I bare my nakedness to the world

that the world may see who I am, not the mask that hides my flaws,

not the mask that hides my beauty.

"I am blessed this moment, I am embraced, I surrender only to love."

"Let nothing frighten you whatsoever. You are a child of eternity." 

Never ever give up. There is no goal too difficult for those who believe in their destiny

Heaven is so much nearer than we often think it to be.

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"No road is too long, for him who dares to overcome."

"Miracles aren't made, they are but allowed and recognized!"

"You cannot resist anything,you can only surrender. To whom are you surrendering to?" 

"Always strive to be better,happier. It would make your loved ones happier as well."

Sometimes it is not our intentions that hurt others,but our insensitivity to the feelings of other people.

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Make peace with your shadow. Unless you are able to,you will never dare venture in the light.

Let not another's measure of happiness be your own measure.Judge not the things that can make you happy.

God does not take us only when we are lovable,but moreso when we are most in need of love.

© Jocelyn Soriano for I Take Off The MASK!, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
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You must have been injured

Your loved one must have been done a terrible terrible wrong

You must have been neglected

You must have been forsaken

You must have been greatly hurt

Are you sad?

You must have been misunderstood

You must have been left alone

to battle the many storms of life

without your beloved

without the one with whom

you dream your dreams

without the one you trust

the only one you can entrust your heart upon

Are you afraid?

You must have lost your ground

the rock you hold on to amidst all your troubles

You must have been quite uncertain

barely hanging on

with each mighty blow of the wind

Every negative emotion can be traced to this:
that we have not been loved enough
that we can no more be loved enough
or that we can barely see what love is
where we are
where we have been
and where we shall be tomorrow

Wherever there is any lack of love,

there shall also be our sufferings,

and there shall also be caused

all sorts of negative emotions.

Where there is love,

there shall also be healing,

there shall be joy

there shall be peace!

© Jocelyn Soriano for I Take Off The MASK!, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Post tags: how to find love, where can i find compassion, where do we find love

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This is a sad time and a sad generation. Although there is no world war, although the technology to live a comfortable life has never been as advanced, although we can now reach one another in a click of a button; all the good things we possess can’t seem to cast away the dark clouds that hang everywhere, obscuring the azure sky, blocking the warmth of our bright and faithful sun.

Stripped of its radiance, we walk on cold pavements each day, flaunting the calloused hearts that hold back our tears, wandering the streets hurriedly, as though we knew where we should be going. The truth however is that we walk naked, pretending we are strong, numbing our hearts and killing our souls, just so we can get by, just so we’d be the people our twisted society wants us to transform into.

Rich and poor alike are dying within, the humanity of their souls being sucked away either by the necessity of their survival or by their meaningless ambitions. Where then can we find that little piece of heaven, that small flame of hope that would keep us from stumbling in the dark?

I urge you to look more closely, for it is there, streaking through the thick fog, making its way through the darkness.

-Busy morning. You hurry off to work unable to take a single bite of breakfast. You arrive at your office. You see what’s on top of your table. Coffee and croissant with a sweet note from a dear friend. You pause for a while, you savor the strong aroma of java, and take a good sip. Not much for a tv commercial, but enough to catch the first glimpse of sunlight of your day. A little piece of heaven.

-A man stricken with AIDS and considered an outcast. An old nun who reaches out, treats his wounds and embraces him warmly, passing no judgement, no fear, no condemnation. The man smiles and looks up to heaven. He breathes his last, but in that last breath was a breath of hope, and a renewed faith in God. A little piece of heaven.

-You got busted at work. On your way home you went through a hell of a traffic jam. Then right there at your doorstep, your two-year old child opens up her arms and hugs you. You feel her tiny fingers holding on unto you. She kisses you. Numerous little kisses that take away all your tiredness and frustrations. A little piece of heaven.

-A rebellious daughter. A patient and prayerful mother. A realization that brings a lasting change. Repentance. Daughter graduates valedictorian in her class. Mother listens to her speech, tears streaming down her cheeks. A little piece of heaven.

-A storm has just passed. The city lay in flood and ruins. In a few moments more, children emerge from their houses. They proudly carry the paper boats they’ve just made. No flood could dampen their spirits, no storm could darken the light in their eyes. You hear their laughter. You get infected with their joy. A little piece of heaven.

-It’s way past lunch. The young scavenger still has to search heaps of garbage before she could buy anything to eat. Something unexpectedly catches her eyes. A soiled doll with blue eyes, a red apron, and a missing leg. She smiles for her good fortune. She’s just found a gift for her little sister’s birthday! A little piece of heaven.

-Christmas. An old lady lives alone. The doorbell suddenly rings. The house is quickly flooded with young professionals bearing gifts for their old teacher. They could not forget her motherly hand. They remain thankful for her wisdom. A little piece of heaven.

Have you seen them? Have you caught a single piece of happiness lately? You may not be looking. Or you may not feel you can give some little piece today. Look. Believe. Smile. A smile brings out a lot of sunbeams, and attracts streaks of happiness along the way. Catch a piece today, your very own piece of heaven.  :-)

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There are times when life suddenly casts a shadow before us: we suffer for sins we did not even commit, we go through situations we certainly do not deserve to be in. In such times, we have so many questions throbbing at the back of our minds, but the biggest of them all is "WHY?"

We want to know the reason why we had to go through such excruciating pain. We want to know why we were not able to do anything to prevent the terrible things that happened. We want to know why God failed us, why He let us down at the time we needed Him most.

Yet even after we are able to answer these questions, the pain remains, life stands still, and we can do nothing but wait ‘til everything's over, until we can move on again like we used to, when our hearts weren't shattered yet into the thousand lonely pieces they broke into. We then come into answering our second biggest question, and that is "HOW?"

How do we deal with the awful feeling of brokenness? How do we start to move on? How on earth are we ever going to smile again?

Like many people, I've been through dark and painful moments in my life as well, moments I wanted to skip, moments when what I really wanted the most is to have my own time machine so I can either go back where I was happy, or fast forward anywhere in the future where I can find myself again. But no machine like that has ever been invented yet, and the only way to move from the terrible place where I stand is to go through the dark tunnel ahead that will lead me towards the new beginning I'm looking forward to.

If you're willing to go through that dark tunnel with me, let us begin. Let us try to answer the only question that can lead us into a better place. How indeed can we ever deal with our grief?

1. Accept the challenge and do my best.

We can never move on anywhere unless we acknowledge where we stand at the moment. Acceptance is the shortest route to peace. Acceptance will help you let go of your WHYs so you can start focusing on your HOWs. Accept that things have already happened. Accept that you can do nothing to turn back the hands of time to undo everything that's already been done. You can blame everyone, you can blame God, you can even blame yourself but that would never change your situation. That would never help you get out of the pit that you're in, the suffering you're going through. Find the way to acceptance, and you can begin to find the strength and the will to move on.

2. Rest when I can no longer carry on.

It is a good thing to cry and mourn for your sorrows. It is good to release your tears, your anger, your pent-up emotions. But there are limits to our powers, to our physical and emotional strength as human beings. We need enough time to rest in order to renew our strength so we can have a better cry next time. Have enough sleep. Force yourself to watch television or buy groceries and give yourself a break. Try to forget your troubles even if only for an hour or so. That way, you do not exhaust yourself to the point where you no longer have enough strength to face the challenges of the coming day. Reserve some of your strength until you are able to make it through.

3. Take comfort in God's greatness, love and strength.

Many people may criticize me for this. But those who knew torment and have survived from it a better person understand the comfort of knowing someone is there listening to you, someone who understands you, all those hurts you're going through. Someone who doesn't judge you or condemn you, just someone who loves you and trusts you that if you will only hang in there a minute more, you shall surely make it through.

It may be quite ironic, but I have found my greatest joy in the arms of my God in my darkest hour. I felt him hugging me, comforting me, crying with me. He didn't just watch me. He didn't scold me and reprimanded me to get up and be strong and stop being such a fool. He cried with me. He knew my pain and he claimed it as though it were His own.

4. Bear the pain and be patient.

This seems to be the hardest part of all. Pain is pain and suffering is suffering. There is no pill or any kind of painkiller that we can take to prevent us from feeling our hurts. We have to bear it head on and cling to the thought that things will definitely change for the better.

"I have deep sorrow today, and an unclear vision of the future. But nobody ever died of loneliness - only of hopelessness! As long as I have hope, no problem is ever too difficult, no night ever so dark that it can prevent the rising of another day!"

There are times when we are so lost in the dark that no matter how hard we try to find our way, we find not the roads we're looking for; no matter how desperately we seek, we grasp not the answers, and we continue to grope in the shadow of the night.

But faint not, and fear not the voices that creep in the dark. For in your hour of need, help shall come upon you. In your moments of greatest fear, a flame of hope shall arise and give you peace. The night is short and the voices will soon fade away. Darkness shall falter and surrender to a brand new day.

Take heart; stand firmly and strong, for it will not be long before the awaited dawn.

5. When it is time, stop dwelling on the pain

There are times when the pain finally subsides, and we are given a chance to move on a notch higher. Finally, we have the chance to break free from our pain. The problem however is that many of us choose to cling to our hurts. We let the pain linger longer than they should. Maybe we got so used to it, we don't know anymore what we're going to do without it. Maybe we feel mad at ourselves and we choose to punish ourselves for the things we thought we did wrong. Maybe we're mad at someone else and we want to punish him by punishing ourselves. Whatever it is, it will not help you find your path to living the full life you should be living. Let it go. Let go of your pain and move on.

6. Live from day to day. Or if that is too long, from moment to moment.

There are some wounds that take a longer time to heal than others, and there are some hurts that take a while longer to subside. The important thing is that we stay afloat one day, one moment at a time. Don't think of how hard the whole process is going to be, you'll go nuts doing that! Don't think of all the lonely days ahead of you. They haven't even arrived yet! Just think of the moment. If you can live and make it for the moment, that is all that is needed to make it through.

7. Claim the strength God gives me to rise above the situation.

There is a strength God gives you in times when your strength is no longer enough. However you may call Him, there is a Higher Power that will see you through. I've received it. I've felt it coming just in time when I can no longer see how I'm going to carry on. That is why we should never compare our strength with the weight of our problems. We'd probably make a wrong estimate doing that! There is a strength that comes to you to help you overcome whatever you're going through. Wait for it! It will certainly come and will not delay.

8. Learn everything I can from the process.

When we're in pain, we seldom realize what lessons we can learn from the process. Though it is quite understandable why we do not give attention to things like that in times of grief, the truth remains that we do learn many things during our darkest hour. It is a time when everything we know and have ever learned are being challenged in an instant. It is a time when we come to realize what it is we value the most in life. It is a time when we get to understand other people better. Let us take advantage of those times when we see things more clearly than we ever saw them before.

9. Protect my joy at all times.

Sounds crazy doesn't it? This thing you can ignore if you want to, but I believe that joy and sorrow can definitely exist at the same time. Yes, we are hurt. Yes, we're broken. But yes, we know we're going to make it. And yes, we know we'll get out of it better persons than we used to be. Somewhere in our hearts, there is a chamber of joy that should remain intact, untouched, forever guiding us in our most troublesome paths.

It is indeed a painful thing to grow, but afterwards, you will be glad that you have undergone the process. You will feel stronger. You will feel like you have just been released from your self-made prison. You will carry with you the joy of God being there for you, comforting you in your darkest hour. You will have greater confidence as you learn more about the true beauty that lies within you. And you will move forward in life with greater strides knowing that the things which have caused you pain could no longer touch you and torment you the way it did before. You will overflow in spirit realizing that you have just risen from your former horizon and moved on to greater heights. And you will look forward to His guiding hand that will carry you farther from one God-destined glory to the next.

"When you're in emotional pain" was written by Jocelyn Soriano at ITAKEOFFTHEMASK.COM

You are free to republish this article as long as proper attribution is given to the author and a link back to this website is given. For more free stuff and blog ideas, visit ITAKEOFFTHEMASK.COM

© Jocelyn Soriano for I Take Off The MASK!, 2008. | Permalink | 26 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: grieving, overcoming depression, steps in dealing with pain, suffering loss, when you grieve the loss of a loved one, when you're in emotional pain

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He was a very kind man, a sweet and loving man who also happened to be a retired Captain of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, a proud veteran of the USAFFE in World War II. I loved him - very much, and regarded him as my very own father. He used to carry me up his shoulders when I was but a little girl. I never saw him mad. He was always calm and gentle, but with that certain kind of strength in him that never needed to be boasted about anymore. Maybe this kind of admiration was the source of my childhood dream of being a lady cadette officer. Well, I didn't realize that dream, but in my heart I knew I've acquired that kind of courage he had, and it sort of stayed with me through the years.

I also admired the kind of love he cherrished with my Grandma. Something that lasted for fifty golden years, the 50th year being the year of his demise. I often told myself that theirs was the kind of marriage I fervently pray to have - simple, sincere, lasting, abounding in love, courage and understanding. The day my Grandpa died, my heart broke, not only for my own grief, but for the grief of seeing such a blessed marriage come to a sudden end right before my eyes.

How indeed are we going to go about our lives after his passing? How do you let go? How do we spend our late evenings without his stories? How do we celebrate Christmas without his jolly smile? What do you do when you grieve the loss of a loved one?

The seat he occupied at dinner will remain vacant thereafter. The sight of him and Grandma embracing each other after a petty quarrel will be nothing more but a sweet memory to look back to.  Living through loss, healing, letting go, those words seemed so distant before it happened in your own life.

The funny thing was, I never really considered him old. He had always been strong and healthy and happy. I thought he'd always be there, for me, for my Grandma, for everyone who has ever gotten to know the wonderful person he is. But I guess death is like that. It takes from you in an instant the people you've cherrished for a whole lifetime. Just like that. As simple as that. And you are suddenly left with two things: anger for having been deprived of your beloved for no reason at all; and emptiness, a vacuum that gnaws right at your heart where all the joyful moments once had been.

And how will it be for people who have lost not only their fathers, but mothers, children, both parents, lifetime partners who spent their lives through thick and thin, who dreamt together and journeyed together and found meaning in each other's lives?

How are we to begin grieving for them? Where could we ever find the tears to weep, tears that will pour out and cry in behalf of our torn and shattered hearts?

1. Cry

Find those tears. Try to let them out however painful the process is. Let them out. Let them pour showers that will cleanse away every bit of darkness and bitterness from your heart.Shy not from crying out aloud. You have every right to be heard, and all the right to be hurt. No one's going to stand in your way even if you wail.

Let your cries rise up to the clouds, unto the ears of heaven who understand what sorrow mortal men go through in this valley of tears.Cry for the pain of parting. Cry for the sad mornings that will greet you without your lover's arms. Cry for the words that shall remain unspoken and unheard. Cry for the places you will never be able to walk together anymore. Cry for the dreams that will remain as dreams. Cry for the memories that will remain as memories. Cry for the hand that can no longer caress you. Cry for those eyes that can no longer see your tears.Cry your heart out. Because the truth is - it hurts, and it really hurts so much!

2. Forgive

There are many things we don't want to admit in times like these; things we believe would only dishonor the memory of our loved one, or things that would dishonor us before their memory. But unless we deal with these things, we would always be burdened by things that should have been buried with passing of our loved ones.a. Forgiving our loved onesPeople are not perfect. No matter how much we love them or no matter how good they are, they may have hurt us at one point or another. They may have judged us and disappointed us. We have to admit how they failed us, and then forgive them with a forgiveness that comes out of the generosity of our hearts. We know that we do not have time anymore, we can no longer wait for them to see their faults and ask our forgiveness.

So we forgive them. We let them go with no bitterness in our hearts.b. Forgiving ourselvesWhen our loved ones pass away, there is always a feeling of guilt left in us - how we haven't loved them enough, how we could've saved them, how we could've made them happier. But when we come to think of it, how much more could we have really done though? Even if we could've made a difference, could we be able to turn back the hands of time?Forgive yourself. Admit your faults, go to confession, slap your face hard, observe fasting for a week, shave your head even! But don't punish yourself forever for being unable to make the proper retribution. You can no longer do that. It's not your fault anymore. Blaming yourself could never earn for you the forgiveness you so desire. If you can't be content in praying for forgiveness alone, if you really believe you still have to do something to be forgiven, then do this - love those people still within your reach. Do this, and you'd have earned more than forgiveness; you'd have loved. Love heals. Love forgives.

3. Deal with the pain one day at a time

Grieving for our loved ones who passed away is probably one of the most painful things we'll experience in life. Deal with it one short day at a time. Don't think of the whole 25 or 50 years ahead of you. Just think of today, and of all the support being given you just where you are. It is times like these when we get to know who our true friends are, people willing to extend their hands and their hearts to help see you through. Accept the help given you, and you'll make it today.

4. Honor/ treasure their memory

Many people will suggest to you to move on, which is a fine thing. In the process though, they may also urge you to forget all about the past, and start letting go. Now letting go is not such a bad thing, it could mean giving up all our unrealizable expectations and all of the things we cannot do anymore. But to forget all things completely - to do so would be to start cheating on our true feelings for our beloved who passed away.We can't just act like we had amnesia all of a sudden.

We can't pretend that the things that happened didn't happen, and that the precious moments we've spent with our loved ones don't mean anything to us anymore. Something happened in the past. Souls touched in the past. Lives changed. Souls were inspired.Our grief is only amplified with the thought that we are forever parting with every remaining essence of our loved ones. That's what makes our mourning even worse, to believe that we are forever losing that part of our lives that changed us and made us happy. Don't throw it all away. When inspiration comes upon you, they need not leave. They never leave. They inspire us forever.

When my Grandpa died, I thought it was the end of the wonderful love he had with Grandma. But I was wrong. It did not end there. It cannot be ended that way. Up to this moment, I am still a witness on how true love is kept alive in the hearts and minds of those who carry on the radiance of its warmth.

5. Think of the legacy they left behind

I've always thought that when our loved ones go away, they take a part of ourselves with them. It's like a part of us withers away and dies. We feel like an arm or a leg had just been taken away and we can never be whole again. We feel we are lesser people than we used to be. We then wonder why people had to meet at all only to be separated in the end, only to feel broken and incomplete.

But then I've also learned that when people become part of each other's lives, their lives become richer from the whole new world opened before them by one another. They gain a new perspective, they get a deeper understanding of themselves, they learn new skills and hobbies, they discover new places, they get to love a new song. Each one leaves a mark, a precious legacy, a part of their very selves to the people they love.

I don't know if any grief counselling teaches you this, that even after their lives together had ended, even after one has gone and passed away, that part they have given to us will remain. Because when people become a part of us, a part of their own souls remain in us, forever enriching us, and we are never the same as before.

"What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us."-Helen Keller

My Grandpa had been gone for 16 years now, but the things he left me, the imprint he left in my soul will always be there, guiding me through my journey ahead. Love of country, courage, dignity, love of family - these are the things I will always be thankful for.

6. Schedule activities that help vent out your emotions

You cried, you wept, you wailed. You're undergoing a grief so deep from your loss.  But as you miss your loved one more painfully with the passing of each day, you feel the emotions within you continue to surge, emotions that need to find a proper outlet to let go.

Scedule those activities with a friend that will encourage you to perform them:
-Play badminton, let go of all the hurts you feel everytime you hit the shuttlecock. Hit it hard! Hit it as far as you can.

-Run the treadmill. Everytime you feel the urge to escape, walk tirelessly. Walk like you never walked before. Run. Run and release the pain you keep within you.
-Swim, imagine your tears being washed away. Do your most powerful strokes, and glide away from all the expectations the world thrusts upon your shoulders. Just make sure a trusted friend and lifeguard is watching over you, okey?
-Grab a crayon and a sketch pad. Draw the abtract feelings you can't and don't want to decipher at the moment. Draw in hard wild strokes. Then tear the sheet in pieces.  Do everything within your power to find those shreds of inspiration that can keep you going on.  It would make your healing more bearable, believable.

7. Replenish your soul

Once the strong feelings begin to subside, replenish your soul with activities that promote peace, wholeness and a fresh beginning.

-Plant a seed and watch the new plant emerge from the ground from which it was buried.
-Take care of a chick and help it grow into a hen. You can even enjoy the eggs she will lay for you later!
-Watch a sunrise with a trusted buddy. See how darkness transforms into a magnificent rising of a brand new day.
-Travel somewhere you've never been to. Get to know the locals and try to enjoy their way of life.

8. Give yourself time to adjust and recover

It will take time for you to carry on your usual routines each day. Just be patient with yourself. One day survived is one day of battle won. The more days you suvive, the more confidence you will gain that you will make it.

If it's really difficult for you, you can try to write letters to your loved one as though you were only miles away.
This will help you cope with the abrupt change of suddenly not being able to talk with your loved one. This will also help keep your life in check as you literally report what you're doing with your life.

9. Think of the legacy you wish to leave behind

The torch has been passed on to you. Your life has been made richer by the legacy you received. What do you do now with what you have? What legacy do you want to leave behind to the people that matter most to you now? Remember that you are now a different person by having been a part of someone's life. Everything you do, any difference that you make in this life is not only because of you, but also because of the one who loved you. When you leave your mark unto this world, you leave a mark formed also by every person that truly touched your life.

10. Believe that God will see you through

God knows your grief. He weeps with you. He hopes with you. He cares for you so much that He willingly died for you to conquer death forever and to give you the perfect and eternal life He wants you to enjoy. Things have not ended here. They have only just begun. Take heart! He will see you through. It is Jesus Himself who said, "The girl is not dead but asleep." (Matthew 9:24)

When my Grandpa died, I used to doubt whether we can still smile again, now I know the answer: WE CAN.

© Jocelyn Soriano for I Take Off The MASK!, 2008. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: grief counselling, grieving, grieving loss of loved one, healing, loss of loved one, surviving loss, when you grieve the loss of a loved one, when you're in emotional pain

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Sometimes we wonder why God had to wait until we're tired and worn out, until we've finally given up before He gives us what we want.

And the answer is that we have made Him wait that long before we allowed Him to carry on His work and give us what it is we've been praying for.

Let us repent therefore.

Repent as in the word "metanoia" which means "a change of mind".

From doing things our own way, let us trust and cooperate with the Spirit
so we may live the full life Jesus has promised us all!

© Jocelyn Soriano for I Take Off The MASK!, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
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Then you take his gentle hand
and you allow His peace to flood over you
like a soft cool breeze that touches your heart

And you cry your pain away
and you cry your anger away
and you rest your worries and your anxieties
and you believe that things will be okey

and things will be okey
because love will shine thru once more
because your desires will be crystal clear
because you know what really matters
and there is nothing you can do
to take you away
from the One that matters the most to you

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