EXPAND MY HORIZON

”..today, i promise to do my best to get out of my comfort zone.. i promise to let go of the one person that matters most to me because that person is not happy with me anymore.. i have to admit that the one i love is not mine anymore and that that person has found a new person to make ‘em happy.. i am afraid to be alone but i realized that if i continue to stay within the comforts of my past, i won’t be able to move on and push forward.. i was almost on the verge of throwing away everything.. my dreams.. my goals.. my happiness.. my friends.. my family.. the things that i could do.. my life.. just because i lost this one person.. out of all these things, i know that i want this person to be happy, even if it means that person is not by my side.. i had to choose between a miserable life and a life of hope that someday i’ll also find my own match that could make me happy.. it’s just that ten years is really hard to let go.. among others, we have become great friends.. bestfriends, in fact.. so i chose to let that person go because i want our friendship to stay.. friendship or nothing, i knew keeping the friendship was the better choice.. i had to be better than myself.. to move past what i am capable of doing and learn to love selfishly.. it’s been a memorable ten years.. i’ve learned a lot.. but i know i still have room to grow.. i love that person still.. i don’t think i’ll ever outgrew that.. but i know that i’d rather see that person happy and fulfilled than to see both of us suffer.. besides, i don’t want that person to see me hurting.. it occured to me how much i really love ‘em, because i know i can’t give this person the things that this other person can give.. perhaps i can love that person more but that is what i can only give.. the things that this person wants and need is beyond me.. so, it’s okay now.. i’ll hold your hand for one last time and i’m letting you go now.. i’ll forever be your friend.. love you babe, may you have a great life!”

”..they say that your network is equivalent to your net worth.. wherever that came from or whoever said that does have a point.. i want to include expanding my network in this goal.. to push myself out of my comfort zone and meet new people.. get to know them and maybe gain more friends.. i have a couple of friends that i cherish the most.. i love hanging out with them and i’d like it as well if they would also enjoy my company.. but then i realized that although it is good to keep old friends, it would also be nice to meet new ones.. learning comes from doing new things.. i have to learn how to build my network.. to meet the friend of the friend.. or meet a stranger.. it is also one way of expanding my horizon.. so i’m doing this.. because i know it would help me become a better person..”

volunteer regularly

You have written 4 entries about this goal
red cross – maps 5 days ago

spent couple hours at the Disaster Headquarter to organize maps, documenting flood affected areas. this is the largest flood we had in 7 years.

documented the roadways that was flooded or closed due to water, mud or debris. the purpose is to identify areas of need. it would help to identify future shelter for the flood zone. so, affected victims would not have to travel across a flooded zone to get to a shelter.

Jan 18, 08:47AM PST | Edit | Delete | 0 comments

red cross shelter 1 week ago

i was staffed at a red cross shelter for a local flooding for a 12h shift last night.

i finished the required training per red cross quiet sometimes ago. it was either their time of need didn’t work with my work schedule or the red cross found enough volunteers before i could raise my hands. so, after all these times, yesterday night was my first night!

it was tough. nothing fancy or fascinating. red cross borrowed a church and used it to house displaced families in the areas. bare basics were offered ie cot blankets, drinks, simple food, for the most unfortunate / disadvantaged.

i tried to sleep at the shelter and it was impossible. it was a tough night. i suspect they turned out the heat at night. it was cold. the cot was plasticky and noisy, i could feel the cold air going thru under the cot. the blanket was rough and, although i didn’t see, i was certain that it was very dirty. i suspected that the heat was turned off. it was very cold.

i am not sure that my night spent at the cold church helped anybody. the shelter would be open without me anyways, i was not the only staff there. i feel that my suffering was a little unnecessary.

i don’t know if i would do this again. may be for the day shift. yesterday night was very traumatic to me.

Jan 13, 06:52PM PST | Edit | Delete | 1 cheer | 0 comments

another apple glean day 1 month ago

another wonderful day in the orchard picking up apples. we picked more than 60 cases of at least 40 lbs each. i delievered 2 cases to the rainbow center, and 1 case to the women shelter/ywca.

surprisingly well organized local charity project. taking excess off farmers and spread to the needies’ tables.

Dec 04, 06:12PM PST | Edit | Delete | 0 comments

gleaning apples 2 months ago

i participated in a “small potato project” in my community. gleaning apples. it was a very pleasant day spent in an apple orchard. we gleaned more than 60 cases of apples and all the apples went to the neighborhood food banks.

Nov 13, 09:39AM PST | Edit | Delete | 0 comments

i think i made my comfort zone a little bigger than it was 6 months ago.

it is a liberating feeling. i am going to make it even bigger.

”..i need to burst out from my bubble and fend for myself.. look beyond what’s on the other side and take the risk to actually get there.. life is meant to be explored.. life is meant to be lived!”

meaning expanding my comfort zone.

doing things that i normally would not comfortably do.

try new things, taste new food, meeting new people. may be i will like it, may be i will hate it. just try it.

“i often find myself on crossroads.. times when you want to move on but cannot leave what is behind you.. when choosing means following your heart’s desire and giving up something you love the most.. many times i tried to listen to the silence of my soul, hoping to come around with an answer.. sometimes though, the answer given is not what i was looking for.. or maybe, its because i ask the wrong answers.. we look at life the way we see them.. i ask yet again, can we trust just our eyes? what if that what is beyond is the one we are waiting for all our lives.. we decide on things according to our understanding of reality but then, our reality is just within our sight’s reach.. what is beyond the limitations of our vision might be something even more grand than we imagine it would be.. for some, its a funny thought.. or maybe a little scary.. for me, it is hopeful.. and honestly, more than anything, im looking forward to what is behind that beautiful horizon..”