Recovery

For the past months I've been drifting. Not good. I've let external factors dictate my actions. I've been reactive instead of being proactive. Need to wake up and take charge of my life gain. I have less than two months to recover from the damage I let myself take. So help me God.

Vivaz Video Test

Just checking the quality of the Vivaz video uploaded straight from the phone. It's not good when it's automatically resized by the phone.

Ridiculous Blind Spot

Picture this - an employee brings an illegal item inside the company premises. He gets caught by the guard and is issued a memo accordingly. Apparently, this is not the first time he's been bringing illegal items - just the first time to get caught.

This above is a typical scenario in the workplace, and is pretty boring. What's interesting though, is how these people react to getting caught. The majority would try to make excuses at first, and then eventually fold. After a week or two, they'd continue their bad behavior, trying to do it more effectively than before. Only a small number of people would actually learn their lesson and not do it again.

There is another type of reaction that is both laughable and pitiful at the same time - blaming someone else - anyone else - as long as they do not acknowledge that it's their fault. They blame someone they dislike - he/she is probably out to get them and was the one to inform the guard; they blame their room mates for not reminding them not to bring the item to work; they blame the person who gave them the item as a gift a year ago; they blame the guard for doing his job, they blame the company for having such policies; they blame their upbringing and parents for raising them as they are; the list can go on forever. In short, everyone is blamed, except for the instigator.



It never ceases to amaze me whenever I meet people who belong to this third category. They simply would not or could not take responsibility for their own actions. To them, all their misfortunes and bad luck are caused by something else or somebody else. Most of these people do not even acknowledge that their own actions are wrong. It's as if they have blinders that do not allow them to see things other than how they interpret it. Is this type of behavior caused by our environment? Is a faulty gene to blame? One thing's for sure- their numbers are growing and should be a cause of concern. I know the Johari window shows that we all have blind spots, but this is ridiculous.

Valentine's Day

My wife always says Valentine's Day is a capitalist ploy. She says it but I know she still wants a romantic gift every 14th of February. My colleague’s wife agreed to sell their digital camera without any downpayment when she found out that it was going to be a gift on Valentine’s. Women are hopeless romantics- especially this season- and rightly so.

Valentine’s is the day we remember that someone fought and died for love. St. Valentine, a Roman priest, was beaten to death and beheaded because he secretly married couples during a time when it was forbidden to be engaged and married in Rome. It’s a sad but beautiful story.

Men should appreciate this season. It’s another day for husbands and partners to make up for their shortcomings that accumulate on a yearly basis

Back to Church!

Today is January 24, 2010. It's Sunday and we're in Church. It's my first time this new year to be back in Don Bosco Church in Canlubang since I was busy for the last few weeks (very lame excuse, I know). I was also sick with flu for a while (can this pass as a moderately lame excuse?).

I don't consider myself religious but being back in Church with my family actually feels good. It's still boring (hehehe) but the peace around me is a very welcome change to the holiday rush a few weeks back.

I guess it's no coincidence that one of the prayer responses is "Your Words Lord are spirit and life."

Welcome, 2010!

Last year, I wasn't as productive as I wanted to be. Burning out midyear took its toll on my career, business, and financial goals. It got to the point that I was so tired and fed up, I didn't care anymore for my all my work (job, side jobs, etc.). I knew it was bad; I knew I had to value my job, etc. - but that knowledge was suppressed by a gamut of negative emotions and fatigue. Mind over matter didn't work. After a few months, thank God I recovered. I'm still taking it slow, but needless to say, I'm very glad to be out of that rut.


One thing I hope I learned from that experience is how to manage my tasks and goals. It also gave me renewed energy which I am excited to release this Year of the Metal Tiger - 2010.

According to the cosmos as interpreted by ancient Chinese stargazers (i.e. Chinese Horoscope), the following are things that I should consider for this year:

There is a need for:***
*Consistency
*Security
*Practicality
*Building on Established Sucesses
*Setting goals that appeal to familiarity, routine and nourishment.

Stay away from:
*Fad Diets
*Experimental Marketing Techniques

I was intending to try new marketing techniques for my networking business but now I think I should be more cautious in doing so. All in all, the above points are good advice on how to channel my energies this year. :-)

***Source: www.astrology.com

Open Spaces

Recently, I have an urge to go outdoors (anywhere) and stare open spaces. I just sit and stare for hours. I don't even think of anything. I just stare.

Is this a symptom of a cramped lifestyle? Is my occupation suffocating me to the extent that my subconscious yearns for a semblance of freedom? Is my brain desperately seeking periods of decreased activity? Does this mean I need to change certain things in my life? Do I have the courage to make those changes? Most of the the time, instead of answering questions that bring more questions, I'd rather stare at an open space and appreciate the illusion of freedom...


Sunset at Mall of Asia Bayside, Pasay City, Philippines. December, 2009.