Late last year I was preoccupied reading two books, this was
one of them (The Positive Principle Today) and the other one was The Purpose
Driven Life. They both made me realize a
lot of things and were comfort to me during the difficult months after I gave
birth to the twins and my husband left for abroad. Here is a list if suggestions that I keep as
everyday reminders from the book. It
keeps my sense of sanity, enthusiasm, and optimism, I hope it will help whoever
reads them as well. Here goes:

• Don’t  be concerned about your ability to handle the big disasters; shore
       yourself up against the little irritations and frustrations.
• Always remember when frustrated that it isn’t all that bad and that God loves  you.
• Never think down-always think up.
• Never forget that all the enthusiasm you need is in your head. Let it out-let it live-let it motivate you.
• Take charge of your thoughts instead of allowing them to cont them to control
    you.
• Vigorously cleanse out old unhealthy thought pattern and dispose of it.
• Kill your devil of fear, o inferiority, or whatever.
• “I can do all things through Christ…”
• Live  by the faith that will never let you down.
• You will never know what great things you can do until you try-really try.
• Never make judgments emotionally. Think
       objectively.
• Never react emotionally to criticism.
• Always affirm that there is a solution to any problem and that you can find it – that you are finding it right now.
• Don’t panic. Keep calm. Use your head. Think.
• Don’t  be overwhelmed. Never dramatize any
       difficulty.
• Make today count.
• Astonish yourself!
• Always keep the “break records” principle.
• Fan  your interest daily.
• Live your life and forget your age.
• Always keep the “positive” principles going.

I’m presently reading a book called "Celebrating Success".  It is a collection of thoughts on the true meaning of success given by well known people (considered to be achievers in their own fields).  I’m about halfway finish with the book, and here are the quotes I’m liking so far:

"Success is usually measured in terms of
what we’re remembered for.  Keeping this
in mind, I thought my kids would
remember me as a woman who wrote twelve
books, received sixteen honorary
doctorates, and wrote for 31 million
newspaper readers a week.  My daughter
told me that she would always remember
me for caving in and buying her a stupid
leather coat she thought she’d die if
she didn’t have…and ended up wearing once.

So you see, success isn’t necessarily a
monument of achievement, but small acts
of love."
Erma Bombeck

My Definition of Success

To set a goal and surpass it.
Know what you want.
Learn what you need to know.
Build your mind, your body, your spirit.
Go for it with all your heart.
Take chances
Be ready always to change.
Follow through.
Patience, strength, fortitude.
Don’t give up.
-David Carradine

What is success?  Success is to love and be loved. - Laura  Huxley

Success is the fulfillment of a person’s potential.  Keeping on doing what one does best tends to magnify achievement  and often brings astonishing results. - Ruth Stafford Peale

…success is taking the thing working against you and forcing it to work for you. -Cecil Murray

———————————————————————–

WHAT SUCCESS MEANS TO ME

Success is…

getting up early in the morning with a smile on your face

playing the game and finishing it

appreciating your wins, and learning from your losses

having friends and keeping them

knowing when to give in and when to fight

having children smile back at you

earning the admiration of your friends and elders

saying No when you need to say No

saying Sorry and meaning it

saying I Love You when you mean it

making someone understand

finding something beautiful in another person

finding something to be happy about everyday

having peace of mind

taking yourself less seriously

knowing that if you die today, you have lived the most amazing life you could ever have.

-shasha

    So many wonderful things have happened since my last entry. I’ve given birth to TWINS! -Sach Nigel and Seth Neilson- we fondly call them sachi "baby liit" (because his much smaller than his twin)  and sethi "baby taba" (bouncing baby ba!).

seth (left) sach (right)

the twins sach and seth

 It was my teenage dream come true actually (having twins), nakakatuwa nga isipin kasi twice the blessing di ba (kahit twice din ang hirap sa pagaalaga. At the end of the day I am still grateful and can’t ask for more.  I thought I knew a lot of things about life, but my pesent predicament has taught me that life is all about learning what love is and practicing love…Perhaps the reason for this change of mind is the temporary absence of my better half.  I thought I could do all things even without him, now I know better.  I can, but then it would be happier and so much easier doing things when he is around; in short I do miss him…

hope ur ok there ‘ney. everything’s half the fun without you. see you soon...miss ka na pati ng panganay nating makulet!

Quotes which have inspired me to go on…taking  my mind of the difficult things i have  to do everyday alone for my family and to remember that they are the most important thing in my life.  Saving, keeping, and loving them is my worthy purpose.

"As selfishness and complaint pervert the mind, so love with its joy clears and sharpens the vision." Helen Keller

"Many
persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is
not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a
worthy purpose."
Helen Keller 

"I am only
one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do
something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do
something that I can do." - Helen Keller"