The Manila Freelancer is holding a contest. To win a book:  The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss.

It’s easy, non-alcoholic and quick. Just go to his blog, blog about it and leave a trackback and you are all set.

Just like this.

I wonder what the book is really all about.

Work, tasks, household chores, to-do lists, meetings, deadlines: never ending.

I used to describe moments like these as “toxic”, as those who ask me how I am doing in recent days can attest. No more.

Why?

Though the burden is quite heavy and 24 hours seem quite inadequate, I’ve realized the state I’m in is a good thing.

Well, for one thing, work is where I get my income from, which put food on our table and our other needs. The house and car needs cleaning but I should be thankful to have these luxuries, right? Meetings and tasks are things I signed up for - things I am interested in - things I love doing - and many times get compensated for, which I’ll gladly do for free and many times I’ll even gladly pay to do.

That is the last time I will use it to describe my days. I’ll just say “I am doing great, lots of things on my plate.” (Hey, that rhymes!)

We create our own happiness (much as we create our own sadness). What happens to us (outside stimulus) affect us, but how we react (internal response). We decide what to think and eventually, what we feel.
The Most Positive Person I Know

We know of positive people who, despite adversities and trials still find beauty and joy in life. They make their own happiness. They contaminate others to look at the world through appreciating eyes. Anything that reminds you of them will surely brighten your day.

So who is the most positive person I know? Bo Sanchez. If you don’t know him, read his books and blog, attend Kerygma Feast or watch his talks. If you have the chance, talk to him in person and see for yourself.

Helpful and Happy Links

For me, positivity can be greatly measured on how much help you are and how better life is with you, your ideas, work and thoughts. This mix of sites I check regularly should be daily fare for you too.

Happy News

LifeHack

Joyful Jubilant Learning

Contract Worker

Happy Nest

May I also add my nephew’s site, a newbie blogger (I “forced” him to, haha!) whose thoughts on Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles reveal a positive change. As a blogger, he has a long way to go. But as a person, his development towards positivity assures me that there is hope in the youth.
This may have not made it to Positive Thinking day (September 13), but I chose to post it nevertheless to encourage a Positive Mental Attitude.

Think good thoughts.

Decide and act to create your own great day.

Choose to be happy and positive today.

Edited: Oh, I forgot to mention that this was supposed to be a post for Positive Thinking Day, which should be declared every day. Thanks to ipopin.com for the affirmations.

It’s the year 2011.

A great change has swept the highlands.

In this farming community up in the mountains of the Cordilleras, the men and womenfolk head for home after fruitful toil in their fields. The strawberries and rice crops yield is 34 percent higher, thanks to the proper implementation of the Green method, a scientific approach to farming in the highlands which factors in soil nutrient content, crop variety, temperature, humidity and heat while using an environmentally safe pest control practices, using only the naturally occurring and non-invasive/non-chemical approach developed in UP Los Banos.

After a dinner of freshly-picked vegetables and fish, a queue of people is seen heading to the Community Center where a computer laboratory of low-cost PCs is housed.

Honesto Dakila (not his real name), who stopped formal schooling after sixth grade, sits in front of the computer and inserts a flash drive on one of the USB ports and flips the on button. In less than a minute, he, along with 17 others in the Community Center (which connects to the city via a router), are busy clicking and typing away. Mr. Dakila is watching a flash video on basic algebra, which he has not finished he night before. His neighbors’ children, Mary Anne, 13 years and Stephen, 17, are also watching the video at the same time, while taking down some notes. Meanwhile, four housewives are chuckling with their headsets and microphones as they are busy with a language certification course on French. Others are busy chatting, emailing, and surfing the web for the latest developments around the world. Chito, the clan genius, is oblivious to those around him as his hero was getting a pummeling in an online game. This is not a good time to ask him which site will give you step-by-step information on how to remove a blemish on your face. You’ll only hear “Search it!”

Another typical night.

During the day it is a bit different. An adult volunteer supervises around 24 children in different grade levels as part of the school curriculum. Music, Science, Math and Language are just a few of the subjects credits they take.

In a few homes, high school students are busy uploading a video of tribal wedding and dubbing it in English as part of a UNESCO Heritage project. A brave student is updating an entry on a recent incident involving an international production outfit’s attempt to exploit and make money of their school original project entitled “A Mountainous Love Story” - of the life and loves of their great tribal chief. She claims that the Creative Commons - Non-Commercial (CC-NC) license with which they released their work prohibits the “for profit” use of their work and was filing a case with the courts. The 139 comments on her blog and counting indicate a good following and support. Just across her house, a new wife was following a recipe for a special dish she was preparing for her husband who was due to arrive any minute. It’s a good thing that the video can be played back over and over. A grandmother was teary-eyed as she touches the screen where her daughter is showing their 7-day old baby to her granddaughter from Belgium for the very first time. “She looks like her Lolo, may he rest in peace.”

What was a dying town some 5 years ago is now alive and vibrant, its culture intact despite embracing technology as a part of their everyday life. Its people learn when they want, where they want and how they want it. In turn, they are also educating the whole world about their culture and traditions - and connecting with other communities like them. They have embraced learning as an integral part of their community. That enabled the great change. This wave is rippling throughout the nation. Reaching out across the globe.
A young man quickly minimizes a Java game window as his mother hollers from the kitchen “Alam ko ang ginagawa mo. Di ba dapat yung report sa Science and Technology and ginagawa mo? ” (”I know what you are doing. Aren’t you supposed to be doing your investigative report in Science.”). She sits down and resumes discussing her son’s topic: eLearning in the Philippines. No webcam, a site tracker, or even Big Brother and any artificial intelligence can compare to the processing and unlimited power of that application called mother’s intuition.

Well, some things should never change.

—————

Prologue or Epilogue (only time will tell):

The technology needed for this story is actually available now.

The OLPC and other low-cost PCs such Via PC1’s initiative cuts the current cost.

A Linksys WRT54 -G router was made to connect via point-to-point Wi-fi 382 km away. I think other technologies will make wireless connection cheaper and more efficient. But this setup is a good solution once the kinks are ironed out. Wi Max is making great strides as we speak.
And then you still have the ever reliable Filipina Mothers. All technology pales compared to them. They have stood the test of time and will outlast any upgrade or innovation. It’s a great feeling that they’ll still be there in the future.

This is a quick round up of what I found interesting or good around the internet.

I just found out that my cousin Ate Deedee (who used to be with Philstar.com, among others) blogs at Sa Dulang ni Deedee. Check her blog as she bares her soul freely and learn a thing or two about good great writing, life and living.

The 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit happens in Davao on October 27. The highlight of that event is the Mindanao Blog Awards where the best and brightest blogs down south will be acknowledged.

Speaking of Davao, I met with Davao Bloggers recently and was received with a very warm welcome. I recently learned that Andrew of Ratified.org is invading (or has invaded) Australia and is also accepting sponsors for his site. Ria also wrote about a finding a date.

Blogger’s Kapihan, spearheaded by Sir Martin organized a blogging beyond the basics just for Pisay students. He was the teacher behind the Pisay Meets World project last year and is currently busy with an “upgrade” over last year’s success. I have a feeling that this can go the next level like doing it for other interested schools. Schoolpad.ph might want to join the bandwagon and let schools know how they can maximize the internet for their needs. But one step at a time, right? Then maybe we can get the schools to think about e-learning, too.

Coincidentally, the 6th National eLearning Conference will happen on October 25-26. Details here. The theme is: Learning About Technology, eLearning with Technology for the Academe and Industry. (PS: I’m in the board of Philippine eLearning Society (PeLS), the organizers.)
I’m joining Positive Thinking Day, on September 13. The idea is to change the world one thought at a time. I’ll be featuring the most positive Filipino I know. Who is the most positive one for you?
Which takes us to one of the most positive Filipino blogs I read that keeps me optimistic: Happy Nest by Toni. I just found it recently and am looking for more. Do you have any positive Filipino blog you would recommend?

My nephew Kirby is a newbie blogger who writes about Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles here. Did I mention that I have a photoblog at Pinoyphotoblog.com? I know, it’s a take on Pinoytechblog, Pinoytravelblog. Maybe someday, they’ll all be part of a bigger PinoyBlognetwork or BBN?

Lastly, a dog blogs!
Found any good one lately?