COOLCARLOS blog

Life Goal: Personal Happiness

At twenty-seven, my ultimate goal in life is to achieve “personal happiness”.   Personal happiness to me is the culmination of my every needs, wants, dreams and aspirations in life.  At this point, I realized how short-term my goals are in life.  For example, as far as my career is concern – my ideal job would be from eight to five somewhere in the Makati Business District.  The kind of job that would allow me to wake up around quarter to six in the morning and have enough time for a quick swim at the YMCA before going to work.  After which, work for about eight hours and still have the time to party after office-hours.  Like most people that are the same age as I ‘am, what I personally want in life is a house of my own, a car that I can drive around town with my friends, travel to great places here and abroad to see wonderful sights and have more time for myself to learn a new sports or just relax for a while.  Now when it comes to the matter of the heart, of course – what I would like to have someday is a family of my own and be a good husband and father to my future wife and children.

While I was doing my life book, it struck me how superficial and quick-fixed are my goals in life.  And then after a while, I began to understand the truth of the matter which is – my life goal isn’t about career and what is convenient for me, it isn’t about a brand new house or a car and it isn’t about getting married.  But rather, my true life goal is personal happiness – it’s about me being happy and sharing that happiness to the people around me.

Feelings: Defines Who I ‘am and What I Feel Strongly About

My personality is typically straightforward and assertive, qualities that make it possible for me to accomplish a great deal and still have the time and energy to thoroughly enjoy the leisure hours. For the most part, I have a positive influence on others which serves as an encouragement to be determined about the issues that matter most in life.

I have quick mind and body that enables me to respond well in difficult situations. Flexible and open-minded, I love to try new things and am good at improvisations. I firmly believe that personal freedom is important. Strongly independent, I stubbornly insist on having my own way. I’m uncomfortable with rules, schedules or routines of any kind. I’m inclined to jump to conclusions and may show impatience. Yet I do have the talent to be charming and persuasive, especially when I have a goal in mind. I’m likely to be fickle in relationships. I like to enjoy interactions and open discussions, and I like to get things done quickly. I do well in jobs that require travel, or careers that reward creativity and inspiration.

            Practical and reliable, I’m most at ease in jobs that exercise my skill with details and mechanical things either by working with my hands, or in a technical field. Among others, I’m recognized my dependability, reasonable thinking and self-motivation.

Mission: Finding Purpose in Life

For me, this is the most difficult portion of my life book to write – maybe because finding one’s purpose in life is also not so easy to ponder and rather emotional.  Honestly, I don’t know where to begin and how shall I end it.

Let me start by writing what is good about life – and what’s good about my life is that God has given many blessings.  Among others that I’m thankful for is that He has given me the gift of life and the opportunity to grow as a person thru good and bad experience.  Some of my friends would say that I’m lucky because I have a good job that pays well – but for me I owe that to GOD because getting the job that I have right now I felt it wasn’t about a matter of luck but rather thru God’s will.  Because even before I had this job, He already prepared the framework.  It wasn’t my intention to take up engineering in Mapua but together with a friend of mine, we passed the entrance exam.  Throughout college, it was really difficult to pass a subject – it was exams…exams and more exams and it required a lot of perseverance more than brains.  Even though I failed on some subject, I’m still one of the lucky few who got a job immediately after graduation in a multinational company; thru it all I felt God’s presence and handiwork.

If I were asked what cause I would fight for – I would fight for personal freedom because it is what is important to me.  Family is also important to and I feel strongly about it because I grew up with family.  Family to me is like an extension of my life.  For me, family is who I ‘am and because I know my family I also know my roots.  I’m proud to say that my grandmother came from the clan of the Lakandula’s – a royal chieftain during the pre-Spanish era.  That my grandfather is Chinese-Mestizo, that is why I have a pointed nose even though I have a dark-brown skin.

I would like the people to remember me as a good friend.  My friends find it easy to talk about their personal problems to me – most of it concerning about matters of the heart.  I think they do this because they know they could trust me and because I’m there to listen.  Trust is very important to me and it feels good to know that they trust me.  That I could give a bit of my time to them and share myself.

            With that I think my purpose in life is to share myself to my family, to my friends and now to others – I’ve been thinking a lot about volunteerism and I think that now that is my calling. 

Like I’ve said I’m been blessed personally by God, I’m proud of my roots and that gives me confidence and keeps me grounded and I’m a friend – and this is the time to share it and to others.

Movements: Looking Forward

Looking forward means anticipation and with anticipation comes excitement. After realizing what my purpose in life is – which is sharing myself to others.  I think thru sharing myself to others I give other people happiness and thru their happiness I get back my own personal happiness.

It is because in SHARING that I find PURPOSE IN LIFE…

Do’s
1. She appreciates roses.
2. Short conversations are effective.
3. Think twice, trice and many times before sending a text message.
4. Be casual.
5. Give her space.
6. Be mindful of the time.
7. Be on time.
8. Look fresh and get a haircut.

Don’ts:
1. Don’t invite her for dinner.
2. Don’t send too long text messages.
3. Don’t over-rationalize and over-explain.
4. Don’t invite her to go out on a Thursday.
5. Don’t be too focused on her.
6. Don’t be too pushy.
7. Don’t call or text just to check where she is or if shes at home.

Ok..so I was bored and found myself fillin’ up this survey I read it in one of my friendster friend’s bulletin post.   It took me about 15mins to think of something cool to write but I enjoyed it.  At least I got to know myself a lot better
THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Carlos
2. Carlos Bernardo
3. Ome (Short for Rommel)
THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. Spiderman
2. Paolo Bediones
3. Jepoy (one of the kids on "Mga Angel Na Walang Langit")
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. Nose
2. Eyes
3. Dimples
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. Weight
2. Skin Color (I would have preferred a fair complexion)
3. Shoulders
THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. Filipino (100%)
2. Chinese (25%)
3. Mestizo (10%)
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. Deep Waters
2. Being in the Dark/Uncertainty
3. Ghosts (although I haven’t seen one)
THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. Water
2. Prayer
3. Cell phone
THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. Levi’s Jeans
2. Short Sleeve Polo
3. Black Leather Shoes
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR MUSICAL ARTISTS:
1. Eraserheads
2. Pearl Jam
3. Matchbox 20
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS:
1. Hari ng Sablay
2. Pare Ko
3. The Love I Found In You
THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:
1. True Love
2. Sense of Humor
3. Caring and Respect
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE (in no particular order):
1. I’m a good boy
2. I’m 5′6", 150lb, moreno and boyish-looking
3. I have a good sense of humor
THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE PREFERRED SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. Mestiza
2. Killer smile
3. Beautiful eyes
THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. Blogging
2. Reading
3. Surfing the Net
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. Lose weight
2. Get into sports (preferably wall-climbing and boxing)
3. Take a vacation (again)
THREE CAREERS YOU’RE CONSIDERING/YOU’VE CONSIDERED:
1. Freelance Consultant
2. Writer
3. Any job related to sales or marketing
THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Boracay
2. US
3. Italy
THREE KID’S NAMES YOU LIKE:
1. John
2. Ryan
3. Nicole
THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. Travel around the world
2. Be rich
3. Find my purpose in life
THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A BOY:
1. I enjoy fast food, beer and pizza.
2. I always have an excuse for being late on a date
3. I’m totally a slob
THREE WAYS THAT YOU ARE STEREOTYPICALLY A GIRL:
1. I’m a compulsive shopper
2. I’m sensitive
3. I get teary-eyed watching a movie (sometimes)
THREE CELEB CRUSHES:
1. Nicole Kidman
2. Aubrey Miles
3. Bianca King
THREE PEOPLE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE TAKE THIS QUIZ NOW:
1. Ryan De Guzman
2. Evanie Driz
3. Imma Basilio

I drink a cup of green tea everyday.  I’m used to drinking it in the morning during breakfast but without sugar.  How does it taste? It taste like Kool-Aid because it has honey-lemon essenses only a bit bitter.  I’m hooked into drinking green tea because it calms my nerves and the smell is aromatic.  It sort of reminds me of Tagaytay early in the morning.  I especially enjoy drinking it if I have a good book with me or in my grandfather’s old rocking chair.  Its light green to yellow color nicely complements my white tea cup and is cool to the eyes.  The warm cup is soothing to the touch as i hold it to take a sip.  The smell of green tea leaves is heavenly as i dip it more in the lukewarm water.

As I drink more of it for a minute or two, I feel more relaxed and focused.  Yeah! I’m addicted to green tea but who can blame me? For someone who has a hectic life, my morning drink of green tea is wonderful start for the day ahead.

I’m so excited.  A friend of mine from work invited me to join them on a vacation trip to Negros and Boracay from May 26 to May 31.  It would be my first time to go there and I’ve been spending sometime for the past week checking out websites for tours and flight reservations.  I already asked my boss if I could take a vacation leave and she already agreed.  If things work out I could finally have a much-deserved vacation.

Our initial plan is that I’ll take a morning flight on May 26 to Bacolod and they would just met me there in the airport.  On the same day, we’ll take a short boat ride going to Boracay from Negros for an overnight stay.  We’ll probably stay there until late in the afternoon and head back to Negros on May 27.  The following day (May 28) we’d go sight-seeing in Negros and its countryside.  We’re planning to go to sugar cane plantations, fish ponds and farms there.  On May 29, I asked them if we can go dolphin watching at Dumaguete and visit some more beaches.  After that we’ll take part on the town fiesta on May 30 and on the following day May 31 we plan to explore Bacolod City and buy some souvenirs before taking the flight back to Manila in the afternoon.  Whew! I feel tired already just by thinking about it.  I’ve been saving on some money to cover the expenses and for the flight going there.

I’m really looking forward to this trip that is why I named it the "The Bora-Negros Trip’05".  For me this will be a one-of-a-kind experience and the memories that I will have from trip would definitely be special and treasured.  Lately, I’ve realized that most of my post are about LOVE and or the lack of it.  But this time, I’ll post more blogs related to other topics and not more on LOVE because i think topic has been overrated already.

Anyways, expect more posts and pictures on "The Bora-Negros Trip’05".

Its weird to meet someone you have so much in common with.  Its like you’ve met someone for the first time and yet its feels like you’ve known her all your life.  I met her and we exchanged cell phone numbers thru our common friend.  I was the first one to text and introduced myself to her.  Later I found out that we were of the same age but what was weird about it was that we also had the same birthday which was May 13.

I felt an immediate connection with her from the very start because when I called her at her office for the first time, we talked as if we knew each other for a long time.  There were no dull moments and we laughed the whole time.  Our first meeting was memorable one not because of anything else but because she got lost.  She was suppose to meet us at Greenbelt 3 but she ended up in Glorietta for some reason or another so I had to meet her in front of Levi’s.  I was surprised when my phone rang and she was the other line and quite frantic because she got lost.  It would have been a disastrous but amazingly everything turned out well.

More surprisingly are the things we have in common like having the same phone model in the same color or having our haircuts at Bench Fix at Greenbelt and lately we both found out that we were both left-handed.

I like her.  She’s pretty, smart and has a good sense of humor.  Eventhough other guys thinks she’s "suplada’ and "mataray", for me she’s nice.  Its not everyday you meet a person you like and have so much in common with and I think its cool.  I hope I could get to know her more.

More than physical, emotional and mental growth, spiritual growth is of equal importance.  Last Easter Sunday, I went to attend mass at the St. Andrew the Apostle Church.  Right after the communion, the lector/commentor made an annoucement that they were looking for young individuals (professionals or college students) interested on becoming lectors/commentators.  I immediately became interested because I’ve always wanted to become a lector/commentator in church.

At this point in my life, I feel that God has always been good to me.  He has blessed me with a good job, a roof over my head and a family that takes care of me.  It may not be perfect but He has been a good provider and I’ve always felt His presence during times that I’ve asked for His guidance.  I felt its about time that I give back to God some of my time to church and community service not because I have to but because its my calling.  Every mass, I fervently pray to God to give me true love, personal happiness and peace of mind and its rightful that in return I offer myself and my time to Him.

Growing up in a Catholic school has greatly influenced my values and disposition in life which led me to want to reconnect and strenghten my relationship with God because I know that I need Him in my life right now and ask him to answer my prayers.  I want to give more of my time to our community and service for others because at the end of the day its not about how much money you earned but on how many people’s lives you’ve touched.

I’m really excited and looking forward on becoming a lector/commentor and being involved in community services that our parish church undertakes.  At 26, I also want to made it a priority to grow in the spirit of the Lord and become a well-rounded Catholic in spirit, in mind and heart.

This is me smokin’ and half-drunk.  Last Friday, me and my friends from work went to Calamba, Laguna for an overnight swimming.  We (Carlo L, Jonee and myself) left work around 5pm and hitched a ride with Carlo M. going to Filinvest.  We met up with Henry and Joel around 8pm and headed straight to Calamba, Laguna.  The trip going there was uneventful and quite long.  I was awake during the entire trip and would occassionally talk with Che who was sitting beside me or munch on some french fries.

We were the first ones to arrive there at around 9pm but we still had to wait for Jerry and the others who brought along the food and beers.  As soon as they arrived, we had dinner which was very delicious and was immediately followed by the usual drinking sessions and videoke.  I probably had five rounds of beer, 4 cigarette sticks and sang 3 songs that night.  It was a great experience and a welcome refresher for me.  I definitely had a good time and had lots of fun.

At one point, I remember sitting by the porch just across the swimming pool and looking above the clear night sky and saying to myself.."this is the life away from everything else.  No work, no worries, no waking at 4am, no shuttle buses…only me, my smoke and my booze."

Life sucks! Just a few months ago I actually though everything is doing okay.  I though I’m actually connecting with this girl that I met but lately thing are not what they used to be.  I not sure its me or is it because of our busy schedules that we seem to have this awkward moments when I called her at her house.  AAAH! this is getting to be annoying.  This was exactly how it happened when "the girl that got away" and me had a falling out.

At first she would say that she’s busy and she’s not available and the next thing you know she’d act like a total stranger to you.  All I’m trying to do is have to a connection with this girl that I like but why are things got to be complicated.  Why do I have to put up with my work above my personal life? Life sucks! Work sucks! Everything sucks!… this is me acting all frustrated and I hate it.

It was a Friday night.  I received a call from Ryan asking if I would like to join him for two bottles of beer.  I immediately said "YES! what the heck, I need a break".  After an hour, we met at Glorietta and had dinner.  Shortly after we went to Outback Steakhouse for a few rounds of beer.  I was surprise when we came inside, Ryan was warmly greeted by the waiters and they were really accomodating to us.  I teased Ryan about him being a stockholder of the place or something because they knew him on a first name basis.  We sat by the bar and met Emily who tended the bar that time.  She was cool and we even got to talk to her.  She’s a bit younger than us and was telling us about her trip in Boracay.  Ryan on the meantime teased me about my lovelife (as usual).  I also got to meet some of the staff and waiters who were all nice.  The beer was great served on chilled mugs and the food was terrific.  After a few rounds, I think I got a bit tipsy because I was already speaking in a loud voice (an indication that I already had enough) and was already dizzy.  I told Ryan that that was my last round of beer and we left the place around 10pm.

It was my first time to go to Outback Steakhouse.  I usually favor Don Henrico’s because of their pizza and pasta’s but after experiencing how the delightful and warn the staffs and waiters there plus the food is great… I must say my Outback experience was one of a kind.  I’ll definitely frequent the place! I recommend you guys to try it too.