These past couple of days, I’ve been trying to build a morning routine, which consists of a simple set of activities. I put the morning routine on Trello, one of the new productivity apps I’m crazy about. I can write a lot about Trello or about this morning routine, but let’s reserve that for future posts, shall we?

What I’d like to highlight, though, is the bits on Meditation and writing on my journal. Keeping silent and meditating for 5-10 minutes daily had been helpful so far. It’s helping me be more focused and mindful of the things I need to do. Couple that with the practice of writing on a journal and I become better at thinking through my goals, my frustrations, and even the source of my frustrations and personal issues.

It’s also helping me be more vulnerable.

Vulnerability. It’s a scary word. And when I try it, even on the pages of my journal, I run into a blank, thick wall inside my mind. The words won’t flow and I hesitate to proceed. I have a suspicion where this hesitation comes from.

You see, I am a Preachers’ Kid (PK). Both of my parents are pastors in our denomination. Growing up as a PK, most people look at us and expect to see a halo over our heads and wings folded behind our backs. That is to say, that they expect us to display the BEST behavior ALWAYS! It’s as if we don’t have any right at all to do what normal kids do–get naughty and boisterous.

With that setting, I learned to always put my best foot forward, burying my flaws, while fearing that when people discover my deepest, darkest, secrets, people will shun me and they will blame my parents for being bad pastors and parents.

I’m doing way better now. I have come to terms with my PK upbringing, but every now and then the fear to be vulnerable rears its ugly head and I tend to erect my barriers quickly.

Then, I heard about Brene Brown’s TED Talk while listening to the On Being Podcast with Krista Tippett. “Courage is borne out of vulnerability, not strength.”

Here’s the TED Talk of Brene Brown where she talks about the importance of vulnerability.

That is such a powerful affirmation for a writer. To get a story, an anecdote, and simple thoughts on paper, we risk vulnerability. We risk being misunderstood. We risk being judged. The cynical me could always say “I’m used to that!” In lighter moments, I could also say “I have a reputation to keep”, you know, being suplado and all that. But even while saying that, the hesitation to write, to be vulnerable is always there.

Being vulnerable is definitely difficult, but the path to courage lies there. This is the reason why I’m reviving this blog so I could post more personal rants and reflections beyond the stuff I usually write in my books and at PinoyYuppie.com and PinoyYouth.org

About the Book

Super dami nang bagong technology sa ating panahon. Lalong dumarami ang mga nagko-connect sa Internet, super dami ring tila hindi magsu-survive sa maghapon kung hindi makapag-Facebook.

Maraming potentials at possibilities na binubuksan ang mga technologies na ito. Kaya lang, may mga pitfalls din. How can we maximize the potentials and avoid the pitfalls of these technologies? Paano ba natin gagawing naka-sync ang ating online life at offline life? These are the topics covered by Kuya Mighty’s latest book: “Get a Life… Online: Tips and Tricks Para sa Hardcore na Netizen.”

Chapters

Introduction

Part 1: Your Powerful Fingertips, Literally

1. There’s an App for That
2. The Art of Being Social
3. Ilabas ang Hidden Talent
4. Raket Machine
5. #SocialGood

Part 2:The Waves of the Web: Lulubog ka Ba?

6. Distracted. Disconnected
7. Maximum Overload
8. Private Browsing?
9. Cyberbullying
10. Big Brother is Watching You

Part 3: Sync or Sink

11. Refresh. Restart.
12. Faith Unplugged

Epilogue: Isang Invitation

About the Author

Mighty C. Rasing is the Program Development Director for the Central Conferences of Young People’s Ministries, the global youth ministry agency of the United Methodist Church. Husband to Charina and Tatay to Malcolm. In 2006, Mighty resigned from a budding career in the BPO industry to serve as the National President of the United Methodist Youth Fellowship in the Philippines. He is a blogger and a New Media practitioner. On his spare time, he writes Ilocano poetry and short stories. He blogs at AMightyLife.me. Check out his author website at http://MightyRasing.com

Grab Your Copy Now

“Get a Life… Online: Tips and Tricks para sa Hardcore na Netizen” is coming soon to a bookstore near you.

“Get a Life… Online” is published by:

Last August, my wife, son, and I moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. We came from the Philippines, halfway around the world–from the land of delicious and sweet dried mangoes, of beautiful beaches, and hospitable people.

It’s hot, and the traffic is really bad, and although more than 20 typhoons pass by every year, it is still home. It is where I grew up and learn how to interact with my world.

Both of my parents are pastors in the United Methodist Church. That probably explains why they gave me the name Mighty. Since they are both pastors, I have lots and lots of memories of moving from one place to another: from the seminary in Cavite, which is about 40 kilometers away from Manila, we traveled for 9-10 hours at night to move to the Northern part of the Luzon island; packing boxes, helping my parents put books, clothes, and other things into containers. After several moves, I have several boxes that I just did not open: we just moved them from one place to another.

In all of those moving, church members helped us pack our things, they even went with us to the new church and parsonage. Some members gave us parting gifts and foods. And when we arrived at the new church and parsonage, the members were eager to welcome us, helping us unload and arrange our new home, and they all made us feel part of their community.

We probably moved to around 15-20 houses in the past 4 decades. So I know what it is like to not have our own house. I was 29 when my father brought and built our own family house. I no longer lived with them, but at least, I have place to store all those unopened boxes. I suppose that in the Philippines and in a lot of places around the world, having your own house is a big sign of stability.

In the pursuit of this stability and abundance, many Filipinos look for opportunities all around the world. Filipinos have become the nannies of many Chinese kids in Hong Kong, in Malaysia, and even in royal households in the Middle East. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Filipino engineers and carpenters built up most of Dubai and the big cities in the Middle East. I was in Zambia for the Africa Young Leaders Summit organized by Young People’s Ministries, and guess what, I saw two Filipinos there who were working as miners.

There are a little over 100 Million Filipinos. About 12 million of that number is in Metro Manila. But another 12 Million are scattered all over the world. They leave their children, husbands, wives, and parents to work abroad so they could provide for their families. They are looking for the proverbial “green grass” — and in their minds, the sacrifice they do now will help build up their family in the future.

It’s amazing how a place, a culture, and a faith perspective shape our view of the world.

My wife and I did not really plan to leave the country for employment purposes. But for some reasons, God led me to take on a bigger role in the Young People’s Ministries Staff. So we had to move to Nashville.

I found myself as an unlikely Overseas Filipino Worker based in the United States, uprooted from where we used to be, and now learning to live in a new society with different cultures, different rules, and a different way of life.

Just to give you a taste of what we have been learning and adjusting to the past month or so. I have learned how to have an automated car wash where you give your card or use coins to get your car washed automatically. I even took a video while the machine was washing my car.

The evening before my flight to Germany, my wife, son, and I went to KFC near our apartment, and we discovered that the chicken tastes the same as in the Philippines, but the gravy for the chicken is not free! You have to pay 97 cents for a small bowl of gravy. Back in the Philippines, KFC gravy is free and you can get as much as you want. But, well, if you want SODA, that’s unlimited in most US fast food restaurants.

While travel in Manila could be hot and inconvenient, and you’ll encounter the horrendous traffic, you can go to your destination by using public transportation — bus, train, jeepneys, tricycles, and yes, people have bicycles with side cars who can take you where you want to go. But again, traffic is really bad, but you can get to your destination. In the United States, at least where I am right now, you cannot move around easily without a car.

When you move to another country, you need to learn again many things that you already take for granted in your own country. Your brothers and sisters, and parents are too far away. You have no close friends (yet) who can lend you help if you need it–whether it’s their advice, time, or money.

I was not without help because the YPM Staff members and friends helped us out a lot–some gave us things we need–lamps, a sofa bed, dishes, and many more. It was like when I was a child and we moved to a new parsonage. There were the people of God called Methodists welcoming us, giving us what we need, and helping us adjust to our new situation.

So, with my own transition from the Philippines to the United States, I’ve been thinking about the transitions that many other people are going through right now. Those Overseas Filipino workers who could not find a job in our country and deciding to go abroad. But there’s an even worse and more difficult transitions being experienced by refugees: Those who are at the borders waiting for their chance to enter a different country. Their own countries are no longer safe for them and for their families. Those who are paying high prices just to board on tiny boats that was supposed to help them cross to a safer place. Those who are tired of the fighting, and those who just want to have a fresh start in life.

Yet, they have lost everything they own, and they are not welcome to the places where they intend to go.

It’s easy to be hospitable to one of us–those who belong to our family, to our family of faith, and to our friends, and loved ones. It is more difficult, and sometimes even painful to be hospitable to the stranger. the foreigner. the alien.

And if we look back at human history, we have not been very kind to the stranger. the foreigner. and the alien. In fact, we have a bloody history of conquest where the powerful killed or enslaved the stranger–the ones with a different color, or those who do not have the same language. Those that we could not understand.

In the Old Testament, when the Israelites were wandering in the desert, they were refugees, fleeing from enslavement, but still on the road to the Promised Land, they had been refused passage several times.

In Numbers 20:18-21, the Israelites asked Edom for permission to pass through their territory, but Edom’s answer was “You shall not pass!”

Again, in Numbers 21, we read of how the Israelites asked permission to go through the land of the Amorites. But Sihon, king of the Amorites, did not let them pass. But instead he mobilized his army to attack them.

21 Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon king of the Amorites:

22 “Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”

23 But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. He mustered his entire army and marched out into the wilderness against Israel. When he reached Jahaz, he fought with Israel. 24 Israel, however, put him to the sword and took over his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, but only as far as the Ammonites, because their border was fortified. 25 Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its surrounding settlements. 26 Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.

27 That is why the poets say:
“Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt;
let Sihon’s city be restored.
28 “Fire went out from Heshbon,
a blaze from the city of Sihon.
It consumed Ar of Moab,
the citizens of Arnon’s heights.
29 Woe to you, Moab!
You are destroyed, people of Chemosh!
He has given up his sons as fugitives
and his daughters as captives
to Sihon king of the Amorites.
30 “But we have overthrown them;
Heshbon’s dominion has been destroyed all the way to Dibon.
We have demolished them as far as Nophah, which extends to Medeba.”
31 So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.

It’s a good thing that no country’s military are attacking these refugees now (or at least, none that I’m aware of). But borders are closing, and this situation is creating a lot of problem in Europe right now. This is not the first refugee crisis in the world! It’s root cause is war. People are being scattered by the wars being fought in their countries — wars that are essentially the remnants and aftermaths of other wars in the past decades, or maybe the past century.

World War 2 created lots of refugees. In the late 1970s through the 1990s, about 2 Million Vietnamese people left their country, and they were called the boat people. Sometimes, a smaller number of peoples: a lot of them are indigenous peoples, can be displaced in their own residences because of mining, harassment by business aided by local militia and military.

However, this present refugee crisis in Europe is staggering! It is very difficult to think of solutions–both in the short term and in the long term. Economists, politicians, governments are calculating the cost…

and they don’t want to pay that cost!

And we, who observe it from a far, through our Facebook timelines, TV screens, and occasional newspaper reading can only sigh and ‘promise to pray’ if we can even do that.

For perspective, I offer simply this: an aerial photo of one of the Syrian refugee camps in Jordan. #refugeecrisis pic.twitter.com/wKJMW5a3yo

— Alex Andreou (@sturdyAlex) October 1, 2015

A lot of us, LIKE those pages, and SHARE those news stories of the refugees’ pitiful situation. But we are often helpless how to share our resources and reach out to the people who are suffering.

There is a cost. And it is HIGH. And sometimes, all we could do is count the cost for these millions of refugees. Just like the disciples when they were faced with the big challenge of feeding 5,000 people.

John 6:6-14

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

6 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”

6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

DOES THIS COMMENT FROM PHILIP SOUND FAMILIAR? Fill in the blanks: It would take __________ millions or billions to accept these people, feed them, and help them be integrated into our society.

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

I could imagine some of the disciples rolling their eyes, or they may have scoffed at the boy’s offering. Some of them might have been thinking: what good is that food? It’s too little, it might not even be enough for 2 disciples.

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

When we are faced with the staggering challenge of helping others, may we always remember that young boy–he probably was not good in Math as Philip was. He probably didn’t care that he only had five barley loaves and 2 small fish. But he cared enough to offer what he had. And Jesus met him there. Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated…

There is a miracle in the feeding of the 5,000. Some scholars say that the people actually brought food with them but were not willing to share their food with others. But maybe, that in itself is a miracle! When people share what they have, no matter how small, God can work wonders and meet the needs of many.

Naging familiar lang ako sa EDSA noong nag-umpisa na akong magtrabaho sa Makati bilang isang call center agent. Araw-araw, bumibiyahe ako mula sa Don Antonio Heights sa Quezon City papunta sa MRT Quezon Avenue station. Para lang makasakay, makikipila nang mahaba, pagpapawisan, kulang na lang makipagpalitan ng mukha sa mga kasabay kong pumapasok. Mas okay na yun kesa naman abutin nang siyam-siyam sa bus. Back then, mas manageable ang crowds ng MRT-3. Ngayon, parang laging Zombie Apocalypse ang level ng pila sa MRT stations tuwing rush hour. 23.8 kilometers lang ang EDSA pero parang napakahaba nito dahil na rin siguro sa katakot-takot na trapik. Kung isa kang young professional o office worker sa alinmang business district sa Metro Manila, mahirap iwasan ang EDSA.

Bilang mga young professionals, hindi lang naman highway ang EDSA, isa rin itong symbol o metaphor ng ating mga paglalakbay sa buhay. Isipin mo—sa Northern end nito, nandoon ang Monumento ni Andres Bonifacio. Kung mag-LRT ka mula sa Roosevelt Station papunta sa Caloocan o Manila, makikita mo si Bonifacio, matikas na nakatayo kasama ang mga barkada niyang nagsipunit ng kanilang sedula para magrebolusyon sa mga Kastila. Sa kabilang dulo naman, nandoon ang malaking globo at ang Mall of Asia. Kung gusto mong mag-shopping, kumain, at mamasyal sa tabing-dagat, puwedeng puwede! Sabi nga ng tagline ng SM: “We got it all for you.”

Kung susuriin natin, dalawang monumento ang nasa magkabilang dulo ng EDSA. Sa northern end, isang monumento para sa idealism at nationalism–pakikibaka para sa bayan. Sa kabilang dulo naman, isang monumento sa capitalism at consumerism. At bilang mga kabataang Pinoy na nag-aaral o nagtratrabaho, madalas ay nasa pagitan tayo ng dalawang monumentong ito.

In celebration of my upcoming 33rd birthday, I’m posting several reflections tungkol sa mga paglalakbay natin bilang mga kabataang professionals o yuppies sa EDSA ng ating buhay. Medyo corny pakinggan pero ang ang paglalakbay sa EDSA ay para ring paglalakbay sa buhay—you get stuck, naghihintay ka, minsan you’re down at minsan you’re riding high! Yes, #HugotPaMore!

Pagka-graduate pa lang natin sa College, punong-puno tayo ng idealism. Gusto nating baguhin ang mundo, gamitin ang ating mga talento at ang ating degree to make a difference. Kaya lang, we realize na out of the way pala ang idealism at hindi puwedeng mabuhay nang puro puso lang. Kailangan mong kumain, magbayad ng bills, gumimik paminsan-minsan, makipag-date, at maghanda para sa future. Ang nangyayari tuloy, we get caught up with work or sa pagtatayo ng business. Marami rin ang nag-aabroad para gumanda ang kinabukasan ng pamilya.

At sa paglalakbay na ito, maraming mga stopover at stations. Sometimes we go down habang papasok sa Cubao Ilalim o kaya sa Crossing Ilalim. Minsan naman puwede tayong umakyat sa Ortigas flyover. May mga times din na iikot tayo sa Magallanes Interchange dahil hindi tayo sigurado kung saan ba talaga tayo patungo. Maraming times din na maghihintay na lang tayo sa gitna ng trapik dahil wala ka namang magagawa kundi pahupain ang trapik at sumabay sa usad pagong na galaw ng traffic. Iwi-wish mo na lang na may hovercraft ka o kaya magkaroon ng superpowers para makalipad.

Through this series, pagkukuwentuhan natin ang mga joys, challenges, at mga issues na hinaharap ng maraming yuppies. Hindi lang ito tungkol sa career but rather it’s more about your lifestage. The years after your graduation are some of the best years of your life! In fact, the decade of your twenties is the best time to explore: ang daming potentials, daming puwedeng gawin, at maraming places to explore. Kaya lang, it can also be a painful time as you come to terms with yourself pati na rin iyong mga issues mo sa pagkakakilala mo sa iyong sarili. Thankfully, marami ka namang puwedeng makasama sa paglalakbay.

To make the most out of this series, I suggest keeping a journal. Maganda rin ma-track ang mga iniisip mo throughout your twenties. When you go back to your journal years from now, you will marvel at the changes na nangyari sa iyo.

At the end of every blog post, I will ask some questions, and will ask you to work on some stuff. It may take you some time. But don’t worry, kagaya ng maraming bagay sa iyong buhay. If you take the time, and make the effort, you will reap results.

You can also follow me on Twitter: @mightyrasing and on Facebook: http://facebook.com/mightycrasing. If you know somebody who will benefit from this series: a friend of yours na kaka-graduate pa lang sa college, trying to figure out kung anong gustong gawin sa buhay, or kahit na yung mga matagal nang graduate pero gusto lang mag-reflect sa mga direction sa buhay, SHARE this series of post sa kanila.

To give you a view of what we’ll cover, here’s the title of subsequent articles on this series:

Introduction [This post]
Monumento: Out of the Way ang Idealism
Cloverleaf: Entry Level
North EDSA: Ito Pala ang Rat Race
Timog Avenue: I Just Want to Have Some Fun!
Ortigas: Relihiyon, Rebolusyon
Boni-Guadalupe: Shifting Lanes
Ayala: Traffic sa Fast Lane
Magallanes: Divergent Roads
Pasay Rotonda: In Transit, It’s Complicated
EDSA Extension: Ito ba ang aking destinasyon?
Beyond EDSA: Ibang Daan, Ibang Destinasyon

Since naipatayo ang Roosevelt Station ng LRT-1, doon na ko lagi sumasakay everytime pupunta ako sa UN Avenue, sa Mall of Asia or parts of Caloocan, Pasay, and Manila. Mas convenient kasi. Nakakaupo ako, komportable at hindi kailangang makipagpalitan ng mukha sa dami ng mga pasahero. Iyan ang benefit ng pinakadulong train station. Every time din na sumasakay ako sa LRT1, nadadaanan ko lagi si Andres Bonifacio, kasama ang kanyang Band of Nameless Katipuneros.

Alongside Bonifacio, kinikilala rin nating bayani ang lumpo ngunit matalinong si Apolinario Mabini, ang femme fatale na si Gabriela Silang, ang mga manunulat na sina Lopez-Jaena at Marcelo del Pilar. Siempre, hindi mawawala sa list si Gen. Gregorio del Pilar dahil sa kanyang last stand sa Tirad Pass para lang mabigyan ng pagkakataong makatakas mula sa mga Amerikano si Gen. Aguinaldo.

Hindi lang naman si Bonifacio ang may monumento. Karamihan sa mga bayani ng ating bansa ay immortalized sa kanilang mga bantayog at sa mga history books na pinag-aaralan natin mula elementary hanggang College.

Pero isa si Bonifacio sa may pinakamaraming fans hanggang ngayon. Kung masusunod nga ang mga fans na ito eh, siya ang magiging National Hero at hindi si Jose Rizal. Sadly, na-cut short ang kanyang Revolutionary career dahil sa paghatol sa kanya ni Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Sabihin na nating wala siyang naipanalong battle against the Spaniards. Pero isa siyang master organizer: kasama siya sa founding members ng La Liga Filipina, ang organization na binuo ni Rizal.

Eventually, dahil naging impatient na siya para sa pagbabago sa lipunan, tinawag niya ang ilang mga kasama, pinunit nila ang kanilang sedula at inannounce ang pagkakatatag ng Katipunan. Armed revolution na!

Kaya lang kung gusto mong maging bayani, kailangan yata mamatay ka muna o di kaya magdusa ka muna. Remember yung term na “Bagong Bayani”? Inapply yan sa mga Overseas Filipino Workers na nagtitiis sa hirap sa ibang bansa para lamang may maipadalang pang-gastos ang mga mahal nila sa buhay dito sa Pilipinas.

Ang masaklap niyan, marami sa mga OFWs ang inaabuso at pinahihirapan ng kanilang mga amo sa ibang bansa. Actually, noong nag-uumpisa pa lang sumikat ang term na “Bagong Bayani”, isang OFW, si Flor Contemplacion, ang hinatulan ng pagkabitay sa Singapore. Although ginawaran ng parangal si Ms. Contemplacion, at ginawan pa ng pelikula ang buhay niya, hindi mapupunas ang sakit na dulot ng pagkamatay niya.

Kahit intimidating at nakakatakot maging bayani, natural na yata sa mga kabataan ang magkaroon ng idealism.

In fact, in recent history, nakikita natin na maraming mga young people (under 35 years old) ang nagkakaroon na ng big impact sa kanilang mundong ginagalawan. Ang mga students sa Tiananmen Square sa China na nagprotesta para sa democracy. Kahit na hundreds of thousands ang namatay noon, naipakita nila that young people have the power to act on what they believe is right.

Mas recent example iyong tinatawag na Arab Spring sa Middle East, where disgruntled young people used the power of Social Media and the Internet para tanggalin sa puwesto ang mga dictators at corrupt officials na nagpapahirap sa kanilang mga bansa. Of course, hindi naging happy ending lahat ng naganap after Arab Spring but it is still an indication of the energy and ability of young people to spark change.

Hindi lang naman sa pagiging activist at revolutionary naipapakita ang idealism. Marami na ring mga kabataan ang tumutulong sa mga nangangailangan through their outreach projects. Kabataan din ang nasa forefront ng technological breakthroughs sa Europe at sa America. Kahit sa Pilipinas, dumarami na rin ang mga kabataang gumagamit ng technology to help improve the lives of other people.

Bakit nga ba idealistic ang mga kabataan?

We dream of a better world.

Kumbaga, maraming kabataan ang hilaw pa sa karanasan. Sabi nga ng Greek philosopher na si Aristotle: “[Young people] have exalted notions because they have not yet been humbled by life or learned its necessary limitations.” Bilang kabataan, you do not have enough failures or victories yet, kaya puwedeng tratuhin ang iba’t ibang projects bilang mga experiment where you could learn important lessons in life. Dahil nakikita na rin natin ang mga big problems at deep needs ng mundo, we want to be part of the solution, gusto nating idedicate ang ating mga talents, skills and abilities sa mabuting paraan.

We want to live meaningful lives.

Ayaw nating maniwala na para lang sa sarili natin ang mga lessons na natututunan natin sa school. Rather, naniniwala tayo na may kakayahan tayo para sa pagbabago. Gusto nating ibalik sa bayan ang mga mabubuting bagay na natanggap din natin through our education and training.

Idealism could be an expression of following Christ.

Ang idealism ay isa ring expression ng pagsunod kay Christ. Ang pagiging Christian ay hindi lang naman tungkol sa pagsisimba tuwing linggo. It’s not just about attending Sunday School at Bible Study classes. At hindi rin lang ito tungkol sa pag-pray nang pagkahaba-haba. Rather, Jesus commanded to “love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

Matthew (chapter 25) also related one of the stories of Jesus kung saan nakaupo na sa Judgment Seat ang King. “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Jesus was referring to the people who fed the hungry, nagpainom sa mga nauuhaw, nagpakita ng hospitality, nagpamigay ng mga damit, at nag-aruga sa mga may sakit. Even Jesus was showing us ways to live out our idealism and our faith.

Although natural sa maraming kabataan ang idealism, consumerism is quickly creeping and becoming the dominant lifestyle of many young people. Since marami nang options ngayon for a career, mas madaling piliin ang career path na maraming perks, mataas ang suweldo, at masesecure ang future. Mahirap yata talagang i-pursue ang idealism dahil mahirap at minsan, puwedeng ma-burnout ka at bumitaw. Maybe that’s why maraming mga kabataang Pinoy ang hindi pinu-pursue ang kanilang youthful idealism.

Pursuing Idealism

But if you want to live out your idealism, not everybody will understand you, lalo na kung ang degree mo ay galing sa isang top college or university.

Kagaya na lang ng kuwento ni Sabrina Ongkiko. Graduate siya ng Ateneo de Manila University pero pinili niyang maging Public School teacher sa Culiat Elementary School sa Quezon City. Madalas daw siyang tanungin kung ano ba ang ginagawa niya sa isang public school when she could be earnings lots of money in a big company. Kung tutuusin, it was indeed a crazy decision! Madaling sabihin sa kanya na “sayang ang pinag-aralan mo.”

But she was undeterred. Ikinuwento niya ang kanyang karanasan sa isang TEDXTalk: “Yung mismong interview ko sa Division Office ng Dep-Ed, tinanong ako ng interviewer, tiningnan yung papel ko, sabi niya “O ang ganda ng credentials mo. O bakit hindi ka na l ang magturo sa private school o kaya ituloy mo iyong pagdo-doctor mo.” Parang ako “Maam, parang hindi yata ako tanggap,” di ba? Mismong iyong mga co-teachers ko nung una, sinasabihan ako na baka sayang lang yung oras ko sa Culiat Elementary School na makikita ko na mahirap magturo sa public school at lilipat din ako sa private. Parang lahat po sinasabi na mali yung desisyon ko.”

That’s idealism at work.

Kung ipupursue mo ang iyong youthful idealism, there is a price to be paid. Puwedeng hindi ka yumaman. Hindi ka maiintindihan ng mga parents mo at ng mga friends mo. Ang expectation kasi ng marami sa ating paligid: kailangan i-pursue ang material gain lalo na kung maganda ang college background mo.

Reality Bites

Just like Ms. Ongkiko, ako rin punong-puno ng idealism when I graduated from College. For some reasons, hindi pumasok sa isip ko noon ang pagpapayaman. All I thought, uuwi ako sa province namin sa Isabela at doon ako magse-serve. You know, para sa bayan. So two months after my graduation, nagreport ako sa aking first job as an English teacher sa High School at College Departments ng isang college sa Isabela.

It was a fun job at kahit paano, hindi naman namilipit ang dila ko sa pagtuturo. Teaching is such a noble profession at makikita mo talaga ang impact mo sa buhay ng mga students mo—hindi lang sa academics nila kundi pati na rin sa ibang aspekto ng kanilang development. Hanggang ngayon nga I am still in touch with some of my former students at kahit maikling panahon lang kami nagkasama, it still gives me pride na somehow I became a part of their journey. Kahit maliit ang suweldo ko, I managed to survive kasi tapat lang ng bahay namin iyong school. Hindi ako nagbabayad ng rent, pinapakain pa rin ako ng parents ko, at wala akong transportation cost.

But it didn’t work out.

A year after that, our family had to move back to our hometown, which is three towns away from the school. Nag-compute ako ng expenses. Nakupo, mauubos lang ang suweldo ko sa pamasahe at sa food expenses, kulang pa actually.

It was not a sustainable path.

Ayoko namang magaya sa ibang mga co-teachers ko noon na sa kaka-Cash Advance, wala nang natitira tuwing payday. Kung ako nga na single nakukulangan sa sahod, how much more yung mga teachers na may family? To make things worse, I also had to take up 18 units of Education and take the Licensure Examination for Teachers if I wanted to continue teaching. At my salary level, kahit pang-tuition at mga projects, di na kakayanin.

As much as I loved my teaching experience, I had to leave.

After resigning, I discovered na kapag Political Science major ka at hindi ka nag-Law o pumasok sa government service, you will need to be very creative pagdating sa klase ng trabaho na puwedeng applyan. So after resigning, I took the Civil Service exam. And I would like to brag to the whole world na 90.8 ang average ko sa Civil Service exam! Armed with that confidence, I applied to several government agencies in Cagayan, and to the Isabela State University. So I waited.

And waited.
And waited some more.

In our quiet town, nobody could hear the anxious screaming inside my head. Minsan nga hindi ko na lang pinapansin ang mga worries ko about my career and about my job applications. Buti na lang may Cable TV kami noon so I watched a lot of documentaries sa Discovery, mga pelikula sa HBO, at kahit nga Star Chinese movies, pinanonood ko eh. I mastered the art of reading sub-titles habang nanonood ng mga scenes sa movie.

Somehow, I found a way to channel my faith and my idealism. I got involved sa youth ministry ng aming church. Naging President ako ng United Methodist Youth Fellowship sa aming Annual Conference, which is composed of more than 100 churches in Isabela. At hayun, natuto rin ako ng mga raket just to supplement my income para hindi naman ako totally umaasa sa parents ko.

Pero still, self-doubts assailed me. Ano na ba dapat ang ginagawa ko? Should I hold out and wait for the calls na magsasabing tanggap na ako sa trabaho? Dapat na ba akong bumalik sa Manila to get a job?

The answer came not long after. Nag-usap kami ni Mama about family, my plans at siempre kung paano ako makakatulong sa family finances. She gently reminded me that I was a UP graduate. That I deserved something better than staying at home all day. By that time, mahigit six months na kong tambay sa bahay.

After namin mag-usap ni Mama, tinext ko ang ilang friends about potential employment sa Manila. That same week, I packed my bags, at bumili na rin ako ng bus ticket pabalik ng Manila.

Right after my graduation, I was so sure that I’d be in Isabela to make a difference, to change the world. I even said that I’m gonna put my UP training to good use and not for some mere “call center.” Malay ko bang kakainin ko rin ang mga words na iyon two years after.

I had to admit some kind of defeat. So much for idealism.

Habang paakyat ang bus na sinasakyan ko sa mga bundok ng Sta Fe sa Nueva Vizcaya, I realized na hindi pala puwedeng puro puso lang. Idealism should be tempered by reality.

Kinabukasan, pagkatapos ng ilang oras ng biyahe, nagising ako nang papalabas na ng NLEX ang bus. After a few minutes, nakita ko ulit ang familiar na Cloverleaf sa may Balintawak. Kitang kita rin ang mga road signs para sa iba’t ibang destinations. Diretso lang kung pupunta ka sa Manila. Turn right kung pupunta ka sa Monumento.

Interestingly, sa Monumento nag-uumpisa ang EDSA. Para bang isang reminder na idealism ang starting point ng ugat–ang highway– na nagdurugtong sa mga major cities ng Metro Manila. Sa totoo lang, bihira ako magpunta sa Monumento. Ni hindi ko nga yata ito nabisita ni minsan throughout my four years of College sa UP Diliman. At that moment na kababalik ko lang sa Manila from a failed ‘para sa bayan’ experiment sa aming probinsiya, out of the way ang Monumento para sa akin. I am going to the left, papunta sa Cubao at kung ano mang naghihintay sa next stage ng aking career at buhay.

* * * * * * * * * *

Your Turn

How about you? Do you have an experience in pursuing your idealism? Did it work? Was your experience similar to mine?

If you would do your own ‘para-sa-bayan’ experiment, how would you do it differently?

Super dami nang mga opportunities to do good in our world today. How would you pursue your idealism in this time and age?

If you came from any province in Northern Luzon, malamang dadaan ka sa North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). Mabilis kasi ang biyahe. Lalo na ngayon, dumarami ang mga Expressway projects ng government. Kung galing ka nga ng Baguio, thanks sa inter-connection ng TPLEX, SCTEX, at NLEX, within 4 hours nasa Manila ka na.

Ang problema, pagdating mo ng Manila, at nagkataong rush hour, mabagal pa rin ang usad ng mga sasakyan. At kung aakyat ka pa ng EDSA Southbound lane sa may Cloverleaf sa Balintawak, sasalubungin ka ng traffic. Napakaraming mga sasakyan—big and small—ang tila nag-uunahan sa inch-by-inch na pag-usad. Paano ba naman kasi, 2 lanes minsan ang occupied na parking space ng mga namimili sa Balintawak Market. Mabagal tuloy ang flow ng traffic sa natitirang lanes ng EDSA.

Mabilis lang ang four or five years sa College. Throughout College, may mga friends ka na, mas nakikilala mo ang sarili mo, and you’re starting to learn about your skills and your abilities. May mga times na para ka lang dumadaan sa Express Way, hindi mo napapansin ang mga oras, araw, at taong nagdaraan dahil super absorbed ka sa pag-aaral at may mga iba ka pang extra curricular activities.

Iyong iba naman, medyo natratraffic dahil sa iba’t ibang reasons—puwedeng kulang ang pang-tuition at nagiging working student; yung iba naman, may mga mistakes kaya kinailangang tumigil sa pag-aaral, still, yung iba ay tumitigil or nagshi-shift dahil hindi nila love ang course na kinuha nila and they’re searching for that course na in line sa passion nila.

Kahit naman na-traffic ka nang kaunti, ang mahalaga matapos mo ang pag-aaral mo. Yes, there are people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, at Mark Zuckerberg na mga college drop out pero naging sobrang yaman. But if you don’t have their skills and their vision, mas okay nang tapusin ang College.

Truth is, you may not have a job that’s related to your course once you start working. Ako nga, Political Science ang course, but I didn’t proceed to take up a Law degree. Wala rin ako sa government service. So you could say na hindi useful ang Political Science for me.

But I’m still thankful that I took it. Why? Because of the training in research, expressing myself through recitation, and getting to know friends from College. Pagka-graduate mo from College, you’ll surely miss a lot of things.

First off, siempre, you’ll miss your friends and classmates.

Masaya tumambay kasama ng barkada, magkulitan, at magtulungan sa mga assignments at mga pinagagawa sa klase. (Okay, kahit ayaw mong aminin, mami-miss mo rin yung pagko-CTRL+C sa sagot ng kaibigan mo sa mga questions na nagpasakit ng ulo mo!) Ang sabi nila, iba raw ang friendship na nadedevelop during High School.

Truth is, lalong iba iyong mga friendship na na-develop over College. You can help each other even after graduation at madalas, you can still laugh out loud sa mga kapalpakan at mga embarassing moments nyo nung College.

Scary Professors.

The scarier a prof, the more memorable they are! Iyon bang kapag naalala mo sila eh para ka pa ring kinakabahan. Sila iyong may mga mala-Medusa ang tingin. Iniiwasan mong makipagtinginan sa mata kapag may question for recitation at baka kapag natingnan ka eh you turn to stone right away!

Napaka-demanding din ng mga Terror Prof. Kahit iyong mga saksakan ng tamad na classmates mo, biglang nagsisipag. At kahit na parang lagi kang kinakabahan sa tuwing pagpasok mo sa klase niya, alam mo rin naman na marami kang natutunan. Of course, may mga teachers din naman tayo na sadyang mababait—parang mga 2nd Nanay at 2nd Tatay sa atin. Sila rin yung mga madaling lapitan kapag may mga problems tayo sa acads, minsan pati na rin sa family, at sa love life. Huwag mo lang silang utangan, cool na cool sila at parang kaisa ng mga students lagi.

Maraming free time.

Kapag nag-umpisa ka nang mag-work, you’ll realize na sobrang dami mo palang free time noong College. Baka nasubukan mo nga iyong pinakapangit na schedule sa balat ng lupa. Iyong tipong gigising ka ng 5AM para makaligtas sa traffic at makapasok sa 7:00 AM na class mo. Matatapos ang class ng 8:30 tapos ang next class mo 11am. Tapos may vacant ka na namang 3 hours sa hapon, at matatapos ang final class mo ng 5:30pm. Naging bestfriend mo tuloy si Ronald McDonald, si Jollibee, at kung sino mang masscot ng favorite mong fastfood in the neighborhood. O kaya, super tambay ka na rin sa library—hindi para mag-aral kundi para umidlip. Eh kasi kung sa fastfood mapipilitan kang gumastos. Aba, kung French Fries lang inorder mo, mauuhaw ka naman, tapos kung

Allowance from parents.

Masarap maging student. Pumapasok ka na nga sa school, may libreng baon ka pa from Mommy and Daddy. Minsan, iyong sukli ng tuition fee, hindi mo na binabalik sa kanila, napupunta na sa pagkain at pagimik-gimik. At pagka-graduate mo, isa iyan sa mga mawawalang perks. No more baon from parents. No more kickback sa tuition fee at mga projects.

Ikaw na mismo ang kailangang kumayod para sa sarili mo. May mga parents at mga kapatid pa rin naman who will help you establish yourself. Pero hindi iyon pang-matagalan. Dahil nakapagtapos ka na at magwowork ka na, dapat maipakita mo rin na kaya mo nang tumayo sa sarili mong mga paa.

Petiks Moments.

Sa kasagsagan ng semester, uber busy ka. Pero may mga times naman na petiks lang. May mga subjects na hindi ganoon ka-demanding. May mga subjects din na hindi ka nahihirapan dahil gamay mo na and it comes naturally for you. At kung isa ka sa mga Math whiz, congrats! Isa kang pinagpalang nilalang.

Bukod sa mga petiks na subject at mga free time sa school, siempre, nandiyan ang sem break at summer break. Movie marathon maghapon. Laro ng video games magdamag! At maraming students ang nagiging B.B.: Buhay Baboy! Kain to the max, tulog to the max. Sulitin mo na yan habang puwede pa. Pagkatapos ng college, bawal na iyan! Kung mapilit ka, isa ring B ang itatawag sa iyo: batugan!

Student discounts.

Kapag nagtapos ka na sa college, mawawala na ang discount mo sa bus at sa jeep. At kahit mukha ka pa ring student, please naman, bigyan mo na lang ng konsiderasyon si mamang driver na hirap sa pagtratrabaho maghapon. At kung Masteral student ka na, aba, exempted ka na rin sa student discounts. Paminsan minsan may mga student discount din sa mga fastfood at sa mga turo-turo. May mga places din naman na mura talaga ang kainan at bilihan ng meryenda. Pero ingat-ingat ka rin at baka mapunta ka sa Hepa-Lane.

After College: Ang Balintawak Cloverleaf ng Career Mo

Even good things come to an end. No matter how much we enjoy our college life it has to end somewhere. Kung tatanungin mo rin ang mga parents mo, aba’y dapat talagang mag-end ang College life mo para naman makahinga ang kanilang bulsa at tumaba-taba rin ulit.

Hindi ko alam kung makulay o boring ang College life mo. As soon as you graduate, maraming questions ka na dapat sagutan. Kung noong bata ka ang tanong sa iyo eh “Anong gusto mong maging paglaki mo?” Ngayon na lumaki ka na at nakatapos ng College, kailangan mong tanungin kung ano ba talaga ang gusto mong gawin.

Kung galing ka sa NLEX at papasok na ng EDSA, may tatlong direction kang puwedeng puntahan. Diretso papunta sa Manila. Turn right at dadaan ka sa North Bound lane ng EDSA, patungo sa Monumento. Turn left at papasok ka sa EDSA South Bound lane, papunta sa mga business districts at iba pang makulay na bahagi ng EDSA at Metro Manila. Similarly, pagkagraduate mo sa College, may iba’t ibang path ka rin na puwedeng tahakin.

Magtrabaho bilang empleyado.

Ito ang pinakacommon na path ng maraming graduates sa Pilipinas. Marami namang companies—multinationals at local—na naghahanap ng mga skilled indviduals para maging bahagi ng kanilang company. Sigurado namang magagamit mo ang mga pinag-aralan mo noong College ka. Kaya lang, for sure, marami kayong mag-aapply sa mga available jobs in the market. Very competitive na nga ang job market sa ngayon. Kailangan may edge ka sa iba pang mga graduates.

How can you get that edge?

Kung galing ka sa mga top colleges and universities, may edge ka. May natural edge sa job market ang mga graduates ng UP, UST, De La Salle, at Ateneo sa mga highly sought after na klase ng trabaho. Kaya nga minsan, hindi masyadong napapansin iyong mga applicants from other schools na mahuhusay din naman. On top of that, may dagdag edge na naman ang mga cum laude at topnotchers sa Licensure Exams. Sabi ng isang friend ko na Business Econ graduate from UP Diliman, halos doble ang difference ng salary offer sa cum laude at sa hindi cum laude. Hindi lang iyan, iyong cum laude, puwedeng maging management trainee kaagad ang status sa company.

Don’t worry though kung hindi ganun ka-astig ang mga grades mo nung college at kung hindi ka galing sa mga top universities. Ang advantage na iyan ay applicable lang sa first year of working after college. Pagkatapos niyan, your career growth will be dependent on your performance as a worker and as a professional. If you take that as a challenge and improve yourself in the best way possible, puwedeng mag-improve ang career prospects mo.

Magtrabaho abroad.

Puwede ka ring magtrabaho abroad. Siempre, masalimuot at very challenging ang buhay abroad. Depende sa bansang gusto mong puntahan, puwedeng malimitahan ang iyong freedom. May mga bansa na ayaw pumayag sa free expression of religion. Kung Christian ka at nasa isang bansa ka na may religious restrictions, mahihirapan kang i-express ang iyong spirituality. Puwede ka ngang hulihin kung may dala kang Biblia at mga Christian books. So isipin mong mabuti kung gusto mo talagang mag-abroad at kung willing ka na mag-risk. Sa isang banda, kung single ka pa naman at gusto mong makaipon, makakatulong ang pag-aabroad sa iyo. At habang kabataan ka pa, masarap din mag-explore ng iba’t ibang bansa at mga kultura.

Magtayo ng business.

Hindi totoo na mga Filipino-Chinese lang ang puwedeng magtayo ng business. Although may advantage ang mga Tsinoy sa business, puwedeng puwede pa rin namang magtayo ng negosyo ang mga Pinoy. Kapag naging entrepreneur ka kasi, mabibigyan mo rin ng trabaho ang iba pang mga Pinoy dahil kailangan mo ng mga katulong sa pagpapatakbo ng iyong negosyo. Kaya lang, if you pursue this path, kailangan mong maghanap ng source of capital at kailangang makakuha ka ng crucial skills sa pagpapatakbo at pagpapalaki ng negosyo mo.

Maging freelancer.

Puwede ka rin namang maging isang freelancer. Para din itong pagiging entrepreneur pero ang pinagkaiba, nag-ooffer ka ng services para sa iba’t ibang clients both online and offline. Marami nang mga online freelancers sa Pilipinas ngayon. Depende sa website na iche-check mo, there could be anywhere between 600,000 to 1 Million Filipinos na may online raket. If you have some skills na puwede mong ioffer, then you should definitely consider becoming a freelancer.

Maging isang Social Servant.

Ito na siguro ang pinaka-challenging na path. Ang mga social servants kasi, pinu-pursue nila ang kanilang idealism. Iyong tipong kahit hindi sila yumaman okay lang basta sustainable ang buhay at sinusunod nila ang calling nila sa buhay. Sila ang mga nabu-burden na maging bahagi ng solution sa maraming problema ng mundo. Tanungin mo lang ang ilan sa mga teachers na patuloy na nagsisilbi at nagtuturo sa mga bata at kabataan kahit hindi ganoon kalaki ang kanilang kita; mga social workers na tumutulong sa mga abused na mga bata; or iyong mga activist na nagsusulong ng pagbabago sa lipunan. Isama na rin natin diyan ang mga Pastor, Pari, Madre, at mga individuals na tila may vow of poverty dahil sa pagsunod sa kanilang calling.

Hindi lahat ay tinawag sa ganitong path. Sa totoo lang, may mga part-time Social Servants din naman. Sila iyong mga empleyado at business-owners na nakakahanap ng paraan para magsilbi sa kanilang kapwa. So kung ito ang path mo, kailangan mo ring maghanap ng paraan para maging sustainable ang iyong buhay at hindi ka rin maghirap. At kung magkakapamilya ka na, lalong magkakaroon ka ng dahilan para maghanap ng isang sustainable solution.

GPS

Ngayon na isa ka nang ganap na young professional, maraming uncertainties, maraming doubts at puwedeng may mga fear and doubts ka sa mga susunod na hakbang mo. Kagaya ng dialog ng mga old Pinoy movies, marami ka pang kakaining bigas.

Kahit dire-diretso lang ang EDSA mula Monumento hanggang Mall of Asia, puwede ka pa ring maligaw. Puwedeng makatulog ka sa biyahe at lumagpas ka sa dapat mong babaan. Or baka hindi mo talaga alam kung saan ka pupunta: instead of taking the MRT, nag-LRT1 ka; o di kaya dapat MRT Southbound ang biyahe mo, pero dun ka sa Northbound sumakay. Puwede kang sumunod sa agos ng mga tao. Kung saan pupunta ang maraming tao, sugod ka rin doon. Kaya lang if you do this, mawawala ang sarili mong initiative and before long, you may not even learn to stand up for yourself and discern where you really want to go at kung ano talaga ang gusto mong gawin.

Buti pa sa EDSA, maraming sign boards na gagabay sa iyo kung saan ka pupunta. May Google Maps na rin—puwede mong tingnan kung nasaan ka at makakahingi ka rin ng directions sa patutunguhan mo. Pero sa totoong buhay, bahala ka; walang ibang magtuturo sa iyo kung saan ka pupunta. Sure, your parents and your friends can help you decide where to go and what you can do with your life. In the end, decision mo pa rin kung saan ka pupunta.

There’s one sure way to avoid getting lost: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT)

If you trust in the Lord, it doesn’t mean that the ride will all be smooth—may traffic pa rin, may mga butas pa rin sa daan na kailangang iwasan, at definitely may mga roadblocks along the way, but if you trust in the Lord, you will know the path to take and arrive at your destination.

Parang pagbibiyahe pa rin iyan sa EDSA. Even if you know your destination at alam mo ang mga dadaanan mo papunta doon, you will still encounter traffic, mga baku-bakong daan at kung anu-ano pang mga roadblocks. Lalo na kung sa MRT ka sasakay, sobrang daming tao ang kasabay that you feel like somebody participating in the rat race. Let’s talk about the rat race in the next chapter.

Discipleship is really about following Jesus. While there are hundreds, if not thousands of books about leadership. As Christians, however, leadership is not just being in front of people, it is about being a servant, and most of all, being a follower.

Encountering young leaders who want to make a difference in the world is probably one of the greatest joys of my work. I’ve seen this in Ndola, Zambia last April, and this November, I saw it again in the Philippines.

While on the bus to the venue, we already experienced the warmth of Christian fellowship. Such fun!

About 28 young leaders from the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia came together for five days of learning, fellowship, and dreaming.

Yes, dreaming!

Bishop Rudy Juan opened with his keynote about the connection of discipleship and leadership. Particularly, he said that as Christian young leaders, we needed to be mindful of three things:

1. The VISION of the United Methodist Church: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
2. Giving VOICE to young people in the church: Speak up in a loving manner.
3. Listen & Learn from the experiences of elders in the church, then add our own experiences to that.

Speaking of giving voice to young people, we also had a session on Young People’s Voices in the United Methodist Church, led by my good friend, Earlie Pasion-Bautista. It wasn’t a simple session by any means. It was done remotely via Skype! This is really my first time in a church event with a remote presenter. It worked out well, too!

I led a session on Program Planning and Implementation on behalf of Mr. Caloy Diño. After that session, the young leaders implemented what they learned by thinking of a project and plan for its implementation.

They also had some fun through the Trust Fall and other games during the Team-building session. There were even some #hugot moments as the facilitator said “you should be ready when you fall.” That statement probably doesn’t make sense to somebody who’s not Filipino, but it was definitely funny while the participants were doing this trust fall game.

There were many more sessions during the Summit, but easily, my favorite part is having conversations with these young leaders while drinking coffee, while eating meals, and just hanging out.

The Young Leaders Summit is one of the biggest training events in the Philippines and in Africa organized by Young People’s Ministries. But of course, it doesn’t just end at the event. The real challenge is to live out our calling as leaders as we integrate our faith into our daily lives.

To read more about what our previous participants are doing in ministry, visit our website: http://UMCYoungPeople.org

After entering EDSA through the Balintawak Cloverleaf, madadaanan mo ang Muñoz, and then you’ll approach the intersection of North Avenue, EDSA, and West Avenue. You can’t miss it. Nandiyan ang SM North, isa sa mga dambuhalang malls hindi lang sa Pilipinas kundi sa buong mundo! Katapat lang nito ang isa pang mall—Trinoma!

It’s not an exaggeration kung sasabihin mong may mall ang bawat sulok at gitna ng Metro Manila. Konting tumbling lang, mall na naman! Hindi lang ang SM North at Trinoma ang palatandaan ng North EDSA. Dito mo rin makikita ang pagkahaba-habang pila ng mga tao paakyat sa unang station ng MRT.

Have you heard the term “di mahulugan ng karayom”? That’s exactly the scene sa MRT North EDSA tuwing umaga. At bilang isang bagong miyembro ng work force, that is the kind of mornings you will face. Every. Single. Working. Day.

Before you even think about your ninja moves para mas mabilis makapasok sa MRT o magbiyahe sa opisina, you need to prepare yourself as you apply for work. Kahit na medyo unsure ka on what to do, make sure to cover the basics. Ito ang ilan sa mga bagay na dapat mong ihanda as you run after that dream job.

Prepare your resume.

Hindi mo naman kailangan ng sobrang lupet na resume. Ang mahalaga ma-highlight mo ang educational attainment at relevant experiences mo. Ilagay mo na rin dun kung may leadership experience ka and kung nag-volunteer ka sa isang organization.

Maximum na ang two pages. Recruiters are busy people and the role of the resume is to help you land an interview. You can always elaborate what’s on your resume during the interview.

Important Documents.

Get a copy of your Transcript of Records. Sa ibang mga universities, matagal hintayin ang Transcript of Records. So as soon as you graduate, i-apply mo na agad yun. You can also ask for a True Copy of Grades sa College ninyo and that will be enough habang hinihintay mo ang ToR.

Kuha ka na rin ng NBI clearance sa pinakamalapit na NBI office. Get your SSS number and your Tax Identification Number (TIN). Kapag may copy ka na kasi ng mga ito, mas madaling ma-process ang application mo, lalo na sa mga BPO companies. Always bring several copies with you kung mag-aapply ka ng work.

Create a Linkedin profile.

Linkedin.com ang Social Network para sa mga professionals. Get your resume at puwede mo itong gawing basehan sa paggawa ng profile mo sa Linkedin. You can also add different skills at mga experiences mo sa Linkedin. Think of it as your online resume. Minsan, may mga recruiters na naghahanap ng potential candidates sa Linkedin. If your resume stands out, baka may kumontak sa iyo na recruiter.

Clean up your Social Media accounts.

Since nabubuhay na tayo sa isang Digital World, it’s a good practice to look at your Social Media account bago ka mag-apply. Clean it up. Sabihin na nating personal account mo iyan at walang kinalaman sa magiging performance mo sa work, but more and more recruiters are looking at the Social Media account of potential candidates. I’m not saying that this is extremely important. Pero may mga company kasi who want their employees to embody the culture of the company. Kung may makikita ka sa Facebook or Twitter timeline mo na hindi appropriate, better change your privacy settings or remove the post altogether.

Practice for the Job Interview.

Huwag kang nenerbiyosin sa job interview mo. At para hindi ka talaga kabahan, practice expressing yourself. Huwag na huwag mong ime-memorize ang mga sagot mo sa mga tanong kasi it will not work! Dapat spontaneous ka at kaya mong i-communicate ang confidence at ang skills mo. I-review mo na rin ang laman ng resume mo. Sobrang embarassing kung may ma-miss out ka na tanong na based sa information na nasa resume mo.

Grab a friend at mag-practice kayo in answering each other’s questions about potential jobs na inaplayan mo. While you’re at it, polish your English skills. Although maraming books kagaya nito ang Taglish at nakikipag-usap na rin tayo sa Filipino at sa Taglish araw-araw, business communications still require you to speak and write in English.

Saan ba puwedeng maghanap ng work?

Classified Ads.

Hindi naman ganun kahirap maghanap ng work. You can check the Sunday edition of most broadsheet newspapers at sobrang daming trabaho na doon. Gupitin mo yung mga gusto mong trabaho and look at the requirements. Do you have what it takes? Kapag may mga lead ka na for jobs na aaplayan mo, then go for it, send emails. Show up at their recruitment centers and go for it.

Online.

Marami na ring job portals online. Puwede mong i-browse ang iba’t ibang klase ng work sa Jobstreet.com.ph, JobsDB.com.ph, MBClassifiedJobs.com, at marami pang iba. Kailangan lang malinaw sa iyo kung ano ang mga types ng trabaho na gusto mong aplayan. You can also create a resume sa mga job portals na ito. Check your emails regularly for these websites dahil every now and then, nagpapadala rin sila ng mga job opening based on your interests.

Job Fairs.

Although may mga career experts na nagsasabi na hindi masyadong effective maghanap ng work sa Job Fair, it is still worth a try. Prior to the Job Fair, i-research mo na yung mga companies na nandoon and look for those na gusto mong aplayan. Show up to Job Fairs with several copies of your resume. Most job fairs also feature some learning opportunities para sa mga job seekers. Take note of those events. Ngayon na nag-uumpisa ka pa lang, learn as much as you can from the experts.

Referral from friends.

Sa experience ko, referral from friends ang pinaka-effective na paraan ng paghahanap ng trabaho. When I came back to Manila after my short-lived teaching career, isang kaibigan ang nag-refer sa akin. A year after, nakasalubong ko naman ang friend ko na si Alpha sa may Cubao malapit sa Gateway. At nagkataon na hiring ang company na pinapasukan niya noon. So ayun, pinadala ko sa kanya ang resume ko, and a year after, I got hired in the same company. Kung nirecommend ka ng friend mo sa isang company, do a good job para hindi mapahiya yung friend mo.

If you get accepted to a job, congrats! Umpisa na ng isang bagong journey para sa iyo. Tandaan mo nga lang ito, as you start your career. There’s no such thing as a dream job. Or actually, it exists pero mahirap siyang hanapin. While you’re figuring out what you really want to do with your life, mas mabuti nang i-grab ang mga opportunities that come your way. When you finally figure out what you do, you’ll learn how to transition and pursue that dream job.

Welcome to the Rat Race!

Kung bibiyahe ka along EDSA at papunta ka sa mga business districts ng Ortigas, Makati, or Taguig, marami ka namang options for transportation. You can bring your own car. Kaso, kaunti lang ang percentage ng mga yuppies na may sariling kotse. Bukod sa gagastos ka sa gasolina or diesel, magbabayad ka rin ng parking pagdating mo sa opisina ninyo. Another option is to take a taxi. Kaso mahal! Baka maubos lang ang suweldo mo sa taxi fare. Eh di para ka na ring nagtratrabaho para lang sa mga taxi companies.

You can also ride a bus. Kaya lang, karamihan sa mga buses ang ruta eh Cubao Ibabaw, Ortigas Ilalim, at Crossing Ibabaw. At during the rush hour sa umaga at sa hapon, their average speed could be 5-10 km per hour! Good luck na lang sa schedule mo. May mga UV express din naman na puwede mong sakyan. But they can also be stuck in traffic, together with tens of thousands of vehicles on EDSA. Kaya tuloy, kung isa kang yuppie na kailangang bumiyahe along EDSA, you have no choice but to ride the MRT!

Kung akala mo, nag-say goodbye ka na sa pila noong grumaduate ka from College, you’re terribly wrong. Just one glance at the MRT stations tuwing umaga, makikita mo ang sobrang dami ng mga tao na sasakay sa train. On any given workday during the rush hour, it will take you about 30-40 minutes para makaakyat sa mismong station ng MRT. Kung wala ka pang ticket, kailangan mo ulit bumaba para pumila para sa pagsakay sa tren. That will take you another 40 minutes para makasakay sa tren.

Iyon palang isa hanggang isa’t kalahating oras na ang mauubos sa pagsakay pa lang sa MRT. Depende sa destination mo, it may take you another 30-40 minutes para makarating. Sa pagko-commute pa lang, pahirapan na. Unless lumipat ka sa isang apartment na mas malapit sa workplace mo, asahan mo na na ganito ang araw-araw na eksena ng buhay mo!

Welcome to the rat race indeed! Ano nga ba itong rat race? Bakit ganyan na ang tawag natin sa trabaho?

Maraming mga professionals kasi ang napre-pressure nang todo pagdating sa kanilang work. Sobrang pressured or motivated mag-work na nakakaligtaan na ang ibang aspekto ng buhay. Hindi lang naman kasi tungkol sa trabaho ang buhay. But too often, lalo na kung bata ka pa at bago sa workplace, you want to give it your best shot, advance quickly sa corporate ladder and achieve your dreams! Masaya na rin kung makukuha mo ang mga gadgets na gusto mo at ang mga bagay na gustong gusto mong bilhin.

Keeping up with the Joneses.

On top of the work hard, party harder practice, marami ring yuppies ang mahilig sumabay sa uso at ipakita sa mundo na ang kanilang lifestyle ay “world class”. How do we succumb to this temptation? Simple lang, kapag may bagong iPhone, sige bili! May usong brand ng tsinelas or “flip flops” as they are called at one time, bili! If you saw your friends visiting Singapore, touring through Asia and then Europe, sige tour ka rin. At kapag may mga new restaurants, bars, and clubs to enjoy, sabay ka rin sa uso.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s great to travel. It’s also okay to keep up with technology. But are you really doing this for yourself or gusto mo lang sumabay sa uso at makita ng mga tao na “kaya mo rin” that you are also living the “yuppie life”? At ito pa ang mas mahalagang tanong, can you really afford it? Or nagkakandalubog-lubog ka na sa credit card debt because you’re keeping up with the Joneses?

Is work a necessary evil?

Sobrang daming books na lumalabas ngayon tungkol sa Entrepreneurship, Personal Finance, at Freelancing. Marami sa mga books na ito ang madalas sinasabi na kung gusto mong maging “financially independent”, having a business is the way to go. They go so far as to say na kapag isa kang empleyado, isa kang corporate slave.

Has work become a necessary evil? Kailangan lang ba nating mag-work at magsakripisyo para lang kumita ng pera? Do we see our jobs as that—mga trabahong pinapasukan lang na magbibigay sa atin ng ability to pursue our personal dreams and buy the things we want to buy?

Kung Rat Race ang tingin natin sa work, then it doesn’t matter if we win the race or not. Sabi nga ng isang speaker: “The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.” If we become too consumed by work, puwedeng mawala ang balance. Para lang itong pagsakay ng MRT, minsan you no longer care about the other people around you. Ang tanging mahalaga na lang ay makaabante ka at makasakay ng train. Ang kuwento nga ng maraming ladies na sumasakay sa Female-Only cab ng MRT, mas matindi pa raw minsan kung magtulakan at mag-unahang pumasok sa train ang mga babae.

Kung ipu-pursue mo ang career growth at financial growth sa company nang hindi iniisip ang ibang tao around you, then yes, you can become a rat! But along the way, kahit makuha mo ang mga goals mo, you may notice na wala ka na palang kasama. And that over the long term, puwedeng ma-burnout ka at mawalan ng satisfaction sa work na ginagawa mo.

Design your life and career.

Sa isang TED Talk, nagbigay ng warning si Nigel Marsh tungkol sa pagtratrabaho:

“[C]ertain job and career choices are fundamentally incompatible with being meaningfully engaged on a day-to-day basis with a young family… And the reality of the society that we’re in is there are thousands and thousands of people out there leading lives of quiet, screaming desperation, where they work long, hard hours at jobs they hate to enable them to buy things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like.

“If you don’t design your life, someone else will design it for you, and you may just not like their idea of balance. It’s particularly important… that you never put the quality of your life in the hands of a commercial corporation. Now I’m not talking here just about the bad companies—the “abattoirs of the human soul,” as I call them. I’m talking about all companies. Because commercial companies are inherently designed to get as much out of you [as] they can get away with. It’s in their nature; it’s in their DNA; it’s what they do—even the good, well-intentioned companies.

On the one hand, putting childcare facilities in the workplace is wonderful and enlightened. On the other hand, it’s a nightmare—it just means you spend more time at the bloody office. We have to be responsible for setting and enforcing the boundaries that we want in our life.”

If you want a meaningful life, you have to design it.

Wala kang ibang aasahan kundi ang sarili mo. You can always ask for advice and perspective. At the end of the day, ikaw pa rin ang gagawa ng mga decisions kung paano mo titingnan at bibigyang kahulugan ang work na ginagawa mo sa araw-araw. Besides, kung nasa early twenties ka pa lang, you will be working for the next 30-40 years. Aba, matagal-tagal na panahon yun. You better make sure that you are doing meaningful work for yourself and for the world.

I listen to a lot of podcasts. (If you don’t know what podcasts are, please find out more here.) They help make my commute more interesting. I learn a lot of new things I wouldn’t otherwise encounter. I’ve encountered new blogs to follow, new ideas to pursue, and strategies for work and life just by listening to podcasts.

One of the podcasts I listen to is the one by Tim Ferriss (who is the author of the 4 Hour Work Week). His guests are often phenomenal and I learn about top performers, their routines, idiosyncrasies, and other interesting stuff that they do to stay on top of their game.

He recently interviewed Will MacAskill, a 28-year old tenured Philosophy Professor at the Oxford University! That is just mind-blowing! Mr. MacAskill is perhaps the world’s youngest tenured Philosophy Professor. Not only that, he is also involved in a non-profit organization called 80,000 hours, which helps provide research-based career advice to people. He is the author of the book “Doing Good Better” and co-founded the “effective altruism” movement.

He is not driven by profits. In fact he has committed to giving away anything he earns over $36,000 each year!

Impressive. Yes. But that is not why I’m writing a blog post in response to Tim Ferriss’s interview with him.

Let me tell you my biggest takeaway from this now: I will not donate to disaster relief moving forward. I can probably send money to our church’s Committee on Relief (UMCor), but I have come to realize there are no guarantees that donations toward disaster relief really go to the people who need it, and that most disaster relief organizations are already well funded and able to do so, without my money. I’m better off looking for other ways to support development work.

Here are the items that got me nodding and thinking in many different tangents during the podcast.

• He had a banter with Tim Ferriss on how “following your passion” can often be a mistake. I have read Cal Newport’s “So Good They Can’t Ignore You”, so I am already aware of some of the arguments that MacAskill is coming from.
• Working for a non-profit right after college might not be the best option. Because it’s easier too shift to a non-profit organization after working in a for-profit setting. But the reverse could be difficult.
• While the previous two points were great, my biggest takeaway from this podcast episode is the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of a non-profit/charitable organization in solving the problems it is dedicated to. It is possible to use sound principles and “hack” ways to improve a non-profit organization’s performance.
• For people who are giving into charitable/non-profit organizations, we should also evaluate if these organizations are really doing good in the world. MacAskill and Ferriss even talked about how easy it is for those who work in the non-profit sector to “guilt” their friends and family into giving to charity whenever they can; and working in this sector can lead to serious burnout.

Here’s another big takeaway for me: DONATING TO DISASTER RELIEF IS A BAD IDEA FOR INDIVIDUAL GIVERS.

It sounds counter-intuitive. But if you thought about it deeper, it makes sense.

Disaster relief organizations are already well-funded and they have the resources to carry out disaster relief all over the world. Upon the occurrence of a disaster, the media churn out articles, videos, and pictures from the ground zero, thus creating a sense of urgency. Hence, people feel the need to donate their money.

The problem though, is that, this creates a surplus of money for non-profit organizations, and the money does not always go directly to disaster relief.

Case in point: Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The international community donated millions of dollars for the relief and rehabilitation of the affected region. But to this day, thousands of families and individuals are still waiting on the houses that the government promised for them.

If you want to listen to the podcast in question, please head over to this link: http://fourhourworkweek.com/2015/11/22/will-macaskill/

At work today, we had our Advent Retreat in the morning. In the afternoon, we went to different non-profit organizations to take part, albeit for only a day, in the services that they offer to the community. I’m part of the group that went to the Center for Refugees+Immigrants of Tennessee. But that’s another story for another post.

But today is also the World AIDS day and I couldn’t help but think about the HIV & AIDS situation in the Philippines, even though, I am thousands of kilometers away. The Philippines now has the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the world. In July 2015, there were 22 cases being discovered daily! And that number represents only those that are reported!

Here’s the rub. A big percentage of these new incidents of HIV infection are among young people.

Based on a news report from Rappler: “Those in the 15-24 years age group in the population also showed an 800% increase in HIV prevalence.” Think about that for a minute and let it sink.

During our Asian Young Leaders Summit on Nov 11-15, 2015, we listened to a member of Babae Plus talk about HIV/AIDS prevention. After her session, we sat down and talked about how HIV is affecting young people. And here are some of the salient points of our conversation:

HIV-Positive Young People: Matitigas ang Ulo!

• All sorts of people can be infected with HIV. Our resource person (who is HIV positive, herself) told me that they are helping people from different backgrounds: heterosexual men, women, LGBT, children and youth, priest, pastor, whatever. Although she told me that they are just waiting for a nun to come out and admit to being HIV positive. The bottom line is: anybody can get HIV.
• A lot of young people are now HIV positive. A lot of them are really good-looking. But most of them have engaged in MSM (men having sex with men).
• A lot of HIV-positive young people are “matigas ang ulo” (stubborn or hard headed) and don’t want to commit to continuously taking their Anti-Retroviral medicine.
• Some of these HIV-positive young people don’t want to give up the party lifestyle, they still want to have sex. Being HIV positive definitely makes that complicated, especially if you take into account that a lot of young people (HIV positive or not) don’t exhibit good self-control and discipline.
• “Mamamatay na rin lang naman ako, enjoyin ko na ang mga natitirang araw ko…” (I’m gonna die anyway, I might as well enjoy the remaining days of my life.) – That’s the motto of some HIV-positive young people. The problem with this mentality, though, is that they could infect other young people that they may be in sexual contact with.

The Church and Young People

As the church, we have all sorts of programs and events for young people in the area of Love, Courtship, and Marriage (LCM). In fact, we have too much that a friend once told me: “Love life lang ba ang pinakamalaking issue ng mga kabataan ngayon?”

Is it time to rethink our approach to our Love, Courtship, and Marriage programs? Should we include HIV & AIDS as an important module or session in our programs and events?

As a Christian man in a committed, monogamous, marriage, I believe that the best way to prevent getting HIV is abstinence and faithfulness to one’s spouse or partner. But I also recognize that there are other people who have a different lifestyle than I do. As Christians, as members of the universal church, we need to stop the stigma (and by the way, the church is not the only source of stigma) and offer God’s love to everyone. While we’re at it, let’s educate people about the HIV and AIDS, and the different ways that it can be avoided.

What do you think? How can we educate young people about HIV & AIDS?

Here’s a helpful Infographic about the state of HIV/AIDS in the Philippines. Thanks to Rappler.com

Kung nasa Southbound lane ka ng EDSA at nalagpasan mo na ang North EDSA, hindi mo mami-miss ang Kamuning flyover. Kung ayaw mong ma-traffic sa Timog Avenue at sa Kamuning dahil sa dami ng mga bus terminals doon, take the flyover. Oo naman, heavy traffic din sa flyover during rush hour. At least, pagbaba mo, malapit ka na sa Cubao Ilalim. Kaunting tiis nga lang dahil sa sobrang daming mga bus na nakapila sa Cubao Ibabaw. Tahimik man ang Timog Avenue during the day; it comes alive at night. Lalo na kapag natapat ang payday near the weekend—super traffic sa area na ito because a lot of yuppies go there to eat, drink, and be entertained.

Hindi lang naman mga restaurant, bar, at iba pang entertainment joints ang makikita sa Timog area. This is also where the stations and headquarters of GMA7 and ABS-CBN are located. Kung may korona ang mga streets along EDSA, Timog Avenue ang title holder ng “Entertainment Center” ng buong Metro Manila. Kung super pressured ka nga naman sa work, at todo kayod ka throughout the month, puwedeng puwede pumasyal sa area na ito para mag-unwind at mag-relax.

Work Hard. Party Harder.

Maraming yuppies ganito ang patakaran sa buhay. Kaya naman, pagkatapos kumayod nang matindi, aba, enjoy-enjoy din nang todo-todo. Have you ever visited the bars and restaurants near Call Centers and other BPOs na graveyard shift? Minsan, 6am or 7am palang, makakakita ka ng nag-iinuman. Happy Hour! Kasi naman, ang tapos ng trabaho nila ay alas singko ng umaga. Kaya tuloy, ang kanilang “after work drinks” ay alas sais o alas siete ng umaga. But that’s not just the way that this principle is lived out. Pagdating ng suweldo most yuppies would say na pinaghirapan naman nila yun so they are entitled to spend it for themselves para mag-enjoy to the max!

Dahil iba-iba tayo ng interests, hobbies, at mga gustong gawin sa buhay, naturally, we also enjoy different forms of entertainment. Some forms of entertainment cost very little; samantalang iyong iba naman ay sobrang mahal. It boils down to our lifestyle choices and what we perceive to be the type of entertainment na bagay sa atin. If you want more of the comfy and more intimate setting, or talaga lang mas gusto mo mapag-isa or intimate group lang ang kasama, then you can enjoy watching a movie or TV shows. Or you may love gaming to the max. Siempre, hindi rin naman mawawala ang simpleng eating and drinking: coffee or something else into the mix. If you’re more of an extrovert, you would probably enjoy going out and meeting people in different places and situations. Ingat nga lang at baka makapag-engage ka in some rather risky behavior and setting.

Movies & TV Shows.

With the expansion of malls to emerging cities and to the provinces, dumarami na ang mga Pinoy na nagkakaroon ng access sa movies. Sadly, however, most of the movies being shown are either from Hollywood o di kaya ay mga Filipino movies na siguradong kikita. I’m not sure about your taste of movies, but if it’s any indication, mas successful ang maraming movies from the US compared to the movies from the Philippines. Pero dahil na rin sa Internet at sa CableTV, sumisikat na rin sa Pilipinas ang mga foreign TV shows like Arrow, The Walking Dead, and Big Bang Theory among others.

Siempre, hindi rin natin matatawaran ang kasikatan ng mga Pinoy teleserye. In fact, may mga subjects na nga sa ilang universities dealing with Philippine Teleserye. At least, watching movies and TV shows isn’t as expensive as paying for a concert. Puwede mo na rin ito i-enjoy from the comfort of your home.

Gaming.

Uso pa rin naman ang hardcore gaming sa iba’t ibang consoles: PC, PS4, Xbox, at Wii. Marami-rami pa ring naglalaro ng DOTA and other Role-Playing Game na Internet-based. But with the rise of powerful smartphones and tablets, dumami na rin ang mga casual gamers—think Angry Birds, Candy Crush, and other simple mobile games. The problem is, these games could be extremely addictive, nakakapuyat, at nakakaubos ng oras kahit supposedly nagtratrabaho ka sa opisina. Thankfully, dumarami na rin ang mga board games para sa mga geek barkada and it’s definitely an awesome way to spend time and hone your imagination, too!

Music—Live gigs, Concerts at Biritan sa Karaoke.

Music touches us in many ways. May mga kanta na nakaka-touch sa puso natin in deep ways to the point na feeling natin, the singer or the band is singing the story of our lives. Minsan din, may mga bands and singers that we just love so much, we want to hear them live sa mga bar, lounge, at sa concert nila. If you love Eraserheads, then sobrang sulit iyong naging ticket price ng kanilang Reunion Concert. In recent years, marami na ring mga foreign singers like Taylor Swift, Paramore, at Michael Buble ang nagpupunta sa Manila para mag-perform. Imagine, some people even had to pay around 10,000 to 20,000 pesos para lang makaupo sa area na malapit sa stage! If you have money, fine!

But if you don’t or kung ayaw mo lang talagang gumastos nang ganoong halaga, then you can always enjoy yourself at mga kaibigan mo na rin sa pamamagitan ng makaputol-litid na pagbirit sa karaoke. Natuwa na sila sa iyo, na-exercise pa ang boses. At kung may magsabi sa iyo na wala kang karapatang kumanta, you can always tell them “Kung si Anne Curtis nga, may karapatang kumanta!” Huwag na huwag ka lang kakanta ng “My Way,” and you’ll be fine!

Eating and drinking.

Maraming restaurants sa Timog and Tomas Morato area—Mediterranean, Filipino with a Twist, Classic Filipino, American, Italian—kahit ano pa ang craving mo, you can probably find a particular restaurant to cater to what you want. Kung gusto mo rin ng drinking spree with buddies, maraming bar doon. At kung trips mo ng kape-kape lang, you can also find several cafe in the area.

Maraming rason para sa eating and drinking—para i-celebrate ang promotion, pag-usapan ang mga personal at work-related problems, makipag-date at magkapalagayang loob, or puwede rin namang dahil trip lang talaga. Iba-iba rin ang level ng spending sa mga restaurants: may lower end na masarap pero matipid; mayroon din namang masarap pero nakakawala nang appetite dahil sa presyo; and still, mayroon ding akala mo masarap dahil saksakan ng mahal ang presyo, pero hindi ka masyadong natuwa sa lasa, pati bulsa mo nagreklamo pa!

Party-Party!

But there’s a different approach to having a good time—ito iyong party-party where you can dance to your heart’s content, drink, eat a little bit, and do whatever you want. Puwedeng mangyari ito sa isang disco or bar, sa isang private resort during team-building activities, or even in a semi-private setting. Kaya lang, some yuppies go all out at nawawalan ng inhibitions—eat, drink, and be merry to the max! Some yuppies even do drugs, sexual acts, at iba pang gawain that are considered to be risky behaviors. At kung hindi ka nag-ingat you might commit some mistakes that could have long-term consequences in your life: unwanted pregnancy, date-rape, compromising videos and photos, and even HIV infection.

As yuppies, we have the money, and we still have lots of energy. On top of that, wala pa tayong masyadong responsibilities sa buhay—either wala pang asawa at mga anak, or bata pa ang mga anak, and there’s this sense that we can do just about anything we want to do! Kaya nga, we look forward to the weekend, and dread waking up on Mondays to go to work.

The TGIF – ONIM Phenomenon.

Thursday afternoon pa lang, a lot of yuppies already feel the joy of the weekend. Kaya ang madalas na expression ay “TGIF: Thank God It’s Friday!” Tapos na naman ang pagsasakripisyo at mahirap na trabaho during the week. Parating na ang weekend and that means fun, fun, fun, or minsan rest naman. At kapag long weekend, hindi lang TGIF ang isisigaw kundi isang malakas na malakas na “Hallelujah!” Magbabakasyon sa beach, or sa Baguio, kahit saan basta malayo sa office at sa mga pressures ng work.

Kaya lang, pagkatapos ng weekend, ayan na, mapapa-facepalm at bubulong-bulong ng “Oh No It’s Monday!” na para bang sa lahat ng araw na nilikha ni Lord, kasumpa-sumpa ang Monday. Gusto pang i-extend ang weekend para mas mahaba pa ang pag-eenjoy sa buhay. Ibig din sabihin niyan, ang pagtratrabaho ay madalas na hindi enjoyable, it seems to suck the life out of many young professionals.

Pleasure and Its Discontents

With all these entertainment products na gusto nating i-enjoy, we want to be happy, we want to feel pleasure. Of course, there are times that a really good movie or TV show can make you cry and make you feel sad, but that just goes to show na gusto rin nating makalimutan ang mga problema natin, even for just a while. We want to be distracted. We want to escape this world and enter a new world where our best dreams could come true.

Wala namang masama sa pag-eenjoy; pinaghirapan mo iyan so you’re entitled to enjoy it. Too often, however, parang nabubuhay lang tayo in pursuit of pleasure. We work. We toil. We do everything in our power to earn money. And then we enjoy ourselves to the max. Kailangan magsaya. Kailangan makalimutan ang anumang problema.

There was once a king who pursued pleasure—wala siyang ipinagkait sa sarili. He “cheered himself with wine,” nagpaka-wiseman mode siya; nagpaka-“foolish” din; nagtayo ng maraming bahay, mansion, may garden at courtyard pa! Nag-ipon nang limpak-limpak na ginto at pilak; sobrang daming alagang animals, nag-hire ng mga singers para kahit kailan niya gusto may kakanta for him. And dig this: nag-ipon din siya ng sobrang daming asawa at concubines. He was the alpha male of his time and he said: “I had everything a man could desire!”

Why not? He deserved all these kasi nga nagtrabaho naman siya at biniyayaan ng Diyos ng pambihirang karunungan. Kaya wala siyang ipinagkait sa sarili. Enjoy-enjoy to the max talaga! “Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors.” (Ecclesiastes 2: 10). Kaya lang, may catch. Eventually, nung natikman na niya lahat ng uri ng pleasures na kayang bilhin ng kayamanan at kapangyarihan niya, he came to a very sobering conclusion: “But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.”

Meaningless!

That’s how he saw everything that he did, and that is how he described the result of the pleasures he enjoyed. Maraming uri ng pag-eenjoy. Marami ring uri ng pleasure ang makukuha natin as a result of the blessings that we receive. There is a real possibility na iyong akala nating hinahanap natin, hindi pala iyon. So we try to fill our hearts with the many things that money can buy. Kaya nga we turn to entertainment, we turn to the “good things” that the world can offer.

Sa ating mundo, the entertainment industry has grown so big and it is present in almost every area of our lives. Kaya nga, sobrang dali lang i-pursue ng pleasure in all its forms. But what if, instead of quenching our thirsts, instead of letting us enjoy the fruits of our labors, these pleasures taunt us and lead us into a downward spiral of dependence and ever-increasing dosage of pleasure that does not really satisfy?

At pagkatapos ng lahat ng ginawa natin to pursue pleasure, we end up feeling what the writer of Ecclesiastes felt: “Everything is Meaningless!”

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One of the difficulties of working with different young people around the world is that, well… they are different! Of course there are similarities in their stories of growing up, forming identities, struggling with poverty, and other issues. But there are complex political, economic, social, and cultural forces at work that make it impossible to implement a one-size-fits-all approach to ministry with young people.

Data can help formulate a more informed strategy in dealing with young people. They can provide guidance in addressing the pressing challenges among young people, confirm what youth workers on the ground already know, or help challenge a previously held view that may not be congruent with reality.

To help keep track of studies, research, and trends in youth work, I keep a Twitter List of organizations and individuals working with young people: https://twitter.com/mightyrasing/lists/young-people. While monitoring my list on the first week of December, I came across a Tweet about the Global Youth Wellbeing Index. It’s the first one, so I immediately went to the site and downloaded the report.

What is the Global Youth Wellbeing Index

The Global Youth Wellbeing Index is a framework that looks at the situation of young people: the challenges and opportunities they face, their views and outlook, and the social, political, and economic forces that are affecting them. It ranks 30 countries from different income levels based on 40 indicators grouped into six domains: Citizen Participation, Economic Opportunity, Education, Health, Information & Communications Technology, and Safety and Security. More on this later.

This Index gathers data about youth from 30 countries. That is quite a feat given that data about young people may be not be widely available. The Executive Report states that “data on youth development and wellbeing is often fragmented, inconsistent, or nonexistent.” (Executive Summary p. ix) It’s actually a wonder that they were able to get data from 30 countries!

One of the goals of the Global Youth Wellbeing Index is to gather these data, standardize them, and analyze youth issues and challenges globally. One of the key recommendations of this Index is to disaggregate the data being gathered from different countries in terms of age and promote the gathering of more data related to issues faced by young people.

Here’s a video that shows a summary of the Global Youth Wellbeing Index

The Indicators

The Index ranks the 30 countries based on 40 Indicators grouped into 6 domains. Here are the Domains and their corresponding Indicators:

These are macro-level, broad strokes indicators and would not necessarily represent the full reality of young people in any particular country. But they can be useful for advocacy and policy-making–both in the private, non-profit, and government sectors.

As could be inferred above, a lot of of the data that the Index uses came from existing data and Indexes, making it a kind of meta-analysis of existing studies, surveys, and data about youth in the countries included in the report.

A key assumption of this Index is that “quality wellbeing among youth results from the opportunities provided by their environment, what and how well they are doing, and how they feel about it.”

Global Youth Wellbeing Index Rankings

1. Australia
2. Sweden
3. South Korea
4. United Kingdom
5. Germany
6. United States
7. Japan
8. Spain
9. Saudi Arabia
10. Thailand
11. Vietnam
12. Peru
13. Colombia
14. China
15. Brazil
16. Mexico
17. Jordan
18. Turkey
19. Indonesia
20. Morocco
21. Ghana
22. Philippines
23. South Africa
24. Egypt
25. Russia
26. India
27. Kenya
28. Tanzania
29. Uganda
30. Nigeria

I am really glad for the diversity of the countries in the list. There are really developed countries, middle income and lower income countries. With this list, I will be able to look at some data in the countries where the United Methodist Church has presence and existing ministries.

Data from United States, Sweden [Europe], Russia [Eurasia], Philippines, Thailand, & Vietnam [Southeast Asia], South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, & Nigeria [Africa] are especially useful because the United Methodist Church has ministries in these places.

Our office, Young People’s Ministries holds the Young Leaders Summit in Africa and in Asia yearly, so it would be great to compare notes on some of the struggles and issues that young people face in these areas.

Main Findings

Based on the available data, here are the findings from the Index:

• A large majority of the world’s youth are experiencing lower levels of wellbeing.
• Even where young people are doing relatively well, they still face specific challenges and limitations.
• Even where youth may not be thriving, they display success in certain areas.
• How young people feel about their own wellbeing does not always align with what the objective data suggests.
• Across countries, domain average scores indicate youth faring strongest in health and weakest in economic opportunity.

Recommendations and Next Steps

• Advance youth voices and participation
• Promote deeper-dive and targeted research and analysis
• Consider integrated policies and programs
• Advance the body of age-disaggregated and youth survey data.

Who is behind this Index?

Two organizations came together to put together the Index: the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), and the International Youth Foundation. They are sponsored by Hilton Worldwide.

I just found it interesting that CSIS was “Founded at the height of the Cold War by David M. Abshire and Admiral Arleigh Burke. CSIS was dedicated to finding ways to sustain American prominence and prosperity as a force for good in the world.” Sure, there’s that phrase “force for good in the world” but prominence and prosperity and the fact that it was founded in the Cold War does seem to cast a shadow on the intention of the organization in terms of international relations.

The International Youth Foundation (IYF), on the other hand, works with business, governments, and civil society organizations “committed to empowering youth to be healthy, productive, and engaged citizens.”

I don’t know the business motivations of the Hilton Worldwide why they sponsored this study, but I am glad they did.

How is this useful for a faith-based organization

What I like about this Index is that it is not just based on quantitative measures. They also looked at the perceptions and outlooks of young people. These qualitative measures led to the rise or decline of some countries in the Index ranking.

Help make our ministries relevant to the needs of young people.

The list of indicators used by the Index helps us identify the areas of needs of young people in various parts of the world. The majority of these indicators such as “Youth involved in early-stage entrepreneurial activity, youth unemployment, youth literacy, self-harm among youth, youths’ dependence on the Internet, and trafficking” among others, could be ministry areas on their own.

In the 2015 Africa Young Leaders Summit organized by Young People’s Ministries (YPM), a missionary from Tanzania identified entrepreneurship as an important component of working with young people. Likewise, YPM’s Global Scholarship program is helping increase the “School enrollment tertiary” indicator in the Index, albeit in a limited manner.

Provide data in the areas where we work at, giving insight on areas we’re not addressing.

This Index can also help us map out the potential impact of the ministries we are currently doing in terms of the Indicators, and discover areas that we have not yet done anything about. The indicators can also help us identify potential partners who are already doing great stuff in the areas where we don’t have any related programs and those that we do not have an expertise on.

Evaluating interventions and measure progress in young people’s wellbeing.

The Index can provide a benchmark by which to measure progress of interventions and programs done in a particular area. One of the challenges for organizations like ours, is that we do not directly implement programs that will benefit hundreds, or thousands of youth. Instead, we work with existing church-based organizations, and church youth leaders, to equip and challenge them to work on empowering young people.

This kind of Index is great at macro-level analysis, and I recognize the difficulties of painting a single picture of youth wellbeing in a particular country. By looking at the macro-level, the temptation to dream and plan for a large-scale, national-level, intervention is really large. And smaller scale interventions (i.e. municipal level, or even at the village level) might be looked down as inefficient and negligible.

That is why, it is very important for ministries like our office, Young Peoples Ministries, and other development organizations working with young people, to remember that even small scale interventions (yes that includes helping individual young people and their families improve their lives) can go a long way.

By recognizing the reality and limitations of this macro-level Index, we can look for ways to measure the indicators locally, and come up with an evaluation strategy that will be applicable to the specific programs we implement.

Advocacy

Advocacy is not just done with lawmakers, policy-makers, and public institutions. The indicators identified in the index could also help youth advocates be armed with the right set of data that can help convince decision-makers to implement programs and put forward policies and

Limitations of the Index

The writers of the report, themselves, admitted the lack of data from many different places around the world. And where data is available, they are “inconsistent and often fragmented.” But nonetheless, this Index is a good start, and I do hope that universities, development and research organizations around the world will start working on a more standardized set of data that will help policy-makers and people who work with youth will have better set of data to help us understand what needs to be done, and what results are being accomplished from the things that we are currently doing.

In addition to this, I have some questions that I may need more time to think about:

Do they really need to rank the countries? Wouldn’t the ranking be skewed towards the higher income countries? Could the wellbeing of youth be measured without ranking the countries?

A lot of people get excited towards the end of the year. Christmas is coming. And for lots of kids, that means presents from family and friends. Families get together for reunion. Of course, students get a break from school. Even workers get to take some vacation for the holidays.

At the same time, the end of the year is a great time to look back at the year that was. It’s the perfect time to ask:

• How did I live my life this year?
• What are the high points and low points of my life this year?

These questions may remind you of your strict High School English teacher who gave you writing assignments related to your New Year’s Resolutions.

You probably used up all sorts of adjectives and traits that would make you appear like an angel from heaven.

This is different. It’s really drawing on the benefits of hindsight to look at the past year. This is not about patting yourself on the back; although, that is somewhat included in my process. After all, aren’t we entitled to some satisfaction if we knew that we did good this year? Nevermind Sta Claus’ naughty or nice list. It’s more important to reflect and learn from the successes and mistakes of this year.

I started doing this in 2013 in my efforts to streamline my life. You see, I over-extended myself and committed to too many pursuits that I felt like “I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread.”(that, by the way, is a quote from Bilbo in the Fellowship of the Ring.) Since then, I have done it yearly. I have developed a Google Spreadsheet for this, which I am sharing below.

After almost three years of doing this, I could say that this practice has made me more aware of the way I live my life, and observe how my attitudes and sense of purpose evolve. Maybe I believed too much in what Socrates said: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” On top of that, here are other benefits I have discovered while doing this Personal Evaluation process:

Celebrate victories and successes.

Twelve months has gone by and I sure hope that I’ve put them to good use. Even before the end of the year, I keep track of my accomplishments monthly. During the 29th or the 30th of each month, I try to look back and identify the highlight of the month. Of course, if I have completed a project or if I feel that I’ve done something remarkable in my professional or personal life, I put that as the highlight of the month.

For example, in January 2015, I learned that I was the top candidate for a Director-level position in our organization. And because of that, I will be moving to the USA soon. Then in February 2015, the Asian Theological Seminary (ATS) informed me that the paper I presented at the ATS Theological Forum in 2014 was chosen to be included in a book. Naturally, these two incidents made it to my 2015 Monthly Highlights.

Learn from mistakes and failures.

Not every month gets such a big highlight as my January and February got. I dropped some commitments, I failed to follow through on some personal projects I wanted to pursue, and some months are just quiet and slow, like a lazy summer afternoon. Mistakes and failures will give us wisdom if we let them. And we can only learn if we sit down, reflect, and resolve to do better next time.

Streamline my list of commitments.

I only started my yearly evaluation in 2013 after realizing that I had way too many things on my plate. My wife just gave birth to our only child (so far, we plan to have another one, a girl hopefully :D), and it meant that our life is bound to become infinitely busier. I didn’t want to be that busy dad who is barely home, and when he is home, doesn’t have enough energy and mental bandwidth for both quality and quantity time.

Besides, when my wife was pregnant, she had to go by herself to her OB-GYN specialist because of my busy schedule. That’s an interesting story for another, longer, post (don’t worry, I will get to it in the first few weeks of 2016).

Get helpful data in planning for the coming year.

Of course, this is essentially a data-gathering activity. It is not about feeling good because of accomplishments or just trying to blunt the impact of mistakes and failures.

By digging deeper and understanding the factors that led to the success or failures, I can replicate them for my goals in the coming year. I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions. I would rather set goals, so the result of my yearly evaluation can have an impact on my goals in the coming year.

Some guidelines

Identify the highlights of each month.

By doing it monthly, you avoid becoming overwhelmed. Look at your planner or organizer. If you’re like me, I ditched the paper calendar in favor of a digital one. I manage all my appointments and deadlines through Google Calendar. So far, so good! It syncs really well with mobile, laptop, and the cloud!

Since my schedules are in my calendar, I can easily identify my monthly highlights just by looking at my calendar.

Be honest.

Since this is really a personal evaluation, nobody else but you needs to see it. Don’t fall into the false humility trap. If you did something great, then own up to it. Feel good about it. Just don’t be arrogant and feeling that it was all about your strength and talents.

Same thing with failures, if you failed, then you owe it to yourself to admit that you failed. That doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Some actions on your part, and some factors beyond your control just didn’t deliver the results you wanted.

Dig deeper.

List down the factors that helped you achieve your accomplishments–the people who helped you, resources or tools that made a difference, and any strategy you might have used.

Given your accomplishments and your mistakes or failures, what major lessons have you learned this year? How would these lessons affect the way you live your life next year?

Compare Your Year-on-Year Performance

My year-end evaluations since 2013 are on the same spreadsheet. That helps me look at my year-to-year performance and see the areas where I have grown and where I still need to grow.

This may sound tedious, boring, or time-consuming, tracking what happens in your life can yield great benefits if it becomes your habit.

Here’s the simple Spreadsheet that I use in doing my year-end personal evaluation.

Every December since 2013, I have resolved to look back at my year, look at my victories and successes as well as my mistakes and failures. The goal is to celebrate the former, and learn from the latter.

I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions–I’ve tried them in the past and it didn’t work for me. I usually forget and neglect those resolutions by the end of February after the initial excitement of the New Year. That’s why, instead of Resolutions, I am focusing on goals broken down into manageable tasks for every quarter and every month. The year-end evaluation is part of this planning and goal-setting process.

On the whole, 2015 had been a year of transition for me and my family. I’ve had some big wins. A couple of cracks that I would have wanted to do differently. But since this is a year of transitions, I don’t feel too bad about those cracks. Here, then, is my 2015 in review.

1st Quarter 2015

By mid-January, I learned that I was the top candidate for a US-based position in our organization, Young People’s Ministries. Cha, Coco, and I started the process of applying for our US R1 Visa. We were in equal parts nervous and excited. Cha and I never really planned to move out of the Philippines to work elsewhere, but we felt that this is where God was calling us, so with much prayers, we proceeded.

Back in February 2014, I wrote a paper for the Asian Theological Seminary’s Theological Forum. The Forum tackled the issues of Globalization, Migration, and Diaspora. I was complaining a lot about the Hillsong-ification of Praise and Worship songs in Filipino Churches. It is essentially the globalization of worship music. I titled my paper: “In Another Tongue: Responding to the Globalization of Christian Worship Music.”

In February 2015, the Asian Theological Seminary included my paper in a book where they published selected papers from the Forum. The book is available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/God-Borders-Globalization-Migration-Theological-ebook/dp/B016CMF6OY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447404804&sr=8-1&keywords=god+at+the+borders

In March 2015, Our US R-1 Visa got approved. Just in time for me to start working in my new role as Young People’s Ministries’ Program Development Director for Central Conferences on April 1. Our transition from Quezon City to Nashville, TN began in earnest as we posted items we wanted to sell; sorted through our clothes and other things for any stuff we can donate or throw away.

I also decided to try my hand on Video Blogging. I managed to shoot and edit three videos, I think. But one big lesson I learned is that I tend to overestimate my capacity for projects–big and small. And so, I start some small projects like this, and because of other priorities, I end up abandoning it after.

2nd Quarter 20015

Travel filled my 2nd quarter. In April, my boss, Mike, and I traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to visit places where the United Methodist Church has ministries. We looked for ways to collaborate and support their work in those places.

I also had to say goodbye to my occasional radio hosting stint at Family Matters, which airs over 702 DZAS. I had a fun time hosting with Ms. Haydee Bernardo-Sampang. The support staff were also superb! I kinda miss being in a microphone chatting with awesome people who are doing awesome things.

In May, I also traveled to Ndola, Zambia and then Cape Town, South Africa to be part of the Africa Young Leaders Summit, an annual training that our office holds for United Methodist young leaders in Africa. If you haven’t already guessed, my role in Young People’s Ministries requires a lot of travel.

In June, we finally let go of a lot of our things–we sold our book shelves, refrigerator, and almost everything we owned. It wasn’t easy. I also completed the final draft of my third book: Get a Life… Online: Tips & Trips Para sa Hardcore na Netizen.

3rd Quarter 2015

July was a relatively quiet month. I registered as an Overseas Filipino Worker and got my first ever Overseas Employment Certificate.

In August, Cha, Coco, and I finally went to Nashville, Tennessee together. Traveling for 20 hours on three flights can be a trying experience! I wouldn’t do it again if I can help it. We also found our family car in August–it’s a 2012 Kia Forte. As is the case in many cities in the US, it is very difficult to travel without a car. So we needed one.

September found me traveling to Europe: in Dresden, Germany for the annual meeting of the European Methodist Youth and Children’s Council.

September is also time for the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF). OMF Literature launched my book “Get a Life… Online: Tips and Tricks para sa Hardcore na Netizen.” When my previous book, #SuperEpic, was launched, I had a launch team to help me promote the book. This time, I didn’t have one. I don’t know how my book did at the MIBF, but because of all the transitions we were going through, I simply didn’t have the capacity to manage it.

4th Quarter 2015

In October, I went to San Diego, California to attend a gathering of youth workers in the US. Too bad I didn’t get to visit a Jollibee branch there. I also learned in October that my book #SuperEpic sold a total of 4,300 copies in 2014. Not bad.

Prior to taking on this new role in the United States, I worked from home. So I have to adjust to a new working arrangement–being in the office five days a week, unless I’m traveling.

I also discovered, though, that no matter the amount of work I do during the day, I often find my energy depleted by the end of the day. In the Summer (June to early September), Coco and I were able to go outdoors for some play time under the sun. But sometimes, I feel too tired to do even that. I need to manage my energy more effectively and build new routines in the mornings, while in the office, and when I arrive home in the afternoon.

I went back to the Philippines last November for our Young Leaders Summit, and because of the date, I ended up spending my birthday there away from Cha and Coco. But it was great being with a lot of young leaders from the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It’s very difficult to stretch time to schedule coffee time with lots and lots of friends and loved ones.

December has been relatively quiet–no travel, and I also have a lot of time off from work. As I write this, we’re preparing for our first family vacation in Chattanooga, two hours away from Nashville.

ISBN: 1453802266
READ: 15 Jan 2015, REREAD: 28 Dec 2015
RATING: 9/10

I’m on a quest to improve the way I understand and do my work. I’ve read several books on Productivity: Getting Things Done by David Allen, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, and the Pomodoro Technique to name a few.

This book, Personal Kanban, is the one I have adopted in 2015 as my main productivity system. I first read it back in January 2015, and with 2016 just around the corner, I decided to reread it and tweak/improve my productivity system.

Here are my notes from the book:

Chapter 1: The Basics of Personal Kanban

Tools should give you control and not take anything.

Personal Kanban is a visual representation of work that makes the conceptual tangible. It shows what needs to be done, what is complete, what is being delayed, and what is going on at this precise moment. (loc 217 of 2222)
We were visualizing work, limiting our work-in-progress, pushing decision-making to the last responsible moment, and continuously striving to improve. We learned that understanding our work is the key to controlling it.
Premature prioritization was ultimately a waste of my time. Prioritization for personal work is highly contextual.
Personal Kanban has to be endlessly flexible. It needs to be a system that abhors rules. It’s an enigma. A process that hates process.

Key Concepts: Throughput and Work-in-Progress

The Two Rules of Personal Kanban

Rule 1: Visualize Your Work.

“Visualizing work gives us power over it. When we see work in its various contexts, real trade-offs become explicit.”

Rule 2: Limit Your Work-in-Progress (WIP).

“We cannot do more than we are capable of doing. This should seem obvious, but it’s not. Our capacity for work is limited by a host of factors including the amount of time we have, the predictability of the task at hand, our level of experience with the task type, our energy level, and the amount of work we currently have in progress. Limiting WIP allows us the time to focus, work quickly, react calmly to change, and do a thoughtful job.”

Think of Personal Kanban as a dynamic, interactive map that surveys your personal landscape for what excites, worries, or amuses you. It reveals what lies ahead (your goals, your upcoming tasks), where you are currently (what you are doing now), and where you’ve been (what you did, how you got here).

“Mapping our work allows us to navigate our life.”

“Personal Kanban gives us context and shows us how that context impacts our ability to make decisions.”
Innovation relies on inspiration through exploration and experimentation. Innovation requires improvement.
Lean is both a philosophy and a discipline which, at its core, increases access to information to ensure responsible decision making in the service of creating value. With increased access to information people feel more respected, teams are more motivated, and waste is reduced. Much of this waste reduction comes from Lean’s goal of a “kaizen” culture. Kaizen is a state of continuous improvement where people naturally look for ways to improve poorly performing practices.

Personal Kanban’s psychological elements:

Comprehension
Kinesthetic Feedback 1: Learning
Kinesthetic Feedback 2: Pattern Recognition
Existential Overhead (The explanation of the authors here point to the importance of ‘capturing everything’ ala GTD to reduce mental/willpower fatigue).
Narratives and Maps

PKFLOW TIPS (Chapter 1 Summary)

1. Personal Kanban is an information radiator for your work.
2. Existential overhead mounts when work is conceptual.
3. Visualization makes the conceptual tangible.
4. We can’t do more work than we can handle.
5. Limiting WIP promotes completion and clarity.
6. Flexible systems adapt to changes in context.

Chapter 2: Building Your First Personal Kanban

Step One: Get your stuff ready.

The authors recommend whiteboard, dry-erase pens, and a pile of sticky notes.

Step Two: Establish your value stream.

Value Stream: The flow of work from beginning to completion.
“The most simple value stream is READY (work waiting to be processed), DOING (work-in-progress), and DONE (completed work).

“Personal Kanban helps you understand context. It helps you appreciate what you’re doing and why. Need additional steps to complete a task? Not a problem. Personal Kanban’s flexibility (and those dry erase pens) make it easy to modify your value stream.

Step Three: Establish your backlog.

Backlog: Work you have yet to do.

Mighty’s Note: Trace this to GTD’s “capture everything” mantra.

“Start populating your backlog by writing down everything you need to do on sticky notes. Everything. Big tasks, small tasks, get them all down on paper. Don’t sweep things under the rug. Don’t file them in a folder labeled Tomorrow. Don’t lie to yourself. Wallpaper the room with sticky notes if you have to. You must confront your work beast before you can begin to tame it.”

“Now decide which tasks need to be completed first and pull them into your READY column. You can set a limit on your READY column if you wish.

Step Four: Establish your WIP limit

“…our brains crave closure.”

Zeigarnik Effect: “adults have a 90% chance of remembering interrupted and incomplete thoughts or actions over those that have been seen through completion.”

“The closer you get to reaching your capacity, the more stress taxes your brain’s resources, and impacts your performance.”

Research consistently shows we cannot reach our maximum effectiveness while multitasking. Instead, maximum effectiveness results when we limit our WIP and focus on the task before us.

Personal Kanban helps us find the sweet spot, that point where we do the optimal amount of work at the optimal speed; where our work is manageable and enjoys the slack necessary to deal with other areas of life.

“To find your work’s sweet spot, start by setting an arbitrary WIP limit, let’s say no more than three tasks. Add this number to your DOING column.”

Mighty’s note: The WIP limit recognizes the limit of our capacity, and helps us prioritize the tasks that we need to accomplish first.

Step Five: Begin to pull.

Pull: To bring a task into DOING when you have the capacity for it.

Each time you pull a task from READY into DOING, you’re prioritizing based on your current context.
Questions you should ask:

Which is the most pressing task? Which tasks can I fit into this half hour before I leave for my meeting? Which tasks can I batch together?

Get post-its filled with tasks from the BACKLOG and pull them to READY, then if you have the capacity, pull them into DOING, taking into account your WIP limit. As soon as the task is done, pull it into DONE.

Personal Kanban is a pull-based system.

Step Six: Reflect.

Consider the following:

* Which tasks did you do particularly well?
* Which tasks made you feel good about yourself?
* Which tasks were difficult to complete?
* Were the right tasks completed at the right time?
* Did the tasks completed provide value?
* Then ask yourself WHY?

Mighty’s Note: The Personal Kanban Value stream could be modified: A PENDING section can be inserted for those tasks that require action from other people. A TODAY category could also be inserted. The Reflection part is something I need to add to my own Value Stream.

PKFLOW TIPS (Chapter 2 Summary)

1. Let your context be your guide–change your Personal Kanban as needed.
2. Be honest about your backlog.
3. Your value stream may be adapted for specific projects.
4. Visualizing the nature of your work is the key to seeing what is really happening.
5. When WIP limits are exceeded, stress results.
6. Expect the unexptected.

Chapter 3: My Time Management is in League with the Freeway

Capacity: How much stuff will fit
Throughput: How much stuff will flow.
They are not synonymous.
Capacity is a spatial relationship, while throughput is a flow relationship.

All too often we equate “free time” with “capacity.” We assume that if we don’t have an activity scheduled, we can fit in more work….

Capacity is an ineffective measure of throughput, and a horrible way to gauge what we can do. It doesn’t measure how we actually work, or at what rate we actually work. Capacity is merely a brute force measure of what will fit.

Like traffic, work does not fit. Work flows.

When we don’t acknowledge or respect our work’s flow, we fall prey to multitasking. We rush through one thing to get to the next, striving for quantity (productivity) when we know quality (effectiveness) will surely suffer. In the end, we achieve neither.

Throughput is a flowbased system. It measures success by the amount of quality work flowing from READY to DONE over time, not just the volume of work we can cram into our schedule.

Personal Kanban gives us insight into how our work flows–where flow is optimal, where flow is blocked. The rate at which work moves from READY to DONE is our throughput–our real throughput, not our guess at it. Throughput is something we can measure, appreciate, and use to make informed decisions. We can begin to manage our work by our ability to thoughtfully complete tasks.

Look for ways to reduce the flow of unexpected work.

Setting WIP Limits

We need to control our workload. We need to divide it into manageable chunks and finish what we start. We need a WIP limit.

start limiting what you’re doing and take care to finish what you begin.

Mighty’s Note: In the DOING part of the VALUE STREAM, increase or decrease the number of Work-in-Progress. Reduce or increase as you feel comfortable without overwhelming yourself.

Living the Days of Our Lives

• Critically assess your actual work.
• Compare past actions and future opportunities to discover the most effective and the most meaningful.
• Make decisions that are aligned with–and balance out–your immediate needs and your long-term goals.
• Decide whether energy at any given moment is best directed toward any task…
• Personal Kanban helps you assess the risks and rewards of specific tasks by showing you:

* What is your true investment of time and energy.
* What pitfalls may accompany a particular task.
* Whether certain tasks are equally predictable or unpredictable.
* Which tasks involve people you like.
* Which tasks you enjoy or excel at.

You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however. ~Richard Bach

To-Do Lists: Spawns of the Devil

An unyielding mashup of the pressing and superficial, to-do lists overload us mentally. They foster a mechanical, boring, dehumanizing approach to work… We need context, something to-do lists don’t provide.

Personal Kanban transforms our work into a narrative giving us the context, the flow, and the decision points of a story.

Personal Kanban fosters a creative and collaborative environment, where the measure of quality is effectiveness: doing the right work at the right time.

Flow: The natural progress of work Cadence: The predictable and regular elements of work Slack: The gaps between work that make flow possible

PKFLOW TIPS (Chapter 3 Summary)

1. Manage work with flow and throughput, not time and capacity.
2. Like traffic, work doesn’t fit, it flows.
3. Capacity is a spatial relationship, throughput is a flow relationship.
4. WIP limits can change with context.
5. Thoughtful prioritization and completion beats rigorous up-front planning.
6. Understanding our options is liberating.

Chapter 4 Nature Flows

Pull is essential for stability and sustainability.

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away. ~Philip K. Dick

PKFLOW Tips (Chapter 4 Summary)

1. Life is a balance of order and chaos.
2. Patterns and contexts are often emergent. Don’t lock yourself into plans before you have enough information.
3. Our actions today impact our choices tomorrow.
4. Pull, flow, and cadence give clarity to how we work and which options are appropriate to select.
5. Push is a blind act. Pull is informed.
6. Pulling is optimal, being pushed is inevitable. Semper gumby. Always flexible.

Chapter 5: Components of a Quality Life

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work. ~H.L. Hunt

Metacognition: A Cure for the Common Wisdom

Focusing on productivity is myopic. Effectiveness is our goal, and for that we need clarity. Clarity through visualization gives us the ability to choose the right work at the right time.

Productivity, Efficiency, and Effectiveness

Productivity: You get a lot of work done, but is it the right work?
Efficiency: Your work is easily done, but is it focused for maximum effect?
Effectiveness: You get the right work done at the right time… this time. Is this process repeatable?

Personal Kanban is:

• A productivity tool: limiting our WIP helps us accomplish more.
• An efficiency tool: focusing on our value stream encourages us to find ways to do more while expending less effort.
• An effectiveness tool: making our options explicit leads us to make informed decisions.
• Mere productivity is never a good investment. Effectiveness is far more valuable.

PKFLOW Tips (Chapter 5 Summary)

1. Visualization dispels fear.
2. Clarity lets us improve not only our decisions but our decision-making processes.
3. Productivity without effectiveness is waste.
4. Notable bursts of effectiveness are the heart of a peak experience.
5. Repeatable peak experiences enable kaizen.
6. Understanding our work and how we prioritize allows us to find balance between push and pull.

Chapter 6: Finding our Priorities

If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the result a hundred battles. – Sun Tzu
Maximum clarity. Maximum prioritization.
Some clarity. Some prioritization.
No clarity. No prioritization.

Smaller, Faster, Better: Controlling Task Size and Limiting WIP

Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

Planning should occur with minimal waste; it shouldn’t become overhead.

A project’s context, tasks, and subtasks are subject to change. Plan, estimate and break down tasks at the last responsible moment. We want to time our planning for when it can be the most effective–when we have sufficient information, or when we have no other choice than to begin work.

Prioritization in Theory and Practice

No battle plan survives contact with the enemy. ~ Carl von Clausewitz

Urgency & Importance
Different ways to organize backlog: Covey’s Time Management Matrix VS Personal Kanban
Important & urgent
Important, less urgent;
less important, urgent;
less important, less urgent.

Mighty’s Note: Personal Kanban can tweak these quadrants and help provide perspective and review.

Live Your Own Life

Value drives how we prioritize: we choose tasks with higher value first. Sometimes our priorities become apparent through flow and not through fixed quadrants.
Visualizing work combined with metrics provides a full understanding of the current situation.

Expert: Metrics in Personal Kanban

You can observe a lot by just watching. – Yogi Berra

Visualizing work combined with metrics provides a full understanding of the current situation. Well chosen metrics test hypotheses, allowing us to track past events and foresee potential outcomes.

Metrics gathered but not used are waste, so choose them with care. Ensure they are actively and thoughtfully proving an hypothesis.

Metric One: Your Gut – don’t downplay intuition. Part of kaizen is creating positive change without over-thinking it.
Metric Two: The Process Laboratory – look at the process and which areas of the process has some bottlenecks.
Metric Three: The Subjective Well Being Box –

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. – Dalai Lama

Doing things you don’t enjoy reduces your effectiveness. Unenjoyable tasks increase existential overhead. When it comes time to do something you dread, you become anxious, irritable, and less thoughtful. There arlegitimate opportunity costs to doing things you don’t enjoy.

“Subjective Well-being” is a psychological concept and a qualitative measure that gauges an individual’s mental state by asking them.

In the Value Stream: Rate each task completed according to enjoyment or not, and this rating will lead to some decisions: 1. Do more of one thing; 2. Delegate this; 3. Is this necessary or not? 4. If you hate doing something, why? What to do next?
Metric Four: Time

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way. ~ Mark Twain

Include the time of when the task has been created, the time it is pulled into the READY column, and when it gets done. This could also help me understand the timing, the delays, and other factors that could contribute to the efficiency or delay of a task/project.

Gut, Process Laboratory, Subjective Well Being, and Time: “These four data points can be used to analyze your work’s “lead time” and “cycle time.” Lead time for Personal Kanban is the amount of time it takes a task to travel from your backlog to completion. Cycle time is the amount of time it takes a task to travel from READY to DONE.

PKFLOW Tips (Chapter 6 Summary)

1. Expertise is no substitute for observation and measurement.
2. Clarity drives prioritization, completion, and effectiveness.
3. Metrics don’t have to be difficult.
4. Visual controls remove guesswork.
5. Real-time flexibility beats rigid up-front planning.
6. Happiness may be the best measure of success.

Chapter 7 Strive for Improvement

A-listers were successful not because they had superior programming skills, but because they took the time to learn why they were building the software in the first place. They sought clarity from the onset, gathering vital information and incorporating it into their design. If the pertinent information wasn’t readily available, they used deductive reasoning to devise a plan to obtain it. Once they found clarity, they had the freedom to innovate and the ability to outperform their colleagues.

Genius is personal, decided by fate, but it expresses itself by means of system. There is no work of art without system. ~ Le Corbusier

But no matter how well-thought out or well-funded they may be, projects are seldom precise.

Course corrections are not project management failures, nor do they suggest a loss of control—quite the opposite in fact. Rigid plans with fixed definitions of success limit our options and invite failure.

What good is experience if you do not reflect? ~ Fredrick the Great

At the moment we make them, pragmatic decisions and emotional decisions are often indistinguishable. We need to revisit our decisions after the fact, because while we may know the outcome, do we really understand the motivation?

May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far. ~ Irish Saying

We want to focus on the context that led to success or to failure—not necessarily the success or failure itself.

Retrospectives are regular and ritualized moments of collective reflection.
what went well with their project, what didn’t go as expected, and what could be improved going forward.

It’s helpful to feature a RETROSPECTIVE column as the final column of your Personal Kanban. As tasks are cleared from DONE, put them in the RETROSPECTIVE column. At the beginning or end of each week hold a retrospective and quickly examine completed tasks. Acknowledge what went well and what could be improved next time. Celebrate victories. Learn from defeats.

The root cause of any problem is the key to a lasting solution. ~ Taiichi Ohno

The human brain finds it incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to fake randomness. ~ Alex Bellosh

The Five Whys

To escape the tyranny of push, we must complete what we start, exercise options for effectiveness, and increase the occurrence of what brings us joy. To achieve these objectives, we need to understand both our work and our relationship to it. A wonderful, circular and self-perpetuating system, Personal Kanban creates a narrative map of our past, present, and future actions in which to identify patterns and innovate. In the end, Personal Kanban enables us to reduce fear and make better choices.

We generate our own emergencies by overextending ourselves and then addressing those tasks only when they become dire.

Work unseen is work uncontrolled and We can’t (and shouldn’t!) do more work than we can handle.

“Future in Progress” or FIP limit.

Pomodoro is a perfect complement to Personal Kanban, helping you process your WIP in 25 minute bursts.

If you pick one thing to do, and do it completely, people will notice. ~ Trevor Blakensh

New Years are good. They remind us that the Earth has completed another circuit around the sun. That whatever happened to us in the past year, a new calendar is about to start: 1 year, 12 months, 365 days, to live, laugh, work, and move closer to the life we want.

How do you plan for the coming year? Do you follow what most people do and come up with New Year’s Resolutions?

If you follow what most people do, then you will get the results that most people get.

New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work!

New Year’s Resolutions rarely work.

According to research, only 8% of the people who make New Year’s Resolutions succeed in achieving their resolution. A month after the New Year, only 64% of these resolutions are kept, and at the 6-month mark, more than half of these resolutions are forgotten.

Puts too much pressure on you.

Most people try to ignore reality and try to implement big changes on the first few weeks of the year. Disruption is well and good in business and in the tech industry. But in your personal life, really big changes are very difficult to implement. It’s better to work on incremental, instead of fundamental lifestyle changes.

Relies on the novelty and excitement of a new year.

The problem with novelty and fads? After a few weeks or months, they fade away. Same thing applies to the excitement of a new year. The 8% who are successful in achieving their resolutions found a way to sustain their excitement and focus on their vision beyond the New Year.

Vague, feel-good generalities like “love myself more,” “help others,” or “enjoy life to the fullest.”

You know what’s wrong with these resolutions? They sound nice and doable but you don’t really know if you’ve achieved them or not. If your resolution is to “lose weight,” losing 1 lb certainly meets that criteria. How would you know that you are enjoying “life to the fullest”?

Goals are better than resolutions. Ditch resolutions and set goals, instead.

How to Plan for the Year Ahead

Set aside some time to plan for the year ahead. Going on a 2-day personal retreat will help. But if you cannot manage that, set aside one full day to do it. Go to a place where you can concentrate. Commune with nature, go to Starbucks, or shut the door to your office while doing this. The important thing is to put your undivided attention to planning.

Review the past year.

I usually do a personal evaluation session at the end of the year. Take note of victories and defeats; successes and failures; and the decisions and factors that led to them. Remember the lessons learned from the past year, they will help you achieve your goals this year.

Here’s how I do my year-end personal evaluation: http://mightyrasing.com/personal-evaluation-at-the-end-of-the-year/

Pick a maximum of two big goals you can accomplish within one year.

Make them concrete and actionable. Avoid vague goals such as “maximize my potentials” or “help others achieve their dreams” or even “learn something exciting”.

Your goals should be clear and compelling. Use action words that will describe what you want to accomplish by the end of the year. My 2016 goals are: “Save $X,000 and write a total of 365,000 words by the end of 2016.” Please note that these are my personal goals. I have a separate set of Performance Goals at work.

Break down your big goals into quarterly goals.

Big goals can be intimidating. If you are not challenged, then you’re probably not dreaming big enough. To make your goals manageable, break them down into quarterly goals. Three months should be enough time to achieve a smaller, but scalable set of your big goals.

You don’t need to divide your big goals into four equal parts. You can decide to split your goals any way you want. You may want to achieve more at the first quarter of the year because you are excited and you want to build momentum.

In the case of my goal of writing 365,000 words for the whole year, I can push myself to write 1,000 words daily. I know that this goal is doable. But I also know that there are those days that I’m a little too busy at work and at home, and that I may not always have the inspiration to write. Know these, I can divide this goal as follows:

1st Quarter (Jan-Mar): 125,000 words
2nd Quarter (Apr-Jun): 80,000 words
3rd Quarter (Jul-Sep): 100,000 words
4th Quarter (Oct-Dec): 60,000 words

Given this set of smaller goals, I can then arrange my monthly, weekly, and daily schedule to achieve them.

Use a Productivity System in implementing your plan.

To implement your plan, you need a system.

Just a fair warning: the following section might look and feel overwhelming. The simplest productivity system is to put on your calendar a daily TO-DO task related to your quarterly goals. Simple, right?

But if you want a robust, working system, to manage your personal and work goals, read on to find out what I personally use.

* * * * *
WARNING: A seemingly complicated and overwhelming productivity system ahead:

If you want to be very detailed and wouldn’t mind a little complexity, go with David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD). Lifehacker provides a simple guide for this: GTD 101.

I have read a lot of productivity books over the past ten years. I have also experimented with several different systems to help me achieve my goals.

David Allen’s Getting Things Done taught me to capture every thought, idea, plan, and ambition. I have also learned to tweak my To-Do list through some other productivity blogs and books. The Pomodoro Technique enabled me to do focused work in several 25-minute periods throughout the day.

In past two-years, I have discovered the magic of Personal Kanban. It helps me avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks and projects I WANT and NEED to do.

If there’s one thing I learned: I can do and be everything I want: just not ALL at once.

I’ve doing too many things at once–like a glass ball juggler who keeps adding project after project. And I watched several of these glass balls shatter on the floor of my busyness. Thankfully, before I shattered any of my most treasured relationship with my loved ones and friends, I decided to do a commitment audit, came up with a criteria and dropped a lot of commitments that I didn’t have the time for, and those that I didn’t want to do anyway. (This story is much, much longer, so watch out for another blog post on this topic).

If you want to learn how Personal Kanban works, please read my Notes from the book “Personal Kanban: Mapping Work | Navigating Life” by Tonianne DeMaria Barry & Jim Benson

It sounds more complicated than it really is. But Personal Kanban has two rules:

1. Visualize your work.
2. Limit Work-in-Progress.

END of seemingly complicated and overwhelming productivity system.
* * * * *

Schedule a quarterly review of how you’re doing.

More than 60% of people who set New Year’s Resolutions abandon their quest by the sixth month of the year. To help you avoid that, monitor your progress monthly and schedule a quarterly review of how much of your goals you are accomplishing so far.

Use this spreadsheet to help you monitor your progress in achieving your goals: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1W4nsMmr3uSZ2TfG82UrkQFb8w3_zGp4fezoB_o3IOJs/edit#gid=0

During your personal quarterly review, ask these three questions:

1. What did I do this month (or quarter) to achieve my goals?
2. What will I do this coming month (or quarter) to achieve my goals?
3. What obstacles are getting in my way?

After identifying the obstacles blocking your way, adjust your plan and re-commit to achieving your goals for the year.

Final Words

New Years provide us with excitement. Don’t let that excitement go to waste. Set goals, not New Year’s Resolutions and work on your goals one day at a time, one month at a time, until you achieve them by the end of the year.

I’ve shared my two big goals for 2016. Care to share yours?

I hope you are having a Happy New Year so far! We have left behind the successes and defeats of the past year. It’s time to face the present and the future.

Since we’re already more than halfway through the second decade of the twenty-first century, we just can’t live without Social Media anymore. Let’s make it worthwhile by working on 5 Social Media habits to develop this 2016.

Learn something new.

We don’t really have an excuse for not learning anything new. There’s YouTube for recipes, learning to play the guitar or piano, ukulele, or even this awesome Chapman stick (which, by the way, is being played by Abby Clutario, the lead vocals of Fuseboxx, a Filipino band I like).

Last December, I learned something new–I baked Pan de Sal! That was the first time to bake anything in my 33 years of life. It wasn’t perfect. But I tried it and I’m going to try and perfect my pandesal-baking skills this year.

What skill do you want to learn this 2016? (Share yours in the comment below.)

Share more positive, instead of negative posts.

Negativity flotsam and jetsam abound on Social Media, and if you’re not careful, you can spread a little too much of it. Remember the Amalayer incident?

If you’re not careful, you might find yourself part of an unthinking and judgmental cybermob. As you participate in reckless discussions, you may end up bullying someone, or you may help spread wrong information.

Why not read inspiring articles? Or share something that helps uplift moods and lives? It’s easier than ever to discover these positive stuff online.

I’m not saying that you should stop posting well-thought out, and well-argued posts directed to government leaders and even the broader public. We need those discussions, even if they venture into the negative zome sometimes. What we need to avoid are the negativity vortex that just suck hope and leave us more cynica.

Don’t just share anything. Verify, verify.

Satire websites are, well… not factual, but are meant for humor and sometimes, political criticism. They have their place, and it is for some laughs. Websites such as TheOnion.com, AdoboChronicles.com and SoWhatsNews.Wordpress.com post articles that look like news, but they’re not. So before you share it as news, check it out first to avoid looking like an idiot online.

Debate ideas, and don’t spread the hate.

It’s okay to talk about ideas, debate about different side of the issues, and it is okay, sometimes, for the discussion to become heated. But there is never a good excuse for name-calling, and insults.

The election season in the United States, and in the Philippines, is drawing out the worst behaviors from all sorts of people online. Ideas, opinions, and perspectives may change over time, but words spoken in hatred are very difficult to erase. If you want to learn more about logical fallacies to avoid committing them, check out this page: http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/ENGL1311/fallacies.htm

Be critical. Learn to “read between the lines.”

Blog posts, articles, and Social Media posts may not say all there is to say on a topic or an issue. Just because a friend or relative’s Social Media post ‘seem’ to point to you does not necessarily mean it is.

Also, not every good post (or review0 is really good. It may be a paid post, or what is called an advertorial. So dig deeper, be critical of what you read online. Don’t just accept things on face value.

* * * * *

For more Social Media tips and tricks, check out my book “Get a Life… Online: Tips & Tricks para sa Hardcore na Netizen” available in all major bookstores nationwide and online.

It costs only PhP 75.

Ang SuperEpic Stories ay isang bagong series dito sa aking blog. I will feature stories from characters from the Bible, from history, and in our present day that illustrates the ideas and concepts in the book: “May Powers Ka to Be #SuperEpic.”

Feel free to use this as part of your devotion or study at para na rin matulungan ka para maging mas mabuting leader. Share it with your friends, too.

* * * * *

Noong panahong nabuhay siya sa mundo, controversial figure si Jesus, lalo na sa mga political at religious leaders sa bansang Israel. Galing siya sa humble beginnings. For one, ipinanganak siya sa Nazareth. Tanong nga ni Philip sa John 1:46 “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” At na-amaze sa kanya ang maraming mga religious leaders at teachers dahil kaya niyang makipagdebate sa kanila.

Bilang mga Christians, we recognize Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Pero kung babalikan natin ang kanyang buhay, marami siyang ginawang #SuperEpic! Ito ang ilan sa mga ginawa niya:

Weatherman.

In Mark 4:35-41, habang tumatawid sina Jesus at ang kanyang mga disciples sa isang lake, biglang dumating ang malakas na storm. Natutulog si Jesus noon, pero when he woke up, he commanded the wind and the rain to stop. And it did.

Social Worker.

Ito pa isa: in Mark 6, Jesus feeds the five thousand. Sabi ng ilang mga scholars, puwedeng hindi talaga dumami ang dalawang fish at limang pandesal na dinala nung isang bata, but that natutong mag-share ng baon yung mga tao na sumunod kay Jesus. Either way, isipin mo yun, parang Social Worker si Jesus na may feeding session para sa super daming tao.

Physician.

Marami ring mga ginamot na tao si Jesus–mga physical na karamdaman at spiritual maladies. Isa rin ito sa mga dahilan kung bakit sobrang daming tao ang gustong lumapit kay Jesus.

Exorcist.

Ito ang ministry na scary. Jesus had to banish demons na nang-ooppress sa mga tao noong panahon niya. Remember si “Legion” na lumipat sa mga kawawang pigs na bigla na lang nag-jump-over-the-cliff?

Activist and Critic.

Isa rin ito sa mga mahirap na aspekto ng ministry ni Jesus. Hindi siya superfriends ng mga Pharisees at Sadducees. Paano ba naman kasi tinawag niya silang “Brood of Vipers.” Kahit na kung ano-ano pa ang mga tinatanong ng mga ito kay Jesus, he has a way to answer and confound them.

“You Will Do Greater Things than These…”

So, why am I enumerating all theses things that Jesus did?

Kasi, sabi niya sa John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.”

You see, we are the ambassadors of Jesus to our world. And we have the power to do the same things he has done. Kaya din nating maging #SuperEpic.

* * * * *

Basahin ang “May Powers Ka to Be #SuperEpic” to grow as a youth leader. Puwede mo rin itong gamitin to train others! Just go to http://BeSuperEpic.com

How about you? May #SuperEpic Stories ka ba?

If meron, tell your story in 350-500 words. Puwedeng English, Tagalog, or Taglish. Basta anything that can help other young leaders become #SuperEpic!

One of the books I read in 2015 is a book entitled ” The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance” by Steven Kotler.

The book looked at the death-defying achievements of Extreme Sports athletes: mountain climbers, base jumpers, wingsuit divers, skateboarders, surfers, and other daredevils. At times, reading it felt like the equivalent of drinking two cans of Red Bull–adrenaline pumping, awe inducing, and it sometimes feel too incredible to be true.

But the book is not about extreme sports and adventure. It’s really about the concept of “Flow” and how it can be hacked to help us improve our performance and achieve our goals more effectively and more efficiently.

I’ve written elsewhere (like in my book Start Up: Find your place. Engage the world. Sustain your life.) that I am a big fan of the 10,000 hours observation popularized by Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers book.

It turns out that there is a way to shortcut those 10,000 hours. And the secret to it is the concept of FLOW, which was studied and popularized by a psychologist named Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (it looks difficult, but it’s pronounced “chicksent-me-high”) who studied creativity and what motivates and deeply satisfies people.

He defined the “FLOW state” as “being so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”

It’s like being in the zone, where you just pour out your best work while you concentrate at a task at hand. When you look up again, you realize that you’ve spent hours, literally, on what you were doing.

Steve Kotler worked in breaking down this definition of flow. There are three basic properties of FLOW:

• Profound mental clarity: there’s a calmness to flow
• Emotional detachment: you’re able to step back and prevent your emotions from interfering with your actions.
• Its Automatic nature: one step or decision naturally leads into the next right step.

According to Csikszentmihalyi, there are ten core components of the Flow State:

• Clear goals: your level of skill and the level of the challenge should be both high.
• Concentration: Attention is completely focused on the task at hand.
• Loss of the feeling of self-consciousness: Action and awareness merge together.
• Distorted sense of time: You feel time speeding up or slowing down depending on the nature of your task.
• Direct and immediate feedback: You know right away if your decision is right or wrong, so you can adjust behavior.
• Balance between ability and challenge: If the task is too difficult, you get overwhelmed, but if the task is too easy for your skill level, you get bored.
• A sense of personal control over the situation
• The task, in and of itself, is rewarding. It becomes almost effortless.
• Absorption: you are totally immersed in the activity.

One of the key concepts for me, here, is that there should be a high level of skill in the first place. And as you level up your skill, you should also seek out higher levels of challenges to get into the FLOW State.

Granted, when the skill level is low, practice can feel tedious and difficult. But if you persevere through it, you start reaping the benefits and start to be in the flow.

So what does this mean for us, cubicle-dwelling, knowledge workers?

Although the book contains lots and lots of stories about extreme sports athletes, there are also quite a lot of lessons for us, ordinary, cubicle-dwelling, knowledge-working mortals.

1. In the first place, high performance is not just for athletes and daredevils, there are also feats of imagination and brain work. And if we could tap into the Flow state that enables extreme athletes to cheat death and improve performance, then we can certainly improve performance, too.
2. If we take a look at the core components of the Flow State, we can make significant changes in our internal attitudes toward work, and at the same time make changes in our environment that can bring us into the zone of our effectiveness.
3. Granted, a lot of work can feel tedious, difficult, and mind-numbing that we feel like our only escape would be to do something else. But if we can alter our perception of work, and look for the angle that will help us appreciate our work better, it will greatly improve performance.

Although Csikszentmihalyi, the original source of the concept of FLOW, and consequently Kotler in this book, claims that FLOW is possibly the source of happiness and contentment. I’m not entirely convinced. Happiness is, too often, a difficult concept or emotion to define; and its definition could be subjective and might change from culture to culture. Nonetheless, ‘Flow’ is a great way to capture that zone where human performance is maximized.