Material Girl

              "Contentment", when you hear that word, what comes to your mind? Do you even ask yourself if you're contented with what you have? Well, being contented is the hardest thing to do. If you have the latest gadget, you will still want to buy another one. If your dad gave you a brand new cellphone, you're still not contented if another new cellphone has been released. Yes I admit that I’m still not contented with what I have. But as I grow up I've learned that I should be contented and be happy with what I have right now. I'm not talking about material things but it's all about my family, friends and of course God. They are irreplaceable unlike those gadgets or any other material things that we have. 

               They can give full happiness in my life unlike those gadgets that can be destroyed easily. They are the ones who complete us. Our life is full of challenges and we know that we really need help from the people around us. We have problems in life and we can't face it alone. God will be the one who will help us in the darkest days of our lives. Sometimes we tend to forget him, and we think that we can face it alone. We think we are strong enough but we're wrong. We need God in our lives. We need him for us to be saved and for us to be blessed.  We focus too much in the things that we don't have but do we even think that we have God by our side all the time? Every day of our lives he is watching us. He is guiding and protecting us. He is the reason why we still breathe and survive all the problems we have.

       Let us all be contented or be satisfied with what God gave us. I admit that I am a material girl. What I mean is I put my attention too much or I value the material things that I have. I will save some money just to buy that, to buy this. And I've realized that those are just material things and I can’t get the true happiness in those things. We should not ask for too much and we should be contented with what we have. We should value the people around us. Instead of buying something for ourselves we should just buy food for the poor. Being contented is one of the hardest things to do, but let us put in our mind and heart that God alone is enough.

            

My Favorite Book

Tuesdays with Morrie

               This book is entitled Tuesdays with Morrie and it is my favorite book. It is a 1997 non-fiction novel by American writer Mitch Albom.The book topped the New York Times Non-Fiction Bestsellers of 2000. This book has an elegant story about a writer getting a second chance to know the true meaning of  life through the death of a friend. Have you experi,nced having a teacher who fills your emptiness, gives advice and is a companion?               

             It was experienced by a former student, Mitch Albom and for him, that teacher is his professor, Morrie Schwartz.  Mitch Albom had a second chance to gain wisdom from his college professor. He visited Morrie every Tuesday, like they used to, after knowing that he is about to die because of an illness. Morrie taught him “The Meaning of Life”. As I turn the pages of the book, the story becomes more interesting. I have realized that experience is the best teacher. Others consider death as a fearsome event in our lives. For Morrie, there is more to  death. He accepted it. I am amazed by this man. I feel inspired, relieved, blessed and happy.Most of the time, we tend to do so many things that it comes to a point that we forget the important things in life. Life is not all about money or having power or authority over others. I learned how to serve the people around me. It made me realize how precious life is.

             The best line that struck me is “Don’t cling to things, because everything is impermanent.”  Morrie is right, we are easily blinded by the material things we see around us.We think if we have the latest gadgets, expensive clothes, jewelries and a big house we will be completely happy. I've realize that material things don’t guarantee us true happiness. The story of Mitch Albom and Morrie Schwartz gives hope to every person who reads it. It’s a brilliant story and it changed my life in a simple way. 

"TELEVISION VIOLENCE"

                 Watching in television can entertain us but nowadays it can really harm us or it gives negative effects on us. Television Violence is a controversial topic nowadays because of its bad effects on children. Children act violently to the people around them and they imitate what they've seen on the television.  Everything that they see in television shows or hear  in the media can really affect their lives in different ways.  Although some people don't agree that violence on television has negative effects on children , there are some studies that are proven and being made to overcome this problem.   

Based on my research ,here are some negative effects on children of seeing violence on television:

• Children become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others . - It is because they are already exposed with too much violence and it really changes what they do and think to the other people. 
• Children become fearful of the world and the people around them - Guns, knives, criminals and other things related to violence they saw from the television shows might fear them. They might think that there are criminals everywhere. They might think that many people around them are harmful that's why they are afraid to interact with others.
• Children might be too aggressive toward others, they can lose their respect to the adults and it is because they behave negatively. They easily imitate the scenes on what they saw from the television shows that has violence. 

            The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids should only watch not more than  two hours a day.  Yes , television can help children to learn but parents should always be aware in what shows their child is watching. They should always guide their child  and  parents should be responsible enough.They should not let their child watch alone or see violence on television.  Their child's future is on their hands so they should really guide and protect their child. Parents should teach them how to be a responsible and independent individual.  

                

"It's you"

This blog post is for the person I really want to give thanks. I don't want to put his name here.  You know who you are and I hope you can read this. :) 

           When you lose someone you love, you change : its either you become bitter or better. Well he taught me to be a better person. Yes, the person that helped me to change in a good way was him.  He changed the way how I look at life. That life is full of challenges and I should learn to face it. Life is precious and wonderful and I should cherish every moment of my life. He is a positive thinker and that is the most characteristic of him that I like the most. He taught me things that I need to know like there's more to life than what we see. He said that I should be  strong enough and i should not give up. All the wounds have healed and it's because of him. 

           He is a reliable person and I can always count on him. When I have problems he's always there to listen. He gives advice and I'm really thankful for that because it really helped me. Now I do believe that words are powerful and it can really change one's perception. He is honest of what he says. I know that he is a strong person and he is independent. He doesn't give up easily. He strives hard to get what he really wanted. He told me that we can't get all we want but God has better plans for us.  He taught me to handle things on my own and to be responsible for it. He taught me to prioritize the important things in my life. He is also  a jolly person and  he  always makes me laugh. He taught me to always think positively, that I can do all those things by the help of God.   Lastly he taught me how to let go. He said that I should learn to let go of the things that are not meant for me. Yes I've learned to let go and it doesn't mean that I am weak but it shows that I am strong enough because I can fight the desire of wanting something i'm not supposed to have.   

            I want to thank you for all the small  things that you've done. Thank you for being a good person and I know that God sent you for a reason. Thank you for helping me to change for the better for giving positive outlook in life. Thank you for making me smile. :)  If you think you are not special ,well you are wrong. For me you are special and I really appreciate the small things you've done. I'm very thankful to God that I met you. Thank you very much. Now i see things differently. It's all because of you :) 

"Stress Reliever"

                                               

                   "Stress," it is the worry experienced by a person in particular circumstances, based on my research. We all have different reasons why we become stressful. Studies, jobs , problems in our families, friends and any other things are the reasons why we become stressful.  Some can't even sleep well or their blood pressure rises because of this. It can affect us emotionally or physically.  If we are always stress , it can really affect our everyday lives. There are ways to relieve stress or how to manage it.  We can do things or we can make changes  that can make us stress-free.  

                We can divert our attention to things that is more comfortable to us and where we can loosen up like watching a good movie. It can calm , excite or thrill us is a way that our stress can be relieved. Another thing is when you are a sport-minded person , you can play basketball with your friends or volleyball. It can relieve stress and at the same time you are having fun with your friends. For me , my stress reliever is by playing guitar.  It makes me feel happy when I play guitar and it can entertain me as well. It is my favorite hobby and i also love listening to musics because i feel relax and comfortable. Second, is my diary . I can write all I want and it is a way where I can release my emotions. Surfing the net is also a way to overcome stress. You can play online games or open your facebook account, twitter and any  other social networking sites that can entertain you. Lastly is exercise, it is a good and healthy way to manage your stress. It can really relieve you stress and at the same time you will have a healthy and fit body. Jogging, going to gym or any other healthy habits is a good way to overcome stress. 

                 All of us have different reasons why we become stressful and we can also relieve it by doing simple things that can make us happy. Watching movies, playing games , listening to musics are the ways to relieve stress. But  for me , smiling and laughing is the best and most effective way to relieve stress. We should always think in a positive way that everything will be alright. We should take things seriously but not that much. Too much is not good and it if we stressed ourselves in those things we are the ones who will suffer. Lastly, we should always think that God is always there to help us in our problems. We should not worry too much because God will always be there for us, we should trust him. 

                     

"Negative Effects of Peer Pressure"

   #7

                     "Come on , you should join us! Everyone is doing it," that is how they encourage young people. Peer pressure is the influenced of a group that encourages teenagers or people to change their attitudes, behavior and values in order for you to be fully accepted in their group. It is  very common with the youth because they are the ones who spend more time with their friends or classmates in school. Some people can't stand alone or can't stand by themselves so they search for a group of people that they can be with or they can rely on. Peer pressure can be positive or negative but mostly it is negative. Nowadays, peer pressure is portrayed  as negative and really had bad effects on teenagers. The negative effects of peer pressure include the following : shoplifting, cutting class, possibility of addiction to prohibited drugs, smoke and alcoholic drugs. 

                  The first negative effect is shoplifting, we can hear it in news on the radio or television that  many teenagers are involved in this crime. They do it because of their friends are doing it and they think that is the way to be "fit in" the group they wanted to join. Some do shoplifting because of initiation in the group. Based on what I have searched , Initiation is a rite of passage ceremony making entrance or acceptance into a group. Teenagers are now in trouble because of doing this crime.  Parents should be aware in guiding their child. The next is cutting class, it has to do with education. Students are cutting class because they want to escape school works and they do it with their friends.They go to computer shops to play computer games, some go to malls or any other place away from their school. Their parents give them money for  school but they spend it in other things. Cutting class is really a bad effect     to the students. This can really affect their grades and if that happens it can ruin their studies. Lastly is the possibility of addiction to prohibited drugs, smoke and alcoholic drugs. This is the major negative effect of peer pressure to teenagers. It can ruin their lives and their relationship with other people. This happens when their friends asked them to join a party without knowing that there are drugs, alcoholic drinks and smoke involved. Their friends will push them to use drugs or drink alcoholic drinks for them to be accepted in the group. If we become addicted in those things , it can really affect our studies, health  and our lives. We can have diseases in smoking and it is very hard to cure a person who's addicted to prohibited drugs.

              It is true that we can't live alone or we can't live without friends. But it is our choice to be in a right path. We should choose the people who can be trusted and will give us good influence. We should be strong enough to say no if someone's asking us to do bad things. Teenagers should be independent enough and they should be responsible. They should always have self-discipline. Parents should also be responsible enough in guiding their child. They should be aware in what their child is doing. And lastly we should know what's right and what's wrong. We are the ones who make our life so we should be wise enough in making decisions. We should make the right decision in our lives so that we can have a successful life in the future. 

                 

  

              

"I love to be with her"

  #6

     

         "Be contented and be happy of what you have now; you are very lucky." That's what she told me when we were riding in a bus. The reason why she said that was because while we were in the bus I was staring outside the window and I saw children scattered along the sides of the streets. From these street children that I saw, questions came out on my mind; why are their parents letting them walk with no slippers? Why are their parents letting them beg for money just for their food?" I realized how lucky I am because my mom is always there to take care of us and she is a responsible parent. She is the person I admire and love the most.

            I am very thankful to God because he gave me a mother like her. For me she is the best person and she makes my life complete because of her unconditional love.Though I am a stubborn child, she still accepts me. I have made many mistakes that made her mad and she still forgives me. My mom is also reliable and can keep secrets. What I really mean is, she can be my best friend, my lover and my critic. When I have personal problems with my friends she is always there to listen and give me advice. When i'm having difficulties with my home works or projects she is always there to help me. When someone breaks my heart she is always there to comfort me. I am confident enough to tell her my secrets and I really love to be with her. I think I am safe when she's by my side. I can really say that I have a strong relationship with my mom. I admire my mother because of her two characteristics that I like most; she is generous and compassionate. I remember when my mom brought enough money for our fare and food then suddenly an old lady beg for money to buy some food, my mom still gave her. She always feel sad when she sees street children along the side walks. She is also generous to our relatives. She gives them our old clothes or other things that we rarely use. I know that we are not rich and we don't have enough money but my mom always says that God will make a way. I have learned many things from my mom and someday I want to be a mother full of love, like her.

         I really love my mom and I know words can't express how much I love her. I want to tell her how much I love her everyday but I'm shy. I want to hug her tight and thank her for what she had done for us. I can say that I am very lucky to have her in my life and I am doing my best to make her proud. All of us should be thankful of what we have now. We should love and value our parents. Now is the time to tell them how much we love them because we don't know when will God take away their lives. I'm afraid to lose my mom but that's how life goes on. When she is not by my side anymore , I know that she will be forever in my heart.