Oh, Beautiful Sunset!

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, 

but to add color to my sunset sky."

           - Rabindranath Tagore

"I love to be here at the beach to watch the sunset - the greatest performance of Nature.  

Like a theater, but it's free."

- Gina De Gorna

"It is almost impossible to watch a sunset and not dream."

- Bern Williams

Ipar's

Craving for authentic Spanish cuisine while in Cebu?  Go to Ipar's in 157 F. Ramos Street.  Visit http://ipars.com.ph to check their menus and make online reservations.

Prayer For Courage

By Rabindranath Tagore

Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,
But to be fearless in facing them.

Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain,
But for the heart to conquer it.

Let me not look for allies in life's battlefield,
But to my own strength.

Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved,
But hope for the patience to win my freedom.

Grant me that I may not be a coward, 
feeling your mercy in my success alone,
But let me find the grasp of your hand in my failure.

What are your strengths?

The famous question, "What are your strengths?", always comes up during job interviews.  For the past months, I have been coaching young individuals to answer this question to pass their job interviews and get a job.  Believe me, this is a very tricky question and there is a formula to give the best answer.  However, I will not dwell on the formula because what I want to share is the discovery of my own strengths using an assessment tool called Strengths Finder!

StrengthsFinder was introduced to me by the organization I work for to start its staff development program.  I was given a copy of this book, StrengthsFinder 2.0, which contains the access code to take the online assessment.  To learn more about this book, check http://strengths.gallup.com.

A report of my Top 5 Strengths was generated immediately right after I completed the online assessment.  The report was very useful because it contains the description of my strengths, a personalized strengths insights, action ideas on how to apply my strengths, and steps on how I can leverage my talents for achievement.

My Top 5 Strengths

Responsibility

People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

Learner

People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.

 Belief

People who are especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.

 Connectedness

People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

 Relator

People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

Bent

I saw this tree and felt exactly like this - bent.  In a state of tension.  And so after a month of juggling work schedules, I packed my bag and went on a weekend trip with friends to Siargao, the surfing capital of the Philippines.

Siargao has 48 islands and islets and subdivided into 9 municipalities namely Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, General Luna, Pilar, San Benito, San Isidro, Santa Monica, and Socorro.  

Siargao is an island filled with adventures such as surfing, game fishing, mangrove fishing, caving, sea kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, and diving.  To know more about Siargao Island, you can check these sites,http://www.siargaoislands.net/p/about-siargao.html and  http://amazingsiargao.com/.

Old houses along the street of General Luna.

We stayed at La Luna Island Resort in General Luna.  The resort is also just a few minutes away from the famous surfing spot, Cloud Nine at Tuazon Point.  You can check the resort's website for inquiries, http://lalunaislandresort.com/.

La Luna Resort cottage.

 We spent our first day hopping to three islands - Naked Island, Daku Island, and Guyam Island.  

Sunset in one of the islands.

The next day, we went on a long boat ride to Socorro for two exciting agenda - swim with the non-sting jellyfish and experience the wonders of Sohoton Cave. 

Plenty of jellyfish in this part of the sea.  

Entrance of Sohoton Cave.

Inside Sohoton cave.

A cave inside Sohoton called Snoring Cave because of its sound .

The last day in our stay in Siargao was spent exploring the famous Cloud Nine.  Surfing lessons were available for Php500 including use of a surf board.  

How can I make a difference?

I have been walking in this road called life for some time and have asked spiritual questions like "What am I here for?" and "How can I make a difference?".

As a Psychology graduate, I started a career in the field of Human Resources and delved into the corporate world.  Time passed and I began to sense a growing desire to reach out to young people with needs greater than the usual employees at the workplace.

After some discernment, I decided to pursue my longing to make a difference to the lives of young individuals.  I joined a humanitarian organization that helps young vulnerable persons develop and achieve their goals in life.