Why You Must Follow Your Dreams

When we were young, we had thoughts of who we were going to be when we grow up. 

Like other young girls, becoming a ballet dancer was my very first childhood dream. There's something magical about ballerinas, that girls are trying to be like them. Perhaps, it's the dazzling costumes and the pointe shoes or maybe the grace, beauty and elegance that goes with it.

I had a lot of ambitious dreams when I was young such as joining a beauty competition, becoming an actress or perhaps a flight stewardess. Until one day my daydreaming galore went to a standstill when a critic (a.k.a. cousin) found out about my secret fantasies. She laughed out loud and said to me with such determination, “you couldn't be one of those, you lack the height ..." I didn't want to hear what else she had to say.

As a dreamer, criticism could not stop me to keep on dreaming. As I grew older I tried to be more realistic in choosing what I really wanted to be… I could either be a teacher, an accountant or maybe a nun.

A few years after finishing college, I had difficulty settling into a good career. I thought I might not have known my life's true purpose. So I sent a letter to a nunnery to ask questions of what I needed to do to become one of them. After a year or more since the inquiries, three nuns came to town to finally meet me. Unfortunately, they showed up a bit too late. They came on the day after I got married. It was clear then that living in a monastery and wearing a habit wasn’t my destiny after all. For I eventually became a nurse.

It took me many years to finally figure out what I really wanted to do with my life. Nowadays, I am pursuing another passion which is "writing". I love to write about life and hopefully my writings will inspire others. Someday, I would love to write my own memoir or an inspirational book! But first things first, I want to become a better writer.

We should not stop dreaming and must always pursue our true passions because our efforts may lead us in finding the true meaning of happiness and contentment in life.

Oftentimes life gets in a way and pushes us into another direction farther away from what we really want to be. We get sidetracked and give up following our true longings. Do you wonder why there’s too many people who are unhappy with their lives despite being successful in their careers? Success doesn't satisfy a burning emptiness inside them because they lost sight of their inner passions and something that truly matters in their life.

Do you know that "all dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them"? One of my favorite quotes from Walt Disney.

But don't forget to follow the dream that you truly desire. Hence,  later on you can honestly say "I have no regrets in life".

Good luck and happy dreaming!

Believe in Yourself

"Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy." -Norman Vincent Peale

When my son Jason found out that these were all the books (shown in photo) they had to learn throughout the first semester this year,  he was a little bit worried. It's been known to Physical Therapy students that the first semester in fourth year is the hardest.

On the other hand, he felt excited knowing he's getting closer on reaching his goal. When the first semester finally ended last October he proudly announced to us that he made it with flying colors. Sadly almost half of the class failed. He took this picture to record his milestone in college and put our dog besides his books as a prop.

His success didn't come easy. There were some failures and frustrations during his early years in college. What made him turn around was when  he realized that he deeply desired to become a Physical Therapist. Failure is not an option especially during these economic hard times, a good education is really a must.

To achieve this goal he decided to change his mindset. He started believing in his capabilities that he can achieve anything if he puts his heart and mind into it. He devised a better study plan that he thought works best for him and he started working harder. Soon after, he started achieving successes, such as attaining higher grades, being noticed for good performances in class and getting praises and positive feedback from   teachers and peers. Consequently, these improvements boosted his confidence further which inspired him to strive even harder.

We've heard a lot of success stories all our lives and sometimes we wonder what's the secret. Oftentimes we say these successful people are lucky because they have the means or the talent to succeed.  But from reading their stories and  my own observation and experiences in life I came to realize that anyone is capable of achieving success.

First of all, you  need to discover what is your innermost desires or dreams. Then you must believe in yourself,  because believing is one of the most important step to success. The next step is to take action or take charge in achieving your desires or dreams in life. If you'll fail on the first try, don't give up. Have faith in yourself that you can achieve, get up and keep going until you reach the finish line!

Good luck!

Related Topic:

  Don't Quit- An Unforgettable Poem

Blogging Again

Firstly, I would like to say thank you to all who dropped by and took the time and effort to leave a comment on my blog. Also, thanks for giving Facebook thumbs up on my posts.  It’s been awhile since I wrote my last entry here.

A few months back, I acquired a photo editing software called Adobe Photoshop. Since then retouching and manipulating images has become my new leisure pursuit. Though it was not my intent to neglect my blog, I needed time and intense concentration to be able to learn the complicated software. After lots of long hours of  hard work and dedication, I can finally say my efforts have paid off.  I have gained a new skill. Henceforth, I promised myself to also set aside time just for blogging. So, I’m back in the blogosphere!

I did some tweaking and experimenting on my blog design to find that sweet spot and to give it a fresh new look. I also changed my header using the new skills I learned in Photoshop. The new header is simple but I think it looks better than what I had before.

I hope this blog makeover drives my passion for writing again. I feel like a newbie once more but I'm happy to be back!

Looking Back on Life

I would certainly agree that time flies when you’re having fun.

It dawned on me that in two month’s time, five years have gone by since we moved back from the U.S. to the Philippines. I’ve realized that this could mean our long vacation is dwindling down and soon we’ll have to face life’s challenges once again.

I can still remember the day when I said my goodbyes to co-nurses at work five years ago. Their reactions to my departure were a mix of yay and nay; some were envious but happy for me while others thought I was crazy for giving up a prosperous career. Nonetheless deep inside I felt proud, I may not own houses, expensive cars and other material possessions as my overachiever co-workers do but I am not stuck in a lifestyle. I have options and freedom to live life as I pleased.

The memory seems like yesterday, when the family had finally embarked into a taxi that would take us to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. That day was hard and tense. We thought we would not finish everything we wanted to do, but we made it, “barely”. Hubby was the last one out of the shower and was still putting his shoes on when the taxi driver knocked at the door. We had been rushing hard everyday for a month or two getting ready for the move, packing, getting rid of the things we can’t take with us, preparing our travel documents, acquiring my son’s school transcript, talking to the school principal and so on. The list of things to do seemed to never end. Then two days before the trip we had to drive from Las Vegas to L.A. just to obtain our dog’s travel papers at the Philippine Consulate. She’s part of the family, we can’t leave her behind.

Anyway, I can still remember that big sigh of relief, the feeling of joy and the high fives we gave each other as the taxi’s door had finally closed behind us and the wheels started to roll. The feeling was awesome. It was a hallmark that part of our life’s journey has come to an end and a new beginning is on its way. It was one of our happiest moments. We just had enough living life in the rat race. Though we’ve been grateful for all the blessings, it was time to say goodbye.

As of the moment we love our laid-back life here in the tropics. Far from the hustle and bustle and definitely poles apart from the previous one. How I wish we could just stay here forever. But then again we have to stick to the plan, to go back to America when my son finishes college. Two years from now he will be ready to face adult life. Hubby and I want to be on his side until he’ll become self-sufficient.

I wish in two years’ time the economy won’t be as bad as it is now. Still I thought that it is wise to lay out a plan and use time wisely from now on because time passes quickly as we know.

Hubby keeps telling me not to worry. “well cross that bridge when we get there” as he always says. But for me I want to be prepared for whatever lies ahead. Though nurses are still doing okay in the U.S. I want to furnish myself with more skills that are computer related. I also have to brush up on my nursing skills.

However focusing on these goals could mean spending less time on blogging. Though I love to write as much as I can, I need to prioritize things from now on. I will still post here every now and then but this blog may take the backburner for a while.

Learn to Love Yourself First

Oftentimes we give too much of ourselves to others while putting our own needs at the bottom of the list. As a dedicated mom and wife, attending to the needs of our family including their whims and wants becomes a routine. We want to make our loved ones happy and comfortable, so we do nice things for them at will. Unconsciously we neglect our own desires and well-being.

There’s nothing wrong with pampering our family, though what’s not right is giving our all and not leaving anything for ourselves. We may enjoy giving love unselfishly but if we keep giving and not receiving back, this will eventually make us feel burnt-out, resentful and feeling unloved in the end.

I love to take care of my family the best I can and without any gripes. For so long it’s their needs first and mine last. I really have no problem with it. My son and hubby are very much able to take care of themselves and I still do all the things for them. I don’t hold a job at the moment; hence I have lots of time to give. However when I started to not feel my best a few days ago, I could not help but ponder that it would be nice to receive care from others once in a while. I thought it would be nice just to do nothing all day and just be lazy.

The knot on my shoulder has been bothering me for four days now. It’s causing me pain on my neck and my back and gives me a headache. At first I thought it will go away the next day. But it didn’t even after taking pain meds. Today I can’t seem to ignore it anymore because aside from the previous symptoms I’m beginning to have a fever, achy muscles and low energy. I don’t get sick too often but when I do I felt self-pity. Then I get emotional. It must be the inner child within me begging some attention and a little love.

I am not used to being sick. As a healthcare provider I am used to be the one providing care not the one receiving it. But my physical discomfort has been telling me to stop with the nonsense. So I decided to lie down and rest. My hubby gave me a massage and squeezed the knot on my shoulder a few times and told me to rest all day.

I’ve realized that we should learn to love ourselves also because if we don’t who else will? I also  recognized that it is not selfish to take care of ourselves first once in a while and that we are worthy to receive pampering from others as well.

The world will never end if we don’t do house chores for a day or two. Dust under the bed would not suffocate us if we don’t sweep it everyday. Our family will not turn scraggy looking if we don’t prepare elaborate meal at every dinner time.

I am supposed to do my grocery shopping today, it has to wait for another day. For today it’s all about me… I’ll be resting all day and nurse myself back to health.

Happy Love Month everyone!