Leadership Principles I've Learnt (Part I)

Today I'm home, second day of my vacation leave with without pay. Tomorrow is my anniversary with the company where I'm working for. It's been 365 days (if my computation is correct) that I'm working for this job and I'm enjoying it because I'm growing and I'm able to impart my knowledge and skills 'cause here's where I'm good at. Why would I work for something I'm not good at? Tiger Woods was not very skillful at first when it comes to playing golf, but it's something he likes to do, something he's passionate about, something that fulfills him, completes him. Although he was not good at it "at first", knowing that he loves this game, he worked on it... He knows that playing golf is not his weakness. He knows that if he'll practice and discipline himself, he knows that he'll be good at it. So, he persevered... until he won four major golf tournaments at 24 this year 2000 and the rest is history!

This was what John Maxwell emphasized during the seminar. Do something that you're good at and you'll excel. Do something you're not good at and you'll just be an average.

So, if you're passionate about something, if it's something that you enjoy doing, then do it. Don't just sit there and do nothing. Do something.

Are you working for something you're not fond of doing? Then resign! Don't spend waste your time nibbling a donut that tastes like "monay". Nibble means to take small quick bites. Imagine nibbling a food you hate! Are you really enjoying what you're eating? Are you eating just to fill your stomach? Or are you eating because you know that it tastes good and that it'll make you even healthier? Are you working just to occupy your time? Or are you working for something that completes you, satisfies you and makes you even better? Think about it.

When I graduated in college, my first job was Customer Service Representative. It was a monotonous work and to be honest, I was cursing each night that was passing by. Night not day because it was a night shift. I was somehow good at this job because I'm somehow good at connecting to customers. Building rapport over the phone was not really tough for me because I love talking to people, but to be honest, there's something else that I love doing. Each night, upon going to work, I felt like I was going to hell! I fear when my alarm clock rings 'cause I knew that it's "Welcome Doom's Day" for me! I knew that it was another night to speak with difficult, difficult, difficult, angry customers. Literally ninety-nine percent of the calls were from irate customers. It was draining but I held on for 10 months in that job then I decided to resign.

Later that year, my best friend invited me to join her to Singapore for....another customer service job. She said the pay was high and there's a two-year contract. I thought about it and immediately I decided not to join her. I've already placed myself on a job that I like and even if I'm not earning as much as what I would earn in Singapore, I won't give up on this job just because of money. Money plus job you hate is equal to disaster! I won't be doing the same mistake I made before. So, confidently, I drafted my roadmap and plans.

Don't you know that those things that we love doing determines our purpose in life? It took two to three years "after" college for me to know what I love doing. It wasn't an instant grasp of the alphabet. It took yeeeeears and I'm glad I know now what I want and I'm indescribably happy where I am and where I am going.

I'm still not a guru in this field. I still have a "lot" to learn, a "lot" to absorb. The Englishman in the book "The Alchemist" said "It's only those who are persistent and willing to study things deeply who achieve the Master Work. I agree with what he said. If you want to be good at something, study about it, talk to successful people who are good at it. Connect and keep yourself motivated. If you get bored, do something else but stick to your action plan.

To be honest, there are times that I get bored studying in preparation for my certification. It gets boring when it's toooo much. When this happens, I try to read something else, do something else, then later on go back to where I paused. There, honestly, are also times when I was not in the mood to review because I don't feel good. However, everyone is going through the same hardship, it's just that we have different stories. So if everyone is undergoing this sort of problem or success barrier then it means that I'm not alone. And if I'm not alone, if I realize that there are people in the past who were able to make it, so why can't I?

"People are known not by how they act when they're in control, but by how they react when things are beyond their control. A positive, reassuring manner will produce better results" (Maxwell). It's not problem that destroys us. It's our attitude towards problems that does!

I hope I shared this insight well that some of your are able to relate. I just wanna share what I read and what I learned. So if you hate your job, resign! (hehe) Kidding aside, do what you're really good at and surely you'll excel!

He has just added me!

He has just approved my friend invite on Friendster! My heart skipped. My hands grew cold. He added me at exactly 9:49 PM. What keeps him awake at this very hour? Could he have any clue who I am? Is he interested about knowing me? Does he have any idea who I am? Hope not. I think I haven't disclosed a lot of information in this dummy Friendster.

Now you know that someone's thinking of you... has that smile crossed your face as well, Rowell?

Hihi :)

Personal Blog Completely Gone

My personal blog is completely gone. Not only is it being redirected to my new site, but its database was also replaced by the new one. In short, all my posts are gone. That's about it.

I just have to recreate my personal site and start from scratch. That's the way it is. I think email address is the culprit. There should be no similar email address for Wordpress blog, otherwise, the newly created site will overwrite the contents that are stored in the old one. That's just how the script translates the message to Wordpress. Too bad! There should've been a warning message!

POST DATED 20 MAY @ 10PM
** I'm reposting because I erased this

Tonight was supposed to be a night of short review for my cert. A 30-minute-review would suffice it! A 30-minute review is enough to croon myself to slumber tonight. Thirty minutes of review... and I'm losing it over the loss of my personal blog.

It was alive yesterday, breathing, full of life! Photos that inevitably smear smiles on my face is replaced by my new work-in-progress (or under-developed) site. How could that be? What happened? It was just there yesterday but now... it's gone!

You see, I got many, many, many, many, many blogs! And when I say "many" five times, it's not just more than two, but exceedingly more than 3, 4, 5, 6, so on, so forth. Blogs that I maintain apart from Multiply is toot and toot. And the rest? Don't ask, 'cause somewhere out there they're scattered. Just like the stars that shine across the dark, dark sky! (hehe..)

Yesterday, I managed to build a new site. I actually slept past midnight just to modify its CSS. Next thing I know, which is tonight, my very own personal blog "evaNonsense" is being redirected to the new site I built :(

I need evaNonsense because it's not just a personal blog, but it's a very, very, very, soooper, personal blog. It's the most treasured blog I have at present. It's where I vent anything I'm not confident about sharing with anyone - well, just like this post! I just don't have evaNonsense so I got nowhere to post this stuff and if evaNonsense is here, then I wouldn't write this silly, utterly nonsensical echoes of my soul. (huhuhu).

I sent an email to my webhost to clarify this matter. In less than 10 minutes, would you believe it, I heard a reply from them despite the fact that I got their service for free! Galing galing! They explained that it's not them who are redirecting my site, but the scripts on my page.

Yeah, the culprit is the script, probably because I used the same email for my admin account in the new blog against my old one. So tonight, I'm downloading the files from my server to locate the redirection.

This is going to be quite tedious. How long will this download take? Had I exported the XML file of my posts yesterday, then I wouldn't have been spending my time downloading the whole site tonight only to meticulously locate the mysterious code.

It's gonna be a tedious process.

Lesson here is... "Back up! Back up! Back up," 'cause you don't know when crashes hit a sleepy head!"

Burying Butterflies Alive

When I was four years old, I used to bury butterflies alive. Do you see those tiny butterflies spreading their wings in your garden whose colors range from yellow to white? They were my prey when I was only four. My accomplice was my sister who was a year and three months younger than me.

Our conquest would begin after we took a bath, right before lunch time. It was a boring morning so we had to think of something that would satisfy our fancies -- and that was running after those insects in our backyard. If butterflies were freely spreading their wings in the air, I was on the other hand, liberately clasping my hands my hands in the air to bring them to the grave.

When a poor, tiny butterfly got trapped in my palm, I would ask NINGANING to dig the ground using her small hands. If we thought that the hole was enough for the tiny insect to rest, I would hastily put the butterfly into the ground, then NINGANING would help me put the soil over the innocent insect.

After an hour, after we had taken our lunch, we would return to the grave and check if the butterfly was still there. To our surprise, it was nowhere in sight. Disappointed, we would launch another conquest -- to bury another innocent butterfly alive!

When God Made You (lyrics)

My officemate Coy made me listen to this song 2 months ago.  Then, I found myself playing this song today.  Check the lyrics! What could God be thinking when He made you?  He could've been thinking about me :)  

Its always been a mystery to me, 
How two hearts can come together, 
And love can last forever. 
But now that I have found you I believe, 
That a miracle has come when God sends the perfect one. 
So gone are all my questions about why, 
And i've never been so sure of anything in my life

~chorus~

Oh I wonder what God was thinking,when he created you.
I wonder if He knew everything I would need, 
Because he made all my dreams come true. 
When God made you, He must have been thinking about me.

(Girls)

Ooo ooo,I promise that wherever you may go, wherever life may lead you, 
With all my heart I'll be there too. 
And from this moment on I want you to know, 
I'll let nothing come between us, and I will love the ones you love. 
(guy):So gone are all my questions about why (girl echoes):about why

Duet:Oh I wonder what God was thinking when he created you, 
I wonder if He knew everythin I would need, 
Because He made all my dreams come true. 
When God made you He must've been thinking about me.

Bridge

He made the sun He made the moon, 
To harmonize a perfect tune, 
One can't do without the other they just have to be together. 
And that is how I know its true, 
Your for me and i'm for you and my world 
Just cant be right without you in my life

Chorus

(guy) He must have heard every prayer I've been praying (girl echo) 
I've been praying (both)He must've knew everything I would need

When God made you, He must've been thinking about me.

Wedding Invitation

Good morning Sunday!

It’s sharply 7 o’clock in the morning and I haven’t washed my oily face, yet. I checked Ver’s Flickr account and I’m all the more inspired to pursue photography as my other hobby.

Back in 3rd year college, I had taken photography class and was physically burdened by its weight. It was an antique Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera which Tito Joe, my uncle in mother’s side, had owned since the birth of his first born with Tita Myrna.

Wait as I upload the photos in Flickr, but first, I need to invest for a dSLR camera.

Wedding invitation without my name on it

I thought I was the Emcee. I received this wedding invitation from a friend and there was no space provided for the Emcee. My boyfriend’s mom even confirmed that I’ll host the wedding in January after she attended the meeting yesterday.

The bride had spoken with me in Friendster a few months ago to inform me about her wedding and my task on her special day. After few months, here’s the invitation… without my name on it!

How would you feel if you’re invited to a wedding as a host without your name on it? Would you attend the wedding? I won’t.

Not as Expected

I miss posting a "little something" here in my Multiply Blog. My write-ups have scattered across my blog and there's no contiguity in it. Anything I've written a few months ago has transformed itself into reality. There are also a few things that automatically mended itself into something I never expected to happen.

I need something to vent to. Much likely not a human being who typically gets exhausted when listening to repetitive whines and questions. There's something missing in my life. I got the job that I wanted. It's one job that has paved way to increasing my knowledge in web technology. This is what I always wanted. However, something, seems to block the flow of goodness in my path. I choose not to discuss this further inasmuch as I'd like to vent. There are just some things that I have to keep within myself.

There are many plans that will change by January 2008. I'll be leaving my job in three months time. I have to do this to find greater time to manage the family business that will begin by November. It's gonna be two weeks from now.

Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Originally written by the theologian Reinhold Niebhur in 1930's or early 1940s, this is the exact phrase that can express how I feel. Am I to allow myself to be taken by the flow, or should I go against it and bear the consequences of my own decision.

It takes a lot of boldness to go against it. I don't think I have enough boldness. Moreover, part of me tells me that I can still get something out of pursuing this business. This is what I also wanted, right? So, what's the fuzz? I'm just a bit confused, maybe...

The Remedy

I saw fireworks from the freeway
And behind closed eyes I cannot make them go away
'Cause you were born on the fourth of july, freedom ring
Now something on the surface it stings
I said something on the surface
Well it kind of makes me nervous
Who says that you deserve this
And what kind of god would serve this?
We will cure this dirty old disease
If you've got the poison I've got the remedy


The remedy is the experience.
This is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that it's serious.
This is a strange enough new play on words
I say the tragedy is how you're gonna spend
The rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends
When it all amounts to nothing in the end.


I won't worry my life away.

I won't worry my life away.


I heard two men talking on the radio
In a cross fire kind of reality show
Uncovering the ways to plan the next big attack
They were counting down the ways to stab
The brother in the be right back after this
The unavoidable kiss, where the minty fresh
Death breath is sure to outlast this catastrophy
Dance with me, because if you've got the poison,
I've got the remedy

The remedy is the experience.
This is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that it's serious.
This is a strange enough new play on words
I say the tragedy is how you're gonna spend
The rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends
When it all amounts to nothing in the end.


I won't worry my life away.

I won't worry my life away.


When I fall in love I take my time
There's no need to hurry when I'm making up my mind
You can turn off the sun but I'm still gonna shine and I'll tell you why

Because

The remedy is the experience.
This is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that it's serious.
This is a strange enough new play on words
I say the tragedy is how you're gonna spend
The rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends
When it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I won't worry my life away.

I won't worry my life away.

I won't and I won't and I won't