Wish you were here

Friday, September 26, 2008

ON DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

Labels: photography, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:02 AM | 18 comments

Saturday, September 06, 2008

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

Labels: photography, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 12:13 AM | 24 comments

Thursday, May 15, 2008

WHILE SCALING GREATER HEIGHTS

"Know how to triumph over the envious, and the malevolent. Not enough just to ignore them, even though courtesy is a great virtue; better to meet them with brave face, for there is not enough praise for him who speaks well of him who speak ill; no vengeance more noble, than that which through worth, and ability, becomes the tormentor and the executioner of the envious; every success tightens the rope about the neck of the malevolent; and the glory of the envied becomes the hell of the envious; this is the greatest of all punishements, to be made unhappy by another's happiness: the envious dies not once, but as often as the envied is reborn by applause, the enduring fame of the one vying with the enduring torture of the other; for the envied is as immoral in his glory, as the envious is in pain. The trumpet of fame, which sounds the one to life eternal, brings execution to the other, sentenced to be choked to death by the choke of his envy." - Baltasar Gracian

Labels: Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:04 AM | 12 comments

Monday, May 12, 2008

LETTING GOD BE GOD

In your subconscious mind is the creative process of the ages, the process which every successful person has used.

It cannot refuse to serve you. It has no favorites, and it knows no limitations. It awaits your demand that it acts. Upon your demand, it proceeds to fulfill this demand without stress or strain. The mental machinery of your subconscious mind moves into action in orderly ways and draws upon resources far greater than the conscious mind could ever know. No wonder that modern metaphysicians call this function of mind "God." They sense the magnitude of its ability and they use this tremendous creative potential to produce what they want in life.

All of this is already in you. The great use it. The non-great do not, so they remain the non-great.

Decide upon some thing, situation or condition that you want right now in your present life. Be definite in this decision. Do not limit your decision by investigating the probable reasons why it will never happen. That is the detour to nothing. All false speculations of defeat have to be ruled out of your consciousness. If they enter into the decision for even a fleeting moment, the decision is robbed of authority and the subconscious mind cannot act upon it. You do not need to know how the final result will come to pass. That is the function of the subconscious. It has ways and means that, if they were known, would stagger the intellect.

Say to your subconscious:

"This is my decision. I now authorize you to accomplish this. I have total confidence in your abilities and resources. I authorize this without any reservation. I do not place this demand in a framework of time or condition. It is a free demand now established in my subconscious mind. This mind now has it clearly."

Then relax and let your subconscious have free reign. Keep clear of all doubt. Keep clear of all worry. God, in your subconscious as your subconscious, is the power and the mind that accomplishes your desire.

Let God be God, and keep your hands off the process.

Your subconscious will reveal to your conscious mind directions to take and ways to proceed. Idea will follow idea in perfect order and sequence. You become the observer of the creative process now taking place in you. From the observation point in the conscious mind, you watch what you wanted to have happen, happen. You are under no strain.

You are the observer and the participant.

Labels: Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 5:00 AM | 16 comments

Sunday, September 30, 2007

A SOUL THING

While reviewing the shots I took of this geode yesterday, I suddenly remembered a quote by Plato that I came across online:

"A sensible man will remember that the eyes may be confused in two ways - by a change from light to darkness or from darkness to light; and he will recognize that the same thing happens to the soul."

And as I prepared for bed, thinking of another desk lamp I ought to get in Quiapo to improve the shots I took of the geode earlier in the evening, a passage from Gary Zukav's The Seat Of The Soul also came to mind as if to enhance Plato's quote. It reads in part:

"The human emotional spectrum can be broken down into two basic elements: love and fear. Anger, resentment, and vengeance are expressions of fear, as are guilt, regret, embarassment, shame, and sorrow. These are lower-frequency currents of energy. They produce feelings of depletion, weakness, inability to cope and exhaustion. The highest-frequency current, the highest energy current, is love. It produces buoyancy, radience, lightness and joy."

Have a wondrous Sunday everyone!

Labels: photography, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 6:49 AM | 14 comments

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

BADMINTON & SPIRITUALITY

In my ongoing effort to improve my game, I have subscribed to “Badminton Secrets,” a weekly email newsletter by Robert G. Johns. Last Thursday, I was rather surprised to receive what seemed to be more of a spiritual lesson for abundant living than a tip on how to play better badminton.

He calls it "Five Words That Can Change Your Life." He even recommends that we all “should write down, memorize, in fact etch onto our brain” this lesson, because it may just turn out to be, as he claims it, “the best, most rewarding way of achieving anything.” And he means anything.

Supposedly, these five words had rewarded many people with more love, success and happiness than they could possibly have imagined. And that these five words have been handed down from generation to generation; making a significant difference to whoever heeds them, as well as positively affect the rest of the world too.

And what are these five words?

“Give and ye shall receive.”

However, Johns argues that it isn’t about giving and then expecting something back in return; rather, it’s about giving without any expectation of being reciprocated. Essentially, it’s about giving unconditionally. Undoubtedly, this is a well-known universal truth — that whatever you give whole-heartedly comes back to you tenfold. But what does giving have to do with playing better badminton?

To experience the rewards of this truth, Johns suggests for any player to now switch his thinking from “how can I play better badminton” to “how can I give to other people in badminton.”

And he had listed a couple of scenarios to drive home his point:

- Someone gives their time by staying behind and coaching some juniors free of charge. The juniors tell their regular coach, and he invites that person to a session where they pick up a whole host of tips and techniques.

- One too many people have been booked to play in a match. The player who offers to stand down is then included in the next match, against the league leaders that helps take that person's game to a new level.

According to this universal law, Johns argues not only will you get more back than you ever give, but other people will immeasurably benefit from your kindness!

He also recommends the following:

- Never give bad line calls on purpose.

- Encourage or praise other players, even if they might be your nearest rivals.

- When you notice your rival has a tell-tale sign that they are going to play a certain shot, tell them!

The bottom line here is this: by completely trusting and applying this principle, we allow the universe to reward us by creating opportunities for us to achieve whatever it is we dream of.

And as if to underscore Johns’ message, that following Sunday, Cathy_bythesea, a journalist for Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) by profession, posted an entry, “Blogging and Writing for God, in which she made mention of her article published on that same day by PDI.

Her article was about an interview she conducted with Kay Warren — teacher, author, speaker and wife of Rick Warren, author of the New York Times bestseller “The Purpose Driven Life.” The interview centered on Kay Warren’s talk entitled “Finding Joy, No Matter What” — five practical ways to lead a joyful life. And one of those was about becoming a giver.

Having been reminded about the immeasurable joys of giving by two respected sources made me think that perhaps, my guardian angel must really want me to embody this spiritual lesson in order to attain a more joyful, fulfilling life. Okay, I’m game!

Labels: spirituality, Sports, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:48 AM | 15 comments

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

GRIFTERS, SCAMS AND THIEVES

Bernie J., other than keeping his readers up to date with mobile gadgetry and computing innovations, would sometimes post insightful commentaries about human frailties as in his Social Engineering 101.

Supposedly, social engineering is nothing more than the art or science of deception, or as Bernie has plainly defined it, a scam. He illustrated a few examples of which such as shoulder surfing, dugo-dugo, phishing, and Nigerian email to name a few. Although you may already know about some of the modus operandi involved, it wouldn’t hurt to find out more about the others.

In response, I posted a comment and made mention of a recent incident—which was just as insidious as those he had outlined—in which I was the intended victim. I wasn’t sure, however, if this would be classified as social engineering, but to me, it surely reeks of it.

What happened was I received a series of lengthy text messages from an anonymous sender. Hiding behind a prepaid Globe SIM card, the sender went on to lambaste my sister; even accusing her of certain wrongdoings—which borders on criminality—in the company that she manages, but owned by a cousin.

The sender also accused her of spreading vile rumors about me. In other words, he was trying to win my confidence by revealing acts of betrayal perpetrated by my sister. Obviously, this anonymous sender was trying to manipulate me into getting just as angry as he/she was with my sister.

My immediate response was to reply with the following message:

I forgive you. And in so doing, I free myself from the bond I might have with you through hatred, anger, resentment, or fear. In the process, I also keep the power and continue to enjoy the freedom that only forgiveness can bring. I refuse to allow you to hurt me or control me. I forgive for myself.

Every time I would receive any more messages from this person, I would resend this same exact message of forgiveness. Shortly thereafter, it stopped coming.

My sister was very appreciative of my response, as well as when I didn’t dignify any of those rumors she supposedly fabricated against me. I only made mention of this whole thing to her so as to give her a head’s up about someone harboring a great deal of animosity against us.

In our brief discussion about this matter, we decided to let it go at that and not even waste any time trying to figure out who the culprit was.

Labels: life in Manila, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 6:53 AM | 9 comments

Monday, April 10, 2006

A CROSS TO BEAR

As far back as I can remember many of my mother’s friends, relatives and godchildren sought her counsel. They were usually about domestic disputes, marital infidelities, or recalcitrant siblings. For those with a seemingly insoluble dilemma, my mother would often suggest it may be their proverbial cross to bear; a test of faith, so to speak.

There came a time when I would say in jest that technically, Jesus carried his no more than three hours. And that there are people out there who enjoy wallowing in their troubles in perpetuity; thriving in the attention they receive, as well as justifying their martyr-like threshold for suffering as a trade-off for a glorious afterlife. Invariably, my mother would just wave me off as if I should know better.

However, as I got older, I became cognizant of the healing effects of this adage. Just like my mother, I would sometimes find myself consoling my friends with these same words; even adding that carrying such cross builds a stronger spirit and emotional resolve.

Perhaps, then, pain and suffering may be integral parts of the human experience, which lead us to higher realms of spiritual evolvement as we explore the many paths of our life's journey.



Art Credit:
Title: Crucifixion (Hypercubic Body) 1955
Artist: Salvador Dali (1904-1980

Labels: art matters, Growing up memoirs, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 10:16 AM | 6 comments

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Featured Quote by WILLIAM JAMES

Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.

William James
US Pragmatist philosopher & psychologist (1842 - 1910)


Art Credit: The Getty
Title: Venus and Mars
Artist: Palma Il Giovane (Italian, 1605-1609)
Medium: Oil on canvas (80 7/8 x 56 1/4 in.)

Labels: Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 1:24 AM | 1 comments

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Featured Quote by OSCAR WILDE

Labels: art matters, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 6:17 AM | 3 comments

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Featured Quote by SOCRATES

I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled [poets] to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean.

Socrates, In Apology, sct. 21, by Plato.Greek philosopher in Athens (469 BC - 399 BC)

Labels: art matters, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:58 AM | 0 comments

Sunday, January 01, 2006

FIVE THOUGHTS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will. – George Bernard Shaw


The ancestor of every action is thought. – Ralph Waldo Emerson


It seems to me that people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the television and treat life as if it goes on forever. - Philip Adams


The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind. – William James


There are admirable potentialities in every human being. Believe in your strength and your youth. Learn to repeat endlessly to yourself, 'It all depends on me.' – Andre Gide

Labels: art matters, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 12:03 PM | 3 comments

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

A CHRISTMAS CONSCIOUSNESS

And Christ told us that we must some day discover that the old forever passes into the new. He told us that we should use everything that we have to the full and not bury our talents in the ground nor hide them lest they become moth-eaten and rust away into nothing. It is as though he had said: Life is a game. Life is a continual movement. Life is forever changing. But running through it all, if we learn the secret of living, there is an all-sustaining Law of Mind upon which we may rely. There is a Divine Presence with which we may commune. There is a kingdom of Peace into which we may enter. There is a joy that may be ours. If we live and think and act as though we were in partnership with God right now.

Ernest Holmes



Credits

Text: The Philosophy of Jesus for Today’s World
By Ernest Holmes
Compiled and edited by Willis Kinnear

Art: Musée du Louvre, Paris
Title: The Marriage at Cana (1563)
Artist: Paolo Veronese
Medium: Oil on canvas, 666 x 990 cm

Labels: Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 6:25 AM | 0 comments

Monday, December 19, 2005

Featured Quote by WALT DISNEY

Labels: Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 6:07 AM | 2 comments

Sunday, December 11, 2005

FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY

Whenever I passed by some of Manila’s impoverished areas, I would find myself wondering at times if fear had a lot to do with their inability to advance in their lives. I would also wonder if theirs are so overwhelming that succumbing has become a more common practice than confronting their fears. And for those who strive to better their lot, what support system or information resources have they got? Where do they go for inspiration? Encouragement?

I once saw the book, Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, by Susan Jeffers displayed in the window of a bookstore, and its title intrigued me. I later found out the book “offers readers a clear-cut plan for action that, when followed, should help them unlearn their misconceptions about fear and replace them with attitudes of strength and conviction.”

I was rushing to get home that evening and had no time to get a copy for myself. I wish I had because there were many times I felt fear—applying for a much more challenging job, traveling alone to a foreign country, undertaking a new task, replacing a team member with someone else, and so on and so forth. There were also times I was so anxious over something that I’ve lost sleep over it. Yet, in spite of those surmounting apprehensions, I managed to survive or achieve what I set out to do.

I soon realized I was responsible for adding on to the hindrances by giving additional power to my fears—by indulging in them and wasting a lot of energy in the process. From that time on, I’ve learned to focus on proactive solutions, as well as acquire the necessary skills to resolve a dilemma or achieve the desired results. As with most things in life, it took some time but well worth the effort; I was learning to empower myself rather than my fears.

Indeed, the unresolved fears we carry around with us can cause paralyzing anxieties—fear of getting hurt, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of being laughed at, and worst of all, fear of losing what we never had to begin with; whatever that may be.

According to Ron Kurtus’ Overcoming Unnecessary Fears, “You can overcome fears by gaining confidence in your ability to do such a task. That is usually done by doing something difficult and seeing that the consequences of failure are not so bad or that the chances of failure are not so great.”

He then concludes, “People fear physical harm or ridicule. Sometimes the danger is not as bad as it seems. Taking a little step in overcoming the fear can go a long way in increasing your confidence and erasing other fears.”

I was once told by a mentor that the pain of failure is not as bad as the pain of someday saying to your self, “I should have.” I had since made that a personal mantra as I prepared to pursue a bigger challenge in life. Certainly, I failed on numerous occasions, but those failures only honed my skills to better manifest my visions, as well as attain some wisdom to guide my future journeys.

And knowing we only pass by once in this lifetime, heck, why not feel the fear and do it anyway, right? And as incentive, we ought to add another line to Bertrand Russell’s quote above — “And wisdom begets prosperity.”

But one question remains: How do we share this information with those living in impoverished areas of our cities?

Labels: Featured book, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 6:07 AM | 12 comments

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

FRUIT OF THE GODS

One of my friends in New York loves fresh fruit. The weekend before Thanksgiving, she would have already ordered online and delivered at her apartment an ample supply of apples and oranges. She would put them in large baskets near her Christmas tree. The scent of which would add magic to her apartment beautifully adorned with Christmas ornaments. As for the grapes, nuts and cheeses, she would just walk over and buy them at Zabar’s on Broadway and then have them delivered. Zabar’s, by the way, is a gourmet Epicurean emporium much like Gourmet Garage (photo of which accompanies this blog post).

To her friends, her apartment has become a sanctuary of sorts during the Christmas holiday season. Depressed by a feeling of emptiness or strung-out by the stress of preparations for it, most friends would stop by at her place to recollect their senses or regain the needed emotional balance even if for a couple of hours. She would serve tea or wine and of course, fresh fruit. I always favored the apples and cheese.

As a kid in Manila, the Christmas season was always filled with great anticipation and sheer joy. But as I got older in New York, I became more aware of how adult issues gave the Christmas holiday season an entirely different meaning; that instead of jovial excitement, a feeling of depression, loneliness or anxiety may manifest instead.

For some, financial constraint is the reason — unable to give every one the ideal gift or prepare the usual festive banquet for the entire family and relatives. Others, on the other hand, may complain of their inability to be with their loved ones or close friends; ironically, it is during these times when stressful family and relationship issues would often arise. And in such instances, forgiveness is the key element to survive the holiday blues. That instead of devising ways to get even, forgiving the culprit may in fact deviate any one from harboring negative emotions.

In her new book, Heal the Hurt: How to Forgive and Move On, Dr. Macaskill guides her readers how to come to terms with issues around forgiveness. She explains, “We often find it very difficult to forgive people for the things they have done to us, we carry around hurt, anger and sometimes fear and can spend large amounts of time and emotional energy brooding over the wrongs done to us. Bad feelings can escalate, particularly around Christmas-time, when financial difficulties, relationship issues and family problems appear to be magnified. This can prevent us from getting on with our lives and can ultimately make us ill. I argue that in refusing to forgive or at least to put the hurt behind us we are frequently allowing the perpetrator to continue to hurt us. I introduce the reader via exercises and examples to strategies to help them to deal with the resentment and anger linked to the perpetrator so that they can out the events behind them and get on with their lives.”

There are many published books out there, as well as online resources to help those afflicted by this seasonal disorder. If you know of any other effective measures or resources, please share them with us. Having them to pass along to afflicted family members or friends may turn out to be the best Christmas gift that we can give to them. Along with some apples and oranges, of course!


Links

Heal the Hurt: How to Forgive and Move On
By Dr. Ann Macaskill
Sheldon Press

Surviving the Christmas Blues
Tips by psychotherapist Beth Mares

Tips for Reducing Christmas Stress
Better Health Channel

Photo credit: NoelG
Nclicks @ blogdrive

Labels: Life in New York, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 8:01 AM | 0 comments

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

SILENCE

Labels: Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:31 AM | 5 comments

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Featured Quote by OPRAH WINFREY

Oh, Oprah, 20 Years of Talk, Causes and Self-Improvement
By Alessandra Stanley, The New York Times

“Most significantly, she presents her triumph over adversity, discrimination and child abuse in positive terms that allow Americans to feel better about themselves - a quid pro quo that she shamelessly exploits for good, goading viewers to improve themselves and also give something back. Ms. Winfrey, who speaks in slow, emphatic phrases, can be deadly earnest at times, but she also brought fun to philanthropy. Hers is a frilly pulpit: the self-made billionaire appears to spend as freely and gleefully on friends, strangers and the needy as herself.”

Read more…

Labels: Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 5:41 AM | 0 comments

Sunday, November 20, 2005

WANT TO MAKE MORE MONEY? THINK BIG!

Labels: Local culture, Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:35 AM | 8 comments

Saturday, November 19, 2005

I TOLD HER SO

I told her she should create a special place where she can completely be herself. It might be a room in her house or a park near her home. It might even be a bench at her favorite mall where she can sit and sketch the happy faces of people around her. It might also be a corner table at Starbucks where she can scribble uplifting thoughts. It can be the comfortable lounge chair in her parents’ living room where she can hug an overstuffed pillow.

The only criterion here is it should be a place she can experience what she is and what she might become; a place to roam her field of dreams.

I told her to think of ideal conditions that she wants to manifest in her life. It might be about a more fulfilling love life or the financial independence she has been longing for. I urged her to begin actualizing those desires by creating detailed mental movies about them. And that she should save them in a special place in her mind for her to return to and expand upon on a regular basis.

In case disturbing thoughts overwhelm her consciousness, I told her to keep her eyes closed and focus on her breathing. She should then count the first inhale as one, the exhale as two, and so forth; return to one again after the tenth count. Should those negative thoughts persist, I advised her to firmly but silently utter the word, “Stop!” And to keep saying it until she regains total control of her thoughts. After which, resume her breathing exercises, but on a slower pace. I told her to do this for about 10 minutes, or for whatever length of time she is comfortable with.

When she likened it to meditation I said, “Sort of, but it’s more like setting the stage for a magical life.” When she asked who powers this magic, with a smile I told her, “You do, because your inner desires of good are God’s desires for you.”

Labels: Words of wisdom

posted by Señor Enrique at 6:01 AM | 4 comments

Life in Manila as observed by a former New Yorker who with a laptop and camera has reinvented himself as a storyteller. Winner of the PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS: Best Photo Blog in 2007 and three Best Single Post awards in 2008.

 

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