I started a new challenge, closer to what I want to do in the future.
Like all things new, you are mixed with butterflies and anvils inside your stomach. A very critical point where you have to decide whether or not you want to succeed there or not. You may over prepare, you may waste too much time waiting for needed input. You may think too little or too highly of yourself.
I am learning a lot of things from this experience, and I'm still a long way from where I want to be. It's really very different from viewing it from the side, or recieving it on the other end. Being here really puts things into perpective. And I can't help but be happy of how things are going now. So how will I be able to continue further with this endevour?
1. Continue on living the principles and values that I learned from my mentors, friends, and family
2. Never stop learning
3. Being humble is key :) never become what I hate
4. Do everything in my power to accomplish my commitments
5. Be more flexible
Maybe I will add other items to my list, for now this will be all :)
Wednesday 1 July 2009
Thursday 25 June 2009
Self Confidence
"The only way to have self-confidence is to persistently do an activity you fear until you have a number of successes to look back upon"
Very powerful quote. True. In every endevour, chalenge, activity, all you need is to put in dedication and commitment.
If you don't know how to swim, finish laps in a 25meter pool. Then you will be surprised with each stroke.
Very powerful quote. True. In every endevour, chalenge, activity, all you need is to put in dedication and commitment.
If you don't know how to swim, finish laps in a 25meter pool. Then you will be surprised with each stroke.
Thursday 4 June 2009
Humble and Arrogant people
I just did something inappropriate, out of anger and angst for someone.
How long has it been since I've lost my temper? Very long, maybe it was about 9/10 months or so. The last incident was with 5 uniformed policemen trying to abuse their authority. I gave them a mouthful, I was not afraid of them since I knew my rights. I'm usually a patient and forgiving person, I rarely go into an outburst. The usual things that I get pissed about are:
1. Arrogant people
2. ...
I can't think of something else. Other people say that when you meet a person like that, you say a prayer for them and just let them be. I do that, this big idiot just pushed a button.
Been reading a book related to this - "After you - Can humble people prevail" by Roger Fritz. Has a lot of thoughts on how disadvantaged Arrogant people are compared to humble people. Thoughts inside the book are:
Why Arrogance is Vulnerable: How to Test Your Selfishness Quotient (SQ)
Loyalty Works Both Ways: The Signals of Contempt
The Upside of Defeat: The Real Sources of Power
When Pride Goes Too Far: Who Follows “Me First” People?
How to Identify Pretenders: Must Winners Be Overbearing?
Quiet Dignity: How to Detect False Modesty
Random Acts of Kindness: Can You Get Ahead When You Step Aside?
Defining Moments: When Credit is Shared
No Need to Get Even: How Humble People Make a Difference
Loyalty Works Both Ways: The Signals of Contempt
The Upside of Defeat: The Real Sources of Power
When Pride Goes Too Far: Who Follows “Me First” People?
How to Identify Pretenders: Must Winners Be Overbearing?
Quiet Dignity: How to Detect False Modesty
Random Acts of Kindness: Can You Get Ahead When You Step Aside?
Defining Moments: When Credit is Shared
No Need to Get Even: How Humble People Make a Difference
Why Egotists are Lonely: How Vanity Thrives
An ineresting enough read for the concerned. A lot of people forget how important humility is. I guess it depends on the person if he can take the conversations behind his back, we all know how people talk about you behind your back.
What do you do with arrogant people? how do you deal with them?
Wednesday 20 May 2009
Identy theives taking advantage of our situation
From Anne Fisher, CNNMoney.com Fortune newsletter
Don't let ID thieves hijack your job hunt
Scammers increasingly are targeting job seekers; here are 6 ways to protect yourself.
By Anne Fisher, contributor
May 19, 2009
NEW YORK (Fortune) -- Let's say you've been job hunting for months now, and applied to so many employers you're starting to lose track of them all. One day you get a call from someone in HR at a well-known company. He found your resume on an online job board, thinks it's very impressive, and is looking forward to meeting you, he says. To set up the interview, he asks for your home address, date of birth and Social Security number.
Odds are, you give him the information, even if it seems a bit strange. After all, this person could end up offering you a job, and you don't want to seem difficult to work with. And odds are, you'll never hear from him again, or the company he claimed to represent -- but, within a day or two, he'll have opened half a dozen credit cards in your name, maxed them out, and created an enormous mess it could take you years to straighten out.
Identity-theft experts say this exact scenario is playing out more and more often these days. "Fraudsters getting more sophisticated, and they're taking advantage of a bad situation," observes Jeremy Miller, director of operations at New York City security firm Kroll Fraud Solutions. "They know many job seekers are desperate, and they prey on that."
Nice, huh? As if looking for work weren't tough enough in this economy, here's one more thing to keep in mind: Every three seconds, someone's identity is stolen. Nearly 10 million people in the U.S. had their identities ripped off in 2008, a 47% jump from 2007, making identity theft the fastest-growing crime in America.
"Victims spend an average of 200 hours recovering their identity," says Dianne Cutter, CEO of Asurency, an ID-theft prevention company. That's time taken away from your job hunt and your family, not to mention a huge extra source of stress and anxiety you really do not need right now (or ever).
The good news is, you can take steps to protect yourself from these miscreants. Here are six ways to keep your identity safe while you job hunt:
1. Don't put personal data on your resume. "Some information should never be disclosed on a resume, particularly if you intend to post it online," says Miller. Do not list your date of birth, Social Security number, or home address. Likewise, if any of these, or a driver's license number, is requested on a job application, says Miller: "You might consider writing 'prefer to provide this during the interview.' " Employers don't need to know this information until they're ready to hire you, he notes -- and in fact, asking your age is not legal anyway - and you should be suspicious of anyone who insists you disclose it before then.
2. Proceed cautiously with online job boards. "Not all job-posting sites are created equal," says Miller. "Make sure you review the privacy policy and user terms and agreements before you post your resume." When in doubt about a job site, Miller recommends checking it out with online resources such as the World Privacy Forum's Consumer's Guide to Online Job Sites.
Look for sites whose privacy policies, which are legally binding documents, state that the site won't give or sell your resume or other information about you to third parties. The WPF also recommends checking to see if the site will let you "opt out" of tracking cookies (sometimes called profiling cookies or persistent cookies), which are tiny files some job sites allow advertisers to put on your computer so they can follow you everywhere you go on the Internet. Over time, this allows them to accumulate lots of information about you that you may prefer they didn't have.
3. Know how to spot bogus job ads. "Despite the best screening efforts on the part of job sites, scammers always find a way in," says Miller. You are probably looking at a fake job ad if it offers considerable pay with few or no duties; promises payment of wages in cash; includes no physical address or contact person; and/or requires you to open a new bank account or accept company checks to "test" a wire transfer service.
4. Keep a detailed record of your job search activity. Maintaining good records will not only help you track the progress of your search, it will also provide a paper trail if someone steals your identity. "Record where and when you distribute your resume, maintain lists of contact information for businesses and recruiters or hiring managers you come in contact with, and keep a record of any additional information such as job applications that you've provided to employers," Miller says.
5. Limit the amount of information you post on social networking sites. A recent poll of Facebook users, by consumer research firm NextAdvisors.com, found that 27% listed their full name, date of birth, phone number, and e-mail address on their Facebook profile. An additional 8% revealed all that plus their physical address.
"This type of information is extremely dangerous as it can be used to perpetrate various forms of identity theft," notes the NextAdvisors report. A separate NextAdvisor survey showed that 49% of Facebook users accept some or all friend requests from people they don't know. "As a general rule, we suggest that Facebook users only accept friend requests from people they know or whose identity they can verify by some other means," advises NextAdvisors. Also, adjust your privacy settings so only your friends can see your profile.
LinkedIn, which many job seekers rely on for job leads and recommendations, has posted an official policy on the site that advises users to keep personal data to a minimum and accept invitations "only from people you know and trust well enough to recommend them to others." You can also go to Accounts & Settings on the LinkedIn home page and review your privacy settings. Rather than choosing that your profile be available for viewing by "everyone," Miller suggests allowing only your connections to see it. "Always think before you post," he says. "What many people do not realize is that the more information you reveal online, the greater your chances of having that information fall into the wrong hands." A good rule of thumb, he adds: "If you wouldn't hand it to a stranger on the street, don't post it online."
6. Be proactive. Let's return to the hypothetical phone call above. What should you do if someone contacts you claiming to represent an employer, and asks for detailed personal information? Instead of blurting out the data, politely ask for the person's phone number or e-mail address and say you'll get back to him or her shortly. Then call the company's HR department, ask whether the person works there, and inquire if they customarily request these vital stats when scheduling an interview. Most likely, the answers to both questions will be "no."
Don't let ID thieves hijack your job hunt
Scammers increasingly are targeting job seekers; here are 6 ways to protect yourself.
By Anne Fisher, contributor
May 19, 2009
NEW YORK (Fortune) -- Let's say you've been job hunting for months now, and applied to so many employers you're starting to lose track of them all. One day you get a call from someone in HR at a well-known company. He found your resume on an online job board, thinks it's very impressive, and is looking forward to meeting you, he says. To set up the interview, he asks for your home address, date of birth and Social Security number.
Odds are, you give him the information, even if it seems a bit strange. After all, this person could end up offering you a job, and you don't want to seem difficult to work with. And odds are, you'll never hear from him again, or the company he claimed to represent -- but, within a day or two, he'll have opened half a dozen credit cards in your name, maxed them out, and created an enormous mess it could take you years to straighten out.
Identity-theft experts say this exact scenario is playing out more and more often these days. "Fraudsters getting more sophisticated, and they're taking advantage of a bad situation," observes Jeremy Miller, director of operations at New York City security firm Kroll Fraud Solutions. "They know many job seekers are desperate, and they prey on that."
Nice, huh? As if looking for work weren't tough enough in this economy, here's one more thing to keep in mind: Every three seconds, someone's identity is stolen. Nearly 10 million people in the U.S. had their identities ripped off in 2008, a 47% jump from 2007, making identity theft the fastest-growing crime in America.
"Victims spend an average of 200 hours recovering their identity," says Dianne Cutter, CEO of Asurency, an ID-theft prevention company. That's time taken away from your job hunt and your family, not to mention a huge extra source of stress and anxiety you really do not need right now (or ever).
The good news is, you can take steps to protect yourself from these miscreants. Here are six ways to keep your identity safe while you job hunt:
1. Don't put personal data on your resume. "Some information should never be disclosed on a resume, particularly if you intend to post it online," says Miller. Do not list your date of birth, Social Security number, or home address. Likewise, if any of these, or a driver's license number, is requested on a job application, says Miller: "You might consider writing 'prefer to provide this during the interview.' " Employers don't need to know this information until they're ready to hire you, he notes -- and in fact, asking your age is not legal anyway - and you should be suspicious of anyone who insists you disclose it before then.
2. Proceed cautiously with online job boards. "Not all job-posting sites are created equal," says Miller. "Make sure you review the privacy policy and user terms and agreements before you post your resume." When in doubt about a job site, Miller recommends checking it out with online resources such as the World Privacy Forum's Consumer's Guide to Online Job Sites.
Look for sites whose privacy policies, which are legally binding documents, state that the site won't give or sell your resume or other information about you to third parties. The WPF also recommends checking to see if the site will let you "opt out" of tracking cookies (sometimes called profiling cookies or persistent cookies), which are tiny files some job sites allow advertisers to put on your computer so they can follow you everywhere you go on the Internet. Over time, this allows them to accumulate lots of information about you that you may prefer they didn't have.
3. Know how to spot bogus job ads. "Despite the best screening efforts on the part of job sites, scammers always find a way in," says Miller. You are probably looking at a fake job ad if it offers considerable pay with few or no duties; promises payment of wages in cash; includes no physical address or contact person; and/or requires you to open a new bank account or accept company checks to "test" a wire transfer service.
4. Keep a detailed record of your job search activity. Maintaining good records will not only help you track the progress of your search, it will also provide a paper trail if someone steals your identity. "Record where and when you distribute your resume, maintain lists of contact information for businesses and recruiters or hiring managers you come in contact with, and keep a record of any additional information such as job applications that you've provided to employers," Miller says.
5. Limit the amount of information you post on social networking sites. A recent poll of Facebook users, by consumer research firm NextAdvisors.com, found that 27% listed their full name, date of birth, phone number, and e-mail address on their Facebook profile. An additional 8% revealed all that plus their physical address.
"This type of information is extremely dangerous as it can be used to perpetrate various forms of identity theft," notes the NextAdvisors report. A separate NextAdvisor survey showed that 49% of Facebook users accept some or all friend requests from people they don't know. "As a general rule, we suggest that Facebook users only accept friend requests from people they know or whose identity they can verify by some other means," advises NextAdvisors. Also, adjust your privacy settings so only your friends can see your profile.
LinkedIn, which many job seekers rely on for job leads and recommendations, has posted an official policy on the site that advises users to keep personal data to a minimum and accept invitations "only from people you know and trust well enough to recommend them to others." You can also go to Accounts & Settings on the LinkedIn home page and review your privacy settings. Rather than choosing that your profile be available for viewing by "everyone," Miller suggests allowing only your connections to see it. "Always think before you post," he says. "What many people do not realize is that the more information you reveal online, the greater your chances of having that information fall into the wrong hands." A good rule of thumb, he adds: "If you wouldn't hand it to a stranger on the street, don't post it online."
6. Be proactive. Let's return to the hypothetical phone call above. What should you do if someone contacts you claiming to represent an employer, and asks for detailed personal information? Instead of blurting out the data, politely ask for the person's phone number or e-mail address and say you'll get back to him or her shortly. Then call the company's HR department, ask whether the person works there, and inquire if they customarily request these vital stats when scheduling an interview. Most likely, the answers to both questions will be "no."
Eight principles of FUN
I used to be the opposite of these principles, until later in my life I reallized that I didn't have enough time to start things and do things that I really wanted. Fished this off from a stumble upon :) Sharing this for others to start having fun :)
http://www.eightprinciples.com/
http://www.eightprinciples.com/
Wednesday 29 April 2009
Blunders of the world
"Seven Blunders of the World"
1. Wealth without work
2. Pleasure without conscience
3. Knowledge without character
4. Commerce without morality
5. Science without humanity
6. Worship without sacrifice
7. Politics without principle
—Mahatma Gandhi
I have a very fresh experience with the third blunder. A monumental idiot who announced during our conversation, out of the blue (i didn't need to know it), that his IQ is 150+. How fresh is that? We were talking about professional growth plans, what's that got to do with anything? Why would I need to know your IQ score?
Classic
1. Wealth without work
2. Pleasure without conscience
3. Knowledge without character
4. Commerce without morality
5. Science without humanity
6. Worship without sacrifice
7. Politics without principle
—Mahatma Gandhi
I have a very fresh experience with the third blunder. A monumental idiot who announced during our conversation, out of the blue (i didn't need to know it), that his IQ is 150+. How fresh is that? We were talking about professional growth plans, what's that got to do with anything? Why would I need to know your IQ score?
Classic
Monday 13 April 2009
Teaching for the right reasons
If you teach people just for the sake of making them feel that you know more than them, you'd be better off drugged in an alley full of idiots like yourself. You'll be more helpful there. Seriously, you'll do more damage to the person, when you just boast limited knowledge. Because a teacher is someone who is a guide or helper in the process of learning, a teacher is not someone who flaunts his so called knowledge to every unknowing individual.
You share your knowledge and experiences because you have to, cause you know better, cause information and morals need to be passed down to the generation next to you.
Also, I read an interesting line, "Know what you know, know what you don't know, do no confuse the two"
You share your knowledge and experiences because you have to, cause you know better, cause information and morals need to be passed down to the generation next to you.
Also, I read an interesting line, "Know what you know, know what you don't know, do no confuse the two"
People around you help define who you are
From the April 10, 2009. Postcards, from the pinnacles of power by Fortune editor at large Patricia Sellers, "What makes a leader? Empathy"
"Empathy. It’s a not a word that usually comes up first and foremost when people talk about leadership.
But it should.
I’ve been thinking a lot about empathy–the capacity to see things as others do. Consider Detroit’s myopic auto executives, Wall Street’s clueless CEOs and the many arrogant titans of industry who have stirred populist wrath. Many have fallen because they’ve failed to understand how their actions–their planes, their perks, their out-sized bonuses–play in the public sphere.
Empathy is critical lately, but lack of it has long been a CEO career killer and will be forever more. Through two decades of reporting, I’ve seen it dozens of times. One of the most memorable: Doug Ivester, the onetime accountant who headed Coca-Cola (KO) a decade ago and knew the numbers cold, never understood the power of perception. A tipping point before his forced exit was a 1999 crisis in Belgium, when parents claimed that Coke products had sickened their children. Ivester dismissed the hullabaloo, leaning on lab tests that indicated no health hazard at all. The data, you see, didn’t matter as much as consumer perception. Ivester lacked the ability to see the problem through Belgian eyes and paid for his errors with his career."
-----------------------------------
Relating to the people around him is one of the most important things that a man living in a world where interacting with other people makes or breaks him in all aspects. Ignoring this simple fact will give leave you in tears. Literally. You may get a few paces ahead of people, but the glory that you will get by treating people like trash or the same will be short. A taste in your lips.
"Empathy. It’s a not a word that usually comes up first and foremost when people talk about leadership.
But it should.
I’ve been thinking a lot about empathy–the capacity to see things as others do. Consider Detroit’s myopic auto executives, Wall Street’s clueless CEOs and the many arrogant titans of industry who have stirred populist wrath. Many have fallen because they’ve failed to understand how their actions–their planes, their perks, their out-sized bonuses–play in the public sphere.
Empathy is critical lately, but lack of it has long been a CEO career killer and will be forever more. Through two decades of reporting, I’ve seen it dozens of times. One of the most memorable: Doug Ivester, the onetime accountant who headed Coca-Cola (KO) a decade ago and knew the numbers cold, never understood the power of perception. A tipping point before his forced exit was a 1999 crisis in Belgium, when parents claimed that Coke products had sickened their children. Ivester dismissed the hullabaloo, leaning on lab tests that indicated no health hazard at all. The data, you see, didn’t matter as much as consumer perception. Ivester lacked the ability to see the problem through Belgian eyes and paid for his errors with his career."
-----------------------------------
Relating to the people around him is one of the most important things that a man living in a world where interacting with other people makes or breaks him in all aspects. Ignoring this simple fact will give leave you in tears. Literally. You may get a few paces ahead of people, but the glory that you will get by treating people like trash or the same will be short. A taste in your lips.
Saturday 4 April 2009
A bothersome event
Woke up at 4am from a loud noise. Ah, my alarm worked, good for me. Turned off the alarm, struggled to sit up. This is a god awful time to do anything, let alone go training, I thougt, but it was quickly replaced by my urge to get better in preparation for our upcoming race. Stood up, woke up my brother, then I picked up my bag. Hydrated with 2 glasses of water, went to the bathroom, then we left. Seemed like a normal day, as things were the same as always. We rode the first jeepney that we saw. I sat beside the drive, my brother sat behind him.
My mind was in all sorts of places between sleep and being awake, when suddenly I heard the woman beside my brother scream. Looked up the mirror, saw her terrified expression looking at another passenger. He was ugly, wasn't surprised why the woman was screaming, I thought she was under a attack by a disorder or the sort. Turned my head, everyone on the jeepney was scared of the same man. I looked at the man, shit, he was holding a gun on his right hand. It was a hold up.
Demanding everyone to cooperate and hand over their belongings. I wasn't really shaken, to my surprise I felt that I was only observing. I gave my cell phone over, so things won't get any worse. My brother hesitated to fork over his valuables, so the man demanded my brother to hand over his bag. Yes, his bag. Which contained his cell phone, wallet, PSP, a new pair of shoes, articles of clothing, credit cards, atm card, etc. Maybe that's why he was hesitating. Instead of the additional scare people get when their relatives are in danger, I was covered a rush of anger. This stupid little man was threatening my brother, I wanted to whack him with the paddle that I was carrying.
My mind was in all sorts of places between sleep and being awake, when suddenly I heard the woman beside my brother scream. Looked up the mirror, saw her terrified expression looking at another passenger. He was ugly, wasn't surprised why the woman was screaming, I thought she was under a attack by a disorder or the sort. Turned my head, everyone on the jeepney was scared of the same man. I looked at the man, shit, he was holding a gun on his right hand. It was a hold up.
Demanding everyone to cooperate and hand over their belongings. I wasn't really shaken, to my surprise I felt that I was only observing. I gave my cell phone over, so things won't get any worse. My brother hesitated to fork over his valuables, so the man demanded my brother to hand over his bag. Yes, his bag. Which contained his cell phone, wallet, PSP, a new pair of shoes, articles of clothing, credit cards, atm card, etc. Maybe that's why he was hesitating. Instead of the additional scare people get when their relatives are in danger, I was covered a rush of anger. This stupid little man was threatening my brother, I wanted to whack him with the paddle that I was carrying.
He demanded the driver to drop him off the side of the expressway near the pasay rotonda exit. But it was more like asking him politely, the way two men on the same job talk to eachother.
What a bothersome event.
Friday 27 March 2009
Online Vigilantes
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20090327-196493/Duty-Free-customer-not-off-the-hook
Duty Free customer not off the hook
MANILA, Philippines—The employees union of Duty Free Philippines (DFP) in Parañaque City Wednesday threw its support behind a cashier who was humiliated by a customer who berated him for asking for identification in a credit card transaction.
“Even if he were just a casual employee, we will support him all the way if he files a complaint,” DFP employees union president Dennis Mallari told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, referring to employee Marvin Fernandez.
On March 13, Fernandez and store manager Susan Gonzales were berated by Boyet Fajardo, a fashion designer, at DFP Fiesta Mall.
Footage from the DFP’s closed-circuit camera was aired on the video-hosting website YouTube, along with an online petition calling for a boycott of Fajardo’s clothing stores.
Fajardo has since apologized to Fernandez, but a DFP lawyer told a radio station Wednesday their legal division was investigating to see if Fajardo could be sued.
Mallari also filed a complaint in the Commission on Human Rights.
The link of the online petition: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/boycottboyetfajardo/signatures/pg/13/
A boycott will happen through the right process with or without this online petition. This is another classic case of people jumping into the bandwagon just so they can say something. This rant includes those of the online community who do not realize the sharpness of their rotten words.
Yes, he was wrong. Yes he deserves punishment. But it's not for you to decide whether action will be taken against him, and the specific action.
Yes, this is public sympathy. Yes, we are all concerned citizens. But this has spun way out of control, crossing the boundaries of sympathizing to just ignorant and unfavorable persecution.
Are we not subject to those kinds of moments? Do we not commit mistakes when boxed in? stressed out? Are we perfect creatures compared to him? Why are you so quick with stones, when you don't even know of your mistakes.
For all we know, your personal actions also merit the same treatment. It was just of pure luck that your actions weren't caught by the public eye.
Mga chismoso, nagmamagaling, nagmamalinis, akala mo naman perpekto. Masyado kayong maraming alam, pag manlalait kayo ng ibang tao.
Gossip monkey, know-it-all, you think your perfect. You know and say too many things when another person in at fault.
Now how does that feel? I hope I translated the message well.
Duty Free customer not off the hook
MANILA, Philippines—The employees union of Duty Free Philippines (DFP) in Parañaque City Wednesday threw its support behind a cashier who was humiliated by a customer who berated him for asking for identification in a credit card transaction.
“Even if he were just a casual employee, we will support him all the way if he files a complaint,” DFP employees union president Dennis Mallari told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, referring to employee Marvin Fernandez.
On March 13, Fernandez and store manager Susan Gonzales were berated by Boyet Fajardo, a fashion designer, at DFP Fiesta Mall.
Footage from the DFP’s closed-circuit camera was aired on the video-hosting website YouTube, along with an online petition calling for a boycott of Fajardo’s clothing stores.
Fajardo has since apologized to Fernandez, but a DFP lawyer told a radio station Wednesday their legal division was investigating to see if Fajardo could be sued.
Mallari also filed a complaint in the Commission on Human Rights.
The link of the online petition: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/boycottboyetfajardo/signatures/pg/13/
A boycott will happen through the right process with or without this online petition. This is another classic case of people jumping into the bandwagon just so they can say something. This rant includes those of the online community who do not realize the sharpness of their rotten words.
Yes, he was wrong. Yes he deserves punishment. But it's not for you to decide whether action will be taken against him, and the specific action.
Yes, this is public sympathy. Yes, we are all concerned citizens. But this has spun way out of control, crossing the boundaries of sympathizing to just ignorant and unfavorable persecution.
Are we not subject to those kinds of moments? Do we not commit mistakes when boxed in? stressed out? Are we perfect creatures compared to him? Why are you so quick with stones, when you don't even know of your mistakes.
For all we know, your personal actions also merit the same treatment. It was just of pure luck that your actions weren't caught by the public eye.
Mga chismoso, nagmamagaling, nagmamalinis, akala mo naman perpekto. Masyado kayong maraming alam, pag manlalait kayo ng ibang tao.
Gossip monkey, know-it-all, you think your perfect. You know and say too many things when another person in at fault.
Now how does that feel? I hope I translated the message well.
Wednesday 18 March 2009
Being a light for others
We are here for another reason, to shed light to other people who are in the dark.
When your mind is in chaos, you can't really fit everything together right? It's always helpfup to get an intelligent opinion from people around you. Like a chess player out of his wits, figuring our what his opponents next move will be, sometimes missing the larger scheme that onlookers don't miss.
You play two sides of the coin. You either give light, or recieve light :)
When your mind is in chaos, you can't really fit everything together right? It's always helpfup to get an intelligent opinion from people around you. Like a chess player out of his wits, figuring our what his opponents next move will be, sometimes missing the larger scheme that onlookers don't miss.
You play two sides of the coin. You either give light, or recieve light :)
Monday 9 March 2009
Be as considerate as possible
I have met a lot of persons who have made a profession from bringing other people down. Capitalizing on other peoples mistake to somewhat project a bigger image of being talented. Mouthing off at the even the slightest mishaps trying to box away the persons ego, limiting growth and improvement. Getting off at people with an un-reciprocated effort of proving their own intelligence by making other people look stupid. Mentioning a mile long list of associations, knowledge and seemingly novel prize winning action in conversations. And when driven into a corner by the very same person they tried to put down, use the "I'm better than you, so mind your own business " card in an effort to try to save the non-existing respect other people have for him/her. In your own little world, baby.
If you, by any chance, take this regression, you should ask yourself how far will this take you? A year or two? Eventually you'll be in a tragedy story, all of your past mistakes catching up on you. People you've hurt, opportunities you've thrown away, the big black hole of your ignorance sucking you right back in, and the whole lot of things you did. And surprisingly, it started with a flick of a switch from one of the persons that was a target of your attitude.
People do not succeed, or even survive at the least, when they put down other people. Taking a lesson from Robert Greene, one of the 48 laws of power, he wrote:
"Know Who You’re Dealing with – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person. There are many different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lambs’ clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person."
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One person who was close to me, did exactly what I described above. He was older than me, about three years or so. He was boastful in everything, he accomplished great feats on his own. Totally revamped the whole IT department of the company he was working for before, on his own. Was developing complex applications where teams of 3 would be required, on his own. He would mention about experiences that would awe people around him. Exactly the same as the above.
Things got fishy, cause I graduated from college, and was already engaged in the profession. My eyes opened, exposed to a lot of things, worked with a lot of great minded people. It was just a matter of time before I discovered inconsistencies in his stories. I developed angst towards him, he was getting on my nerves. But I didn't want to slam dunk facts on his face, of course not. After servings and servings of crap, eventually the line broke.
"I earn 3x that what you earn, exactly xx, what do you do? 3x more work than mine?" he told me. "What do you earn? Just xx? haha" He was pretty vocal with his salary, kind of strange as it was a golden rule where I was trained not to tell people about our salary. From that moment, I told another person who was sharing the same sentiments as mine, I will get this guy back. Seriously, he was pushing things too far, he was frolicking ignorantly on his own demise.
Being close to him, I still wanted to change him, I am not that cruel a guy.
I got an opportunity when he wanted our help for a project that he was given, freelance. This will be perfect, the truth will surface at last. So I said yes with the sole purpose of bringing him down. Every step he took, I questioned. We debated. We screamed at each other. We failed to deliver deadlines, about two month long extensions for work that can be done by one person in three days, since he was the main contributor (of course he was, he was better that us). I told him not to commit when he knew he won't be able to deliver, still he persisted. I knew he wasn't capable of completing the project. There were three of us involved in the project, to teach him a lesson, me and the other guy left him to finish things alone. So if he fails he will realize what I was telling him. What more painful lesson than a client stating disappointment at the lack of your professionalism and credibility.
Still he persisted. Excuses after excuses.
One day, we had one of our little drinking sessions. I was feeling confrontational with the help of alcohol, yeah! This is the perfect time to say everything in his face. So when everyone was sleeping, we were talking about his ego. I told him straight what I was feeling, what I thought of him. To my credit, I waited until we were all alone, and I was totally honest with him. That I was intending to bring him down when I joined him, destroy him. But in the end I just wanted him to realize the bloated size of his ego.
At the end, it cost us our closeness. We barely communicate with him. We used to hang out almost everyday. Now when we plan things, we don't invite him, simply because he isn't top of mind.
He lost true friends.
Just one of the things that can happen to people who practice putting down people.
*Now I have another person who exercises the same. I do hope I do something to make him realize things. But this will be difficult, as it is more complicated than my situation with my friend.
If you, by any chance, take this regression, you should ask yourself how far will this take you? A year or two? Eventually you'll be in a tragedy story, all of your past mistakes catching up on you. People you've hurt, opportunities you've thrown away, the big black hole of your ignorance sucking you right back in, and the whole lot of things you did. And surprisingly, it started with a flick of a switch from one of the persons that was a target of your attitude.
People do not succeed, or even survive at the least, when they put down other people. Taking a lesson from Robert Greene, one of the 48 laws of power, he wrote:
"Know Who You’re Dealing with – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person. There are many different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lambs’ clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person."
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One person who was close to me, did exactly what I described above. He was older than me, about three years or so. He was boastful in everything, he accomplished great feats on his own. Totally revamped the whole IT department of the company he was working for before, on his own. Was developing complex applications where teams of 3 would be required, on his own. He would mention about experiences that would awe people around him. Exactly the same as the above.
Things got fishy, cause I graduated from college, and was already engaged in the profession. My eyes opened, exposed to a lot of things, worked with a lot of great minded people. It was just a matter of time before I discovered inconsistencies in his stories. I developed angst towards him, he was getting on my nerves. But I didn't want to slam dunk facts on his face, of course not. After servings and servings of crap, eventually the line broke.
"I earn 3x that what you earn, exactly xx, what do you do? 3x more work than mine?" he told me. "What do you earn? Just xx? haha" He was pretty vocal with his salary, kind of strange as it was a golden rule where I was trained not to tell people about our salary. From that moment, I told another person who was sharing the same sentiments as mine, I will get this guy back. Seriously, he was pushing things too far, he was frolicking ignorantly on his own demise.
Being close to him, I still wanted to change him, I am not that cruel a guy.
I got an opportunity when he wanted our help for a project that he was given, freelance. This will be perfect, the truth will surface at last. So I said yes with the sole purpose of bringing him down. Every step he took, I questioned. We debated. We screamed at each other. We failed to deliver deadlines, about two month long extensions for work that can be done by one person in three days, since he was the main contributor (of course he was, he was better that us). I told him not to commit when he knew he won't be able to deliver, still he persisted. I knew he wasn't capable of completing the project. There were three of us involved in the project, to teach him a lesson, me and the other guy left him to finish things alone. So if he fails he will realize what I was telling him. What more painful lesson than a client stating disappointment at the lack of your professionalism and credibility.
Still he persisted. Excuses after excuses.
One day, we had one of our little drinking sessions. I was feeling confrontational with the help of alcohol, yeah! This is the perfect time to say everything in his face. So when everyone was sleeping, we were talking about his ego. I told him straight what I was feeling, what I thought of him. To my credit, I waited until we were all alone, and I was totally honest with him. That I was intending to bring him down when I joined him, destroy him. But in the end I just wanted him to realize the bloated size of his ego.
At the end, it cost us our closeness. We barely communicate with him. We used to hang out almost everyday. Now when we plan things, we don't invite him, simply because he isn't top of mind.
He lost true friends.
Just one of the things that can happen to people who practice putting down people.
*Now I have another person who exercises the same. I do hope I do something to make him realize things. But this will be difficult, as it is more complicated than my situation with my friend.
Sunday 8 March 2009
Covering your ass
If things don't move the way you want them to, you turn into a relentless machine pointing fingers at everyone and everything around you:
The client hasn't replied to my email yet, so I'm left hanging…
My superior didn't give me enough information for me to finish the report…
What he wants is impossible, so let him deal with it, I'll just do what I was told to do…
They still haven't called me up, I don't want to impose anything…
I'm not making the first move, he should be the one to do it. Isn't that the way things should be…
This and that… this and that… this and that… You see a pattern don't you?
Staying put is staying putNo matter how much you know about how unfair the world is, how much you despise the garbage that's thrown to you, or how worthwhile you are compared to the mindless and idiotic inhabitants of the space around you, it will always be the same everyday of your life if you don't do anything to change it.
Have you tried other means of communication?
He might just be waiting for you to come up with things on your own.
So why not thing of something that is possible?
Initiative is needed
If it needs to be done, you don't have to wait for someone else to take ownership
Just deliver the goods
It traces back to you, everything you don't do and do, it traces back to you. It's not "I've done everything I can" until you've exhausted all possibilities. Expecting different results from the same thing over and over again, without the mind and heart to even look beyond what presently hinders progress is just short of being insane. If your were tasked to do something, you wouldn't just do it, you would make sure that it will be done. What comes out your mouth if that something doesn't work out are excuses.
It would be much better if you did everything in your power to do something and fail. You'd cover your ass better from guilt better.
The client hasn't replied to my email yet, so I'm left hanging…
My superior didn't give me enough information for me to finish the report…
What he wants is impossible, so let him deal with it, I'll just do what I was told to do…
They still haven't called me up, I don't want to impose anything…
I'm not making the first move, he should be the one to do it. Isn't that the way things should be…
This and that… this and that… this and that… You see a pattern don't you?
Staying put is staying putNo matter how much you know about how unfair the world is, how much you despise the garbage that's thrown to you, or how worthwhile you are compared to the mindless and idiotic inhabitants of the space around you, it will always be the same everyday of your life if you don't do anything to change it.
Have you tried other means of communication?
He might just be waiting for you to come up with things on your own.
So why not thing of something that is possible?
Initiative is needed
If it needs to be done, you don't have to wait for someone else to take ownership
Just deliver the goods
It traces back to you, everything you don't do and do, it traces back to you. It's not "I've done everything I can" until you've exhausted all possibilities. Expecting different results from the same thing over and over again, without the mind and heart to even look beyond what presently hinders progress is just short of being insane. If your were tasked to do something, you wouldn't just do it, you would make sure that it will be done. What comes out your mouth if that something doesn't work out are excuses.
It would be much better if you did everything in your power to do something and fail. You'd cover your ass better from guilt better.
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Successful people don't have super powers
Successful people don't have super powers, yes, they are human like the rest of us.
Ever had a shadow of doubt come over you? During time of great trials? Grossly looking down on yourself and your abilities, you sit and wonder why you are having difficulty. You look to your left, you see the flock of people having the same difficulty, constantly reminding you of your situation. Like a hammer pounding on a nail; a nail that wasn't custom made to fit the hole where it's being forcefully pounded into. You take deep breaths, one… two… three… and try so hard to think of the book you once skimmed about seeing things positively. How hard could it be right?
You look to your right, and like another child boasting the start pin on his chest, with the word "Number 1" on its center, you see the only person in the entire room not having difficulty. Breezing through whatever the situation throws at him. What grace, you say to yourself. What power, what intellect, he must have woken up early when the creator was handing over the goods. Intimidation, in it's very dangerous dose.
I knew I should've studied more during my college days. You then cover yourself with a heavier blanket of doubt. "What is he taking? What differences do we have? I bet it's a multitude of things, bet you he even has super powers" you say to yourself in different tongues. You take out your pedestal, the one that you should've been using for yourself, put that person on top of it and addictively marvel at his not so human (or not so you) feats.
What does he have that you don't? Nothing. A shave here and there, you'd be almost exactly alike. He too is stubborn at times, he too has his own personal problems, he too also engages in small talk, and he too has other difficulties in life. Even in things where you see the opposite of difficulty. Just for one little thing, the most important thing, he/she is too damn stubborn to be put down.
They work hard, they take a step further, they make a sacrifice, and do everything you can do. So what is the super power there?
Note:
I experience this most of the time, getting intimidated with a lot of people. People who seemingly have a knack for getting a perfect game or people who command authority. But I'm improving, how about you?
Ever had a shadow of doubt come over you? During time of great trials? Grossly looking down on yourself and your abilities, you sit and wonder why you are having difficulty. You look to your left, you see the flock of people having the same difficulty, constantly reminding you of your situation. Like a hammer pounding on a nail; a nail that wasn't custom made to fit the hole where it's being forcefully pounded into. You take deep breaths, one… two… three… and try so hard to think of the book you once skimmed about seeing things positively. How hard could it be right?
You look to your right, and like another child boasting the start pin on his chest, with the word "Number 1" on its center, you see the only person in the entire room not having difficulty. Breezing through whatever the situation throws at him. What grace, you say to yourself. What power, what intellect, he must have woken up early when the creator was handing over the goods. Intimidation, in it's very dangerous dose.
I knew I should've studied more during my college days. You then cover yourself with a heavier blanket of doubt. "What is he taking? What differences do we have? I bet it's a multitude of things, bet you he even has super powers" you say to yourself in different tongues. You take out your pedestal, the one that you should've been using for yourself, put that person on top of it and addictively marvel at his not so human (or not so you) feats.
What does he have that you don't? Nothing. A shave here and there, you'd be almost exactly alike. He too is stubborn at times, he too has his own personal problems, he too also engages in small talk, and he too has other difficulties in life. Even in things where you see the opposite of difficulty. Just for one little thing, the most important thing, he/she is too damn stubborn to be put down.
They work hard, they take a step further, they make a sacrifice, and do everything you can do. So what is the super power there?
Note:
I experience this most of the time, getting intimidated with a lot of people. People who seemingly have a knack for getting a perfect game or people who command authority. But I'm improving, how about you?
Friday 20 February 2009
Who are you really helping?
Volunteerism - The willingness of people to work on behalf of others without being motivated by financial or material gain.
Selfless - Exhibiting or motivated by no concern for ones self.
A picture
A blind man in his 50's, father to a son almost rendered useless by his autism, husband to a nearly crippled woman, wakes up early everyday to think of things on how to bring food to their plates. Often times, he offers his services to his neighbors, carrying two big water containers in his aged-strained shoulders and hiking almost 2 kilometers to fetch water in the nearby river. Barefooted, he treks his way through grass, mud, sharp and slippery rocks and, on the better days, the heat of the sun burning through his week old clothes. Taking almost the whole day with the sun still up, gathers only an amount not even close to what we spend for a pack of cigarettes or a one way ride to work.
A little girl, closely watching the poor old man try to bring food to his family knock on their door. Wishing to herself, despite of their own situation, that she could give more than what she has on her left hand. Opening the door every single time, a gush of pure sympathy laminating itself to her core makes her teary eyed. The biggest question on her mind, how will I be able to help? Help more!
How else would she, in her position, HELP?
Given an opportunity, she calls up a television program geared to help people with the most touching stories. What does she do? She asks people from the program, without a doubt in heart, to help her neighbor. A wish that, by a stroke of luck, came true for her neighbor.
A thought
Why did she help? Why didn't she, given that opportunity, just ignore the existence of her neighbor and went ahead making up an even sadder story?
Are you really helping others selflessly? Do you do it for the sole purpose of just helping others? Just them, not you? Other people would say that kind of exhibition of generosity comes from selfless reasons.
"I help because I want to help…"
"I help because I'm happier when I see other people happy…"
"I help because I need to help…"
"I help because I had a calling…"
"I help because they need my help…"
"I help because It's for them, not for me…"
"I help because…"
Not putting phrases similar to "… cause I will benefit by…" in any part of the sentences.
I don't think so. Not the whole of it anyway.
A Reason
In mulling over doing or purchasing something, what will your thought process be?
You look carefully, see if it is worth it.
Will it benefit me?
Will it look good on me?
Will it complicate my life and cause problems in the future?
After versions and versions of related questions, what ultimate question needs answering… By my own understanding and standard, will I be happy?
You need to be at ease with helping people, before you go on and help people. And being at ease with helping people, means that you are happy with it, whole heartedly. Satisfying your need to be happy, is actually having the self in selfless without the less.
An action needs conviction woven tightly inside ones heart before it can be beautifully executed. What do I mean? You become selfish in the very first step of becoming selfless. You are actually helping yourself by helping others, you just don't realize it.
Reciprocating
On the picture, who will have the life long benefit from the experience? The little girl, in my opinion. Humility, compassion, generosity, selflessness, and many more, lessons in life taking almost a lifetime to learn. through one decision made, she has helped herself without even knowing it.
Again, you help yourself by helping others.
Selfless - Exhibiting or motivated by no concern for ones self.
A picture
A blind man in his 50's, father to a son almost rendered useless by his autism, husband to a nearly crippled woman, wakes up early everyday to think of things on how to bring food to their plates. Often times, he offers his services to his neighbors, carrying two big water containers in his aged-strained shoulders and hiking almost 2 kilometers to fetch water in the nearby river. Barefooted, he treks his way through grass, mud, sharp and slippery rocks and, on the better days, the heat of the sun burning through his week old clothes. Taking almost the whole day with the sun still up, gathers only an amount not even close to what we spend for a pack of cigarettes or a one way ride to work.
A little girl, closely watching the poor old man try to bring food to his family knock on their door. Wishing to herself, despite of their own situation, that she could give more than what she has on her left hand. Opening the door every single time, a gush of pure sympathy laminating itself to her core makes her teary eyed. The biggest question on her mind, how will I be able to help? Help more!
How else would she, in her position, HELP?
Given an opportunity, she calls up a television program geared to help people with the most touching stories. What does she do? She asks people from the program, without a doubt in heart, to help her neighbor. A wish that, by a stroke of luck, came true for her neighbor.
A thought
Why did she help? Why didn't she, given that opportunity, just ignore the existence of her neighbor and went ahead making up an even sadder story?
Are you really helping others selflessly? Do you do it for the sole purpose of just helping others? Just them, not you? Other people would say that kind of exhibition of generosity comes from selfless reasons.
"I help because I want to help…"
"I help because I'm happier when I see other people happy…"
"I help because I need to help…"
"I help because I had a calling…"
"I help because they need my help…"
"I help because It's for them, not for me…"
"I help because…"
Not putting phrases similar to "… cause I will benefit by…" in any part of the sentences.
I don't think so. Not the whole of it anyway.
A Reason
In mulling over doing or purchasing something, what will your thought process be?
You look carefully, see if it is worth it.
Will it benefit me?
Will it look good on me?
Will it complicate my life and cause problems in the future?
After versions and versions of related questions, what ultimate question needs answering… By my own understanding and standard, will I be happy?
You need to be at ease with helping people, before you go on and help people. And being at ease with helping people, means that you are happy with it, whole heartedly. Satisfying your need to be happy, is actually having the self in selfless without the less.
An action needs conviction woven tightly inside ones heart before it can be beautifully executed. What do I mean? You become selfish in the very first step of becoming selfless. You are actually helping yourself by helping others, you just don't realize it.
Reciprocating
On the picture, who will have the life long benefit from the experience? The little girl, in my opinion. Humility, compassion, generosity, selflessness, and many more, lessons in life taking almost a lifetime to learn. through one decision made, she has helped herself without even knowing it.
Again, you help yourself by helping others.
Friday 13 February 2009
Blue prints
I was talking to a friend about this just the other day, it was about another friend. Some deep thoughts on the topic.
My friend was broken hearted. Her boyfriend cheated on her. she's about 22 years of age.
Of course, when asked, I give advice with caution but straight to the point. Caution, I did not direct her to do anything that will require her to choose a side, make a decision, or go do something where she feels half assed. Straight to the point, I give her the facts, at her young age she doesn't need to be as devastated as she is now. She needs to get up and move on. She kept on saying the opposite of what I was saying. That how can she live life and move on if the one she loved betrayed her trust... children... pft. I told her that life will go on, he is just a dot, a passer by, someone who will teach her lessons in life, and all that. At some point of the conversation I told her she was a stereotype. She cried because of that. Dumbfounded as I am because of that, I asked her why. She said I was judging her too soon... children... pft.
One thing stuck to me, she said "Alam mo RD, you don't know me. Wala kang karapatan para sabihan ako ng mga kung ano ano. Hindi mo alam ang sitwasyon ko, ang mga nangyari sa buhay ko."
What will your reaction be when faced with this kind of person?
Who cries after being called a stereotype, is the first. Come on. It was a conversation. pft. Maybe that's why her boyfriend got tired of her and left her :D Sorry for being mean, but I drive a strong point. After much thought on the reply, as I didn't want to say anything that will make her cry again. I told her " I don't need to know anything about the specifics of your life, about what he told you, what emotion you are feeling right now. Beneath all the twists, there is a blue print of that situation. Someone from another point in time, felt that same emotion, went through the same situation and they got through it. "
True, stories though told differently, follow a blue print. A schematics that needs only a careful eye to see and a strong heart to follow. No matter how complicated a problem might seem, there is a systematic way to go through it and prevail over it.
What is thrown to you only obscures your vision. If you choose to embed those into your being, bath yourself with it, it's your choice. You need not feel special in a negative way, that everything in your life goes wrong, you are always on the bad side of the stick, always unlucky and always miserable.
Hard thing to do, but when done, can do wonders.
My friend was broken hearted. Her boyfriend cheated on her. she's about 22 years of age.
Of course, when asked, I give advice with caution but straight to the point. Caution, I did not direct her to do anything that will require her to choose a side, make a decision, or go do something where she feels half assed. Straight to the point, I give her the facts, at her young age she doesn't need to be as devastated as she is now. She needs to get up and move on. She kept on saying the opposite of what I was saying. That how can she live life and move on if the one she loved betrayed her trust... children... pft. I told her that life will go on, he is just a dot, a passer by, someone who will teach her lessons in life, and all that. At some point of the conversation I told her she was a stereotype. She cried because of that. Dumbfounded as I am because of that, I asked her why. She said I was judging her too soon... children... pft.
One thing stuck to me, she said "Alam mo RD, you don't know me. Wala kang karapatan para sabihan ako ng mga kung ano ano. Hindi mo alam ang sitwasyon ko, ang mga nangyari sa buhay ko."
What will your reaction be when faced with this kind of person?
Who cries after being called a stereotype, is the first. Come on. It was a conversation. pft. Maybe that's why her boyfriend got tired of her and left her :D Sorry for being mean, but I drive a strong point. After much thought on the reply, as I didn't want to say anything that will make her cry again. I told her " I don't need to know anything about the specifics of your life, about what he told you, what emotion you are feeling right now. Beneath all the twists, there is a blue print of that situation. Someone from another point in time, felt that same emotion, went through the same situation and they got through it. "
True, stories though told differently, follow a blue print. A schematics that needs only a careful eye to see and a strong heart to follow. No matter how complicated a problem might seem, there is a systematic way to go through it and prevail over it.
What is thrown to you only obscures your vision. If you choose to embed those into your being, bath yourself with it, it's your choice. You need not feel special in a negative way, that everything in your life goes wrong, you are always on the bad side of the stick, always unlucky and always miserable.
Hard thing to do, but when done, can do wonders.
Wednesday 4 February 2009
Core values beat bad circumstances any day
At the most dire of times, circumstances and events most people turn to superstition and religion. Believing that their tenacity and strong belief alone in the ancients and saints will be the key, the answer, the long awaited solution to the problem they are facing. It's not all bad to pray, go to mass, or even consult the mystics. After all, faith does wonders. A strong belief or faith gives an unexplainable fuel for an individual to go on and master the emotion and conquer anything in their way.
But what is really needed is going back to basics. From my experience, I too prayed more than the usual when in doubt or when facing a problem. The comfort that it brings me, is welcoming and warm. Though, again guilty of the placing trust where action is needed, not really serving it side by side with my core values.
From a tweet of @wilsonng
Crisis into an opportunity - Jim Collins
Taking the article to a more personal level, as it is indicated though it is a study made on why businesses succeed in tough times, I have realized that much of the values I hold and practice aren't located at my core being. I loose faith, belief, action when bombarded with emotional bombs. Not to be proud of the emotional weakness I have, but a fact that I must face. Reading the article above made me think twice of how I value my core values, of how strongly attached their roots are to me and of how time and circumstance proven are they to me. My verdict, guilty. I am one of the persons, most of the time, described above.
To give an example. Of the things that I always keep in mind, is the thought of proving people wrong when they say or even think negatively of me. I don't want to be put in a story and be written as the one who cannot recover, as the one who is lacking in good judgment, as the one who is always far behind. I despise it, who wouldn't, right? But it seemingly stops there, just the hatred. Which really makes a rotten apple out of a person, seriously. I do a rebound and recover, of course, but not as often as I would hope to. It was a weakness that I have, I told myself, at the same time contradicting myself saying that it wasn't put there to be accepted as it is, but rather as how you would understand it and how you will translate it.
Translating, adapting to maybe, perplexing problems with one of the most valuable tools, your values, will help you learn and recover. What am I talking about? Further using my example, now I'm feeling down because somebody, because of my mistake of course, wrote me down as someone who commits a mistake more often than the usual. The core value, I don't want to be branded with a negative title like that. What I should do, like to do at the darkest of problems, is to get out of the hole where the person wrote me into. I will do everything I can, a battle cry of resolve… I will not be put down. One way or the other I will prevail. I will erase it, even if written in permanent ink, and write myself a new version of my character. With that in mind, I will correct it with a plan, with a goal in mind, with my other values.
I won't focus on the difficult or troublesome situation dealt to me, I will focus on what I hold dear, on what defines me as a person, father, friend, husband and whatever role I will play in flesh or in spirit, I will focus on the positivity and value of my core being.
This year started rough, but hey, it won't be much of a life if it wasn't :)
And to think that I was lightly using the word value in one of my conversations with a friend of mine.
But what is really needed is going back to basics. From my experience, I too prayed more than the usual when in doubt or when facing a problem. The comfort that it brings me, is welcoming and warm. Though, again guilty of the placing trust where action is needed, not really serving it side by side with my core values.
From a tweet of @wilsonng
Crisis into an opportunity - Jim Collins
Taking the article to a more personal level, as it is indicated though it is a study made on why businesses succeed in tough times, I have realized that much of the values I hold and practice aren't located at my core being. I loose faith, belief, action when bombarded with emotional bombs. Not to be proud of the emotional weakness I have, but a fact that I must face. Reading the article above made me think twice of how I value my core values, of how strongly attached their roots are to me and of how time and circumstance proven are they to me. My verdict, guilty. I am one of the persons, most of the time, described above.
To give an example. Of the things that I always keep in mind, is the thought of proving people wrong when they say or even think negatively of me. I don't want to be put in a story and be written as the one who cannot recover, as the one who is lacking in good judgment, as the one who is always far behind. I despise it, who wouldn't, right? But it seemingly stops there, just the hatred. Which really makes a rotten apple out of a person, seriously. I do a rebound and recover, of course, but not as often as I would hope to. It was a weakness that I have, I told myself, at the same time contradicting myself saying that it wasn't put there to be accepted as it is, but rather as how you would understand it and how you will translate it.
Translating, adapting to maybe, perplexing problems with one of the most valuable tools, your values, will help you learn and recover. What am I talking about? Further using my example, now I'm feeling down because somebody, because of my mistake of course, wrote me down as someone who commits a mistake more often than the usual. The core value, I don't want to be branded with a negative title like that. What I should do, like to do at the darkest of problems, is to get out of the hole where the person wrote me into. I will do everything I can, a battle cry of resolve… I will not be put down. One way or the other I will prevail. I will erase it, even if written in permanent ink, and write myself a new version of my character. With that in mind, I will correct it with a plan, with a goal in mind, with my other values.
I won't focus on the difficult or troublesome situation dealt to me, I will focus on what I hold dear, on what defines me as a person, father, friend, husband and whatever role I will play in flesh or in spirit, I will focus on the positivity and value of my core being.
This year started rough, but hey, it won't be much of a life if it wasn't :)
And to think that I was lightly using the word value in one of my conversations with a friend of mine.
Monday 26 January 2009
Stimulating Entrepreneurship during the hard times, starting it at the least
I remember a joke between my cousins over beer, if one would be president, he would put to death anyone who wants to be given help by everyone except him/herself, which would probably be everyone above the age of 3. Not one of the best jokes I've heard, not even close to being funny, but it got me thinking that it is true how a lot of our brothers and sisters refuse to see tha fact that self-help, as I would lazily term it, would do them good. Waiting for rain, and if it doesn't rain, they would blame everything to that black cat eating a full bowl of cat food most enjoyably given to them by the one now pointing a finger at them for their misfortune... "You cat, you!!! if you weren't so cute and adorable, great with excuses and if you weren't so easy to get along with... I'd be rid of you once and for all", funny...
Now relating to unemployment and the reportedly 5,000 OFWs who came home from being laid-off by their employers, I just hope that this won't multiply the above mentioned point to an even more frightening scale. It's a good thing Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has launched a package of assistance. A tight program, offers them a Php50,000 non collateral loan. But what's most interesting about this is the pre-requisite of a business proposal and a free bussiness course.
Providing a good start for our brothers and sisters, but the question now is, how will our OFWs respond to this? Relating to an interesting blog post by Jon Limjap, the problem will be if they decide to start up a business, how will they make use of the funds and what kind of business or project would they venture in? Filipinos being one of the most entreprenurial in the world commit a common mistake when going into business, not planning with the end in mind. Sustainability and the potential of the business to be profitable is ofcourse top in mind, but the bigger part of it, is to know when to grow the business further and to know what needs to be accomplished.
An easy thing to say, of course for me who still insn't an entrepreneur. But an very challenging and motivating thing for me to consider on my plans.
Now relating to unemployment and the reportedly 5,000 OFWs who came home from being laid-off by their employers, I just hope that this won't multiply the above mentioned point to an even more frightening scale. It's a good thing Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has launched a package of assistance. A tight program, offers them a Php50,000 non collateral loan. But what's most interesting about this is the pre-requisite of a business proposal and a free bussiness course.
Providing a good start for our brothers and sisters, but the question now is, how will our OFWs respond to this? Relating to an interesting blog post by Jon Limjap, the problem will be if they decide to start up a business, how will they make use of the funds and what kind of business or project would they venture in? Filipinos being one of the most entreprenurial in the world commit a common mistake when going into business, not planning with the end in mind. Sustainability and the potential of the business to be profitable is ofcourse top in mind, but the bigger part of it, is to know when to grow the business further and to know what needs to be accomplished.
An easy thing to say, of course for me who still insn't an entrepreneur. But an very challenging and motivating thing for me to consider on my plans.
Sunday 25 January 2009
Who should you ask forgiveness from?
From @inquirerdotnet twitter post:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20090126-185577/Mexico-hit-man-dumped-300-bodies-in-acid
"TIJUANA -- A Mexican hit man who calls himself "The Soupmaker" has revealed how he dumped 300 bodies in vats of acid over the past decade to dispose of their remains for a drug trafficking cartel.
"They brought me the bodies, about 300 over the last nine to 10 years," Santiago Meza Lopez, 45, told reporters Friday a day after his capture by the army.
Meza Lopez said he had been paid some $600 a week for his work by drug boss, Eduardo Garcia Simental. He was arrested Thursday in Tijuana on the border with California, and is among the FBI's most wanted men.
"I ask for forgiveness from the families of the victims," Meza Lopez added.
In 2008, more than 5,300 people died violent deaths connected to cartel activities, with Mexican authorities having deployed some 36,000 police and troops to fight the drug traffickers."
At the most, the line in bold letters made me think, partly made a chuckle, who should he ask forgiveness from? Definitely not from the families of the victims alone. The sincerity of his statement is very much questionable.
Why do we have human burial? One word, respect. Of the whole lot of practices and methods of burial across cultures and distances, the dead need closure. Whether it be for the afterlife or simply avoiding a corpse from emmiting unpleasant odors. A list I got from our friendly dictionary:
1. Respect for the physical remains is considered necessary. If left lying on top of the ground, scavengers may eat the corpse, which is considered highly disrespectful to the deceased in many (but not all) cultures. See Sky burial
2. Burial can be seen as an attempt to bring closure to the deceased's family and friends. By interring a body away from plain view, the pain of losing a loved one can be lessened.
3. Many cultures believe in an afterlife. Burial is often believed to be a necessary step for an individual to reach the afterlife.
4. Many religions prescribe a particular way to live, which includes customs relating to disposal of the dead.
At the end of the day, one would also want respect and closure when he/she leaves the physical world, I wonder if it would bother him if his body was the one to be thrown in acid.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20090126-185577/Mexico-hit-man-dumped-300-bodies-in-acid
"TIJUANA -- A Mexican hit man who calls himself "The Soupmaker" has revealed how he dumped 300 bodies in vats of acid over the past decade to dispose of their remains for a drug trafficking cartel.
"They brought me the bodies, about 300 over the last nine to 10 years," Santiago Meza Lopez, 45, told reporters Friday a day after his capture by the army.
Meza Lopez said he had been paid some $600 a week for his work by drug boss, Eduardo Garcia Simental. He was arrested Thursday in Tijuana on the border with California, and is among the FBI's most wanted men.
"I ask for forgiveness from the families of the victims," Meza Lopez added.
In 2008, more than 5,300 people died violent deaths connected to cartel activities, with Mexican authorities having deployed some 36,000 police and troops to fight the drug traffickers."
At the most, the line in bold letters made me think, partly made a chuckle, who should he ask forgiveness from? Definitely not from the families of the victims alone. The sincerity of his statement is very much questionable.
Why do we have human burial? One word, respect. Of the whole lot of practices and methods of burial across cultures and distances, the dead need closure. Whether it be for the afterlife or simply avoiding a corpse from emmiting unpleasant odors. A list I got from our friendly dictionary:
1. Respect for the physical remains is considered necessary. If left lying on top of the ground, scavengers may eat the corpse, which is considered highly disrespectful to the deceased in many (but not all) cultures. See Sky burial
2. Burial can be seen as an attempt to bring closure to the deceased's family and friends. By interring a body away from plain view, the pain of losing a loved one can be lessened.
3. Many cultures believe in an afterlife. Burial is often believed to be a necessary step for an individual to reach the afterlife.
4. Many religions prescribe a particular way to live, which includes customs relating to disposal of the dead.
At the end of the day, one would also want respect and closure when he/she leaves the physical world, I wonder if it would bother him if his body was the one to be thrown in acid.
Tuesday 13 January 2009
Downright practical use of online Social Networks
I got this from @wilsonng, twitter. Very practical use of Online Social Networks:
http://scobleizer.com/2009/01/12/if-you-are-laid-off-heres-how-to-socially-network/
I started using social networking sites/networks when I was in college just for the sole reason of being into it. The girls. The network of friends that will come with it. So everything there was, from my point of view today, useless. If I remember right, on my Friendster account, my description of myself before was just "an average guy". Nothing intellectual about it, nothing really interesting about it. Who would be interested with someone who is average.
Having the opportunity of being with great and inspiring people on my first job, current one, I saw the difference of treatment with the online community. I wasn't very much active online, as I was offline, before. They had a wealth of friends, opportunities, learning and other open doors or windows from their networks. Blogs, online forums of every interesting kind, mailing lists, formal articles, events, professional networks, resources and knowledge that were there and that were taken advantage of. I guess it really helped build the attitude. Helping build the very powerful notion of "self-help", that the Internet exists not only for porn, multi -media downloads, game FAQs, walkthroughs, women, men, pirated and cracked software or tools. It's one, a pool of great wisdom and knowledge. Two, a very helpful friend if you need complete, mundane, and even fake answers. Three, a venue for great ways to meet interesting and intellectual people that can help you form your art/interest, or help improve it. Four, as said in the link above, a way to help you find a job.
Taking advantage of the opportunities, I have already changed my view on the internet. I now have sense on my sites. And coming off from my point of view of it before, I am now constantly reaching other audiences, not only those already in the community, but also those who still are clueless of how powerful "knowledge that is freely and easily available" is, like the internet. I had an experience of teaching people how to use the internet, explaining to them how powerful it is. A child answering me, "can I play games on it?", me saying in reply, "oh sure, you can do everything on the internet, after a game, you can look for answers to your homework or project". Me telling a guy about my age, "Chong di lang pang porno ang internet, interesado ka sa webdev diba? Try the MSDN Rampup site, or the Microsoft Learning website, those sites will give you tons of learning opportunities and all".
You hit two birds with one stone, you teach them "self-help", and you open them up to the opportunities found online.
To list a few of my networking sites :D
Twitter: http://twitter.com/nolem_blckhrt
Plurk: http://www.plurk.com/rdcimafranca
blogger: http://rdcimafranca.blogspot.com/
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/4/908/b5
Still not a networking animal. In time I will be :D
A definition of Social Networking Service, from our friend, the free encyclopedia
http://scobleizer.com/2009/01/12/if-you-are-laid-off-heres-how-to-socially-network/
I started using social networking sites/networks when I was in college just for the sole reason of being into it. The girls. The network of friends that will come with it. So everything there was, from my point of view today, useless. If I remember right, on my Friendster account, my description of myself before was just "an average guy". Nothing intellectual about it, nothing really interesting about it. Who would be interested with someone who is average.
Having the opportunity of being with great and inspiring people on my first job, current one, I saw the difference of treatment with the online community. I wasn't very much active online, as I was offline, before. They had a wealth of friends, opportunities, learning and other open doors or windows from their networks. Blogs, online forums of every interesting kind, mailing lists, formal articles, events, professional networks, resources and knowledge that were there and that were taken advantage of. I guess it really helped build the attitude. Helping build the very powerful notion of "self-help", that the Internet exists not only for porn, multi -media downloads, game FAQs, walkthroughs, women, men, pirated and cracked software or tools. It's one, a pool of great wisdom and knowledge. Two, a very helpful friend if you need complete, mundane, and even fake answers. Three, a venue for great ways to meet interesting and intellectual people that can help you form your art/interest, or help improve it. Four, as said in the link above, a way to help you find a job.
Taking advantage of the opportunities, I have already changed my view on the internet. I now have sense on my sites. And coming off from my point of view of it before, I am now constantly reaching other audiences, not only those already in the community, but also those who still are clueless of how powerful "knowledge that is freely and easily available" is, like the internet. I had an experience of teaching people how to use the internet, explaining to them how powerful it is. A child answering me, "can I play games on it?", me saying in reply, "oh sure, you can do everything on the internet, after a game, you can look for answers to your homework or project". Me telling a guy about my age, "Chong di lang pang porno ang internet, interesado ka sa webdev diba? Try the MSDN Rampup site, or the Microsoft Learning website, those sites will give you tons of learning opportunities and all".
You hit two birds with one stone, you teach them "self-help", and you open them up to the opportunities found online.
To list a few of my networking sites :D
Twitter: http://twitter.com/nolem_blckhrt
Plurk: http://www.plurk.com/rdcimafranca
blogger: http://rdcimafranca.blogspot.com/
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/4/908/b5
Still not a networking animal. In time I will be :D
A definition of Social Networking Service, from our friend, the free encyclopedia
Tuesday 6 January 2009
Being much more careful of online Scams
The best time to scam people
Moving with the times and world wide economic crisis, companies around the world laying off the deemed unnecessary employees left and right, employment getting more and more elusive for most of our Filipino brothers and sisters, spell difficult times for most of us. Economists saying that there will be 11M Filipinos who will be unemployed or underemployed this year (although disputed by Labor Secretary Marianito Roque here, still doesn't erase the fact of the crisis). More and more people will just be falling in line to get a taste of the comfort chair, dressed with 3 square meals a day, adequately paying bills and the much needed housing and educational loans, and a middling quality of living, instead of actually sitting on it. The need to better the situation is the top priority most people have, at all costs for the not so ethical group of people.
Far from helping the situation
A lot of people have ways and means to help better their condition, although some at the expense of others. Preying on those who are uninformed, online scams of job offers, easy return of investment, and winning big in unheard and unofficial lottery games is not a surprise to most of the conversant individuals.
Warnings and reminders, like this one, have already been in place for the already victims and budding victims. This will be supplement to all the other reports and warnings available, put in my own way.
No excess trust to be given away here, sir
A lot of people fall prey to these scams, all because they are too trusting to the idea of "free" or "discounted" lunch. How does one better the enticing urge of trusting a possibility?
My main advice, If it involves you handing over money, If it is free at first glance, or largely discounted without verifiable proof and verifiable return till end, say no. You'll be in a lot worse situation if you are too trusting. Some of these things magically appear, so if you did not do anything, initiate contact, or deserve it in general, it must be fake. Or for the fickle minded, it is fake and is not worth pouring anything to it.
Relating to this one, one of the 48 Laws of power, rule #40: Despise free lunch, tells us:
"What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit…" - Robert Green
Investing hard earned money, time and emotion should be done with the outmost precaution at times like these. You wouldn't want to have to tell your wife, husband or kids that you lost your "nest egg" and see the fear and disappointment in their eyes, would you? Having had experienced first hand how it feels to be on the edge of being comfortable would tell me, I wouldn't want that too :D
Moving with the times and world wide economic crisis, companies around the world laying off the deemed unnecessary employees left and right, employment getting more and more elusive for most of our Filipino brothers and sisters, spell difficult times for most of us. Economists saying that there will be 11M Filipinos who will be unemployed or underemployed this year (although disputed by Labor Secretary Marianito Roque here, still doesn't erase the fact of the crisis). More and more people will just be falling in line to get a taste of the comfort chair, dressed with 3 square meals a day, adequately paying bills and the much needed housing and educational loans, and a middling quality of living, instead of actually sitting on it. The need to better the situation is the top priority most people have, at all costs for the not so ethical group of people.
Far from helping the situation
A lot of people have ways and means to help better their condition, although some at the expense of others. Preying on those who are uninformed, online scams of job offers, easy return of investment, and winning big in unheard and unofficial lottery games is not a surprise to most of the conversant individuals.
Warnings and reminders, like this one, have already been in place for the already victims and budding victims. This will be supplement to all the other reports and warnings available, put in my own way.
No excess trust to be given away here, sir
A lot of people fall prey to these scams, all because they are too trusting to the idea of "free" or "discounted" lunch. How does one better the enticing urge of trusting a possibility?
My main advice, If it involves you handing over money, If it is free at first glance, or largely discounted without verifiable proof and verifiable return till end, say no. You'll be in a lot worse situation if you are too trusting. Some of these things magically appear, so if you did not do anything, initiate contact, or deserve it in general, it must be fake. Or for the fickle minded, it is fake and is not worth pouring anything to it.
Relating to this one, one of the 48 Laws of power, rule #40: Despise free lunch, tells us:
"What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit…" - Robert Green
Investing hard earned money, time and emotion should be done with the outmost precaution at times like these. You wouldn't want to have to tell your wife, husband or kids that you lost your "nest egg" and see the fear and disappointment in their eyes, would you? Having had experienced first hand how it feels to be on the edge of being comfortable would tell me, I wouldn't want that too :D
Sunday 4 January 2009
Strange way to start this blog
Aha! After contemplating on whether to start myself a new blog, for the more serious and quality type posts, I tried signing up here at blogspot. To my suprpise I already created an account here, August 28, 2007, almost two years ago. I have forgotten why I created this in the first place, I doubt if it has anything to do with the reason I have right now.
There was a test post, and two comments. I guess I was testing the comment function.
For the more serious matters, concerns, and me wanting to be, at the least, a decent writer, I will be updating this blog. I will try to overcome the thought of comparing the quality of my work, if there is indeed quality, to the other experienced bloggers and writers in the community. Thinking of how bad my posts will look like compared to the other blogs that I read has hindered me from writing anything, so how can I grow without even starting crossed my mind. I will be as bold and as confident from now on, since at the end of the day, I will be improving with every topic I write about.
This may even be a great way to start my new year, one of the ways.
There was a test post, and two comments. I guess I was testing the comment function.
For the more serious matters, concerns, and me wanting to be, at the least, a decent writer, I will be updating this blog. I will try to overcome the thought of comparing the quality of my work, if there is indeed quality, to the other experienced bloggers and writers in the community. Thinking of how bad my posts will look like compared to the other blogs that I read has hindered me from writing anything, so how can I grow without even starting crossed my mind. I will be as bold and as confident from now on, since at the end of the day, I will be improving with every topic I write about.
This may even be a great way to start my new year, one of the ways.
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