#lagawlagaw1stepisode-history of jaro cathedral

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LIVING IN THIS WORLD...

Truthful Humanity today is reverting. Whatever steps that we take it would again lead us back as how we become human beings.

We live in a world that, although it has boundaries, it is limitless. People can travel anywhere, see anything, experience every feeling that ever existed, but we are not satisfied. We try to impose borders on ourselves. We fight today to be recognized of the “community”, to be labeled as part of the group. And we fight today to impose limits to a world in which yesterday people fought.

We live in a world that, finally, recognizes all religions and beliefs and in which any person can choose his/her religion. People can worship any God, can praise the energy of nature that inspire them without feeling threatened or scared. It is the first time in history when people are not blamed for their beliefs. And we fought for this. But we now try to take this away from the people. We engage in holy wars or public mockery campaigns against the religions that we don`t understand. We shut our minds from knowing more about the people around us, their thoughts and beliefs. And we blame them for being different.

We live in a world that has invented the telephone, internet, social media so that people can communicate easier. But we have never felt so alone and out-of-touch as we do today. Hidden behind the screens of our computers, tablets, Smartphones, we feel alienated from what the world has to offer. We have stopped looking at nature a long time ago and we have started destroying it without thinking about the consequences.

We live in a world that prides itself through the work of geniuses. Their work is promoted in order to inspire and enliven us, to guide and help us realize our full potential. But we ridicule them, treat them as foreigners in the society. And we let mediocrity rule our lives.

We live in a world that gives birth to great leaders. But we let ourselves be ruled by a small group of politicians that take the vote of many and make it insignificant. They have the power to change our lives, but they don`t. And we continue to support them considering that we have no alternative.

We live in a world that has created beautiful music, inspiring literature and breathtaking sceneries. But we continue to spend our days trapped behind a desk eight hours a day, dreaming of things that we could do differently in our lives instead of doing those things. We dream of wealth, we dream of happiness, we dream of conquering the world and changing its fate. But we never walk out the path that could lead to those dreams becoming reality.

We live in a world that holds both beauty and ugliness, both joy and sorrow. We live in a world where not every person thinks alike and where this freedom of thought makes us happy. We live in a world that shows us small miracles each day, either through the beauty of nature or through the beauty of those walking through our lives.

We should stop fighting about democracy in other countries and start asking if we really have to say in our own country. We should exercise the right to vote and strengthen the mechanisms of government as power corrupts even the most strong-minded. We should stop giving the right to decision to a small group just because they say they know best. We know best and, even if we don`t, the collective power would decide what is best. Don`t let them be the new aristocracy.

While technology and democracy has given us the power to fast forward the world in which we live in, it has also corrupted us. It has given us the sense of absolute power and knowledge that makes a person feels like God.

 No, we are not gods and we cannot decide on the fate of others. They only have that right. But we can and we must change ourselves by taking knowledgeable decisions, making the right choices in life and not letting others decide for us.

WATCH Charlie Chaplin's inspirational final speech in "The Great Dictator" 

Photos from Google

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HERE'S TO THE PAST

Many of us often say that “Let’s the past pass”. However, the past is obviously a vital part of our lives. I believe that learning about the past is very good and necessary for us.

First of all, past is generally history. Human beings have evolved continuously since they came into existence. Things that we made in the past result in present ones. Now, we have a comfortable life thanks to inventions and findings in the past. Learning about the past, in this case, is to learn how to respect our ancestors. For instance, a person must know his country’s glorious history, so he is very proud of it. He will have great love for his country and be willing to devote his life to protect it. Moreover, we look back the past to live as well as our ancestor did. We should do things which cause our next generations a better future.

Secondly, learning the past is the best way to improve ourselves. Our mistakes are easily found in the past. At that time, we were too young to know what we should do without being guided. Some are unhappy to recall their awful memories of failure. However, by learning experience from the past of our selves or other people, we can avoid mistakes. We also receive lots of helpful advice so that we can know what way is the most feasible for us to follow.

Finally, we can rely on the past to be alive. Many people have very unforgettable experiences which help them overcome any badness in their present life. Whereas, some don’t have sweet memory or a pleasant past. Consequently, they will respect their present life and try to make it happier. I know a man who was bringing up as an orphan. He said that he learned many things from his pitiful childhood to live strong. Now, as a successful businessman, he gives his money to make charity to help poor children. He does have a meaningful life despite of his formerly bad life.

In summary, no one can live without his/her past. Though the past can have a bad or good influence on our present life, how we live today will decide whether or not we will have a bright and meaningful future.

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KEEP CALM AND DON'T STRESS

It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about stress. The bills won’t stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day and your career and family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management. Managing stress is all about taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way you deal with problems

Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life. This isn't as easy as it sounds. Your true sources of stress aren't always obvious, and it’s all too easy to overlook your own stress-inducing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Sure, you may know that you’re constantly worried about work deadlines. But maybe it’s your procrastination, rather than the actual job demands, that leads to deadline stress.

To identify your true sources of stress, look closely at your habits, attitude, and excuses.

Think about the ways you currently manage and cope with stress in your life. Your stress journal can help you identify them. Are your coping strategies healthy or unhealthy, helpful or unproductive? Unfortunately, many people cope with stress in ways that compound the problem.

Unhealthy ways of coping with stress…

These coping strategies may temporarily reduce stress, but they cause more damage in the long run:

Smoking Drinking too much Overeating or undereating Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities

Using pills or drugs to relax Sleeping too much Procrastinating Filling up every minute of the day to avoid facing problems Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence)

If your methods of coping with stress aren’t contributing to your greater emotional and physical health, it’s time to find healthier ones. There are many healthy ways to manage and cope with stress, but they all require change. You can either change the situation or change your reaction. When deciding which option to choose, it’s helpful to think of the four As: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept.

Since everyone has a unique response to stress, there is no “one size fits all” solution to managing it. No single method works for everyone or in every situation, so experiment with different techniques and strategies. Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control.

Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

§  Learn how to say “no” 

§  Avoid people who stress you out 

§  Take control of your environment 

§  Avoid hot-button topics 

§  Pare down your to-do list 

§  Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. 

§  Be willing to compromise. 

§  Be more assertive. 

§  Manage your time better. 

    §  Reframe problems. 

    §  Look at the big picture. 

    §  Adjust your standards. 

    §  Focus on the positive. 
  
    §  Set aside relaxation time. 

    §  Connect with others. 

    §  Do something you enjoy every day.

    §  Keep your sense of humor. 

§  Exercise regularly. 

§  Eat a healthy diet. 

§  Reduce caffeine and sugar. 

§ Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. 

§   Get enough sleep. 

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BE THE CHANGE!

Published on Aug 21, 2012

Illinois State University students in the Foundations of Citizenship: Intro to Civic Responsibility course explore the question, "As an ISU student, what would you do to change the world?" The majority of changes included legalizing same-sex marriage, affordable education, showing more love and less stereotyping and supporting our troops.

 

Service learning offers the greatest potential for fostering civic responsibility because it provides opportunities to us, students to engage directly our communities and meet community needs while enhancing our work course. At the same time, it is important that we students purposefully explore what civic responsibility means and the importance of both understanding and embracing the concept.

As a student and a citizen of this country I believe that civic responsibility is extremely important.  It is important in all aspects of a person’s life.  People should consider civic responsibility and the impact of various choices be on the community, government, and world.

Civic responsibilities exist largely in the government as well.  I believe that because we live in a democratic nation, the duty of civic responsibility falls on the shoulders of the citizens.  It is the responsibility of the people to make informed voting decisions.  Jury duty is another example of a civic responsibility.  

Obeying laws falls into our responsibility as well.  Common good is important and all of these examples are ways we can promote good through government.

SOCIAL SERVICE

          THE RIGHT TO VOTE!

Corporations also should be civically responsible.  Corporations can make a large impact in the community because of their size. It is our duty to support those organizations, corporations, and other initiatives that align with our beliefs about civic responsibility.  Those companies could grow and do even more for the greater good of our country.  If more companies hired people who had an educational background that included civic responsibility training and actions, more educational institutions would include that in their curriculum. 

Civic responsibility is the duty of everyone.  It should be included in all aspects of our life.  The responsibility to promote civic responsibility belongs to all.  This includes educational institutions, local organizations, and businesses. 

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A PIECE OF STRING

William James once said, "Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact".

 In my 19 years of existence, I have opened my eyes in this world telling me that life is a dream, sometimes you'll encounter nightmares and sometimes you'll have the sweetest dream.

But then again...

I always put in mind that the sacrifice I can give in life is a piece of string that you can thread in order to strengthen whatever you have now.

My family has always been my everything behind the every string I thread in order to pursue and tail life. 

I can still remember way back eleven years ago, when my mom left for abroad and leave us together with our dad and grandmother at home.

It was the most difficult thing in my life that I can hardly overcome. The truth is you don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. And if how will you start 'threading the strings' which have been broken.  

But I tried not to break the strings and rather helped myself to redo everything out of it.

As the days goes by I realize and understand that therefore, life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. You really need to create a natural forward to in whatever struggle seemed to had.

Let reality, be reality!

Life should not be about pretensions and hypocrites. 

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams and lived the life you have imagined. 

It is...

Why life has to be always stressful?

IF YOU...

As I thread the strings of my life, it also leads me to the realizations I've never think to realized with.

REALIZATIONS...

That the love from your family and admiration of friends can help you see what is beyond happiness.

That even if my mom is not with us that even we cant hear her voice and kiss her everyday, still the love and state of her motherhood is unselfishness.

That thing like threading your string of life is not a challenge nor a struggle, but rather a strength and power for you to discover in yourself.

BEING DEEPLY LOVED 

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WANDERLUST

I typically enjoy a beautiful beach destination, as I find the water and sand to be the most replenishing. 

Another thing I like to do is sit back and take in nature. To look at the birds, listen to their singing, go camping and jogging and running, walking along with friends, playing games and sometimes being alone with the great outdoors. 

Laid back moments are priceless. A total physical and mental inertia are highly agreeable, much more so than we allow ourselves to imagine. A beach not only permits such inertia but enforces it, thus neatly eliminating all problems of guilt. It is now the only place in our overly active world that does.

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