Inspirations | MagandangBalita.com

Ladyshwalla, the bride-to-be, twitted a link from a Saudi online paper entitled “Imagine a World Without Filipinos.” Initially, I thought it was the email that circulated where hospitals, oil tankers, the IT industry, call centers and many other sectors plunged into chaos when Filipinos suddenly disappeared.

To my pleasant surprise, it was an article by a Saudi national. It spoke of how dependent they have been on Filipinos. And the clincher:

We should pay respect to Filipino workers, not only by employing them but also by learning from their valuable experiences.

Wherever the Filipino worker maybe, in Saudi, Canada, Singapore or Makati, Tarlac or Naga - you are held in high esteem.

Coincidentally it’s the birthday of Jose Rizal today.

Filed under InForNation, Inspirations, People

Pan - entire; Gaea - also spelled as gaia - meaning earth. Pangea Day, literally Entire Earth Day.

This is not about the Earth Day celebrated some weeks back (though I’m all for that too) where we turned off our lights for one hour. This is about a dream come true about a dream. A dream shared by everyone on earth.

Her dream: World Peace, like you, me and the beauty pageant contestant. It is really our desire, right. But we ask ourselves “But what can one person do?” I think she asked the same question and she came up with a first step: To meet together. I agree.

From Pangeaday.org

In 2006, filmmaker Jehane Noujaim won the TED Prize, an annual award granted at the TED Conference. She was granted $100,000, and more important, a wish to change the world. Her wish was to create a day in which the world came together through film. Pangea Day grew out of that wish. Watch Jehane Noujaim’s 2006 acceptance speech now.

Pangea Day, the day the world comes together through film.

Pangea Day is over and many Asian countries, including the Philippines, as Technogra.ph blogged, missed the four-hour event because of the time difference. Though we didn’t get to participate actively, it was just the beginning. There is still a lot to do.

Am just wondering if any Filipino film maker submitted, or any Filipino was part of any film or organizing the event, or if there was a Philippine representative in any of the seven cities where the event was. It would be great to hear (or read) first hand info with a Pinoy perspective.

If it’s any consolation, we could trace Pangea Day to a Filipina who had an influence on Jehane. In her 2006 TED talk, she mentions a certain exchange student named Donna from the Philippines.

From the TED talk video:

“A long time ago, about forty years ago, my mom had an exchange student named Donna.”

(Note the Rosary, Missal and “Belo”)

(Donna eating ice cream.)

“And this is Donna teaching my Aunt a Filipino dance.”Unmistakably Filipina, either an Igorot or Muslim dance.
Anybody who knows her? Where is she now, the Filipina behind Pangea Day? Might be a great story for FilipinaImages.com.

Images captured from the TED.com talk.

Filed under Bright Ideas, General Interests, InForNation, Inspirations, The Future

• 3 comments

In the weekly email I send as a supplement to MabutingBalita.net, I mentioned that Pentecost, (the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and Mary) and Mother’s Day fell on the same day this year. It must be because mothers receive a special grace from God to do what they do, and to love unconditionally and without limit.

A woman becomes a mother once life is conceived in her womb. For men, it is impossible to understand how it is to carry a child inside your body for nine months. The changes, anxieties, pain and discomfort are quite difficult to fully explain. Yet, mommies bear this burden. It does not end there.

When we were born, there is the feeding, bathing, waking up in the middle of the night, worrying when you are sick, teaching how to walk, talk and get toilet-trained, etc. This lasts for around 10 years (sometimes more).

When the teenage years come, the mothers work continues. There is still the feeding, guiding, relentless worrying, waiting up, advising and a whole gamut of ings.

Even when the baby becomes an adult and has a family of his or her own, mothers continue to be mothers. Even if they are now called lola or granny or mamita (as my officemate’s children call their grandmother), they still are mothers. Caring, giving, guiding, praying for us.

A mother is forever. Because she loves.

Mama, Mommy, Nanay, Naynay, Nana, Inang, Ina, Mom, Mamu, Momsie, however you are called - you are loved.

Thank you for everything.

Happy Mother’s Day to my mama, to Gina the mother of my children and to all mothers.

Filed under General Interests, Inspirations, People

• Comment

A recent survey showed that many consider themselves poorer compared to last year.

I think this is a wrong impression, an incorrect conclusion. I dare say most of us have become wealthier and increase our net worth every single day. Many of us are probably millionaires several times over. It’s just we are using an incomplete balance sheet.

The traditional mindset for wealth includes the things you own and the things you owe: Your house, money in the bank, your business, precious collections such as paintings, real estate; loans, debts, operating expense, etc. Get the difference and you get either a loss (negative) or a gain (positive).

How about considering the following as part of your assets?

Your knowledge and skills. Many bloggers write about themselves and rarely see how much their talent is worth. Often, this never gets highlighted in a resume. I have an officemate who is a deep thinker and writes excellently to pursue this avenue. I encounter a lot of people who know they are talented yet seem to discount these as capital. Singers, musicians, leaders, great with kids, have a way with people, can look at the big picture easily, can work methodically, likes the nitty-gritty, can act, is good with numbers, can fix anything, speaks well in front of people… Any of these yours? They are greater than gold in value.

Your successes. The awards that you got in grade school and high school certainly count. Graduating from college. Passing the board exams. Promotions and commendations in your work. Getting praises and expressions of gratitude for helping out. Having been featured in a magazine, newspaper or website. Being tapped as a subject matter expert in your field of expertise like technology, elearning or personal development. Putting up a blog and keeping it active and attracting traffic. Developing the reading habit (or any good habit), focusing on positive thoughts and passing the things you learned. You do not have to get a medal, a plaque or trophy. There are successes big and small, you just have to look back and take stock.

Your Experiences (specially the bad ones) and Failures. Failures and bad experiences as wealth? Yes, if you’ve learned the lessons. Any new thing you learn increases your portfolio.

In 2004, I started web publishing with hard coding html. It was a disaster as i struggled and almost gave up. I thought I’d have to get a costly software but learned that there was Wordpress: it does what I want and is free. I’ve used it ever since. There were two things I’ve learned from that. First, the knowhow I gained in coding still helps me to this day. Second, now, I always do my research first for a free and/or easier solution to any web-related application I need, even at work.

At one point during high school, I went to school without breakfast nor allowance. That experience I still treasure and still ground me. Though I would not wish it to happen again to me or anybody, that phase is one of my most valuable treasures. I will not exchange it for a million dollars.

If you ask most millionaires who went through hard times before becoming achieving success, the times they were at their lowest were also the times that have helped them succeed later. Failing forward ring a bell?

Your Connections. Though it sometimes has a bad impression, having connections or a good network is part of your wealth. I’m glad I met Bo Sanchez and consider him a mentor. My brother-in-law surgeon-oncologist was heaven-sent for my mother. People I consider brothers and sisters in our covenant community also have helped me come up with solutions. Relatives and classmates are people i can rely on too. People I wrote to (but didn’t know) and responded. People I met even once. Their collective knowledge, skills, talents, experience, failures and success are potentially at my disposal.

With these assets, I’m a billionaire many times over if I put even just a minimum amount on each of these.

All of us have our skills, talents, knowledge, successes, experiences and connections. They are part of our wealth.

Each of us is wealthy beyond our wildest imaginations.

Filed under General Interests, POSITIVE MINDSET, Inspirations

• 2 comments

The Holy Week is just a few days away and maybe it’s time for an Online Retreat. Talk about Church 2.0!

Arlene of MyThoughtsofTrain also lists down schedules where you can have the traditional Triduum.

Maybe some reflections on the Seven Last Words would give some fresh insights to your life.

You know of any more Lent events?

Filed under General Interests, Personal, Inspirations

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