MY CORE BELIEFS : WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE LIFE WIDE OPEN
I believe that GOD gave all of us special gifts which we are to use to fulfill GOD's plan for our lives, to become a blessing to others and to allow the experience to enrich our souls and our lives.
I believe that GOD wants us to live our lives RICHLY and by saying that, I do not mean the pursuit of material wealth but the pursuit of meaningful experiences that will build lasting bonds of friendship and lasting positive effects in our community.
I believe that everyday is a GOD-given day and that GOD has a wonderful surprise DAILY if we just open our hearts and minds to HIM.
I believe that COOPERATION is better than COMPETITION in the sense that COOPERATION makes everyone successful while COMPETITION only makes one person stand out.
I believe it's alright to TRUMPET YOUR OWN HORN inasmuch as YOU DO NOT TRAMPLE ON THE REPUTATION OF OTHERS. There's nothing wrong with self-promotion for as long as you do not backstab anyone else. WE ARE ALL MEANT TO SHINE IN OUR OWN GOD-GIVEN TALENTS AND NO ONE IS PERFECT, NOT EVEN YOU, EVEN IF YOU FEEL YOU ARE.
SINCERITY is something that has to be proven everytime. It is not a one-shot deal where you show up once and not follow through.
TRUST has to be earned. And it takes time to earn someone's trust.
RESPECT is something you give everyone, not because of who they are or what they have, but because they are GOD's children, too.
Your REPUTATION is fragile. It takes years to build one, but it only takes one grave mistake to shatter one's reputation.
SUCCESS will not come overnight, although there are exceptions, the rule for SUCCESS is that it takes a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of pain, a lot of failures, a lot of growth and A LOT OF FAITH. Getting to our GOD-WILLED destination will take time. SLOW DOWN AND SMELL THE ROSES. The fun is always in the journey and not getting to the final stop.
I believe that GOD has a PART for us to fulfill in HIS GRAND MASTERPLAN. It is our responsibility to heed the MASTER's call and have the courage and faith to place ourselves in the hands of our MASTER so that HE can mold us and shape us to prepare us to step up and step in to our GOD-given roles at HIS appointed time.
LIFE IS SHORT. Take a DAILY effort to enjoy it because you won't live forever and you won't stay young for the rest of your life. Be fashionable, have an active lifestyle, for these are things that won't be as fun to do when you're 65 as it would be at age 20-45... There are seasons in our lives that need to be respected. So if you're 18, act 18. If you're 25, act 25. If you're 40, act 40.
But, if for some reason, you just started "living" today, it is never too late to do the stuff you were afraid to do or were ashamed to do years before. It is better to experience things no matter how late rather than not to have experienced it at all. My late father used to say, "Anything good is never late." So if you're doing something that doesn't fit your age, be it taking care of yourself, going to the gym, travel, education or whatever, just say what my late father used to say, "ANYTHING GOOD IS NEVER LATE."
DO VOLUNTEER WORK be it in the community, at work or at school. Everyone almost always needs help. You don't have to be very talented. You only need to be available.
SHOW YOUR FAMILY THAT YOU LOVE THEM. It wouldn't hurt to take them out for a FAMILY DAY where you get to do activities with your parents, your spouse or partner or your children. SPENDING TIME with them will let them know that you care for them. MONEY is never the issue. TENDER LOVING CARE is what it's all about. There are a lot of activities that you can do as a family that will not cost much. Going to church as a family. Taking walks by the bay as a family. Picnics in public parks. Staying home and watching a DVD movie as a family. Bowling or playing any other sport as a family. If your only excuse for not spending time with your family is because you have work or you have no budget for family recreation, shame on you. It doesn't a lot to bond with your family. It only takes time and some ingenuity.
