Monday, May 31, 2010

Listen

In Stephen Covey's book entitled Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, an effective person is someone who knows how to listen to what others are saying.  It is greatly emphasized on Habit No.5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.  I have never read a book that says a good leader need not be a good listener.  I was also never educated that communication only involves a speaker.  

Why am I greatly concerned about listening?

I remember one story about a young boy who seeks attention from his mother.  He would do crazy stuffs--from bullying his younger sister to frequenting the school counselor's office just to get his mother's attention.  One day, he intentionally got into trouble again by bullying one of his classmates.  His mother furiously went to the counselor's office to talk about his troubled child.  While sitting silently at the corner while his mother apologizes for his behavior, he muttered "Mom, I am sorry and I love you."  The mother said, "Shut up, I am trying to convince your counselor that you are a good boy! Do not say anything unless I tell you to say something."

The mother and child went home, the boy didn't speak of anything after the scolding.  He didn't say a word to his mother when he got up, after he ate his cereals and when we went to school.  The mother was pleased that at last his child is behaving according to her will.  The afternoon passed without a phone call from school.  The mother waited for the boy to come home, she waited and waited for hours but still his little boy didn't come.  She got worried and called the school to ask but no one had seen his son.  "Could it be he didn't go to school today?", an angry thought occurred to her.  "Where could he possibly be?', she asks herself.  She called the local police station about her missing son and she was instructed just to wait and they will look for the boy.  It is already ten in the evening but still his son isn't home.  She went to his son's room to look for clues of his whereabouts and on his desk he found a note that says:

"Mom, I am sorry and I love you.  I am sorry that I didn't tell you my plans because you told me not to say a word unless you tell me to say so.  For a long time I have been trying to get your attention because I thought you would listen to me but yesterday confirmed that you will not.  Please do not be angry with me.  I am thinking of being with Gramps now because he always listens to me even if I say the silliest things.  Do not be sad, I will tell Gramps to listen to you if he asks you what took me to him."

The note felt like a spear piercing his heart.  For the first time in a long time, she couldn't say a word.  She heard a hard knock on her front door, she hurriedly went down to see and hoping that when she opens the door it would be his son.  Instead of his son, a police officer stood in front of the door and said, "Ma'am, I think we've seen him.  We found him unconsciously lying on the river bank, we tried to save him but we're too late."

Why am I concerned about listening?

I just feel like saying a lot of things but I was told not to speak because it was assumed that what I will say isn't something worth listening to (in view of my intended listener who happens to be a self proclaimed great leader).  I will not claim my own life because of this leader, just to be clear.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Live Your Life to the Fullest

I received this email from my mom, she never fails to forward me inspirational emails and this one is something that made me stop and think for a while about life.  


What if there isn't anymore?

 
One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore". No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say"I love you."

So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage.....And old cars... And children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special.. And so, we keep them close!

I received this from someone who thought I was a 'keeper'! Then I sent it to the people I think of in the same way... Now it's your turn to send this to all those people who are "keepers" in your life, including the person who sent it, if you feel that way. Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?

I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said.

Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile
 can do. And just in case I'm gone tomorrow.

This email reminded me of my dream the other night.

World No Tobacco Day


Today, May 31, we celebrate World No Tobacco Day to stress the harmful effects of tobacco in our body and to raise awareness of the alarming increasing number of female smokers in the world.  

The first World No Tobacco Day was celebrated on May 31, 1998 pursuant to World Health Assembly resolutions.

Former President of the Philippines, Fidel V. Ramos challenged the President-Elect Benigno C. Aquino III to give up smoking the moment he takes oath to set example to young Filipinos who look up to him.  I hope he will take this challenge positively.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Where The Wind Blows

I got curious if there is a song that is entitled Where The Wind Blows and guess what???  There is, and it was sung by Seven Little Sisters, a folk band in the UK.  I haven't heard of the band but here is their song.


My Guilty Pleasure


My favorite McDonald's meal and my ultimate guilty pleasure... quarter pounder with cheese, fries, really cold soda and McFlurry oreo.  I don't mind all the packed calories of the meal that will be transferred to my body, I don't eat this often anyway.  I am not a fast food junkie, I just order whenever I got out which happens once in a blue moon.

Believe it or not, I love to cook and I prefer home cooked meals versus what you can buy in fast food chains or restaurants.  I am not the best cook in town but I know some dishes that I learned from my grandmother who is an expert in the kitchen.  Just thinking about her dishes makes me hungry. Yummy!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Changing the Name

You're still on Social Vibe but I changed the name to Where The Wind Blows because I found out that the former name of this blog is actually a non-profit organization.  In due respect to the people behind the organization, I will not use their name.  So, from now on and until forever, this blog is officially Where The Wind Blows... the background fits perfectly to my chosen name.

Thank you for dropping by and I hope to see you more often here.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Hoping for A Better World

I have high regards for philanthropists and all other people who take time to do volunteer works for the community.  I could not imagine the world without these people.  It simply shows that in each one of us there is this little place called kindness that is yet to be discovered by many.  

I just got home from a seminar and I was privileged to talk about the 7 essential values that employees should have (at least in our company)--respect, honesty, trustworthiness, commitment, loyalty, discipline and solidarity.  I intended my discussion to be light because I know that these values are already there, they just need to be polished a bit.  I put emphasis on discipline because it is the bridge towards goals and accomplishments.  To emphasize the value, I shared a story that really happened about a year ago when a mayor stopped a private vehicle and asked the driver to pick up the bushel that a child threw from the inside of their car.  The mayor strictly implements cleanliness in their town and seeing people actually offending the law isn't something that should be ignored.  The town is now considered one of the cleanest in Luzon.

About two years ago, after receiving a bunch of letters from Smile Train, we finally became their partner in providing free cleft lip and palate operations for poor children.  I am honored to be one of the coordinators of the program and the feeling of seeing those poor children smile after their successful operation is just overwhelming.  It is just a smile but for them it meant changing their life forever.

Rafe Totengco, designer of Rafe handbags paid homage to the Philippines' indigenous materials and craftsmanship by showcasing bags made of tinalak--a kind of fabric carefully weaved by the T'boli tribe of South Cotabato.

Do you ever ask yourself when was the last time you did something good for someone you didn't know? 

Enough of the crazy non-sense wars and revolutions... what we need is kindness revolution and socially responsible citizens of the world.  My friends say that I am too idealist, my ideals will not happen they say, but  there's nothing wrong with hoping that someday, somehow, it will happen.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Dissecting Mischa Barton

Photo courtesy of mystyle.com

Poor Mischa!  I wonder what happened to this once stylish girl.  Her style is beyond words.  In this photo she looks like she's about to attend the a goth wedding.  Her girls are screaming for help while her feet are wishing for space and air.  She's working the stance but overall, she looks like a mess.  I hope she returns back to her fashion sanity as soon as possible because she is pretty and talented.

A Little Self Advertisement

I mentioned in my very apologetic statement that I have four other blogs, well, here are those.  Please take a peek and let me prove that I have come a long way, relatively, in terms of blogging.

Func-SHOE-nality
Bag Beggar
Sparkling Mode
Random Thoughts

My Apologies

My apologies for letting this blog rot in my dashboard for 3 months... I have had so many things going on and four other blogs to update that I unintentionally neglected this blog.  I take a look at it from time to time, though, and I even changed its layout so I guess I deserve forgiveness.

I promise to update this at least once a week.  I am keeping my fingers crossed, too.
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