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98 Days
The upcoming October event is a defining moment for accountancy graduates aspiring to be part in the roster of Certified Public Accountants in the Philippines. Time turns the table because only a few months left and the examination date will arrive. Fear emanates from the fact that 98 days are left and fear devours the confidence to pass the exam.
On the other hand, there are people who help rebuild this confidence – parents, teachers, classmates, friends and acquaintances. By way of recognizing this, one will realize that he is not alone facing the challenge. In fact, he has fellow takers that share the same sentiments and burden. The reviewers constantly inspire one through positive thoughts forming a notion that the board exam is easy to pass and through the merits of his religious preparation.
The parents and other family members may either inspire one or not. However, one should look on the brighter side of things. The emanating source of inspiration is the people for whom one offers the success of the CPA exam. These people keep one’s sanity in the middle of the voluminous board subjects. The parents help one be motivated or if the other way, one should capitalize it as a source of motivation.
Moving on, an incorporeal being accompanies one even in the darkest moments of his lifetime. He is always the refuge of all anxieties, fears, doubts, pain and struggle. Whenever one felt heavily burdened, he has someone to talk and seek comfort. He is the source of everything one has, so asking Him for help is the wisest option.
Finally, one should look back on his own track. One should question himself if he has done the necessary preparations. Assess oneself for the dedication, discipline and time he exerted. As long as tomorrow comes, one can still do something. The 98 days left might be an alarming number, but continuing the fear of numbers will not do any good.
So keep working aspiring CPAs, be inspired, keep motivated, study hard, pray harder and be confident.
The Solemnity of the Holy Trinity
Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity otherwise known as the Trinity Sunday. The Most Holy Trinity is the three persons of God: the Father; the Son; and the Holy Spirit. These are three distinct persons, but they refer to the one and same God.
Fr. Erdman Pandero, my former Philosophy of Religion teacher, was the presiding priest in the 7:40 PM mass of St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral, Cagayan de Oro City. He poses three important questions in order for us to understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
How is it possible that the three persons of God are one?
According to Fr. Erdman, the three persons of God are one because of their essence. It is the fundamental element, which connect and bind them as one – love. The love of the Father to his son, Jesus Christ. The love of Jesus to the Father. The love of the Father and his son through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, love is the key concept that made the three distinct persons one.
How did the Holy Trinity came about?
The Holy Trinity is not a product of the ideas of the priests, bishops, deacons, popes, etc. The Holy Trinity is the way God reveals himself to the people. Yahwe is the name of the Father as addressed by the Israelites freed from the slavery of Egypt. On the other hand, Jesus Christ is the Messiah that God told his people and save them from the bondage of sins.
What is our challenge?
Upon knowing the origin of the Holy Trinity and grasping a deeper understanding, we have to respond to the challenge, which is simply to know our God. Fr. Erdman said that this challenge does not happen in an instant and it may even need days, months and years. However, we should gradually learn to know more about God because it is knowing Him, that we know more about ourselves.
Having said these, I wish you a Happy Sunday. May God bless you!
The Three Male Health Myths
Dr. Patrick Owen, PhD Nutrition and Fitness Expert reveals three health male myths that people – men and women, believed as true concepts. The male health myths disprove some of the beliefs of men about health, fitness and even physical attributes because in truth, they are superstitious.
Male Health Myth No. 1
No pain, no gain
Out of breath workout is a good thing, but DO NOT continue to work in pain. If you feel pain in the middle of your workout, then make sure to rest before it can cause you further damage.
Male Health Myth No. 2
size of a man’s shoes
You know the saying about the size of a man’s shoes, right? This sounds offensive and naughty, yet studies show that it is not true. There is no correlation at all between the shoe size and natural endowment.
Male Health Myth No. 3
stress turns you grey
Stress has nothing to do with men having white hairs. White hairs are rather caused by genes.
The verdict on CJ’s impeachment trial
Philippines, May 29, 2012, Tuesday – Senator-judges voted on the fate of the Chief Justice under three Articles of Impeachment charged against him by the House of Representatives. Today marks the culmination of the 44 days impeachment trial of the chief magistrate, Renato Corona.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile joined the 19 senator-judges that found CJ guilty under Article 2 of Articles of Impeachment. Only three voted to acquit the Chief Justice, which were Senator Joker Arroyo, Senator Miriam Santiago and Senator Ferdinand MarcorsJr. The senator-judges rendered their judgment along with privilege speeches to justify their decision.
Senate President Enrile delivered coup de grâce (pronounced as kooduh grahs) against Chief Justice Renato Corona will the fall of a hammer convicted on the charge against him. He asked the Senate Secretary to send certified copy of the judgment to the respondent and his counsel, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court and the President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III.
Article 2 of Articles of Impeachment
Respondent committed culpable violation of the Constitution and/or betrayed the public trust when he failed to disclose to the public his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net worth as required under Sec. 17, Art. XI of the 1987 Constitution.
20 Senator Judges Found CJ Guilty
- Senator Edgardo Angara
- Senator Alan Peter Cayetano
- Senator Pia Cayetano
- Senator Franklin Drilon
- Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada
- Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero
- Senator Teofisto Guingona III
- Senator Gregorio Honasan II
- Senator Panfilo Lacson
- Senator Manuel Lapid
- Senator Loren Legarda
- Senator Sergio Osmeña III
- Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan
- Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III
- Senator Ralph Recto
- Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.
- Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III
- Senator Antonio Trillanes IV
- Senate Manuel Villar
The Presiding Officer, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile completed the list.
Manong Johnny’s Quotable Statements
“As one who has been through many personal upheavals through all of my 88 years, I, too, have been judged, often unfairly and harshly. But I have constantly held that those who face the judgment of imperfect and fallible mortals like us have recourse to the judgment of history, and, ultimately, of God,” said the Senate President.
“And so, with full trust that the Almighty will see us through the aftermath of this chapter in our nation’s history, I vote to hold the Chief Justice, Renato C. Corona, guilty as charged under Article II, Par. 2.3, and that his deliberate act of excluding substantial assets from his sworn Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth constitutes a culpable violation of the Constitution,” he added.
Lesson from the Impeachment
The call of Corona’s impeachment is a lesson on accountability and power. The senate president reminds the people not to forget the lesson from the impeachment and mature as citizens of the Philippines
Day 44 of Impeachment Trial Video
The Three Dimensions of a Person
Before anything else, are you familiar with the story of Paulo Coelho “A Day at the Mill”? If your answer is “Yes”, then you probably know the gist of this piece of writing. On the other hand, a “No” answer would likewise make no difference at all for as long as you continue reading. In both answers, knowing the message is what counts.
The three dimensions of every person come in the same way that a year has four seasons. However, it may not apply to all people because the dimensions may differ from person to person. The three dimensions come in the forms: “a lot of people”, “a few people” and “almost no one”.
“A lot of people” dimension is when you are at the peak of your prominence. It is when you gain popularity in front of many people. For notorious writers, it is when they are in touch with the public. For college students, it is when they are role models for other students. It is the dimension where public image is of importance. Personally, it is the most critical and crucial dimension of every person.
At one hand, “a few people” is when you are in your private life with your family and close friends. The few people in your life are the people whom you can always turn into especially in dire needs. They are the people who understand you. They are those who go with you even in the darkest times of your life. Perhaps, “a few people” dimension is the most valuable side that one has.
The third dimension is “almost no one”. It is the season where one is completely alone with himself. It is when one detaches himself from the other considerations of the world. It is a time of complete silence, being with nature, setting aside worries and problems. It is the dimension where reflection naturally functions in a person. It is like living in a world that is not real, because the real world imposes facing challenges and difficulties, loud noises and obstructions. Nevertheless, “almost no one” is the resort of every person for relaxation and tranquility.
The three dimensions are generally true. They exist in the lives of people without them knowing it. The challenge for you now is to find the events that belong to any of those dimensions. In that way, you can keep track of yourself.
The important message from “The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer”
Catchy, sad and tricky – such are the words that describe the title of the book. It draws attention of readers because one way or another, it portrays a unique platform of interest. One might be asking similar questions like what the book talks about or questions in the form, “What is the story behind the title of the book?” Assumptions could take place somewhere in the book even from the start. One might predict the flow of the story and how will it end. However, the The Lost Boy transcended ordinary expectations.
The context of the book speaks of the United States of America in which comparison in the Philippine context is almost unavoidable. In fairness to the Federal Government of US, they have concrete and consistent responses to problems about abused children. As quoted from the book, the Federal Government provides every child deprived by justice, love and care with shelter, parents (foster), allowances and even lawyers to fight for the children’s right. On the contrary, similar responses from the Philippine Government exist, but inconsistent and insufficient. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other government and private institutions addressing the same problem cannot give enough support that the child ought to receive. A worst case tells us that street children increase their number even throughout this lifetime.
On the other hand, the book ends with remarkable events. One would not expect that the child was able to meet his aspirations and make things possible given the life he had. The child reaching the zenith of success inspires people because he did not lose hope, love and determination to become the person he should become and not a person as a product of his emotions. He was a strong and bold person after going through difficult situations that include, but not limited to her mother who tried to kill him, the students who teased him, and even the foster parent’s he had changing from time to time.
More importantly, the best lesson is to appreciate the love of our parents who took care and never showed contempt on us even from our conception. The principle of substance over form is the golden rule directly related to the notion. It does not matter if one is under the custody of his biological or foster parents because the best measurement is the love, care and support they show. This measurement defines a real parent, other than those required formalities and in the eyes of law.
Three Important Lessons From Mitch Albom’s “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”
“All endings are also beginnings; we just don’t know it at the time.” – Mitch Albom
The line above came from the first paragraph of the book written by Mitch Albom (The Five People You Meet In Heaven), which is strange enough for books to start with an ending. The book is very interesting for three meaningful reasons. First, it talks about the life of a person who sacrificed his life to save another life. Second, it talks something about heaven, which is generally vague of how it looks like. Finally, it mentioned five people whom one will meet in heaven.
Along the way, trying to satisfy the reader with the interests that the book showed, there are three significant lessons applicable to life’s situations. First is the idea that, for every action there is always a corresponding result. This is when Eddie (the main character), playing the ball, unconsciously killed the stranger. He only knew it when he died and met his first person. This gives an implication then, one is ought to take responsibility with every action he makes because consciously or unconsciously, he might experienced the same instance Eddie had.
The second lesson is sacrifice. Sacrifice is what all people have and met in common. People make sacrifices. It is part of a person’s life. It is something not to regret about because from one’s sacrifices he gained something, may it be tangible or not, beneficial or harmful. Bottom line is that sacrifice defines one’s perseverance and willingness to risk everything for the success of what he expects to happen.
The last, but not the least lesson is respect and love to one’s parents. In the context of the book, this is the most important lesson one should value because it gave the answer on the boggling question of children in the family such as why it is sometimes hard to understand them. This is with special mention to the father of every family wherein they stay in their silence even in death. The answer has something to do with the nature they have, the mentality that fathers do their respective task in silence, care not in a transparent way and love in an analytical way. Nevertheless, one should love and give to respect his parents no matter the circumstances may have been because one thing is for sure, they care and love their children with all their life.
Like A Flowing River
I had a wonderful experience reading about a hundred stories, thoughts and reflections organized in one book. Truly, I can rightly say that Paulo Coelho is a very cultivated person. Most of the stories rooted on his personal experiences with himself, others, God and even with nature. I found the book humorous, serious, inspired with love and dominantly talks about life and death. The different transitions always leave pondering ideas, thoughts and new discoveries that relate to the concrete situations always faced by civilization.
I was not interested reading the first story of the book because I cannot relate myself to it. Later, I found out that Paulo is just narrating what he is doing on that particular day with emphasis of being alone, completely detached with the other considerations about the world. There comes in my mind that I am doing the same thing: reading his book and got irritated when someone disrupts my concentration. Funny how, Coelho anticipated this.
Reading every text of the book had drawn my attention so much. The sentences were brief, yet make delightful ideas. It reminds me of who I am and tells to do the right thing and to condemn what is not good. The stories about life, death and faith truly make me feel nostalgic because there is guilt, acceptance, happiness and other emotions that had touched my life and spirituality, and hopefully change it for the better.
It reminds me of my childhood deeds and childhood questions, which until now remained unanswered. It reminds me to pray as I neglect it, as I grow older. I cannot forget the prayer by Paulo Coelho, which I started to memorize since then. The prayer is truly personal yet very meaningful for me, praying my doubts, actions, decisions, dreams, enthusiasm, and life itself.
On the other hand, I experienced the beauty of love through the brief stories that somehow let me show on my own and let me realize how nice it is to become open for someone though it will take me so long to wait. Love itself is the language of the world that the deaf could hear, the blind could see and others could understand. I was also inspired to do things that I do not normally do like making decisions on my own, without the significant influence of other people. As the book says, “If I follow others then I am doing what others interest are and not mine”.
I was able to understand life better and was able to drive the purpose of my existence and that death is always there beside me. I was happy reading the stories about life and death because it reminded me how important life is, living it to the fullest, making the best of everything I have because one day it will come to its end. I was also inspired knowing that life starts when I accepted the fact that life bounds to death.
I noticed also that the book let me explored the world. The stories mentioned different places throughout the world with different cultures and beliefs of people including religions. While I was reading the book, I was also traveling the world in a much clearer sense.
Lastly, I was still doubtful of the title but the only idea I have is the fact that like a flowing river, our lives has full of reflections and has only one destination. Like a river that can show our reflection, our lives are full of learning through our daily encounters. We have our own personal legends to fulfill, we have our mission to make possible, the reason of our existence, the reason for which we are here.
The tenacity to make things possible
An idea is like a virus, resilient, highly contagious. The smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to define or destroy you.
That is Inception for you, if you are not familiar with the movie. Ideas are omnipresent in us. Ideas are sometimes inevitable, sometimes unhealthy, and sometimes lead to discoveries. However, ideas are things without physical presence – incorporeal in other parlance. Thus, it remains futile and irrelevant.
The primary reason this article came out coiled in the inability to extract an idea that will eventually lead to a group of ideas. There is something that you want to do in an instant, yet practically does not work in that way. As minimum requirements, building the cornerstones and passage of time are essentially important. Nevertheless, the fact remains that you felt upset.
On the other hand, there is an important aspect that appears in the picture – the resort of every person, which is his inner self. Internal inspection allows you to see the things that the naked eye overlooked. It allows you to see things more clearly. It gives clarity to the many things you want to do that turns out not really part of your bucket list. They only came across your mind as immediate responses necessitating a specific undertaking. In truth, they are false ideas that recoup only limited areas of concern.
Therefore, you should avoid this one thing. The tenacity to make things possible is not an absolute rule where you tunnel your inspiration. There are really things that drive us to desperately act with urgency, but be careful because you are dealing with uncertainties.
Black and White 