Sunday, December 25, 2011

Don't Quit

I love this poem.... going home this Christmas, got me to read this once again on the library's wall, but this time I got to read it to my daughter.
I hope she remembers always how important the message of this poem for her and her brother.



Don't Quit 


When things go wrong, as they sometime will,
When the road you're trudging seem all uphill, 
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit, 
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.


Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many failures turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow --
You may succeed with another blow.


Often the goal is nearer than,
it seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the Victor's Cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down, 
How close he was to the Golden Crown.


Success is a Failure turned Inside Out --
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit --


It's things seem worst that you must not Quit!




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Thursday, October 13, 2011

what is mid-life crisis?

Woody Allen and I

A friend and I were having an interesting chat at Suvarnabhumi airport, while waiting for our flights back to Singapore. Believe me we were wondering whether we are already experiencing mid-life crisis, as we cannot stop thinking of a life after work.

I was telling him that I wanted to  retire in a farm close to the city and be able to till the land and harvest produce from fruit-bearing trees...not be bothered about these mindless worries we beat ourselves up everyday - when will I close this deal, where will I get the resource for the next project or is my job safe...

But I feel that I have not achieved enough and saved enough to say that my family will be fine if my wife and I decide to settle back in Manila...

For my friend, he wants to focus on his dad's business and is wondering how things will be when he moves back with his family to his home country next year... what would life be after having been overseas for a long time. What about his son? Will his wife like it?

His thoughts were meandering on what could be.... if he stays a little bit longer in the company or if he comes back after a year or two....instead of resigning, just take a sabbatical from work and check whether being self employed is what he really wanted.

We have been having these conversations quite frequently of late, and we seem to feel that this might indeed be the mid-life crisis that old folks talk about. A point when you are at a cross road in life and you seem to feel stuck on how to move ahead, questioning everything you have done, suddenly unsure of what you really want after having gone full speed ahead trying to realize dreams of making more money, travelling the world... 
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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Song of consolation - appropriate for the times


Teach me to trust in You with all of my heart...to lean not on my own understanding. 

Just what is it in me?
Sometimes I just don't know
What keeps me in Your love,
Why you never let me go
And though you're in me now,
I fall and hurt you still
My Lord, please show me how
To know just how you feel
You have forgiven me
Too many times it seems
I feel I'm not what you might call
A worthy Christian after all
And though I love You so
Temptation finds its way to me
Teach me to trust in You
With all my heart
To lean not on my own understanding
I just forget
You won't give me what I can't bear
Take me out of the dark, my Lord
I don't wanna be there
You've never left my side
You gave Your hand to me to hold
Oh Jesus, I'm no longer in the cold
And yet, I leave You there
When I feel satisfied
I'd like to thank You every day
Not only when I feel that way
I've never known a Man
Who'd give His life for sinners like me
And yet, because He loves us so
He's promised us eternity
And we can have that promise
And be His if we have faith
And just believe
Teach us to trust in you
With all my heart
To lean not on my own understanding
We just forget
You won't give us what we can't bear
Take us out of the dark, My Lord
'Cause we don't want to be alone
Take me out of the dark, My Lord
We don't wanna be there, My Lord
Trust in You with all my heart
Lean not on my own understanding
I just forget
You won't give me what I can't bear
Take me out of the dark, My Lord
Cause we don't want to be alone
Take me out of the dark, My Lord
I don't want to be there
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Sunday, January 23, 2011

6 Things for 2011

We were in the middle of our strategic planning. One of the things that was on the plate on the personal front is to think of 3 things / behaviors that each one of us should encourage and discourage this 2011. Here is mine :

3 Things / Behaviors I will encourage
1. Encourage sense of ownership in the team and trust more that guidance and coaching will resolve capabilities gaps than micro-management
2. Show more initiative and strategic thinking in owning issues ad challenges than being reactive and tactical
3. Learn more to respect weekends as time for the family

3 Things / Behaviors I will discourage
1. Unhealthy work habits (i.e. late night/weekend works) and vices (i.e.smoking) that adversely impact work life balance
2. Shooting from the hip when dealing with difficult situations and seemingly unreasonable colleagues
3. Unnecessary and unproductive travels


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