The Five of Spades

We all know that time is one of the things that a person cannot take back. It's importance is connected to our own, our very lives. As time is measurable by life existence, lifetime in which our duration, our time is our own responsibility and obligation. I have always stressed that we value our time because it is a part our our lives. We misuse it, we misuse a certain part of ourselves, a part that we cannot take back or even replace. The ugly truth is, the way we handle our time has a definite impact towards others, we somewhat affect them. Like if we were late for an appointment, we not only waste our time but also the other person's time as well. Responsibility and obligation goes with time.

People who were aspiring to be successful, like me, was often asked a question about our personal vision. Nobody would say that he would like to be the poorest person on earth, we all do want to achieve. I saw this college classmate of mine who is currently jobless. He has a bright vision of his future, he said that he knows that his time will come. But as far as I know, he is just putting sometime on the internet for any online job application and the rest will be gaming, malling, and some other activities that usually kills time. I asked him, since when did he have a job, he told me, "Oh! I haven't realize that it has been six years!. How time fly so fast." But he still believe that his time is yet to come, his opportunity to rise will present itself. Now, what he didn't realize and I think he haven't thought of is "is he ready?" We all did apply for a job but it doesn't mean that it is the only thing to do aside from breathing. There is always a better thing to do.

I believe that each and everyone of us has our own time to shine. But we should realize that shining starts at a small ray of light from the horizon until its full bloom in the top. Our time starts from the day we learn what to choose and has the capacity to decide. It is not other's obligation to do what is best for us. It is in our own hands. While, for example, waiting to be hired, why not do something to make yourself better. Attend some seminars or skill workshop. Do some voluntary work to know more and enhance our professional knowledge. Better qualify ourselves. Then when the opportunity arises we know when is the right part to strike, a perfect timing. We should be ready. Always. Success is close to those who make themselves closer to it. TIMING IS THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT TO SUCCESS, BEING THE RIGHT PERSON, AT THE RIGHT TIME, AT THE RIGHT PLACE.

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?

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.