Towards the End…

And so, life is indeed short...
Nothing lasts,
No, not even laughter,
Nor tears.

No person is so strong
Life can't bend.
No person is so great
Death can't humble.

For though, his sharp sickle
Is a hungry fang,
At the end, death is a friend,
and the disease is a cure unveiled.

Burdened no more;
The whining, weary nerves
And tired bones
Are now at rest.

Ahhh, you may not have heard
The final breath
Pained, so it seemed;
T'was a whisper of relieved  gratefulness.

Yes, only love lasts.
Memories. Memories of the
faces that smiled.
Memories of giggles that echoed.

Live, laugh and smile a lot,
Don't fear death,
Nor be afraid to live.
Risk, love, forgive, embrace...

Welcome to life...

Pitsikurno and The Brotherhood

My first fraternity recruitment was when I was in grade 6. Yes, you read it right 'grade six.' A group of out of school youth addicts infiltrated our breakdance group.  I asked what they could do for us. They said they could protect us and hit our enemies.
As a sampling, they sent two big boys to accompany Mat in hitting his supposed enemy. I was so uncomfortable. First, I did not even know the guy they're supposed to hit; second, I knew it was wrong. But while I weighted on these things in my head, things were fast unfolding around me: we’re on our way to the target.
It was around 9 am. I saw Mat talking to the kid in the middle of the playground, all of the sudden he hit him with a 'pitsikurno' down the ribs. The kid crouched in pain. Mat was delighted with what he did. Then the kid ran back to his classroom and came out with a slingshot. It was then that Mat ran and shouted at us, 'run!'
And so we ran. Mat, Ruben, Noah and I ran around and went back to our classroom as if nothing happened. The two big frat kids ran. They ran home.
At around 12 pm, the students and teachers started going home for lunch. Then little by little, we saw from the windows, packs of bigger kids swarming towards our classroom... with mixed excitement and fury. I estimated nearly fifty mix-sized warriors. With fire in their eyes, they came for a revenge.
The teary Mat was ready with his pitsikurno. Ruben picked up a shovel. Noah got a metal dust pan. Me, I held my back pack with a stiletto inside. But I was calmer than the rest then. I was confident I was not the target. They didn't know me.
The tension was high. Mat was already murmuring the name of his father. Ruben was rocking back and forth. Noah was shooting his blame speech to the group, nagging each one of us. I ... was looking for a way out.
Outside, by 12:30pm, their leader shouted the battle cry. Inside, Mat’s murmur was now a loud cry of mixed fear and anger. While, they were advancing, I was looking through a whole in the closed window, towards the principal's office. I saw some of our lady classmates parading... with a teacher. Ahhhh, I was relieved.
With his office overflowing with juvenile and troublesome visitors, the principal conducted his short investigation, and a common sermon. We're all made to promise not to engage in trouble again.
I thanked our heroines. I thanked God for saving us from unnecessary pain and trouble. I thank God that those frat kids did not come back anymore...  We were saved from a wrong kind of brotherhood.

The Fangs of Generation ‘L’

 

It’s always nice to belong to a great generation.

My favorite is generation X (Born: 1966-1976). That's my generation. Some of you might belong to generation Y (Born: 1977-1994), generation Z (Born: 1995-2012).

Each generation has its strengths and weaknesses, and each generation is a gem to society. In short, these generations are great generations. Know, embrace and contribute to your generation. -- But please, whichever you belong, don't belong to GENERATION L.

Generation L stretches its DNA in all generations. It carries with it a signature of failures, bitterness and a curse. People who belong to this generation easily quit. They have no clear vision of what they want to be.

They're by nature skeptics, who doubt the reasonability of logic, but easily swayed by lukewarm advice from persuasive emotional quack advisers and pastors. Their mantra is "there's nothing right in this world."

Gen L is a people who listen only to their own voices. Their arguments are infallible and loud outside the meeting rooms, but they’re silent inside the board room. Their complaints echo from the morning until sunset. Their emotions control them. The most important thing in the world is the opinion of other people about them. And the hardest thing they could do is to say, “sorry.”

Generation L is the generation of losers. They are in your neighborhood, in your weekend clubs, workplaces, schools and even in your family. And they have a mission: to make you one of them.

***Next: The Grit of Generation ‘E’

10 Powerful and Time-tested Tips on How to Escape Investing for Your Future

1. Tell yourself, ‘There’s always tomorrow.’
2. Let your employer decide for your future.
3. Believe that rich people are thieves, and being poor is noble.
4. Let your children carry the burden of your old age.
5. Just put your money in the bank with 1-3 % p.a. interest.
6. Keep impressing your friends: buy things you don’t need.
7. Don't study nor attend anything pertaining to financial matters.
8. Stay as an employee forever and let your children do the same.
9. Don't believe in your country's economic growth.
10. Run away from Financial Advisors, simply consult your friends regarding money matters.

Attitude, attitude, attitude!

 

“Assume until you become...”

Smile, Hormones and Money

That’s it! This is what we call mind control.
Imagine that in the brain of every person, there are buttons. And each button corresponds to each action or reaction. Now, these buttons can be pushed through by the use of our senses. So, the eyes, for example, when they see a smile from others, the brain naturally pushes the button which is called ‘endorphin’ button. Once activated, your glands flood your brain with ‘happy hormones’ which will make the person feel good, and eventually smile back at someone.
And not only that, it will eventually lower their defenses, releases their tension and become hopeful. Now, turning this information into money, I say, smile FIRST before you offer your product to your clients. If they smile back, you’re more than halfway to your closing the deal.

Happy selling.

Poor Migrant Workers - Filipino version

English version – click here.

Isa sa mga shockers ko ng pumunta ako ng Europa ay ng makasalubong ko ang isang matandang babae na mahigit ng 27 anyos sa Roma. Sya’y humihingi ng 5euro para sa pagkain nya.

Baguhan palang ako noon sa Roma, ang isip ko'y litong-lito. Nang tinanong ko si ate kung ano ang nangyari sa pera nya, sabi nya nandon daw lahat sa mga ‘tinutulongan’ nya. Ngayon, hindi sya makauwi dahil ang bahay nya ay tinitirhan ng mga anak nya at mga pamilya nito na hirap parin sa buhay. Wala narin syang pambili ng ticket. “Ang akala ko, tuloy tuloy lang trabaho ko. Tatlong amo ko na ang namatay, at ngayon wala akong halos matirahan.” Paiyak na kwento sa kin ni ate.

Marami na rin syang sinalihan na networking sa Italya, at sa ngayon, puro bote ng capsula ang pinakita at mahaba na listahan ng downline nya. Ang pangakong biglang yaman, wala. May pinakita rin syang mga resibo ng binayaran nyang condo, at hindi naman natapos dahil sa biglang pagkawala ng trabaho nito.

Nang umikot ako sa ibang parte ng Europa, katulad ng Belgium, Holland at France, halos pareho-pareho ang estorya: stressed sa unrealistic na demand ng pamilya sa Pinas, luhod sa trabaho, walang totoong investment para sa sarili. – Nagugulat nalang sila, palubog na pala ang araw para sa kanila.

Ng umuwi ako ng Pinas, katulad ng ibang OFW, wala akong dalang sako-sakong pera, pero may dala akong dalawang kayamanan na higit pa sa kayamanan na hindi kayang pantayan ng euro at pasta: Ang yaman ng katotohan sa likod ng magarbong posts sa FB ng mga OFW’s, at isa sa mga totoo at tapat na solusyon ng kahirapan, na isa-isa kong nang inilathala sa website na ito.

Related posts:
The Hanakyl Circle
Your Virtual Wealth Container
God’s Financial Managers