Each year, my family generally aim to go on a road trip at least once. This weekend however, i was the designated driver of my uncle and auntie down to Hunter Valley.

Happiness, or rather the approach to happiness, is much like a road trip. 
There are three types of people on this journey: you are the child in the back, the driver or the front passenger.

The child

For the child (and many in the world), the pursuit of joy is simply and infinitely just that. A pursuit.
The child in the car constantly tells his or herself that things will get better when the family arrive.
That the destination is more important than the journey.
Impatient with the world and of themself, life is defined by the question “Are we there yet?”

The front passenger

From basic rules of shotgun, many would know that the front passenger is not allowed to sleep on roadtrips.
Generally, the passenger watches the world go by through the windows.
Keeping themselves busy with choice of songs, setting up the GPS and keeping the driver awake.
The front passenger knows that eventually they will arrive at the destination.
When they get there, they’ll get there. In the mean time, you may as well make the most of it.
Even the open road is another one of God’s beautiful creations.

The Driver
And finally we have the sleep deprived, slightly cranky, unnecessarily stressed driver. The driver watches in constant repitition as his or her eyes are constantly being blinded by the sun. The world getting fuzzy at times as sleep deprivation slowly makes they’re eyes heavy.
They’re approach to life is “Even if I’m hating this, as long as my passengers get there.”
Living vicariously through the joy of serving others.

Which one are you? =)

In an attempt to spend more time with my little sister, this weekend i chose to drive her to her choir practice 29.3km away.

While we were in the car she said to me, “If i know the melody of a song, it’s hard for me to sing the harmony for it.” Smiling, I then asked her how long she’s been in the choir for. “6 years, i think that’s why they give me the harder harmonies.” Sometimes in life you look to your neighbour and say, “Why is life so easy for them?”

The reason for it, and many of you will not like this, is because God knows that only you can take it. For the hundreds of people in the world that have life so much simpler, why is it you that gets given the short straw? Well, because my friend, only you can take it.

You can take not getting the job you wanted
You can take it whenever you’re spiritually worn out
You can take it if your mum gets cancer
You can take it each time you try your hardest and fail.

And when you do take on that role, accept to live the harder life, accept to sing in harmony. As you live amongst the rest of the world, as you continue to sing in harmony (not in melody), together…

You and the whole world make something beautiful.

Once you finally figure out the harmony though, there’s always a new song to sing.

5 tips to getting a girl

Girls like high places

Take the girl to a rooftop, the top of a hill. Seeing things from high above makes the girl feel wonder. You can abuse that.

Girls like gardens

Rose bushes, flowers and hedges seem to work wonders when it comes to getting girls.

So far, if you’ve brought her to your garden rooftop, you’re doing pretty well.

Girls like water

The sound of trickling water or the view of a vast ocean tends to make the view that much more amazing,

Girls can be fooled into thinking that you too can continue to amaze her in the same way.

So far, if you’ve brought her to your rooftop garden overlooking a lake, you’re doing pretty well.

Girls like lights

Faerie lights, candles, the moon. These are all sources of light you can use to your advantage.

Deep down were all afraid of the dark. By showing her you can protect her momentarily from her fears, she’ll feel safe in you.

So far, if you’ve brought her to your rooftop garden overlooking a lake as the moon shines brightly off it.

The two of you surrounded with thousands of faerie lights that shine brightly out of the rosebushes the encompass the rooftop.

What can i say… you’re doing pretty well.

Girls like warmth

With the wind blowing strongly on the very polished version of herself.

Lend her your jumper thats covered in your sweet smelling cologne.

Then give her a hug. Short enough that you don’t seem desperate, but long enough to state your intentions.

So far, if the two of you are sitting on the edge of a rooftop,

Hyde Park, the city lights, the fountains of saint marys cathedral preforming wondefully below.

You reach over and put your hand on hers…

well my friend. hopefully you’ve got your girl.

5 tips to getting a real woman.

Women like high places

Women want someone who will lift them up. Although ever sympathetic, they do not appreciate self pity.

Women want men who are strong. Strong in their beliefs, strong in faith, strong in perseverance, strong in trust.

Be strong in who you are, be convicted, be passionate. Living life half asked, is living life to only half its potential.

Shes going to leave you behind.

Women like gardens

Although at times women enjoy their drama, often they don’t enjoy it when it takes over their life.

Women love the feeling of serenity and peace.

Each time you dabble in the concerns of the world, unhappy with yourself, you my friend are bringing her down .

She needs you to be a source of life each time her friends can’t be that source for her.

Women like water

Women need you to be a source of purity.

Women need you to be able to control yourself.

If you cant be patient with your body, how will you be patient when you have kids?

How will you be patient each time she is wrong?

How will you be patient each time you have a bad day?

Women like lights

Women, although many would argue, need you for direction.

Not in every aspect of their life of course,but for the times they are lost, for the times they can’t decide.

When all they can see is darkness.

They need you to shine the path, without pushing too hard, into the direction

that you know would bring her to happiness.

Not point the light to yourself.

Women like warmth

Above all these things. Women want us to love.

You can be ever patient, you can be very strong and convicted,

You can be a source of light in her life, you can give her that inner peace.

But if you cannot love her more than you love yourself.

Then there’s no way you’re keeping that woman.

Real love is a choice. Not a feeling.

And whilst women do want a man with all their priorities in order,

the girl inside her will appreciate your epic grand gesture.

but who am i to talk =)

Peace, love and lol.

Hopping out of my parents’ shower at 11:30pm,

I open the door, squinting my eyes to the heavy fog that often follows a

hot 30 minute shower.

Looking around the fluroscently lit room,

my gaze stops at the mirror.

Scribed into the glass pane, an array of strokes, forming into words…

Standing there for about a minute or two, i finally deciphered it.

There lay a message.

For those of you who don’t know…

On the 3rd of September, my parents (accompanied by a conclave of priests)

set off for the Holy Land to visit the sites that Jesus himself had inhibited.

Leaving this 21 year old in charge of the family.

I know i speak of parenthood all the time, but as much as i try to contribute meaningful sporadic thoughts to

society, i always seem to land back on this pheonmenon.

On the Mirror, it said. (to understand this next part, you need to know my little sister’s name is Ara)

“We <3 U Ara.

Mom and dad.”

Amidst all the turtles burying their eggs, and spiders eating their babies.

Why is it that our parents have to love us?

We eat all their food, drink all their coke.

We break their toys and mess their beds.

But they love us anyway.

What an impossible, unfair love.

To be a parent, means to be IN LOVE with your children.

the kind of love you’re restless in bed about.

the kind of love that makes you hate them for not reciprocating.

Why else would they forgive us thirty million times for our phone bills being too high?

Tolerate us watching lion king 40 times over and over again in their room while they’re trying to do work?

Anybody reading this…

get a post-it and write on your parents door.

“I <3 you.

from your child.”

(if you are currently fighting with your parents,

they may not take this well. you may sound conceited.)

they’re in love with you, throw them a bone once in a while.

and when they read it.

don’t expect anything. knowing you made their day should be enough.

one day. you’ll be the one receiving the post it.

Peace, love and lol.

PS.

The snow has melted. I’m coming out of hibernation.

I invite everyone else who has been sleeping these past few months to wake up.

Out of ten. how productive are your days?

I have 2 dogs.

One is black (named Asso)
One is white (named Appa)

Asso is one of my best friends… most mornings he crawls into my bed and after licking my face for a good 5 minutes, he then buries himself in blankets and lies beside me until i’m ready to get up.
Appa is one of my sister’s best friends… most days he spends on a pillow upstairs where he watches my 11 year old sister play sims 3 all day. He rarely misbehaves.

Now there is one thing Asso absolutely loves… his yellow spiky ball.
Now there is one thing Appa absolutely loves… food.

As loving and as genuine as he is, Asso seems to ignore all common etiquette whenever the yellow ball is in sight, often growling at the people who love him so much. He tends to jump on people while they slumber, bark when hes cranky and unhinge doors with his head just to get to his ball.
As inherently boring as he is, Appa becomes full of life whenever he knows hes about to eat. Although, when its somebody elses food. He will deny himself food because he knows its not his.

In life, we can either be Appa or Asso.
Sometimes we fight for things that we believe make us happy, but we’re hard to love when we have that thing… We need to find the food in our lives. Something that we can share with others that makes us better as people.
Makes us patient.
Makes us love.

I recently spoke to one of my best mates new girlfriend
(Christopher Castaneda, if you read this… you’re very lucky to have her.)
she stated,
“You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends.
 And the people you stay with is a refelction of who you are…
 Surround yourself with people who make you happy.
 Stop being with people that don’t.”

“I like you better without her anyway…”

Think about the people in your life…
do they bring life to you?
do you bring life to them?

Let go of what holds you back…

Peace, love and lol.

2010, it’s time to start again.

First off let me start by saying,
I actually had a Valentine this year…. turns out shes married.
Happy Valentines day

**

It was once stated that the a mothers love is the most impossible love.
It’s like constantly being in love with somebody who doesn’t love you. And even though we think we love our mum… it’s not even close to their love for us.

Often, when I say a very simple goodbye to mother… She replies with a very smug, “i love you 10 times more.” Which is hard to believe… but somewhere under her menopausal shell i know that she is being very sincere.
She once told me that nobody except her husband has made her cry more than i have.

For women discerning about the man in their life, thinking of whether they want to take their relationship to the next step. STOP.

It is widely stated that the way a son treats his mother is the way he will treat his wife. (And the lesser known, the way he treats his siblings is the way he will treat his children.) So take a look first… What does this boy do with eternal, ever forgiving, unconditional love. Does he abuse it? Does he take it for granted?

Is that how you want to be treated for the rest of your life? Is that a man you want to invest in?

And to the boys that read my blog (like there are any)
take your mum out for once. She deserves it.

Oh and if you haven’t guessed already, my valentine was my mum. =)

Peace, love and lol.

Today I arrived home after 3 days of living at a beach house on the northern shores of Sydney. Whilst fixing my laundry, a very weary and tired mother of mine shuffled through the door to give my sister a hug. Walking slowly down the stairs, i descended to reciprocate the favour.

Smiling, she said quite simply, “You’re back home.”

As she stressed about what meal to cook for the family, i asked her what she intended to do for the night ahead. “Nothing” was her response.

On New Years Day, i promised to my mother that once a month we would have a date; where we would catch up and keep track of where the other person is in life.

So tonight, i decided the February date would be today (11/02/10) before i would leave my very humble abode once again to retreat at Grosevale tomorrow (12/02/10).

Often when an exciting movie comes out, we plan the people we intend to watch the movie with.
For example,

• Fantastic Mr Fox - my dear sister Ara.
• Where the Wild things Are - Margaret
• The last airbender - the Avatar mission team

So the biggest movie in cinemas at the moment is the holiday leech of a movie entitled, Valentines Day.
Surprisingly enough, regardless of the free movie pitch i carry on my head, nobody has attempted to obtain a free viewing of this movie from me. So to my excitement, i suggested this movie to my mother.

Admittedly not thrilled, she agreed to watch it.

the verdict?

Pleasant.
maybe not wonderful, definitely not amazing. but still heaps enjoyable.

For most people who are serious about their faith, it is important to choose a life verse in which to root your directions and choices in life.

my life verse?

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Even though the movie was incredibly cliche, yet still ‘pleasant’; it touches on alot of important topics. The most advertised, and obvious is love. Love between family, love between friends and love between paramores.

Love that gives without any expectation is of course the strongest form of it.
A certain florist at the end of each valentines day used to get all the flowers not sold and try new arrangements and floral designs. then he would wrap the flowers, put it on a random persons doorstep with the letter ‘someone out there loves you.’

Lets start a new fashion… Wear your heart on your sleeve.

Do something extraordinary this valentines day for the people you love.

Peace, love and lol.

In my life, i’ve constantly felt obligated to name all my earthly possessions.

• My car’s name is brown bear
• My guitar, simba
• My blanket, robert
• My pillow girlfriend, Angela
• My ukelele, Zazu
• My laptop, Dellilah
• My pillow daughter, Cathy
• My catepillar, Hungry
• My Nintendo DS, greyback
• Other DS, Pinky

The list really does go on…

Back when i was a young boy, the thing i treasured the most in the world was my Red Nintendo Game-boy.  Often before dinner, my father would keep it… then proceed to question me,
“Where’s your Gameboy?”
….
“Show it to me.”
Then i would proceed to run to my bedroom, where my Gameboy would no longer be on my bed as it had for the endurance of the day.

Freaking out, i would return to the table where he would be holding my gameboy in his hand, with a very smug smile on his face.
“You should take the utmost care of this,” he would often say (much less eloquently of course)

After 16 years of the same trick, he thinks i still haven’t caught on. And often when he questions me, “Where are your keys?” my answer is “You have it….”

Anyway! i digress… Back to being a kid.

When my room was super messy…wait thats how it still is (lol satire)
When my room was super messy, my father would perouse through my room pulling out forgotten toys from the smallest nudges and darkest corners of my room. Often yelling at me at in a brawling furore, “Look at all these toys, don’t you see what you’re missing out on!”

But in my head, my reasoning was always… if i got through life without it, why did i ever need it?

Often in life, we know what were missing out on and what we need.
It’s never nice to lose something important to us.

Recently i cleaned out my closet, trashing almost everything. As my mum reviewed what i wished to throw out, there were dozens of things she put on my bed that she felt i needed to reconsider. The things i collected were quite fascinating…

- Tetris DS the game
- Heaps of scrap paper
- Heaps of transparent sheets
- Books i had loved
- Books for Alyssa
- letters written to me

I guess 70% of the time, what we lose; i’m talking as in really lost; we don’t get it back.
But when or if it does come back, it’ll be when were looking for our favourite pair of jeans, or that formal shirt.

I feel as thought the statement, ‘its always in the last place you’d look’ is incorrect.
It’s always in the place you’d never look. Cause you’re not looking for it.

Last allusion…
Recently, i have lost my favourite mug. While spending months trying to find it i had found a toy Tee Pee i’d never played with before. Don’t get me wrong, you still can’t drink out of the tee pee, nor would i take it to breakfast. But nontheless, its given me light in the hole that my mug has left me.

Just pray that maybe when you lose your shirt, your favourite jeans will come back to you.

Peace, love and lol.

Two days after Christmas, my sister and I both decided to spend the hundreds of dollars we had saved up from the multitude of hours we clocked up at work. Knowing full well of the sales that were on, it was very difficult to resist not hopping into the car and driving to castle towers.

You know how theres always a place you have planned in your head when you park somewhere familiar? Well at towers i have 5 secret parking spots. All of which were filled. (sigh) So as we waffled around the parking lots aimlesslessly hoping that somewhere there was an open spot, insanity began to dawn on us.

Last night whilst having dinner, Alyssa loosely stated the following…

“Guys are like parking spots during the holidays, all the good ones are taken. And the only ones left are the disabled ones.”

In a sense i guess its true. You think to yourself, it must be easy to get a parking spot… if hundreds of people can find one. Why is it only me who can’t find one? The reality is nobody gets one by driving around. Most of the time if you want a parking spot, its about patience. We see someone leave the shops and we have to follow. We have to wait. We have to make the move.

Recently my mother heard alyssa’s analgoy and stated, “Thats stupid. Those are the words of someone who is impatient. Look at Adrian… he’s a good parking spot. he’s not taken”

So thank you mum. =P but in all honesty, i can think of at least 20 guys who are great catches. Sometimes were just not in the right parking lot. Sometimes we’re on the wrong floor. Sometimes we don’t appreciate the parking lot we see straight away and assume there will be something better.

There will always be something better… But it may not come until closing time. Remember that the goal is to go shopping, not to park.

peace, love and lol.

So i’ve been told once again i havent been blogging enough. Thanks guys but give me a break geez. lol.

A couple of days ago i started reflecting on some of the less admirable things that have been going on in my life. NB. this is not going to be a blog where i complain about life again… i’ve grown up since my first blog.

A friend of mine (Mr. Alfaro) once stated, the only difference between this year and and last year is your attitude (and the things you do). So i’ve worn this new quote on my sleeve for 2010.

The conclusion i’ve come to is for everything bad that happens in your life, even though it sucks for you, someone else out there will benefit from your sadness. It sounds morbid… but most of the time its true. I guess just hope the person who benefits from your sadness isn’t some sadistic lunatic who doesn’t deserve to be happy (even though everyone deserves happiness).

So when you lose your job, think about the next person who may come along who really needed a job, moreso than you. Take solace in your sadness that someone else will benefit from your loss, it makes it easier.

Maybe when you are in a break up, someone who had been waiting for him/her to finally be available will find joy in your sadness. Maybe that person will be able to love him/her more than you could.

Maybe when you bet on 14 and the ball lands on 15 you may not win. But someone else surely will. Life is only unfair when the house wins or if it lands on zero. Just remember that.

Its not some great philosphy about life. For those of you who understand economical terms, its a very micro-economical solution as opposed to macro-economic. (short term thinking as opposed to long) But hopefully for those of you who are sad… it helps you move on.

As for me =) i’m the happy guy that may be on the other end of your sadness.

So thank you. Whoever you are.

I hope people see my blogs in the same way i see Gabe Bondoc’s youtube uploads. Inconsistent, volatile… But the days after each upload are filled with light.

Peace, love and lol.