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Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Tea Boy

Yesterday, when I went to the office pantry for my lunch, I happen to converse with our tea boy there. Taslim, is a 21 years old Bangladeshi, can speak English, knows computer, and with a sound understanding. Before I took my first bite, I posed to him a question that literally caught his attention that leads to this blog post.






“Why you didn’t pursue your college?” He looked at me, and with a timid smile asked in a typical Bangladeshi English, “Why you ask me?” “Well, I asked the same question over and over again to some of your fellows here. I recognize your abilities, as you know, one of my QA checker whom I trust is a Bangladeshi who is also very good like you” I replied. “So common, tell me your story while I am feeding my hungry stomach.”



It took for him a while to reply. Nodding his head in disappointment, and with a long breath he spoke sheepishly about his story. He said that it was his fault. That word ‘fault’ took us a few minutes before I finally comprehend because he had a hard time pronouncing it. He said it was his fault because he didn’t listen to his parents. He said that no one to be blame except him, and he is keeping that in his heart, and for that he feel sorry. We exchanged words about what happened, and exhorted him to share something about his life, and I’ll share some words and thoughts in a positive way.



“So what are your plans now? Do you intend to become a tea boy the rest of your life? You know, one day you’ll get married and will have kids. Do you think you can be able to send them to college someday by being a tea boy?”



“No” he said. “But what can I do?”



“Well, it’s up to you. It’s your decision to make, but I suggest you save money now, invest in education, get married and work in a good company. Through that way you will break the chain, and will have a good chance and your kids will have a better future. Remember that you are rearing a generation, and your decisions and the choices you will make today will greatly influence the kind of life they will live in the future. ” I answered.



He said that I was right. He said that instead of buying things and material stuffs that fades and wanes with the years, he should save money and take up a college or university degree.



Well, that’s his story. Amplify that to millions of others around the world. I am an education advocate. PEBA and KABLOGS along with the Thoughtskoto family and some generous donors are engaged in scholarship grants and sponsorship, making a difference in the life of a young person, that we believe will greatly impact the lives of the generations that will come after them.



It doesn’t matter who we are, where we are and what we are doing now, we have tremendous opportunities to learn, to improve, to succeed and to make a difference. We all have the capacity to change ourselves for the better. Small and seemingly simple ways we do everyday will become an asset in the future.



But most importantly, we OFW’s and Filipino’s in general are people who enjoy and savor every moment and yet even in the middle of laughter’s and joys, our minds reach back home. How are they doing? What do they eat? Do they feel hot right now that electricity is going on and off? Do they also enjoy? We save even the cheapest thing for our love ones back home. Masinop kumbaga, maalalahanin, mapagmahal. But the best that we can give to our kids and love ones are not material things. Education, and instilling right values, influencing for good and love unconditional will last.


©2010 THOUGHTSKOTO

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Words That Are Better Than Gold

My almost two year old daughter and I are playing Starfall online, an educational website for kids when we stumble over this page. Four words that says the possession of them all are better than gold.



Hope.



Joy.




Kind.




Peace.










My wife adds, health but I pointed out, you can't have peace if you don't have good health. I think these are the very things, or gifts our world wanted.




Hope amidst the uncertainties of the future, when there are so much pessimism and prophets and prophetess of doom and gloom. That the sun will not shine again clearer and lighter.




Joy, the very reason we all wanted in life and even in the life beyond. Sometimes the simplest things are those that gives us real and lasting happiness, or joy. It is when we do good, and when we truly share our best without expecting anything.




Kind - thoughts, words and deeds, that is. I love a song that I always sing when I am alone, "Have I done any good in the world today? Have I help anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad. If not, I have failed indeed. Has anyone's burden been lighter today, because I was willing to share..."




Peace. Anyone in this world wanted it. Nations and countries, kingdoms and tribes, clans, families, individual wants a piece of peace. Peace they say cannot be achieved without change.




"May the people on this planet be changed.
Changed from hatred to love,
Changed from greed to giving,
Changed from selfishness to selflessness,
Changed from apathy to action,
Changed from jealousy to joy over someone's accomplishments,
Changed from intolerance to acceptance,
Changed from being destructive to being constructive,
Changed from fighting to peace,
Changed from killing to protecting life,
Changed from censorship to freedom,
Changed from ignorance to education,
Changed from fearing our differences to rejoicing our variety."




For me, another song, "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me." You've heard this song, don't you? So I guess, we better start singing now, haha.




So there you go, the four words that says to be better than gold. Hope, Joy, Kind, and Peace. May we have all these things as we continue our journey in this life.



©2010 THOUGHTSKOTO

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Bakit Maraming Nag-aabroad?



(Mga kuha ko gamit ang celpon nung ako ay nagbayad ng aking OWWA OFW Fee, ang haba ng pila, kaya dito na ako sa labas, number 5201 ako, pang limang libo mahigit sa araw na yun.)


Naisip ko lang yan, naitanong ko pala sa isip ko.

Bakit nga ba maraming nag-aabroad? Some migrate with their families, some pursue their studies, but a big portion, numbering to 13 Million went abroad in almost, always singular reason...


better future.


Never mind ang lagpas kili-kili at minsan abot-leeg na mga presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin.

Never mind na halos lahat ng mga hiring sa bansa is dapat graduate ka nito, or pasado ka dito, or dapat may masteral ka. Competition is very steep, kung di ka pa nag-aral sa mga di-kalibreng paaralan, wala kang mapapala kahit mamudmud ka pa ng resume mo.

Never mind na engineer ka at sumasahod ka ng 20T sa isang buwan, minus tax, minus etc, etc.


At habang nanonood ka ng balita, maiinis ka lang sa gulo sa gobyerno, at sa mga batas kuno na pinagtutuunan ng pansin ng mga halal ng bayan.


At kung papasok ka ng work, marami pang mga anik-anik, at samut-saring fines, rules, regulations, kaltas, etc...


I don't want to sound negative, pero ang pag-aabroad ay patuloy na bahagi at magiging bahagi ng buhay ng Filipino hanggat hindi maiayos ang namamahala sa gobyerno at mga gumagawa ng batas nito.

Mas pipiliin ng isang accountant, technician, or skilled worker na magtrabaho sa ibang bansa kapalit ng pagtitiis at sobrang lungkot para lamang maiahon sa kahirapan ang pamilya at mabigyan ng magandang bukas ang mga anak.


It is not a trend, going abroad is not anymore a matter of choice, it is a necessity, sometimes, in exchange of personal sacrifice and terrible loneliness, because most Filipino's believe, going abroad will make if not all, some of their dreams come true.


Iilan lang yan sa mga reason kung bakit maraming nag-aabroad. Ikaw, bakit ka nag-abroad?







2010 THOUGHTSKOTO

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Motivating Motivation


“People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing that's why we recommend it daily” – Zig Ziglar


My wife printed that quote and posted it in our bathroom for more than a couple of years ago, and every time I took my shower, I can read that quote.



Below is the introduction to the book I was reading a few weeks ago entitled, 101 Motivational Quotes by Steven Grabek. I have a passion of reading books and among my list are Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl, The Children of Hurin, Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins, and a few from Peter Drucker. I don't know how to finish them all aside from the online studies and trainings, so I need some motivation, kasi as mentioned nga sa itaas, like paliligo, it should be daily also.





"By definition motivation means that which motivates, that which makes us take action towards our desired goals and which gives purpose and direction to those actions. Now we all know that very often we lose our motivation and we allow procrastination to dominate our life. With out our motivation we stop taking action and doing the things we really want to do, we stop achieving the things we really want to achieve and we stop believing we are capable of becoming who ever we want to be.




The secret to beating procrastination is that we need to keep motivated. Every day we must do something, anything that gets us motivated, whether it’s listening to your favourite song, going for that morning run or simply reading some quotes. Every day we must motivate ourselves because when we are motivated we have energy, we have ideas and we have dreams and we pursue those dreams with our unbounded faith that we will achieve them and more."





Whatever you do in life, just do your best.
Thats my motto ever since I was high school, and that is still true even now.

I fail, and yes, oh, I failed a lot, so many times, and yet many times, I too got up, stand up, wipe away the tears, and move on. Life is too precious to be miserable. When we truly understand the purpose of why we are here, why we are working here, and why are we doing this and that, then, we have a sound disposition and we will do good in whatever we do. That I believe. In three words, they call it, A SENSE OF PURPOSE. Wow, my counting skill is diminishing, that's not 3 words, but 4. Haha.
Anyway, there are also times that we won't understand why we do things, and why we are motivated to do this and that as well, just let it be because that is what we call

FAITH.(or love or passion..?)

And faith is doing something and believing something even though you don't understand and you don't see.

Well, that's another topic.



-photos credit to each links. -

©2010 THOUGHTSKOTO