Perhaps I’ve been blessed by God to see the beauty in life. The stories below are from simple yet powerful experiences I’ve had over the past month. I’m just soooo blessed to have such wonderful learnings. I know our good Lord is teaching me lessons that are meant to be passed on. Let me share a few stories.

The joys of Traffic ;-)

A few weeks ago, I decided to attend an event in Quezon City on a Wednesday evening, a forum called Juan Great Leap Startup Event. I had a rough time commuting from Makati to QC. I was late and I was tired and I was damp under the rain.

"When you're done with your drama, you're read for more action and comedy! Life is good!" - edWIN Ka Edong Soriano
“When you’re done with your drama, you’re read for more action and comedy! Life is good!” – edWIN Ka Edong Soriano

I thought to myself: there must be a reason I was being so persistent, even “moved” to go to this forum. Maybe there were some ideas I needed to hear, people I needed to meet, conversations I needed to have. I didn’t know what it was, I just knew that there was a blessing within this arduous commute to QC.

In the meantime, as I was waiting in line for our jeep, we reached the part where I was standing under the drizzle. I felt an umbrella touch the tip of my hairs. I look back and see a young lady – she was sharing her umbrella … “discretely”! We spoke. I learned that Nikon (she was named after the electric fan brand!) spends 2-4 hours every day commuting between work and home.

Oh I am suuuuuper blessed to be living and working in Makati, where I want and when I want. Thank you Lord for contrast, for reminding me of this blessing.

BTW, I caught only the last 20 mins of the 3 hour forum. Saya, ‘di ba?

Natural high

For the next many days after the forum, I was in a natural high. I had a meeting with Lawrence, my business partner, at a not-so-usual Starbucks branch. As if on cue, I got to meet a friend of Lawrence who just so happened to be in the area — and we hit it off very well, I just naturally enjoyed this person’s being at a very subconscious level. I felt very blessed to have met Bianca Grey. That conversation, without us trying to, turned up some good opportunities for both our companies. Amazing!

That same evening, I got to share my experiences of life to my friend Hermrei during an event at PSI. During dinner, we serendipitously bumped into old friends Laarni and Tataks, and we had an impassioned conversation about running marathons. Hermrei could feel my energy and enthusiasm. I was just really passionate about life that evening. Later, Hermrei remarked that if other people would hear me, they would think I was “adik” — like on drugs in an unusual high. I was just really enjoying my life. I was on a natural high, and I just loved it!

Choose to be Happy

Flashback many weeks prior, I was at Divisoria making purchases for a Planu project. Amidst the typically cold transactional interactions between most people, I on the other hand took every opportunity to lighten the mood each time I spoke to people. I had soooo many funny interactions, totally spontaneous jokes which triggered shared laughter between myself and the vendor or sales lady or guard.

It was so funny when I told my dad my stories and he feared my “safety”. My dad heard frightful stories about Divisoria monster-sales ladies who could eat you alive if you crossed their line. I told dad: “In the more than 40 interactions I had with sales ladies, not one conversation turned sour. In fact most conversations turned light, super sweet or even joyful!”

Happiness is Viral

Just the other night, I was in the comfort room of the NAIA 1 — the world’s fastest improving airport! (o-ha!) .
There was a cleaning lady inside, washing a mop, back turned to me.
As I was washing my hands, I saw myself on the mirror, and just burst out into a childlike giggle!

The cleaning lady turned around and looked at me.
With a perplexed look, she asked “Bakit sir?” (there were only two of us in the rest room).
I said: “Ang saya ng buhay, eh!”
Then she flashed a wonderful smile (maybe her sigh of relief that I wasn’t psycho or seeing ghosts) and said: “Ganun ba?!”
Then I said: “Pupuntahan ko kasi ang mahal ko sa Singapore. Ang saya, ‘di ba?!”
She chimed in: “Ay siyempre, masaya yan!”

I stepped out of the rest room, she bid me “happy trip!” with a sweet smile, even with some front teeth missing. :-)
As I turned around to look back at the cleaning lady, she was still smiling and had an added skippity skip to her stride, delighted with the interaction we had.

Truly, happiness is viral.

It’s the Journey, not the Destination

For sometime, I realized that the happiness I had within was triggered partly by my trip to QC. I realized my purpose for going to QC that fateful night: the JOURNEY was my purpose. My happiness may have been brought about by the contrast I experienced in enduring an arduous journey to Quezon City. I realized how blessed I was to live and work in Makati, or to work online at my convenience. For sometime I believed it was the momentary difficulties in life that made me more joyful in life.

And then I shifted. It wasn’t just the journey to Quezon City that made me happy.

I realized what made me happy!

It is this journey called “LIFE”, the present moment.

This present moment, knowing that God has huuuuge blessings for me.
It is this journey of LIFE I am living right now, together with my future WIFE.

Rezza said “Yes” when I asked her to marry me.
Waaaahoooooo! :D

Rezza and edWIN are Engaged in Happiness
Rezza and edWIN are Engaged in Happiness

It is the excitement of building this life, this relationship, this family, this country
together with my life partner Rezza, to glorify our good Lord.

This is what excites me. This is what I live for! This is what makes me happy!

Life. Happiness. It’s the Journey, not the Destination.

With soooo much Love,
edWIN

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