Skip to main content

Quote of the Day

"A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life" - Muhammad Ali


A very inspiring thought from a man who rolled with the punches for a living, how you view life after years of taking blows and celebrating victories do change with time. It is the difference between your present and previous views of the world that defines you.

Our perception of the world when we are young comes from the programming that we get from home. This programming protects us until we are prepared to face the world and experience it first-hand, with our very own sets of biological sensory gizmos. Every experience, good or bad, alters our acquired programming and transforms us into the person we are “meant to be” – our own unique self.

Without disrespect to our parents who so lovingly and patiently ushered us to adulthood, if we are still stuck to the perception that they have programmed us as a child, I believe we have just wasted our years. The learning and the values our parents have taught us should be our ground zero and our moral compass for our own exploration, not the chain that limits our own journey to self-discovery.

The journey to self-discovery is not a blissful road of beautiful scenery. It is mostly a thorny, rocky, dangerous path conceived to break one’s body and spirit. But then again, who said life is about being safe and happy in the confines of your comfort zone? Life is about braving what life brings head-on and rolling with the punches. How one views the world through life’s perennial highs and lows, is the true measure of one’s character.

When you come to the point where you think you have rolled enough, and yet can still sit calmly by the beach, taunt life and say, “Bring it on!!!” with a gentle but confident smile, you know you are living a full life.


 

Comments

Post a Comment

What people are reading...

New Year Resolutions

Another year is over. Before the hands of time struck the final minute of 2012, we all had a clear vision of what we wanted for our 2013 -- the so called "New Year Resolutions". Some made a promise to live healthier e.g. lose weight, stop smoking, etc. Others have more abstract resolutions like, "will be happier", "will smile more", "will be more sensitive", etc. And there are others like me with a very simple resolution, go on a "no rice diet". In the business lingo, this goal makes a lot of sense because it is SMART (S=specific, M=measurable, A=attainable, R=relevant and T=timely). There is no way this cannot succeed as it makes for a perfect goal. However, there was a big flaw in the plan -- as the clock struck twelve, I had my right hand flexing its muscles with a spoonful of rice. Need I say more? To make long story short, I was doomed to fail from the get go. And so I welcomed 2013 with a broken promise.
Post a Comment
Read more

Quote of the Day

"Never ask for what you cannot give" This is my very own version of the golden rule.  In this time and age where material possesions have become the measure of a man's success, greed, selfishness and envy have become the main driver of every human dealings and decisions.  "Never ask for what you cannot give" does not focus on material things.  I will not ask for money if I have money to give in the first place.  Look beyond the material world and focus into what matters most -- the abstract, intangible things that make us human.  I am talking about respect, love, faith, kindness, passion, dedication, tolerance, and the list goes on. So the next time you ask a friend for kindness, or an enemy for forgiveness,  pause and ask yourself first before letting those words out... "Have I given enough of what I am about to ask for?" Never ask for what you cannot give and you will never go wrong.
Post a Comment
Read more

History: The Battle of Bataan

These are the writings on the wall of the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor) in Mt. Samat, Pilar, Bataan - a monument built to remember and to celebrate the resilience of the human spirit.  Reading through the inscriptions sent chills to my bones.  It makes me proud to be a Filipino, even more so being a Bataenyo (a native of Bataan).  Let this be a reminder to us all, of the valor and the glory of our roots.  We shall not forget...  "Our mission is to remember."   Photo by Irwin Richard Dizon The Battle of Bataan On this ground gallant men chose to die than surrender. From all corners of the Philippines they came, youthful and brave, to make their last stand in Bataan against an implacable enemy which had marched through Asia. What transpired was a ferocious combat between raw, ill-equipped recruits against seasoned, well-armed troops.
Post a Comment
Read more