Are you famous or are you great?
There is a big difference between being famous and being great. Just because one is famous may not mean that he or she is great and the same thing goes otherwise. Just because one is great may not mean he or she is famous.
Recently, the Discovery Channel aired a four-part special on the top 100 greatest Americans. Matt Lauer hosted the show each week for one month; half a million nominations were gathered online. At the end, the top twenty-five Americans were announced. The results were what most people would call a mixed bag: Among those on the list were Abraham Lincoln and Arnold Schwarzenegger Bill Clinton and Billy Graham Thomas Jefferson and Tom Cruise, Walt Disney and John F. Kennedy, Dr. Phil and Michael Moore. The mixture of historically great leaders and entertainers like Michael Jackson and real estate mogul Donald Trump begs the question: What do we think "greatness" is?
Fame is based on what we get in life, but true greatness is based on what we give in life. It is contribution through action.
This is why those who are not famous may not necessarily be great and those who are really great may not even be famous after all.
Next is a story of what fame and greatness is combined. Please read...
Years ago a young black child was growing up in Cleveland, in a home which he later described as "materially poor but spiritually rich."
One day a famous athlete, Charlie Paddock, came to his school to speak to the students. At the time Paddock was considered "the fastest human being alive." He told the children, "Listen! What do you want to be? You name it and then believe that God will help you be it." That little boy decided that he too wanted to be the fastest human being on earth.
The boy went to his track coach and told him of his new dream. His coach told him, "It's great to have a dream, but to attain your dream you must build a ladder to it. Here is the ladder to your dreams. The first rung is determination! And the second rung is dedication! The third rung is discipline! And the fourth rung is attitude!"
The result of all that motivation is that he went on to win four gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He won the 100 meter dash and broke the Olympic and world records for the 200 meter. His broad jump record lasted for twenty-four years. His name? Jesse Owens.
Both the teacher and the student are great and famous. Not because of what they got but because of what they gave.
Giving is what makes people great.
Let me ask you a question now.
Are you famous or are you great and better still, are you both great and famous?
Source
You Need Kash For Your Education
What education is all about? How can you get a good education and what constitute a man of education?
Some say quality education is what you need particularly now in the age of globalization, rapid change or even recession. In a book that I read which was published so many years or decades ago, from that book, this remarkable author had mentioned that "...education is derived from the Latin word educo, meaning to educe, to draw out, to develop from within. An educated man or woman is not necessarily the one who has an abundance of general or specialized knowledge. An educated man or woman is the one who has developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others." This author I am talking about is Napoleon Hill, the author of the popular book, "Think and Grow Rich". For me, good education is not just collecting certificates and diplomas (that may also collect dust, i guess). Real education is personal cultivation of the mind. It is not also doing without. It is doing within, when we are without.
By all odds, Napoleon Hill is correct. Thomas Edison also comes well within the meaning of this definition, Edison acquired only three months of formal education. But Edison became known as the great inventor in the history of United States. Same is true with Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, they never graduated from college either. I am not suggesting that going in college and upgrading your formal education is a bad thing, No, it's not. Parents, don't even tell your children to stop from pursuing in college. So what else formal education does? For me, there's no much thing as formal education. It only looks good in your resume or your curriculum vitae. Yes, it may! Education is very very important, it will give us more skills and knowledge. But from the things that i observed, experienced, heard and read, it will never give us bright future ALONE. That's correct! Your knowledge and skills alone will never brought you to your desired goal and success. Most common reason why people go to college and getting an MBA or even PhD is to have a good paying job, but most millionaires around the world do not have an MBA, or sort of college degree. Complicated isn't it?
What else is the value of your degree, your master's degree, or even your PhD? For me, it is that you're getting or may probably make yourself marketable in the eye of the corporation. For our personal fulfillment? Pwede! For the sake of what else? Cultural sense and social status? Job security? That's it. But job is a temporal thing. Our work today I believed is only a temporary assignment. What's why people call it job. Tell your children that a good education will not even stop from day of their graduation. According to Peter Drucker, the Father of Modern Day Management, he said that, “The 21st century illiterate is no longer the one who cannot read and write. The 21st century illiterate is the one who doesn’t have the capacity to learn, relearn and unlearn.” Meaning education is a cycle. We really need unlearn and relearn.
You might not even get some formal education if you don't have the cash isn't it? Unless you're a scholar ng bayan or still scholar ni nanay o ni tatay. We need kash to get the right education. Yes you read it right, no typographical error, it's KASH, not the real cash. We need to have an updated Knowledge, good Attitude, global Skills, and the right Habits. We need to be a knowledge and wisdom sponge, like what we are doing here. We are trying to emitate, duplicate and repeat the millionnaire's advice from Sir Trace Trajano. We also need to have if-it-doesn't-workout-next-time-i'll-get-it-right kind of attitude. Instead of why me, try me! We don't need to focus on the wrong skills, we must focus on the right self management skills. Yes! we cannot separate personal and professional skills in any business, we are in the same person, right? We need to creating a habit of good observation, emitation and repetition. I heard it from one of the my best motivational speaker, he once said that, "No organization can guarantee you employment, only employability skills, only personal and professional development. The cashflow of life is your global knowledge, cultural attitude, personal and professional skills, putting it all together into reflex habit."
By all odds, Napoleon Hill is correct. Thomas Edison also comes well within the meaning of this definition, Edison acquired only three months of formal education. But Edison became known as the great inventor in the history of United States. Same is true with Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, they never graduated from college either. I am not suggesting that going in college and upgrading your formal education is a bad thing, No, it's not. Parents, don't even tell your children to stop from pursuing in college. So what else formal education does? For me, there's no much thing as formal education. It only looks good in your resume or your curriculum vitae. Yes, it may! Education is very very important, it will give us more skills and knowledge. But from the things that i observed, experienced, heard and read, it will never give us bright future ALONE. That's correct! Your knowledge and skills alone will never brought you to your desired goal and success. Most common reason why people go to college and getting an MBA or even PhD is to have a good paying job, but most millionaires around the world do not have an MBA, or sort of college degree. Complicated isn't it?
What else is the value of your degree, your master's degree, or even your PhD? For me, it is that you're getting or may probably make yourself marketable in the eye of the corporation. For our personal fulfillment? Pwede! For the sake of what else? Cultural sense and social status? Job security? That's it. But job is a temporal thing. Our work today I believed is only a temporary assignment. What's why people call it job. Tell your children that a good education will not even stop from day of their graduation. According to Peter Drucker, the Father of Modern Day Management, he said that, “The 21st century illiterate is no longer the one who cannot read and write. The 21st century illiterate is the one who doesn’t have the capacity to learn, relearn and unlearn.” Meaning education is a cycle. We really need unlearn and relearn.
You might not even get some formal education if you don't have the cash isn't it? Unless you're a scholar ng bayan or still scholar ni nanay o ni tatay. We need kash to get the right education. Yes you read it right, no typographical error, it's KASH, not the real cash. We need to have an updated Knowledge, good Attitude, global Skills, and the right Habits. We need to be a knowledge and wisdom sponge, like what we are doing here. We are trying to emitate, duplicate and repeat the millionnaire's advice from Sir Trace Trajano. We also need to have if-it-doesn't-workout-next-time-i'll-get-it-right kind of attitude. Instead of why me, try me! We don't need to focus on the wrong skills, we must focus on the right self management skills. Yes! we cannot separate personal and professional skills in any business, we are in the same person, right? We need to creating a habit of good observation, emitation and repetition. I heard it from one of the my best motivational speaker, he once said that, "No organization can guarantee you employment, only employability skills, only personal and professional development. The cashflow of life is your global knowledge, cultural attitude, personal and professional skills, putting it all together into reflex habit."
Do you know your purpose?
"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Opportunities Behind The Crisis: Discovering Internet Marketing
Opportunities and Crisis
John Lennon says in his song Beautiful Boy, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." But for me life is not what happens, its how you take it. Life is full of opportunities even in time of difficulties and crisis. But where do we see opportunity in a crisis situation that is happening today?
I believe crisis is not really happening all over the world. So what is a crisis anyway? Let me share you what Francis Kong, one of my favorite Filipino motivational speaker says about crisis, “I define a crisis as something unexpected that comes in between me and my goals. That something was never there in our strategic planning equation. That something will force me to get out of my regular routine and do things differently. In other words, a crisis is a disruption and life disruptions happen all the time. Crisis therefore is a way of life. It’s an inevitable part of our daily agenda. And once we understand the word from this angle then we put ourselves in the right frame of mind in dealing with disruptions that come along the way.”
Many businesses today need to let people go like what happened in several manufacturing site here in the Philippines. This is a sad reality and a sad story but we can look at this as an opportunity too. We are not responsible for the job losses. There’s absolutely no one to blame for what is happening in economy today. The economic crisis is upon us, change is upon us. Things will be more difficult too if we have the habit of blaming yourself …or blaming the president (probably ignoring the good things she said on her SONA and focusing on the reverse...) or blaming the tax collectors, or blaming your legislators or your crappy neighborhood.
Internet Marketing
Recently I discovered this internet marketing; some call it earning money online. By the very definition, internet marketing also referred to as i-marketing, web marketing, online marketing, or eMarketing, or marketing of products or services over the Internet. I don't know if this is applicable to everyone. Can anyone who are able to setup a new email account can really do this making money online. Some using Google Adsense to earn, or placing or creating an ads on their blog account.
What is really the advantage of this internet marketing? According to wikipedia, internet marketing is relatively inexpensive when compared to the ratio of cost against the reach of the target audience. Companies can reach a wide audience for a small fraction of traditional advertising budgets. The nature of the medium allows consumers to research and purchase products and services at their own convenience. Therefore, businesses have the advantage of appealing to consumers in a medium that can bring results quickly. Internet marketers also have the advantage of measuring statistics easily and inexpensively. Nearly all aspects of an Internet marketing campaign can be traced, measured, and tested. The advertisers can use a variety of methods: pay per impression, pay per click, pay per play, or pay per action. Therefore, marketers can determine which messages or offerings are more appealing to the audience. The results of campaigns can be measured and tracked immediately because online marketing initiatives usually require users to click on an advertisement, visit a website, and perform a targeted action. Such measurement cannot be achieved through billboard advertising, where an individual will at best be interested, then decide to obtain more information at a later time.
But the case is, not everyone is really aware how this system works. Based from my own research there are many trainings and courses on this subject but the problem is majority of the trainer or gurus in this field are doing it online and only few are willing to share this topics by conducting it on an face-to-face workshop. There are several products or services about internet marketing but majority are in US currency which makes it more expensive and it’s really hesitant to purchase their services about this stuff. Probably we don't still realize the return of it. I think for me, this is really a great opportunity for us Filipinos who are fond of participating in network group or social medias and enjoying websurf or internet sharing. Allow me share with you this video captured from GMA Network TV talk show Mel and Joey...
I remember someone says this from TED that "Seemingly impossible is possible", well it's not really impossible to get whatever amount you desire.... if we do it with passion and perseverance.
John Lennon says in his song Beautiful Boy, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." But for me life is not what happens, its how you take it. Life is full of opportunities even in time of difficulties and crisis. But where do we see opportunity in a crisis situation that is happening today?
I believe crisis is not really happening all over the world. So what is a crisis anyway? Let me share you what Francis Kong, one of my favorite Filipino motivational speaker says about crisis, “I define a crisis as something unexpected that comes in between me and my goals. That something was never there in our strategic planning equation. That something will force me to get out of my regular routine and do things differently. In other words, a crisis is a disruption and life disruptions happen all the time. Crisis therefore is a way of life. It’s an inevitable part of our daily agenda. And once we understand the word from this angle then we put ourselves in the right frame of mind in dealing with disruptions that come along the way.”
Many businesses today need to let people go like what happened in several manufacturing site here in the Philippines. This is a sad reality and a sad story but we can look at this as an opportunity too. We are not responsible for the job losses. There’s absolutely no one to blame for what is happening in economy today. The economic crisis is upon us, change is upon us. Things will be more difficult too if we have the habit of blaming yourself …or blaming the president (probably ignoring the good things she said on her SONA and focusing on the reverse...) or blaming the tax collectors, or blaming your legislators or your crappy neighborhood.
Internet Marketing
Recently I discovered this internet marketing; some call it earning money online. By the very definition, internet marketing also referred to as i-marketing, web marketing, online marketing, or eMarketing, or marketing of products or services over the Internet. I don't know if this is applicable to everyone. Can anyone who are able to setup a new email account can really do this making money online. Some using Google Adsense to earn, or placing or creating an ads on their blog account.
What is really the advantage of this internet marketing? According to wikipedia, internet marketing is relatively inexpensive when compared to the ratio of cost against the reach of the target audience. Companies can reach a wide audience for a small fraction of traditional advertising budgets. The nature of the medium allows consumers to research and purchase products and services at their own convenience. Therefore, businesses have the advantage of appealing to consumers in a medium that can bring results quickly. Internet marketers also have the advantage of measuring statistics easily and inexpensively. Nearly all aspects of an Internet marketing campaign can be traced, measured, and tested. The advertisers can use a variety of methods: pay per impression, pay per click, pay per play, or pay per action. Therefore, marketers can determine which messages or offerings are more appealing to the audience. The results of campaigns can be measured and tracked immediately because online marketing initiatives usually require users to click on an advertisement, visit a website, and perform a targeted action. Such measurement cannot be achieved through billboard advertising, where an individual will at best be interested, then decide to obtain more information at a later time.
But the case is, not everyone is really aware how this system works. Based from my own research there are many trainings and courses on this subject but the problem is majority of the trainer or gurus in this field are doing it online and only few are willing to share this topics by conducting it on an face-to-face workshop. There are several products or services about internet marketing but majority are in US currency which makes it more expensive and it’s really hesitant to purchase their services about this stuff. Probably we don't still realize the return of it. I think for me, this is really a great opportunity for us Filipinos who are fond of participating in network group or social medias and enjoying websurf or internet sharing. Allow me share with you this video captured from GMA Network TV talk show Mel and Joey...
I remember someone says this from TED that "Seemingly impossible is possible", well it's not really impossible to get whatever amount you desire.... if we do it with passion and perseverance.
Look Inside
Just sharing you a poem from one of my passive mentor, his name is Denis Waitley, he is one of the most respected motivational speaker in the United States. I say passive mentor because for me there are two types of mentors. Passive and Active mentor.
When I say passive mentors, they are the one who motivate me, I knew them but certainly they don't know me or they really don't know anything about me. They mentored me by reading their books and by listening to their inspirational and motivational audiobooks. The second one is active mentors, unlike the passive mentor, they knew something or anything about. We talked to each other and they personally mentor me in some areas of my life.
Here's the poem. I hope you also learn something about this. The title of the poem is "Look Inside":
When I say passive mentors, they are the one who motivate me, I knew them but certainly they don't know me or they really don't know anything about me. They mentored me by reading their books and by listening to their inspirational and motivational audiobooks. The second one is active mentors, unlike the passive mentor, they knew something or anything about. We talked to each other and they personally mentor me in some areas of my life.
Here's the poem. I hope you also learn something about this. The title of the poem is "Look Inside":
LOOK INSIDE
by Denis Waitley
When the prize seems high above you
And your mirror doesn't love you
Look inside
When the road to gold gets steeper
And your diamond's buried deeper
Look inside
Light a candle in your mind
Untold riches you will find
When you look for treasures
Look inside
When you're running low on laughter
And can't reach the goals you're after
Look inside
When your body starts complaining
And the clouds of doubt keep raining
Look inside
Close your eyes and then believe it
Trust yourself and you'll achieve it
When you're seeking answers
Look inside
And your mirror doesn't love you
Look inside
When the road to gold gets steeper
And your diamond's buried deeper
Look inside
Light a candle in your mind
Untold riches you will find
When you look for treasures
Look inside
When you're running low on laughter
And can't reach the goals you're after
Look inside
When your body starts complaining
And the clouds of doubt keep raining
Look inside
Close your eyes and then believe it
Trust yourself and you'll achieve it
When you're seeking answers
Look inside
clarity imperative at work
in his book "only the paranoid survived", andrew groove says "when the company is meandering, its management staff is demoralized. when the management staff is demoralized, nothing works: every employee feels paralyzed." sound like domino effect, isn't it? but this shouldn't be the case, he also said "you've just got to focus on excellence and try not to be distracted by the news and the rumors and the absurdities of the stories that were coming out.... your first task is to form a mental image of what the company should look like when you get to the other side."
in today's economic adversities, we heard of many companies doing their strategies just to cope up or to stabilize the trend. some doing downsizing, others call it rightsizing, but whatever they may call it, its the majority of working class heroes that are suffering.
this afternoon our department head scheduled a dialogue, he discussed the current trend of our company, economic status, some future goals and made a room for an open forum about employees' issues and some concerns. it is really important and i appreciated the effort of having an open discussion with the top management. i also believed that clarity imperative is truly important wherein all the employees are seeing the transparency and they are aware of any strategy. "clarity of direction, which includes describing what we are going after as well as describing what we will not be going after, is exceedingly important at the late stage of the strategic trasformation". everyone should be aware of the companies direction so that during the execution we could early react if that strategy will make us or the worst is will break us.
"Being an early mover involves different risks. Yet the consequences of being early are less onerous than the consequences of being late. If you're wrong, you will die, But most companies don't die because they are wrong; most die because they don't commit themselves. The greatest danger is in standing still." - Andrew Groove (Intel CEO, circa '87)
We've Been TAGGED!
last june 12 is the Philippines independence day, the same day we held our DOST SEI scholars-alumni get together in Kamayan sa Palaisdaan hotel and resort in tayabas, quezon province. We selected that same day not because we have the true blood like of those brave bayanis like bonifacio, aguinaldo or mabini streaming on our veins, and celebrating the meaning of their success, but rather ...very simple, it just a holiday. that's it ..and we thought it's the best time to leave our work for the mean time and connect once again to our old friends, coordinators and new friends as well. our gathering is really remarkable. we did some games, we ate good foods, we had simple presentation, chats and mingled with my old friends and other co-scholars. the place is great too and we're very blessed because of the nice weather.
i saw some of my friends in college, even not majority from my batch attended, still it was fun and really inspiring. we knew that during our days on college we are not as blessed enough like other students with their silver or even gold spoon on their mouth or others enjoying the benefits of popular or known universities in the country, but we are very thankful that we really enjoyed the help of that scholarship program... (and thanks to your taxes too... at least it goes to the right people and not just on the pockets of those few oops... many? you know what i mean...) and i am proud to say that we don't even have to ask our parents for our tuition fees or even allowances. I also want to personally thanks our coordinators that time. to their willingness to share... of course their effort and perseverance just to help us continue and finish the program.
I learned something valuable that day, two things... one... "that there are things in these life that we considered big deal to other people but maybe simple things to others, sometimes there are things we even ignored, but great things to other". it is really depend on our own perspective in life... sometimes we just thank people for doing their best to do their job. but then at the end you'll realized it not really a job for them anymore but rather a mission... yes a mission. i felt so blessed that we become part of their mission. and i wish and hope that they will still able to help so many people through their good effort for the fullest fulfillment of that mission. two... "we will not always get what we want in life, unless we give what we have to others." hey! i am not a preacher... i don't know about you but it's the rule. i understand that its not always in a form on money. i am still thinking that one day you and i will become part of an honest-to-goodness mission and someday somehow we also become part of the fulfillment of other people dreams too. and hey.... try to create your own tag too.
I learned something valuable that day, two things... one... "that there are things in these life that we considered big deal to other people but maybe simple things to others, sometimes there are things we even ignored, but great things to other". it is really depend on our own perspective in life... sometimes we just thank people for doing their best to do their job. but then at the end you'll realized it not really a job for them anymore but rather a mission... yes a mission. i felt so blessed that we become part of their mission. and i wish and hope that they will still able to help so many people through their good effort for the fullest fulfillment of that mission. two... "we will not always get what we want in life, unless we give what we have to others." hey! i am not a preacher... i don't know about you but it's the rule. i understand that its not always in a form on money. i am still thinking that one day you and i will become part of an honest-to-goodness mission and someday somehow we also become part of the fulfillment of other people dreams too. and hey.... try to create your own tag too.
work life balance
in ecomony, there's a price equilibrium if the price at which supply equals demand. in life, there's a stress if the work and personal life doesn't have its balance. in one of the seminars i attended called myt (managing your time) conducted by no other than anthony pangilinan of businessworks. one lesson and the topic which got the notion of my interest was understanding of the word stress. ...that stress is equivalent portion you got from the great demand (pressure) over your positive abilities (performance). i get the picture below in this site showing normal human function curve.
stress can have serious effects on our health too like what happened to mine. i suffered from bell's palsy some years ago probably out of stress. from then i realized that i should not be decreasing the pressure of demand but rather increasing the positive level of my abilities so i can cope with all things that may come to me ...meaning...my positive abilities must be always higher than the pressure of demand in order to increase my level of performance (maintaining eustress level). it really depends on how you look at things. stress issues has a serious effect on our well being too and it needs to be addressed as soon as possible. this one below is from HRSDC.
stress... it's a common conversation. if we haven't noticed it, maybe its lack of awareness. it's time for us to trigger that kind of awareness. don't let any episodes of anxiety drown out our most agreeable perspective in life. so keep praying and growing that someday we'll be much better than the first time we came in. spend quality time with our loveones and a time for ourselves. learn to unwind and relax...and came back fresh.
preserving the past
past is no longer the place where we are longing for, it is simply the place where we had learned it from, but some also says "he who does not look back at his past plight will not reach his future." ...it's true, "ang taong hindî marunong lumingón sa pinanggalingan ay hindî makararatÃng sa paroroonan."
last saturday was really fun, great and memorable. me and some old friends, high school classmates and teachers met again. finally... after eleven long years. but unfortunately not all of my classmates were there. maybe because of undisrupted job commitments, others were abroard. kudos to the warm bodies who joined and of course those who participated even they're not physically present.
majority of us have our own family... have our own kids...and married... some are thin...some are physically challenge... some still the same... some changed. but it's still all good.. they were all good. i am so thankful to God after a decade of struggle and fulfillments, after all things that happened to me, i still loved what i did and continue giving thanks what i have right now. i came across with a speech written and delivered by none other than steve jobs, ceo of apple computer, allow me to share this with you:
"it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward... (in my case when i was in high school). but it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later. you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. you have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.
sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. but don't lose faith. i'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that i loved what i did. you've got to find what you love. and that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. don't settle.
as with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. and, like any great
relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. so keep looking until you find it. don't settle. your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. and most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. they somehow already know what you truly want to become. everything else is secondary.
great words isn't it? i agree...
If you haven't found it yet, Keep looking, Don't settle.
happiness in the workplace
"It's common sense. Happy people are more productive." says Larry Page, co-founder of Google.com
we are dust
today is ash wednesday. my wife and i woke up earlier to attend wednesday mass. we left our little princess still in bed. ah... i will missed her morning kiss today....after the mass, we took partways for the temporary assignment, our jobs.
this morning i read an article from fr. sandy enhaynes while browsing bo sanchez daily insights, and the homily is still fresh in my mind on the same topic, this is regarding the meaning of doing custom (ash wed). this article is entitled mamamatay ka din!
i was once challenged by a parishioner who approached me because she noticed the huge number of people following the catholic custom of imposition of ashes during ash wednesday. she said churches are filled to the rafters with people who receive ashes on their foreheads but offer not much meaning to it. she challenged me to do something about it, otherwise this sacred ash wednesday ritual will just be that, a ritual.
mamamatay ka rin! whether the priest says, “repent and believe in the gospel” or “remember, you are dust, and to dust you will return,” i believe the hidden pronouncement is this, that men have to shape up so as to be prepared for the shipping out which eventually will come.
mamamatay ka rin! the imposition of ashes is meant to make us be acquainted with our own mortality. life on earth is temporary and it has to be seen as a time of preparation— for the more permanent existence in the next life. there is a story about a man who lived all his life believing that god does not exist. he wrote in his will that he has to be in his most expensive suit when he leaves this world. the will was followed to the letter, hence, when he was brought out for viewing during his wake, everyone marveled at how marvelous he looked. the silence of the awestruck people who surrounded his coffin was broken when a man said, “all dressed up but nowhere to go.”
mamamatay ka rin! when it happens, where will you go? the challenge is for us to do something about our lives on earth. we are dust, and to dust we will return. before it happens, we need to really consider how we shall merit a place in the promised paradise of god. so as you receive ashes on your foreheads today, remember, mamamatay ka rin. tremble with that thought, then shape up.
quoted summary: "a man who won't die for something is not fit to live." - martin luther king, jr.
education station
This is obviously my first post for this year. let me start by sharing the blessings i got. mid of january... i finally received my degree in engineering. after three years of brain drained academic requirements. at last i can now update my curriculum vitae and could possibly put a ladder in my current position.
Education... education... education. this is they will always require particularly now in the age of globalization and rapid change. but what education is all about, what else is the mystery of an educated man? from the book that i read which was published some seven decades ago, from there was mentioned the definition of the word education, from the rootword educate:
"...that word is derived from the latin word educo, meaning to educe, to draw out, to develop from within. an educated man is not, necessarily, one who has an abundance of general or specialized knowledge. an educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others."
- napoleon hill
By all odds, napoleon hill got a point, thomas edison comes well within the meaning of that definition, edison acquired only three months of formal education. but edison became known as the wizard of menlo park. the great inventor in the history of united states, but he's a genius anyway, same is true with bill gates, he never graduated from college, he don't even have a degree. and i am not suggesting that going in a college and upgrading your education is a bad thing, it's not. so what else formal education does? it look good in your resume? yes! it may.
Education is very very important, it will give us more skills, but from the things that i observed and heard, it will never give us bright future alone. most common reason why people go to college and getting sort of mba, phd is to have a good paying job but most millionaires around the world do not have college education. complicated isn't it?
The value of education, master's degree, phd.. is that you're getting or may probably making yourself marketable in the eye of the corporation. for our personal fulfillment? for the sake of what? cultural sense and social status? i may also say we do it for the reason of job security. that's it. but job is a temporary thing. our work today i believed is only a temporary assignment.
"no organization can guarantee you employment, only employability skills, only personal and professional development. the cashflow of life is global knowledge, cultural attitude, personal and professional skills into reflex habit."
oh men... i want to learn more.
spielberg meets chinese
joke time muna: this is from a friend's email sent to me this morning. i had nothing to post so for the mean time, joke time muna. here it goes...
One Chinese guy walks into a bar in America late one night and he saw Steven Spielberg. As he was a great fan of his movies, he rushes over to him, and asks for his autograph.
Instead, Spielberg gives him a slap and says "You Chinese people bombed our Pearl Harbor, get out of here."The astonished Chinese man replied "It was not the Chinese who bombed your Pearl Harbor , it was the Japanese"."Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, you're all the same," replied Spielberg.
In return, the Chinese gives Spielberg a slap and says "You sank the Titanic; my forefathers were on that ship."Shocked, Spielberg replies "It was the iceberg that sank the ship, not me."The Chinese replies, "Iceberg, Spielberg, Carlsberg, you're all the same."
This particular joke won an award for the best joke in a competition in Britain.
serious time: meanwhile film-maker steven spielberg may quit as artistic director of the beijing olympics unless china takes a tougher stance against sudan, reports ABC news. this is related to the darfu conflict, a genocide (racial extermination) incident in Sudan. since china is a major investor in Sudan's oil industry, they are now criticised for not sending UN peacekeepers to the country's troubled Darfur region.
here's the film-maker statement on the conflict, he wrote (to the chinese president Hu Jintao in May): “I add my voice to those who ask that China change its policy toward Sudan and pressure the Sudanese government to accept the entrance of United Nations peacekeepers to protect the victims of genocide in Darfur.”
my sympathy to mr. spielberg if you really help dalfur instead of supporting china's olympic PR campaign. take an action now.
day five and six
i remember my post some two years ago, entitled still in uterus. this one is something related to that, but this is not a about theology anyway. this story was shared to me from the DZFE office which was also aired from the program of sir francis kong business matters:
God created the mule, and told him, "You are mule. You will work constantly from dusk to dawn, carrying heavy loads on your back. You will eat grass and lack intelligence. You will live for 50 years." The mule answered, "To live like this for 50 years is too much. Please, give me no more than 20."
And it was so.
Then God created the dog, and told him, "You are dog. You will hold vigilance over the dwellings of Man, to whom you will be his greatest companion. You will eat his table scraps and live for 25 years." The dog responded, "Lord, to live 25 years as a dog like that is too much. Please, no more than 10 years."
And it was so.
God then created the monkey, and told him, "You are monkey. You shall swing from tree to tree, acting like an idiot. You will be funny, and you shall live for 20 years." The monkey responded, "Lord, to live 20 years as the clown of the world is too much. Please, Lord, give me no than 10 years."
And it was so.
Finally, God created Man and told him, "You are Man, the only rational Being that walks the earth. You will use your intelligence to have mastery over the creatures of the world. You will dominate the earth and live for 20 years."
The man responded, "Lord, to be Man for only 20 years is too little.
Please, Lord; give me the 20 years the mule refused, the 15 years the dog refused, and the 10 years the monkey rejected."
And so God made Man to live 20 years as a man, then marry and live 20 years like a mule working and carrying heavy loads on his back. Then, he is to have children and live 15 years as a dog, guarding his house and eating the leftovers after they empty the pantry; then, in his old age, to live 10 years as a monkey, acting like an idiot to amuse his grandchildren.
And it is so...
how about you? what stage are you in? mule, dog or monkey?
double fantasy
Married life is not an easy step, some exhausting but fun. it is really a process of day-by-day discovering each other and accepting one another, gaining personal uplift by facing a numerous challenges.
i also can’t help laughing reading the following discussion entitled “before and after marriage”:
before marriage:
He: At last, Yes It was so hard to wait!
She: Do you want to leave me?
He: No, Don’t even think about it!
She: Do you love me?
He: Of course! Over and over!
She: Have you ever cheated on me?
He: No, why are you even asking?
She: Will you kiss me?
He: Every chance I get!
She: Will you hit me?
He: Are you crazy, I’m not that kind of person!
She: Can I trust you?
He: Yes!
She: Darling!
"Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without."
have fun together.
i also can’t help laughing reading the following discussion entitled “before and after marriage”:
before marriage:
He: At last, Yes It was so hard to wait!
She: Do you want to leave me?
He: No, Don’t even think about it!
She: Do you love me?
He: Of course! Over and over!
She: Have you ever cheated on me?
He: No, why are you even asking?
She: Will you kiss me?
He: Every chance I get!
She: Will you hit me?
He: Are you crazy, I’m not that kind of person!
She: Can I trust you?
He: Yes!
She: Darling!
"Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without."
have fun together.
Constant 86400
"if you're given P86,400 pesos everyday and were asked to return whatever you haven't spend in a day, how much will you spend and return?"
an opening remarks asked by the chief disturber himself mr. anthony pangilinan, who practically disturbed us last tuesday and wednesday. in fact i was one of the privileged to attend in his seminar entitled managing your time, sponsored by the company. he discussed some principles about life management... before the training i thought it was plainly time management, but then all topics he delivered was really life changing and all about life management seminar. i believe in seth godin's words when he says Ideas that spread, Win. true, isn't it? now, let me share it with you. here they are from the master disturber...
an opening remarks asked by the chief disturber himself mr. anthony pangilinan, who practically disturbed us last tuesday and wednesday. in fact i was one of the privileged to attend in his seminar entitled managing your time, sponsored by the company. he discussed some principles about life management... before the training i thought it was plainly time management, but then all topics he delivered was really life changing and all about life management seminar. i believe in seth godin's words when he says Ideas that spread, Win. true, isn't it? now, let me share it with you. here they are from the master disturber...
- know yourself. maximize, don't apologize. be true to your design.
- know what you want. the power of vision. if you don't know what you want, you will be used by others who know what they want.
- be aware of what is going around you. the more we complain the less we produce. wrong diagnosis leads to the wrong prescription, the wrong prescription leads to the wrong treatment, the wrong treatment leads to the early expiration of the patient.
- adopt a personal system of time and stress management. wrote things done. play a puzzle game. try reengineering.
- anticipate change in life. be a chaord. navigate, don't just "go with the flow"
- draw from within. be a person of enthusiasm (En Theos). it's not doing without, it's doing within when your without.
i thank analog for the generosity of allowing me to attend in this kind of seminar. i am not perfect, and i think nobody does. i have my own problems too, financial, relational, professional and personal. whatever it is, i know time will come to me and i will overcome all of those, with help from this kind of principles and ....prayers. i want to spend more quality with my family too. quality time is really essential. Isn't it? particularly when you spend it with your love ones, quality time for our family is giving our time for what they want to do. no agenda... plainly, just what they want to do.
"how about you, how much will you spend?"
Ten Eighty One
"a poignant wish for a tranquil life will find no sanctuary in today's world, we live in an era of swift, violent and often distructive change and rather than lament this vainly we must decide if we should be the master or victim of change".
i can't remember if it was the exact quote and i still can't find it even on the net (help po). what i just remember is that it is from him, the great president of the republic (for me). if my memory serves me well, i read it during my first year high, from a barrowed book of my dad i think. please correct me if i'm wrong. corrections is gladly welcome. there is also a classic words that says "the only thing that's permanent in this world is.... change". yes we knew that. but the thing that we do not understand is the impact of change that is affecting you and me TODAY.
i can't remember if it was the exact quote and i still can't find it even on the net (help po). what i just remember is that it is from him, the great president of the republic (for me). if my memory serves me well, i read it during my first year high, from a barrowed book of my dad i think. please correct me if i'm wrong. corrections is gladly welcome. there is also a classic words that says "the only thing that's permanent in this world is.... change". yes we knew that. but the thing that we do not understand is the impact of change that is affecting you and me TODAY.
mind your own
i also dream of managing my own business someday. business? usual definition - entity that produces a product or provides a service. but then what is the real essence of having a profitable business?
in a speech by mr. Goizueta some ten years ago. by the way this man is the former CEO of coca-cola company. he said, "Not long ago, we did some research and came up with an interesting set of facts. A billion hours ago, human life appeared on Earth. A billion minutes ago, Christianity emerged. A billion seconds ago, the Beatles performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. A billion Coca-Colas ago was yesterday morning. And the question we are asking ourselves now is: What must we do to make a billion Coca-Colas ago be this morning? By asking ourselves that question, we discipline ourselves to that long-term view." that is the power of having a positive perspective about life and business.
business controls our lives. it controls our elections through campaigne contributions. it controls our legislations through lobbying. it also controls our media through ownership. and it controls our everyday interactions as employees and costumers. and all of this is done in the narrow self interest of business. and that the big difference between what we have the situation today with business in control vs. when it used to be religion or goverment because ATLEAST religion and government had as their purpose to improve the quality of life in the community. not all business has never really had that as part of its reason for being. think why?
as a matter of fact, what they teach in business school today is that the only worthwhile purpose of business is to maximize profit, maximize profit and maximize profit. and that's the PROBLEM, that the most powerful force in our society is in many cases focus solely on maximazing profit. but Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream business is really different. they define business as a combination of organized human energy plus money which equal to power. ben and jerry is different because from the start they also learn that there is a spiritual aspect to business. as you give, you receive. as you help others, you help in return. and just because the idea that good thing you do will comes back to you is written in the bible and not on the business textbook doesn't make any less valid. all are interconnected and AS WE HELP OTHERS WE CANNOT HELP BUT TO HELP OURSELVES.
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