Life Lessons Archives – Page 8 of 12

The Harvest of Life

By JM PerezJuly 11, 20133 min read712 views

Last Fall, my Son went on his first field trip to the Pumpkin Patch. When I picked him up later from school, he proudly showed me a small pumpkin he received as a souvenir from the trip. After a couple of weeks, the tiny pumpkin started deteriorating and he allowed me to plant it (I just dug a hole and shoved the whole thing in it). Winter went by and so did Spring. Up until last week I believed it was a lost cause until I saw the first sprout.

The Harvest of Life process reminded me of the Harvest of crops.
I once shared bulbs from the same bag with a friend; hers germinated and bloomed long before mine. For a while I wondered what I did wrong and wondered what I could do to have better results in the future. After trials and errors, I realized that while some seeds will germinate in warm soil, others will not and vice versa. Some crops will be ready to harvest in no time; others take a very long time. There’s a time and season for everything. How slow or quickly it takes a seed to grow is not up to us. The good news is that we can control the quantity of our crops by following the necessary steps (watering, fertilizing, getting rid of weeds and using pest control) to encourage a healthy growth. Regardless of the methods/techniques used for planting, harvest season always comes.

Just as with plants, some things are in our control and others, not so much.
The cycle of life is to be born, to grow up, to grow old and to die. But it never happens in that exact order regardless of Technology, Advancement in Science as well as other natural remedies (healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, exercise) to help us live longer. The choices we make in life will determine the outcome of our fate.

“Whichever season you’re in, rejoice and celebrate your life as you might not experience it twice.” – Joan Ambu

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die.
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.
A time to kill, and a time to heal.
A time to break down, and a time to build up.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh.
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together.
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
A time to get, and a time to lose.
A time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew.
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate.
A time of war, and a time of peace.” ― Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (KJV)

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By JM Perez

Inspire Life Lessons People

Being Accountable

By EPEngineerJuly 2, 20132 min read748 views

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”― Mahatma Gandhi

This morning after trash pickup, I heard music coming from my next door neighbor’s front porch. With temperatures soaring lately, I’ve stayed indoors mostly. Since I was outside, I decided to check on him. We talked, we laughed and we talked some more. As we stood at our property boundary, my neighbor handed me a piece of paper with his new phone number written on it. He said he let an acquaintance used the phone to make a quick call and she drove off with it. He’s lost his laptop as well as other electronics in the same manner.

My neighbor is a good man who needs attention and he is honest about it. He is a compulsive shopper. He is very disorganized, which causes him to forget where he left items; therefore, when he needs an item he is forced to purchased another set. Every now and then we will help him organize/declutter his garage and label all his tools. It’s never enough. He keeps buying and some keeps disappearing. He lets people use his tools and equipments without supervision and give full access to his tenants. I told him that he had no one else to blame but himself.

*Image Source: LifeQuotesCollection.com*

From the moment they started talking, I have been teaching my children Accountability.
They know that for every action, there’s a consequence. They understand the concept of ‘reaping what you sow,’ fighting fair and always striving to do the right thing.

When you shoot something up, expect it to fall down
When you give, give freely and don’t expect anything in return
Remember that loving someone doesn’t guarantee they will love you back
Do no use others for your personal gain
Guard your thoughts and watch your mouth
Nurture good habits
Don’t tell your secrets and hope they’ll remain secret: words have a way of getting out
Don’t look down on others and expect them to assist you in times of need
Even the smallest decision can have huge impact in your life
Be accountable for your own actions
Wrong doings tend to find you in the darkness

With this in mind it is always a good idea to offer everyone your good side and always smile kindly. There will be times when a stern word or two must be used, but remember that words tend to come back and hunt you. As a society we learn every day and we must navigate it carefully and truthfully with our best intentions always in mind.

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By EPEngineer

Parting Cutting Cords Scripture Faith Life Lessons People

Scripture: 1 John 2:19

By JM PerezJune 11, 20133 min read597 views

Relationships can be a double-edged word. Like domesticated animals, everything is alright until they come biting you for little to no apparent reason.

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” – 1 John 2:19 (KJV)

Like everything else in my Life, I took my job seriously and looking back, I almost became a workaholic. I tried as hard as I could to keep an ongoing communication with the outside World and me. I wasn’t as available as I would have loved to be and I didn’t realize how committed I was to my work. I was excited about a potential promotion. It became tricky to make time for Family, Friends and it seemed there were not enough hours in a day to do what I wanted to do. I had responsibilities, deadlines to meet and my sanity to keep in check.

Little by little, without realizing and/or inciting, I started distancing myself from others (and vise versa). Some people were happy for me and stood patiently beside me. Others simply couldn’t bear the silence and absence and decided to keep moving until I caught up to their rhythm, which I totally understood. One individual, whom I never expected and didn’t think was capable of, saw an opportunity to start a feud. That was eight years ago.

It happened at a time when I was deep in prayer for the right direction regarding the relationship. Looking back, I believe this was inevitable. Though not perfect, I was a faithful friend. However, to be blamed for not supporting a hurtful and hateful decision and to be asked to go against my belief – that to me, was the last straw. Keep in mind that, prior to this, I had my own sanity to keep in check. I have always believed that the Lord works in mysterious ways and I know He freed me from a load which wasn’t mine to carry.

I know a little bit about cutting cords and I have learned over the past years when to hang on and when to let go. Often times we stay in a relationship because we are scared of the unknown and we do not believe we can make it on our own. Because we do not believe in ourselves and in possibilities.

“No one is ever alone and silence does not equate defeat.” ― Joan Ambu

Some relationships are meant to be and others not so much. You can know someone all your life and then, out of the blue, the relationship ends. Does it mean either one or both individuals were bad? Maybe, but I think not. It just means that their chapter in the story of each others life is over at that particular moment. Parting and cutting cords doesn’t give us the right to hate or hurt each other. Besides, how does one begin to belittle someone or something he/she once loved without belittling him/her self in the process? Does it hurt? Yes and it will hurt until you learn to take charge of your Life and emotions. Should you regret ever knowing the person? Absolutely not. Hold on to the good memories and move forward with your Life. Our encounter with one another is a life lesson.

Love and Air are two of a few things which should be free. Do not force anything which doesn’t come naturally and remember that those who leave us, were never really with us. What’s the point holding on to them?

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By JM Perez

Sefl-Esteem Parenting Children Education Family Life Lessons

How Well Does Your Child Know You?

By JM PerezMay 10, 20133 min read548 views

I am sure most of us have heard questions such as “How Well Do You Know Your Child?” and it’s a question all parents must be able to answer. We cannot effectively reach out to children (or anyone, to say the least) if we cannot understand them or place ourselves in their shoes for a moment. Life goes by so fast that we sometimes get caught up with what seems to be the priorities on our minds that we forget about the basics.
As parents (guardians and/or caregivers), we wake up in the morning, get breakfast ready, get the children ready, drive them to school and get on with our own work. Then it’s time to pick the children up from school, ask about their day, have diner, help out with their homework and get them ready for bed. We wake up in the morning and do the same thing over and over again.

Those things create a bond between the child and the parent (priceless). As much as we enjoy doing these things for our children and while we adjust/embrace these changes, are we really paying attention to the most important details in their lives? Are we listening to them, understanding what they are saying and responding appropriately? Or are we simply ‘going with the flow’ like some would say? I am sure you’ve all heard the saying and hopefully read the Poem by Dorothy Law Nolte, Children Live What They Learn. We are our children’s heroes from the start and they mimic our every move even though we don’t seem to notice it. If someone was to ask you today how well you know your child, can you say for sure that you will represent your child well? Click here for a fun survey and share the results with your child to see how well you did.

How about your child? How Well Does Your Child Know You? This question is as important as the first one (how well do you know your child?). How do you project yourself to your children? How do you nurture them? What do they think of you? Is their perception of you accurate? As parents we are more concern about our children’s well-being that we forget to share a little bit about ourselves with them. Living under the same roof does not mean that they know and/or understand us and what we do. We have to share some information which may come handy in time (in extreme cases for instance, being able to identify us just by simple, yet detailed questions). Our children may not answer all questions about us accurately, but they should not be guessing when we can educate them and we should not be guessing either and start asking questions.

One of the activities of the month of May in my Son’s class was a description/presentation about their Mothers. Sometimes we think such little details are not so important for our children to know, but they really are and my boy made me proud today. As you can see on the document above, he remembered everything except my age.

“Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself.”― George Bernard Shaw

So, my dear readers, on a scale of 1 to 10, how well would you say your child (or children) know you? How well do you know them? I’d love to hear back from you.

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By JM Perez

Scripture Faith Life Lessons People

Scripture: Proverbs 27:6

By JM PerezMay 8, 20132 min read1.1K views

A couple of months ago, my husband and I watched Initial D, the film adaptation of the Japanese Initial D manga and anime series. We really enjoyed it as it was both entertaining and educational. Initial D tells the story of a young tofu delivery boy who fell in love with a girl, got his heart-broken and became a drift-racing legend.

Itsuki Tachibana, after seeing Natsuki Mogi, Takumi Fujiwara’s girlfriend, leaving a love hotel with an older man, decided to inform his friend Takumi who didn’t take the information well. He insulted his friend and almost beat him up for ‘disrespecting his girlfriend.’ Had I been in his shoes, I am pretty sure I would have acted the same. How could he fathom the idea that his girlfriend was an escort girl, telling him she was going out of town just to find out that she was around this whole time? He eventually sees Natsuki with an older man, which confirms Itsuki’s claim.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” – Proverbs 27:6 (KJV)

Yes, faithful are the wounds of a friends. Itsuki knew that telling his friend about what he saw would hurt him deeply and he also knew that it was the right thing to do. As much as Takumi was hurt, coming face to face with the truth, made him realize that his friend had his interest at heart and was just trying to save him from more heartache down the road. Itsuki earned his friend’s respect and their relationship was strengthened in the process.

Some of us have been in a situation where we thought using flattering words was the only way to win a friendship or to get out of an uncomfortable situation. We smile with people even though we are so sick of their sight. We pretend to like someone just because they are popular and being with them means having a free pass to many events. When asked by your friend if her makeup looks right, you quickly say yes, when you know it’s really bad. I know they are people out there who hate rejection and are only happy when others flatter and make them feel special. Part of it has to do with their upbringing (when parents allow their children to do whatever they want without consequences or for fear of their children resenting them). Such people should be avoided because they are a pain to be around and they don’t care about what we have to say.

We need to be around people who can build us up and whom we can help build up too. Let’s not settle to be someone’s puppet even if we are getting something out of it. We are not helping each other by lying to one another and we are not helping ourselves by concealing the truth.

For an in-depth explanation of this scripture, visit LetGodBeTrue.com

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By JM Perez