When I Asked for Happiness

August 13, 2019, Tuesday. Today was the first time in years that I have prayed for what I really need – I want to be happy. For years, I have been praying for the things my family needed. Material ones are on top of my list because we don’t have that much and I was desperate for us to be ok. From time to time, I pray for our health.

This morning was different from all the mornings I’ve had. I mostly don’t witness mornings because I was probably sleeping the whole time (cause I overworked myself until night time). I woke up at 3am and got out of bed at 6am. I wasn’t sleepy. My body was conditioned to work for the day – that was unexpected. As I was preparing for my classes, my head was also clear. I know I have a lot in my mind when I slept and I know I have a lot to worry about today and the coming days but my head was clear. I was at peace – it was again, unexpected.

So I prayed to God, “Papa God, I want to be happy.” That was it. For the first time in so many years, I think this time that was really what I neede. It was short but it meant the whole world to me – it was unexpected. I was used to praying for a lot of things on my list. I enumare it. I add my reasons too. But this morning was just one sentence and I felt so relieved about it. I felt the pain in my chest released and I feel light. I was at ease.
Never had I imagined that what supposed to be what I wanted was really what I needed. I kept on asking for material things – money & have more clients to pay our bills and to have food on our table. I forgot that my happiness is important too. I was important too. Never had I imagined that in order for me to fulfill my duties and responsibilities at home and provide for my family, I need to be happy first. God wanted the best for me and I was asking for those silly things. All these years, He wanted me to be happy but I kept myself in the dark. I was lost in my own worries. God loved me more than I loved myself. I couldn’t be more thankful for that.

I hope that today, everyone who reads this blog entry will feel as light, at ease and happy as I am.

Music Hits Us

I was browsing through my Facebook feed a while a go and saw an old video of John Mayer’s live acoustic performance of “Your Body is a Wonderland”. Nothing much to expect. It was just a random old song released when I was in high school – but it left me feeling comfort. It was  a nice feeling that I haven’t felt for a while now.

Your Body is a Wonderland (Acoustic Live Performance) by John Mayer

It left me realizing and pondering on a few things.

First, most of us like the songs better when we were younger. It’s not that music nowadays are less appealing to the ears but it’s probably because we linger to our innocent and less stressful stage – hence, our youth and/or childhood. When we listen to the old songs, consciously and unconsciously, we are probably reminded of how things were easier and carefree.

Second made me ponder how music is related to a person’s growth. Notice that every album of an artist or band slightly changes every new release. When you compare the 1st and the 5th album, sometimes it’s hard to tell that they are the same artist or band. Just like John Mayer’s Your Body is a Wonderland from his album Room for Squares (which is my favorite album by the way lol), sounds totally different from his latest release entitled New Light. Artists and bands adapt to the evolution of music which is clinging to techno most of the time. Paramore does not sound rock anymore, right?

This made me think how I (most of the time) love only the first 2 albums of a band. This also made me compare it to people. Do we only like them when we first met them? Do we only like a few months of them? Once they grow into a whole new character, do we grow into loving them?

Little things and little thoughts made me post again. It feels nice to write here again as if I am on my way back to where I started. Hope you can join me here as I try to be back on track this year! Happy new year, everyone! We’ll make this year ours! 🙂

Sleep

I haven’t written in a while. Probably because I don’t like anyone to know what has been happening to me – nothing much actually. For the past few years (especially a few months ago), I feel like I have this dark over me everywhere I go. Anytime it can rain on me or the feeling that goes with it.

I’m seeing the sun. Everything is the same but not me. I don’t know how I feel. Or maybe I grew numb already. I’m actually tired of feeling.

Happiness. Where was the authenticy of this? I get to smile. I get to laugh. But I don’t think I’m really happy.

I get to get up everyday, do my job, hangout with my friends but I don’t feel any excitement at anything at all. I’m not looking forward to anything. I don’t know what I want anymore.

The past month, I’ve been feeling this feeling more and more. I even drank pills just to let me sleep. I took it for a week. It helped me calm down and sleep. The weeks followed and all I wanted to sleep.

I don’t know. Maybe in sleeping, even if I do have nightmares, I know it’s not real. I get to escape reality.

My life has been lame. My stories are the same. My problems are the same (and sometimes getting worse). I stopped talking to my friends about my problems. Why? Even my ears don’t want to listen to it anymore.

I wanted a new chapter but everytime I go unto the next, it’s always the same. When do I go forward? I always try. I know I have been trying hard. But I’m also tired. So tired that sometimes I don’t want to wake up anymore. 😔

This World Needs Healing

Ok, maybe not that rich or not even rich. Maybe having enough is fine with me. Enough meaning we can pay our bills on time without killing ourselves on work, having our own house, having our own car, having a stable business & career, having emergency funds and savings.

So when I reach that point in my life (and I will), I want to do the following things:

1. TEACH STREET CHILDREN FOR FREE. I’ll coordinate with barangay chairmans & different churches. I’ll get my musician friends to help me teach and we’ll get sponsors. It would be a great opportunity for them to appreciate music and for them to be far away from drugs and other violence on the streets.

2. Buy a lot of rain coats and during rainy season, go around the streets and give it away to people who needs them. We’ve been to a stage where we almost lost our hope but people (especially our friends — yes, more than our family) helped us and I couldn’t express how thankful I am for them. So I promised myself that I will never their help for granted and do the same thing to others. Manila streets are not ready for a rainy season. Even those with houses are not prepared. Beggars don’t have any shelter. They use cardboards so that they won’t get wet. At least with raincoats, they are somehow protected.

3. Go to the HOME FOR THE AGED regularly — tell stories, sing and perform with them, play majong and cards and many more. I love older people but sometimes I feel that some children don’t show their appreciation that much to them. They have a few years to live and I want to give them good memories. It hurts me to see them lonely, unappreciated and unwanted.

These are my TOP 3. I know in time I’ll have a longer list. I hope I can have the chance to do these things especially while I am still young. 

I know papa God will guide me in this life. I won’t make money be my hindrance in doing these things. I will work hard so that my family could have enough. When we have enough, it would be our time to give back.

This world needs healing. Soon everything will set in to place.

Let’s Paint the World with a Smile

I’ve been crying a lot tonight. It started when was watching the Korean drama entitled “doctors”. A a scene on the 2nd episode triggered me to miss my grandparents (grandmoms to be exact cause I never had the chance to bond with my grandpas). The lead actress got the highest score in math and she was telling the good news to her grandma. They were both happy with the news and her grandma was so proud of her.

I remember how my grandmas (even my dad), who have passed away, giving me those smiles when they are happy. Older people have that certain smile that makes me feel that maybe it’s because of how appreciative they are. They notice every small good thing there is. They are thankful for it and it shows. It’s so genuine — just like how innocent children smile. I’ve never seen anyone in my age group with that smile. 

It’s like a domino, or a virus but it’s a great thing (oh how I wish, this virus spread faster than cancer & hate). If you share that smile to somebody else, that person most probably be smiling back too and somewhat feel happy about it — just because you smiled at him/her.

We know how life can be dragging sometimes because of our responsibilities — most especially because we need to make money in order to pay bills. I don’t want to live my life wasting time trying to pay bills. I don’t have enough time to bond with my family because we keep on working. We are not rich and we are still not stable financially. I don’t want money to be a hindrance to live my life. 

I told myself that I wanna write songs, perform and sell records worldwide. I want to be an international singer-songwriter. That was my dream. Tonight, papa God reminded me of who I truly am as a person. I care a lot about people and it hurts me if they are down and/or treated badly. I want to make people happy. I want to put smiles on people’s faces and not just because of my jokes but because of how I show appreciation for them. I want to have more time to live my life and to make it worthwhile. I want to be someone’s reason why they are smiling.

Can we try to spread some good vibes today? Put on that smile on your face & tell someone you appreciate and love them! Have a great day ahead!

Miss Independent

“I’ve just been swimming in the same pool for too long. There are new seas out there that I have to go conquer.” – Cat Grant, Supergirl Season 2

Oh, how I wish I have a Cat Grant in my life — to find meaning, purpose and direction in my life. I guess the universe didn’t give me one because the world knows that “I am a strong independent woman.” repeat to self 100x.

But to be honest, most of the independent people are probably looking for someone to depend on just like others depend on them. Well, at least, that applies to me. The problem may be because we have higher standards and may be we’re searching for somebody like us or even better than us. And it’s hard. It’s hard and it feels lonely. 

When you try to give everyone what you can and even if you can’t, you try and try until it breaks you and until you can, you never receive the same amount of effort that you give to them. Sucks. Am I in the wrong place? Am I stuck somewhere where I shouldn’t be?

Because in my head and in my heart, I know that I would be better if I leave the people around me that (I feel) has been dragging me down and pulling me back. I know to myself that things would be easier and I would achieve a lot. But my conscience sticks with them. You know why? Cause how can I do that if it’s my family we’re talking about? If they are the ones pulling you down, how can you leave? If you have all the right reasons to leave and one reason to stay? And that being your family.

It sucks to be strong sometimes.

Philippines, Why Are We Broken?

You know that feeling when you’re at the edge of your relationship — the times when you feel that nothing is working out anymore and all you can see are your indifferences? Yes, the time that you realize that the relationship is no longer working and that you need to break up.

That is exactly how I feel now — except that HOW CAN I BREAK UP WITH A COUNTRY?

Everything’s just frustrating. Have you heard of what’s happening in our country? Ever since the elections and when Duterte became president, I feel like everything is messed up. Regardless of what his ways of running the country are, all that I want to focus on is how the Filipinos use their FREEDOM OF SPEECH on social networking sites.

On every news or blog page, there is always a “war” or some sort. I really don’t know how to explain it but people kept on swearing on other people — yes, those are the comments regardless of what the news is. 

1. News: Duterte won the elections.

People: Yes, finally! Fuck you Yellowtards! (“Yellowtard” is the term they call anyone who is against Duterte — generalizing everyone.)

2. News: Hundreds of people died as they were alleged drug addicts.

Most of the comments: Kill them all!

Some of the comments: Alleged?

Other comments: Fuck off yellowtards! You idiots!

Ok. I may sound anti-Duterte on my post but I am not completely against him. I like how he can be a hope for a lot of Filipinos but I don’t like his morals. He is the president of our country and I wish he could be a good example for us to be united as one.

Even kids (read it from the news) wanted to kill when they grow up. Don’t even get me started with the swearing and bad words. Does it still sound cool? How will their generation be like?

Everytime someone posts or make an opinion about something that contradicts to the president, I feel like they don’t read or listen anymore. That’s just it. It’s final. Duterte is king. Everyone else is a moron.

How do we deal with this?

It’s a sickness and it’s killing our country faster than cancer. It’s really frustrating and hopeless.

LOVE — There’s Nothing You Can Do About It.

Regardless on how it started, who is it with, who you are hurting in the process — it is still LOVE and there is nothing you can do about it.

Have you been cheated on? Did your ex fell in love with his new girlfriend when he was still with you? Did you ever fall in love with someone who is married? 

It sucks right? 

Is it stupid? Is it wrong? Fuck yeah and it hurts!

But that doesn’t mean that what they have isn’t love. That doesn’t mean that what you had isn’t true. We just got to accept the fact that that love is not for us anymore (cause sometimes timing is just a bitch). You can never dicate what’s right and what’s wrong when you talk about love. It is just how it is –regardless who you are with, who you hurt, how you started and ended it.

With all these Brad and Angelina split with Jennifer Anniston memes on the internet, I can’t help but put my thoughts into this. I would have rejoiced if my ex was cheated by his new girlfriend but the thing is it would only make me feel better for a while and I would not even be the better person for feeling happy about it.

Love really has its mysteriouly ridiculous ways. Stupid enough to make us addicted to the feeling and we just need to accept that fact.

Burning Bridges; Putting Down Walls

It’s hard when you have invested a lot of time and emotion to people but in the end, still lost. We tend to put up higher and stronger walls around us so nobody can hurt us anymore. We have burnt bridges to avoid that feeling.

I have burnt a lot of bridges and it gets easier as time goes by. I don’t even know if it’s a good thing or not. Part of me is afraid that I may have guarded my heart so much that I don’t allow myself to feel anymore.

I just wish that when the time comes and we are all tired and afraid to get hurt, we’ll meet new ones who will invest all their efforts just to break those walls — just like what we did for the people who have left us — may be even better.

What’s your decade of music?

I remember myself sitting (sometimes lying) on the couch and listening to different albums of my favorite bands and artists. I can last for hours doing nothing but that. And when I say lasting for hours, it’s probably listening to the same album on repeat.

So why am I mentioning it? Cause hell yeah I’m doing exactly the same thing right now! I opened my spotify and made a playlist of all the songs from my high school days. Started with Natie Imbruglia’s Torn, added Jennifer Love-Hewitt’s BareNaked, and a whole lot more! I even made different categories for the whole decade 2000-2010. There were a lot on the list and I haven’t done the 90’s yet. Don’t even get me started with my boyband playlist. Hihi

It feels soooo goooood! I don’t know why I’m happy about it but it’s my jam. It kinda set me in the mood and suddenly all my problems were flushed down the toilet. 

You know how everybody has their own decade of favorite songs? I thought that applies only to old people. Or maybe it’s just me getting old? Lol Never the less, I therefore conclude that I can relate and I have a theory!!!
I think maybe our favorite songs are usually from our childhood because  we remember those times when we were so careless and we don’t need to think about anything else. We were just plain having fun. Maybe some parts of us are longing for those times and it left us a mark through those specific songs. Who knows maybe we can remember those memories through smell or even food! 

We like how it feels and we’ll keep playing those songs to keep that feeling alive again.