40 Lessons & Realizations

I've had sooo many learnings and realizations in my 4 decades of existence, and I'm sharing 40 with you - one for each year - with the hope that you may also learn even a few things from it. 🥰

31 Realizations and Lessons ♥

Meeting and interacting with a lot of people on a daily basis, I've realized a lot of things;

At the same time, I've also been reminded of past realizations that I've forgotten through time.

I've learned a lot of things in my 31 years of existence, but I tried listing down just 31 - one for each year - and I'm sharing it with you with the hope that you may also learn even a few things from it :)

1. Be yourself..

2. Write things down..

3. Bad things happen to good people..

4. Uncertainty is caused by a lack of knowledge.  Hesitation is the product of fear..

5. Realize that the harder you work, the luckier you will become..

6. Most of the time what you are looking for is right in front of you..

7. Chance is a gift. Act on it when given the opportunity..

8. Kindness and hardwork will take you further than intelligence..

9. However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. Accept this simple fact..

10. Make mistakes, admit them, learn from them, laugh about them, and move along..

11. If you don't do it, you will never know for sure..

12. Communicate. Don't try to read other people's minds, and don't make them try to read yours..

13. Surround yourself with people who fill your gaps.  Let them do the stuff they’re better at so you can do the stuff you’re better at..

14. Ask someone if you aren’t sure..

15. Don't try to please everyone..

16. Always be honest with yourself and others..

17. Say 'I love you' and mean it, but more importantly, show it..

18. Say 'Please' and 'Thank You'..

19. Learn to cook..

20. Smile often, even to complete strangers..

21. Apologize when you should..

22. It's perfectly okay to be childlike at times..

23. Don’t eat when you’re bored.  Eat when you’re hungry.

24. Be in the here and now. Don't dwell on the past or worry too much about the future..

25. Don't do things that are permanently foolish just because you are temporarily upset..

26. Time heals all wounds, regardless of how you feel right now.. scars are reminders of that something painful in the past has been healed..

27. Treat everyone with the same respect you'd give to your grandparents, and the same patience you'd have with your baby brother or sister..

28. Laughing and crying make us human. Don't deprive yourself of those..

29. Don’t worry too much about what other people think about you..

30. Take lots of pictures. They may not mean a lot to you now, but they will. They definitely will..

31. The world will always be the same. What will change is your perception of it..

Excited for more learnings to come :)

Life Explained

On the first day God created the cow. God said, "You must go to field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer. I will give you a life span of sixty years." The cow said, "That's a kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. Let me have twenty years and I'll give back the other forty." And God agreed.

On the second day, God created the dog. God said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. I will give you a life span of twenty years." The dog said, "That's too long to be barking. Give me ten years and I'll give back the other ten." So God agreed (sigh).

On the third day God created the monkey. God said, "Entertain people, do monkey tricks, make them laugh. I'll give you a twenty year life span." Monkey said, "How boring, monkey tricks for twenty years? I don't think so. Dog gave you back ten, so that's what I'll do too, okay?" And God agreed again.

On the fourth day God created man. God said, "Eat, sleep, play, enjoy. Do nothing, just enjoy, enjoy. I'll give you twenty years." Man said, "What? Only twenty years? No way man. Tell you what, I'll take my twenty, and the forty cow gave back, and the ten dog gave back and the ten monkey gave back. That makes eighty, okay?" "Okay," said God. "You've got a deal."

So that is why for the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play, enjoy, and do nothing. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family; for the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain our grandchildren; and for the last ten years we sit in front of the house and bark at everybody. Life has now been explained. Ahhh.....

Holes in the Fence

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence...

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The day passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there." A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one…

We must always be aware never to hurt anyone, most especially those who are close to our hearts because once hurt, the pain may go away, but the scar will always be there.

The Paradox of Our Time

A beautiful piece by George Carlin...

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter temper; wider freeways, but shorter viewpoints; we spend more, but have less. We have bigger houses but smaller families; more conveniences, but less time;

We have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, yet more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often; we’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, but not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor; we conquered outer space but not inner space; we’ve done larger things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've conquered the atom, but not prejudice; we write more but learn less; we’ve learned to rush but not to wait. We’ve built more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are times of fast food and slow digestion; big men and small character; steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw-away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet to kill. It is a time where there is much in the show window and nothing in the stock room.

Remember, spend more time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because soon that little person will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart that doesn’t cost a cent.

Remember, to say "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all… mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment, for someday, that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak, give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Hacked!

From work this morning, I took my daughter to her summer workshops, then afterwards, went with her to watch High-5 live. We went home at almost 4pm, and I've been awake for more than 24 hours straight already. No wonder I slept right away when we got home.

I woke up an hour ago and was still sleepy and groggy when I went to my PC to check my email. I was shocked to receive this email from my mom...

Subject : Please i need your kind help urgently.

Hello,

This might be disturbing to hear as i never informed anyone of my traveling, but I can explain better after I sort myself out. I am in a hurry writing you this mail because the receptionist can only help me type this mail to you, since i have no access to the internet computer based on the bills i owe the hotel. It’s been a very sad moment for me, the present condition am in right now is so hard for me to explain, that’s why I want to seek your financial help and please come to my aid because something extremely dreadful is happening to me now and will expect you to keep confidential between you for now.

I quickly traveled down here to London , United Kingdom for a research program. Regrettably for me I forgot my little bag in the taxi on my way to the hotel where I lodged along side with my money, passport, traveling documents, diary, and other valuable documents. I have no money and no where else to go, that’s why I have been here staying in this hotel. I owe the hotel bills for my stay and the management is on my neck for their money.

Please I need you to help me with $4,350 today so I can make preparations and go back home immediately. The embassy here has already promised to give me a covering letter that I will need to tender to the immigration at the airport for my departure back home, all I need right now is the money to settle up the hotel bills, get a new air ticket to travel back and sort charges to authenticate the covering letter at the airport, since I have no police report and can't wait any longer. I have to pay up the hotel bills and be allowed to leave the premises to the embassy to get the covering letter which shall accompany me to the airport for the authentication of my travel documents. I am also starving and need to get food to eat. I am just thankful i have the help of the receptionist on duty who volunteered to assist me type this mail through their reception's computer in typing to you. I have been restricted access to the internet access in my room and phone calls. I don’t have money to make international calls right now. I will appreciate what so ever you can afford to send me for now and I promise to pay back your money as soon as I return home. I will be waiting to hear from you so I can tell you on how to send the money down here so I can be home immediately.

What's more shocking was that while I was reading the email, my mom was soundly asleep downstairs in their room. I immediately went to Yahoo! Mail to check mom's email and true enough, her password didn't work anymore. Her email, her very first email addy was hacked!

Almost 20 minutes after learning that my mom's email was hacked, I was able to counter-hack (is there such a term?) it and get it back. I made sure that it will be a lot more secure this time than before and tomorrow, first thing in the morning, everyone in this household will be taught Protecting your Email 101. So guys, make sure to check and double-check the security of your emails regularly. And yeah, I was able to get the alternate email used by the hacker, accountant_glandscapeinc@yahoo.com .

Extent versus Content

Life is not a matter of extent but content,

not so much of action but intention,

not so much of quantity but quality,

not so much of results but efforts.

Life is not a matter of power but character,

not a matter of popularity but personality,

not a matter of superiority but dignity,

not a matter of social celebrity

but moral integrity.

Life is not a matter of enjoying money

but enjoying harmony,

not just a question of ability

but responsibility,

not just a question of aptitude but attitude,

not just a question of magnitude

but gratitude.

In the final analysis, life is not matter

of "How much you have done"

but "How much you have loved."

Such is life!