I recently had the opportunity to go all the way to the Philippines for work! Who knew auditing could be so glamorous. Okay so it's not quite Hollywood, but I do love the fact that I get to travel and meet all kinds of people. One huge thing that stood out to me was the genuine kindness of the people there. Despite the fact that my wallet got stolen on the very last day that I was out there (doh! shoulda been more careful; good thing I had already spent most of the money I had brought on fake designer purses and jewelery ;) ) I still make this as my general observation. GENERALLY, people are good. I've met way more awesome and inspiring people in my life than I have horrible people. The people out there were no exception. MOST (all except one!) of the interactions I had with them showed that they were very sweet and very pure hearted. Haha and maybe I can write the money I got stolen off as a charitable contribution?
Even the people with hardly any money - working all day long to get a salary of 8 dollars a day seemed to do it with a smile on their face. These people don't have much, but some of them work so hard for the things that they do have. I didn't take the picture I posted, but this is what the areas looked like that we drove past everyday to work. I noticed too the way they interacted with each other. It almost seemed like everyone was family to one another - so caring and kind, quick to help each other out. And very very polite (I've never been called ma'am so many times in my life!) Even with the traffic in Manila (which makes Los Angeles look desolate!), I never saw any road rage or heard exchanges of angry words, people would wave and smile at each other even as they cut each other off on the highway! Pretty funny to see, but very interesting, and very unlike Los Angeles. Most of these people have nothing and they are still so happy and so care free! It's not a new idea, I think we all have noticed at one point or another that the happiest people in the world aren't necessarily the ones with the most material possessions or the most money. (We have a lot of filty rich, crazy celebrities to read about in US Weekly to prove that point). The happiest people don't have everything they want, they don't have the perfect lives, because NO ONE does. But they choose to smile regardless. Key word is chooooose! It's a choice people. Choose now to be happy and chose to be a good person, no matter what situations or circumstances you might be living in, it's the way life was meant to be lived.
"The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along their way." - Unknown
