Wednesday happy pill...

...unexpected but understandable.
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by PAM

Myung-soo (center): 

"What did you just say?

What did you guys do in my workroom?

What happened after the hugging?"

I cannot look at these photos, blurred as they are, without laughing uncontrollably.  It works everytime! 😂 

This 'happy pill' is from "The Heirs" (a.k.a. "The Inheritors")... and, yeah, it's a Korean TV Drama, and, uhm... I soooo love it! It is my all-time fave, and I can spend a whole day just watching and re-watching it. I laugh and cry... get mad, get agitated... and then laugh and cry again, and then fall in love over and over again just watching the 20 episodes. I cannot get enough of it. This much I admit, uhm... without shame! 😅

This 2013 KDrama starred that beautiful man, Lee Min-ho, who was at his most beautiful phase in life playing the beautiful young man in the series, Kim Tan, and the A+ Korean actress, Park Shin-hye, who played Cha Eun-sang. Together, they made such a cute young couple in a Cinderella story that makes one fall in love. Never mind that Tan can be that typical spoiled conglomerate son sometimes, and Eun-sang can be that annoying damsel-in-distress who can't make up her mind and fight for herself most of the time. They portrayed 18-year-olds from opposite backgrounds whose entwined environments prevent them from enjoying young love, so what do you expect? But when they're being cute, they are so naturally adorable together, they just make you smile whatever your circumstance. Tan is so funny and adorable when asserting his feelings and trying to win Eun-sang's affection, and being hilariously possessive when he tries to be protective of her. Lee Min-ho became Kim Tan, truly 😍; and Park Shin-hye quickly became my fave KDrama actress, of course. 👍😊 

The series also starred a host of wonderful actors and actresses who were all great in their roles and whose on-screen chemistry was so spot-on that I felt... they were my second family. 😌😊 I did have a 'love-hate relationship' with Choi Yeong-do (played by Kim Woo-bin), but it's leaning more towards 'love' just because he was usually very funny. 😄 But, yeah, there were so many heartwarming moments, and this scene from Episode 13 was one of my favorites - totally hilarious! The adorable Jo Myung-soo, who was Kim Tan's and Choi Yeong-do's friend and played by Park Hyung-sik, was very funny in the scene pictured above. His chemistry with Kim Tan was at its best in the said scene. It didn't feel like they were acting in a KDrama at all. At this point, it being the 13th episode, it felt like watching your own friends engaged in a banter, and you can't help but be proud of being their friend. 😎😊

When I'm having a tough time, I just rummage through the episodes of this KDrama, especially episodes 2,3, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18 and 19... and it gets me through the tough time with a smile. Just like Eun-sang, Kim Tan has become my, uhm... silver lining. ❤😊

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QOTD

QOTD #27: Ah... what we preach, and what we do.
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by PAM

"There can be an imperfect happiness (felicitas) attainable in this lifetime, in proportion to the exercise of Reason (contemplation of Truth) and the exercise of virtue."  

  - St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles (paraphrased)

I've always believed that, if we were motivated by the right outcome in what we do, life is itself 'the pursuit of happiness', or more correctly, the pursuit of perfect happiness. 

In his book Summa Theologiae, I gathered that St.Thomas Aquinas defined 'perfect happiness', or beatitudo, as that mystical vision of God, which can only be possible in the afterlife.  It is in consonance with the belief of St. Augustine who said, "our heart is restless, until it rests in you," in his adoration of God. Unlike St. Augustine, however, St. Thomas Aquinas believed that we can still achieve 'imperfect happiness', or felicitas, in our lifetime.  This can be achieved in contemplation of the truth.  And the happiness we

St. Thomas Aquinas
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica

achieved in the actualization of our natural faculties is "in proportion to the level of truth accessible to Reason".  

Therefore, our own rationalization of our actions, in which we exercise our mental faculty in aligning our actions with the contemplated truth, can help us achieve felicitas. That imperfect happiness that we feel in all that we do can give peace of mind and joy.  This enables us to realize the truth more clearly in our continued contemplation, helping us to see with clarity the higher purpose of the life we live.  The more often we exercise contemplation, the sharper our vision becomes, and we become more receptive, too, to God's revelation of the truth - in answering our prayers.      

This is why, in our workplaces, shared vision is very important.  When everyone understands the leadership's vision, and it is clear to everyone how the actions that our Institution or Organization are pursuing are in harmony with the vision through clear rationalization, then it is easy for everyone to happily play his or her role.  Note that playing one's role though involves personal contemplation, and therefore, putting one's mental faculty to use, and acting accordingly.  When one is deprived of actualizing his or her own natural faculties in playing his/her role accordingly, and is forced to merely follow instruction without contemplation, then felicitas cannot be achieved.  I imagine that this is why there are many people who are unhappy in their workplaces, or who become unhappy when new leadership comes to be, and new policies are crafted and implemented without mutual respect and without regard to everyone's natural right to actualize natural faculties.  

In view of the above, I imagine, too, how it is impossible to be happy in a country ruled by a dictator, especially if that country knows what democracy is and has thrived in democratic environment before where actualization of natural faculties is supported, and in fact, encouraged.         

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Saturday photo(s)...

...on a Sunday because the sweetest of memories won't wait.

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by PAM

'Love begets love'... 

...from which, hope floats, and kindness springs eternal.

Kindness can be very stimulating. It nurtures the heart's 'soil' to sustained fertility from which love springs... and flourish to a breathtaking beauty.  Such is my experience with these kids - my kids.  Eversince I met them, they have been my constant source of inspiration and joy.  They augment my daily supply of love from my family and old friends, and they make me feel so blessed, indeed.  

They may not be the most 'accomplished' kids among their peers, whatever the definition of 'accomplishment' these days may be, but they have the purest of hearts. They are honest, sincere, kind, humble, peaceful... and very loving. That is why, just being around them brings so much joy.  While their kindness and their being unassuming may be viewed by some as 'weakness' and lack of motivation to succeed, they are wrong.  These kids have the strongest of characters while always seem laidback rather than intense in what they do. They are resilient. Even in the face of the worst adversary in life, they stand proud and strong... but with the most disarming candor at the same time. They have the most beautiful dreams and vision of their future, not just for themselves but for their loved ones as well... and they set out to accomplish these in the best way possible - with honesty and integrity... just 'fair and square'.  They don't cheat, and they don't step on other people's toes.  They don't think ill of other people - even those who did them wrong.  Their faith in God is seen not through praying loudly and flamboyantly, nor by posting religious stuff on their social media pages, nor by seeing to it that they are visible in places of worship.  Their faith is seen through the goodness of their hearts, manifested by how they treat others - which is with kindness and respect. 

One day, when the influence of schooling starts to fade, when grades are no longer the sole basis of one's worth... when their characters are the major wind that blows on their sails in their respective professional practices, their true greatness shall shine forth.  And I will be the proudest of all of them! 

In the meantime, I pray that they'd have very good reasons to keep smiling about... and giving each other reasons to stay optimistic and happy.  May God bless them - always.

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Photo credit: Taken by a staff at Shakey's Pizza Parlor - Vertis North. Thanks!

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Valentine's Day 2019...

...is a 'sunny' day! 
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by PAM

Happy Valentine's Day to all! 💘😊🎉

The day is filled with the warmth of sunshine... and that beautiful feeling of loving, and more so... of being loved. Ah, Valentine's Day, you are, indeed, worthy of all the hype!

What makes the gift special are the people who give it, and...

...most especially the shape of their hearts. 

Sunflowers are rarely given on Valentine's Day. Well, at least, sunflower is not the 'classic' Valentine's Day flower gift... although, I must admit that, in my book, it is one very special flower - for all seasons... and reasons. But as a Valentine's flower... perhaps not. First of all, it is yellow, rather than red, which is the color of the

Thanks be to God for Happiness!

heart, passion... and love.  And yet, when there is so much optimism and good cheers in the love - of any kind and form - that binds people together then the sunflower is the most suitable one to symbolize heart's day. Scientifically speaking, sunflower seeds contain mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids that are good for the heart. 😜😅 In the same way that a 'sunny disposition' symbolized by sunflower sustains true happiness that makes the heart 'swell' and more capable of loving, and accepting love. As such, I feel absolutely blessed to receive sunflowers on Valentine's Day from the very same 'kids' whose love brings out the best in me; from whose love my days thrive over the past year-and-a-half or so... at least, they give me enough reason to keep going these days - no matter how difficult to put one foot  in front of the other to keep moving forward.  No, I have not been counting the days really, because when love is true, it knows no boundaries - real or imaginary... not even time nor place. It just is. And, it's sweet, and it's absolutely beautiful! 

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