1. Exercise
- Stretch, yoga, walk, run! I am not getting any younger. I need to take better care of my body and my health, not only for my sake, but for the sake of my children.
2. More time with the kids
- More face-to-face time, not just over the phone when I’m away. or glancing over my shoulder as I busily type on my computer. Not just homework time. More fun times.
3. Patience
- Control temper. Hold my tongue. Keep my eyeballs from rolling.
4. Less whining
- I will refuse to complain about things that cannot be helped (as most things are). I will learn to actively find solutions to problems. I will pray more about my concerns.
5. Prayer and Scripture time
- Religiously. Every day.
6. Devotion to my spiritual masters
- Attend novena to St. Jude more regularly. Read and learn more about Saint Paul and Saint Therese of Lisieux
7. Time for interests
– Allot more time for things that I find enjoyable - crafts, reading, blogging/writing, guitar. And spend less time on the internet.
8. Generosity
- To be more generous with my time, talent, and treasure (especially to my mother, my sister, the whole family, and people in need).
9. Be proactive
- Become (more) proactive with regards to my practice/career. In the vernacular : “magsipag-sipag; hindi puro hiya”
10. Be a better wife and daughter.
- Be more loving, more tolerant, more appreciative, more grateful, and less talkative.
11. Sleep early, rise early.
- I am not a morning person by nature. Now that my schedule is more flexible, I have to take extra effort to rise early as the benefits are countless.
12. Study.
- Spend more time to actively read, learn, update myself and further my knowledge. For my sake and for the sake of my patients (and students). “It is not enough to do your best; you must first know what to do, and then do your best” – W. Edwards Deming
Most important of all: Smile. Thou shalt not stress.
“Let us strive to improve ourselves, for we cannot remain stationary; one either progresses or retrogrades.” – Mme. Du Deffand
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Indecision
You know what exhausts me the most? It’s not loads of work. It’s not traffic jams. It is INDECISION. Nothing can be more draining than mulling over a choice, especially if it entails choosing between good and good.
In my experience, it doesn’t have to be as life-changing as choosing one’s place of practice. Even mundane things such as which blouse to wear, or choosing whether I should go ahead with my errands today or tomorrow, never fail to zap me of my energy.
The thing becomes doubly hard when indecision is coupled with procrastination. Then it becomes much more of a burden. And guilt inevitably follows. And after I finally get to decide what to do, which to pick, or just to go ahead, jump in, and do whatever it is that needs to be done… the feeling of relief is so immense that I end up smacking myself on the forehead and saying, “So, it’s not that hard after all… silly me!”
In my experience, it doesn’t have to be as life-changing as choosing one’s place of practice. Even mundane things such as which blouse to wear, or choosing whether I should go ahead with my errands today or tomorrow, never fail to zap me of my energy.
The thing becomes doubly hard when indecision is coupled with procrastination. Then it becomes much more of a burden. And guilt inevitably follows. And after I finally get to decide what to do, which to pick, or just to go ahead, jump in, and do whatever it is that needs to be done… the feeling of relief is so immense that I end up smacking myself on the forehead and saying, “So, it’s not that hard after all… silly me!”
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Lessons From Our Daily Journal
Notes from my 2009 Our Daily Journey (before I finally put it away):
January 3
• Make a beaten pathway. Come to Me. Make it your practice to approach Me over and over again.
• Regardless of your situation, circumstances, or state of health, God is ready to work powerfully in you and through you.
January 6
• Attack problems, not people.
“You have heard that it has been said, ‘you must love your neighbor and hate those who hate you.’ But I tell you, love those who hate you. (Respect and give thanks to those who say bad things to you. Do good to those who hate you.) Pray for those who do bad things to you and who make it hard for you”.
- Matthew 5:43-44
• The secret of abundance is found not in what we have, but in what we enjoy (or are thankful for).
February 5
• Don’t pick fights.
• You can have the right convictions and be right on the issue, but your heart and your attitude can be wrong. There’s nothing uglier than someone with a right position but an arrogant attitude.
April 20
• Interruptions
• Although it is wise to plan, we need to be ready to accept God’s unexpected interruptions in our lives.
“For I know the plans I have for you… plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” – Jeremiah 29:11
• “You must remember that our God has all knowledge and all wisdom, and that, therefore, it is very possible He may guide you into paths wherein He knows great blessings are awaiting you, but which to the short-sighted human eyes around you seem sure to result in confusion and loss.” – Hannah Whitall Smith
April 29
• Get busy! You will know when you are using your gifts when you feel joy in your service, when others affirm your work, when your efforts bear fruit, and when you have energy for the task.
May 9
• Prayer to the soul is what exercise is to the body.
• The person who studies the Bible without praying will develop a good mind with a cold heart. The person who prays without knowing Scripture will consistently pray outside the will of God, for that is where His will is revealed.
May 13
• “Mourning may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning”. – Psalm 30:5
May 31
• Abundant Blessing
• Righteousness is shedding all of the things that make you miserable and embracing fully the path that God has laid out that leads to peace, joy, and fulfillment.
• If you are a loving, humble, giving person, filled with peace and joy, then you are one of the happiest people in the world indeed.
June 21
• What’s a stronghold? It’s something that consumes so much of our mental and emotional energy that abundant life is strangled – our callings remain unfulfilled and our lives are virtually ineffective.
• The goal of our warfare is to steal back our thought life and take it captive to Christ instead. (2 Cor 10:5)
July 9
• Commitment translates into faithfulness to Christ each moment of every day.
August 4
• Because we know God loves us, we are willing to accept His plan for us, even though that plan includes discipline and hard times.
November 30
• Life can be rushed… but you can slow it down. Remember – you set your own pace.
January 3
• Make a beaten pathway. Come to Me. Make it your practice to approach Me over and over again.
• Regardless of your situation, circumstances, or state of health, God is ready to work powerfully in you and through you.
January 6
• Attack problems, not people.
“You have heard that it has been said, ‘you must love your neighbor and hate those who hate you.’ But I tell you, love those who hate you. (Respect and give thanks to those who say bad things to you. Do good to those who hate you.) Pray for those who do bad things to you and who make it hard for you”.
- Matthew 5:43-44
• The secret of abundance is found not in what we have, but in what we enjoy (or are thankful for).
February 5
• Don’t pick fights.
• You can have the right convictions and be right on the issue, but your heart and your attitude can be wrong. There’s nothing uglier than someone with a right position but an arrogant attitude.
April 20
• Interruptions
• Although it is wise to plan, we need to be ready to accept God’s unexpected interruptions in our lives.
“For I know the plans I have for you… plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” – Jeremiah 29:11
• “You must remember that our God has all knowledge and all wisdom, and that, therefore, it is very possible He may guide you into paths wherein He knows great blessings are awaiting you, but which to the short-sighted human eyes around you seem sure to result in confusion and loss.” – Hannah Whitall Smith
April 29
• Get busy! You will know when you are using your gifts when you feel joy in your service, when others affirm your work, when your efforts bear fruit, and when you have energy for the task.
May 9
• Prayer to the soul is what exercise is to the body.
• The person who studies the Bible without praying will develop a good mind with a cold heart. The person who prays without knowing Scripture will consistently pray outside the will of God, for that is where His will is revealed.
May 13
• “Mourning may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning”. – Psalm 30:5
May 31
• Abundant Blessing
• Righteousness is shedding all of the things that make you miserable and embracing fully the path that God has laid out that leads to peace, joy, and fulfillment.
• If you are a loving, humble, giving person, filled with peace and joy, then you are one of the happiest people in the world indeed.
June 21
• What’s a stronghold? It’s something that consumes so much of our mental and emotional energy that abundant life is strangled – our callings remain unfulfilled and our lives are virtually ineffective.
• The goal of our warfare is to steal back our thought life and take it captive to Christ instead. (2 Cor 10:5)
July 9
• Commitment translates into faithfulness to Christ each moment of every day.
August 4
• Because we know God loves us, we are willing to accept His plan for us, even though that plan includes discipline and hard times.
November 30
• Life can be rushed… but you can slow it down. Remember – you set your own pace.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New Year, New Hope
There’s something inspiring and truly refreshing about the New Year. It brings along hope for the future. It offers a fresh start.
Today, I am determined to leave behind past hurts and heartaches. I will move on and not let unfair treatment and abuse cause any more pain. Right now I pause and pray for one particular person. I forgive her, and then ask God to forgive me. I take this step. I continue to move on. Each step brings me closer to brighter days.
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