10 Quotes to Inspire

Feeling down and out lately? Here are some tidbits of inspiration and morsels of wisdom to lift you up!

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There's Joy in Sorrow

There's joy in sorrow

In the many trials that have come my way, I have found it spiritually uplifting, emotionally enlightening and physically strengthening to rest my case in God’s hands. Through all the hardships that I have been through, I have stayed positive in my thoughts and belief. It’s not because I hate to be dampened by the series of misfortunes that life’s circumstances may bring. But because I find it a must to stay in the light and away from the dark. 

Trials are life’s way of saying, “Hey, you’re still alive so go on and keep kicking.” I find it amusing that one has to look for food when he’s stomach starts grumbling; that a lazy student will have to study the last minute before the exams; than an employee will have to get up from his slumber a few minutes before his work commences. Trials are there. They happen all the time. But it’s up to us how to deal with them. A lot of people see trials as God’s punishment; a blessed few see them as opportunity to make life even better. It is on the latter where I thrive in. I see trials not as hurdles to dishearten me. I see trials as stepping stones that will me to somewhere else, perhaps, better than where I used to be. I see trials not as bruising wounds that inflict pain. I see them as the heat that polishes the diamond in me. We don’t grow for the better by staying in our comfort zones. Our mindsets and beliefs change when we go through something harsh and extraordinary, enough to wash away our old self and renew us to become the better us.

On My Reading List: Retire on Less Than You Think by Fred Brock

Retire on Less Than You Think by Fred Brock

I have been reading about financial planning a lot lately because I really think that now is the best time to kick-start saving and investing for my future. I found Retire on Less Than You Think (revised edition, 2004) book at a second-hand bookstore and I readily grabbed it! This book is actually an outgrowth of the author's column in the New York Times. 

A lot of us would often ask ourselves this question: "Can we really afford to retire?" On this central question there is an vital question exists the incompatibility of everyday reality with how it really takes to live in retirement and how much money financial planners, investors, bankers, brokers, etc. tell us we need. Sadly, a lot of the press people have accepted the inflated projections given by self-proclaimed financial industry experts. This misinformation has created a lot of needless worry for many people, sometimes causing them delay retire. This book serves as "the balance to these self-serving projections  and help people realize that retirement, however they're defined, is not just a dream," author Fred Brock explains.

5 Lessons on Reaping and Sowing

You sow what you reap. Image: AndySacker.com

The seeds we sow today determine the fruits we reap tomorrow. In the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, England, one can read Frederick Douglass’ thoughts on slavery. Douglas was a slave and human rights crusader. He writes:

“No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellowman without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.” When we dehumanize others, we dehumanize ourselves, too.

Bill Crowder writes:

“…our choices have consequences.—and that includes how we treat others. When we choose to hate, that hate can return to us in the form of consequences that we can never fully prepare for.”

Today, I am reminded of the many instances when what we do to others we also do to ourselves. Indeed, life is so full of surprises. Today, we are on top, tomorrow we’re on the pit of disgrace. With this, I’ve learned five lessons: