How much commitment do you give to what you do?
Do you give just enough? Or do you give all you’ve got?

Have you seen people who do their job just because they have to? You will feel how un-committed they are to their job. You see it on their sad zombie face. You can hear their words of complaint. You see their lack of commitment with the poor results of their work. You can even feel their negative energy. They have no commitment nor love for what they do.

I was watching an episode from America’s Best Dance Crew where the dance groups were asked to choreograph moves inspired by Michael Jackson. In that episode, I learned a new way to describe the power I feel when I watch Michael Jackson:

“When Michael Jackson makes a move, he gives his full commitment to it.
He puts his whole mind, soul and being into that one single move.
And then you can feel his love and energy.”

How can we experience this kind of commitment, love and energy in our daily life?

Have you seen security guards at a mall who greet mall guests with such gusto as if they had seen an old friend?
Or maybe waiters who serve you as if you were a member of the royal family?
Have you seen the dancing traffic enforcer who not only directs traffic but also puts in his talent for dancing? Aww!

If you haven’t seen people with such commitment for what they do, maybe you just need to open your eyes ;-) . Or open your heart …

Commitment is the choice you make and surrender to
with all your heart, mind, soul and might.
Just like David delivered the Lord’s orders, and danced before the Lord with all his might …

How about you? What do you do best?
What has the Lord called you to do for the world?

If you are a writer, do you put your heart and soul to every letter, word and sentence that you write?
If you are an accountant, do you put your mind and your love in making sure the numbers balance honestly and correctly?
If you are an employee, do you put your love into preparing that report on time and with the needed insights?
If you are a government worker, do you put your love into truly delivering the service that citizens need from you?
If you are a student, do you take in all the learnings both inside and outside the classroom?
If you are an entrepreneur, do you aim to give good value to your customers?

Do you want to see a person with commitment today? Tell the man on the mirror.

Be Blessed!

edWIN

Visit http://www.edwinsoriano.com/heart-wellness/dance-your-heart-out/ to see the dancing traffic enforcer.

Do you have a relationship where you resent the other person’s opinions, attitude, behavior or way of life? Are you annoyed by how some of your loved ones speak, what words come out of their mouth? Do you sometimes wish that they change so that they become more … more like you?

I’d like to share a few stories and beliefs that have helped heal some of the challenging relationships with my loved ones.

Twisted reflections of Ka Edong, Tony and Flor - I accept all of us regardless

A few months ago, I had a conversation with my father that expresses some of my deepest feelings about my relationship with him. It encapsulates how I have become a more loving son to my father.

Before that, let me tell you about my father and my relationship with him.

My father, Antonio D. Soriano, M.D. – protector or prisoner?

My father is a good man, 71 years young. As much as he knew best, he has provided well for his wife and children. He is a good doctor (an ophthalmologist; Eyes, Ears, Nose, Throat specialist) who has healed many people. He is a good brother, son, nephew, friend. My father continues to grow, learning new talents (learned to play the piano at age 60! continues to learn how to use the computer), reading books and applying the lessons, widening his point of view.

Despite these, I describe my father as being very careful. Veeeerrrry careful. Just to be straight-forward, I perceive my father as fearful. He has a tendency to keep inside his comfort zone, his safety zone.

For instance, one time we travelled to Bicol with family. My mom and I are very adventurous eaters. We wanted to try out the Pinangat and Bicol Express at a local resto. But my father vehemently wanted to eat within his comfort zone. He decided to eat at Jollibee because he trusted Jollibee’s cleanliness, and didn’t trust any other resto in the area.

My eye doctor dad has yet to see the beauty of the sunset

In another incident, I was driving home with my dad in Baguio when I saw how beautiful the sunset was. I searched for a good place to park in the cool Baguio air under the trees and away from the noise just to breathe in the wonderful colors of the sunset. When we parked, I showed dad how beautiful the sunset is. My dad just nodded. As I was appreciating the sunset, I realized my dad wasn’t looking. He just gave a courteous glance, but wasn’t watching the colors of the horizon as they turned blue, yellow, orange, fiery red and grey.

I asked him why he wasn’t watching the sunset. He said watching the sunset could damage his eyes. :-(

Back then, I felt sad, pity and some resentment for my father. His comfort zone has become his prison.

Experiences that keep people in the comfort zone

There are events and circumstances in my father’s life that have led him to be very careful. For one, he is a doctor. He is witness to thousands of cases of damaged eyes or ears, is familiar with how diseases can be passed on through un-sanitary daily interactions. More specifically, in my father’s childhood, my father was witness to his older brother’s fatal accident. My father and his brother were walking home after school when a bus backed up and run over my father’s brother. I believe this experience, more than any other single reason, is what has formed my father into a careful and (over)-protective person.

I completely understand that he wants to protect his life and the life of his loved ones. I just feel that growth has become limited by being over protective. After all, growth is right outside the comfort zone. 

My father’s comfort zone has become his prison.

Then my protector, Now my friend

In my youth, I used to be at odds with my father. I resented how he lived his life of being careful, to the extent of me feeling too constrained, as if my neck was being chained by my father’s rules.

I could hear all my father’s words of paranoia: “it’s not safe”, “not sanitary”, “you could get hurt”, “you might meet an accident”, “you might fall”, “nakakahiya (embarassing)”, “don’t do this”, “don’t do that”.

But through the years, my father and I have learned to have a mutual respect for how we live our lives. He is careful and I respect that even if I don’t agree with him at times. I am more of a risk-taker and my father respects that even if he doesn’t agree with me at times.

This brings me to my conversation with dad a few months ago.

Acceptance

He asked me to join him in their room because he had something to ask me.
He had held back on asking me for more than a year.
He asked me why I resigned from Smart considering that I had said I was doing something I was passionate about in Smart.

I was surprised that Dad had kept his question to himself of so long.
I realized it was dad being respectful of me, not wanting to impose anything on me, not wanting to offend me.

After answering Dad’s question, I told him a message that I feel was extremely important to my Dad.

I told my father:

“Dad, you can tell me anything.
There is nothing you can say or do that will destroy my relationship with you.”

I explained that I won’t necessarily agree or have the same opinion as his.
But Dad can be totally honest and open with me. I will not take offense at all.
Whatever it is.

In retrospect, what I told dad was my declaration of my unconditional acceptance.
I accept Dad regardless. ;-)
I respect Dad and all his feelings, opinions, thoughts.
They are his and he has total ownership and right of his feelings.

An Accepting Attitude

I believe that whatever we say or do at any moment in our lives, it is the best we know to do at that time in our lives.
By understanding this principle, I have become more forgiving and accepting of myself and of other people.

I also believe that our good Lord has His perfect plan all laid out.
If my prayers are not answered the way I want it answered and at the time I want it answered,
I’m okay with it, I accept it.
I know our good Lord has something masterfully planned for me.

I push on forward with my prayers, my dreams, my goals and keep vigilant for the guidance of my good God ;-) .

Have a day full of blessings!
edWIN

At a later time, I will write about the third of my three words: Worthiness. 

For instance, it is healthy for me to let go of resentments, hurt feelings, painful words or acts against me. Hanging on to these negative feelings is like hanging on to acid — it robs us of happiness.

Letting go of negative feelings, I understand easily.

But here’s a mind-blowing lesson that took me some time to understand.
Are you ready to hear this mind-blowing lesson?

Let Go. Let Go of negative feelings and more! (Image via http://chauhanhiren.blogspot.com/)

Mind-blowing lesson:

Let go of old HAPPY feelings.
Make space and create new happy feelings. 

Let me share this story to illustrate.

Na-Net Inventor

Na-Net Inventor is an award-winning inventor. Ten years ago, she attended her high school reunion. At the reunion, she showed all her classmates her 1985 award-winning invention, the Forever-Ultra-Extra-Lift-Hair-Net. She proudly demonstrated her invention to her classmates and she was happy. Her classmates were very happy for her.

Five years ago, award-winning inventor Na-Net Inventor attended her high school reunion. Like an extravaganza, she described to her classmates her 1985 award-winning invention, the Forever-Ultra-Extra-Lift-Hair-Net. She proudly demonstrated her invention to her classmates, ever so happy. Her classmates were slightly happy for her.

This year, award-winning inventor Na-Net was soooo excited to attend her high school reunion. Because she was extremely proud to tell her classmates about her 1985 award-winning invention, the Forever … and ever amen … Hair-Net. She was so happy about her 1985 invention. But her classmates took pity on her.

After more than 25 years, Na-Net was still caught in the “net” of her 1985 happy moment. She hang on too tightly to her old happy moment and failed to create NEW happy experiences.

I want to clarify that it is okay to remember old happy feelings. It’s good for our soul.

The problem is
if we hang on for too long to the old happy feelings,
it can keep our hands full
and can prevent us from creating new happy feelings.

How to let go of old happy feelings: Celebrate!

Celebrate to the hilt all your accomplishments, successes, milestones.
Experience the joy and happiness to the full.
And then let go and move on.

How to create new happy experiences:

• Nurture your relationships. With your partner, your children, your parents, your siblings, family and friends.
• Work towards your dreams. Happiness is in the journey, not (just) the destination.

Key Message: 

Let go of OLD happy feelings.
Make space and create NEW happy feelings.

I thank the PSI Heroic Leadership Seminar for planting this lesson in my heart.
I thank my father for the stories he shared — dad’s stories helped me understand this lesson in a deeper level.

edWIN
www.edwinsoriano.com

Gratitude Journal Nov 2.
I am thankful for:

• a safe and secure home here in Makati
• being prudent and trusting, not being praning
• having faith, not being a worry-wart
• taking action toward my goals
• learning new affirmation methods (thanks Dayle!)
• visualizing with my buddy what our lives will be like 5 years later (love you KB!)
• being patient enough to accept SMS messages that could have incited an extended SMS exchange. Bless you Jen-Jen for leaving peacefully.
• Adobo from Mom!
• Calling mom, telling her how much I appreciate and love her.
• Hearing from mom how she appreciated her birthday celebration and our contribution to it.
• Sharing my success inventory, the programs I have become aware of, and how I am re-programming myself.
• Seeing my alignment with Greg about what we’re working on for ourselves.
• Staff meeting. Fellow-staff. Shares from staff.
• Short and direct share from me: a Relationship weekend for me in Baguio with Rezza and my family.
• Being a buddy to Rezza.
• Chick-In and our Oracle games.
• Staffing for Basic 249.

Life is Overflowing with Gifts from our good Lord

What do you do when a gift is given to you?

a.) Do you accept it gratefully? Or do you refuse it?
b.) Do you open it excitedly as soon as you can? Or do you wait and dilly-dally for a few days/weeks/months before you open the gift? (and when you do open the gift, do you say … “ay, yan lang pala”)
c.) When you open the gift, do you use the gift as soon as possible? Or do you keep it displayed and on stand-by until it gathers dust or gets forgotten?

Often times in life, our good Lord showers us with gifts — blessings!
Maybe it’s in the form of a beautiful sunrise.
Maybe it’s in the form of unexpected money.
Maybe it’s finding a business opportunity.
Maybe it’s re-connecting with a long lost friend.
Maybe it’s the freedom of forgiveness.
Maybe it’s having a friend to share in your grief.
Maybe it’s learning a new lesson.
Maybe it’s going through a challenge that strengthens us.

a.) Accept God’s gifts gratefully! All the blessings the God has for you are yours to enjoy! Don’t ever think you don’t deserve the blessings. Don’t ever think you are too bad or un-deserving of God’s blessings. Our good Lord wants us to receive all of His blessings. I always say “Thank you!” to the guard, to a waiter, to the gasoline boy, to my father, to my girlfriend. Moreover, I say a big “Thank You Lord!” for a great sunset, for a safe trip, for a loving family, for laughter … for everything. Accept God’s gifts gratefully!

b.) Be excited when you receive the gift. Don’t scrimp in the delight of the gifts. I used to take blessings for granted thinking that it’s just ordinary, or thinking that it’s nothing much. But as I rejoice in all the blessings, I realize how much my good Lord loves me. I realize how much more he wants me to receive. When he gives me blessings, I thank Him immediately! I rejoice and take pleasure in the blessings He gives me.

c.) Use all of God’s blessings. Each and every experience is a blessing from God. He gives it to us for a purpose. “Use it or lose it”. When our good Lord guides us towards blessings, heed! Listen to God’s nudges and heed! Maybe the gift is a reminder of God’s presence in our lives. Heed. Maybe the gift requires us to step out of our comfort zone, requires us to stretch ourselves. Heed. Maybe the gift makes us confront our fears. Heed. Maybe God’s gift requires us to be more generous, or to be more expressive, or to be more loving. Heed. Use the gift! Don’t postpone using (or sharing) the gift. It was given for a purpose, it is not a random act of God.

Key messages:

a.) Accept all of God’s blessings! You deserve it!
b.) Rejoice in all of God’s blessings! Be excited, show it!
c.) Use all of God’s blessings! There is a purpose for giving you the blessings. Listen to God’s nudges and heed!

edWIN
www.edwinsoriano.com 

Today, I am thankful for all of the many blessing of our good Lord!

• Sleeping well.
• Waking up relaxed, warm and cozy in my childhood bedroom in Baguio.
• Waking up to the voices of my parents and brother chatting in the living room.
• Waking up my hon to have breakfast while my family watch the photos from Mom’s birthday party.
• Waking up! (period)
• Wonderful photos taken by Eleonor and Rezza. Laughter always makes for beautiful photos.
• Playing around with the piano, making some music. Singing a few songs with Rezza.
• Sharing funny stories over lunch.
• Hearing my parents tell stories to Rezza.

Watching my mom opening her gifts.

She carefully cuts the scotch tape, preserves the gift wrapper and lists down the gift and the gift giver. Just like a bride! :-) . We encourage her to rip open the gift wrapper and she gives in for some of the gifts. During my siesta, I think I heard some crumpling paper. I hope she didn’t keep the gift wrappers :D . Rejoice in the gifts, not the wrapper. Rejoice in the blessings, and make way for more blessings!

• Taking a siesta in the afternoon on the sofa in the sala.
• Rose, her yummy cooking, and smiling face especially when we crack jokes.
• Hugging my mom and dad.
• Driving off with my brother and Rezza.
• After suggesting that Keric drive because he’s more experienced, I liked being told by Keric: “Eh, how will you learn?”. I am grateful for taking on the driving challenge and learning how to drive down Marcos Highway with an Automatic. Thanks for the driving tips, Keric! Thanks Rezza for choosing to bring your car to Baguio!
• Angel cookies, turones de casuy, tarts!
• Beautiful sunset. Thank You Lord!
• Avoiding the traffic jams, having a hassle-free trip, and sharing many stories with two of my favorite people in the whole wide world!
• Joel Osteen and his preaching on valuing our self, rejoicing in blessings.
• Safe and fun travel.

Na-stress ako! hahahaha! I was uncomfortable listening to the two women being mean and sarcastic to one another. Sometimes words can hurt even more deeply than physical pain…. (and, in PSI fashion) …. only if you allow it to hurt you. Suffering is optional.

No Other Woman: Choose your reality

I like the movie for the most part. It’s true, the lines were classic. Cheesy at times, but still high impact. All the double meanings heightened the emotions. And I’d give it to the lead actresses for convincing portrayals. I felt for their characters. Kudos to Cristine Reyes (who looked so innocent and kawawa half of the time) and Anne Curtis (who got beat up in the end … kawawa). Of course, Derek Ramsay did some good portrayal as well — but he was the least I liked, mostly because I don’t believe in the stereotype that all men will fall for an extra-marital relationship.

I have some friends who say:

• “Eh ganun talaga ang mga lalaki: babaero. Tanggap ko na yun.” (Men are two-timers. I’ve accepted that)
• “Kung ako ang nasa ganuong sitwasyon (infidelity), siguro bibigay din ako.” (If I were in a situation of infidelity, perhaps I too would give in.)

To friends who entertain these thoughts, I respond this way:

Don’t ever entertain the possibility of infidelity in your relationship.  The mere thinking of it as a possibility makes you *open* to infidelity.

Although infidelity is real in the world, DO NOT accept infidelity as a reality in your relationship.  Choose your reality.

Believe in faith that your relationship is loving, committed and loyal. Invest in the time, energy and presence to nurture your relationship.

After the movie, I held Rezza in my arms and looked into her eyes. I told her: “Hon, you will never ever experience infidelity in our relationship.” I am a one woman man. A loyalista ;-) .

Love the one you’re with — each day, every day ;-) !

edWIN
www.edwinsoriano.com

Still related with my story about creating new happy memories.

Ka Edong living in the moment. With a Giraffe in Calauit Island, Coron, Palawan. Just being and just at awe with this wonderful creation of our good Lord. God is good! Life is great!

I shared with Jhet a story from a book I read back in 1998.

I told the story from memory and was pleased with the way I re-wrote the story on chat.

So I’m re-publishing it here on my blog. Hope you find something to learn from my share.

1:34amMe Hey, may i share something?

1:34amJuliet

Go share. love to hear ur sharing

1:35amMe

have you heard of the book “einstein’s dreams”?

1:35amJuliet

NO – albert A dreams?

ebook?

1:35amMe

it’s a series of short stories, playing with plots re: time, space, love, age etc.

i read the paperback back in 98

anyway

one of the stories is …

in this (fantasy) world

in this fantasy world of the short story

each person has a codigo book

which tells him/her what to do for each part of the day

because people in this fantasy world have no memory

they rely on their own diary to guide them

at the end of the day, they look at their diary and find out where to go home

and when they go home, they meet (for the first time since they can remember — and they can’t remember) … their loving spouse

yes, their loving spouse. they know because it’s written in their diary

then they have a short chat about their day

and then have a romantic dinner

and put their kids to bed

and they awkwardly go to bed in pyjamas

because it’s their first time (as far as they could remember) that they’re sleeping together

and they make love passionately –

because in this world, every moment together is a first time

no baggages

no history

just the knowledge that this is the only moment they have right now

(end of sharing)

man, i should copy this!

1:40amJuliet

HERE AND NOW. this is the only way to live buddy. – great sharing.

that’s as simple it’s going to get – that story.. i love the source.

in the moment is the best..

Life is Now.

ka edong
here. now.

Problems are just memories.

To overcome bad memories, create new happy memories.

God is Good! Life is Great!

The past week has been rather busy for me. I had a business trip to Cavite, spent time with my bespren Jorey and did online work until late at night a couple of nights in a row.

I arrived groggy at Terminal 3 last Saturday to catch our flight to Coron.

I decided that while waiting for boarding, I was going to catch me some sleep.

As I lay there in the upholstered seats of Terminal 3, I found myself switching between two feelings.

Sleeping in Airport (photo from www.foxnomad.com)

One feeling was pure excitement and joy of travelling with good friends – there were 40+ in our Coron tour group, around 25 of them already good friends from PSI.

Coron Giraffes awaiting

The other feeling was a feeling of loss or “pagka-sayang”.

You see, I had wanted to go to Coron together with a good friend, Nats. Nats had seen her friends’ photos at Calauit with giraffes and zebras. Nats wanted to have that experience too. But Nats and I are no longer together, no longer communicating. And here I was, going to Coron with good friends, but not with Nats.

Shifting feelings

As I was switching between feelings of joy and feelings of pagka-sayang, I was getting tired and bogged down. Why am I feeling down when this is such an exciting trip that my friends had planned for more than three months? We had built up the excitement of the trip and here we were on the verge of flying to our dream destination.

Exercise: Theoretical selective (lack of) memory

As I lay there, half-reflecting and half-dreaming, I imagined myself like Jason Bourne of Bourne Identity.

I imagined myself having the same positively awesome mindset and attitude, having the same knowledge and skills, but not having a memory of what I had gone through the past years. Given this scenario, how will I experience this trip to Coron?

Choose Joy

I chose to experience the joy of the trip, instead of the sadness/loss.

That was a milestone for me, right that moment, lying down on the airport chairs.

Problems are just memories.

We can overcome bad memories and create new happy memories.

Creating new happy memories comes hand in hand with letting go of bad memories.

With a positive mindset, I made a decision that this trip was going to be a great trip!

My Coron experience was awesome!

I was in the moment most times and was just taking in all of God’s glory!

• Beautiful moon and stars, brilliant and vibrant corals and fish, beautiful islands, therapeutic springs and lakes, wonderful wildlife, great food (mostly), sunrise, sunsets.
• Friendship, companionship, laughter, trust, brotherhood/sisterhood, conversations, playing, dancing, singing, discovering new things together.

These and all of God’s wonderful creations, wonderful creatures, wonderful people …

never fails to amaze me and I exclaim: “God is Good! Life is Great!”

Edwin
de-toxified

Rejoice in your treasures. They are but temporary.
- I

How can I miss you if you don’t go away?
- from a song in a concert of the APO

Taking things for Granted

I was at Bonifacio High Street with my pamangkins Tracy, Nathalie and Julian. Julian grew up in San Francisco, was here for a visit and we were taking him around to see some of the beauty and reality of the Philippines.

At Bonifacio High Street, we took some photos of the giant Gummi Bear. I pointed out the “shadow” of the bear on the ground made with a darker shade of cement on the ground. I explained to Julian that the sculpture depicted what a real shadow would look like on a clear day.

Beneath the Shadows, Treasures

I continued to share to Julian a story about our guests from Intel China back in 2008. In Chengdu, China where our Intel counterparts were from, they had an overcast sky all year round. It was partly due to smog from the industrial plants in the area, and partly due to the natural climate of Chengdu.

When our Chinese counterparts flew in for a conference in Cavite on a February, we noticed how much they were enjoying the sunshine of the Philippines. They took pleasure in basking in the sun, and were delighted just seeing the clear blue sky with just a few clouds.

The clear blue sky – one of the wonderful treasures that many of us take for granted.

Julian and I also exchanged insights of travel. I shared that I want to live away from the Philippines for a few years. I want this for myself because I know that by living away from the Philippines, I will learn to appreciate the Philippines more, and I will learn more about what being a Filipino means to me.

I wonder, what have I taken for granted in my life?
What are the treasures I have now that I have not been appreciating or putting value on?
How can I become more aware of the treasures that lack my appreciation or acknowledgement?

After some reflection and recollection, I’ve found that ultimately, there is just one way to consciously become more aware of the treasures we take for granted. We become more aware of unacknowledged treasures by losing them.

Lose your Treasures!

This sometimes happens to us by circumstance.

For instance, forgetting to bring our cellphone or wallet with us when we leave home and spending the day without it. Or having no electricity to power some of the conveniences we have. This helps us appreciates the basics like reading a book, using a paypay (hand-fan), or just having a meaningful conversation instead of watching TV.

I personally lost my wallet while I was in Batanes on a tour. I realized then that I was okay losing a wallet. To me, my wallet was something that held my money and some plastic cards – ATMs, credit card, driver’s license. All of these things are replaceable, it just takes a matter of time and a little inconvenience to replace them.

What I did learn to cherish more were my photographs. I realized I would have been soooo sad if I had lost my photos. These photos capture snapshots of joy or bliss in my life. I want these photos to remind me of this joy, and to remind me to create joy in my life.

Losing something by accident or circumstance can help us become more aware of our unacknowledged treasures.

On the other hand, we can consciously lose our treasure, even if temporary, so that we gain an appreciation of what we have.

Here are some ways to lose our treasures to help us increase the joy of having our treasures.

1.) Pa-miss technique.

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. I know this is true. I’ve experienced this in oh so many ways in my life. When a loved one is lost due to death or a break-up, these are times when we begin to value more deeply the value of this person in our lives.

We don’t want to wait for death or a break-up to discover how much we value our loved ones.

One way to discover our treasures is to get away from our “normal”. By being away from our normal, by being away from our “comfort zone”, we discover what it is we value.

Go on a personal retreat. Go on a solo journey. I’ve done these a couple of times in the past 15 years. And I have always always come out of it a better person, more aware of the people, goals, dreams or things that I value in life = my treasures.

2.) Fasting technique.

In January of this year, I went on a 7-day fast with a few friends from Victory Christian Church. I head heard about fasting from my brother, Eric in 2009. It was an easy decision for me this year to join the fast this year.

While fasting, I had the support of good friends Richard, Jill and Caloy who were fasting too. We had a guide to keep our fasting safe healthwise. The guide helped us make the experience more meaningful spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

During the fast, I experienced many moments of sheer longing. Longing for food. Longing for rest. Longing for sleep. It was funny how my senses were extremely heightened by the sight of food (or *pictures* of food), the scent of food, the mention of food, and even the *sound* of food (e.g. the sound of somebody munching on chicharon 5 – yes, 5! – cubicles away).

More than the physical hunger, I also began to acknowledge and appreciate my spiritual hunger. I wanted to express more deeply the spiritual side of my being. I felt a deeper connection to my God in my times of hunger.

Go on a fast. Be guided by family or friends or a community. Do it together with them. You will discover the many treasures within yourself, the many treasures around you, the many treasures that God has created for you.

3.) Lose your senses technique.

When was the last time you got an ankle sprain or a stiff neck? During these times, maybe you couldn’t walk fast enough to hail a cab or jeep. Maybe you couldn’t drive safely with a stiff neck not being able to look at your sideview mirrors. Maybe you couldn’t sleep well.

These are times when you begin to appreciate more your “normal” flexibility. I personally have some strained back muscles. And I’ve been missing shooting out of bed without the pain.

During our teenage years, my eldest brother, Elmer, took an afternoon off from having sight and made himself blind. He took an eye-shade (the one we use for sleeping to keep our eyes from seeing the light through our eyelids) and wore it for more than half a day. He wanted to know what it’s like to be blind. From this experience, he learned how to appreciate what he is able to do because he can see. He learned to appreciate the beauty of seeing, the beauty of things that we can see.

How can you disable yourself safely? Here are some ideas.

For one day, do not use your dominant hand. Imagine you have disabled your dominant hand and are forced to use your non-dominant hand. What are the things you’ll be less comfortable doing?

For one day, force yourself to stay seated for long periods. Stay stuck to your ergo chair.
When you can’t walk, what things can’t you do much? Will you make better use of your “trip” to the filing cabinet?

For one whole day, wear gloves. See what things you can’t do when you lose your sense of touch.

4.) No media technique.

I’ve personally stopped watching TV for almost 5 years now. I’ve had a TV before. But that has gone un-used. In the condo I live in now, I don’t have a TV. I don’t need one because I don’t watch TV. My father complains too that I should get a radio. When I *need* to listen to radio, I use my cellphone. I don’t turn on any radio as a *default*. I like hearing my thoughts.

If I want to listen to something, I choose classical music, piano music or other instrumentals. This allows me to continue reflecting as I do work or chores. I also like listening to audio books when I’m doing chores.

What media can you forego. Try taking a break from radio. From TV. From your cellphone. From the internet. From Facebook. You may discover that a face-to-face conversation is meaningful beyond a personal message. You may discover that the silence helps you reflect more, or appreciate the chirping of the birds more.

How to rejoice in our treasures

I have described how we can discover treasures that we take for granted.

Armed with this new awareness, how can we rejoice in our treasures so that we no longer take these treasures for granted?

• If we’ve taken our body for granted, rejoice in what our body allows us to do. Nurture our body with healthy food and meaningful exercise and rest.
• If we’ve taken our skills and talents for granted, rejoice by sharing them. Teach someone your skill. Share the blessing by using your skill as a gift to others.
• If we’ve taken our material assets for granted, rejoice by sharing them. There may be things at home that we no longer use. Give these things a chance to achieve their purpose. Give them away to someone who can make good use of it. The space that’s freed up allows us more growth.
• If we’ve taken our loved ones for granted, rejoice by expressing your honest appreciation for them.
• If we’ve taken our good God for granted, be more thankful for His blessings. Share the blessings to His loved ones, to your loved ones. As you give, so shall you receive.

Hug someone you love today

When was the last time you embraced your loved one?
When was the last time you said you love them?

To end, I’d like to share a message I got through my sister. “I wish you enough”

Today is the 20th anniversary of the big 7.7 earthquake that rocked Baguio and other provinces in Luzon on July 16, 1990.

If today we lose a loved one to a catastrophe or an accident, would you say you’ve rejoiced enough in them while they were with you?

Do something today to rejoice in your treasures and rejoice in your loved ones. Hug your loved ones today!

I wish you enough.

Rejoicefully yours,

Edwin

As we were doing an exercise, I found myself being described by my groupmates as “God-centered”. This isn’t among the top descriptions I would typically receive. But maybe through my words and through my actions, it just emanated. Where did it come from?

Gratitude Runeth Over

Gratitude Runneth Over - With Gratitude, blessings increase

Alam niyo, the past two months, I’ve been especially thankful to the Lord for the life I lead.

It started, perhaps, with being witness to the awesome magnificence of Batanes. All I could say when I was in Batanes was “Thank you Lord!” Such a wonderful world He created.

The gratitude continued as I came back to Manila to live a different life as an entrepreneur, freed from the logistic limitations I had from previous employment.

As I settled into this new lifestyle, I couldn’t help by revel in this new life I am leading.

One time I was in a cafe, sipping my tea at 10 in the morning, preparing for a business/technical meeting. I had imagined this scene many times in the past. Being able to hang-out at a cafe (or park, or resto, or home, or anywhere else I wanted) and do my work wherever I was. I couldn’t help by smile with myself and say “Thank you Lord!”

When I accepted the invitation to go to jail, I was extremely thankful to the Lord for the opportunities coming to me and grateful to be in a position to grabe these opportunities for growth and learning.

Gratitude

Gratitude is so liberating!

It increases the pleasure we have from what we are grateful for.

Gratitude increases our blessings! Gratitude opens the door for more blessings.

Showing my Gratitude

My brother asked me the other day: “What do you do to show your gratitude to God?”

Although there is a deeper pre-text to his question, let me answer the question in a few simple ways.

1. I pray to the Lord, I praise and thank Him for the blessings I have in this life.
2. I whisper to myself or sometimes scream out loud “Thank you Lord!”
3. I gaze up the the sky in reverence and say: “Ang galing mo talaga, Lord!” (AGMT!)
4. I’ve also learned to deposit into my “gratitude bank” by bending down like in a half-genuflect, form a fist and pull in my elbow along my side (just like tennis players do when they celebrate). It’s all about putting in all our gratefulness in our “gratitude bank” (thanks Jon for the tip!).
5. I share my blessings with people around, through my words, through my blog, through my being.
6. And, (yes kuya), I take care of my body, which is the temple of my soul. For this, I’ve been getting more sleep (making up for probably 5 or more years of sleep deprivation). I’ve also eliminated a few bad habits I picked up the past years. Yes, we’re getting better. I take care of myself as a way to praise our Lord.

Yes! Depositing my "Thank You's" in my Gratitude Bank!

Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called “present”.

So, am I God-centered? Perhaps.

I prefer to say that God has centered me and grounded me. I have accepted my God and I praise Him with the life I lead.

Who we are is God’s gift to us.

Who we become is our gift to God.

ka edong
Gift-Ed

Anyway, I received a message from Jodl via Facebook. He granted me permission to share his message on my blog.  So here goes …

From: Jodl Gayatin June 14 at 11:01pm

ENFP jodl in flight

Hi Eds,
I’ve been meaning to write you a short note.

In a lot of ways your note of that leap of faith comes in timely. I started working in another company (DKS) the same day that you had your freedom. I do wish that in … (due) time I could have that freedom that you are having now. Am doing my best to lay the groundwork.

And you to shadow makes it a bit easy hehehe.

I was not surprised that you’d be making this move. I saw it coming with your blog and all. I wish all the best. Galingan mo coz you’re living the dream for most of us and we’ll look at you as our inspiration.

By the way..by any chance… ENFP ka ba? It would seem like it.

Anyway the first time I got inspired by your passion was when you had the “Paper Barter” thing done in Narra. I do hope we could have more people like you… those following what their heart desires with such fervor.

I thank you for the bits and pieces that you’ve made a dent in me.

• The time when you sent that “Iguana” when I was in Dole.
• The time we had an impromptu inuman at Clint’s place when I just got back in Manila from my Mindanao sojourn.
• The time you sent me that link on Finding your Purpose..
• The time you gave a copy of your audio books ( have applied the Bucket Principle ever since)
• And now somehow your move is such an inspiration for me.

Good luck on your new endeavor. I definitely know you’ll do well.

I will keep you in my prayers.

Cheers !

Jodl

Here’s my reply to Jodl

From Edwin Ka Edong Soriano June 15 at 11:07am

ENFP (?) ka edong - alive and kicking!

Hi Jodl,

Thanks for your message, I truly appreciate it.

It is words like this from friends like you that help me appreciate even more the way I relate with other people.

Gratitude for Jodl and clarity for myself

I always remind myself that I am doing this change in career for myself and for my God.

Many times in the past, I did things to please other people.

Doing things to please other people — that is a formula for eventual sadness.
It is something that you can never truly be happy for.
It leads to false choices. False choice comes out when we allow ourselves to be influence by our fears, programs, other people’s (negative) thinking that we’ve learned to make our own (to our detriment), or our impressions of what other people might think.

In contrast, true choice is wholly our own happy choice. True choice is something that brings you joy without the need for explanation.  True choice is so much easier when we follow the joy of our heart and know (know in our heart and in our mind) that it is aligned with our purpose in life. Follow our gut, be guided what our heart already knows. We have our own internal compass that we can follow.

In the same breath, I acknowledge and thank Jodl for the kind words. Salamat. Salamat.

Jodl, may you also recognize the blessings that our good Lord showers upon you always!

See you along the way, buddy!

ka edong
http://www.edwinsoriano.com