Temptations slow me down and so reflection, meditation and prayers are necessary to remain on the straight path. And to avoid going nearer the temptations, I should always ask an important question to myself before doing anything: does this have anything to do with my duties? If not, no matter how this action may seem to be harmless, I should not do it. I must persevere. I must win over my strongest enemy—the weak part of myself.

All praises be to God, because He helps me and motivates me to do an important action today, which is to write this journal entry, signifying my committment for the betterment.

As I closed my eyes and take my sleep,
I am saying a simple prayer, Dear God,
Please, help me be strong and unrelenting when I wake up tomorrow.
I am faced with greater challenges,
and You know I am scared.
I do not even know how I am going to do it.
And so I leave all my trust in You.
I dedicate my all to You.

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After leading an important gathering, I visited a friend and mentor. She is currently the Dean of a state’s Graduate School. Through the course of our conversations, she mentioned about how the school’s president tries his best to implement all the changes he thinks are the best as early and as fast as possible. And he is trying his best to do it within his three-year term as the university’s president.

Later that day, I was reading a Time Magazine Special Ediition where a small portion was dedicated to the discussion of Collin Powell, former US Secretary of State. It was mentioned there how he tried to impose positive changes for the best of the institution, which he once led.

I felt the surge in me. There is one thing that kept resonating in my head. These leaders made a change, and are continuously tring to make new ones in a good way and in whatever they do. They know that their term will pass. They will not forever be in that place or position or duty. But there is a principle they never depart from: they will make a difference—good ones, better ones. They will effect changes to improve the lives of the people they lead and the people who directly benefit from their leadership and program.

As a leader, I have to keep asking the same question to myself: How will I make a difference? Life is fleeting. At the moment, I am entrusted to fulfill important obligations. People rely on me for leadership, for values, for changes. I cannot be stupid or weak. I must be strong for them.

I know that I will have to leave in a matter of months if not years. I will not be here forever. But before that they arrived, I should be able to ask and suceesfully answered these questions: What changes have I done for the people I am leading? What contributions have I done for them? I know I need tangible list of those things. And I have to be committed. Two words I think dominate the idea: discipline and committment.

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There was a time when I have read a similar essay on how one can celebrate an important date in one’s life. Maybe, this entry is based from that essay. And so, this post cannot be solely attributed to me.

1. Write An Essay or A Poem. Writing is a lasting legacy. It captures what you feel on that day. It stores memories and allows you to reminisce. Thus, one of the best things you can give yourself on that special day is a written work.

2. Do something that is good. Perhaps, share your faith to others. Encourage them to believe and do what is right. There is no better way to celebrate an important day in your life but by touching the lives of other people and teaching them how they can have a better future.

3. Buy something memorable for yourself. It does not have to be very expensive, but something worth serving as a reminder of the important datVisit an imporant place and write about it.

4. Write an evaluation of yourself and a plan on how you will spend the succeeding years ahead.

5. Make a meaningful project.

Important dates need not to be celebrated with food or drinks or parties, because you may not afford it. There are more meaningful ways on how you can celebrate the important dates without spending too much. If you can add more, please send them to me as comments and I will include them. Thanks.

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Something we can learn from

—

Horoscopes by Sheeba (1981)

Rushing for the papers every day
To find out what the stars have got to say
About the fortunes that are on the way
It’s crazy, crazy

Working, not waiting that forever will hold
Success comes from what we do, not from what we’re told
And counting on lucky stars is living on false hopes

Don’t let the planets take control of our lives
Believe in the truth and not celestial lies
It’s we, not the stars above, who write our horoscopes

Virgos and Arians, Leos, Aquarians
Pisces, Cancerians show
No matter when we’re born
Libra or Capricorn
Taureans and Scorpions know

Nothing can change the way we’ve chosen to live
And no one can tell us when to take or to give
It’s we, not the stars above, who write our horoscopes

Yet, in spite of this, when daylight dies
There we are, with eyes turned to the sky
All anxious to be told a few more lies
Still crazy, crazy

Working, not waiting that forever will hold
Success comes from what we do, not from what we’re told
And counting on lucky stars is living on false hopes

Don’t let the planets take control of our lives
Believe in the truth and not celestial lies
It’s we, not the stars above, who write our horoscopes

Throw away almanacs, signs of the Zodiac
Then there is sense to be found
They are celestial, we are terrestrial
Let’s keep our feet on the ground

Don’t let the planets take control of our lives
Believe in the truth and not celestial lies
It’s we, not the stars above, who write our horoscopes

It’s we, not the stars above, who write our horoscopes

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A writing a day makes a writer’s block away.

I am in a stage of my life when I need to master my craft and do the best I can, because I have the right purpose. When we do things for a wrong purpose, we know that it will simply go to waste. But doing something you know will be for the better of a lot of people is sufficient reason to strive harder, to work harder.

Sometimes though, we also get tired and exhausted. But as I said, I should stick to my commitment of at least writing an entry a day for a mental exercise so that my mind will always be prepared to write. Non-writers should never think that writing is an easy task because it is not. It is exhausting and requires a lot of efforts and concentration.

Most of the time when an individual is assigned to write about something important and delicate, he can never sleep well until he finds the right word and thought. I hope and pray that someday I may become one of those who can write well for the benefit of all the people I care about.

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Poster of Real Steel

Busy is the operative word. And no matter how much I try myself to stop, I can’t. I have to make an essay of two related topics today.

First, about the new person I have met—Pauline Kael, an American film critic for the New Yorker. There are several ways to meet people. One of these is through reading. Yes. Reading their written works. And that is how I met Pauline. I must admit, although I have read only a few of her movie reviews, I am convinced on how she shaped and influenced the audience’s view of cinema. She put into plain, comprehensible language the evaluation which at her time was deeply covered into thick technical jargons.

Knowing Pauline Kael brought me to my next topic: a simple review of the movie Real Steel (2011) starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy. I must admit I am one of those who neither like nor dislike Manny Paquiao, the popular Filipino boxing champion. My life could go on without him. What I don’t understand is the large following he has here in the Philippines and abroad. Everytime he is on the ring, they shout, jump, and punch in the air. Almost unintentional at times and brought by pure excitement. I did not get it, until I watch Real Steel.

Real Steel might have a bad story—predictable, lame. But it did not fail to touch its viewers with its cheesy father and son tandem who have found each others arm after a long battle against the force of evil.

Rotten Tomatoes said of the film: “Thrilling and exciting action with just enough characterization.” Generally, online reviews have found that the scale of reviews weighs more on the side of positive—a little more or less 10% difference against the negative ones.

Second, I have to have a sacred time for writing. I was browsing a writer’s notes, or rather tips on how to write, and he shared that great people–not only great writers–write at a particular scheduled time of the day. For them, that time is sacred. They cannot be disturbed. The schedule cannot be missed. I must strive to have such schedule.

I want to learn how to write that way–funny, interesting, and, at the same time, informative. I know that such will keep me sharp and alert.

Just earlier, I learned from my teacher that “nothing is as contagious as enthusiasm.” I remembered how our company CEOs and managers usually spoke–motivated, encouraging, enthusiastic. None was in store for the employees, but a chance–chance, and not certainty–that they will receive salary increase. Yet, leaders would usually make it appear that what they were saying was the employees’s lifetime dream.

I wondered how these leaders got their skills and attitude, when, fact is, they only deal with numbers. I think–and I think it really is –their enthusiasm, their pseudo-inspiration, wherever that pseudo pertains to and that inspiration came from. But, it is puzzling, is it not? How did they make their enthusiasm contagious?

By the way, in this discussion, I am referring to our company CEOs when I was working professionally (profesionally is an overstatement, just ignore it), because certainly I know where my present leaders get their enthusiasm.

Back to our earlier, discussion. Trying to answer the question, I think that it had something to do with how much faith do they have with what they believe in and say about their products and services. And their belief is manifested through the way they say it – emphatic. Voice is well modulated. At the end of the day, employees would say without noticing that they have been inflicted with the disease: “I will follow you.”