"Mang Pedro's Boracay Experience"

This picture won third place in the UP Aggregates' Photofest held last June 2007. :)

I took this picture at the Boracay Shangri-la construction site last May 2007. Boracay is one of the most popular vacation spots in the country because of its beautiful beaches. Even the construction site I visited was breath taking. My vacation there brought me memories to last a lifetime.

But what about construction workers like Pedro? What about his Boracay experience? Im sure it's different from mine.

My friend recently shared this list to me. Sometimes, when we feel out-of-focus and we need to get back on track, it would be nice to remember the items posted here. :)

10 Principles of Discipline

10.. Discipline is the art of balance, consistency and perseverance.

9. Discipline acquires good habits, while it abandons bad habits.

8. Discipline makes no excuses.

7. Motivation fades, discipline prevails.

6. If you want to achieve excellence, begin with discipline.

5. Discipline involves using your time productively.

4. The first step to discipline is making up your mind.

3. Discipline is the secret behind most successes.

2. Discipline begins with small things done daily.

1. To learn you must love discipline.

Today, while I was riding on a jeepney on my way to school, a couple of youngsters went on board.

One was a teenage boy, maybe 14 years old, and he was with a younger girl who was probably 10 years old. From the way he held the young girl's arm, I could tell that he was her big brother.

The people inside the jeepney looked at the little girl, as I did. She was, well, a little different. I'm not sure if the term I'm using is correct, but she's what most people call a "mongoloid".

As she slowly sat down, her eyes caught mine. I nodded a little. Suddenly, she gave this huge smile and waved at me! It's weird but my heart just felt light. I gave her my biggest smile and I waved back.

I cannot explain why but right at that very moment, I wanted to cry. I was both happy and sad. I was happy because she reminded me of how lucky I am to be who I am. Her smile also reminded me that no matter how heavy one's problems may be, we can always choose to be happy. At the same time, I felt sad that such a lovely girl like her had to suffer like that.

A year ago, I attended the "Camp Pag-ibig" (Camp of love) which was a day full of games and fun activities for "special" children. Whenever they would do something, may it be singing or dancing, they always did it with their whole hearts.

It's a shame that some people regard retardation as a shameful thing. To be honest, I think we should all be inspired by them. In this world which gives much importance on one's looks and things rather than one's heart, sincerity has become a thing of the past.

If you're reading this (of course you are!), do me a favor. Could you please smile? A bigger one, please. That's it. Then close your eyes and think of the many things that you should be thankful for.

Life is too short for you to be complaining, right?

Earlier today, a friend told me something about a guy who wanted to get to know her better. The guy apparently introduced himself by giving her a friend request on Friendster and when she asked him who he was, he said that they were in the same section at the review center. My friend, the type who wants to keep things formal, encouraged him to try to talk to her in person so they could have a decent conversation and the guy dismissed her suggestion by saying that he’s usually shy in person. He decided to give her his mobile number instead.

When I heard this, I was a bit enraged. Why do most guys think that they can avoid dealing with “first-meeting awkward situations” by sending virtual messages? I don’t know about most girls, but I think the mere fact that a guy has mustered enough courage to gather his balls and approach a girl, no matter how shy he is, shows a lot about his sincerity in meeting her. Why should you feel shy if you have nothing but the purest or the most platonic of intentions?

Yesterday, I just read an article about how the internet is transforming the youth into a “dumb generation”. According to the author, more young people lack social skills, and the internet has managed to turn them into a bunch of narcissists. I do disagree with that man’s findings but to some extent, I think he made a point. The onset of text messaging and social networking sites like Friendster and MySpace, while giving people a venue for free expression or a platform to the world, obviously has varied effects. And some of them aren't so good.

I was carrying these thoughts in my head on my way home. Suddenly, my friend texted me that maybe we were just overanalyzing things. I figured that it would indeed be pointless to think about something that was so unimportant. So there, case closed. “Okay, maybe he's really shy.” Whatever.

A few minutes later, I boarded a jeepney. It was already close to being full so I had no choice but to sit beside the driver and his companion. Everything was going fine but suddenly, halfway along the trip, the driver’s companion started making small talk.

“Ay, akala ko bababa ka na.” (I thought you were about to get off.)

“Te, inaantok ka yata. Bakit naman?” (You seem sleepy. Why?)

“Te, ‘san ka ba nag-aaral?” (Where are you studying?)

“San ka ba bababa?” (Where are you gonna get off?)

I really wanted to be nice but the smirk on his face told me that if I tried answering his questions, or if I came up with a bunch of sarcastic comebacks, it would have done nothing but please him. He kept on smiling and glancing at the driver and then back at me. Clearly, this guy wanted to irritate me.

I managed to get off the jeepney unscathed, but not without the memory of that horrid guy saying “goodbye” to me in the lousiest of tones. I took a deep breath, and just strangled him in my thoughts.

I then recalled the lack of confidence of the guy who wanted to meet my friend. It’s a little ironic. Earlier, I just wished men were more confident, and after that jeepney ride, I kind of wished they weren’t.

It would of course be pointless to compare the two. One was educated, a college graduate to be exact, and the other was probably wasn't. But hey, confidence and sincerity aren’t taught in school.

I wonder who could be better off?

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.

Here are some facts about the 1500s:

These are interesting. ..

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence , the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The m an of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water..

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying . It's raining cats and dogs.

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, Dirt poor.

The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh
until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a thresh hold.

(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and
then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, Peas porridge hot, peas porridg cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old..

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, bring home the bacon. They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the
fat..

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would
gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.
Hence the custom of holding a wake.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the
wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a .dead ringer..

And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !

Educate someone. Share these facts with a friend (I just did! --sandy)

Just this morning, I received a text message. A friend of mine just died.

He was just in his mid-20's.

He apparently had an attack due to hypertension.

His name is Rodriner. I met him during a Civil Engineering Student's Conference a couple of years ago. His classmates were placed in the same hotel room I was in and so, we got to share a few stories together. He was an over-all friendly guy, and I saw the way he took care of his female classmates. He was like the dad of the group.

Anyway, we met again on the conferences that followed and of course, we treated each other as if we were old friends. During one of the conferences, I brought a cd which contained my favorite disco songs just in case the music wouldn't be dance-worthy during the fellowship night. He thought it was hilarious and even expressed his sympathy for me (in a joking manner) when the fellowship night turned out be a major bore with only dinner and a raffle draw. Our groups ended up satisfying our cravings for dance at a nearby disco and amidst the dance steps and the sweat, we all had a good time.

I didnt know it at first, but he was the president of his student chapter. He was also a nominee to the Most Outstanding Civil Engineering Student award and judging from his personality, I knew he had the makings of a good leader.

We weren't really close but the sadness I feel for his loss is unimaginable. I feel sad for the things that he has yet to do, for his family that never got to see him during his defining moments, and for his friends, classmates, and teachers who have shared small but memorable moments with him. It is hard to lose someone instantly and pain from that loss is more difficult to bear, if not impossible to ease.

This brings me to reflecting on my own life, to the opportunities that I let pass me by, to the words I leave unsaid, to the gestures I fail to acknowledge. Again, as much as a surprise Rodz death was to all of us, we cannot deny that the possibility of our own deaths cannot be predicted.

As Randy Pausch said, "We cannot choose the cards we are dealt, we can only choose how to play them." So I hope we all play our cards well. I pray for Rodz and I hope that his memory lives on in the hearts of the people he touched.

I have realized many things this week.

Yes, just this week. And i believe I have matured a lot because of it.

Allow me to share:

First, I realized that I am very talented. All this time, I guess I have been comparing myself with other people and somehow, I became depressed at the thought that I do not possess certain skills, or am not better at some things.

For a while, I forgot that we were all created differently, and that we have our own strengths. So it wasnt until I really embraced this fact that I was able to decide what is best for me, and that I should live by my own standards.

Second, you should never put off work, no matter how small it is. One of my struggles as a student was laziness. Oftentimes, I wanted to postpone the small things that I had to o. Because they werent important anyway. I realize now that even if things are becoming easier for me, I am not teaching myself to become a disciplined person.

Third, be patient with other people. I realize now that we live in this world also for others. So we should try to help each other as much as we can. Humility is very important. "It is not thing less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less."

Fourth, really have faith in God. I am a Catholic and I know all about faith and God's overwhelming power. But why do I succumb myself to worrying? Has he ever let me down before?

Fifth, whatever you are, be a good one. Abraham Lincoln said that. Sometimes, we may have given our best and yet we still fail. Nevertheless, if we try to think of our mistakes and failures as valuable lessons, then we will become better people. I realize now that excellence should reflect in all aspects of ourselves. Whether we are just doing the laundry or even washing dishes.

I just graduated and now, Im a bit anxious about the future that lies ahead of me. But I know that this is a journey to self-discovery which I should take and with proper guidance and lots of prayers, God will lead me to the path which is right for me.

By the way,if you have read my previous blog entries, I am a bit closer to achieving my lifelong passion to teach. For now, I am teaching Japanese to speak English. Not bad, eh? =)

LHASA TIBET Sabtiye Tenberken, 33 is an extraordinary woman with a big dream. She runs a school for blind children in Tibet and plans to open many more around the world. Sabriye is blind herself. Born in Germany, she lost her sight at age 13. But she made a decision to live life fully. As a teenager, she learned to ride horses, ski and go white-water rafting. Nothing stopped her. Nothing frightened her.

In college, Sabriye studied the history of Tibet. Afterwards, she packed her suitcase, took her white cane, and flew off to Tibet. There she bought a horse. With guide, she rode along mountain cliffs to distant villages, looking for blind children for her school. She found many who were desperate to study. She teaches her students so that they can do anything. They recently went white-water rafting and will soon attempt to climb one of Tibet’s high mountains. Sabriye believes everyone has special gifts. Blind children, she says, will never be able to drive. “But they can read and write in the dark, and who can do that?”

(I think this is a wonderful story. Got it from my sister's files.)

I didn't realize that there are a lot of money-making opportunities in the internet. I always thought that everything on the net was a scam of some sort but hey, a few researches here and there and I finally have enough reason to believe that there is an honest way to make money on the internet!

But of course these aren't the "get rich quick" types. I use the internet almost everyday and what's a few minutes to click some ads if it'll make you earn money? =) Anyway, one of my long term goals is to earn enough money for my youth foundation. If I keep this up for the next few weeks, months, or even years, who knows? I may surprise myself.

Anyway, if you're bored and you wish to try to earn money on the internet, try these sites:

http://bux.to/?r=sand3e
This site lets you earn .10cents if you click 10 advertisements for 30 seconds each. So you'll be spending a total of 3 minutes every day. The trick here is to try to get as many referrals as you can so your earnings will grow faster. Im sure there are many people out there who are also interested.You can even tell your friends about it and you can share the earnings. =)

http://mylot.com/sandygaspay
This site pays you just to be active. There are lots of discussions which you can participate in and although you earn at quite a slow rate, it's better than nothing. =)

5 Steps On How To Expand Your Territories
Here’s The Truth: You’re Only Limited By Your Love & Imagination!

By Bo Sanchez

Many people ask me how I’m able to do all that I do.

Let me give you an idea of my responsibilities… (Warning: Some people actually feel tired just reading this list, so take a deep breath…)

I lead 4 ministry organizations. I speak in a daily Radio show, a weekly TV program, and a daily video show at www.preacherinbluejeans.com Each year, I churn out 3 books, produce 4 audio/video teaching series, and write more than 200+ articles. I publish 7 magazines, maintain 4 websites, send out my online newsletter and write my blog at this website. I lead a “virtual” community called the Kerygma Family and oversee an incredible “sales force” called the Kerygma Ambassadors. I also travel extensively, preaching 300+ times a year all over the Philippines and around the world—leading retreats, seminars, and prayer rallies. I also am proud to say that I read all my email and respond to most of them.

As if these aren’t enough, there are a “few” personal things that I do…

I run a homeschool center to help parents learn how to homeschool their kids (If you’re interested, log onto www.catholicfilipinoacademy.com) I lead a financial consultancy organization to teach Filipinos how to save for their future. I operate a tiny organic farm, a real estate business, and manage a few more small businesses. (Plus, my 7-year old boy still has his Bangus business, and he’s hired me to be his marketing consultant.)

Of course, I’m fanatical about spending time with my family. I play with my sons everyday and still bring my beautiful wife once a week in a romantic date. We also have 4 family vacations every year, and 2 of those vacations are long 2-week trips!

And each year, I read 3 books a week, listen to the same number of audio books, and each year read thousands of magazine and internet articles.

Oh, before I forget, let me mention that I hop on a stationary bike one hour a day.

How do I do all these things?

Let me share with you five principles…

Key #1:
Believe You’re Bigger

It’s common fact that we only use 10% of our brain’s capacity.

Can you believe that? We’re wasting 90% of what God has given to us!

I believe God has given us more capacities than we think we have.

The ultimate crime is that we belittle ourselves.

We think we’re insects, so we live an insect life, but actually—we’re giants!

Because of this, I believe you can earn a ten times more than whatever you’re earning right now. You can help ten times the number of people you’re helping now. You can serve ten times more than whatever service you’re doing now.

Don’t limit yourself.

You’re bigger than you think you are.

Key #2:
Be Consistent With The Fundamentals

Every morning, I enjoy time with God.

Every morning, I chew on His Word—the Bible.

Every morning, I pray, “Lord, let me love every person I meet today.”

Every morning, I read my life mission, my list of dreams, and my annual goals.

And throughout the day, instead of exposing myself to bad news, I digest good news available around me: I voraciously read inspiring books and listen to inspiring audio talks.

Every night, like a little boy, I kneel beside my bed and thank God for His blessings of that day.

In other words, the reason why I live such an exciting life is because I’m boring.

I’m monotonous.

I’m repetitive.

I do the same basic things again and again and again and again…

I now realize that the reason I can do all those thrilling, exciting, exhilarating stuff is because I do the boring basics every single day of my life. Everyday, I’m grateful. Everyday, I think positive. Everyday, I love. Everyday, I select what I watch, what I read, what I listen to—and stick to what can make me grow. Every single day.

The more I live on planet earth, the more I agree with Jim Rohn when he said that “There’s really nothing mysterious or magical about success. Success is simply the consistent application of fundamentals.”

Be boringly consistent when it comes to the basics.

And in time, you’ll find exciting success knocking at your door.

Key #3:
Focus On Your Core Gift

I have very few talents. Honest!

I don’t know how to cook, how to dance, how to write a computer program, and how to solve the Rubix cube. I don’t know how to do geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. I’m totally lost in chemistry, physics, and biology. I also can’t fix a leaking faucet or do carpentry or repair my car.

But this is what I can do very well: Communicate.

So I focus my entire life on that one thing.

I write well and I speak well. Period.

And I delegate everything to people who are better than I am.

Ask yourself now: What is my core gift?

I have a general rule I follow in my life: I don’t like complicating things just to impress you. So instead of giving you 329 psychological questions filled with scientific babble to discover your core gift (so I could impress you on how intelligent I am), let me just boil it down to 2 very simple questions. Stop reading this book until you answered both of these questions.

· What do you enjoy doing?

· What are you good at

For some of you, it’s technology.

For some of you, it’s teaching.

For some of you, it’s selling stuff.

For some of you, it’s cooking.

For some of you, it’s music.

For some of you, it’s advanced trigonometry. (Yes, I’ve heard there are such strange creatures walking on the face of the earth.)

Key #4:
Build Your Network

My wealth isn’t my money.

My real wealth is my network of friends.

Personally, I don’t think anything great is accomplished without a team.

Even Jesus had a team around him.

A few months ago, I was reading about the interesting world of horse-pulling competitions.

That’s where huge horses the size of elephants pull massive concrete blocks behind them.

Did you know that the grand champion horse could pull the incredible weight of 4,500 pounds? If the average weight of a Filipino is 140 pounds (which happens to be my weight before I eat my breakfast), that means this super horse could carry 32 Filipinos—without wheels! That monster could pull me, my wife, my kids, my parents, my siblings, their spouses, their kids, and all my in-laws combined.

And the second placer horse can pull only slightly lower than the first placer: 4,400 pounds.

That was when the organizers got curious. If these two horses pulled together, how many pounds could they carry? Could they pull 8,900 pounds?

They harnessed both horses and were shocked with the results.

Both horses, when pulling together, carried the mind-blowing weight of 12,000 pounds. That’s 85 Filipinos.

My message? Teams are powerful.

Alone, I can do a lot of things. But with my team, I don’t add but multiply what I can do.

I keep networking. I circulate. I meet people. I build bridges.

So I surround myself with a bunch of people who have impeccable character and fantastic skills. I network with Mentors, Preachers, Administrators, Accountants, Programmers, Lawyers, Financial Wizards, Multi-millionaires, Media Experts, Businessmen, Architects, Engineers, etc…

And everyday, I constantly expand my team.

Key #5:
Create An Autopilot System

Every time I enter into a project, I always do it with a team around me. Never alone. And I choose my team well.

I have a very simple criteria: I choose men and women who are humble (teamplayers) and who are experts in their field. In other words, I search for impeccable character and fantastic skills.

And together, we create a system for the project that’s replicable and duplicable.

In other words, it’s got to run on autopilot without my direct supervision.

Here’s my ideal leader: If I appoint someone to be project head (or organization director or business manager), and after six months, I don’t want him to bother me anymore except for major directional issues. If he still bothers me for tiny matters, I’ve chosen the wrong leader—or I trained him wrongly.

If You Love, The Universe Opens Up To You

Here’s what I’ve learned: Love is limitless! It has no boundaries.

I do what I do because I want to love people.

Each morning, I wake up and ask myself, “How can I bless people today?”

And so I stretch. I go just a teensy bit beyond what I think is my limit—and my capacities expand—because I want to bless the world.

“What is your greatest contribution to the university?”

My friend asked me this once and I was stumped. I will be graduating soon and when you feel like you’re running out of time, you suddenly discover the many things that you should be thankful for. As a young student, I complained more about everything rather than appreciate and look for the positive things in them. Our school didn’t have enough facilities, our professors expected too much from us, blah blah blah. It wasn’t until the end of the semester when I finally appreciated all the hardships that the university has put me through.

I have become tougher, stronger, a fighter. I have become a better leader and a better person. I will be entering the “real” world in a few months and I have realized that my school has properly equipped me with the values and morals that I need in order to survive, and ultimately succeed.

I have indeed become a better person. But what about the university? What will I leave behind? As a student leader, what legacy will I leave?
These questions got me thinking. There are a lot of things that I wish I had learned at an earlier age and as a start, I began sharing these with the young people in my organization. They received my “words of wisdom” with open arms. They thanked me for my advice on handling student life.

“Always do your best.”
“Don’t be a mediocre student.”
“Never doubt your capacity to accomplish difficult tasks.”

I figured that they were very useful but I felt like I should do more. Suddenly, an opportunity presented itself. Another colleague offered to facilitate a fund raising seminar for the young members of our organization and asked if I wanted to join her. I was once head of the finance committee and after my successful term, I realized that I haven’t really tried to pass on the things I have learned to the younger members. This was the opportune time to do something about it.

Only a small fraction of the organization attended. We discussed several marketing strategies and fund raising tips which were easy to remember. We also shared our previous experiences and problems that we encountered in handling events. The young people were very interested. I realized that in our organization, we don’t talk much about the problems of our events and how to improve them. We most of the time delve on how successful it was, how glorious our organization will yet be again. So what we shared that day opened their eyes and hopefully, since they will be the future leaders of the organization, they will start a new culture that will work towards the improvement of the organization. More importantly, mistakes from the past will also be avoided.

I really didn’t prepare much for this event. I just spent a few hours organizing my thoughts. Most of what I shared in the seminar came from my memory and my heart. I guess this is a testament to how small things for you may become big things for others.

Someone once said that knowledge is the only thing you can share whose value does not diminish. I encourage everyone to be true to their commitment to sharing their knowledge with others. You may not know it yet, but that simple act may have been the start of something incredible.

"Bias for Action". I have encountered this word many times before but I couldn't seem to process it's meaning. I guess it's because the word "bias" has a negative connotation to me (examples: the media is biased, the government is biased) that I just couldn't connect it to "Action".

One day, a chapter in the book I was reading gave me a 360 turn on my understanding of the phrase. The author said that most of us have the tendency to plan, and plan, and plan... and do absolutely nothing else. Most of us use this formula: "Ready, Aim, Fire" but in reality, all we do is "Ready, Aim, Aim, Aim, Aim...". Up until everything just dies down.

This really struck me. I have been committing to doing many things in the past but over-planning always got the better of me. I would always stop to think of the advantages and disadvantages until I end up creating a list of disadvantages long enough that thinking about them just wears me out.

Colin Powell advised that if you're sure that what you're about to do has a 40-60% chance of succeeding, DO IT!

That's how it all started. I committed to having a bias for action. Whenever I would think of something, I would do it immediately. I was able to apply this in one of my classes.

My favorite subject of all time is my leadership 101 class. It's being taught by the president of an international corporation here in the Philippines. The university doesn't pay him to teach. He's just volunteering.

One day, the class administrator announced that the last day of class was approaching and if we wanted to give our teacher some sort of tribute or thanksgiving to show him how much we appreciate his spending his valuable time to teach us, we should do so at our last meeting.

I really appreciated everything that this teacher taught me. When he taught us leadership, he did not give us specific instructions on how to conquer office politics or get ahead with the rest of the crew. He focused on building our integrity and our principles. He stressed the importance of being moral and doing what is right no matter what the price. He doesn't do this in a preacher-type of way. He gives us concrete examples from his personal experiences.

He once mentioned that whenever he gives a lecture, he worries whether what he says will inspire us because he believes that he has this huge message to impart. So, I had this idea. As a sign of gratitude, everyone in our class should write a letter which contains an account of how he was able to touch our lives, or change us for the better. I believe that knowing that you made a difference in your students is one of the reasons why teaching is such a fulfilling job and i think that's the least we can do to thank him.

With "Bias for action" still fresh in my head, I sent an email to the class yahoo group with my suggestion. A few people responded (by a few, i mean three) and encouraged me that it was a good idea. Some people also discouraged me and told me that others might think that I'm trying to suck up to our teacher by assuming the leadership role.

I didn't let anyone stop me. I was so passionate about this project that I went through extraordinary lengths to accomplish it. I would approach my classmates when I bumped into them in the building (even if they didn't know me), I sent more emails, I sent them text messages, I devised ways to make it easy for them to submit their letters. I even spent my own money to buy scrapbook materials. (The letters would be compiled in a scrapbook).

At that time, I was also trying to work on my thesis manuscript and studying for an exam. I wasn't getting enough sleep for many days already and every time I would close my eyes to rest, thoughts of accomplishing the scrapbook project would run through my head and I would get excited and not be tired anymore. On those moments, I realized that being tired is just a state of mind, and I learned to stretch my limits and become a more productive person.

To cut the long story short, the project was a success. Towards the last day of our class, everyone was finally able to submit a letter. A few classmates also helped out and we were able to order food and drinks for the whole class. My reward was that I was able to personally present the scrapbook to our teacher and I got to see the look of gratitude on his face. He told me that I did a good job in our class. That was priceless. =)

What if I didn't have a bias for action? What if I gave up when only three of my classmates responded? What if I convinced myself that all the effort to make one person happy wouldn't be worth much anyway?

That class would have probably ended like any other class. Our teacher would probably say, "Well I hope you guys learned something." And that would be it. As for me? I would forever be wondering what would have happened if I did something about it.

I am a civil engineering student. NExt month, I will finally graduate.

I never really wanted to become an engineer. Although I enjoyed it at times, I just wasnt was passionate about it as I was with other things. When I was in a building, I would admire its beauty, but not in a civil engineer's perspective. I feel as if there is something wrong, something lacking.

This semester, I attended a lot of seminars and a leadership class so I would be equipped to enter the "REAL WORLD." I have been having this strange feeling that the world I would be entering would be something empty and lonely. I have recently embarked on a journey to self discovery. A speaker once told us that if we should strive to answer two questions:
1. What is your core gift?
2. What is your passion?

If you find the answers to these two, then you will know what you're made for. He said that doing what God designed you to do will make you happy. You dont have to work a dayin your life, you would just be playing.

At that point, it struck me. I know what I want to be: I want to teach. I was soo full of my realization that tears started flowing from my eyes. I didnt know what came over me. It was a mixture of joy, of amazement, of satisfaction. After all this time, I finally knew what I was made for.

I told my friends about it. They were happy for me. I said that it was in line with my vision to change my country. That I would influence as many young people as I can so they can be better people and eventually better leaders. I was fired up. I even talked to my thesis adviser and she was very happy for me.

Then, I told my family. My brother promised me his support but my mom and sisters gave me weird looks. My mother said that I would be a waste of my U.P. education. I shouldnt have taken engineering. I should have taken education. She wants me to become the daughter she would love to brag about. She wants to tell her friends that her daughter, who graduated from UP, is working in some bigshot company and earning a huge paycheck.

This disheartens me. The people here think I'm being too idealistic. My sister chides me for wanting to be a "hero". They keep on talking about how I'll eventually come to my senses. They do not want me to meddle with the world's problems. They want me to take the road always taken which is, for me, the road to misery.

I never realized how weak I was. I wanted to please them badly. I wanted everyone to agree with my plans.

"You can do anything you want but dont expect me to like it", says mom.

Okay, maybe its about time I made my own decisions. We all have to make sacrifices at one point. I know what's best for me. I know teaching will make me happy. I know that I can do something to make this world a better place. Most of all, someday, I know they will understand.

"Your college makes brilliant engineers, but poor leaders."

This was one of the first things Jim Lafferty, the General Manager of Procter and Gamble Philippines told the dean of our college. Jim's the type of guy who will tell you the brutal truth upfront and you can just imagine the shock on our dean's face when she heard this!

And that's where it all started. Jim extended an offer to teach leadership to the university and our dean took him up on the offer. Our class is composed of a little over 70 students, a mixture of those who needed to fulfill an academic requirement, those who wanted to become better leaders, and those who wanted to know if they could become leaders.

The first time Jim spoke in class, he asked:
"Does anybody here know anything about me? Or my background?"

I initially found him arrogant. I thought he was trying to be self- important.

Then, he said: "When I first got into P&G, I was a fitness trainer."

Jim talked to us in length about his personal background, how he lost his parents at a young age, and how he struggled to make it on his own until he finally rose through the ranks. HE ended it with:
"If I did it. So can you."

He has been giving us lectures on his leadership principles and the biggest lesson I have learned so far is "Great leaders always do the right thing." Jim told us that one day, we will all be faced with the temptation to cheat on our work or to cheat on our spouses and if we do not have a principle of morality or a sense of doing the right thing, we will surely succumb to this temptation.

"A principle isn't a principle unless it costs you something."

We can all talk and write about the things that we stand for in life but until we get to practice and fight for them, they remain a bunch of words. We should all try to reflect on who we want to be and become that.

"You should always practice it in your mind so when the time comes, you'll know what to do."

He emphasized that most of us have a tendency to justify the wrong things that we do. We are so good at coming up with reasons to make a bad thing seem "reasonable".

" I stole from my company because I wasnt getting my just compensation."
"I'm not really cheating on my wife, Im doing this to strengthen our relationship."

We can "sugarcoat" all we want but at the end of the day it always boils down to this: Is it the right thing?

It's pretty easy once you think about it. What's hard is dealing with the consequences of our actions and taking responsibility for them. We are not perfect people. We make mistakes even at our best times. Failures do not make us lesser people if we learn from them and adapt the necessary measures to correct our mistakes.

Im sure I have much more to learn as far as leadership is concerned. Jim ceratinly does not have the answers to everything. I just feel so blessed to have met someone who decided to share what he knew, despite his busy schedule.=)

"Thoughts become things".

This is the major premise of the bestselling book, "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. According to it, we attract everything that happens to us through our thoughts so in order for us to live the lives that we want, we just have to generate positive thoughts and the universe will find a way for it to happen!

I never realized how negative I've been my entire life. No wonder I was always in a state of worry or despair over little things. Now that I have adapted positivity, things have taken a 180 degree turn for me. I now see and feel only the positive attributes of a person or an event and really, I am happier!

It seems as if there's this "magic" that's following me around. I feel free and yes, happy. Very happy. I talk to my mother everyday and we always exchange stories about how the secret has worked for us during the day.

I want to share this with everyone and I hope that we will all try to become positive in everything that we do. We are indeed defined by the quality of our thoughts. As Henry Ford once said, "Whether you think you can or you cannot, you're right."

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