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Maraming salamat.  Kailangan mo yan marinig madalas. Kahit tayo lang ang may alam, wala akong paki. Dahil yun naman talaga ang pinakamahalaga. Alam mo at alam ko. -Bullet Dumas, sending love to Indie Music and fans. Credits: http://www.philstar.com/supreme/2016/02/13/1552373/bullet-dumas-my-valentine Stefan Punongbayan (The Philippine Star)

Over the last decade, we have seen the research on the effects of stress. And much of it is not good. Thus our natural reaction to it is that it is automatically bad for us. Which on a constant basis, it is. And when we assume it's bad for us. In a way, we sabotage ourselves the chance for us to challenge it. Here's Kelly McGonigal on her Ted talk: How to make stress your friend "The next time your heart is pounding from stress , you're going to remember this talk and you're going to think to yourself, this is my body helping me rise to this challenge. And when you view stress in that way, your body believes you, and your stress response becomes healthier." ... "People who spent time caring for others showed absolutely no stress-related increase in dying. Zero. Caring created resilience. And so we see once again that the harmful effects of stress on your health are not inevitable. How you think and how you act can transform your experience ...

Just watched this Ted talk by Judson Brewer, titled: "A simple way to break a bad habit." I've seen a couple materials about changing habits over the years. A recurring theme about them is the structure of what creates a habit. Trigger - Behavior - Reward This is millions of years of evolution hardwired in our brains. It may have saved us from an angry lion or remembering where to find that ample source of water.  But on our modern lives now that same biological process is active on mundane tasks. The difference on what Brewer suggests now is that, instead of working against the structure, use it to our advantage. The same pattern, except the reward is the wisdom.  To be aware of the actual habit. To be curious. Another facet of mindfulness. "Seeing really clearly what we get when we get caught up in our behaviors, becoming disenchanted on a visceral level and from this disenchanted stance, naturally letting go. This isn't to say that, poof, magically...

"So, say somebody just runs a stop sign. When somebody does this and you see it, you’re just instantly consumed with anger. And that’s really interesting, if you think about it. Why anger? Why not some other emotion? And if you can see that it’s one of these defensive circuits — in this case, it’s the O trigger, for order in society — you will instantly know two things: One, you’re in a situation that is about to release a potentially violent reaction, because it’s hardwired in the brain to do something like that in response to these threats. And, two, if you recognize that this anger is caused by something in the modern world setting off this circuitry in a situation where getting in a physical fight is not going to be helpful, you instantly disarm the whole circuitry. R. Douglas Fields, a senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health,  argues that there are nine major triggers that invoke the rage response, which he has assembled into the acronym LIFEMORTS" ...

Pinagdarasal ko na sana maging masaya ka. At alam ko, balang araw darating din ang para sa akin.  Naniniwala akong may plano sya, para sa akin at sa taong inaantay din ako.

So back in 2015 I had the following resolutions: 1. Create a financial plan 2. Buy glasses  3. Set a balance on technology use. Limit social media so you have more time on other things  4. See a concert  5. Treat a girl to coffee/dinner once a month  6. Teach someone something for free  7. Exercise more consistently  8. Read more books by Filipino writers  9. Watch more foreign films, specifically Asian stories  In terms of results: 1. Financial Plan - Fair enough 2. Glasses -  Accomplished. Though I use it sporadically 3. Social Media Balance - Below Average 4. See a concert - Accomplished 5. Treat a girl to coffee/dinner once a month - Dinner monthly; No. Treat; I think yes. I lost count around half of the year. 6. Teach someone something for free - Yes 7. Exercise more consistently - Below Average 8. Read more books by Filipino writers - Fair 9. Foreign films, Asian stories - Average So I would assess 2015 as a good...

2015 was a very "full" year. I started out with optimistic, fairly realistic expectations. Some of which I accomplished. Some no.  The middle is now a blur. Like one straight movie montage has flashed. It's like a montage of montages. The latter part of the year was the hardest bit of time I've ever been through. I really let myself out. I was vulnerable. I was desparate. I was weak. I was disheartened. Nevertheless, I'm glad to have to known people I get to call my friends. People who made this period in my life bearable. I can't thank them enough for keeping me afloat. Looking forward, I have not made up my mind yet as to what my resolutions ought to be. Im sure I can think of something up in the next few days. To our creator, Lord, I am forever grateful to you. Thank you for the grace, the blessings, the strength to always carry on. Thank you for my family and friends. Please guide and protect us always.  I'd like to close wit...