him and began to awake.

She began tapping her fingers gently on his knee, once, twice, thrice. He nodded with approval, as though understanding what she meant.

They looked into each other's eyes, and soon a smile began to form on both their faces. She then whispered into his ears. He couldn't really contained his laughter, with both now smiling sheepishly and smiling, even grinning from ear to ear.

Nothing unusual abt this scene, perhaps u might have seen it all the time. Just two more facts to add to this story.

His hair was already grey, with brilliant streaks of grey and white. Lines abound along his face, cracks too have made homes there. His used-to-be lithe frame now carries his 60 yr old body with much more fragility, much more carefulness. Hands strewn with sinews and veins protruding, he could have been working hard all this life.

Her hair, though long .. was pure white as snow. Eyes which might have been bright, now seemed dim in comparison. Wrinkles too can be found on her faintish countenance. U could just make out her dainty frame, she might have been pretty when she was young, with a terrific figure to match.

Well, to me, what I find to be most romantic is to be able to grow old together with that someone u truly love. Love takes time, to cherish, to nourish, to cultivate. And if u give love a chance, u will definitely reap what u have sown.

"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them with our own image - otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do Your Work in the C.A.F.E.

"THERE is little difference in people. But that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative."

- W.C. Stone

If you think your life is hell and your work is a never-ending torture,
your attitude will make it even more so.
You either look at a glass of water as half-full or half-empty.
If it is half-full, you focus on what there is and enjoy it;
if half-empty, you notice only what is not there and suffer over it.

Try adopting the Cafe attitude -- Creative, Adaptive, Flexible and Easy-going.

The next time your life and work turn hard on you,
just imagine that you are sipping your favourite coffee in a nice Cafe.
With your new Cafe attitude, you will transform the way you see your life and work.
For instance, you will relish work, not for the money it pays, but the satisfaction and pride it brings.
My personal motto is: "Do what I love and love what I do."

Reflect on this for a while, and you will realise this truth:
It is not our work but our attitudes that will make us feel that way.

Inventor Thomas Edison once said: "I never did a day's work in my life, it was all fun."
With Cafe, your life and work can be fun.

Appreciate your friends

Friends are very rare jewels, indeed.
They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.
They lend an ear, they share a word of praise,
and they always want to open their heart to us.
Show our friends how much you care today.
Show your friends how much you appreciate them and what they mean to you.

YesTerDAy Is BuT toDaY'S mEMoRy,ANd ToMOrRoW iS tODaY's DrEAm.

You Don't Know...

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles.

Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.

They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Pepsi and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years.

Finally the long-awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk. Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met.

"Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother's sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more, you saved my life."

Every little hello, every little smile, every helping hand saves a hurting heart. Pass it on.
There's a miracle called Friendship that dwells in the heart.

You don't know how it happens or when it gets started but, you know the special lift it always brings and you realize that Friendship is one of God's most precious gift!

Crossroads

Sometimes, when I look back and think of all the "could-have-beens" in my life,
I often wonder did I make the right choice?
Did I miss a road sign? Am I on the right track?

CROSSROADS... they happen all the time: saying goodbye to some, choosing only one.
Letting go, holding on, settling for now, but facing what must come.
Yes, in life we all reach a crossroad sometime.

We make painful decisions and take some risks as we pursue our dreams.
But one should not stay at the CROSSROADS too long.
For even the birds have to leave their nests sometimes and learn how to fly.
Mother Eagles were known to push their young eaglets out of the nest,
even before a flying demonstration was granted.
Somehow, built deep within them, there is an inbuilt ability to fly. And they did.
Life's road is long and rough, and there are stretches when one has to do it all alone.
And should you meet the CROSS at the ROAD, be consoled.

Yes, more often than not, the road less travelled will surely bring you home.
Face the light and the shadow falls behind you.
Turn your back and the shadow stays in front of you.
Indeed, the truth hurts, but it will surely set you free.

Some people meet that somebody that they can never stop loving, no matter how hard they try.
I don't expect you to understand that, or even believe it,
but trust me, there are some loves that don't go away.
And maybe that makes them crazy.
But we should all be lucky to end up with that somebody who has a little of that insanity.
Somebody who never lets go. Somebody who cherishes you forever.

I have cherished and nournished this insanity in my life journey,
and I have found it to be a worthwhile travel...
for I can only pass through this life once.
Let me love you unreservedly....

Especially to...my wifey :)

The Greatest...

The greatest pain in life is not to die, but to lie...
The greatest hurt in life is not to love and not to be loved, but to be ignored...
The greatest sin in life is not anger, but grudge...
The greatest sadness in life is not to die, but to be forgotten...

Someone who Understand

"Having someone who understands is a great blessing for ourselves.
Being someone who understands is a great blessing to others."

- Janette Oke

Life Lessons

1. Life is a series of lessons and the world is your teacher.
You are not here to suffer but to be educated.

2. Life never gets simpler. You only learn to handle it better.

3. We live in a world where things are constantly changing.
Embrace changes and be adaptable.

4. Your life is a perfect reflection of your beliefs.
Events unfold according to your beliefs.
Change your beliefs and your life changes accordingly.
Believe it to see it, then you can see it and believe it.

5. The challenge of life is to appreciate everything and get attached to nothing.
Be detached but not disinterested.

6. Life does not have to be an endless struggle.
Let things flow. Be balanced. Don't be desperate.
Nature doesn't understand desperation. Nature seeks balance.

7. If you want something in life, give it away first.
When you want a smile, give your smile.
When you want affection, give affection.
When you want respect, give respect.

8. Don't focus on what is impossible.
Positive thinkers think about what is possible.
In concentrating on the possibilities, you make things happen.

9. Follow your heart and do what you love.
This does not guarantee an easy life, but an interesting life.
Your mission in life is not to be without problems.
Your mission is to get excited about life.

10. If there is something in life you don't want,
stop worrying about it and stop talking about it.
The energy you put in keeps it alive.
Withdraw your energy and it goes away.
When you let go of things, they let go of you.

Spread love

"Spread love everywhere you go: First of all in your own house.
...let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.
Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face,
kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile."

- Mother Teresa (1910-97)

8 Gifts that Do Not Cost a Cent.

Do you have it?

1.The gift of listening, but you must really listen.
No interupting no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

2.The gift of affection.
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds.
Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

3.The gift of laughter. Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories.
Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you".

4.The gift of a written note.
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief,
handwitten note may be remember ed for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

5.The gift of a compliment.
A simple and sincere, "You look great in read" "You did
a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.

6.The gift of a favor. Everyday, go out of your way to do something kind.

7.The gift of solitude.
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive
to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

8.The gift of a cheerful disposition.
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's
not that hard to say, Hello or Thank you.

It takes 3 ...

It takes:
3 sec. to say "I love you",
3 mins. to explain it,
3 hrs. to demonstrate it,
3 days to appreciate it,
3 trimester to produce it...
but a LIFETIME to prove it.

Genuine Friendship

Genuine friendship is not measured by time...
but it is measured by acceptance...
A friend is one where even though you reflect the silver,
he/she sees the GOLD.

Never ...

Never whisper words of love if the feeling is not true...
Never share your feeling if you mean to break a heart...
Never look into my eyes if all you have to do is lie... and
Never say hello if you really mean goodbye...

Soul Mate...

A soul mate is someone who brings out the best in you...
They are not perfect but is always perfect for you.

Love is not a Word

Love is not a word to say when we feel guilty
nor the right word to say when we like a person...
But LOVE really matters when we share our thoughts, our minds and our hearts.

When to hold, When to let go...

Hold a friend's hand through times of trial,
let him/her find love through a hug and a smile...
But also know when it is time to let go,
for each and everyone of us must learn to grow.

Take a Chance

Always take a CHANCE.
The end result may not always be what you hoped for but that's fine...
At least, you will never go through life ...
...wondering "What if... and "If only...."

True Love

The real test of true love is having all the things go wrong
but still having a special way to love
despite of all the wrong things that may happen.

5 Rules

Five Rules to be happy:
1) Free your heart from hatred,
2) Free your mind from worry,
3) Live simply,
4) Expect less and
5) Give more

Strength vs Courage

It takes strength to stand guard, It takes courage to let down your guard.

It takes strength to conquer, It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain, It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in, It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain, It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to hide your own pains, It takes courage to show them.

It takes strength to endure abuse, It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone, It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love, It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive, It takes courage to live.

If you feel you have neither,
May the world hug you today with its warmth, and love.
And may the wind carry a voice that tells you there is a friend
Sitting in another corner of the world wishing you well !

Tea..., anybody?

"People are like tea bags-you have to put them in hot water before
you know how strong they are."

Life....

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, they 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; your roommate, neighbor, professor, long lost friend, lover or even a complete stranger who, when you lock eyes with them, you know that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you and at the time they may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in 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 or bad 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, if they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. Safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life and the successes and downfalls you experience, they are the ones who create who you are. Even the bad experiences can be learned from... those lessons are the hardest and probably the most important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to who 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 opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them.

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 either.

Don't forget prayers and asking God for the strength to overcome the every day trials, as He will strengthen you. You need only to ask.

You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets. Most importantly if you love someone tell them, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store.

And learn a lesson in life each day you live.

Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday. Was it worth it?

The Wind Beneath My Wings

The Pessimistic complains about the wind,
The Optimistic hopes that the wind will change,
The Realistic changes the direction of the sail...
But The EagleBoy Soar above the wind...cos
When he feels the current under his powerful wings,
He can feel the pleasure of his Designer and Maker....
Becos He was Made to Soar!