HAVE A LITTLE FAITH

My boss lent me her copy of Mitch Albom's "Have a Little Faith" last month and insisted that I read it.  While "Tuesdays with Morrie" remains to be one of my favorite books of all time, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" was a huge letdown, which was why I was hesitant to read Have a Little Faith.

I was more apprehensive when I was told that it was about a rabbi who asked Mitch Albom to write his eulogy.  I was worried that it was going to be too preachy preachy and I'm not even Jewish.

But this book was not about religion, it was about faith in general.  And whatever trepidation I felt about reading this book immediately disappeared after the first few of chapters.

In a lot of ways, it strengthened my faith in humanity and my belief in the power of prayer.  A little sappy, I know--but I read this book at a time that I needed faith the most.   I don't know if my boss sensed that or if she simply wanted me to read a good book.  Nevertheless, this book worked.  It is a book to believe in.

And yes, I cried sobbed.

So before returning it to my boss, I took snapshots of my favorite quotes.  Sharing them with you.

ON CHANCES 

LIFE'S PURPOSE

FAMILY

ON COMMITMENT

ON RELATIONSHIPS

ON PREPARING FOR DEATH

SLEEPING IN A STORM

WE TAKE NOTHING

A DAILY PRAYER

WHAT A HOME REALLY IS

THE FINAL MINUTE

ON THE THINGS WE DO NOT SAY

TRYING TO BE BETTER

Other quotes I wasn't able to take a snapshot of:

ON MARRIAGE

“I think people expect too much from marriage today,' he said. 'They expect perfection. Every moment should be bliss. That's TV or movies. But that is not the human experience.
. . . twenty good minutes here, forty good minutes there, it adds up to something beautiful. The trick is when things aren't so great, you don't junk the whole thing. It's okay to have an argument. It's okay that the other one nudges you a little, bothers you a little. It's part of being close to someone.

But the joy you get from that same closeness--when you watch your children, when you wake up and smile at each other--that . . . is a blessing. People forget that.” 

ANOTHER ONE ON DEATH

“If you could pack for heaven, this was how you'd do it, touching everything, taking nothing.” 

ON AGING

“Getting old we can deal with. Being old is the problem” 

WALA LANG

I know I mentioned before that I still read my old blog (that's how much I LOVE IT).

I was reading an entry I wrote for my 25th birthday and this was part of it:

"I'll remember that everything I really need I already have and whatever I don't have will come to me when I am ready to receive."- from Will and Grace

I just thought I'd remind myself again :)

45 LESSONS LIFE TAUGHT ME

My stepdad emailed this to me a couple of days ago and I liked it so I thought I'd share. It was written by Regina Brett:

45 LESSONS LIFE TAUGHT ME by Regina Brett

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple..

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30.. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

GRATEFUL

I know it's unfortunate but sometimes, it takes bad things to happen to other people for you to realize how lucky you are. It has been a rough 2 weeks for a few people that I care for very much that it has made me so much more grateful for these 5 things:

1. V and I are faithful to each other despite our spats every now and then.
2. I have wonderful helpers who genuinely care for us, especially for Joaquin.
3. A great relationship with my sisters. We made a promise last week that we would never ever fight over money or something equally petty.
4. My mom is unbelievably healthy! :)
5. My family (especially the ones in the US) still have jobs.

I was chatting with a friend from the US last week and I was saying that despite the financial crisis/recession the world is going through right now, we should remember that we still have a lot of things to be grateful for. Actually, this is something we should remember everyday.

So there-- I still want new running shoes, a laptop and an oven for Christmas and while I wouldn't mind getting all the material things I asked for, these 5 things I listed are more than enough to make my holidays happy. I hope yours will be too!

WEAR SUNSCREEN

I'm feeling really blah today--probably from lack of sleep and a few minor problems. And whenever my spirit needs lifting, this is one of the things I like to read to stay optimistic about life.

I thought I'd share it with you.

WEAR SUNSCREEN
By Mary Schmich
The Chicago Tribune
Originally published: Sunday, June 1, 1997

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen
would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved
by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more
reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this
advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You
will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until
they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at
photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much
possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You
are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying
is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things
that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you
at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with
people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead,
sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's
only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank
statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with
your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22
what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most
interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them
when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children,
maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the
funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do,
don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either.
Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it
or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument
you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living
room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel
ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone
for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your
past and the people most likely to stick with you in the
future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people
who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you
soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians
will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll
fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable,
politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust
fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when
either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it
will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over
the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.