THE INVITATION....

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children. It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

THERE'S A REASON WHY....

There's a reason why the light appeared and space and time was born. There's a reason why the planets, stars and galaxies were formed. There's a reason why the earth gave birth to creatures big and small. There's a reason why We humans stood the greatest of them all. There's a reason why we asked ourselves, what, why, when and how? There's a reason why we live our lives the way we live it now.

There's a reason why we're not the same, but unique in every way. There's a reason why we all have dreams of being the best, one-day. There's a reason why we usually smile, though sometimes we may wail. There's a reason why we reach our goals, there's a reason why we fail. There's a reason why when things go wrong we join our hands in prayer. There's a reason why God answers them, with aid that comes our way.

There's a reason why Some people say "You're wrong and I am right". There's a reason why A friendship breaks and why the nations fight. There's a reason why we have to leave and bid our friends' goodbye, there's a reason why that child is born, there's a reason why we die. There's a reason why these things will be, the way it was meant to be. It's a plan that began, when the light appeared, and will be for all eternity.

MAN'S LIFE....

Every man's life is a beautiful masterpiece tapestry woven in different colored threads. Each and every pattern is made up of events that a person encounters everyday. These experiences enrich a person's life. The happy moments, the moments of kindness, his unselfish acts, his moments of triumph and joy are all woven in silver and gold thread.

These threads make a man's life pattern strong. But man often tends to ruin his life's pattern with ugly spots. These are his wrong deeds, his selfish acts and moments of weakness. These threads make a man's life pattern weak. And often it is with these weak threads, that we weave our life's strong pattern, spoiling a beautiful life pattern that sometimes we cannot repair. Thus the tissue of life we can weave, good or bad, remembering that we always reap what we weave.

PORTRAIT OF A FRIEND....

I can't give solutions to all of life's problems, doubts, or fears. But I can listen to you, and together we will search for answer. I can't change your past with all its heartache and pain,or the future with its untold stories. But I can be there now when you need me to care. I can't keep your feet from stumbling. I can only offer my hand that you may grasp it and not fall. Your joys, triumphs, successes, and happiness are not mine.

Yet, I can share in your laughter. Your decisions in life are not mine to make, nor to judge. I can only support you, encourage you, and help you when you ask. I can't prevent you from falling away from friendship, from your values, from me. I can only pray for you, talk to you and wait for you. I can't give you boundaries, which I have determined for you. But I can give you the room to change, room to grow, room to be yourself.

I can't keep your heart from breaking or hurting. But I can cry with you and help you pick up the pieces and put them back in place. I can't tell you who you are. I can only love you and be your friend.

LIFES ADVICE....

In three words I can sum up everything that I learned about life, "It goes on." When the going gets tough, make yourself realize that no matter what your problem is, someone is and always will be fighting a harder battle. Tears don't help problems and whining won't make things better. Have faith but understand that faith makes things possible, not easier. Have hope but understand without doing anything nothing gets done.Be there when people need you, because in order to have friends you must first be one. Make the impossible, possible. Never give up! You only fail when you fail to try. Keep an open mind; you never know what you may learn. Never compromise your standards for anyone, do it for you.
Remember that laughter makes the world go round. Beware of the person who has nothing to lose, see through the problem to find the solution. Don't make promises that you can't keep. Keep in mind, those who gossip to you will gossip about you. Say only what you mean, and don't believe everything that you hear because some day the story will be about you.Everyday is a gift, even if it sucks. Count your blessings, not your troubles.
Never waste an opportunity to tell someone that you love them, because you never know what tomorrow has in store for you. Give people a second chance, because no one is perfect. Love all that you can, give all that you have, smile away your days, and dream away your nights. Life, what a wonderful thing!

There have been times in my short life where I had to overcome certain obstacles, just as everyone must. Some which happened by chance and others because I was reckless with my life. I won't deny the fact that I thought I was invincible and could easily overcome anything. I was foolish in my thinking; life is sometimes going to be difficult. If life were a smoothly paved road then there would be no excitement, no thrill of just being alive.
The roadblocks in life are going to make things difficult and alter our daily lives but when someone overcomes these obstacles there is triumph. In this triumph, strength and courage builds to take on life.
I know I have a lot more to learn and experience but I have already learned the importance of loving the low points in life just as I love the high ones. I have already begun to triumph and I can't wait for the thrill to continue this journey we call life.

WALK....

I enjoy taking a walk. It is a great way to exercise, a wonderful way to see things at a slower pace, and an opportunity to meet people. Often, during a walk, meeting people is nothing more than a smile and a quick "Hi", but the reactions are as wide, and some as barren, as the Arctic. The older the passer-by, the more likely the response, but rarely a smile. Many have pain and suffering written cruelly across their face, where the years have etched it in deep, few remembering how to use the muscles required to turn up the corners of their mouths.

Men and attractive young ladies are the least to respond. Most never even wanting eyes to meet, scared and resentful of this unsolicited approach. Children have no time to respond, and didn't their mother always tell them not to talk to strangers? Hey, I am not one of the ones that they were warned about, but they don't know that. Then there are those that can't keep their eyes off their shoes. I am not sure whether they are afraid they are going to trip over that crack in the sidewalk or if they are waiting for their laces to untie, all by themselves.

Others have that straight ahead out-of-focus look, staring at some far off point on the horizon, not wanting to exert the effort of looking to the side. But for the few that do respond, their eyes light up, a broad smile breaks across their face and they respond with a warm "Hi". Normally, these are the ones who have a lighter step, a lilt to their walk.

They are the ones who enjoy observing their surroundings, drinking in all that nature has provided them. They have life and don't mind sharing it. I don't think this is something that is graced upon people at birth, but rather they discover it at some point along life's path. Next time some stranger walks by you and says "Hi", respond to them. You never know, it might be me.

A BROKEN HEART....

We have all had are hearts broken at least once in our lives. There has been that one person that we have loved with all our heart and has not returned that love. When you wake up to that reality you feel like your world has shattered. You feel like you will never love that way again.

He or she is all you think of and becomes your world. You ask yourself why is this happening to me? Am I not good enough? What's wrong with me? Then, as time goes by, you get the answers to your questions. You begin to realize that it all happened for a reason. You realize the he/she is not the one for you. The more you analyze the person you begin to see the differences. You realize that you don't know that person like you thought you did and they don't know you.

Then comes the understanding that you deserve someone who will love, cherish, appreciate you and never take you for granted. Once you reach this point, the pain of never having him starts to minimize. It becomes a learning experience. You learn more about yourself. You learn to recognize the qualities you do want in a person. You learn that you will love again and even stronger.

When two people love each other mutually and give to each other freely that love grows and matures. If it were not for the experience of our broken heart and those lessons we learned along the way we would not be the loving, understanding people we become. All past hurts teach us and mold us in becoming better people, which give us the tools to create successful relationships. If you are experiencing a broken heart just remember even though you have been hurt and disappointed, love will come again just HOPE and see!

STRANGERS....

Who are these people whom we call strangers? Are they people whom we do not know, or are they people whom we have yet to know, or are they people who just fill in the voids of our daily life like extras in a movie show?

I believe there are no strangers in this world.. Just friends whom you have yet to meet... the vast number of people to whom we have yet to reach out to. Well to think about it.. none of the friends we have are friends by default. All the friends we have were strangers once.

This reminds me of an incident that took place a long time back when I was studying my first year architectural degree. I was doing my model then made out of cardboards. And being a first timer in doing my model without any formal training, I overlooked the fact that I had to bring in my own cardboard. The final essembly of our project took place at the university hall where all the lecturers and teachers monitored our every movement.
Well... I had to settle for a low-quality paper that was being prepared. I was extremely demoralized. Out of the blue, a guy slid a sheet of hi-quality cardboard paper on my desk and said, "I have an extra one, I believe you could use it".

I did not expect that from a stranger and I did not ask him for help... and that cardboard doesn't come cheap! Before I could even thank him, he rushed back to his seat. I wanted so much to express my gratitude, but he was long gone before I could finish my so called structural paper element of a building. I did not know him.. and he did not know me, but what he did then secured me the grade to enter my second year.

It isn't just a piece of paper.... it isn't! It has been almost 12 years now and that incident is safely archived in a corner of my mind. Was he a stranger? I don't think so.... He was just another wonderful soul I never got to know.