LIVING ALIVE By Dero Pedero

The Philippine STAR 06/07/2004

You are what you eat, and what you don't eat.
Similarly, life depends on

what you keep and what you don't keep. There
are many things in life that people may keep but only a few are truly worth
keeping. Here is a list of what to keep and how to keep yourself for a
brighter, happier and more fulfilling life.

22 Things To Keep

Keep calm. Life can be unnerving and if you don't make an effort to keep

collected and focused, you could easily lose
your cool. Take regular,

conscious deep breaths to calm and center
yourself.

Keep your chin up. Not only is it good for your posture and diminishes

your double chin, it also helps you maintain an
"I can handle it"

attitude. By keeping your chin up, you can keep
your head above water.

Keep your spirits high. Always maintain a positive and joyful attitude.

Remember that no one can perk you up like you
yourself can. Keep your

spirits high when the going gets rough by
focusing on your dreams and

counting your blessings.

Keep your word. The true measure of a man is if he keeps his word.

Honorable and trustworthy is the man who stands
by what he says and

promises. It is important the think well before
speaking because once a

word is uttered and released into the universe,
its vibrations could no

longer be erased.

Keep in time with your inner
drummer. Don't be swayed by
others into

following the confusing beat of their drums.
Although it is sometimes

necessary to adjust to the pace of others, it
is best to keep in step with

your personal rhythm and dance to your own
music.

Keep in touch with the child in
you. The source of
creativity in your life

is that little child within you. He questions,
he marvels, he imagines and

invents. Stay in touch with him, and be young
and creative for life!

Keep abreast with the times. The world is moving so fast. Know what's

happening, what's in style, what's au courant,
what's relevant, what's

important. Learn the hottest trends and the
latest in technology. Don't be

caught in a time warp or you'll be left behind.

Keep in shape. Your shape shows your state of health. Your body is the

vessel that you journey through life in. Keep
it healthy and strong. Don't

be one of those people who say, "I'm in
shape; round is a shape!"

Keep your mouth shut. People talk too much. We language ourselves to our

own destruction and defeat. Know when to talk
and when to shut up. Avoid

being verbose. Oftentimes, silence speaks more
eloquently than words.

Keep good friends. Good friends are hard to find. Nurture friendships that

make your plight through life easier, more
meaningful and wonderful. Truly

poor is the man who has no good friends.

Keep great memories, not heavy
objects. In the very end, good
memories of

life are what we will be left with, not jewels
and riches that we couldn't

bring when we finally go. Live each moment
beautifully. Linked together,

these magical moments create a magnificent
life.

Keep a diary. Writing a journal is therapeutic. Record the important

events in your life, your dreams and
aspirations, even your failures and

disappointments. When you trace back events in
your life, you are bound to

learn lessons from them as well as find great
inspiration and strength.

Keep saying grace and thanks. Blessed is he who says grace before he eats

and gives thanks for all the gifts he receives
daily. Maintain a thankful

attitude and focus on your blessings instead of
disappointments.

Keep on moving forward. The universe moves forward in time. Don't get

stuck in the past; make an effort to move ahead
to a better life. Drop

those unnecessary pieces of material and
emotional baggage that weigh you

down and keep you from flying to your loftiest
dreams.

Keep out of danger. He who exposes himself to danger finds it. Don't court

danger; avoid it. As they say, an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of

cure. Look out for number one (that's you!),
and always stay safe and

sound.

Keep up the good work. Success is built upon success. The more you do, the

more you achieve; the more you achieve, the
better you get at doing it.

Make success a habit by keeping up the good
work.

Keep young. Do everything in your power to stay strong, supple and

youthful. Think young; feel young. A wise man
once said "It is never too

late to be what you might have been."

Remember that age is a number and

that youth is an attitude.

Keep on dancing. Life is a dance through space and time. Embellish

whatever music life plays for you with your own
fresh orchestration and

creative choreography. Be excited in your heart
and keep your feet light

with happiness.

Keep on loving. Love is the reason we were created. Love diminishes when

hoarded but multiplies when shared. Give it and
feel it overflow in your

heart. Love cures all sadness, pain and sorrow.
Lonely is he who does not

give love away and therefore gets none in
return.

Keep on dreaming. Most men, even if they are young, are dead that is, if

they could no longer dream. Our dreams are what
keep us young and alive;

they give us that sparkle in our eyes. Our
dreams keep us going even while

everything around us says, "Stop."

Keep on hoping. Never lose hope. Tomorrow will be another day that will

bring new hope and greater blessings. Keep
faith in the abundance of the

universe and the mystery and perfection of
life. Hope for nothing but the

best and that's what you will be granted.

Keep on believing. Belief is the mother of reality. What you believe

becomes your truth. Believe in yourself,
believe in the magic of the

universe, believe in the power of your dreams.
And most of all, believe

you can do it, so you can have all your heart's
desires!

These You Must Not Keep

Don't keep up with the
Joneses. Just because your
neighbor bought a red

Ferrari, you, too, must get one. Don't join the
bandwagon and keep away

from being one with the herd. Too much
unhappiness in this world is caused

by comparisons ^ comparing yourself and trying
to measure up with other

people. There is really no need to live up to
others' expectations if it

would just bring you inconvenience and misery.

Don't keep issues and grudges. The reason most of us stay miserable is

because we keep issues, grudges, and problems.
Detox yourself of

complaints and issues that keep you from being
the best that you could be.

Try to solve all problems that beset you; never
leave anything unresolved.

The questions and puzzles of life are what make
it challenging and

exciting.

Don't keep resentments and
memories of painful experiences.
Life is not a

bed of roses so you must learn to let go of
negative feelings and memories

of painful experiences. It's hard to go on
living with a heavy heart.

Pardon, forgive, forget if you can, and move
on.