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[authorralph]

Behind Every Success Story

Success is merely the top of the iceberg. What goes on below the surface is another story. Every one of us is dazzled by success. It is like the shiniest of trophies or the grandest of rewards that calls and beckons for us to come closer. But reaching for success does not happen in the blink of an eye. It is a rarely instantaneous gratification. That’s why so many give up on it before they are halfway through the process because that’s what it is: a process. It is a process that tests the determination of a person. It is a journey that sometimes takes a lifetime. No matter who you are or what you do, success is achievable. However, behind every success story is a story of struggles, trials, and difficulties. Many have been and many will be reduced to their lowest for the sake of success. Many will lose some only to win triumphantly in the end. All of these make success sweet, but the process can be a bitter pill to swallow. It is important then to remember that whatever it is that you are struggling with for the sake of a goal, nothing is impossible. You will get there as long as you take everything in stride and keep your eyes on your goal. Many would give up and turn their backs on their goals, making excuses or blaming other people. That’s not how you achieve success, not how you attract the good things in the universe to your favor. Keep in mind that behind every success story is an even bigger story about trials and challenges. Keep in mind that success is a continuous process. Most of all, keep in mind that there is a grander plan bigger than your goals and plans. Never give up on your success and, most importantly, ask that you may be blessed. Read the full article

[authorralph]

The Grace Beyond Every Plan and Resolution

Because the new year is fast approaching, many are getting their resolutions ready. All over the world, young or old, people make resolutions. Whether they achieve what they set out to accomplish is another matter. Many fail just as the new year is settling in. Why? Why are resolutions sometimes too difficult to fulfill? No matter how serious we are about our resolutions, it takes more than sheer determination to fulfill plans. Whether you want to quit smoking, start saving for an emergency fund, complete a degree, go on a much-deserved vacation, begin a new hobby, or learn to forgive someone who wronged you—nothing is easy without the grace and blessing of God. Every single person who has attained some level of success will attest to the power of grace. Whether you believe you receive grace or blessings from God or the universe, it doesn’t matter. What matters is knowing every plan or resolution comes from someone or something much, much larger than we are. Many of us start the new year feeling extremely positive about making a goal happen only to be crushed when things don’t go our way after some time. First of all, this happens to many of us, so if this happens to you, know that you are not alone at all. Second, there’s no sense in doing the same things over and over, examining why they don’t deliver the results we want. Why do some people achieve the plans they set out to accomplish at the start of the year, and why aren’t you one of those people? When you examine things closely, you see what is truly going on and you can decide from there how you want to proceed with your resolution. Then never underestimate the power of prayer. It is one of the most important treasures in life. Examine what you have and list what you want or where you want to be and then pray. Pray so that every plan and resolution of yours will find fulfillment. Pray that you fulfill your purpose in life. Read the full article

[authorralph]

The Magic of Beginnings

A few short weeks to go and it’s already year 2020. How exciting is that? A whole year is about to come to a close and a fresh one is about to begin. At this point of the year, what are we supposed to do to ensure we welcome nothing but the good vibrations of 2020? The magic of beginnings is real. That’s why there is what we call beginner’s luck. People all over the world believe in beginnings and the magic happens all throughout the year. New Year, however, is a special one. On New Year’s Eve, aside from the usual parties and family, friends, or office get-togethers, one thing is certain. Everybody is excited about the possible magic the new beginning will bring. Young and old, we all wonder about what the year has in store for us and whether or not it is our lucky year. Who doesn’t want magic and a fresh set of opportunities? When the two go together, the stars will align. However, nothing ruins good luck like an unpleasant past. Every tiny thing that goes around comes around. Every bad intention or action will haunt you one way or another. History haunts those who owe something to the past. Hence, you need to finish 2019 with a clean conscience and a happy, grateful heart—a clean slate so to speak. How do you start a year effectively? For starters, declutter and make space for the blessings to come. When you are full to the brim, there’s no way for you to accept new blessings since you will overflow. Making space in your heart, your mind, and your life is an effective way to accept blessings that are yet to come. Beyond the promises of a new year and the magic of beginnings, there is work to do. Make way for that magic and make sure you are ready to receive the blessings in 2020.   Read the full article

[authorralph]

What and When to Ask from God

Many of us who have a relationship with God turn to him in prayer. Prayer is one the best ways to communicate with Him and let Him know our thoughts, our feelings, our intentions. Of course, God hardly needs us to tell Him all those things because He knows every tiny thing about us, including the number of hairs on our head. But voicing out what’s on our mind and in our heart help us foster a great relationship with God and allows us to express ourselves as freely as possible. What and when should we ask from God if God knows everything about us? First of all, prayer is not all about our petitions. It is also a chance for us to be thankful and to acknowledge the blessings we have in life. When we ask, we should welcome the plans of God and pray that whatever we ask for are in accordance to God’s will. We should ask God to enlighten us and show us the way rather than us taking the lead ourselves. We know nothing about the future and we seldom realize our purposes in life before they manifest to us; hence, making plans and doing what we think should happen is counterproductive to our overall growth us a person and as a soul. Furthermore, it is easy to ask for more without seeing what we already have. Therefore, never ask anything without first acknowledging the blessings in front of you. They are there for reasons maybe only God knows, but it is your job to be grateful and to use them as wisely as possible. Beyond our daily concerns, beyond our day-to-day life, there is a purpose for all of these, for everything around us, and for every happening in our life. Beyond our concerns and our plans, let us remember that God’s plans should come first. Hence, when you come to Him in prayer, be grateful for that purpose—whatever that may be—and ask that may He blesses your plans if they are in accordance to His. May you have a truly fruitful year ahead of you. Read the full article

[authorralph]

What and When to Ask from God

Many of us who have a relationship with God turn to him in prayer. Prayer is one the best ways to communicate with Him and let Him know our thoughts, our feelings, our intentions. Of course, God hardly needs us to tell Him all those things because He knows every tiny thing about us, including the number of hairs on our head. But voicing out what’s on our mind and in our heart help us foster a great relationship with God and allows us to express ourselves as freely as possible. What and when should we ask from God if God knows everything about us? First of all, prayer is not all about our petitions. It is also a chance for us to be thankful and to acknowledge the blessings we have in life. When we ask, we should welcome the plans of God and pray that whatever we ask for are in accordance to God’s will. We should ask God to enlighten us and show us the way rather than us taking the lead ourselves. We know nothing about the future and we seldom realize our purposes in life before they manifest to us; hence, making plans and doing what we think should happen is counterproductive to our overall growth us a person and as a soul. Furthermore, it is easy to ask for more without seeing what we already have. Therefore, never ask anything without first acknowledging the blessings in front of you. They are there for reasons maybe only God knows, but it is your job to be grateful and to use them as wisely as possible. Beyond our daily concerns, beyond our day-to-day life, there is a purpose for all of these, for everything around us, and for every happening in our life. Beyond our concerns and our plans, let us remember that God’s plans should come first. Hence, when you come to Him in prayer, be grateful for that purpose—whatever that may be—and ask that may He blesses your plans if they are in accordance to His. May you have a truly fruitful year ahead of you. Read the full article

[authorralph]

Beyond the Merrymaking for Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner. It’s hard to miss the excitement in the air and harder still to ignore the festive season. But just before we make it all about the gifts, the tree and the gatherings, let us ensure we understand why we celebrate Christmas. Obviously, we know we celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas. We know the story—the star, the three wise kings, the shepherd boy, Bethlehem, and the baby Jesus in a manger. We know Mary’s story and that of Joseph as well. We know how they journeyed to protect themselves and Mary’s unborn child. We know how the angels announced the coming of the Messiah and how they celebrated his birth. We know Jesus was born in order to save mankind. We know God gave his son to us because of his love. That right there is the real meaning of Christmas—Jesus and the love of the Father in heaven. Time and time again, many of us forget about the real reason for Christmas. Instead, we devote time and effort on material representations of love or simply fall prey to the abundant temptations that take our focus away from Christ—shopping, parties, or travel. Material abundance is not wrong. Giving gifts is not wrong. Celebrating with family and friends is not wrong. But when we forget what Christmas is all about, that’s where we go wrong. Beyond the fanfare and the merrymaking on Christmas, let us remember Christ and be thankful for the gift of life and second chance that he bestowed on us. More importantly, let us remember the love of God the Father who gave us his son so that we will be saved. That is the grandest gift there is. When we love others and willingly sacrifice ourselves, especially our comfort and convenience, for others, we partake in the genuine meaning of Christmas. Here’s hoping your Christmas will be full of joy and peace and love. Read the full article

[authorralph]

What Are You Grateful For?

Thanksgiving comes and goes every November. For many of us, it means spending time together with loved ones, family, and friends. It means lunch or dinner with the traditional turkey and endless chatter over a table of good food. For many of us,  thanksgiving is an annual tradition that couldn’t be missed. What are you thankful for and how do you give thanks? Because the day is expected to be a busy one, before hitting the door or before getting up in bed, why not set intentions right and start the day in prayer—in thanksgiving? Before rushing to get last-minute items, why not remind ourselves what we are thankful for? When we are intentional about giving thanks, thanksgiving becomes more than just a tradition or an annual event to gather friends and family. When we take the time to express our gratitude, thanksgiving becomes more meaningful. Gratitude does not demand so much time and effort. First, let us be thankful to the one who made life possible—the one who created us and gave us purpose, the one who comes to our succor every single time we are challenged, the one who carries us through all the trials and joys in life, the one who gives us the wonderful people we are surrounded with. Let us be thankful to God. Let us also remember the people in our lives who are constantly there for us and say a prayer or two for them. Taking this a step further, writing notes or letters or emails is a wonderful way to give love and show appreciation. Before taking time to relax, let us make sure those who are important to us know just how much we appreciate them. We may not express our sentiments all the time, but let us take advantage of the day and make people feel extra special. You will be surprised how a simple gesture will result in even more blessings coming back to you! Aside from the people in our lives, let us be mindful of our circumstances and give thanks. Whatever situation we are in, there are lots of reasons to be grateful. Let us not limit ourselves to material blessings. There are blessings that are even more important like good health, peace of mind, and the ability to forgive. These and many other non-material things should be acknowledged. If you find yourself in a better position than others, extend help where you can. It makes gratitude tangible. It makes Thanksgiving Day even more special. After all, gratitude is a way of life, not a tradition or even a state of mind. Action completes gratitude. Read the full article

[authorralph]

Letting Go of Hurts and Graces

The new year always inspires us to change the unpleasant ways of our lives and become better version of ourselves. At the same time, we are inspired to make new plans and set new goals to accomplish within the year. Whether that is to save money, lose some undesirable weight, get out of our cocoon, and see the world, reach a milestone in our career or start a career, let go of vices, or forgive and make up with people we weren’t in good terms with last year, the new year is a fresh start—a time to reset our clocks and to clean up the slates. All of these wonderful endeavors are not always a walk in the park. As much as we want better, more beautiful things for ourselves, sometimes they can be a real challenge to accomplish. What can we do then when the goings get tough? What can we do when we are about to give in and go back to our vices, our resentments, and our hurts? What can we tell ourselves when the office promotion we have been working on suddenly seems impossible to reach? What can we do when we cannot forget the hurt other people caused us? What can we go when we can’t let go of the past? There are times too when we enjoy the wonderful things we received in previous years and become complacent or too comfortable in our comfort zones. What can we do to push ourselves out of that comfort zone and discover what greater things we can accomplish? Where can we turn to for inspiration? More importantly, why do we need to get ourselves unstuck? Letting go is never an easy thing to do. Whether you need to let go of painful stuff or whether you need to challenge yourself and let go of the comforts you are used to, both need effort, time, and prayer. After holding on to grudges for example, how do you move forward? After being an expert in something, how do you learn a new thing? First of all, let us remember that beyond all the things we have today, beyond our experiences, beyond our life, there is another life in eternity that matters more. There should be acceptance and gratitude in our hearts, and more importantly, we should empty ourselves so God can show us the way and pour forth his love and mercy. Next, whatever burdens us keeps us from getting where we should be. Whether we are attached to our colleagues too much or contented in our way of life, if something doesn’t move us toward the fulfillment of our purpose, it is time to let go. Let go then of hurts. Forgive and know that you deserve peace. Let go of what makes life a routine. Make a little change here and there. Life is beautiful. It should excite you the moment you open your eyes. It should remind you that you and your days are blessings from the Most High. Read the full article