I've Got Mail! #RoadToISTE2019

I just received this from the International Society for Technology in Education!

I love receiving mail from overseas and I am so excited to be part of this year's international conference in Philadelphia! Woohoo!!!!!!!!

Who's super excited to take things to an international level? 

Me!

Lasallian Scholars Society : TRANSCEND 2018

Lasallian Scholars Society: TRANSCEND 2018

I thank God for giving me the opportunity to help students get access to free education. It was a part of my life that I will never truly forget. The mission of providing quality education continues as I stay in the education industry and help in different ways possible. Indeed, I know that this is part of my life's purpose! I have nothing but praises and gratitude for our Lord!

Thank you Lord for blessing me with Lasallian Scholars that I consider very important people in my life. I may not have had the opportunity to be personally close with all of them but I hope that somehow I left a positive mark in their lives. 

From the students I handled, only a few students are left. A lot of them are working professionals now!

Tasked to do an impromptu inspirational talk.

I DARE YOU: Embrace Life with Passion by Joyce Meyer

This book has really sparked the dying passion in me. I used to really be passionate and goal-oriented when it comes to chasing my dreams. But, ever since I lost my grandparents a year ago, I have never expected the impact of losing them would make in my life. For the past year I have completely stopped chasing anything.

I used to always read about passion. How prestigious leaders tell you to pursue your passion. How self-help and career books tell about pursuing your passion so you won’t have to work every day in your life. However, this book by Joyce Meyers tells a different kind of perspective when it comes to embracing your life with passion. It incorporates the role of God in our lives.

WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO?

 As I have mentioned, I have stopped chasing anything for the past 12 months. I have literally gone tired of rejections and tired of things not going the way as I would have wanted and imagined it to be. That was the time I got really really tired of making any plans in my life. Everything was just a disappointment and contributed to my anxiety, depression and life frustrations. So what’s the point of planning? The only plan I generally make for the past year is what I was going to do 2-3 days from now.

But thanks to Joyce Meyer, she had reminded me to include God in the process of making plans in my life. It’s about time that I listen to what God really wants to say. That maybe, my previous plans never really pushed through because it isn’t what God wanted me to do. I have to learn to surrender and remind myself that it’s always His will thy will be done.

“We need to be able to celebrate each day of our lives no matter the circumstances.” - This is what Joyce Meyer tells us.

CELEBRATE EACH DAY because we are here to enjoy God and to do his will.

God has a plan and it is different from each of us. So for us to know if we are on the right track of doing His will we should learn to pray before making plans and NOT plan first and then pray that God will fulfill everything according to OUR plan. That’s not how things work. And if we keep on insisting on pushing through with our own plan, He will just keep on correcting it because HIS PLAN is always BETTER than ours.

Though it doesn’t mean we have to stop chasing our dreams. We just need to acknowledge the role of God while we chase our dreams - involve God every step of the way.

“We often get caught up in trying to work out the meaning of things and never quite accepted the fact that trusting God means we will always have unanswered questions.”

I think this is what happened to me when I came back home last year from Canada. I thought of it as God telling me to stay in the Philippines and keeping me from planning anything that involves going out of the country. But looking forward to traveling and going on a hiatus has always been my motivation in anything I plan for the long term. And not planning anything long term feels like a dead end to me. What should motivate me now? On another note, I was able to do a lot of things here in the Philippines and take on commitments since I don’t have “anything better to do” anymore.

Joyce Meyer’s motto “Ask God for anything what you want, but be content with what He gives you.”

Joyce Meyer tells us that we need to trust that God’s choice is always the best and that we won‘t always understand everything that God does. It’s like a relationship between a toddler and a parent. A toddler doesn’t understand everything that the parent does and there will be times where the parent cannot explain to their toddler why they need to do things that they do. The toddler just learns to trust the parent.

Trust that His plans are always the best. God will turn your pain into gain and your mess into a miracle.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Do what you love, the money will follow.

I saw this book in the Big Bad Wolf PH booksale and ignored it. For some reason, the title of the book did not attract my attention. In fact, it made me shake my head. 

Do what you love, the money will follow. - Is such a difficult ideology!! I had to learn the hard way because doing what you love doesn't always give you the sustainability you need to survive or live in comfort. 

LOL 

If you've back read my posts from a few years ago, you would see posts about me supporting the "passion route". But I guess, I now realize that the only reason why I am supporting that route was because I found a job that I actually enjoy. I found my "purpose". 

I love it.

I am great at it.

The world needs it.

I am paid for it. 

What is actually wrong with the advice of doing something you love? 

I guess it's not completely wrong. 

But you also have to recognize the realities that you also need to do something that you not necessarily love, but necessarily need to do for "survival". 

Life and Human Experiences

“Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.” 

― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

Playing is a serious business.

“We believe in play as a transformative agent in society, and we need more creativity to solve the world’s problems," he adds. 

Why Lego's CEO Thinks More Grown-Ups Should Play At Work

"Play is not considered a serious activity because it happens in an implicit way, but if you play, you learn in a deeper way. The problem is that some people can view it as a little bit self-indulgent and believe learning should be dull and boring.”

Wise Words.

I have always been inspired by articles and books and speeches and quotes that talk about following your passion. It might be ideal for most people, but those who do not believe in the passion route are those who gave up too soon. They couldn't testify and they can't agree with the idea of following your passion because they ended up doing things that they are not passionate about. Maybe call it cynicism or jealousy, whatever it is... I still believe in following what you are passionate about.

And I can truly testify, once you find your place it will be the best feeling in the world. 
Probably close to feeling in love or probably better than feeling in love, because all you will feel is euphoria. 


"There’s a common misconception that work is necessary. You will meet people working at miserable jobs. They tell you they are “making a living”. No, they’re not. They’re dying, frittering away their fast-extinguishing lives doing things which are, at best, meaningless and, at worst, harmful."

Source: Don't work. Avoid telling the truth. Be hated. Love someone.

Know your passion and follow it. You never have to work for the rest of your life.

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” 

- Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

"Lots of people, of course, dream of chucking their current job for something else. But dreaming is all they do. They then wait for the fates to hand them the perfect job.

It won't work, though, because they aren't out shaking the trees. In fact, they're not even in the orchard. They're effectively waiting for the fruit to fall on its own -- and for a brisk wind to blow the fruit across the fields and over the fence and to place it gently in their lap."

Source: To Find My Dream Job, I Didn't Just Dream

I am actually proud to say that I have found my purpose. 

It happens. It is real. You just have to trust yourself and be patient.

Of course, you also have to work for it, you have to shake trees and most importantly don't give up.