From the Bottom of My Hypothalamus

Happy New Year!!!!

2010-01-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2010! New Year, New Decade, and now I'm back to Blogging! Yay!

Global Dream: End Poverty

2007-06-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

Smiles in My Mind

2007-06-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

Out of my comfort zone
Feeling blue about the situation
Can't do anything about it,
But reside and live with it.

Separation from family
Is the hardest thing for anybody
Though it's hard, it's need to be done
For them, for our future and personal growth

Days seems longer than usual
Thinking of how things used to be
Reminiscing memories of family
Joy, laughter, and pain, will always be part of me

Til the day comes
That we are one once again
I will live each day with smiles in my mind
To keep each day pass by...

Happy Mother's Day...

2007-05-13T04:11:00.000-07:00

Today is mother's day and i would like to share a very touching story i read on the net, entitled "The Mother"

The young Mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked. And her guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."

But the young Mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the Mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the Mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you." And the Mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength."

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth -- clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the Mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother said," This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the Mother grew old... and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.

And the Mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."

And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."

Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks, she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter And she's crystallized in every tear drop. She's the place you came from, your first home; And she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you...

Not time, not space... in Jesus, not even death!

To my Loving Mother and to all Mother's out there...HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

The Battle is On..

2007-05-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Global Warming had been a worldwide concern in the past few years, but are we aware of it? Nowadays, the battle against it seems to be on, due to the increase of awareness regarding this phenomenon. But are we truly aware? What is Global Warming?

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. An increase in global temperatures can in turn cause other changes, including sea level rise, and changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation. There may also be changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, though it is difficult to connect specific events to global warming. Other effects may include changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, reduced summer streamflows, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors.

Take Action! Before it's too Late!

Cheers!

2007-05-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

It seems like only yesterday when we first got a glimpse of this university, dreaming that one day we might become proud alumni’s or products of this institution. WE DID IT! We made it through four years of countless sleepless nights, bad hair days, ballroom dancing P.E. show downs, excruciating major subjects, agonizing minor “feeling major” subjects, heart pounding hospital exposures, hand paralyzing case studies, FCA’s, case presentations and drug studies, tons of projects and requirements and our most recent endeavor, the thesis proposal. But don’t bring out the wine and confetti yet. For all we know, college life is about to get more “interesting” and like what most people say, we are just getting started.

It is then but normal for us students to take a break after a hard day’s work and loosen up, to celebrate.

Why is there a need for a celebration?

Some of us don’t even know whether we can be able make it through the 2^nd semester without loosing our minds; whether we can stand one more night of thesis reviewing, another duty day of NPO and a never ending roller coaster of emotions. Being a third year student is NOT EASY. The paranoia never stops. Many have cried. Some fought. Others have suffered. Most of us prayed.

The typical 3^rd year nursing student would… have a haggard and sometimes coma vigil look; be seen carrying thick MS books; have the 3^rd floor of the library as a second home; and be seen in a particular group cramming, brainstorming, fighting, reviewing, and doing lots of paper work.

Misunderstandings, personal agendas, selfish pursuits, petty rivalries, inconsiderate individuals, laziness, and financial problems seem to cloud and dominate this crucial part of our college life.

Failing grades, terror teachers, break ups, forgotten friendships, hanging scholarships and home problems these are some of the factors, which not only cause us stress, but also fear, anxiety and most of all, depression.

It is not enough that we must undergo hours of discussion with our class instructors and yet not absorb a word they are saying. It is not enough that after spending hours of exhaustion in the hospital and community, you still end up at the library or garden finishing the loads of requirements in every subject. We end up sacrificing our weekends. Days that should be spent with our families and friends are now flooded with school work and at times used up in order to get the much needed sleep. To top it off, months of hard work, money spending, typing and data gathering is just easily shattered with one word. Redefense.

Again, the question is why is there a need to celebrate?

Our lives have become so complex. Eventually we become so tired of chasing and accomplishing our goals that we tend to give up or worse, become cynical and believe that in our life, all pleasure is temporary and joy is just an illusion. When we let the monotony of life get through us, we tend to forget the simple things that we should be thankful for. When the pain and troubles of life steal our focus, we forget to see the overwhelming goodness in life, which far outweighs the bad of this world.

Taking a break, reflecting, praying and celebrating will remind us of the truth: that the problems of life are momentary passing shadows however the joys in life are eternal and worth living.

There is so much to be grateful for.

Our health is, without doubt, one of the most important things. Without good health our ability to enjoy our lives, which we share with others, is seriously diminished. Spirituality is an important aspect as well. Believing in something can sometimes help bring you peace of mind. Spirituality and faith in our Lord can sustain us through the toughest of times. We have our friends and group mates, whom we have been with in our happiest as well as most devastating times. This is the time in which you would be able to distinguish your true friends from your “friends”. True friends, who will never leave you, be with you through thick and thin, in your highest and lowest points; people who will accept you with open arms and who will help you stand up each and every time you fall. We have our family, considering the pricey education they’ve tried so hard to provide us, are still there, rendering their unwavering support, guiding us every step of the way and loving us unconditionally. our class instructors, who not only provide us with insights and much needed knowledge, but also serve as our big brothers and sisters, even mothers and fathers, treating us with consideration and unadulterated concern.

Think about all the awesome things God gave us to enjoy: creation; companionship; life; love and the list goes on! We need to look for the joys and victories in life and acknowledge them! They are all around us; it is just that we don’t notice them. Big victories need to be celebrated. They happen when we finally achieve something substantial, overcome an intimidating challenge, or survive a seemingly hopeless situation. But the big victories are sometimes rare and that is one thing that makes them precious. This is why we need to get in the habit of celebrating the small stuff too. We need to look for the many little victories that fill our days and celebrate them as well. These happen all the time. They include things like impressing your CI, doing the right thing even when no one is looking, getting a high score in an NCM quiz, or just being able to submit your own journal reading on time.

Celebrating does not necessarily mean that we are interested in wasting our time, brains, emotions and dignity at some drunken quest that many people think of as a party. Those may sound and be fun for a time, but they take their toll eventually, draining our energy, making us feel lousy in the morning. Then again doing that occasionally wouldn’t hurt.

Once more, celebrating helps us to remember the good in life. It proves to the world that we have something worth getting excited about.

Never take anything for granted. Take responsibility. Having a positive attitude in life can get you so much further. Allow laughter and fun to penetrate your life. Have fun and always smile. Give yourself a treat! Take a time out. Working 7 days a week will soon run you down. Make time for your family and friends. Rest and get a good night’s sleep. We are young and we are just starting to live.

Celebrate each day, thank the Lord and enjoy life. Cheers!

Duc In Altum

2007-05-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

As I was entering the campus one day, I can’t imagine that I’m already in my junior year of Nursing. Everything still seems surreal for me. Memories of yester years are still fresh in my mind. I could still hear the Graduation March and see myself walking down the red carpet in harmony with its rhythm, during my High School Graduation. Everything seems to be a great dream which I don’t want to wake from. I could still remember the excitement I felt as I first laid foot at AUF, bewildered with the peaceful and calming atmosphere on the campus grounds, atoned by the buzzing groups of students seated on the benches like warrior ants guarding their food, and as I look above a great roster of names they seemed to greet me as I enter. Those were the days where life seems to be much easier and worrisome, but as years pass by I’ve came across lots of bumps and pit stops like the grueling “minor subjects feeling major ones,” the dreadful RLE oral defense sessions, the mind boggling Anatomy and Physiology and now the cerebral aneurysm forming NCM 102 and thesis. Time, truly flies so fast, as I reflect the past years I realized that not most of it was fun, not most of it was gimmicks or parties but most of it were struggles and challenges which helped improved who and what I am now. I had met lots of friends who came and gone, failed quizzes and buzzer beating submission of requirements, but still I’m here standing and taking action.

As I reminisce the past I remember a great mentor who had once taught me the importance of facing challenges and taking risks. He shared to me the immortal phrase, which up to now lingers in my mind, “Duc In Altum” or in English “Put out into the deep.” The phrase is synonymous to challenges or taking risks, facing struggles without fear and doubt. The phrase is taken from a biblical passage found in the book of Luke 5:4, the passage reads, “When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” The phrase “Duc In Altum” teaches us to take risks at everything we do, even though we may not be sure of the outcome, for we may not know what it may bring not until we have done it. Taking risks may be perilous but how could we achieve our dreams and ideals without conquering our fears, facing challenges and taking action. If we dream of being successful nurses in the future, we must take action NOW; treat each struggle as a challenge for us to conquer in ultimately attaining our goals. Sitting around and relaxing wouldn’t do anything, we must stand up and do something. Words alone or even taking things for granted wouldn’t do well; it would be like shouting in a cave and waiting for the echo. Thoughts, words and actions kept to self would just remain in the individual but when all are put together, created for a common cause wanted change and success is possible.

In a few months time, I and my fellow batch mates would be in our last year of Nursing, we may think that this is the end of all our pains and sufferings to pass this course. Struggles either doesn’t end upon us receiving our diplomas or taking the Board Examination, but being a Registered Nurse is just the start of greater trials and risks we have to endure, for now in our caring hands lies the life of others. So, stand up. Take action, for the world is a vast plain waiting for us! Duc In Altum KADAKE 2007!