Jay Lagare

General

Gratitude Journal

By on Thursday, January 5, 2012

This morning, I read this about gratitude journals:

“A gratitude journal is a blank notebook where you write lists of things for which you are grateful. Every night, before you go to bed, you take about three minutes to write down a list of five things. (Or any do-able number.) Some days, you might be feeling particularly abundant, and those five things just fly onto the page. Some days, it might feel like you can’t think of even two things. That’s when you remember how amazing it is that you even have a roof over your head or food to eat. That’s when you remember your cat (again) and the fact that you have hot water for a bath. No matter what you’re feeling, you find time to write down these five things every single night without fail. And they don’t always have to be new and different.

It helps by making you be aware of the things that you are thankful for, the blessings, the things you write about on the journal at the end of each day. It cultivates and enforces an everyday positive attitude. That’s good, right? So I’ve decided to start one. I’ll probably get a real notebook and pen for the therapeutic tactile feedback but for now, I’ll start here:

  1. I’m thankful for my family, my mom, my dad, my siblings, my aunt, my uncle, my cousins, and their kids. Their advice and words of comfort helped me greatly. And their presence especially during New Year’s Eve, was heart-warming.
  2. I’m thankful for my friends especially Erwin, Crissy, and Val, who offered me their support.
  3. I’m thankful for my in-laws for their acceptance and understanding. For giving me advice. And for letting me visit Jeanne.
  4. I’m thankful for Gretchen who decided to stay for a while longer and wait with me. She makes the house less empty.
  5. I’m thankful for Jeanne who welcomed me warmly when I visited her. She showed me what to love with the heart of a child means.
  6. Today, I’m thankful for Michelle finally talking to me. I know she’s still hurting and it took a lot of effort on her part. There’s a long way to go with no end yet in sight but it’s a step forward.
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General

Happiest and Worst Jobs

By on Thursday, January 5, 2012

I was browsing through the Forbes when I read these two articles about the ten worst jobs and ten happiest jobs. The ten worst jobs are:

  1. Director of Information Technology
  2. Director of Sales and Marketing
  3. Product Manager
  4. Senior Web Developer
  5. Technical Specialist
  6. Electronics Technician
  7. Law Clerk
  8. Technical Support Analyst
  9. CNC Machinist
  10. Marketing Manager

Director of Information Technology, a job on my current career plan, is at the top. Not good.

And the ten happiest jobs are:

  1. Clergy
  2. Firefighters
  3. Physical therapists
  4. Authors
  5. Special education teachers
  6. Teachers
  7. Artists
  8. Psychologists
  9. Financial services sales agents
  10. Operating engineers

It may be too late for me to become clergy but author or teacher (I’ve actually taught before) seem feasible. Hmmm.

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General

Cradle to the Grave

By on Wednesday, January 4, 2012

By Neal Morse

Sometimes I don’t understand
Why I was born at all
When all that I do leaves me empty
Aching and longing for more
Sometimes I feel I could stand
Man, I feel like I’m ten feet tall
But then it’s like I’m on trial and I’m guilty
I don’t know exactly what for

How I wish
I could be relieved
Fall on God’s doorstep
And be received
But it seems he doesn’t
Care for me anymore
So I’ll be on my way
Live from the cradle to the grave
On my own

Son you must understand
Why I would let you fall
It isn’t because I don’t love you
It’s not that I want you to crawl
But the silence between us has grown
And your towers have grown so tall
“I let you choose; you have chosen”
You don’t seem to want me at all

How I wish
To be reconciled
That you would just love me
With the heart of a child
But it seems you never
Want me around anymore
So you can have your way
Live from the cradle to the grave
Far from home

How I wish (Child how I love you)
I could be relieved (but you’re so far away)
Fall on God’s doorstep (Won’t you come home to me?)
And be received (I will give you my robe)
But it seems he doesn’t (Clothe you in linen)
Care for me anymore (Son I want you to stay)
So I’ll be on my way (I’ll set you free)
Live from the cradle to the grave (How I long to be home)

How I wish (I’ve been alone)
To be reconciled (so very long)
That you would just love me (with a heart made of stone)
With the heart of a child (Can you dry all the tears)
But it seems you never (I’ve held in my heart?)
Want me around anymore
So you can have your way (I’ll be on my way)
Live from the cradle to the grave
Far from home

*Last night, I was looking for the lyrics of the song in the last scene of Contagion when I stumbled upon this song, a reminder on humility and staying close to God.

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General

Contagion

By on Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Watched Contagion last night. This movie is the polar opposite of Outbreak. Much like what The Thin Red Line (yay!) is to Saving Private Ryan (nay!). It may be boring to many but I actually found it quite interesting. In particular, the movie’s focus on the life cycle of a pandemic, the lives of those affected, and– to an extent– the role of the Internet. With the spread of the disease as the backdrop, the movie takes you through how it affects the lives of ordinary people who lost (or are about to lose) loved ones, the doctors desperately helping the sick, the doctors running against the clock looking for a cure, the government striving to contain the chaos as society disintegrates. It’s a doomsday scenario but it’s a very plausible doomsday scenario. And that makes the movie feel very real.

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General

Emmanuel

By on Tuesday, January 3, 2012

My name is Emmanuel. It means “God is with us”. I should always remember that. We should always remember that. I recently read about this guy who took his own life for a too familiar reason.  He took his life along the expressway. The one I usually take. The one I would have taken had circumstances been any different (I like to think very much different). It’s sad that he wasn’t able to turn to anyone. I was lucky my family was there. But we should always remember that in those dark times when it seems there is no one there for you, that there is always God.

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