Counting God's Blessings

Today I am grateful...

ME

...for the hours of sleep to catch up for the straight 24 hours of no sleep

...for a safe travel to get to SG-BKK 

...for the break after a fews weeks of busyness

FAMILY

...for the chance to take my kids to and from school a day before I took my time off

...for the love and support we extend each one for our own individual interests

...for the opportunity to have a group call with them while 2,215 miles away

PARENTS & SIBLINGS

...God's blessing of good health and well being of each one to support our love ones

...for the opportunity to pursue our own families dreams and desires

...for the 10yrs US visa granted to our parents 

WORK

...for my very effective & reliable Cash Tower managers, leads and team

...achieving 100% daily posting on Week3 after go & complete global bank master

...for flexible work arrangement to maintain balance

Love Express

Do you remember how we communicate back in the days when only telegram is available? You have to pay for every letter of your message.  And usually only not so good news is worth paying for as it is urgent and really need immediate action. The typical one that qualifies for "a matter of life and death" situation.

It was extra difficult back then for families who are working abroad given the snail and voice recording to share stories about love ones. It takes weeks or even months if coming from the provinces. It requires extra amount of time and effort to write long hand. With paper supplies and postage fee to allocate in your budget.

Back in the days, only Dad is away from the family.  But today, my siblings are all across the globe...Kuya Homer in Canada, Donna in Virginia and Hanssen in Saudi Arabia. We are fortunate to have every social network available, to know what is the latest happening in their side of the world. 

Today, I am grateful to social media that allows me to send my love to my families instantly. No limitation of number of words and you can even broadcast it to the world.  Messesaging comes easy with availability of unlimited wi-fi access in the Philippines. You have variety of options in the types of medium you want to leverage.

I am especially grateful for the opportunity to chat with my siblings real time, any time. And what's more fun is a group chat that everyone can comment and react to what is happening in the other side of the world. Even ordinary days becomes extra special to bond just by sharing what you have for breakfast. Or even quick shot of where you are and what have you been up to lately.

Thanks to social media because even costs for international calls are now free compared in the past that you have to limit your call time based on budget. And you can even reunite with friends back in primary, high school and college. And don't forget colleagues from previous company you have worked for. 

Today, we are even free to declare our appreciation and share our stories with friends online. Social media if used for the right purpose provides you the opportunity to have balance in this busy world. 

Be responsible in using these technology advancement for the right purpose. 

Always remember to be positive and express love.  I call it...Love Express.

Thank you for even taking time to read  my gratitude journal. 

Have a nice week ahead!

One Great Dad

Happy 70th birthday to the greatest Dad in the world!

My dad is Honorio Carreon David, born August 12, 1946 from San Fernando, Pampanga. 

The best father, friend, teacher, coach, mentor, adviser and leader all rolled into one.

*****

During my early school days, I had the opportunity to be trained well by this great man.

 

He will make sure that when he gets home after dinner, he will sit down with me in the living room and check on my lessons and homework. He is a listener, he will ask me to share what I have learned. He requires that I share with him my own experience in learning it... that includes area where I need clarification, any confusion and questions about it. When it comes to Mathematics subject, he said I have to know the principles.. the why.  And not just the how. He will explain to me the value of our lesson in our everyday life. He creates a different set of exercise for us to work on together and then allow me to do my homework on my own. He then checks it and explain again for those I made mistakes. He keep reminding me that its okey to commit mistakes, it is part of the learning process and what's important is I learn from it and do it right the next time.  He create other sets of exercises on his own to help me fully capture the essence of how to apply the principles. 

My Dad knows me very well and provides me the balance of self learning and support I need for guidance. He gives me every perspective of how things are and he challenges what I know.  He always remind me that there is no short cut to success. You will go through the hardship before you can enjoy the fulfilment of knowing things deeply. He was direct whenever I insist on something and tell me straight if I am not listening. He reminds me the importance of listening and not just hearing, in doing and not just helping. Attention to detail is key to knowing all aspects of a new learning. He showed me the value of hard work to obtain knowledge and skills necessary for me to become successful. 

He gave me these solid foundations about life.  He left to be an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) when I was very young at the age of 9. But the basic foundation he has taught me was indeed a legacy.  I was able to go through my life since with minimal guidance which he continue to do even if he is so far away.  The only means of communication back then are the snail mails and voice recording. No amount of time and distance made me stumble or fall knowing all his teaching that I keep reminding myself by playing them over and over in my head as I do things on my own. Back then, I have to wait long before I can get his perspective of how things are but since he has trained me so well, I was able to manage the 20 years that he has been away from us. We get to see each other 3 weeks of every year to catch up.  

Leaders today have learned things the hard way alone or through various forms - books, education, seminars, trainings and personal experience.  My Dad believed in me so much and that gave me the inspiration kept deep in my heart to have the confidence, the patience and drive to be who and where I am today. And sharing my story, I realize how he had greatly influenced every stage of my life.  I can not but be grateful for such a great man. He has developed the basic and solid foundation for my life, I was very fortunate to pay it forward by sharing his legacy with the people I work with everyday.

How about you? Who is your coach and/or mentor? 

Take time to let them know how much you are grateful to them.  

Act now it is never too late to say "Thank you".

At Your Service

It's been a week since my last gratitude journal.

Allow me to share what I am grateful for the past week.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR

Family

... for the chance to drive while bonding with my kids to and from school this week

... a long chat with my parents who have been away for more than 5 months 

... having the opportunity to host and catch up with our relatives and friends from US-CAN 

Work

... to successfully launch our new cash tower processes in one big bang

... to be working with hard working, committed and innovative team

... to be blessed with a remarkable leadership team under me

Balance

... a flexible work arrangement at work to allow me to do my Mommy duty and host our balikbayans 

... a time to enjoy "ME" time while driving in and out of Manila

... intimate encounters with my creator with His miracle moments all throughout the week

And creatively integrating my "gratitude journal" through bullet prayers all through out the busy but fulfilling week while managing work and family life in the process with the theme...

At your service.

Blessings In Disguise

I will always be grateful for the life I have lived thus far...

Have you managed to prepare your journey line?

It is a snapshot of your life story with highs and lows.  It summarizes the key milestones of your life that make up who you are today. 

Whenever I look back about my life's low points, I always feel grateful. They have made me a stronger and better person in the process. 

To share a few of my lowest points in life....

My Dad left for Saudi to support the family when I was 9. He lived there for 20 years.

At a very young age of 21, as one of the company executives, I was part of a labor case for illegal dismissal even if I had nothing to do with the case. I was like the "fall guy" for key executives who were from influential families of the industry and society. I have applied to every single job opening for Accounting graduates in the metro... I got accepted and signed contracts for several companies but only to be called that they are no longer interested before my first day at work. Only because of the case being associated to me. To make the long story short, I was unemployed for nearly 6months. 

I was 31 when I was diagnosed with Herpes Zoster. A rare illness and normal for 60 years old and above. It served as a wake up call for me to change my liefstyle.

*****

I always thank God for those people who have been involved in these low points in my life.  They were instrumental to who I have become in the process.   I make it a point to pray for them as a way of saying "thank you".  

My life's low points are precursor to something new and big for me. I will always be grateful to God for these events in my life. They can be associated to a crossroad for a common reference to many but I call them my defining moments. 

I will forever be grateful for they are my blessings in disguise.  

Thanks, Mom!

The past few days were extra special.  I have the opportunity to do my Mommy duty.

I prepare Rio from waking her up, sharing a warm and cold bath, fixing her hair and driving her to and from school.  

During these days, I have to acknowledge how much I miss my Mom. I have such a wonderful time whenever I fix Rio's hair.  I remember those moments when I was little, Mom will fix my hair.  She even put all sorts of ribbons in various colors on it. 

It's been almost three months since Mom and Dad left for Canada to visit Kuya Homer and family.  We were fortunate to visit them as a family during our US-Canada vacation. It helps to feel their presence given a familiar place even for a few days. I find myself imagining how they are cooking in the kitchen and tending the garden every time I miss them both.

Rio is growing fast and our recent conversations remind me of my own times with Mom. How I get to share stories about what's happening in school, who my latest crush is and how I am managing with school requirements.

I remember how busy Mom is back then with Dad in Saudi for almost all my childhood. She was just focusing on us and her daily journal for Dad.  Whenever she retires for the day, she grabs her pen and start writing how our day went every single moment.  I know Dad felt like just being here with us with the details of how Mom will tell her the story of how our day unfolds. 

I appreciate having a full time Mom and how much she sacrificed her time to be with us during those years. Now that I am a Mom myself, I will always be grateful to her for how she has influenced my life.  She made me pursue what I have hoped and planned for.  Her strictness back in those years were not acceptable to many.  But I know she only means well. And I will not trade those formative years to anything.  

Mom, I am who I am today because of you. I seldom express how much I love you. But I really do.  I may not be the sweetest daughter who shares all positive moments with you.  I was even indifferent and mean when we are in challenging times. And I am sorry for the times I have hurt you.  I know you always choose to understand.

No words can express how much gratitude I have for having you as my Mom. I know deep within your heart you will feel the warm of the love I have for you. 

Thanks, Mom!

Start Each Day With A Grateful Heart

I thank you, Lord!

I thank you, Lord for the loving family I have who supports me all the time.

I thank you, Lord for my parents who are healthy and enjoying the prime of their life.

I thank you, Lord for my siblings for their love regardless of the distance between us.

I thank you, Lord for the friends who continue to be there in good times and in bad.

I thank you, Lord for my colleagues whom I spend most time to learn and grow.

I thank you, Lord for the LYLL Manila community who inspires me to live my purpose.

I thank you, Lord for the new learnings through social media.

I thank you, Lord for the opportunity to walk my way to work for balance.

I thank you, Lord for the opportunity to write and share my thoughts with others every day.

What are you grateful for today?


This August, I commit to journaling daily for 10 minutes to express what I am grateful for.

Today, I am grateful for ...
...my husband, Derick
...my son, Nolan
...my daughter, Rio.

Derick...met him in 1990 at Christ The King Mission Seminary.  He left 1993 for US as exchange student and came back 1995.  Our path crossed again in 1996 when he was out of the seminary. We had our first date at Whistlestop in Quezon City. Since then my life has never been the same... and as we celebrate our 15th year wedding anniversary as couple, he wrote a song about our love story which he sang during our celebration with close family and friends.  I will always be grateful for his patience, understanding, and love.

Nolan...our honeymoon baby.  He loves to touch my mole at my right shoulder to help fall asleep when he was still a baby.  He has my dimples and looks like me when he was a baby...but now he is mini me of his Dad. Now all grown up with muscular physique of a young man.  Very loving, sweet and kind.  He like it when he prefers that I prepare his food even as simple as debonning chicken so he can eat easily.

Rio...our princess.  She came just right in time...made in Paris during our European tour back in 2005.
My loveybaby girl who is now 10 still loves to ask for a hug as soon as she opens her eyes in the morning. We love our tickle time every morning before we prepare for school and work.  Now, she prefers to spend personal time playing mindcraft or watching you tube. She likes it when I drive her to school.

The family I have wished for 27 years ago during our Character Education class when my teacher asked me to list down what vision I have for my future 20 years from back then.

I will always be grateful for the gift of my family.

How about you? What are you grateful for today?