Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Bright Side



I woke up, with sore arms and a headache. I was looking forward to a sunny day, but the unwelcome sound of pouring rain immediately let my hopes down.  It’s been raining endlessly for the past few days and we have been inundated by flood two days in a row. No words can describe how physically and mentally exhausting it was to clear the water out of our house twice. I have never been so annoyed and exasperated of the rain as I am hitherto.
Admittedly, I’ve been petulant all the while. But now that the sky has seemed to be tired of deluging a heavy downpour, I cleared my head off and decided to take account of this undoubtedly striking experience. As I contemplated I began to see myself as inconsiderate and conceited, for I seem to worry about the slightest of things when somewhere, there could be someone suffering the worst out of this typhoon. Someone out there probably lost a house,starved, or was disheartened in the worst possible ways, while I’m here complaining about a smartphone with a low battery. I deemed that I was fortunate compared to the people I saw in the news who underwent tremendous situations and bore unimaginable distress brought about by ‘Maring’.
I recurred how my family endured several days of brutal rainfall, oftentimes without electricity. We sat around the house gabbing uncomfortably while the flood reached our knees. We were lucky we had a second floor; otherwise, it would have been impossible to get through the night. The couches were elevated and everything was placed upstairs away from the reach of the ghastly water. I spent all my time inside the solace of my room and wrote this blog post. I was gratified that I took the time to charge my laptop before the lights went out, or else I would have been wandering idly around the house. It would drive me nuts if I don’t do anything other than stare blankly at the muddy water swamping our first floor.
I suddenly had a perky viewpoint of my situation. I wouldn’t call it optimism because I don’t regard myself as a positive person at times. I often think about the worst-case scenarios thus the peevishness toward the rain. But despite the irritability, I came to realize that our condition could have been worse, yet it was luckily favorable. We were still blessed with the company of each other. We still ate three or four times a day unlike most families during storms. We still had the amenities that we needed to get through this tough week. And most of all we survived unscathed.Surprisingly, my family bonded more during this mishap than any other normal day.Moreover, I know a lot of you are secretly thankful for the suspension of work and classes. [I won’t deny that I am. .haha]
And so I put forward to everyone discerning the same sentiment: “Often it takes a calamity to make us live in the present. The measure of a good perspective is to find the bright side in everything.” You can complain because roses have thorns, but you may choose to rejoice because thorns have roses.
After the heavy rain had somehow ceased, I’m discomfited to confess that I kind of miss the flooding, but I pray and hope that it NEVER happens again. :)

Bye for now,
Janina

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Picking Up the Pieces



 There are things that we do not want to happen, but have to accept; things we do not want to know, but have to learn; and a person we cannot live without, but have to let go. This is a revelation that relationships can be compared to glass, because sometimes it is better to leave them broken than to hurt yourself by trying to put it back together. No matter how painful a break-up is, still there are ways to move on and begin a new life. Never let a break-up get you down. For some people, it can even be a good thing to choose because they can evaluate their life better than before. You can also take the advantage of a break-up to help you find someone who’s more suitable for you. The truth you can believe is that you can move on after breaking up from your relationship, no matter how bad it might have been. These following statements that I would suggest could provide you with some ways to move on after one.
            You might feel depressed after a break-up, but never let the shadow of yesterday block your sight of a brighter tomorrow. Give yourself plenty of time to heal all the pain, and remember that time will heal all your wounds. Put away the pictures, gifts, and any memorable things that remind you of your ex because a part of loving is learning to let go. You also should resist the urge to call your ex to ask to get back together because a rebound relationship may be a mistake, for a break-up is the most vulnerable condition in someone’s life. However, do not drown yourself into the negative activities. On the other hand keep yourself doing the positive things that can make you feel good about yourself.
            The next way is to surround yourself with friends and loved ones, such as your family. Share your problems with them and feel free to talk about your experiences and feelings. Then, allow them to comfort you by giving some advices and suggestions. Do not try to deal with your problem by yourself. Gather with everybody you trust to help you erase your loneliness. Another way is going out, meeting new people, rebuilding old relationships, and networking into social situations. Furthermore, you can ask your best friends to hang out and do something fun and exciting. It will make you realize that being single can be just as fun as being in a relationship. It can also help to keep your mind off your ex. The point is, keeping yourself busy doing things you enjoy and not dwelling yourself on the past could help you a lot.
            After you have done all of those things in the previous paragraphs, the other thing to do is taking some time off of your mind and getting away from the world for a while. Try to reflect by yourself and arrange your life again with the new expectations for your future. After that, enjoy your time alone by doing such activities you like to do, such as watching your favorite movies, reading books or novels, and even shopping. Those kinds of activities may help you to clear your mind of all negative feelings, so that you can slowly let go of any lingering bitterness. Then, try to start dating again. Allow yourself to fall in love again and enjoy starting a new relationship with someone else.
            “Sometimes I wish I were a little kid again because skinned knees are easier to fix than broken hearts”. This sentence may exist on everyone’s mind that has been broken up from his or her relationship. Still, there is a life after a break-up. Break-ups can be so difficult and painful, but the most important thing to remember is that it is not the end of your world.