Xie xie ni Paolo Coelho

Thank you very much! Muito Obrigado! Xie Xie ni! Maraming Salamat! Daghang Salamat! - No words not even a language can describe how grateful I am for having the opportunity to read the greatest works of Paolo Coelho. They just come at the time when I am my lowest ebb. He is one of my fave authours. Your words linger with positivity and hope. This time I was reading your “Like the flowing River” – wow, so refreshing and indeed enriching – Just in time when I need it the most.

And I quote “we are all walking towards death, but we never know when death will touch us and it is our duty, therefore, to look around us, to be grateful for each minute. But we should also be grateful to death because it makes us think about the important decision we take, or fail to take; it makes us stop doing anything that keeps us stuck in the category of the ‘living dead’ and, instead, urges us to risk everything, to bet everything on those things we always dreamed of doing, because, whether we like it or not, the angel of death is waiting for us".

I have in many opportunity shared my thoughts on death with my closest friends while some thought it to be morbid others were agreeable. Yes, I am not afraid of death for I know it can come anytime but also, I have made an agreement with our Lord God if, it can be possible - I'd like to have a silent death - one that doesn't make so much noise and news. One that I can consider a graceful exit from this world (LOL). I should make a blood compact with the Lord hahahaha.

Although I have always dreamt of a rich life, a life of abundance and luxury but just in case my time comes before my dreams are realized at least I am ready with my funeral. In fact I have gotten an account with Forest Lake (memorial lot) and St. Peters for the services. At least my family will have an easier time dealing with death and grief for at this point in time it is expensive to die.

But hey let's get on moving towards the realization of our dreams, after all Life is so good. It's good to be alive. Life is worth fighting for.

Can we really make our own destiny?

This question has been bogging my mind after chatting with my cousin few days ago whose heart is taken by storm by opps I am not allowed to divulge. I am under contract of confidentiality (LOL).

Can we really make our destiny is a question that my mental inbox has been brimming with so many different thoughts difficult to assort and discern. It all started in the blog of my cousin titled “The Masochist in Us” read post in detail at http://enelya-thehopelessromantic.blogspot.com/2009/01/masochist-in-us.htm.In this post, she thoroughly explained why human beings are masochist. She is resolved with that. At the backdrop of this post, I can see a young woman who is going through a journey of pain in loving. A young woman bombarded with uncertainties of taking risk. A young woman who is indeed a masochist. But do you think her decision to keep her feelings towards the man she affectionately desire will bring her to her destiny?

So our exchange of thoughts segued to destiny. I am sure this one is a famous line - “Destiny is not a matter of chance but a matter of choice”, others firmly believe that “We make our own destiny”. I used to believe that destiny is defined by the choices and decisions we make everyday. But hey wait, what is destiny by the way? Is it the ultimate destination of living? Is it a process in itself as we journey through life? Is it the realization of ones dreams? Is it an oasis of life? I just realize now that we can indeed make decisions but not our destiny. My definition now of destiny is that “It is what it is”. A state in life where change is constant. Each of us has its own destiny. Whether we are in the state of living our dreams or we failed to achieve our goals - is destiny. We make decisions to reach our desired destinies but there’s no guarantee that the decisions we make can bring us to the destiny we envision. I don’t want to sound fatalistic and negative because I am not. I do believe that the most important thing is we make each day a learning platform that we can progress towards the achievement of our goals. We have to give our best shots at whatever we do to make meaning and purpose in living.

I do believe that we are not alone in this universe. We co-exist with other entities or bodies beyond our recognition and these entities can have a yin-yang influence on the decisions and choices we make everyday. There are many events in our lives that are beyond our control, beyond our grasp. I thought this is the very essence of what we call “the Wheel of Life” as they say “Bilog ang Mundo” (the world is round). Whatever we do in our lives, destiny will find and bring us to where we rightly belong. Our positive disposition, outlook and how we carry our selves however greatly influence the wheel of life. When we feel good about ourselves – there seem to be a confluence of the different cosmic energies that bring rewards and positive outcome.

Twist of fate is part of destiny that I am talking about. Let us use the subject of love to illustrate this point. People fall in love, out of love and they make decisions. Breaking up is hard to do the same thing as my cousin was pointing out that it is difficult to open up a feeling towards someone she’s resolved of the possible outcome. In this kind of scenario, do you think her decision will make up her destiny? Maybe not. Khalil Gibran – famous author and Nobel Peace Prize winner says in his book “Love will find you and dare not direct the course of love for if love finds you worthy will direct it’s course”. So no matter what kind of decision we make there is really no telling what happens at the end of the day. There are many flicks about love that we enjoyed watching in our fave theaters showing the mystery of love and mind you we also find this unfolding before our very eyes in the lives of the ordinary people around us. Read: Love is blind. Another cliché is “If your sweetie gives up the relationship, free him or her – if he/she comes back then is yours to keep”. Power of Karma is true: “what goes around comes around, what goes up must come down”.
We are all passers by in this universe and I think we should continue to dream and strive to find meaning in life and in the end believe in our hearts that one day destiny will find us.