How to Thwart a Raging Bull

-- This is a repost. I have written this many moons ago when I was still in a different department. Things have changed recently. And as I recall how much I have been motivating and reminding myself how wonderful life is - I stumble upon this post I have written with humor. For those who can relate, I hope the tips below can help you recover or at least deal with the situation and the perpetrator. For those who are blessed to enjoy the peace and quiet of being at home full time, share this to those you know who can apply it in their corporate lives. Enjoy the read!  --


Best answer to this is to run! Run for your life! Kidding aside, there's nothing more enraging than someone crushing your spirit especially if you've gotten up on the right side of the bed.

I woke up with a bright outlook in life one fine morning, smiling my blues away, looking forward to another day and screeeeeeeecccchhhhhhh..... wait a sec! What just happened? It's like a dream sequel and suddenly you woke up like someone threw cold water on your face. Yes, that happened to me at work. Again, no details will be spared but the crux of the matter is, some people just ruined my day in a fraction of a second! Wow, that's Guinness Book of World Records there for you!

I was upset the whole day because:

1. I felt hurt.
2. I was treated with disrespect.
3. They ruined my sunny-side up spirit.

One thing that really pulls my nerve is when someone is sarcastic when spoken to. My point is, I speak to you kindly, then answer back with the same respect given to you. Isn't that the right thing to do to people? Was that so hard to do? I mean, to be kind? Golden Rule. Golden Rule. Golden Rule. I can't stress that enough.

After that event one fine morning, I thought of presenting this tips on how to avoid raging bulls in the office:

Here's one:
Look the other way. Try to avoid eye contact. You'll never know when he or she will pop your eyes out. ;)

Here's another:
Try to become invisible for a day or at least until the rage wears down. If you need to relay a message or have important matters to discuss with the raging bull then go through the assistant, if he or she has one. I just did that. If I could fold myself into several folds, I would have done that so I could put myself in my own pocket!

And another:
Play some funky tunes to cast the blues away. Music is like a therapy to calm my nerves. Just don't play heavy metal, head banging, ear drums crashing music or it will make you more upset. Tone down with a good "zen" like music or easy listening stuff. I played "Amazing Grace" in my head over and over until I cooled down. Another music which calms my nerves is blues/jazzy tune. Never disappoints me at all.

Last trick I tried:
I offered a prayer. I was scared of losing it too because I just gave them a reason to ruin my composure. Well, they actually did but to give in to such negative feeling is something I will not subject myself to. I owe it to myself to be happy and happy I will be. Bulls or none...

So, there will be another day again and this will be my prayer:

"As I enter the work area Lord, please give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference...and while I am at it Lord, please don't make me too strong because I might just throw them all away." hehehehe Just kidding Lord. =)

(photo courtesy of: www.yesnet.yk.ca)

Prayer In Time Of Despair At Work

I am not very religious but I do believe in God and I stick by my faith and religion. However, when the going gets so tough, I run to Him and ask for guidance and strength.

The present situation in the office is so unbearable already. The management expects you to deliver in time when they don't give you the things you need within the due date of submission. And yet, you have to commit to a rigid time frame. Do I make miracles or what? Then you are given 1 million and 1 things to do on top of the normal and other ad hoc things that you do. And they expect you to finish them on time, help them with their load when they are fully aware of the volume of work you have and they just keep pushing, shoving things down your throat. Again, do I make miracles?

I am getting very tired and restless now. I don't know who to trust there. I only trust my God because in times of despair, the only one I can count on is Him.

I am sharing this prayer to all of you who are experiencing the same problems I have in the work area. I hope this prayer help you through the day as you go about your work business.

"O God of the poor and the humble, who was born in a stable and worked in a carpenter's shop, look down in pity on the workers of this world. Give us work that we may keep our families in comfort and live without fear. Teach us to be content with our lot and never let us be tempted with dishonesty. When it seems necessary to fight against injustice, O God of strength, send Your Holy Spirit upon us that we may know what is right and have strength to do it. Protect us from violence and give us peace. Good St. Joseph, friend of the workman, pray for us. Amen.

Imminent Danger

Japan is still experiencing after shocks as we speak. The grim reality of facing the catastrophic effect of the recent off-shore quake and tsunami is overwhelming. The threat of a nuclear meltdown is also looming around the Japanese government and the world as a whole.

I am still following the development of the recent natural disasters which hit Japan last week. Bodies are now floating in the coastal areas and the hope of containing the scary nuclear meltdown is becoming dim.

I feel sad and scared. Much as we all want to do our share to help; these events are just beyond our capacity as humans. These things will remind us that there is certainly a higher power greater than mankind.

I pray all these imminent danger come to pass. We need to pray for Japan to have the strength to rebuild its nation. We cannot let the possible meltdown ruin the environment and the rest of the world. I believe that a prayer when said in unison becomes a prayer brigade. Let's do our part in any way we can.

Japan's Quake Aftermath

As of this time, we still don't know the full extent of the off-shore quake that hit Japan today in the afternoon, local time.

We are keeping tab of the events as they unfold on TV and crossing our fingers and praying so hard that family and friends and everyone in Japan right now will be all right.

The tsunami swept through the northern part of Japan which is mostly an agricultural and fishing sector of the country. The quake hit around afternoon on a work day. That meant, farmers were on tending their fields and fishermen were on shore for a catch. The area is densely populated but there will be casualties involved if you have seen the raw footages in CNN and other news agencies.

If I lived there, I would let go of everything material, the house, the car, the things I have worked hard for to live. If I survive a calamity as serious as that, I won't even worry about any motorhome repair, dirty house, ruined vehicles and lost valuables. What is most important now is the right to survive.

My prayers go out to every Japanese people. May this trying times bring all of us together in faith.

Blessings in Many Forms

I watched GMA Channel 7 program in our cable few minutes ago. Mel Tiangco was telling the viewers of the account of GMA Kapuso outreach program. They showed how they distributed school bags and supplies to the poor children of a small town in Laguna.

I was so touched on the 13 year old boy who wanted to go to school and finally attend Grade 1 this school year. He missed plenty of classes trying to help his family make a living. Another young boy had hydro encephalitis but still had the passion to go to school despite his condition. And lastly, this young boy who walked several miles to reach school because he could not afford a transport.

I could not help but cry on their accounts and what they had to go through to have a decent life by going to school. I feel a bit ashamed of myself for neglecting my blessings and instead, complain about the little nuisances I face in life. To think, my discomfort is nothing compared to what these children go through everyday.

I am thankful for all the blessing, be it small or big because God never fails. Thank you Lord for giving me this enlightenment so that I can appreciate everything around me and know that all these are your blessings in various forms.

Two Earthquakes

Haiti has not fully recovered yet and another catastrophe has hit the world. Japan was hit by an earthquake on 26 February, 2010. It registered with a magnitude of 6.9 in the Richter Scale. The news is still hot when another quake hit Chile yesterday, 27 February and it registered 8.8. in the RS. Reports indicate that plenty of people perished in the Chilean earthquake.

I am not a harbinger of bad news but the signs are everywhere such as weather disturbances, political unrest, and economic downturn.

Let's all offer our prayers to the people of Japan and Chile. Tsunami alert has been raised on countries lying on the Pacific region. Please take heed.

Praying for Haiti

Our volunteer group here has barely recovered from the Ondoy incident in the Philippines. We are now gearing for another set of fund-raising activities and donations to aid the victims of the calamity in Haiti.

I was watching CNN a while ago. I knew I shouldn't have. My threshold for showing emotion is low that I cannot help but cry for their suffering. I pray that we all do our share to help these people who are still homeless, hungry, tired, sleep-deprived and broken. Do your part to reach out. Let's all help and pray for the people of Haiti.

The Year That Was and The Year That Will Be

I welcomed 2009 with big, open arms but was disappointed as the year wore off. I am not saying that my 2009 started on a wrong footing. As a matter of fact, the beginning of 2009 was promising for us. We spent the holidays with our love ones back in the Philippines. We applied for our USA visa for the first time and got approved. My brother's employer gave him a chance to work full time in their company. And I established good blogging relationships with new bloggers who later on became my online-sisters cum buddies.

2009 didn't really start to disappoint me until the recession took a nose dive sometime mid of the year. Our company did not give us increment in lieu of our job securities. We did not get our bonus for the exemplary performance we gave for the previous year. However, despite the lack of monetary award, we have our jobs. That is a blessing in itself.

A lot of misfortune happened this year. Many calamities hit my motherland. A lot of people perished. And now, Mount Mayon is showing its natural force! Are there more to come before the year ends?

My heart ached for this year's misfortunes and misgivings of people I trust and close to my heart. I feel bereft of anything except for the flicker of hope that is 2010. The recession is still on. But I hope that tiny shimmer of hope does not wane as I enter the new year ahead.

I am praying for everybody and not just for myself and my family. I am praying that the coming year will bring us good tidings and peace. Please join me in this solemn prayer I wrote:

Dear God,

We thank you for the year that was and the year that will be. We know the trials before us are something to prepare us to strengthen our faith.

We pray that You will guide us through 2010 with big hopes and belief that all these will come to an end. Help us detach ourselves from earthly possessions which hinder us from accepting all the harsh realities. Let us grow in our faith and hope with your loving grace.

We know it will be tough but with You on our side, we will get through this. We will believe that there is hope in everything as long as we pray with sincerity.

Thank you dear God for the lessons we learned this year and prepare us to learn more with a better discernment and bigger faith as 2010 approaches.

We believe. Amen.

This Coming Christmas

Christmas is slowly peeking from the corner. Next time you know it, we are singing Christmas carols, sipping hot chocolate near the fireplace, having guests for Christmas Eve and finally opening Christmas presents under the tree.

Well, I think our Christmas will not be the same as last year or the years before that. I remember preparing my Christmas gifts to buy as early as June. I started buying my presents months before the major rush. All my gifts were neatly placed under our Christmas tree. That was the previous year.

It is already mid-October and I haven't even prepared any Christmas gifts' list this year. I think I will skip on the gift-giving for the time being because honestly, money is quite scarce and I am not sure if I can stretch my budget to accommodate gift-giving. It is at this point where I ponder if gift-giving is truly necessary to be able to celebrate Christmas. I know it's not always the material stuff but it does bring joy to the children, right? However, with the calamities hitting my motherland left and right and the ongoing recession, I think my solemn prayers for mankind will suffice to feel and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

Spring with New Hope

Winter posed itself longer than usual this year. We did not experience heavy rains on March but this year was different. Spring has taken a back seat for a while and now it has sprung!

I welcome the entry of this wonderful season called Spring. Although here in the hot climate of the Middle East, we are not privileged enough to enjoy Spring season in its full scale. We don't see enough verdant greens and natural blossoms of beautiful spring plants. Most of the plants here are artificially cultivated because they won't survive the harsh summer months.

Spring brings new hope after a gloomy season. It beacons new life. With all the problems the world is facing right now, the "seeming" pandemic around us because of the H1N1 virus, the dissent of other countries, the oppression of the poor, the compromising of peace talks, the global recession and the increasing number of poverty, we could only pray and hope that Spring brings a bright future as it enters the changing of the season.

My New Year's Prayer for 2009

Dear Lord,

As we come to the end of a tumultuous year of 2008, give us a shining ray of hope to welcome 2009 with faith and belief that all of the crisis the world is facing right now will come to an end.

I pray for peace amongst my brethren. I pray for prosperity for everyone. I pray that You will continue to bless us with your grace and love. Keep all of us safe from harm. Provide us the needs that You deem is enough for us. I pray for the protection of the innocent children all over the world. I pray for the healing of Mother nature. I pray for happiness of those who have already lost so much and hope for the hopeless. I pray for the indigent people. I pray for our religious and political leaders that they will be guided according to Your will. I pray for the homeless to have shelters. I pray for the rich that they may share their riches to those who are in need. I pray for the lost souls that they may find their way. Give us the strength to battle each obstacle that will come our way. Make us steadfast in our faith in Your most omnipotent power.

I believe in You Lord because You know what is best for us. I will leave all my worries with the passing of the old year and welcome 2009 with bright promises.

Thank you Lord for the year that was and for the year that will be.

Love,
Ria

The Marriage Prayer

This is such a lovely prayer passed on to me by Gilbert and Cely of New Horizon. Thank you very much. I offer this prayer to all my family and friends, be they bloggers or not, who are married. May our marriages be blessed inspite of the trials.

Sheepy

Just as I was exuding with great happiness because of my nice blog template, I learned that our dear guinea pig pet, Sheepy has fallen ill. He is exhibiting the following symptoms of serious illness like deep breathing, lethargy, risen and puffy fur, eye discharge and loss of appetite. I called the vet right away because I couldn't take him to the clinic anymore as it's late. The doc advised me to force feed him with water laced with sugar and to apply eye ointment to clear the discharge. My daughter has fallen asleep crying because this is the first time for her to see our beloved pet having a hard time breathing. My heart aches to see my daughter get hurt and same goes to my pet Sheepy. I just wish he get's better. I can't afford losing someone so dear to us. Please help me pray for our little Sheepy to get well. We love him so much...