I used to dream of becoming what every child in my generation wanted to be - to become a doctor, to heal the sick and help the needy.
As a young adult of today, a couple of decades later, I come to think that it was such a noble yearning for a little child. Well yes if we had enough finances then and if my mom and dad were not as old, probably pursuing that childhood dream of mine had been taken into a deeper consideration.
What I have just posted above has nothing to do with my current thoughts actually. It's all about vulnerability.
There are certain circumstances wherein we are required to ignore our vulnerable selves. In my teen years, this is closest to the phrase "becoming numb". If I were an agent of Medicine, I'd be calling it as an emotional anaesthesia. But I am an agent of technological progress so I aptly depict this as a human circuit breaker. Circuit breakers protect equipment from destruction at saturation levels or from unexpected surges and transients. The equipment is our hearts and the electrical disturbances are the emotions that could go as far as beyond our control.
We are not some sort of a non-living thing for me to compare us with just a piece of equipment made by us men. But more often than not, I have this strong need to deprive myself of vulnerability and remain unaffected, otherwise my spirit will die.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Happy 25!
I had originally conceptualized the celebration of my 2010 birthday to be Hawaiian-themed, or some sort of that. My mind pictured petals and candles afloating the pool water giving a cozy evening ambience with closest girlfriends plus my most missed guy friends around.
Then I came across Gossip Girls' white party.
Then I read about solo-backpacking to Italy and got the idea of roaming around Saint Peter's Basilica, which as a non-Catholic, I'd like to look at it more as a landmark and not really some religious structure for the pious, and probably hop on to a restaurant to hunt for some cute Italian waiters. Let's tag it as a friendly adventure since I refuse to call it flirting. Hah! Kidding aside, I'd take it more as a great way for real interaction with a local of a land which I'm a stranger to, a land that's so foreign to me! I like exploring the new and immersing myself in diverse kinds of people and culture is one. These, amongst others of the many to-do things offered by the world's known oracular icon of Christianity. It's a possible trip, but at one point I lost the discipline to save and prepare for it plus the fear of solo-backpacking perils. I hint for the need to learn the language first. Until then, I'd have to put it aside.
Then came the thoughts of a Palawan getaway with my bestfriend. According to bestfriend's friend who has spent his early life until he moved to Manila for college, my birth month is the perfect time to visit the white-sand paradise of the southern part of the Philippines.
There's no definite plan, really. I just want a Happy 25 that's extra extra special.
Until it came to me that I actually prefer to spend a total of my 7-day leave accumulated for 6 months in my very hometown with my dad and mom. And I could picture a huge round chocolate cake with a tiny candle lit at the center, three of us posing for a picture with my huge huge smile as I put each of my arm on the shoulders of my happy homies. ^^,
Then I came across Gossip Girls' white party.
Then I read about solo-backpacking to Italy and got the idea of roaming around Saint Peter's Basilica, which as a non-Catholic, I'd like to look at it more as a landmark and not really some religious structure for the pious, and probably hop on to a restaurant to hunt for some cute Italian waiters. Let's tag it as a friendly adventure since I refuse to call it flirting. Hah! Kidding aside, I'd take it more as a great way for real interaction with a local of a land which I'm a stranger to, a land that's so foreign to me! I like exploring the new and immersing myself in diverse kinds of people and culture is one. These, amongst others of the many to-do things offered by the world's known oracular icon of Christianity. It's a possible trip, but at one point I lost the discipline to save and prepare for it plus the fear of solo-backpacking perils. I hint for the need to learn the language first. Until then, I'd have to put it aside.
Then came the thoughts of a Palawan getaway with my bestfriend. According to bestfriend's friend who has spent his early life until he moved to Manila for college, my birth month is the perfect time to visit the white-sand paradise of the southern part of the Philippines.
There's no definite plan, really. I just want a Happy 25 that's extra extra special.
Until it came to me that I actually prefer to spend a total of my 7-day leave accumulated for 6 months in my very hometown with my dad and mom. And I could picture a huge round chocolate cake with a tiny candle lit at the center, three of us posing for a picture with my huge huge smile as I put each of my arm on the shoulders of my happy homies. ^^,
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The 7 Habits Aftermath
It has been four months since we started the 7 Habits training that lasted for 10 sessions. This makes me wonder, how are the trainees now?
Personally and professionally speaking, 7 Habits by Stephen Covey is some sort of a useful tool for an individual's development. At a certain degree, prior the training, I can claim that I already portray some of the habits, but during and after, I was able to recognize the many flaws I have.
So let's see how I'm doing now.
1. Be Proactive
I still can't manage to get up in the morning to do rounds of jogging. I, however, have been playing badminton for two weeks now and I'm looking forward to do it weekly and more frequently. I stopped yoga classes as recommended by my sister. They have postures that resemble that of a serpent which is quite anti-biblical. I've enrolled for a Nihonggo class as a small part of my plan to add skills. Studying is a bit expensive but I have to allocate funds for it. Reading the Bible is now part of my morning regimen, or any part of the day. Since I tend to dismiss my elders' advice, the Bible makes me realize a myriad of things. Proverbs is a personal favorite. It's a knock in my head, a good reminder for a young adult like me with tendencies of wayward ways. At work, I perform my duties with the zeal to set things right at the first time. I'd be doing myself a big favor of avoiding shit-cleaning later on.
2. Begin With The End In Mind
Okay I tried this. I did this especially in mapping my future mostly in terms of the financial aspect. At the age of 62, if I want to be a Singaporean Dollar Millionaire, I have to put my entire monthly income in the bank! Initial reaction? "Oh, shit." I will have to deal with that later. More important than the moneyz, I'm trying to mend my relationship with my brother and parents which at a certain point had gone sour due to issues I tag as issues of the growing adult and generation gap and stuff like that. Habit 2 is more on recognizing what matters most to you and getting there. And yes, these are a couple of things that really matter to me and yes again, I think I'm getting there!
3. Put First Things First
Quadrant II activities. Badminton for physical, check. Avoiding the Latte Factor for financial, check. Frequent communication with my parents for emotional, check. Meeting new people and mingling with old ones for social, check. A daily dose of the Bible for spiritual reflections, check. Studying for intellectual, check. Of course, those are just a few of them. To view it as a whole, I still fail at organizing my things. And I have to exert, not just little, but a lot of effort to succeed in this. I need more time for myself than for trivial things.
4. Think Win Win
At work, I guess I apply this habit. I am able to establish good professional relationship with my colleagues and working with them does not give me any headache. Well except for some who are sometimes out of themselves while performing their functions. You have to guide them through and worse, think for them. Yay.
At home, hmm, probably? It is still quite questionable. I must admit, somehow I'm still stubborn. I seriously dislike the thought of confinement in walls of someone else's authority. Does this mean - Habit 4, fail!?
5. Seek First to Understand Than To Be Understood
I thought I am a champion in this. I was wrong. "I understand your point but you have to understand me too. Otherwise, no deal."
6. Synergize
I actually forgot this habit. I really had to Google it because I've given up on decoding my brain to remember it and I'm too lazy to get my book upstairs. To start with, I like arguments and how two parties doing the brainstorm realize that each other has a sensible point. That, I believe, is synergy. I like doing synergy with my dad and with radically minded friends who can appreciate and keep up with my "screwed mind".
7. Sharpen The Saw
Apparently, this is an overall fail - yet.
Just look at these slogans I have set for every aspect of my life. Probably I need to reset my timeline and get it done with serious discipline. Ganbatte!
Physical: Healthy105-Pound 24-year old
Social: Be loving and be lovable.
Spiritual: Goodness and grace to everyone and everything.
Emotional: Be a home to the people I care.
Financial: No, you can't afford me.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People may sound so "fictional" because for most, it's close to the impossibility of applying it in real life. Change is not achieved overnight yes. Practising the 7 Habits is indeed not an easy feat but seriously, it's worth the try. I myself find it a struggle, but I possess the most important power - the power over myself. And I could start from here to get to where I wanted to be, no matter how long it may take me, no matter how tough it may be.
Gah, I need a million of ganbatte!!!
Personally and professionally speaking, 7 Habits by Stephen Covey is some sort of a useful tool for an individual's development. At a certain degree, prior the training, I can claim that I already portray some of the habits, but during and after, I was able to recognize the many flaws I have.
So let's see how I'm doing now.
1. Be Proactive
I still can't manage to get up in the morning to do rounds of jogging. I, however, have been playing badminton for two weeks now and I'm looking forward to do it weekly and more frequently. I stopped yoga classes as recommended by my sister. They have postures that resemble that of a serpent which is quite anti-biblical. I've enrolled for a Nihonggo class as a small part of my plan to add skills. Studying is a bit expensive but I have to allocate funds for it. Reading the Bible is now part of my morning regimen, or any part of the day. Since I tend to dismiss my elders' advice, the Bible makes me realize a myriad of things. Proverbs is a personal favorite. It's a knock in my head, a good reminder for a young adult like me with tendencies of wayward ways. At work, I perform my duties with the zeal to set things right at the first time. I'd be doing myself a big favor of avoiding shit-cleaning later on.
2. Begin With The End In Mind
Okay I tried this. I did this especially in mapping my future mostly in terms of the financial aspect. At the age of 62, if I want to be a Singaporean Dollar Millionaire, I have to put my entire monthly income in the bank! Initial reaction? "Oh, shit." I will have to deal with that later. More important than the moneyz, I'm trying to mend my relationship with my brother and parents which at a certain point had gone sour due to issues I tag as issues of the growing adult and generation gap and stuff like that. Habit 2 is more on recognizing what matters most to you and getting there. And yes, these are a couple of things that really matter to me and yes again, I think I'm getting there!
3. Put First Things First
Quadrant II activities. Badminton for physical, check. Avoiding the Latte Factor for financial, check. Frequent communication with my parents for emotional, check. Meeting new people and mingling with old ones for social, check. A daily dose of the Bible for spiritual reflections, check. Studying for intellectual, check. Of course, those are just a few of them. To view it as a whole, I still fail at organizing my things. And I have to exert, not just little, but a lot of effort to succeed in this. I need more time for myself than for trivial things.
4. Think Win Win
At work, I guess I apply this habit. I am able to establish good professional relationship with my colleagues and working with them does not give me any headache. Well except for some who are sometimes out of themselves while performing their functions. You have to guide them through and worse, think for them. Yay.
At home, hmm, probably? It is still quite questionable. I must admit, somehow I'm still stubborn. I seriously dislike the thought of confinement in walls of someone else's authority. Does this mean - Habit 4, fail!?
5. Seek First to Understand Than To Be Understood
I thought I am a champion in this. I was wrong. "I understand your point but you have to understand me too. Otherwise, no deal."
6. Synergize
I actually forgot this habit. I really had to Google it because I've given up on decoding my brain to remember it and I'm too lazy to get my book upstairs. To start with, I like arguments and how two parties doing the brainstorm realize that each other has a sensible point. That, I believe, is synergy. I like doing synergy with my dad and with radically minded friends who can appreciate and keep up with my "screwed mind".
7. Sharpen The Saw
Apparently, this is an overall fail - yet.
Just look at these slogans I have set for every aspect of my life. Probably I need to reset my timeline and get it done with serious discipline. Ganbatte!
Physical: Healthy105-Pound 24-year old
Social: Be loving and be lovable.
Spiritual: Goodness and grace to everyone and everything.
Emotional: Be a home to the people I care.
Financial: No, you can't afford me.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People may sound so "fictional" because for most, it's close to the impossibility of applying it in real life. Change is not achieved overnight yes. Practising the 7 Habits is indeed not an easy feat but seriously, it's worth the try. I myself find it a struggle, but I possess the most important power - the power over myself. And I could start from here to get to where I wanted to be, no matter how long it may take me, no matter how tough it may be.
Gah, I need a million of ganbatte!!!
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