Diamond's Number 2

May 2010 Elections is fast approaching. Many people by now have their own candidates to vote for, presidential bet to be exact. They most of these people look for some one who will be able to lift the economy. One of the possible way that they see it, someone who will make their lives better. I usually read this Presidentiable's social network page, with a lot of people writing any message of support, comments, "wishlists", and even curses. What I always see in that page is those people who asks money from him. Yep, you read it right, they ask for money. Some even say that if he will give him some cash, he will be voting for him. Now, that is the current generation Filipinos. It's very demoralizing. To be frank, it's really degrading. They are the kind of people who you wish are not our kababayan. Fact: Presidential Candidates are people who represent your ideology, speak as your voice, and an icon for the country. Fact: They are not genies whom you can wish anything in return for a vote. They are not even saviors. They are just a person with a special role. It is to oversee, govern, and represent. Our economy doesn't depends on a current administration, our current and future government administration depends on us. We should not depend on our government. The truth is they are powerless if the people would not gave them power. So therefore what we have or experiencing right now, when it comes to finance, economy, and even career does not depend on others. We should use what God have gave us. We have free will. So it is very clear that our actions dictates the way we live. We write our own destiny, at time we even destroy what we should have become. It is still us that have the capacity to change our lives, not other people. If we look at some other people as our saviour, God have pity, the mind is a terrible thing to waste. Do not wish for something to be in favor to us. We must do it and grab it ourselves. Like the Two of Diamonds states "DO NOT WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN, MAKE THINGS HAPPEN."

The Ace of Diamonds

All business are made to earn profit. So definitely all business are like diamonds, they are in the eyes an ordinary rock with limitless opportunities installed. It is always up to the person to work smart, give each angles definition, and make it shine. Filipinos in particular moves or migrates towards different countries because they felt that Philippines, with it's past and current economic standing, is now going downwards. The so called "tiger economy" is long gone. The same happened in Afghanistan, where all of its talents migrated in some other countries because of losing confidence in its bounce-back capacity. The truth is, major investors see Philippines as a land of opportunity. Koreans send their children because the quality of eduction here is high yet cheap. Indians see our land to be a market heaven, into where their merchandise is an instant gold. All of these, the foreigners' success was due to its capacity to be industrious and having an open mind. It is definitely the case. Filipinos are most animals, they migrated to where they see food, in our case, money. But didn't money came from any product or services rendered? It is a blessing for us that our money has rate different from dollars because of it, our cost of living is not as high as any other country. We do production here or render our services then charge other countries in accordance to their living, thus having their money equivalent to huge amount in peso. Everything is here in our country. We are blessed, we must capitalize on what we have. We cannot move forward if we just stay to what we are. We must give extra effort. Like the Ace of Diamonds said "Business is like a wheel barrow, nothing ever happens until you start pushing."

The Fourteenth Card, Ace of Diamonds

The King of Flowers

The King of Flowers says "Managers may rely on systems but Leaders, rely on people." First, let me differentiate the two. A manager according to dictionary.com is "a person who has control or direction of an institution, business, etc., or of a part, division, or phase of it." This so called "control" is based on a systematic, technical aspects of any rules and regulations of business. It is based on technical qualifications. On the other hand, a leader according to the same source is "One who has influence or power, especially of a political nature." It only means that a leader's source of authority is his capacity to influence others to follow him. Regardless of a mandate or any contract, the leader grasp power and handles people because these people wanted that person, the leader, for them to guide them or represent them. While the manager possesses authority which is only bound within the walls of the company, mandated by systematic process of selection. A manager definitely follows everything by the book, while leaders do what he thinks will be for the common or greater good. Managers have employees, while leaders have people. Systems are made by the management or the government for the firm's advantage or security, actions made by leaders is based on trust and principles. A manager see what benefits more for the company, while the leader protects the people's interest. Lastly, not all managers are leaders but leaders, regardless of any documents, are managers.

The Jack of Flowers

Marketing is the front-liner of each company. They are the ones who have direct interaction with the public, aside from the products or services. They ought to be effective in appraising mass appeal of the product or services and also the company as well. So definitely, marketing, together with the sales people, are used in a fierce market battlefield. It takes time, effort and the right strategy to gather even a single customer to use anything that a company offers. I remember the incident in the 1990's involving Pepsi and their contest-promotion, if I'm not mistaken, 555 fever. As far as I can recall, there is an anomaly regarding the result of the contest. Let's just say the booster turned into a disaster. People for a long time were demotivated to patronize the product. In an instant, they lose a lot of Pepsi drinkers. I believe the same happened to Vicky Bello, when a scandalous event involving her partner, Hayden Kho, spread in the mainstream of media. I believe some of her clients were turned-off with the said controversy. Again, another cut-off Belo's market. See, it takes time, strategy, patience, hardwork, including sweat and blood, gaining even a single customer. People are hard to convince, but they get easily swayed by negativity. The harder it is to get a customer, but it is a lot easier to lose one. It talks about dignity and discipline. It talks about being true to yourself and to others. The card states "It takes months to find a customer... seconds to lose one."

Alarming Hack Attack

Early this year, newsrooms were flooded by a very suspicious incident of government agencies' network being hacked. to read more on this article, here is the link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/302476,philippines-alarmed-over-hacking-of-government-websites.html

Just this evening, I came down to eat dinner and my attention was caught by a news regarding the automated election, that the ballot boxes that will be used in the May 2010 election is not black and because the ink that was used in the ballots are UV sensitive. Then I suddenly remembered the news regarding the government websites' hacking incident. I really can't take away this very weird feeling in me that the information infiltration happened to the government agencies were mere dry-runs for what will happen to the upcoming elections. I am not putting my fingers on the current administration but they should know well that they are not new to this kind of unusual issues. If the worst happen in the election time, I don't think that there will be any success if any protest regarding the process and the outcome will be made. Another thing is that the technology used, the "high tech" ballot boxes and the like, are all products of Taiwan. I am not being judgmental by saying, but we all know that, Taiwanese law has teeth not sharp enough upon dealing with hackers, meaning hackers in that country can work freely. I even know a Filipino hacker who stayed for a year to Taiwan because of it's way of treating the issue of information hacking. I think being vigilant isn't the right move anymore. I think we should do something before it happens. Let's face it, it is not only the presidentiables that our country needs, our country needs us. She need us to do something right away. We do not need to have another EDSA Revolution. All we need to do is to prevent the worst from happening. Please, regardless of whom we support, let us all do something. At the end of the day, we are still all Filipinos.

Ten of Flowers

It is usually the belief that being rich means having more wealth. That's is not the whole picture. The truth is "no man becomes rich unless he enriches other." Some will say this words are applicable only to mentors, counselors, teachers, anyone in education industry. Again, that is not the whole picture. I'll discuss this in a sense of business. For example, a business owner generates money through his business. The profitable his business becomes, the wealthier he gets. That is a fact. But how can he be wealthy if he doesn't have any employee who works for him, whom he gave a good, if not high, compensation? If his worker isn't updated to what is new within and around the industry which he most probably paid for his employee's seminar or workshop, would his business be competitive and profitable as it is? Another thing, if he doesn't give the right product, the best he service he could give, that a buyer needed for his own needs, would he have revenues flowing in his firm? I don't think so. He needed to make other gain from him so a businessman would gain from them. The buyer should gain his product so the company would gain his payment. He would have enrich the skills and minds of his employees, reward their hardwork so that they could perform better each day. It is the same as you will harvest what you have planted. we affect everybody else in this world. If we steal something from others, something will be taken away from you. So therefore, if a person give something, whether he likes it or not, he will receive something, even if it is not exactly what he has given. Let's be careful of what we do to this world. That is another reason to be happy from somebody's success. That's why giving is better than taking. Anyways, we are all under the same sky.

We are the World

It is always a warming and tingling experience to hear the most celebrated artists of our time team up together for a humanitarian cause. It is a sad thing that it only happens only in the time of calamities. It uplifts human spirit and motivates each people to be human again. To be compassionate and generous. To have the heart dominantly function instead of the mind. The first We are the World is one of the songs that I will never forget since childhood. It made me aware at a young age about being humanitarian, and knowing what is happening in places away from home. The Artists that participated here are as follows:

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• Dan Aykroyd
• Harry Belafonte
• Lindsey Buckingham
• Kim Carnes
• Ray Charles
• Bob Dylan
• Sheila E.
• Bob Geldof
• Hall and Oates
• James Ingram
• Jackie Jackson
• LaToya Jackson
• Marlon Jackson
• Michael Jackson
• Randy Jackson
• Tito Jackson
• Al Jarreau
• Waylon Jennings
• Billy Joel
• Cyndi Lauper
• Huey Lewis and the News
• Kenny Logins
• Bette Midler
• Willie Nelson
• Jeffery Osborne
• Steve Perry
• The Pointer Sisters
• Lionel Richie
• Smokey Robinson
• Kenny Rogers
• Diana Ross
• Paul Simon
• Bruce Springsteen
• Tina Turner
• Dionne Warwick
• Stevie Wonder
• Michael Boddicker - Synthesizers, Programming
• Paulinho da Costa - Percussion
• Louis Johnson - Bass
• Quincy Jones - Producer
• Michael Omartian - Keyboards, Producer
• Greg Phillinganes - Keyboards
• John Robinson - Drums

Yesterday, I was just getting some water to drink when I saw on in the television the new version of the We are the world, this time, it was dedicated for Haiti (I almost do not have the time to watch TV). It again gave me the same feeling, makes me remember the memories and realize that calamities are still happening, same situation twenty five years ago.. But his time I know I can do something. I can help in my own little-best way. I hope I can share the same feelings and sentiments and motivation with you all. Here are the artists that participate in We Are The World 25 for Haiti. By the way, Lady Gaga is one of the proponents for these project to happen.

"We Are the World 25 for Haiti" Artists:

• Patti Austin
• Phillip Bailey
• Tony Bennett
• Farnsworth Bentley
• Justin Bieber
• Mary J Blige
• Ethan Bortnick
• Toni Braxton
• Jeff Bridges
• Snoop Dogg
• Zac Brown
• Kristian Bush
• Erica Campbell
• Tina Campbell
• Lil Wayne
• Natalie Cole
• Harry Connick, Jr.
• Nikka Coasta
• Miley Cyrus
• Celine Dion
• Faith Evans
• Fergie
• T-Pain
• Melonie Fiona
• Jamie Foxx
• Sean Garrett
• Tyrese Gibson
• Josh Groban
• Anthony Hamilton
• Keith Harris
• Mya
• Keri Hilson
• Julianne Hough
• Jennifer Hudson
• II Trio
• Enrique Iglesias
• Janet Jackson
• Michael Jackson
• Randy Jackson
• Taj Jackson
• Taryll Jackson
• TJ Jackson
• Al Jardine
• Wyclef Jean
• Jimmy Jean-Louis
• Ralph Johnson
• Joe Jonas
• Kevin Jonas
• Nick Jonas
• Quincy Jones
• Rashida Jones
• Musiq Soulchild
• Gladys Knight
• Adam Levine
• Benji Madden
• Joel Madden
• Katherine McPhee
• Kid Cudi
• Rickey Minor
• Jason Mraz
• Pink
• Jennifer Nettles
• Brandy
• Orianthi
• Freda Payne
• Plain Pat
• AR Rahman
• RedOne
• Buta Rhymes
• Lionel Richie
• Nicole Richie
• Raphael Saadiq
• Carlos Santana
• Nicole Scherzinger
• India.Arie
• Isaac Slade
• Trey Songz
• Jordan Sparks (Jordin Sparks)
• Barbara Streisand (Barbra Streisand)
• Robin Thicke
• Rob Thomas
• Usher
• Vince Vaughn
• Kanye West
• Verdize White
• Will.I.Am
• Ann Wilson
• Brian Wilson
• Nancy Wilson
• Bebe Winans

Names of artists seen on the video but not credited in the list of credits: Akon, L L Cool J.

Please, it is now the time that we can do something, let's make things happen.

The Queen of Flowers

Who doesn't want to be rich? Everybody wants it. But the problem is, many people who has been given the opportunity to have their life prosper for the duration of their existence doesn't always have their "happy endings". Like for example, how many lotto winners have been able to grow or even keep their prize money? Most of them have experience a five or even two years luxurious life but later ended up to the same situation before they have the huge amount of money, or even worst. Another situation, a graduate student to ending up being employed in a work very different from what he had learned, or possibly not encountered at all. These situations define people the destiny of a person. "Success doesn't depend , only upon being at the right place at the right time, it depends upon being ready." It is true that opportunity knocks once, or maybe there's also a second chance, but the matter of handling those lucrative gifts are so crucial in which it will affect the rest of your life. For a student, being able to equip themselves during college, having a passing or even a high grade doesn't mean you are ready to face the corporate world. The question is are you prepared to face the unthinkable? Like, say, being unemployed?It is always a possibility but there is almost a little number of graduates who have succeeded in this situations. Tragedies happen when you do nothing. Opportunity only shows the way to success, it is still up to the person to make success happen. I myself have been gifted the opportunity to be unemployed. It gave me time to learn things that was totally different from what I have learned in school. It also gave me the direction into which path to success I must take. It strengthens my present and defines my future. And when the opportunity showed itself, I grab and worked on it immediately. Now I can say I have a business of my own, still small but it will eventually grow. I am much closer to my goal. Because I prepared myself to the unthinkable. I am ready to be successful. Are you ready too?

The Nine of Flowers

A winner is not born, they are made. But each and everyone who survived the delivery in the world was indeed a survivor, a person who triumph just to be challenged again in the next minute, hour, days, months, and years of their existence. Anyways, we can say that the proof that we are still living is when we still pains and hardships. We define ourselves by small victories that we make. The truth is, we define ourselves by learning and implementing what we lessons we have learn. That means, it includes failures. The similarity between normal people and achievers is that both of them experience defeats and failures, the difference is that the achievers learns, stands up, and reach for their goals, while others quit. Failure is something to be used as a too, an instrument in to which we strengthen ourselves. Getting up after is each fall is what separates the winner and the loser. Like what Homer said "Trying is the first step towards failure." It is also a huge leap towards winning. The lesson of the Nine of Flowers: Success is failure turned inside out.

The Eight of Flower

We all know that there are many types of leaders, but let's just classify them into two, the effective and the defective. It the effectiveness of a leader doesn't always have to be weighed in terms achievements. Achievements maybe a product group or individual effort. It may also be achieve by because of a particular member's effort. So achievements or accomplishments doesn't determine effective leadership. Effectiveness of a leader doesn't also determined by strategies. And most especially, revenue doesn't have any role in being a good leader. The leader is a person to whom people or members follow. Nobody can be a leader, or maybe it will just become a title, if nobody wanted to hear you, and do whatever you wish or plan to make. The effectiveness is based on communication. The lesson of the eight of flowers is "good communication is the key to good leadership." A person who doesn't leader to a commander is definitely has no allegiance to him, regardless of the duration or even the title. Regardless of the outcome, the followers are the ones who determine the effectiveness of the leader. Some group succeed because of the leader's effective way of influencing and communicating his members. Some failures are not determined by miscommunication. Some fail because of outside forces. It will be a forecasting fault, not communication. So the bottomline is, regardless of how much a person know or what he has gone through, if he can't relate his message and make his people follow him, he is by no means, an effective leader.

Eight Card: Eight of Flowers

Seventh Card: Seven of Flowers

The lesson that I would like to impart with you is usually the typical scenario in an office. Let's just say there is a land developer company that focuses on housing projects. Since it is a full grown company, it definitely has different subdivisions. In this particular office, the marketing division usually prepares different events for their different subdivisions. The marketing officers plans, conceptualizes, and handles them almost in a weekly basis. Definitely, since almost every week they have an event, some of them usually recycles the program and concepts. Some copies from what they have seen or heard. You may think of other activities that they have done but definitely, only one will stand out. All of them are conceptualizing, planning, coordinating and implementing. But only a few takes their guts, pushes their limits, and even doing it ahead of time. Only the person who create an event that was so different and yet becomes so profitable, leave a mark on that specific division, in the company, and maybe in the whole industry. All men are normal. What makes them human is their ability to rise from any occasion. What makes it a divine inspired work is when they make it on a daily basis. The lesson that I learned from the seven of lowers is "people forget how fast you did a job, but they remember how well you did it." There is always time for everything. Give things their respective times and extended efforts so they can certainly flourish and be the best that it could ever be. What we do in our lifetime echoes in the pages of history.

Sixth Card: Six of Flowers

There was once a beggar who asked for a penny to everyone walking on the street. Although he has no education, not any material possession except for the thorn out, dirty clothes that he have, he still have his youth. Nobody wanted to give him any job because he lacks credibility. He asked anyone regardless how they look-like or how they live. He never stops praying, wishing that his prayers would be heard. One day, the beggar asked a poor fisherman for any money or food. Since the fisherman has enough meal for the family, he just gave his fishing rod and net. The beggar sold it and bought a decent meal for the day. The next morning, he went on his way to beg again, he prayed before for any alms be given again. All he just asked to the Lord is enough food to live each day. Once again, he met this poor farmer, but this farmer has have earn so much that he gave one of his cow to the beggar. The beggar sold the cow for money and have a week long budget for food. He asked God why does He keep on giving anything except food. Food is all he need to survive. He even asked "If you have given me education and money, I would have been wealthy by now." In a tropical country like the Philippines, people easily burned their energy, so there is a greater food necessity. For almost three months, the beggar doesn't receive any alms to buy even a small piece of bread. He went to the seaside, wishing to end his miserable life. Before he set his feet to the shore, he look upwards and shout "Lord, why have you forsaken me? I have always been faithful but you show me, if none, a little grace. Since You probably doesn't exist, I better take my own life and stop this foolish living." He drowned himself and eventually, died. His soul traveled and saw the gates of heaven. He said to himself, "He does exist, but He didn't bother listen to my pleas." He encountered St. Peter and asked, "I would like to enter. I have all the reasons to be here, since I live a poor life on earth. I always pray even though they were not answered." St. Peter replied, "I believe you are not on the list, please go the other way." The beggar got very hysterical, saying "I was forsaken on earth, I still am forsaken here in heaven?! I thought God is loving and merciful, generous and kind. But why is He doing this to me?!" St. Peter then asked the man "What if you are still a beggar and saw me, you definitely asked for any money or food, right?" the beggar answered "of course, I need them to live. I can say I have live a good life, I didn't steal even to the point of dying." " Well, that's good so nice to know that you didn't even think of that. But what if I don't have any thing to give you but my chicken, would you still accept it?" He answered "of course I'll accept it and cook it for me to have a decent meal." St. Peter sighed, "You see, for all of your life, God doesn't abandoned you. There are numerous times that He gave you opportunity to feed yourself regularly and never starved again. Like the time you have a fishing rod and net, and the cow. If you just not sold those things and used the rod and the net for fishing, while the cow to be milked or even breed, you would've been eating and earning. But instead, you sold them and find the easiest way to have something to eat, like what you will be doing if I were to give you a chicken. He gave you countless of chance and indeed answered each of your prayer. All you have to do with the opportunity is work on it." So the beggar cried, asked for forgiveness and woke up in a shore full of coconuts. He was again given another chance. The six of flowers states: PRAY AS IF EVERYTHING DEPENDED ON GOD, WORK AS IF EVERYTHING DEPENDED ON YOU.

Fifth Card: Five of Flower

This happened to me when I was struggling on what to do with my college life. As a typical college student, there will come a time that you feel that you have studied long enough yet it is so near your graduation. I do feel very lazy and laid back at that time. Losing all the momentum that good commendation from my teachers and peers has given to me. I pass the subjects satisfactorily. I always did. And that time, I really felt like quitting. It is very tiresome and boring to me. But everytime I imagine on who I will be in the future. It seems to me that I started to be drifted away from it, inch per inch, until that vision of becoming a business tycoon has become very blurry. I Started to think what has happened to me. After that long student years that I have plainly endured, then I will just quit all of a sudden because I am really tired of it, it seemed to me a little later what I am feeling that time has definitely not acceptable nor reasonable. I realized that I really doesn't exert any efforts. Having a passing grade and attending school events just for attendance is not merely an action for an aspiring person. In short, I have just waste a lot of time. I should've given my best everytime, not just to have a better grade but to make myself better each passing moment. What takes me away farther and farther from my dream everyday is my own doing. It is like waiting everytime for time to tick but not moving. It is like wanting to go to Baguio and knowing it would require a six hour trip, just waiting for the clock to expire that six hour time without even moving a muscle. Definitely, I go nowhere. I just waste a lot of precious time. Although it is regretful that I have waste my past, I just focused on my present and my future. After I realized that in my third tear in college, I suddenly felt that urge and feel that every moment is my last moment on earth. It is not that I rushed things but I make it a point that every second in my life will be fruitful. I try to learn and master thing. Learning has become a must, a part of me, and an enjoyable thing to me. Now, I have my small business, but I am learning from it, I am working smart for it, And definitely I have my future for it. What has transpired between my third year college until now is way much more fruitful than what I had produced from the date of birth up to my second year college. Although I am still far from it but definitely way much nearer as each day comes. I will realize my dream sooner or later. But as of this moment, I am living fruitfully while reaching my dreams. The five of flower states "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

The Fourth Card: Four of Flowers

"Nothing is impossible." This is a very strong word. It is also similar to the saying "with God nothing is impossible". We are all His creation, like a Father to His children, so definitely we also have this distinct capability to do things that are quite "un-do-able". The sad truth is, most people can do incredible acts, like a small lady carrying a huge refrigerator, just in the moments of hopelessness. It is kicked by the instinct to survive. So definitely, man is really capable of doing things that are beyond his imagination. I did not say capacity because we are the most "able" being. The most able thing that we are capable of is what we call being pessimist. That is what hinders us in doing the unthinkable. It is not actually a bad thing looking at the negative aspect of any problem, it makes a person aware and develop a fail safe plan just in case. What makes it wrong is the person who was affected and terrorized of the thought of failure. Instead of being helpless and self pitying, why not face the problem and do something about it. Whatever happens, you are in a winning situation. Most of all, you will learn something, that makes you a very knowledgeable and experience person. If ever you or someone you know encounters the same or related problem, solution is most possible for you. Nothing is impossible, all you have to do is start working on it.

The Third Card: Three of Flowers

The three of flowers states that: QUALITY IS THE SEARCH FOR EXCELLENCE. The sentence explains itself. I remember when I was working at Jollibee as a Service Crew. For the first time I have seen managers so angry with so little things. These same managers are the people whom I can say I enjoy the company with. They really are nice but when it comes to procedures and products, it is a must for them that you act, you work, you do, and even just for that moment, you live in excellence. And for the first time in the store's history, they passed the quality examination, silver at standard at that time. At that working-for-the-dream moment, we feel tense because of the pressure that these bosses gave us. Even the closest one suddenly became strict while working. We better ourselves, better the products, better the service every moment. That same period of time, I became a Crew Trainer. See, Excellence has a price. It is to take some parts of your attitudes away and replacing them with something better. It is making yourself better. Yes it is so hard to take away and reject the old habits but if excellence has a price, it also comes with greater rewards. Not just material gains but most of all, your personal reward. Since you give your best, you better yourself every time. So thus the product or service you give.Up until now, I have carried this habit of being a rational perfectionist. Excellence is learning. Continuous learning makes yourself adoptable to change, standards and quality also rise up as well. It is not just for the customer or any material rewards, it is most importantly for you.

Second Card: Two of Flower

"One good product or service can support you in style for the rest of your life." What you do reflects on you, simple. Same goes with the product. A High level company will not be on that rank if he has poor products. Satisfaction of self first then satisfaction of the masses. Let's take a smaller example. A person who present himself bes, as he works his best in his employment or any bother career, he might get what's best for him. I used the term "might" because he may not have a good income but he will game most based on the experience. There is always something to gain, especially if you give the best, your quality self. A person is known by what he has done, it actually became a tag for him. Here in our area, Mang Eddie sells lugaw for many years until now. He is known not Eddie but Eddieng Lugaw. Same goes with Sarao, Colgate, and so on. It is you who establish your own standards and people are the one who branded you. True that we should not let people's criticism ruin your work, your goal. But it doesn't always apply. Criticisms are for you to judge and if justifiable, it is a portion of you that you need to grow. Whatever you do, it always has some thing to do with you. Be the very best that yourself can be, because that is who you really are. Whatever we did on will resound in the echo of history.

The First Card: Ace of Flower

"Confidence is when you care enough to send the very best and you go yourself." This phrase tells us that being able to bring out confidence, a person should give always the best effort that he can do. Confidence also comes out if you know you did something out of everything in your disposal. I have this experiences in high school when I did some projects. Honestly, I am not an academic achiever. I usually played around, having some fun. Taking obligations so lightly. Cramming back then is a habit for me. I always do a project with two weeks or more deadline at the very last minute. Most of the time, I always have a project to submit but there is always an uneasy feeling that keeps my heart pumping. I do have a project but I know for a fact that it is not good and definitely I know I can do better. It affects me when I present this project or assignment in front of the class. I know that it so stupid of me to even bother submit it. Anyways, at least I have something to submit, I might have a low score but still I have something to submit. But what I do not know that time is that it affects the way I think, the way I face anyone. It is not being poor in school, it is about me being lazy. And laziness causes a person lose confidence to himself. With that, regret will come after you next. Thinking "I should have done that" or "I am this if only I gave an extra effort". We shouldn't give an extra push, we ought give all our efforts. What can we expect in return if you give something that is less than satisfactory. Definitely everything backfires. If we do bad, we receive bad, sometimes even worst. If we give it all, if we do good, rewards could be better or the best. And most of all, confidence doesn't come from somebody. Real confidence is inherent. It always within us. It will always come out if we are ready and prepared, even in the midst of surprises. We do need somebody but we should not rely on anyone. Letting others do a responsibility given to you makes you definitely worthless. You may have been credited but we do know who really earned. It is not always about money or material gain. It should always be knowing that we learn and did it. And you can definitely justify the action taken, instead of being left alone in the air. In my college days, I definitely made a living out of advising thesis or feasibility studies. I always tell them that I am just there to guide. But most of the time, they left their work to me, they paid me so definitely, I give my effort to give the best product or case that I can produce. They always receive a high grade upon submitting the report. But they always fail in defense. They fail because they let others do their responsibilities. They fail because those things was not of their own doing. They are actually a stranger to it. They lose confidence, I earn knowledge and money. The phrase given by my first card is almost similar with the quote "Nobody can help you but yourself." Everybody can do something. All you have to do is believe in yourself. You are your first customer. Do your best and God will do the rest.

My Deck of Cards

I have this card that I have as a souvenir at the 16th Philippine Advertising Congress in Cebu. Since it came into my possession, I always look and read on it. Don't get me wrong, I am no fortune teller that reads what the card says regarding the future, but this set of card has words of wisdom added on each one of them. Some inspirational words that has helped me a little upon being a professional. Why do I say a little? If it has inspirational words or words of wisdom, how come that it has helped me a little? True, the words are some kind of advice, words of preparations and intelligent quotations, but I, as a receiver of the knowledge, fully understands it but didn't live on it. I like them because I really comprehend the thoughts and their application in real life. It sometimes give me a boost in the challenges that I faced. But my indecisions were not caused by these cards. It is definitely caused by me. Whether or not I read the advices written on the cards, the fact that I didn't do the right thing causes me to be a failure. The fact that man has his own free will supports the clause that man's failure is his own doing. I can't blame anyone, most especially the cards, for whatever fall that I have made. Two years ago, I hid the cards because I move a lot. I always ponder what have I done wrong to be in a hard situation. I saw that I have been preparing myself and has this gifts or tools to succeed but I have no drive for it. I was laid back at that time. I lose my sense of direction. But God truly is great. Whenever we are lost in our ways, he always put street signs on the roads we take. I redirected myself from that awkward position, change my direction to head in to my true destination. I have lost some time, yes, but definitely I still have today and tomorrow to do something. Recently, as I was arranging some of my things, I encountered my cards again. They were not arranged properly. While I was rearranging it, I can't help but smile because I can say now that it's word of wisdom now doesn't guide me. I can say that it's words is one of the foundation that make this man strong. I do now have a drive and most likely, I will use each advise. I may have a wrong turn in the future but what the heck? I would not be that far away from my real destination from now on.

(This was a forwarded email from my mother, hope you enjoy reading.)

This is one of the best clean jokes I've seen in awhile!

Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer. They had been going at it for days, and frankly God was tired of hearing all the bickering.

Finally fed up, God said, 'THAT'S IT! I have had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for two hours, and from those results, I will judge who does the better job.'

So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.

They moused.

They faxed.

They e-mailed.

They e-mailed with attachments.

They downloaded.

They did spreadsheets!

They wrote reports...

They created labels and cards.

They created charts and graphs.

They did some genealogy reports.

They did every job known to man.

Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell.

Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off.

Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed everycurse word known in the underworld.

Jesus just sighed.

Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming: 'It's gone! It's all GONE! 'I lost everything when the power went out!'

Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours of work..

Satan observed this and became irate.

'Wait!' he screamed. 'That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his work and I don't have any?'

God just shrugged and said,

JESUS SAVES