Welcoming FY15 - CF CMT way!!

Wow! It has been 8 hours already and I am still full!

After the Year-end celebration of CF HR Team at Circles in Makati Shang!  Then followed by the Year-end celebration of the entire CF at Edsa Shang... Now followed by a year-starter at Vikings!! OMG! Boy, I am anticipating a lot and I know that we are ready to take on the challenge that FY15 is bound to give us! Right team??!!

Yey! That's the spirit!! Am I hearing whispers? He he!
Kidding aside.. This lunch is meant for a lot of celebrations! 

1. Ending FY14 with a Bang! Helping CF grow strong!
2. Looking forward to a fruitful FY15
3. Stronger and even smarter team!
4. Relationships that are tougher than a steel ship!
5. Birth month of our two special team members. Our super super manager - Ms My! And my super quiet (minsan) seatmate Ven!

Yes it's a long table and we were all full we didn't even think about work!  Because work will always be work and no matter how hard we worked in a day, tomorrow will be another time for work!  So we need to be smart in the way we work -- looks like we are already practicing this! Right team? Wink!

Yes food will matter (kami na ang mahilig kumain) but a strong relationship and teamwork is the key to success! ^_^

Xoxo

Say "Thank You" to yourself!

When was the last time you said "Thank you" to yourself?.  I admit that sometimes I am a victim of this question, I am often hard on myself and always seek for perfection! However, no one is perfect, we all make mistakes and its fine (as long as we learn from them).

With all our hard day's work, when did we say "Thank You"?  If the answer is "not at all" then we should start the habit of thanking ourselves for all the things that we have done!  Maybe not for ourselves but maybe for the things that we've done for our family and loved ones!

Knowing that we are thankful for ourselves means that we know that we are valuable, that we did something good and that we know that we are worth the "Thanks".  

Just like what the quote above says "If we feel good about ourselves then it should be easy to pass it forward"

Xoxo

Blessed Weekend: Padre Pio Shrine

Last Saturday morning, Sweets asked if we can go to Padre Pio Shrine in Sto Tomas Batangas.  Since we are really heading to Laguna to visit my family, I called up Mama and asked her if she can accompany us and go to Padre Pio.  She mentioned that she really intended to go to Padre Pio this weekend -- I believe that this is not a coincidence - this is a blessing from Him.

St. Pio was born to Grazio Mario Forgione and Maria Giuseppa Di Nunzio Forgione in Pietrelcina, a farming town in Southern Italy.  St. Padre Pio was ordained a priest in 1910.  On September 4, 1916, Father Pio was ordered to return to his community life.  Thus he was moved to an agriculture community, Our Lady of Grace Capuchin Friary, located in San Giovanni, Rotonda in Foggia.  He stayed there until death, bearing the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ for fifty years.

Padre Pio become a spiritual director, guiding many spirituality, considering them as his spiritual daughters and sons.  He had five rules for spiritual growth, namely:
1. Weekly Confession
2. Daily Communion
3. Spiritual Reading
4. Meditatin
5. Examination of Conscience

His advice on pratical application of theology he often summed up his now famous quote, "Pray. Hope. Don't Worry."  He directed Christians to recognize God in all things and to desire above all things to do the will of God.

To learn more about him -- please visit his Biography --> Pio of Pietrelcina!

The Padre Pio Shrine in Sto Tomas Batangas is less than 10 kilometers from San Pablo City, Laguna town proper, and is another 1 1/2 kilometers from the highway.

As envisioned by Rev. Fr. Joselin "Jojo" C. Gonda, the newly built church is a product of a nature and eco-friendly, Filipino and tropical design.  Wood, stone, bamboo, and sasa define the Filipino character of the structure.

The roof of the church is shaped like a giant ant salakot to remind the faithful of how God protects us from evil and harm just as how the salakot protects farmers and fishermen from the rains and from the heat of the sun.  The whole concept created a unique, serene, and welcoming church that naturally draws people to pray and be inspired by God and nature. -- from St Padre Pio Parish and Shrine brochure.

Once you reached the parking space (one side is soil and rocks, the other side is cemented), you will already see the stairs going up the church.

This view is looking at the church and where you can put your candles.

This view is looking at the Chapel of the Living Water and Images of Mary (below entrance).   This Chapel is at the basement of the Belfry tower where devotees come here to be blessed by the Holy Water.

The tower is the Mary, Mother of Mercy Belfry.  As you go up each floor of the tower, you will see the life of Padre Pio on how he started his mission.  At the top of the tower are the church' bells.

This is another place where in you can also say your prayer.

Now on to the church itself. It is an open space and it's very calm and relaxing.  You can feel the serenity and love of God that you will want to lift everything to Him.

After praying, you can opt to light a candle and pray for the wish of your heart.  My husband and I, we always pray for Love, Family, Forgiveness and Hope! 

I recommend that you visit Padre Pio on a non mass hour or non feast day. So you will feel the solemnity of the place and you can be focused with your prayer.

The feast of St. Padre Pio is celebrated every 23rd of the month but the real Feast Day where there is a month long celebration happens every 23rd of September.

I hope that you can have some time to visit this place to reflect and thank Him for all the blessings that came our way.  If you are too far from Batangas, you can also visit Padre Pio at Libis, Eastwood.

Xoxo

Never too late!

Our everyday life is a constant battle for success!
Whether it's about being honor in school, our promotion at work or even just perfecting that favorite dish at home. 

We always strive to be better and be successful in what we do.
It gives us the sense of fulfillment and self worth!

Now at times when you feel that you have given everything you have.
That you have exhausted all your energy, sweat and even tears.
That you wanted to give up.. think again.. because living our lives means "Always being ready to take on the challenges that can make us the persons we are meant to be".

I want to share this simple video and for me it represents our lives.
We might think that it's too late for us to be successful or avhieve our dreams but there is always hope!  We just have to believe in oursleves that we can overcome things, we just need to have determination!



The video may be simple but I hope that it give you inspiration as much as it did to me!

Xoxo




 

Reward to ourselves!

We have all been working so hard because we want to make sure that we are able to provide for our needs and our family's needs.  We always give our 100% at work and sometimes forget to have a little fun. 

While we are working so hard, it is also important to give some fun time to ourselves.  This is what Sweets and I did when we decided to watch a movie! 

It was in Gateway Mall. 

Not the normal cinema because it was meant not only to watch a movie but to relax as well while waiting for the movie to start.

They had a cozy waiting area.. Feels like you are in a hotel lobby or reception area.

Seats were lazy boy, meant for couples! 

They have a free popcorn and drinks and it was just relaxing while watching the movie.  I can adjust the seat, recline it and so on..

It's not wrong to pamper ourselves once in a while!! I will support you on that because we all need a break!

Xoxo

Happy to share!

Accenture is very active when it comes to recruitment activities and I am thankful that I was able to participate in some of their activities. Some of their programs includes conducting trainings and workshops, topics of which are given by the universities or sometimes we offer the module that we have.

I volunteered to present the "Professional Image".

The materials were given to me and all I had to do was to study them and make sure that I get the message across. 

The first batch whom I presented this topic was;

School - Far Eastern University

Course - IT and Computer Science

Attendees - 100 students

The second one was;

School - Asia Pacific College

Course - AB Multi Media and Arts

Attendees - 80 students

It was both an exciting and challenging experience.  Exciting because I get to share my experience and ideas to the young generation (yuck I feel so old!).  Challenging because I had to keep the participation going and I need to make sure they will feel the importance of my topic.  Good for me, all of them (FEU and APC) were both very active and participative.  I always tell them "I am not doing this session for myself, I am doing this to help you understand the importance of being professional".

I am looking forward to more speaking engagements with different universities.  It does not just give me the experience but it gives me the opportunity to give back whatever it is that I learned from Accenture!  For the things that I am thankful for! 

How about you?  How do you want to share your skills and passion?

Thanks to both schools for appreciating and trusting me in conducting the session to your students! 

Thanks Accenture for the support and encouragement in doing such sessions!! 

Xoxo

Happy Friday: Remember the Reason for the Season!

Five days of September and I am already feeling the Christmas spirit.
Last Monday, while I was walking in the mall, Christmas carols were already played.. oh em gee! It's really Christmas and I am very excited to prepare for it.

While we are all excited for Christmas, let us not forget the reason for the season and make it special for our family, friends and ourselves.  This is the time to meet with our family and friends and catch up as long as we can.  With this in mind, we always need to remind ourselves that we attended the gathering to communicate and not to surf our social media profiles all the time.

Saw this photo from the internet and it's a good wake up call for all of us.
Communication (verbal) and interaction is very important, it helps build relationships and even cure sickness.  Like personally, I would be pissed if my friends or family would be looking at their phones instead of listening to my stories. (not that I am selfish - but if you want to just look at your phone all night -- then I just wasted my time on you!)

If you have the chance to meet up with your family and friends, whether it's just a simple lunch / dinner out or reunion.  Take that opportunity to catch up!!
Let us all avoid being in the venue but pre-occupied with social media. 

Disclaimer:
- It's fine to tweet where you are right now, who you are with;
- It's also fine check-in in FB;
- It's fine to take a picture of your meal;

"Just don't let these social media consume your time"

PS: Do you already have your Christmas Game Plan? I do -- read more Here

Xoxo