My Ingredients to Whipping Up a Basket of Personal Sunshine

(photo courtesy of www.nationalgeographic.com)

Everybody needs sunshine in their lives, most especially when the chips are down.
So what ingredients would I mix together to have servings of it?

Four simple things:

1. Smiling, tons and tons of it. Of course, this shouldn't be done looking like you've plastered it all over your face, it wouldn't feel comfortable anymore. The key to a genuine smile is to find anything that makes you giddy inside like:

> the innocence of children

> dew drops of Santan flowers in your backyard

> company of friends

>hilarious personal antics

2. Prayers. Sometimes, actually, most of the time, our innermost feelings and sentiments just can't be expressed any other way. Sucks to think nobody can understand how you really feel. If you're lucky enough to believe in God, I'm most definitely certain He knows what you're going through. In His Presence, you can say everything, as in eeeverything you want to say. And when what you have to complain about runs out, just hear out what He wants to tell you. I bet it may even go along theses lines, "Ok, yes I so know what you mean. But be certain about this, that no matter what struggles you may face, I love you most." *tears, tears*

3. Chocolate crinkles. They're cheap. You can actually find them in pasalubong stores and supermarkets. For me they're comfort food. Pair them up with hot chocolate, and you'll have the ultimate sugar rush. This is not advisable to be frequently done though. A good substitute with hot choco is any citrus-y juice. Just to balance the sugar out. It's good to be health-conscious every once in a while.

Lastly...

4. My personal sunshine bites wouldn't be complete if I don't recall being in a real dreary, emo-bursting situation. What's the point of appreciating sunshine if there's nothing to contrast it with? The situation might have happened years back, a week ago, just earlier, who cares. I just have to remember how dark it seemed, and let it be succumbed by the three previous ingredients that I just whipped up. Voila! My personal sunshine is complete.

The point is, seeing sunshine in any kind of situation takes skills and practice. It's a choice whether a person may lament over how unfortunate and desperate things have turned out, OR see the upside of things. After a seemingly destructive phase, to think that you are blessed and to pick up the pieces well is a battle that is best fought in the end.