LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST

LIVE FOR YOURSELF, LIVE FOR OTHERS

Work for the love it, and not for the money. A lot of people are unsatisfied with their jobs precisely because they only do them for the sake of their paycheck. While earning money is important, your happiness is, too. Keep looking for a job that fits you and learn to love it—not only will it make going to work easier, it will give you a sense of self-fulfillment, as well.

More importantly, never give up opportunities to help others, be it through your job or personal capacity. “Now it's no longer about earning a regular paycheck... I want, at the end of my life, I'll be able to say na, well, you did a lot for others in your very short time on this earth. It's so much easier to do good things for other people, than to be selfish.”


LEARN TO POKE FUN AT YOURSELF

So the next time someone throws you an insult, keep your cool and don’t fight back—why agitate yourself further when you can do something more fun? As they say, “Ang pikon, talo,” so, instead of taking others’ harsh words to heart, learn to laugh at yourself. It’s good for your emotional and physical health—laughing releases serotonin and endorphins, which lower anxiety levels and improve the immune system.


ONLY LISTEN TO THOSE WHO MATTER TO YOU

Are you getting upset because of a nasty comment you overheard a colleague saying about your work? Don’t sweat it. Why get distressed over a disparaging remark from someone who’s a virtual stranger? “Sumasama ang loob ko, pero hindi ko sila pinapansin. Hindi naman sila importante, e.”

Think about whose opinions matter to you, keep them close to you, and disregard the others. It’s one thing to receive harsh criticism from someone you don’t know personally, and another to hear it from someone who cares about you. If it’s the latter, then reevaluate and decide whether there’s truth to your loved one’s statement and go from there.


BE HAPPY WITH WHO YOU ARE

What ever your shape or size, be proud of it. Accepting yourself for who you are is the first step in being confident around others, and the more comfortable you are in your own skin, the easier it will be for you to do so. This doesn’t mean that you can’t change anything about yourself—change is constant and unavoidable in life, after all. If you commit to it, though, do it because you want to, and not because others told you to.

The Biggest Loser instead of, say, getting a waif-thin model to host. "Ang ganda-ganda mo nga, pero araw-araw, aburido ka. Maganda na yung kumakain tayo ng masarap. Ibig sabihin, masarap yung pagkain natin sa bahay."


THINK POSITIVE

Everyone has problems and everyone has a right to complain, but not every problem is as big as you might think it is. Keep your stress levels down by not sweating the small stuff. Instead of focusing on the downside, look for the positives. Try making a list of things that you feel thankful about—you’ll find that the list may be longer than you thought it would be! Having a positive outlook in life will help you go through the bad times more easily. “Kahit bali-baligtarin nila ang mundo—masarap ang buhay ko, e. Magrereklamo pa ba 'ko?”


Emotions can spread like a contagion. That is why there is noticeable difference in the atmospheres of the places that we go to–our home, the office, the park, our children’s preschool, the hospital and so on. It is not only our experiences in these places that dictate the air, it is also the emotional state of the people we come into contact with whenever we visit them.

PhysOrg.com recently published the findings from a study performed by Harvard and MIT researchers on the spread of happiness (or sadness) in a similar pattern as spreading communicable diseases. Using the data collected from the Framingham Heart Study and slightly modifying a mathematical model developed to observe the spread of contagious diseases, the researchers found, in simple terms, that you can catch happiness or sadness like the flu.

As much as we can catch these emotions, we can also spread them. In this stressful, fast-paced society, nobody wants to be around what we call a BV (bad vibes). Below are ten simple ways you can do to spread the right kind of vibe in the air and have everyone you bump into just love being around you.


SMILE

It is one of the easiest things you can do to ease a person’s mood. So, smile when you answer the phone, put a smiley on your notes, and add an emoticon to your text and instant messages. It really makes all the difference! Smiling is free and, as a bonus, it releases endorphins

COMPLIMENT

Everyone loves hearing nice things about themselves. And surely you don't have to stretch your imagination too far to come up with even just one or two nice things to appreciate about a person. Give a good compliment about your spouse, your child, your co-worker or any random person–and mean it!

PERFORM RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

An act of kindness does not only mean grand charity balls or flying to Pakistan to help flood victims ala Angelina Jolie. We are given plenty of opportunities every day to show kindness to one another, like hitting the brakes to let people cross the street, holding the door open for someone, and letting the shopper with very few items in queue to go ahead of you.

REPAY RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

In line with the previous item, be sure to repay random acts of kindness. The beauty of paying it forward is that you are not obliged to give it to the actual person who performed the act of kindness towards you, allowing us to pass on multitudes of good deeds! Still, paying it backward as well never hurt anyone!

MOTIVATE

As much as we would love to help, sometimes timing and resources just do not give us the liberty to. In cases like this, all we can do is motivate by giving encouraging words and becoming a solid support system.

LISTEN

We all have something to vent out about. But when a friend runs to you to clear her chest, give her the floor and listen intently instead of waiting for your turn to speak.


ACKNOWLEDGE

Oftentimes, we tend to ignore the companions of the friends we bump into, perhaps at the mall, at a restaurant, etc. This is most true when their companions are children, elderly, or handicapped. Acknowledge their presence. It will make them feel good about themselves.


TREAT GENEROUSLY

Whether it is a cup of coffee or a meal for lunch–freebies never fail to lighten up one’s day! It may even be a small gesture like giving each of your officemates a small candy to sweeten up a dreary Monday morning. Contrary to what many may think, generosity isn't measured by how much money you're willing to dole out, but how often and how much you're willing to share what you can with others.

SPEND TIME WITH YOUR CHILDREN

Forget about out-of-town trips and going to the mall. Quality time with your children does not have to take place outside of the house. Engage in family activities, such as playing board games or doing something creative. Sometimes, we get too consumed by our work that we forget who we are doing it for.


MOMS, HUG OR CALL YOUR DAUGHTERS

No matter how old a woman is, she will always need a dose of mommy love from time to time. Moms are the ultimate fairy godmothers. Sure, they can't make all our wishes come true, but their touch and the sound of their voices can help reduce the stress that our troubles bring.




STRESS AWAY

EXERCISE

You may think exercise is just another source of anxiety, but this actually makes you better equipped to deal with a stressful day. If going to the gym or busting out aerobic moves isn’t your thing, don’t despair. Just find something that you’ll enjoy and keep at it. Apart from being a form of exercise, it serves a creative outlet for me express whatever I’m feeling that day without the distraction of work and other tasks—it’s how I really ‘let my hair down,’ so to speak.”


GET A HOBBY

The more your life starts to revolve around just work, the more stressed you become. Inject some fun back into your life by taking up a hobby. Use this time to completely forget about your work problems, and focus on enjoying life and keeping yourself happy. “Whether it’s a sport, reading books, or watching films that you enjoy the most, do it on a regular basis. Being able to do something you like nurtures your mind, body and soul—to put it simply, it makes you feel good. And you need that positivity to get through long, tiring days.”


TAKE A BREAK

“If you don’t take regular breaks, you’ll work yourself to death, and your health and overall well-being will suffer for it.” So the next time you feel a migraine coming on because of work, think of your health and turn your laptop off even if it’s just for fifteen minutes. “We all have moments when stress seems to be getting the best of us,” “But we can choose not to let it by taking a break and doing the things that make us smile and help us unwind.”


FIND BALANCE

The key to a non-stressful life is balance and contentment, So stop overworking and think about your personal life too! Make time for going out with friends—surround yourself with the people you care about. “People generally feel stressed or burned out because they are constantly dissatisfied or running after something,” “It’s good to have goals that you can work towards, but it’s also important to find the balance between being in pursuit of these and still being glad with what you already have. It keeps you grounded and your outlook positive, so that you can set about achieving those goals in high spirits.”


THINK POSITIVE

Sometimes stress can get the better of you, but even the simplest things can go a long way to improve your mood. So go indulge the a pair of new jeans you've had your eye on or watch the sun set after a particularly depressing day at work. The trick to effective de-stressing is to always give yourself something to look forward to. Reward yourself for a job well done with a long soak in the tub or finishing a tub of your favorite ice cream. You deserve it!