Life's Shell-Fishes Blog

The blog was entitled as such to capture or at least get a sense of the expression "selfie." Here, 'selfie' doesn't necessarily mean all about "the self" or the blogger's "selfishness" of speaking mainly about his life but more on sharing life's escapdes, insights, ideas, experiences or words that he hope could give some form of enlightenment, inspiration, instill hope, give encouragement etc. The title also speaks about how life could be likened to the ocean or to some life forms in it. 

             Life could be as colorful as the ocean floor which is filled with assorted life forms like the multi-colored corals, fishes, shells and the like. Sometimes it could be as hard as a shell but no matter how tough it might be you just have to suck in the marrow of it to end up in a nice feat.

Or like the seashore forever swayed by the waves of the sea, it is not so much of what you can give but how much you can receive waves after waves of life's blessings not to hored it for selfish gain or greed but so that it can also overflow to the lives of others. 

INSPIRATION

In life, whenever you ask the question, "What would you like or want in life?" People would almost always wanted to answer, "I wanted to become successful." Most guru, teachers, leadership speakers and motivators would agree that there is no short cut to sucsess but there are ways, principles or laws as most of them call it that you can follow in order to become successful. One of the principles to ensure one can attain success came from Ralph Waldo Emmerson when he said, "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." But where does enthusiam comes from? Is it just merely a feeling or a part in us wired in the fiber of the human soul that you can just click whenever you want or like it? Given you can muster the sense of being enthusiastic whatever situation you are in, where else can you pull such a resource if ever you find yourself devoid of energy and seemingly could no longer go another distance or when the going gets rough and tough? I believe the answer to that question comes from the things we hold dear in life - from the things that inspire us.

But what is inspiration in the first place? My personal definition of it is, the things that we look up to and tightly held dear and treasure in our hearts and that we look forward to. It could be your family, your spouse, your children, your friends, the people you love, your future, the dreams and aspirations you have and so much more. At times, you might find yourself hitting rock bottom or at the worst kind of scenario. I had several worst things that happened in my life but trying to look back at them just makes me grateful to God at how I got out from each one of them. If ever you tried running a marathon, at certain points in your run, you will experience searing pain that would make you give up. At those times, quiting sounds a good option, a temptation which never leaves the mind. Then you would encourage yourself that you can do it or that you’re doing it for something or someone important to you. Now that’s what we call inspiration. It gives you a sense of elation, extra strength to go one more mile.

So whatever might be you’re going through right now, maybe you’re at your wits end or at the end of your rope. Fret not. For there’s always a way out in everything. After the night comes the morning light that shines brighter throughout the day.  

The Adventures of Kourga and Kayan I: The Awakening (Chapter I)

ISBN-13: 978-1514219904 

ISBN-10: 1514219905 

      Still weary, sleepy and disturbed as he was, Kayan, slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look around, being partially blinded by the shimmering rays of the morning sun, he rose up from where he lay and checked where the noise was coming from, which he could hardly distinguished. As soon as his head went out from the bushes that seemingly hid him, he was taken aback by what lies before him.

      Shaking his head once more to wake himself up, lo and behold, myriads of different birds from different families swarmed the entire bank near his new found home. It’s unbelievable, the place became speckled with different sort of colors. They had flocked and surrounded his teeny tiny Islet which became seemingly the center of the place. There were pink and white Flamingos, black and white Herons and egrets, multi-colored Kingfishers, Cranes, Curlew, Gadwall, Plover, Snipe, Stint and many more but much to his surprise not a duck was in view. It was all too glorious to behold, a miracle at that. Overjoyed by the sight that was before him, he moved out from there. Kayan jumped out to his feet into the water saying, as he always does, “Quack, quack, quack!” That was just his way of expressing himself when a jerk of an illation knocks into Him. He was too excited to join the flock as if he belongs in such a crowd. He glided slowly his flappers into the river as not to disturb the other birds. Closing in on each group, he tried to discern whether a certain group was the right one to mingle with. He then moved around from place to place wandering while playing around at the same time wiggling his fair-feathered-tail signaling others to join him. He did this all day long but found no company of birds interested enough in his seemingly worthwhile activity.

     

The night came in and it was now time for him to retire again to his new found haven, a place inside the Islet of bushes where he made himself a straw nest though it’s far from being finished. Tired as he was from the game he played, he went around it, sat as to lie down, bended his neck, inserted his beak inside his wings and then closed his drowsy eyes.

Even the night jungle seemed to have synchronized itself to its inhabitants as though it’s one big living organism making all things in it to come alive as it breathes and sleeps when darkness falls upon it. It’s one mysterious place indeed, turning the tame into wild and the wild wilder.   

It was summer time in that part of the region, even though it was dark, any bird could make out the silhouette of things near it as it was dimlighted by the big and wide open dome above it that was filled with stars and their constellations and the moon smiling down upon the whole land of Tosolang.

As the night went deeper still, while Kayan was fast asleep, he had a dream. In his dream, he found himself surrounded by his Duck family in a lovely place, a wonderland, that only indescribable beauty could be used to describe it. He also saw himself dancing with his bride although he could hardly described her appearance which was like the Mona Kiki. He was captivated by her angelic beauty – She had sweet, tamed-brown eyes, sparkling like the precious gemstones of the east. Her body shines and was as smooth as the nard oil of Arabica. Her red beaks glistens as she bids upon him full of smile that gladdens his spirit and brings him joy forever more. As they dance together, glistening silver and gold dust rain down from heaven. He was filled with the knowledge that when he will meet her sooner or later, he will know, beyond all doubt that she is the one meant for him. It was a moment filled with life’s bliss of happiness that he never felt in his entire life. It is a moment that no one could ever take away from him. But suddenly, in the middle of his dream, he was awakened by the sound of wagging wings, fluttering and flustering bird as it shrieks not far from where he was. But his mind was still being dozed off into slumber, wanting to go back from where he left off in his dream. So he went back to sleep again ignoring what disturbed him, discounting it as maybe just some of his bird mates annoyed by the uncomfortable high and humid temperature of the summer heat in the suburbs of the river.