Until I realized, it’s not so bad to shine after all.

From bottom 3 to top 4… how’s that for improvement?

Pero eto pinaka bagong katangahan, hindi ko nakayanan. Kase umabot na sa punto na ang deadline eh mukhang di ko maabutan. Ang masaklap pa neto… hinihintay kong si amo eh pagalitan o pagsabihan ako, pero pagkatapos ang matagal na usapan at diskusyunan sa kinatataas, eh mahinahon lang akong sinabihan na “sa susunod wag ganun”. Pakshet…. mas lalo ko naramdaman na gilting-gilty na ako!

… hirap neto ah… yung pag tatagalog, pati na rin ang pagkakamali….

• Not enough Money
• Resistance to go outside my comfort zone
• Resistance to change

My solution is: Think Outside the Box.

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I am beyond tired. I thought that living in Manda would mean that I can sleep early, wake up later, get to work on time. But with the high parking rate I experienced last week (i.e. I paid more for my parking weekly rent, than for my own weekly rent!) I tend to come home later, leave earlier JUST so that I get charged lesser hours. That just means, I’m more tired. Not helping.

I tried leaving my car at work, since I have free parking, but then it becomes a hassle getting to work. Gosh, ang daming sakay, that sometimes I take the taxi anyway! Which is also is a hefty amount for a short distance.

So yesterday, I looked for solutions. And I found one. Not the best, but for now it will do. I get to try it out today. Here’s what I plan.

After all the things I have to do for the day, I will leave my car in TPT. This is a building along Edsa and Boni Ave. From there, I can ride a jeep going to Libertad (mga 5 mins) and then a trike to Cali Garden (another 2 or 3 mins). On the way to work, I do the same route.

TPT is actually a client, and right now, I’ve made pretty good friends with the admin. After a lot of “bola” and begging, he’s agreed to let me park there. That brings down my nightly parking budget to commute budget by 80%. Not bad, right?

Hopefully this method *works*.

If not, I need to look for new solutions…

As I said… Think out of the box…

1. Am I in integrity? Am I living up to my word? In other words, when I say something, does it happen? Do I do it?
2. Rather than focus on my B.S. (bull shit / belief systems), what is my essence? Am I living up to it? Am I being committed and responsible?
3. Am I grounded? Does every little thing affect me? Am I not grounded on what’s the here and now? Is the future worrying me, the past affecting me, rather than just living in the present and letting go?
4. Finally, have I given? If I’m already living up to my word, and in my essence, already grounded, have I given – because giving is the fastest way to be happy. Giving 100% and life will work.

I re-learned these lessons last night. I forgot about them, but now I remembered. And what beautiful lessons to learn.

It takes strength to stand guard.
It takes courage to let down your guard.

It takes strength to conquer
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain.
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in.
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend’s pain.
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to hide feelings.
It takes courage to show them.

It takes strength to endure abuse.
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone.
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love.
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive.
It takes courage to live.

— Copyright © 1998 Dave Griffith
— Submitted by Kristen C., Age 15 — Kansas

How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you’re the Terminator, for an instant you’re probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly one can get back their focus on what’s important.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here’s what happened.

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car’s back end by just inches!

The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly.
So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!”

And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.”

“Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you.

When someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You’ll be happy you did.”

So this was it: The “Law of the Garbage Truck.” I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, “I’m not going to do it anymore.”

I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie “The Sixth Sense,” the little boy said, “I see Dead People.”

Well, now “I see Garbage Trucks.” I see the load they’re carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don’t make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favorite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled.

He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting.

Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day.

What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

Here’s my bet. You’ll be happier.

Life’s 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.
Believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, TAKE IT!
If it changes your life, LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy…
They just promised it would be worth it!

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I got this forwarded email from a friend. And it was so timely. Because awareness is half the task. After that, you get to choose how you feel.

My hope for you and me? That we choose not to let the garbage in.

This weekend, I experienced his shining moment. As a mother I was proud. So damn proud, I cried. Who would’ve thought I was coaching the world’s greatest?

So to Marco Abadesco, my win for the week, Congratulations!

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My life learning for the week:

When you can’t seem to get the answers, be of service to others. And know that by being of service to others, and by assisting them in their growth, you too shall grow.

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I had a fantabulous week last week. Silent blogging but so much stories, lessons, learnings and new found friends. Will update soon.

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For the past few weeks and months, I have felt “unexcellent”. I was always complaining. Rant, rant, rant. Sometimes, I have something to blog about, but don’t simply because I didn’t want it to be another negative thought put into words, and worse, put into public knowledge. Most of this negativity resulted to poor work ethics. I’m totally guilty of it. And no, I am not proud of it.

One day, sometime after my Cebu trip, I made a conscious decision to stop the drama.

My colleagues, most especially my boss saw and felt the change and commented on it. The self motivation was my driving force, but for sure the affirmations helped. Now, though, they are more sanay to the “positive” attitude that the affirmations have stopped. Yesterday I was 15 minutes late to get to work.

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In an effort to stay positive, I have decided to go to back. Back to the point in my life where everything was always forward moving. That had to be during my life-coaching days 2 or 3 years ago.

Last night was step one. And what a step. Here’s some things I’ve missed to hear.

Take a deep breath. Be grounded. What are your wins? What do you commit to be? What do you choose now? What’s the lesson? What have you learned? Choose your higher self. What’s the value? Just trust. Accept and be open to the process. Love yourself.

And finally, the killer phrase that caught me off guard because I haven’t heard it for such a long long time – “Let’s white light Yev ka.”

It feels surreal to be back. It’s like I’m new and old at the same time. Like meeting a best friend I’ve lost touch with, for the first time. It’s being excited, but scared; sure, but doubtful. Insecure and challenged. But seeing opportunities everywhere.

So here’s to new experiences, possibly new friends, new inspirations and new lessons.

I drink to that.

Do you:
Try to sort it out with the other person?
Say “keber, bahala ka rin sa buhay mo”?
Cry?
Wonder, “what did I do wrong?”
Wish the other person wrong/harm/karma?
Think of what you could do to prevent it next time?
Say, “it’s better this way at least there are no more arguments”?
Good riddance to bad rubbish?
Wish that the person apologizes eventually or make amends, but you yourself, won’t do anything?
Talk negatively about the person to common friends?
Look for a kakampi?
Forgive, even if you don’t understand?

My counter question: What would Love do?