Klaus Doring

… how to “survive as an ex pat” here in the Philippines. In Part I I spoked about your hobbies, and how they could brighten your life as an ex pat. I was surprised to receive a lot of emails, by contacting me, from readers, who didn’t like to leave their opinions as comment after my post. Anyway, of course, I accept your decision very well - and: it inspired me again for this post.

I decided to be happy!

Yes, even as an ex pat living in the Philippines since 1999, I did so and I DO STILL! You know why? The world is full of bad news and all of us are very easy to be influenced by “negative and aggressive people” in our surroundings. Sometimes I get tired, because even I can feel how these people fritter away my energy, strengths and good mood while chatting my time.

Let’s swing ourselves in to the saddle and let’s explore the positive flanks in our daily life. A couple of days a really good friend told me: “Write with an open mind about wh at you see and hear, smell and toch!” How very true… . But more and more many people are becoming blind because of this terrible and negativism and “know-it-all-better-behaviour”… .

Yeah, I decided to be happy, to be glad, to be content, to be fortunate, to be fitting… also as, or especially as an ex pat living in the Philippines. If we like to be happy, we must find people in our surroundings, which have the special talent for listening, people who walked WITH US the first miles and then steadfastly believe that we can go alone after a while. And if not? Go back and read my article ‘Friends forever?’! I stated already before, I got a lot of such friends (Philippinos, German countrymen and other national ex pats). Some left again “my way”… .

During my time as radio host, I received a lot of “lonely text messages of ex pats living in the Philippines”, especially by playing “their music”. Sometimes I couldn’t understand their reactions, but more and more I found out that they become blind seeing the advantages living in the Philippines.

Being happy means also to find the courage, that we can have
it. Ask yourself, what’s your emotional dependence. when we are emotionally dependent, we look to others for happiness, our “self”-concept, and our emotional well-being. We give up what we want and need out of fear of rejection, abandonment or confrontation.

Let’s always try it again to be happy, even while struggeling thru life in a full pot of sluggish and idle mess.

Related Posts:

My Personal Testimony (I)
Entry and Stay of Foreign Students in the Philippines (I)
When to keep your mouth shut
Season is Thoughts
The guilt…
Philippine-German Relations (XVI)
Philippine-German Relations (VII)
Work hard but dream harder!
The celestial department store
I am a Rotarian now…