cLoSiNg cYcLeS

Here's another e-mail forward from a friend. Hope it enlightens you. Have a great day!

**********************

One always has to know when a stage comes to an end. If we insist on staying longer than the necessary time, we lose the happiness and the meaning of the other stages we have to go through.

Closing cycles, shutting doors, ending chapters whatever name we give it, what matters is to leave in the past the moments of life that have finished.

Did you lose your job? Has a loving relationship come to an end? Did you leave your parents' house? Gone to live abroad? Has a long-lasting friendship ended all of a sudden?
You can spend a long time wondering why this has happened. You can tell yourself you won't take another step until you find out why certain things that were so important and so solid in your life have turned into dust, just like that.

But such an attitude will be awfully stressing for everyone involved: your parents, your husband or wife, your friends, your children, your sister, everyone will be finishing chapters, turning over new leaves, getting on with life, and they will all feel bad seeing you at a standstill.

None of us can be in the present and the past at the same time, not even when we try to understand the things that happen to us. What has passed will not return: we cannot forever be children, late adolescents, sons that feel guilt or rancor towards our parents, lovers who day and night relive an affair with someone who has gone away and has not the least intention of coming back.

Things pass, and the best we can do is to let them really go away. That is why it is so important (however painful it may be!) to destroy souvenirs, move, give lots of things away to orphanages, sell or donate the books you have at home. Everything in this visible world is a manifestation of the invisible world, of what is going on in our hearts and getting rid of certain memories also means making some room for other memories to take their place.

Let things go. Release them. Detach yourself from them. Nobody plays this life with marked cards, so sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Do not expect anything in return; do not expect your efforts to be appreciated, your genius to be discovered, your love to be understood. Stop turning on your emotional television to watch the same program over and over again, the one that shows how much you suffered from a certain loss: that is only poisoning you, nothing else.

Nothing is more dangerous than not accepting love relationships that are broken off, work that is promised but there is no starting date, decisions that are always put off waiting for the ideal moment. Before a new chapter is begun, the old one has to be finished: tell yourself that what has passed will never come back. Remember that there was a time when you could live without that thing or that person. Nothing is irreplaceable. A habit is not a need. This may sound so obvious, it may even be difficult, but it is very important.

Closing cycles. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because it no longer fits your life. Shut the door, change the record, clean the house, shake off the dust. Stop being who you were, and change into who you are.

WaYs To ReDuCe StReSS

(as forwarded by a friend)

An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most.)
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

WhAt HurTs...

(an e-mail forward)

1.) Bringing back the feeling you have learned to forget.

2.) Reminiscing the good times.

3.) Trying to hide what you really feel.

4.) Loving someone who loves another.

5.) Having a commitment with someone that you know wouldn’t last.

6.) Shielding your heart to love somebody.

7.) Loving a person too much.

8.) Having the right love at the wrong time.

9.) Taking risk to fall inlove again.

10.) Accepting that it was never meant to be.

11.) What ifs…

A ChOiCe We MaKe

Here's a forwarded message that I find inspiring. Have anice read!

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window."I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."

"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied.

"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do."

"Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in," he said.

So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!

Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing."

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

BuDDhA SaYs...

Buddha says,

"In the end, only three things matter –--

1) how much we loved,

2) how gently we lived,

and 3) how gracefully we let go

of the things not meant for us."

BoyFriEnD Mo?

Ano ang tawag sa boyfriend na...

mabait,

gwapo,

mapagmahal,

malambing,

hindi seloso,

may magandang trabaho,

masipag,

walang bisyo,

at hindi babaero?







sagot: ------>>> GUNI-GUNI!

BaTo (by Mojofly)

Patay malisya ka na naman

Pinanganak ka ba tal’gang

walang pakiramdam

Kahit magbulag bulagan ka man

‘Di mapapagkaila sa’kin

mayroon ka ring nararamdaman
Ano ba talaga ang balak mo

Nais mo bang ako’y tuluyang lumayo

Lumalaki na ba ang ulo mo
Hoy bato

Wala na yata ako tal’gang mapapala sa’yo

Hoy bato

Mamundok ka na lamang kaya

Sa’kin ‘wag na lamang magpakita

Bato
Narinig mo na ba ang salitang “kilig”

Sa tanda mong ‘yan mukhang

‘di mo pa yata naranasang umibig

Hoy naman ‘wag kang ganyan

Ako ngayon ang iyong pinahihirapan
Ano ba talaga ang balak mo

Nais mo bang ako’y tuluyang lumayo

Lumalaki na nga ang ulo mo
Hoy bato

Wala na yata ako tal’gang mapapala sa’yo

Hoy bato

Nanghihinayang ako sa iyo

Pagka’t hindi ako laging nandirito
Sampung taon at kalahati na akong

Naghihintay ng mangyayari

Parang lobong lumipad

Ang pangarap ko’y di na matutupad
Hoy bato

Wala na yata ako tal’gang mapapala sa’yo

Hoy bato

Hanggang dito na lamang ako

Gudlak na lang sa iyo

Bakla ka ba?

O sadya lamang

Bato

FaR AwAy (by Nickelback)

This time,

This place

Misused, Mistakes

Too long, Too late

Who was I to make you wait

Just one chance

Just one breath

Just in case there's just one left

'Cause you know, you know, you know

That I love you

I have loved you all along

And I miss you

Been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming you'll be with me

And you'll never go

Stop breathing if

I don't see you anymore

On my knees, I'll ask

Last chance for one last dance

'Cause with you, I'd withstand

All of hell to hold your hand

I'd give it all

I'd give for us

Give anything but

I won't give up

'Cause you know,

you know, you know

So far away

Been far away for far too long

So far away

Been far away for far too long

But you know,

you know, you know

I wanted

I wanted you to stay

'Cause I needed

I need to hear you say

That I love you

I have loved you all along

And I forgive you

For being away for far too long

So keep breathing

'Cause I'm not leaving

Hold on to me and, never let me go

A TaKe On MoViEs

Movies that must NOT be translated into Filipino: (A forwarded e-mail that I want to share with you all. Have a good laugh!)

1. black hawk down --- ibong maitim sa ibaba
2. dead man's chest --- dodo ng patay
3. i know what you did last summer --- uyy... aminin!
4. love, actually --- sa totoo lang, pag-ibig
5. million dollar baby --- 50 million pisong sanggol (it depends on the exchange rate of the country)
6. the blair witch project --- ang proyekto ng bruhang si blair
7. mary poppins --- si mariang may putok
8. snakes on a plane --- nag-ahasan sa ere
9. the postman always rings twice --- ang kartero kapag dumutdot laging dalawang beses
10. sum of all fears --- takot mo, takot ko, takot nating lahat
11. swordfish --- talakitok
12. pretty woman --- ganda ng lola mo
13. robin hood, men in tights --- si robin hood at ang mga felix bakat
14. four weddings and a funeral --- kahit 4 na beses ka pang magpakasal, mamamatay ka rin
15. the good, the bad and the ugly --- ako, ikaw, kayong lahat
16. harry potter and the sorcerer's stone --- adik si harry, tumira ng shabu
17. click --- isang pindot ka lang
18. brokeback mountain --- may nawasak sa likod ng bundok ng tralala bumigay sa bundok
19. the day of the dead --- ayaw tumayo ng mga patay
20. waterworld --- basang-basa
21. there's something about mary --- may kwan sa ano ni maria
22. employee of the month --- ang sipsip
23. resident evil --- ang biyenan
24. kill bill --- kilitiin sa bilbil
25. the grudge --- lintik lang ang walang ganti
26. nightmare before christmas --- binangungot sa noche buena
27. never been kissed --- pangit kasi
28. gone in 60 seconds --- 1 round, tulog!
29. the fast and the furious --- ang bitin, galit!
30. too fast, too furious --- kapag sobrang bitin, sobrang galit!
31. dude, where's my car --- dong, anong level ulit tayo nag-park?
32. beauty and the beast --- ang asawa ko at ang nanay nya
33. the lord of the rings - ang alahero

My HeArT HaS a MiNd oF iTs OwN

Performed by Christian Bautista

People try and tell me that it's crazy
You and I were never meant to be
I don't believe they know, and even if it's so
I've fallen anyway, no matter what they say.

Refrain:
A part of me is taking me by the hand
The world can't see, still they can't understand
Why can't they understand...

Chorus:
My heart has a mind of its own
Right or wrong it's gonna do
Only what it feels is true
I'll follow it wherever it goes
Anywhere it leads me to
My heart has a mind of its own.

Maybe we won't always be together
Maybe this'll last a thousand years
Ain't nobody knows, and even if they did
It wouldn't matter now
I'd love you anyhow.

Repeat Refrain and Chorus

My heart knows what I'm needing
My heart knows what I'm feeling
It knows me better than I know myself
My heart knows just what I'm missin'
All I have to do is listen
And listen well...

LoVe MoVeS iN MyStEriOuS WaYs

***A heart truly in love never loses hope but always believes in the promise of love... no matter how long the time and how far its distance. A person in love can sacrifice.***

***Always make your absence felt in such a way that somebody misses you. But let not your absence be so long that somebody starts learning to live without you.***

***Sometimes you have to forget the rules, follow your heart and see where it takes you. Never apologize for saying what you feel because that's like saying sorry for being real. Never regret anything you said or did because at some point, it was what you wanted. True strength is being able to hold it all together when everyone else is expecting you to fall apart.***

***The most romantic thing in the world is when you have that truly honest moment with the person you love and you can literally see yourself growing together.***

***Being broken-hearted is like having a broken pair of ribs... on the outside it looks like there's nothing wrong but every breath hurts.***

***The leaves of the trees just keep falling. Lesson? It's not always for us to keep someone forever. Most of the time we have to let them go. Yet, we are still standing.***

***You shouldn't be stupid enough to fall in love with someone who is stupid enough NOT to fall in love with you.***

***Trying to forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never knew.***

***There are two greatest days in your life... the day you were born and the day you discovered who you were born for.***

***Some people say that you don't know what you have until you lose it. But it's not like that, you always know what you have, you just never realized that someday you could lose it.***

***One of the reasons why people get so sentimental is because memories are the only things that don't change when everything else does.***

***Isn't it sad? When you have so much pain in your heart and the only person you want to talk to and can make you stop crying is exactly the same person who made you cry.***

***I may not love you in the way you want to be loved but that doesn't mean that I don't love you with all I have.***

***I always thought that love can always melt the pain, no matter how great the pain is. But now I know that pain can also melt the love, no matter how great the love is.***

FiNaLLy!!!

I'll be moving to the Philippines soon. I have secured my plane ticket and shipped most of my stuff. School awaits me... and I can't contend my excitement right now. I'm looking forward to this new phase in my life.

Life is good! Life is beautiful!

(and that's how I choose to see it)

wHaT a BeAuTiFuL LiFe

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.
~anonymous~

By MaYa AnGeLoU

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...a youth she's content to leave behind.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to re-telling it in her old age.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
...a feeling of control over her destiny.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
...how to fall in love without losing herself.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
... HOW TO QUIT A JOB, BREAK UP WITH A LOVER, AND CONFRONT A FRIEND WITHOUT RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
...when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
...that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
...that her childhood may not have been perfect... but its over.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
...how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
...whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
...where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table... or a charming inn in the woods... when her soul needs soothing.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW
...what she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year.

PicK-uP LiNeS

* some pick-up lines forwarded to me by a friend via e-mail. Enjoy!

1. Minamalat na naman ang puso ko...
*** paano kasi, laging sinisigaw ang pangalan mo.
2. Ikaw ba may-ari ng Crayola??
*** ikaw kasi nagbibigay ng kulay sa buhay ko.
3. Uy picture tayo!!
*** para ma-develop tayo!!
4. Kung ikaw ay bola at ako ang player, ma-isu-shoot ba kita??
*** hinde, para lagi kita mami-miss.
5. Can I take your picture??
*** coz I want to show Santa exactly what I want for Christmas!!
6. Exam ka ba??
*** gustong-gusto na kasi kitang i-take home eh!!
7. Lecture mo ba ako??
*** lab kasi kita.
8. Centrum ka ba??
*** kasi you make my life complete!!
9. Miss pwede ba kita maging driver??
*** para ikaw na magpapatakbo ng buhay ko.
10. Mahilig ka ba sa asukal??
*** ang tamis kasi ng mga ngiti mo.
11. Pinaglihi ka ba sa keyboard??
*** kasi type kita.
12. I hate to say this but... you are like my underwear.
*** coz I can't last a day without you!!
13. Ibibili kita ng salbabida...
*** kasi malulunod ka sa pagmamahal ko.
14. Pwede ba kitang maging side-car??
*** single kasi ako eh.
15. Me lisensya ka ba??
*** coz you're driving me crazy eh.
16. May kilala ka bang gumagawa ng relo??
*** may sira ata relo ko... pag ikaw kasi kasama ko, humihinto ang oras ko.
17. Grabe nakakatawa yung mga pick-up lines noh?? hahaha! May alam ka pa bang iba?? Wala na akongmaisip eh.
*** coz all I ever think of is you.
18. I'm a bee.
*** can you be my honey??
19. Nakakatakot diba ang multo??
*** pero mas nakakatakot kapag nawala ka sa buhay ko.
20. Am I a bad shooter??
*** coz I keep on missing you.
22. Naniniwala ka ba sa love at first sight??
*** O gusto mong dumaan ulit ako??
23. Mabilis ka siguro sa mga puzzle noh??
*** kasi kaka-simula pa lang ng araw ko, pero nabuo mo na agad.
24. Excuse me. Are you a dictionary??
*** because you give meaning to my life.
25. Bangin ka ba??
*** nahuhulog kasi ako sa'yo.
26. Pustiso ka ba??
*** kasi, can't I smile without you.
27. Pagod na pagod ka na noh??
*** maghapon at magdamag kana kasing tumatakbo sa isipan ko eh.
28. Me butas ba puso mo??
*** kasi na-trap na ako sa loob, can't find my way out!!
29. Anung height mo??
*** ha?? pano ka nagkasya sa loob ng puso ko..
30. Hey, did you fart??
*** coz you blew me away!!
31. Sana "T" na lang ako.
*** para I'm always right next to "U"
32. Are you Jamaican??
*** kasi Ja-maican me crazy!!
33. Nde tayo tao...
*** Nde tayo hayop. BAGAY tayo. BAGAY talaga tayo.
34. Ako ay isang exam...
*** kaya sagutin mo na ako.

My favorite is number 22. What's your pick-up line?

TxT ThOtS

• I care but God cares deeper. I can hug you but God hugs you sweeter. You can cry to me but it's God who dries your tears. I can hold you but God can carry you.
• Sometimes memories could simply fade away... time makes the mind forget... but I know our friendship will last... because I kept it in a safe place called... HEART.
• If you're facing trouble right now, don't ask "why me?" Instead ask, "what do you want me to learn?"Then trust God and keep on doing what's right. Don't give up.
• Find a quiet moment tonight and think of all your blessings for this day. It'll be interesting to realize that good always outnumber the bad ones.
• Always remember that the longer you stay with the things you don't really enjoy equates to every moment you lose with what could be a happy life.
• Sometimes you will feel like you just want to cry the whole day. Collect all the pain that the whole day brought you... fill your heart with anger... internalize every tear that fell in your eyes... and feel numb about it when this happens. Close your eyes and cry as much as you want to and end it with a smile. Life is tough but prove that you're tougher.
• Whether you've been throughyour worst time or it is yet to come... always remember that life can only be summed up in three words... "you have me" and that's for life.
• If people are talking behind your back, let them indulge themselves. You're two steps ahead of them. Keep in mind that strong minds talk of ideas but weak minds talk about people.
• God has a purpose behind every problem. He uses circumstances to develop your character. No one is immune to pain.Not all problems are big, but they are all significant in God's growth process for you. God uses problems to draw you closer to him. It is during suffering that we learn to pray our most authentic, heartfelt, and honest prayers. Problems force us to look up to God, and depend on Him instead of ourselves. When we feel how powerless we are, we realize that God is all we've got.
• Somecay, in God's time, whatever you ask for will come true. It may not be what you prayed for and wanted. But it will be what God knows is best for you.
• A cute story: "A grandfather was walking through his yard when he heard his granddaughter repeating the alphabet in a tone of voice that sounded like a prayer. He asked her what she was doing. The little girl explained and said, I am praying, but can't think of the exact and right words, so I'm just saying all the letters in the alphabet, and God will put them together for me because He knows what's inside my heart."
• Every tear of sadness that we shed for a person we love is a capsule of memory that we have to leave behind. We fall inlove so that we will learn. We get hurt so that we'll become strong. And we cry so that we can let go and find our place in that someone who will love us right.

WiShEs FoR YoU

These Are My Wishes For You
Sandra Sturtz Hauss

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand. May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism. Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone. May a kind word, a reassuring touch, and a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them. May the teachings of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them. Remember, those whose lives you have touched and who have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished. It is the content of the encounter that is more important than its form. May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart. Find time in each day to see beauty and love in the world around you. Realize that what you feel you lack in one regard you may be more than compensated for in another. What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future. May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility. Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience. May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgment of your accomplishments. May you always feel loved.

GrEeTiNgS

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don’t, and believe that everything happens for a reason. Know a good thing when you see it, and don’t let it slip away. If you get a chance, take it; if it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy; they just said it’s worth it."
--- Ruffa Gutierrez-Bektas

from Ricky Lo's Entertainment column,

www. philstar.com, 01/04/07