How To Love Anyone & Everyone

Is it really possible for people to love anyone and everyone?

Though it did not surprise me to find that there many who do seek to know How to Love it did surprise me to find that over three hundred thousand use this phrase in search engines in a month’s time. I was not sure on what to make of it but was led to write a hub that would serve this need.

Read more in How To Love: A 5-Step Process.

   

Is Love the Answer?

Love is not just the answer. Love is Our BEING.

I dare write these words for I know this to be true. I cannot deny that which is revealed to me with such clarity. We love. We cannot help but love. We cannot live without it. Everything we do, we do out of love, for love, with love, in love and by love.

Love empowers us.

Love powers us.

Love produces love.

And yet many of us have forgotten who and what we really are.

Why? Read full article on Love is Not the Answer, Love is Our Being

BE Attitudes

Author of Conversations with God, Neale Donald Walsch has said that "the more of that you are BEING, the more what you are DOING will fall perfectly into place to allow you to BE even more of that!" I applied this concept on how I approached my understanding of the Beatitudes.

The process allowed me to formulate a guide for self-improvement. Thanks to a fellow member of Hubpages Home 'n Biz Blend who came up with the term BE-Attitudes.

Read the full article Another Way of Viewing The Beatitudes and see how the Key Guides to Being Empowered came to be.

• BE Truth


• BE Compassion


• BE Faith


• BE Trust


• BE Mercy


• BE Gratitude


• BE Peace


• BE Love

Use Theater as Therapy Ground

As theater helped me survive my personal crisis, I too use theater today to empower those under my care. As artistic and training director I have developed training programs for theater groups, various organizations and corporate groups using theater games from two well-respected American drama teachers namely, Viola Spolin and Eric Morris. I'm glad to say that many have benefited from these trainings and many have been empowered.

Read the more about how I use theater as therapy ground. Theater Therapy 101

Stop Competing Start Creating

I grew up thinking that the only way to succeed in life was to constantly compete. Compete for your parent's attention. Compete for your teacher's approval. Compete to be in the honor's roll. Compete to be the best orator, the best actress, the best director, the best leader, the best trainer, the best in just about anything and everything. Then and only then can I be considered a success and be offered opportunities to become famous, rich and powerful. Only to find out later that I was used, abused, confused, stressed out and burned out.

Read the full article called Competition or Creation for Success in Hubpages.

The Siddhartha Taiwan Tour

The Siddhartha Musical Taiwan Tour was such a great success that there are plans to bring the play to other parts of the world. Master Yung Guang recently visted Cebu and met with the cast and crew conveying Master Hsing Yun's love and support to the performing group. She also had a separate meeting with the core group of the creative team to initiate plans of offering a continuous training program for the cast and crew and suggested other undertakings that the Buddha's Light Intl. Association Cebu Chapter could take inorder to support the artists.

Another meeting was held to plan for the training program outlining activities that will enhance the dancing, singing, and acting skills of the performers and the recruitmen of new performers as the world tour is projected to last for years to come. Open auditions will be conducted soon.

Read the full story of the impact of Siddhartha Musical in Taiwan.

Improvise to Create Success

Daisy Ba-ad conducting a Photographic/Commercial Modeling Workshop

for Fashion TV Model School Asia with professional photographer by Eisen Job Alquiza.

Improvisation is a theater form made popular by Viola Spolin which earned her the title Grandmother of Improvisation. She developed theater games that helped unlock an individual's capacity for creative self-expression. As I got more involved in designing training programs using her exercises I saw its potential to help individuals use the process to create success in daily life.

Here are some ways to use Improvisation daily:

WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. Many of us run into walls when we think that we need all sorts of things before we can achieve a task. This becomes a major obstacle to create success. All we need to do is learn to work with what we have and start from there. Be a "MacGyver" of sorts in dealing with daily events especially in handling work problems. It makes the day more interesting and allow more creative juices to flow.

EXPLORE NEW WAYS OF APPROACHING A PROBLEM. Our preference to stay in our comfort zone often becomes and obstacle to personal and professional growth. Sad to say this scenario leads us to staying inside a box instead of getting out of the box. Allow yourself to try out new things in the way you spend your nights, the way you express love to your family, the way you talk to your boss, the way you deal with your office mates. Sometimes, it takes a simple adjustment in the tone of your voice, a cheerful smile, a simple pat on the shoulder or even a sincere "thank you" to change an atmosphere and pave the way for a more positive energy to flow. This then becomes a good working ground to find solutions to the problem or better still becomes the solution all together.

CHOOSE THE FUN IN THE RUN. Running around all day to keep everything in place need not be an exhausting one. Make it a conscious decision to have fun while doing all activities. This empowers you to view things in a more positive light. The problems could be seen as opportunities, the conflicts become a practice ground to develop people skills, the crisis becomes a breeding ground for innovative ideas. The whole process then becomes a fun filled and satisfying experience.

Improvising in daily life paves the way to create success daily. Read more in Creating a Better Life Using Improvisation.

Siddhartha Musical at the Cultural Center of the Philippines

December 3, 2007.

After the recent successful world premier at the Pacific Ballroom of Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City, SIDDHARTHA, A Musical Journey to Enlightenment, written by multi-awarded songwriter JUDE GITAMONDOC and directed by Out of the Box Training & Productions Artistic Director, DAISY BA-AD, is scheduled to have a restaging at the Cultural Center of The Philippines (CCP) Main Theater, Manila on November 3 and 4, 2007 made possible through the recommendation and approval of the Fo Guang Shan head quarters, and through the collective efforts of the devotees with the Intl. Buddhist Progress Society (IBPS) and the Buddha Light International Association, (BLIA) Manila Chapter as producers of the restaging.

The all Cebuano creative team, cast and BLIA Cebu producers take pride and joy in bringing the play to Manila and look forward to bringing it to the world as there are currently invitations to bring the musical to Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and even New York after having seen the video of the Cebu production and witnessing an excerpt brought live in Taiwan as BLIA Cebu’s birthday gift to Venerable Master Hsing Yun, whose poetry formed a large part of the musical play.

Rehearsals are now in full blast under the helm of Production Manager Michelle Simtoco, Dance Director Marijo Cypril Japora, Dance Masters Micheal Lowel Dohig and Ian Ed Jamilarin, and Technical Director Bob Urpiana, as production numbers are improved, scenes made more intense, audio-video material enhanced, production design adjusted to the CCP Main Theater facilities, to prepare for the restaging which the group is dedicating to Sir Eden Tantiansu, as a way of paying tribute to him who envisioned the musical to be created --- husband of BLIA Cebu incumbent President Susan Tantiansu.

The project is led by BLIA Adviser Ven. Master Chueh Lin, and ably supported by BLIA Vice Presidents Ernesto Chua, Erwin Go, and Gino Yongco, and Treasurer Susan Yap-Tan, who will be accompanying the troupe composed of nearly over 70 young professionals and students coming from different schools, colleges and universities in Cebu all currently undergoing rigorous training for the CCP performance.

Tribute to Sir Eden

September 19,2007, the Out of the Box production team and the cast of Siddhartha joined the mass and gathering ending the nine-day novena for the man who conceived of the idea to produce a musical about Prince Siddhartha, Sir Eden Tantiansu. He's passing may have been sudden but he left a legacy benefiting many particularly, the artists who are part of the production and the audience who have seen the play and will still see the play in Manila come November.

During the gathering at Casino Espanol family and friends spoke about how he pushed to make the musical a reality through Buddha's Light Intl. Association where Eden's wife, Susan, serves as president and Master Chueh Lin as chapter head . Jude Gitamondoc, the playwright and composer of Siddhartha revealed how Sir Eden helped him become involved in BLIA's other projects specifically, the songwrting contest regularly done by the group. It was this contest that paved the way for the creation of the musical where Jude's winning pieces were compiled together with other creations of local composers which were all based in the poetry of Venerable Master Hsing Yun. To complete the musical Jude had to compose new songs and work with Out of The Box artistic director Daisy Ba-ad to bring life to the musicale and the rest, as they say, is history.

The highlights of the gathering included the performance of the song interpreters of this year's winning pieces of Joseph Abella and Jude in the persons of Wendy Prado and Levin Inez who are both members of the Siddhartha cast. Ba-ad, who spontaneously became the emcee of the night, gave some insights on how the play came to be before introducing each number. The audience was thrilled and supportive of the group who represented the musicale in Taiwan composed of BLIA members Ben Chua, Susan Tan and Susan Tantiansu (wife of Eden who did not join the performance for obvious reasons) together with Levin's mother and aunt, Jude and the orignial cast members Wendy, Levin and Benjie Layos. The group was acknowledged for their efforts as their performance in Taiwan was such a success that the scheduled single performance multiplied to 7 performances in 3 different cities and 7 different audiences including the worldwide convention of Buddhist monks.

Joy Benedicto, sir Eden's niece, later revealed in her speech that because of the Taiwan excerpt BLIA Cebu received intvitations for the play to be brought to New York, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan and that the family is indeed overwhelmed by how one man's vision two years ago has now become a legacy touching the lives of people around the world.

The tribute ended with Eden's daughters Edisa and Mysue leading the heartfelt singing of The Noble Path (sir Eden's favorite song in the musicale) where cast members slowly joined in and then segued to the song We are One which summarizes one basic truth that no race, nor culture, nor tradition, nor religion, not even death can deny --- "Let there be “us” We belong and co-exist together No matter where we’re coming from Like sister moon and brother sun We’ll stop the gloom as long as we are one" ---- lines made real during the tribute to the jolly big man who knew how to make dreams come true -- Sir Eden Tantiansu.

Siddhartha Excerpt in Taiwan

Sept. 06, 2007

An excerpt of the Cebu hit musical, Siddhartha, A Musical Journey to Enlightment, was brought to Fo Guang Shan, Taiwan, the main head quarters of Buddha's Light Intl. Association (BLIA), as the Philippine chapter's special gift to venerable master Hsing Yun in celebration of his birthday, who's poetry composed the lyrics of the musical.

Artistic director, Daisy Ba-ad from Out of the Box Training and Productions , accompanied the group who performed before thousands of Buddhist monks and devotees on the 3rd of September. The performance drew the admiration of various cultures and races and paved the way for an additional performance conducted on the same day for a special audience. Another performance was scheduled on the 6th of September during a worlwide conference of Buddhist monks held at the Fo Guang Shan 100 hectar land.

The nine performers of the excerpt composed of three original cast members, the musical director-composer, BLIA Cebu officers and cast relatives effectively carried out the task of sending out the beautiful message of the excerpt. Their exceptional attitude towards work has motivated Ba-ad to decide that the new performers be given a chance to perform at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on November 3 & 4, 2007, much to the delight of the concerned performers with the exception of the musical director, Jude Gitamondoc, who would rather be doing his work backtage. It seemed he was not comfortable with his costume which the group thought made him look more like a member of the seven dwarfs rather than a citizen of India -- a running joke which lessened the tension of the performance

Meantime in Cebu, polishing of the musical's difficult production numbers are being done to prepare for the CCP version of the musical. Adjustments have to be made to adapt to the size of the theater and the modified set design.