The Gift

My treasure,

Next to life,

A fine gem,

Bound to last.

Steal not,

I will fight!

Bolts, guards,

Save it safe.

Not for trading,

‘Tis a gift.

Countless worth

And forever.

Amid scuffles,

Joy, strength.

Such power,

I’m awed!

Thru sharing,

Unleash life.

By indulgence,

Glory, begone.

Dreams, hopes

A grander gift,

Oh, eternity,

Be mine.

Life Skills

" ...waterless clouds, carried 
hither and thither by the winds, 
autumn trees that bear no fruit, 
doubly dead and rootless,..." *

Bum-steer, they loose direction.
What could be their life mission?

Life skills, they've got to master.
Come, free those minds sooner.

Easy ways? There's no such option.
Poor creatures! Off to destination!

"You're the captain of the ship...
Go, sail through waters in the trip!"

"Be bold, take command. Be a man!
Look, calm shores!" Fears, begone.


* St. Josemaria Escriva, Friends of God, no. 29

Gains

"No ideal becomes a reality without sacrifice." *

If you want something done, be ready to work hard... be ready to wait... and be ready for challenges. There's usually no short routes and you cannot fast forward time.

There's certainly a process...a learning curve before reaching a goal.  This is part of the great adventure called life... albeit sometimes, it could be an uphill climb.

There are also relationships you have to build... which can't be real if no highs and lows are shared. What a waste if projects are done but happy times are missed.

Merits are won through sacrifice, not with lucky charms.  Besides, lessons lead to wisdom if there's learning through reflection.  And, don't forget to attach intentions to every work done.

If you're up for something good - not for yourself but for society as well - it will happen, at the right time, at the right pace.  Just wait with patience and work with persistence.

All these are already counted as gains, if you value not just the output as your success.  In the end, patience and perseverance are virtues you would have gained.



* Ref. The Way, no. 175, St. Josemaria Escriva

Praises and Imperfections

My friends wrote me proclaiming:
     "Thank you for being a blessing..."

Oh, such wonderful consolation...
     From this grand recognition!

I wish I could really be...
     A fine leader to see.

I've got lots of imperfections
     And need major corrections.

They say the medium is the message -
     What a challenging adage!

The leader has her own battles
     Which she fights and tackles.

What, in the end, matters ---
     She reaches out to others.

'Tis the logic of gift to share,
     To know how it means to care.

Everyone has a unique purpose.
     This, no one can oppose.

The goal is not to shine...
     But to be led to the divine.

Praises aren't for me to glee.
     It's for One who loves you and me!


(This poem is dedicated to my colleagues Valerie and Christine.)

Integrality

Integrality has been my life’s advocacy.
Wholeness and completeness will be my legacy.

Look around… there’s lack of authenticity.
Double life and split personality, instead of unity.

Changing masks, brokenness, and fragmentation.
These are the opposites of forging integration.

My main focus is the person and his integrality.
Oh, please don’t use man as means for profitability!

The person’s worth is much more than his produce.
Intrinsic value is what he has, ‘tis what I deduce.

All sides of man’s growth, let us preserve.
For integral progress is what you and I deserve.

Intellect, will, and conscience are great faculties.
Together, they’re honed for better communities.

To be happy and fulfilled, dismiss complexity.
Opt for integrality, the path to real personality.

Truffles and Trifles

Truffles and Trifles.
Both are offered in this splendid life.

Truffles. Oh, I love the fine chocolate bites!
Such sweet experience in every bite.

Trifles. Oh, I feel terrified at times!
But such great lessons every time.

Truffles and Trifles.
Both bring adventure for a happy life.

Fragility

"Fragility is a path to sanctity."
A dear one said to me.

What does it mean?
Where does strength come in?

Not from me, I guess.
It's from up Above who bless.

Let's lean on Him for a sure Win.
For He brings a lasting Grin.

Roses and Thistles

"Where you tend a rose, a thistle cannot grow."

Thistles grow when we allow them to.
Negativities persist if we don't push them out.

Roses bloom when we care for them.
Good things come if we let them in.

Roses and thistles.
Which ones are in?
Which ones are out?

The choice is ours.


Ref. Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

True Path

http... leads to various paths, both good and bad.
Indeed, it's a world wide web... huge and vast!

The internet has loads of information... and fleeting satisfaction.
How easy 'tis to drown! Oh, these distractions...
And, possibly, one's own destruction.

HTTP ... Try a new definition - Hit The True Path!
Try finding your direction ... and destination...
Amidst life's complications.

Peaks and Troughs

Life's not always easy - like walking in the park.
Neither is it always tough - like going against the tide.

There are times of peaks and troughs!

But remember this though:
Life's not about where it leads you.
It's what you make of it.

Unleashing

I've gone back to the university - for higher education, that is.
You don't have to do what I did - but if you've got the chance, yes, please do.

There are plenty of things to learn... and lots of room for growth.
Be open and contribute to the pool of knowledge by doing so.

Then, live and share what you've learned ...
And cease not to be a learning learner, please!

Take time to study in whatever way you can ...
Because it's a pity if you stop unleashing that greatness you've got.

Good to Great

Personal Humility and Professional Will.
These are what make any entity move from Build Up to Break Through.
It's the so called Fly Wheel Concept.

Talents, achievements, positions - all these you may have.
But for real success, they're not the bottomline...
Although they do matter, of course.

Realize though it's the non-stop effort and struggle...
And acknowledgment to improve that makes it to the top.


(Ref. Good to Great, Jim Collins)

Filth

Bad memories, past humiliations, unresolved frustrations, ...
Rid of them! They're all past anyway.
They're not treasures but filth in your heart.

How? Process them once more ...
Acknowledge your share in them.
And very soon, the emotions would linger no more.

Know that emotions are always valid as they are.
They're neither good nor bad.
It's the thoughts and behavior escorting it that could be judged.

So, take a peep in your heart and recognize where you stand.

Trends

Trends keep changing.
New gadgets, new fashion... new lifestyles.

If we keep riding, we're gonna go nuts!

Choose only those that you need...
'Coz they'll be helpful for you.

The rest are rubbish...don't be enslaved by them!

Sad?

Sad? ... Why?

You're alive! And as long as you are, you can do something good.
You can change, improve, correct things. Isn't that great?

You can be happy ... for as long as you choose to be so.

Some tricks - process, accept, forgive, let go, move on ... stay positive!
You have a hold on all these. Challenge your thoughts.
'Tis the only way so you don't cascade further into your sadness.

Quiet Time

Every one needs time to look at oneself - what's happening inside.

It's not wasted time!

Objective tracking's gotta be done - one has to see oneself from outside.

Sometimes, passions are on the loose.
But you need to have a hold of 'em - before they get hold of you.

For this, spend some quiet time...

Gratitude

Be grateful!
For what?

For everything that's good and not so good.
For having families, friends, relatives...and all the people in your heart.
For your successes and mistakes - you've learned a lot from them, for sure.
For all the years that passed and yet to come.

In a word, for LIFE!

Family

There's no perfect family, I suppose.
There's only the best - and that's the one you've got!

Love them a lot...reach out to all of 'em.
And remember, there's no generic formula for all.
It's a matter of trying... and loving more each time.

You owe them a lot... for who you are and what you've reached so far!

The Heaviest Stone

Most of the time,
It's the will that's so hard to move ...
Like a boulder before you.

But still, try pushing it ...
Slowly and perseveringly ...
Ask for help, if needed.

That big stone?
Keep it out of the way -
Either the boulder or you will get stuck!

Enjoy Reading

Reading leads you to a well of knowledge.

You may not have a chance to travel and be exposed to vast cultures across the globe.
But reading can bring you to wherever you wish to go.

You may not have lived during important times in history.
But reading can turn back the clock and put you in the era you hope you had seen.

Your personal insights on specific aspects of life and sciences may be one-sided.
But reading can widen your horizon and remove your doubts.

Caution: Be careful on what you read! Not everything's gold. Some are rubbish.
Learn to assess which will lead you to grow.