I.N.S.P.I.R.E.D? :)

“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?”

             Have you ever asked yourself this question? The wisest man that had ever lived on earth made mention the necessity of this question on the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 4 verse 8. For if not he said, toil or hard work is mere striving after the wind. And in our journey of studying, (or living even so) we’ll at one point or another get tired, or one day feel like never going to school again. For me, one effective way to drain these unhelpful thoughts is to redirect my focus on my inspirations. Have you found yours? Below are the ones that keep me I.N.S.P.I.R.E.D:

            The seat

            I once talked about taking the last seat on my entry about my first day last semester. Now, I’ll talk about a different kind of seat. In my greatest attempt to describe in words, this seat is a portable folding chair that is shaped like a box. Its top has a pink backdrop with blue, yellow, black, white and striped polka dots on it. It can both be a container and a chair. On top of it, I place a yellow cushion. This seat, a green table and my blue-colored lamp make up my newfound study place for this second semester. My father bought it for me. So whenever I sit on it, I’ll remember to study hard for my family. :)

           

            Alam mo, excited akong pumasok…

          Paano ba naman, ikaw teacher ko eh =))

          Talk about excitement to go to school and pick-up lines. These are the two things about my two great professors in Professional Education this 2^nd semester. I’d like to note these first two teachers of mine every M, T, Th, and F.

            First, our professor in Curriculum Development is not the type of teacher who’ll give you more than a hundred reasons to sleep or get bored in class. She is a conserver of time for not a minute is wasted during her discussions. She greets us “Good morning English Teachers!” with oozing energy and enthusiasm making it sink into me more what in the world I am studying for… yes, to be an English teacher! She has that very evident, flaming passion in teaching that I’m left in awe and inspired.

            The next is our very beautiful, intelligent ad young professor in Introduction to Special Education, Ms. Custodio. Aside from the fact that she looks our age, she also teaches well. Before our class begins, she would pick three to four class cards and those students that will be called will have to roll the die. The number that one will get will signify her designated task:

            1 - Tell the news for that day, be it foreign or local

            2 - Give one trivia         

            3 – Crack a joke

            4 –Give one knock-knock

            5 – Tell one pick-up line

            6 – Choose one from the five tasks

 

            What thrilled me is that I’ll be obliged to read the news everyday and even the preparation to crack a joke and a pick-up line. And the most nerve-racking for me is to give one knock-knock. Mind you, I already did! =D

            Kudos to these professors, they inspire me this much :).

 

            11-11-10 vs. 11-11-11

          If today was the November 10^th of last year, I’d be working on a project or assignment waiting for his text message. I’d be studying for a quiz or exam coupled with my dreams of finally spending time with him. He was in every thought of every little thing that I do, a thought I keep with me wherever I go. Back then, I wouldn’t be excited about going home as much that I was to see him. My motivation to continue to go to school and study was the notion of fulfilling my future plans… with him. This man had then seemed to be the world to me.

            This him was not Him that deserved a capital H. The Lord is the Him that unspeakably changed my world and thinking. He is the miraculous Lord who enabled me to let go of the very close attachment I had with that man. I have found the courage to write all these because of my amazement right now. How fast and unfathomable things changed!

            I’ll always be excited to go home every weekend in Cavite. I am even homesick more often than not. I made goals of studying for God, my family, future students and for a better self. I hardly use my cellphone or even wait for a text message. My thoughts will be drifting to God, to His word, then to Him again and the things that He seems to be telling me. I am looking forward every Sunday to go to church, teach the children, and worship Him. I am continuing to fall deeper in love with my family. I am seeing and realizing the deeper value of my friendships and relationships with people. My personal relationship with the Lord is my source of strength, the very reason I still continue to go to school and face each day. HE is now the world to me.

            Still searching for inspiration? You don’t have to go far and get them elsewhere… in your house, in your classrooms (hmmm baka ibang inspiration ang hanapin ah..Hahaha) and as you look up, you can find THEM.

            Then these inspirations will motivate you to go on in studying and in living. (Still by His grace and strength)

            Stay I.N.S.P.I.R.E.D! =)

           

 

The "write feeling" (A very late post)

October 31, 2011

Monday

The "write feeling"

                        It was the same feeling when I happen to scan through Jessica Zafra’s “Twisted”. Each of her essays were dated with the corresponding month and year they were written. I imagined her writing every night, before she slept, when she’s bored, or probably just whenever she suddenly thought of something to write. It was the very feeling of wanting to write something that could be published one day with my name as the author. It was an August 10, and we were looking for “America is in the Heart” at Power Books in Robinson’s Place, Ermita, Manila, not knowing that the book will also ignite the flame in me for writing. It was the autobiography of Carlos Bulosan who only had three years of schooling, spent his life devouring books, and then became a writer in his later years. How can a person with more than thirteen years of schooling not dream to write as well? If books were the things I had to spend my lifetime with, I have 53 years of doing so from an average life span’s point of view.

The same feeling was rekindled last Sunday night when a Pastor in our church finally had his book published. It is a book of humor and evangelism so generous for P200.00, I so desire to have a copy of. 

                        If multiply has “crushes” too (like the one in tumblr) maybe my ultimate crush would be Ate Joan :). Though she isn’t a professional writer yet, consider me an avid fan of her, her blog, and future books :). I think I made mention of words that meant she inspired me for two or three times in my last entry. She has a special way of flaming the “write” feeling in me.

                        The most recent culprit why I’m itching to write all these is the movie “Letters to Juliet”. From a fact checker, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) became a writer. I was not pro everything about the movie but what struck me most was her intense desire to be able to write. The sight of her eagerly writing on her notebook, her experiences in featuring her first story and finally when she passed her manuscript and sighed at her boss’ affirmation! Her work will be published!  I saw all wonder and gratefulness on her face.

                        This overriding feeling engulfs me right now.

“You are a lover of words… One day, you will write a book. People turn to you because you give voice to dreams, notice little things, and make otherwise impossible imaginings appear real. You are a rare bird who thinks the world is beautiful enough to try to figure it out, who has the courage to dive into your wild mind and go swimming there. You are someone who still believes in cloud watching, people watching, day dreaming, tomorrow, favorite colors, silver clouds, dandelions, and sorrow. Be sacred. Be cool. Be wild. Go far. Words do more than plant miracle seeds with you writing them.”

 

            This is from a friend’s Hallmark bookmark which I copied a year ago. It didn’t have the writer’s name on it, and I didn’t know it would perfectly fit here a year after.

            I have far yet to learn in my writing. I commit grammatical errors. I still have issues in the organization and coherence of my thoughts. I still doubt my own works and ideas. And very noticeable is that I rely on the “write” feeling I have. I go with the currents of feeling like writing and have not yet gone against the tide of persistently choosing to write as my commitment. But maybe every writer then passed through these stages of disbelief, times when they didn’t feel like writing, and moments when their errors get the most of them. But then if I’ll be asked of one gift that God gave me, writing would be my first thought. And through these series of events and “write” feelings, He may be reminding me that this gift that He gave me is my gift to Him. Passion means commitment. “Persistently decide to write regardless of the “write” feeling. This is a ministry He has entrusted writers,” shouts my soul.

In His hands, this gift will flourish; it will turn out into something I have never asked nor imagine.