My friend has had no formal education or basic training in art. She just happened to see some unused acrylic tubes on her neighbor’s trash and decided to try them on a canvas and boom – she created one amazing artwork. Her newly discovered talent came as a surprise not only to me, but especially to her. Who would have known for certain that Rebeka has this hidden talent waiting to be discovered after 57 long years.

Rebeka’s story reminds me of an article I read in a newspaper last month. There is a seven year old boy from the province of Pangasinan (northern Philippines) who regularly drives a backhoe! Yes a backhoe which is a piece of heavy equipment used in construction. Amazing isn’t it? But this was quite an early self discovery.

For me, I can say that I’m lucky. Because of this great willpower in me, I never had problems perfecting a new experience to my advantage. When I tried scribbling a short story ( I was nine at the time), I surprised my parents and teachers. When I did my first sketches (at the age of 11), it was really a discovery for me. When I tried song writing (at 15), it worked. When I tried paper clay art (at 26), it was marvelous. And when I tried swimming (at the age of 28, huh), I didn’t drown.

One can never be too old or too young for self-discovery or rediscovery.

Life is constant learning and human talents are limitless. One just needs some concentration, inspiration, encouragement and cheers to be able to realize that hidden talent waiting to be expressed.

So whether you’re five years old or in your twilight years, the opportunity and power to explore the undiscovered you is in your hands. Learn new things like playing a new sport; singing new kinds of songs; doing exotic dances; experimenting with cooking; trying some artwork (like Rebeka did); starting your own vegetable garden; embarking on some eco-friendly practices (for Mother Earth) or simply indulging in a totally new experience. But do it now, so you’ll have some time for improvement in order to become a master or expert (wow!).

Explore. Experience. Learning is always fun. And constant self-discovery is not only exciting and stimulating, it is really a never-ending experience.

Is it madness, you thought, or is there really such a word as contentment?

Maybe it’s the latter. Happiness comes from being contented for having the simplest possessions, the simplest things in life, feeling the simplest emotion, having the simplest people loving you.

The secret to feeling contented? Count your blessings regularly. From the moment you open your sleepy eyes in the morning until the evening, when you’re about to close your sleepy eyes to sleep.

Not all people who slept the night before where able to open their eyes the next morning, able and healthy and energized to start another day of productivity. You are lucky and blessed to be still alive this morning. There were no given statistics as to how many people died while sleeping — but it happens. I guess waking up in the morning is blessing no. 1.

There are times when I wake up with an aching head or a stiffed neck (from my wrongly positioned pillow) and sometimes I get irritated the whole day. Waking up feeling fine and healthy, for me, is blessing no. 2.

When you go meet your family for breakfast in the kitchen, smile. Be happy. Feel lucky. Feel blessed. Having your whole family — all members alive and well — to share your breakfast (again) and eat together is definitely your blessing no. 3.

Having something to eat for breakfast (some families do skip breakfast especially during this food crisis plus global meltdown phenomenon) is blessing no. 4.

Then you’ll be going to school/work. Here comes your blessing no. 5. With the financial crunch literally crunching most of the people, companies being closed down and unemployment rates rising to their highest peak, don’t you think you were being favored by the heavens to still afford to go to school or have work to earn a living?

Going there, driving your car or commuting (riding a cab), I think it’s needless to say that you’re enjoying your blessing no. 6.

And so your counting goes. Having friends — who love, trust, take care of you — at school or at workplace, is your blessings no. 7. Learning everyday, or at least having the ability to learn, is your blessing no. 8. Being appreciated by someone, or every one, is blessing no. 9. Eating something for lunch is blessing no. 10. Being safe the whole day is blessing no. 11. Having your family (again) to eat dinner with you is blessing no. 12. Eating sumptuous, hot meal to fill your stomach is blessing no 13. Having more time to talk, hug or kiss every member of your family is blessing no. 14.

Saying your prayers, realizing how blessed you are this day and thanking your creator for all these — just having the opportunity to do this — is your blessing no. 15. And finally, sleeping with your healthy body, without worries and problems for the next day, is your final lucky break for the day.

So isn’t it wonderful to realize how favored you are every day? And isn’t it fun to count your blessings and feel happy and contented as your day ends?