Sunset

I just saw one of the many magnificent sunset God has ever created today and felt blessed!

Ironically, it was the first time I appreciated heavy traffic on my way home. Because it gave me that precious 3-minute window of opportunity to capture the moment. A moment that seems to be God's way of showing a graceful bow after a great performance!

Last month, I met a girl on a friend's birthday party. I don't know how we came to talk about writing down 100 blessings per day for seven days project. But what she shared to me was really insightful. She told me, she did try to do this when she was so down. And it made her realize that the only reason she was feeling low is because she was focusing all her energy on the negative.


She encouraged me to try it too. Convinced as I was, I immediately tried making my list when I got home. I didn't realize it was difficult to list down 100 blessings every day for 7 days. I always end up at #30 or 40. Then eventually gave up doing my list. Until this moment came, I realized that every breath I take is a blessing in itself and that is definitely more than a hundred or else... =P

Every breath, every moment and every opportunity to appreciate life is a blessing. But it is up to you where you want to focus your energy to.

"If there is something in your life you don't want, stop worrying about it. The energy you put into it keeps it alive. Try to withdraw from it and it will likely go away" - Andrew Matthews, Happiness in a Nutshell

CROCO-BOTS

Let’s roll!

I was out for a long, almost 5 days get-away in the beautiful island of Palawan where love of nature grows in you as days pass by. We visited the best tourist spots the place has to offer which includes Honda bay, crocodile farm, baker’s hill and the famous underground river. It is my second time to be there but it sure feels like the first.

In transit to crocodile farm, our tourist guide was psyching up the crowd by telling exciting stories about crocodile farm; what we must see and what to expect. He also mentioned that there are really a lot of crocodiles in Palawan just like in Manila (referring to the corrupt city officials). We all laughed and agreed that there is some truth to what he said. Thinking about it, I came to a conclusion that in reality, no matter where you are in the world there would be some people who are greedy; whether for money or for power. But the bigger question is will you become one of them?

As Gandhi would put it, “be the change you want to see in the world.” In my 5 days stay in Palawan, I have seen that most people living there dare to be the change! Their system is quite impressive when it comes to tourism. Everything is centralized. The rates are standardized. So that, everyone gets a fair chance to make a decent living thru tourism. They have transformed their local tourism into an experience worthy being called “world-class!”

I saw and felt their culture of sharing thru their actions. Our guide even shared his tip from us to the driver even if we directly handed him the money. These few small gestures speak volumes of what the people of Palawan are made of. They are “croco-bots” upholding truth in all their endeavors.

Every day we must all strive to transform to be a better version of ourselves. And I’ve seen this work in them. Through this, it is my hope that we can make our country better; one city, one province or one person at a time. I encourage you to take the path towards a better you.

“Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing.”- Optimus Prime