Now You See Me

Trust me, this has nothing to do with that movie starring Morgan Freeman about tricks and trickery released this year. This is plainly all about me re-appearing from that short hiatus of blogging. If you care, the reason I was out of this writing business for quite some time was because I’m trying to catch up with sudden changes at work, which I cannot narrate in here out of professionalism, and the thought of changing job too soon. But the latter reason has been refuted with one of the elders in our new church told one time in his sermon, “...in everything there is reason, and God has reason of where you are right now. In the case of your job, God has reason why you have that. Do stay where you are, until God tells you to move.” And so I was kind of reassured to that. In God’s time-tested uncanny ways of putting us and removing us from where we are, I always believe that something extraordinary is possible.

Moving forward, I tell you what I’ve learned so far from this wandering: I’ve learned that not all kindness are being repaid, but be kind and considerate anyway. I’ve learned that some people will take advantage of your skills and weaknesses, but help them out anyway when you can do it within your skills. I’ve learned that some people may tell you sugar-coated promises, but appreciatethem anyhow yet do not expect too much from them – most people are fickle and got the tendency to change hearts quickly. I’ve learned that we will feel bitterness because of bad situations and people who’ve caused us miseries, but turn those bitterness into blessings anyway and do not take revenge that could devastate others. We do not know what other people have been through, and so do them don’t know what you’ve been through. God said somewhere in the bible, ‘vengeance is not yours’. Let’s stop the possible World War 3 from coming so soon from within ourselves, at least for now (I know it will come, but let’s just delay it). So leave those punishments to others to God and try to keep the right attitude despite all odds (I know it’s hard).

Keeping the right posture and attitude

And speaking of bitterness, I realised one thing last Ramadan. In case you forgot, I am now in Dubai. It was painfully hot during summer that I can see the fumes coming out of the desert in the middle of the day.  Every morning going to work, I passed at a line of Dates Tree. While the frying heat was on, I saw those trees heavily bearing bunches and bunches of tiny fruits instead. And one time, my colleague gave us a bowl of freshly-picked dates fruit. After eating several pieces, I commented that they were not fresh and already sweetened instead. But another colleague told me, they were/are naturally sweet and he was not kidding about it. I was quite surprised by that fact. And inside my head I asked, ‘how does these trees turned such unfriendly weather into sweet bearings?’ Such a very good example of bitterness turned into blessings.

Bearing Dates

Fil-HR UAE Family (Filipino HR Practitioners Association-UAE) 

Friends in Abu Dhabi with my ever durable close friend, Arlen (center), despite all odds (:D)

Having told you of my learning and the short realisation above, I hope you will also learn something out of reading this. Life is too short to experience all the hardships and miseries if your only purpose is to experience and learn. Learn from others, too – that what we call smart learning.  Also, life is stressful, especially if you have bitchy colleagues and bosses in the office. But life becomes even more stressful if you harbour too much resentment toward them and the situations you are in. So my best advice: just shake it off at the end of the day (I’m not telling this to you only, but also to me), and turn those bitterness into blessings.

I make sense, I know. Now you see me again.

My everyday gazing of this building while waiting for the Bus.