Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Monday, September 5, 2016
IX . SIMPLIFY ... DON'T SWEAT OVER SMALL STUFF
How do you fill up your life ? I heard a good story once circulated by a beer brand and it goes like this :
A guy once asked a golfing buddy how he sees life since he seem to be always in a happy mood. The guy emptied the glass pitcher infront of them and filled the pitcher with golf balls. Then he asked his friend if he thinks the pitcher is full. The guy said yes then he explained - yes it is but there are still some room as he filled the pitcher with marbles.
Again he asked if the guy thinks it is full and after the guy said yes he filled the voids with sand. The guy then said - " now I guess the pitcher is full ". His friend smiled and then poured in a bottle of beer until the pitcher overflowed. Then he said to the guy, now it is full, so then he explained :
The pitcher represents our life. The golf balls are the big things or as we say the most important things in our life - our faith, our family, our home, our friends, our career. These are the first things we have to deal with yet after all these are taken care there are still room for other smaller things as the marbles represent - our hobbies, our tasks at work, our relationships with other people. But still like the sands represent there are still plenty of room for other small things that we usually don't pay much attention to - movies, books, sharing stories, and other small stuffs. And yet besides all these, even when you think that you have accomplished a lot there is still room to enjoy yourself - just as the beer represent. A simple life is its own reward - piece by piece we take stone away so that the mountain that we once feared will be nothing more but a hill.
Life is similar to computer programming - if we want a good life as an output we should chop it down to its simplest component by going back to the very beginning. Once we know what makes a good life, we then come up with a plan or a flow chart on how to be able to produce our anticipated result. Its always a go or no go, if go then go to the next step if no go then do another step. Once you have come up with the output, then we debug to see if there are still things you can improve. You don't stop, you start with love then you go on loving until the very end - don't pay attention to other program that comes up with the same result, that's okay. You don't burn a neighbor's house to make your house look good. Your method may become obsolete to some but the older ways, the older language, as lesser programmers are use to it will be harder to hack.
Its okay if others have better tools, better methods, better machines, its how you use things that gives it its shining value. That's the reason why antiques are priced higher than new ones - its the history behind it that gives it its real value.
A guy once asked a golfing buddy how he sees life since he seem to be always in a happy mood. The guy emptied the glass pitcher infront of them and filled the pitcher with golf balls. Then he asked his friend if he thinks the pitcher is full. The guy said yes then he explained - yes it is but there are still some room as he filled the pitcher with marbles.
Again he asked if the guy thinks it is full and after the guy said yes he filled the voids with sand. The guy then said - " now I guess the pitcher is full ". His friend smiled and then poured in a bottle of beer until the pitcher overflowed. Then he said to the guy, now it is full, so then he explained :
The pitcher represents our life. The golf balls are the big things or as we say the most important things in our life - our faith, our family, our home, our friends, our career. These are the first things we have to deal with yet after all these are taken care there are still room for other smaller things as the marbles represent - our hobbies, our tasks at work, our relationships with other people. But still like the sands represent there are still plenty of room for other small things that we usually don't pay much attention to - movies, books, sharing stories, and other small stuffs. And yet besides all these, even when you think that you have accomplished a lot there is still room to enjoy yourself - just as the beer represent. A simple life is its own reward - piece by piece we take stone away so that the mountain that we once feared will be nothing more but a hill.
Life is similar to computer programming - if we want a good life as an output we should chop it down to its simplest component by going back to the very beginning. Once we know what makes a good life, we then come up with a plan or a flow chart on how to be able to produce our anticipated result. Its always a go or no go, if go then go to the next step if no go then do another step. Once you have come up with the output, then we debug to see if there are still things you can improve. You don't stop, you start with love then you go on loving until the very end - don't pay attention to other program that comes up with the same result, that's okay. You don't burn a neighbor's house to make your house look good. Your method may become obsolete to some but the older ways, the older language, as lesser programmers are use to it will be harder to hack.
Its okay if others have better tools, better methods, better machines, its how you use things that gives it its shining value. That's the reason why antiques are priced higher than new ones - its the history behind it that gives it its real value.
VIII. RAGS TO RICHES ...RICHES TO RAGS ...BUT I'M NOT DONE YET
I enjoyed life when I was young ...spoiled by my grandparents. Elementary days was very memorable so was my high school years though not as good. Then 2 exciting years as a factory worker before my college days - still the best years of my young life. Ten years at MWSS was an excursion and married life ... not so prosperous, slid down to almost zero but even if I have the power to go back and change our past I wouldn't touch a thing. We lost our way, fell downhill and lost everything we've worked for but it only strengthened the bond not only between me and my wife but with our kids. Its not really something to brag about but we managed to have a home, always lacking the basic essentials yet filled with laughter and good memories.
We moved around a lot after we got kicked out of my parent's old residence when it was sold. 12 times, until we finally found a good apartment 10 years ago. Our kids never knew Christmas and New Year like other families. For to us they were just but another day and another night. No birthday parties either for we were so financially drained that our worries were more about what we need one day at a time. The cause for celebration were the occasional "lucky" days when we could afford to buy meat for a good meal. And Christmas is when we receive Balikbayan package from my parents and other relatives abroad. In between we have to fill up the gaps with good movies, watched them together and do some storytelling. In my book, those were the finest performances I did infront of 6 adoring audiences. It was me against the TV set, their cellphones and play stations and I always win. My wife took care of everything in between, most especially the laugh-in parts and post-performance commentaries. We may have failed in a lot of things, unable to provide good food for their stomachs but at least we were able to hit their hearts.
What we lacked financially, Len and I worked to bridge the gap through being always there one hundred percent of the time. The kids created their own world but they always look back to see if we are within shouting distance - kids value more your presence than presents. Never did they got used to expect " pasalubong " each time we came from work and contented themselves of having us watched cartoons and classic movies until midnight. While other kids came to know Justin Bieber and Britney Spears, our kids enjoyed the likes of Doris Day, Julie Andrews, Gene Kelly and Jacky Chan classics. We solved Math problems together and tried-out artworks we saw on TV. The corny jokes and " kantiyawan " became a family tradition. Our world was different ...
Sometimes I wonder why people seem to find it difficult to make a happy home. I guess most of them have been too serious about making a living, fulfilling their dreams that they forget about enjoying the time they have. Kids grow up so fast that you have to be there in their early life - the time when they still adore and idolize you and take you seriously. I think we parents should be there to walk with them, have fun with them, play with them, and not take them as an extension of our dreams. I may be wrong, but one thing I am sure of is they will always have a room for me in their memories. I worked hard and tried to provide them a good life. I might have failed on that part but I am not done yet. Now that they are one by one building their own life, their own world, I have more time for myself, and get back to building another life for me and my wife.
As the saying goes - I have move a little bit faster since I have less time left.
We moved around a lot after we got kicked out of my parent's old residence when it was sold. 12 times, until we finally found a good apartment 10 years ago. Our kids never knew Christmas and New Year like other families. For to us they were just but another day and another night. No birthday parties either for we were so financially drained that our worries were more about what we need one day at a time. The cause for celebration were the occasional "lucky" days when we could afford to buy meat for a good meal. And Christmas is when we receive Balikbayan package from my parents and other relatives abroad. In between we have to fill up the gaps with good movies, watched them together and do some storytelling. In my book, those were the finest performances I did infront of 6 adoring audiences. It was me against the TV set, their cellphones and play stations and I always win. My wife took care of everything in between, most especially the laugh-in parts and post-performance commentaries. We may have failed in a lot of things, unable to provide good food for their stomachs but at least we were able to hit their hearts.
What we lacked financially, Len and I worked to bridge the gap through being always there one hundred percent of the time. The kids created their own world but they always look back to see if we are within shouting distance - kids value more your presence than presents. Never did they got used to expect " pasalubong " each time we came from work and contented themselves of having us watched cartoons and classic movies until midnight. While other kids came to know Justin Bieber and Britney Spears, our kids enjoyed the likes of Doris Day, Julie Andrews, Gene Kelly and Jacky Chan classics. We solved Math problems together and tried-out artworks we saw on TV. The corny jokes and " kantiyawan " became a family tradition. Our world was different ...
Sometimes I wonder why people seem to find it difficult to make a happy home. I guess most of them have been too serious about making a living, fulfilling their dreams that they forget about enjoying the time they have. Kids grow up so fast that you have to be there in their early life - the time when they still adore and idolize you and take you seriously. I think we parents should be there to walk with them, have fun with them, play with them, and not take them as an extension of our dreams. I may be wrong, but one thing I am sure of is they will always have a room for me in their memories. I worked hard and tried to provide them a good life. I might have failed on that part but I am not done yet. Now that they are one by one building their own life, their own world, I have more time for myself, and get back to building another life for me and my wife.
As the saying goes - I have move a little bit faster since I have less time left.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
VII. LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS
We may not have a mansion on the hill
Mink coats and diamonds by the score
But the things we have no one could ever take it
Just the two of us no need to ask for more ...
I guess this the trick. Fall in love and forget about everything ... love sincerely and everything will fall into their proper places. The road to happiness with not be a smooth ride, there will be problems, there will be pains and some misunderstandings, but sooner or later love will prevail. Just try not to figure out the "why" and the "what" questions, whether you do something wrong or forgot to do something that ought to be done, it doesn't really matter in the end as long as you trust each other. Someone who loves sincerely doesn't mean to hurt or do harm - love means you never have to say you're sorry.
Lovers see only the rosy part of life. They see hope when things are falling apart.
They are the "you and me against the world" type and tightly hold on to each other even when everything around is breaking apart. Kind'a stupid, crazy even, but its how love is truly tested ...and its even harder to explain. We only have words to express our feelings but they are not enough - only two hearts in love with each other feels and understand.
Mink coats and diamonds by the score
But the things we have no one could ever take it
Just the two of us no need to ask for more ...
I guess this the trick. Fall in love and forget about everything ... love sincerely and everything will fall into their proper places. The road to happiness with not be a smooth ride, there will be problems, there will be pains and some misunderstandings, but sooner or later love will prevail. Just try not to figure out the "why" and the "what" questions, whether you do something wrong or forgot to do something that ought to be done, it doesn't really matter in the end as long as you trust each other. Someone who loves sincerely doesn't mean to hurt or do harm - love means you never have to say you're sorry.
Lovers see only the rosy part of life. They see hope when things are falling apart.
They are the "you and me against the world" type and tightly hold on to each other even when everything around is breaking apart. Kind'a stupid, crazy even, but its how love is truly tested ...and its even harder to explain. We only have words to express our feelings but they are not enough - only two hearts in love with each other feels and understand.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
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