SHARING ANYTHING WITHIN THE SOCIAL NETWORK

There are a few things that I would love to share with my friends and those would be having a great family of cats, restaurants that I had visited and recipes. When I have these wonderful things to share with the whole world, where would I go to? Other than a limited friend list in my blogrolls, I would share them in Acobay. You might have heard about MySpace, Friendster and Facebook but Acobay is totally different from them. They are a unique social network site where members would be well connected to share their interests and get personal.

There would be news of the hot five and top ten searches within the network. You could also click on the many categories available based on your interests such as Auto Accessories & Tools, Automobiles, Cameras, Cell Phones, Computers, Home Appliances,Home Audio, Media Players, PC Accessories & Peripherals, Software, Sports & Outdoors, Tools & Equipment, TV & Home Theater, Watches, Books, Games, Magazines, Movies & TV, Music, Musical Instruments, Pets, Toys, Websites, Destinations, Hotels, Restaurants or just anything that you would like to share under the sky or out of this universe.

This is definitely a great site to explore, show and network. Not only did I get better blog traffics, I got to know many other wonderful members and new products through their social and consumer network. If I were you I would just go right into the Acobay website and join them today.

WHICH CATEGORY DO YOU FALL INTO?

There are many kinds of people in our society. They may be your relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbors or just anybody surrounding you now. Basically, they fall into 4 main categories.

CATEGORY 1: He who does not know but think he knows
These are fools that we should avoid in order not to get ourselves acquainted with their foolishness.

CATEGORY 2: He who does not know that he knows
These are the people who need our guidance and support to be awakened so that they can do more beyond their present efforts.

CATEGORY 3: He who knows what he does not know
These are the people who are self motivated to seek more knowledge for self improvement.

CATEGORY 4: He who know that he knows
These are who we should acquaint with in order for us to develop ourselves further. They will guide us and help us to grow better in our journey of life.

So now which category do you think you fall into? Which category do you associate with most of the time? Do you think that you are mingling with the correct crowd now? Share your thoughts here.

CHRISTMAS WISHES TO EVERYONE IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

This is the time of the year where everyone would be in Christmas moods.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone
Merry X’mas and a Happy New Year.

Friends like you are special gifts
worth more than finest gold.
You've been there in my darkest hours
with a comforting hand to hold.
You know my thoughts before I speak,
we share our hopes and fears and
when life brings us joy and grief,
we share our smiles and tears.
You're generous with your time and love,
always there with a hand to lend.
Life wouldn't be as rich without you.
I'm so happy to call you friend.

THE TRUE QUALITIES OF A GOOD FRIEND

How do you like your friend to be? Are you aware on how to grow your friendship? Friends can be measured in quantity, but friendship can only be measured by qualities. What are the qualities you look for in a friend?

Someone who would spare his/her time for you even though s/he is busy?
Someone who does what is hard to do just for you?
Someone who would give you what is hard to give?
Someone who would bear all the sadness you would have had?
Someone who would share his/ her secrets with you and yet will keep it well?
Someone who will not forsake you when you are in need?
Someone who will not run away when you are in trouble?
Someone who will accept who you are and not what others would want you to be?
Someone who will give you a smile and comfort you when you are sad?

The list of how, what, why, which and when will go on endlessly. Basically, a true friend should be generous not in materialism but in giving the time, service and patience with a smile always. Have you found such a friend yet? If you did, appreciate and cherish them by all means.

FRIENDSHIPS REMAIN TO THOSE WHO SEEK WISELY

In my previous post entitled FRIENDS IN DISGUISE, I was mentioning about the types of friends you should avoid in your life. They will not motivate you and bring you far in your path to being a successful person. What about those good ones whom you can get into your life? There are not many of these people around our ever changing society. If you can find one, together you can grow with them, nurture the friendship and move towards a better life. Who do you think possess the good characteristics that you would want them to be your friend?

Lover: This is not necessary someone who will love you and is willing to become your soul mate. This is someone who has a cultured mind, untainted by the chaotic and madness of life. S/he will have that in-born love and compassion, and knowing what is right or wrong distinctively. Everybody will love him/her for his/her mature way of life.

Listener: Someone who will listen attentively and patiently to you at all times. S/he could be a good counselor to all your hardships and woes. Every word that comes out from him/her will be of love, kindness, generosity and pleasantness. S/he is a resourceful person to guide you through your journey in life.

Speaker: Someone who speaks with deep thoughts, truth, back-upped by knowledge, experiences, facts and figures. This is the type of person who is very helpful and is willing to share what he knows without any repayment. S/he is indeed an unselfish person, not necessarily in monetary benefits but as in knowledge itself. Time and patience is all he has in clearing your doubts and straightening your thoughts. To him, actions speak louder than words.

Saver: Someone who will spend wisely in needs and not in wants. S/he is someone who will guide you through your journey in life, ensuring that you will not go astray in your process of reaching your aim. To him/her, time is money. So is life. Time should be used constructively in gaining more knowledge and experiences in order to have a better future. Self improvement and development remain as his/her ultimate goals. S/he is a wise person to be with.

On top of all the above points, holding on to your faith will also attract lots of good friends. S/he who is morally, intellectually and spiritually enriched will inspire, motivate and give strengths to others to move forward rightfully in life. After all, it is leadership by example. If you can show how well you will carry yourself, people will subsequently love you as whom you are…as a FRIEND!

FRIENDS IN DISGUISE

In our life, we tend to meet up with all types of people whom we call friends. Sometimes, you will end up getting hurt, knowing that those so-called friends are not truly your friends. You felt betrayed. You felt sad because you have sacrificed all your time and efforts in helping them and in return you get yourself into bigger problems. Thus, to avoid getting hurt over and over again, here are a few steps to identify who your friends are.

Flatterer: Someone who praises you in your presence but speaks ill of you in your absence. S/he is a backstabber indeed. This type of so-called friends will influence others to go against you in a matter of time. They are the worst friends to have.

Spender: Someone who will ruin your wealth by introducing you to gambling, frequent night spots, endless shopping spree, “lepak”ing (saunter outside at unseemly hours). S/he will be your best companion during these periods until you are all out of money and in financial crisis.

Taker: Someone who will give a little contribution but expects a lot from you. There are many of this type of so-called friends surrounding you. It will hurt your pocket a lot if you are the only one contributing to their welfare. When you are well off, they will be around. When you are run down, not even their shadows will appear in your life.

Talker: Someone who will entertain you with the past and future but will never be around in the present. S/he is a thunder indeed. S/he will promise you a thousand and one things, but when you are under a rain spell, s/he will express her/his inability to assist you.

So, be aware of who your friends are. You may never know how bad they will affect your life until it is too late. Looks can be deceiving but actions and speech can expose the motive and intention of a person.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND

Many people are lonely inside
And they do need a friend
Some have plenty to spare
While others have merely a handful
If you only count only the true ones
You may end up with none.

Good friends are hard to come by
For many are really selfish within
Materialism, greed and defilements
Have made many lost in disillusionments
They are always around you if you can see
Only the mind can let you understand who you should be

We do not need to have many friends
Having one good one is good enough
You need not spend too much time together
To lighten each others’ woes
As simple caring and sharing
Is all I ever ask from you ever more!

WHAT A NICE VIEW DOWN THERE – PART TWO

…continues from previous post

When you are at this point, there really was no other way out but to die. But most do not know that you can die without physically killing yourself. The answer is to be willing to give it all up. All your thoughts, wants, dreams, failures, hates, cares, fears, the past, the future, and all painful relationships, you have to let everything go. There is only one thing you can hang on to now through this tough moment ... FAITH. If you can do this, I promise you will end up dying to yourself and find total freedom and sanctuary. But, there is no way you can do this on your own, you have to have others help you, but the choice is yours. You can believe the lie that killing yourself is the answer, but you can have alternatives, which are FAITH and FRIENDSHIP. A few good and close friends will help you become sober and forgo your plan for the worst. If you try to go on and push through life out of your own strength, you will continue to fail and go deeper and deeper into despair.

Sometimes it's hard to admit that we need other people. Sometimes depression and suicidal thoughts contain a component of upset and anger towards the world and the people in it. But the truth is, nothing can really substitute for human contact. We do need people. The truth is, just talking to someone, explaining, sharing, venting, being listened to, can often give us a temporary reprieve. Talking to someone can temporarily change your perspective in life. Human contact changes the brain chemistry and opens that emotion "pod" of pent up emotions for temporary relief. It may not be what they say, but just the exchange of emotions like empathy, compassion and concern.

Let someone know your pain
For a few moments, let someone help carry your pain
Someone who is there because they care enough to help a stranger in need
Because they know, or they have seen
From someone they know, or somewhere they have been
That your life may be in danger and there is nothing they can say
To really make that pain go away
But they are there for you even so
Because somehow they know
That somehow, some way
They can help you find the strength to live another day

You must begin to take responsibility for the "bad fruit" in your life. You need to 'own' the fact that you have created the bad fruit in your life, one of the first steps needed to begin the journey of freedom from depression. How can you expect the outcome to change doing the same thing over and over again, without you yourself changing anything? It is common to not take any sort of action, yet continue to hop that some day the situation will change. It is common to become passive, and then the situation can eventually become hopeless. You are at whatever particular place in your life you are at due to your choices of attitude and actions that you have previously made. Some situations may appear to have been someone else's choice for you, but you need to not play the 'victim' role. Once you begin to grasp this principle, you will be strengthened and can begin to make the necessary changes in your daily life. Have FAITH and start to make the right choices in your life with all situations. You can choose to be a victim or victorious, powerless or powerful, each day. Life is about choices. We need to make the choice to forgive. Treat your inner or physical enemy with RESPECT and LOVE. When you have the willpower to do this, you will be well on your journey toward freedom, peace, and contentment.

To all of you out there who feel that it is too difficult to break up because of fear of CHANGE, fear of what would happen to your mate if you did break up, fear of never finding another again. I have one word of advice: simplistic as it may sound, your HAPPINESS is all that matters. If you think you are fit to pursue further into the relationship, go ahead. Be positive in your actions and have some self confidence. Luckily, you are not “married” legally which DOES complicate things a lot more, and that is why THINKING is ALWAYS required. While it is noble and all to work at a relationship you think still has a future, there is such a thing as working TOO HARD for it, so much so that it becomes JUST WORK. Of course, the trick is in knowing when to draw the line. For me, if you cannot remember the last you laughed together, your time is probably up.

To all those who are contemplating suicide: Think rationally before you act. God gave us a life to cherish and to contribute towards human race. It is a matter of time before people forgets what would have been history. Try to be in a peaceful state of mind to plan and to set your life back onto the right track. I have been through this rough time many times and I realized that life is a gamble. Whatever lies ahead is up to us to decide. We are our own decision maker.

Note:
A big “Thank You” to those who have in one way or another help me pull through this bad times. You will be remembered forever for your undying support and encouragement.

WHAT A NICE VIEW DOWN THERE – PART ONE

“My family members do not support me in whatever I do anymore due to some past mistakes I have made. I regretted and wanted to set things straight but the “TRUST” has long been gone. My career had gone down the drain due to my bad karmic energy to secure any job, even at this present age. My financial status is way below danger level for me ever to pick up again. Not even a single soul realized my hardship to lay a hand to bail me out this crisis. Life has not been as smooth as I would have expected it to be. And worst of all, my girlfriend has fallen in love with someone else. All this hit me simultaneously, thus bringing sadness to me and only I myself will know and feel the depression, the worst of its kind in my entire life. It hurts so much after all the efforts, devotions and attentions I have put in to make my life more meaningful. My aim, my plan for my future has gone chaotic. There is nothing to push me forward to enrich my life further. It's over, and I wish I could die, right here, right now. Everything that has made me happy, made me safe, made me whole, is gone. My world has stopped spinning and my mind has stopped working. I am in a daze. I often hide myself and cry uncontrollably daily ever since, if only someone knows. Life seems so meaningless for me to go on alone and the future is too painful for me to imagine.”

Anyone who has ever been in depression or has been in more than two close relationships in his lifetime has experienced the above. I know I have. It is something no one likes to admit to, especially in this part of the world where failures and “too many” ex-girlfriends have a way of haunting one with bad reputation.

First let me say that death will achieve ultimate freedom from pain, fear, and depression. It is also the only way to experience complete peace. The hell of this pointless life and existence holds absolutely no meaning or reason to live. Nothing matters anymore because the deep pain is all that can be felt, and every day it only gets worse and worse. No one cares! They have proven it by how they hurt me by never giving me the trust and another chance to prove myself. LIFE IS A LIE! The voice inside says freedom from the pain is to just end it, so get it over with. I know these things and I know how to commit suicide because I did it. Did I? Of course I did not or else I would not be here to post this article.

Let me explain... My whole life really sucks and the deep black hole just kept getting deeper and darker. There was no way out, nothing anyone could say changed the fact that my life was hopeless and to die was the only answer. So I made a decision to end it all and I did it. I killed myself, but did not die completely. What actually died were my mind and all the pain in my heart. I am still physically alive, but everything else died and the whole world looked different to me afterwards. I escaped and the freedom from the pain was awesome. You can physically feel that lump in your heart growing larger each day and the tears will just drop uncontrollably. Let me tell you a secret. You do not have to physically die to end it all. You will be so glad when the “old you” is dead because you just cannot go on another day like this... Can you? You do not want to make a mistake because you do not get a second chance to prove your worthiness after this.

It all starts without warning, a loved one or trusted authority thrusts a sharp dagger slicing deep into your innocent heart shattering its safe world of love with betrayal. A reflex pulls the heart away as the first painful emotion brings a fear of death and insecurity. Stunned in disbelief, the mind scrambles to make sense of the puncture the heart has just sustained. Confused and unable to comprehend the assault, you accept full responsibility that you are at fault. Year after year the pattern continues, as trust becomes a distant memory.

Deep within solitude and far from discovery the mirror of the buried heart reflects failure and loneliness. The mind caught off guard responds with a legion of proof that the inner voice is a lie. As time passes and silent to all others, the heart's once small whisper increases to a scream which the mind can not suppress anymore. Plunging into a darkness of conviction and despair, a knowing of the failure permeates the body. Shocked by the inner betrayal, a rage is created that will not relent. Over and over you seek for the one to blame, but none can be found. Through desperate fear, the mind has the solution. You are the one to blame.

The now silent heart slowly dies unaware of its gradual fate as despair trickles into the cold voids where the dream once lived. Day after day the darkness kills thoughts before they transform into action bringing a paralysis to life. Moving deeper and deeper into hopelessness, your dream no longer exists. Replaced with a cold hatred, death is the only escape.

…to be continued