Learning from Within

My classmates often say I am good in dealing with different people… or I know how to build good human relationships with others.  Well honestly, yes.  But I was not, not until for many years now, I always read these five lessons in life.  I think these are the simplest lessons in life which are always forgotten though implicit in our being humane.  I always enjoy reading these… and also always reminding me to be a human everyday.

Life Lesson #1 – The Cleaning Lady

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was confident that I had nailed this test and breezed through the questions until I read the last one: ‘What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?’

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had passed by the cleaning woman many times.  She was short, white-haired and in her 50’s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, and left the last question blank.  Just before class ended, someone asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

‘Absolutely,’ said the professor. ‘In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello.’

I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Ezra.

Life Lesson #2 – Pickup in the Rain

One night, at midnight, an older African American woman was standing on the side of the highway in Alabama during a terrible rainstorm. Her car wouldn’t start and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, clearly something that didn’t happen everyday in the South during the 1960′s.  The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance for her car and put her in a taxi.

She left in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached.

It read: “Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband’s bedside just before he passed away.  Thank you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.”

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

Life Lesson #3 – Serving More than Ice Cream

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked.

“Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

“Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

“I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.

You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

Life Lesson #4 – The Obstacle In Our Path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what few people in the world truly understand: Within every obstacle lies a golden opportunity to improve your current situation.

Life Lesson #5 – Giving When It Really Counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes I’ll do it if it will save her.”

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her…but he had chosen to save her anyway.

Ravenessence says:

Lesson 1

In our life, we see different people- some unnoticed, some noticeable.  But believe that all of these people are important in our lives; all of them give us different lessons everyday… all we need is to appreciate. They may be the noisy kids playing on the street, or the not-so-good tricycle drivers, the not-so-nice canteen servers, the jeep conductors who do not know how to smile, and all the people walking with, against, and along with us.  Well again, they are important.

Lesson 2

Sometime the simplest gestures count the most.  If we have the capacity to help, well help.  Do not leave people helpless.  Let them feel that they are not alone.  We do not know how important it is to them although we feel it’s nothing. Help.

Lesson 3

Do not take our friends for granted.  Even in smallest ways let them know that they are important and they will realize that we are also important to them too.

Lesson 4

                In every hardship comes a reward.  In a risk, we’ll see new opportunity.  We may not understand for now why we are given these challenges in life but soon we’ll appreciate its essence.

Lesson 5

                Give, give, give.  When each and everyone of us will care to give without counting the cause, all of us will live in a world where no one is hungry, no one is at war, no one is oppressed, and no one will die in grief.

               Most importantly……….  “Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like nobody’s watching.”

The One I Stand (This is for you DK)

Time management… I am not good at it! That’s all I can say.

Well, this story inspires me always.  It’s worth a share.  This is from an unknown author.  I just want make it clear… I am not the one who made this.  The piece was sent to my father by his friend through email years ago.

Excellent story…

This story may make you stop and think for a minute.

The Big Rocks of Life

A while back I was reading about an expert on subject of time management.

One day this expert was speaking to a group of accountancy students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget.  As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers, he said,

“Okay, time for a quiz.” 

Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it in the table in front of him.  Then he produced about dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.  When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside he asked,

“Is the jar full?” 

Everyone in the class said, “Yes.”

Then he said, “Really?”

He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel.  The he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.  Then he asked the group once more,

“Is the jar full?”  By this time the class was onto him. 

“Probably not”, one of them answered. 

“Good!”  He replied.

He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand.  He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.  Once more he asked the question,

“Is this jar full?

“No!”  The class shouted.

Once again he said, “Good.”

Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.  The he looked to the class and asked,

“What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager beaver(DK) raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!”

“No!” The speaker replied.  “That’s not the point.  The truth this illustration teaches us is:  If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”

What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life?  A project that you want to accomplish? Time with your loved ones?  Your faith, your education, your finances?  A cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Major subjects? A review?

Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you’ll never get them in at all.

So tonight or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question:  What are the big rocks in my life or business?  Then, put those in your jar first.

I Remembered Lately

     I always feel sorry when I see senior citizens on the streets selling different items or begging for their living.  I always wish to help them…  I could not imagine my parents being like that.

              I interviewed elders about why they still need to work at their ages.  Some said they do not have any choices; they still have their workless sons and daughter and their grandchildren living with them.  And some, (This one broke my heart) have to work (to beg) because their relatives abandoned them.

      I can’t look at them when they moan asking me for some food or money.  I feel guilty for not doing anything when they walk on the streets under the heat of the sun, hungry, crying, and helpless... If only I have the capacity to make a change.

             Then a reaction: “How about in other places? They let their parents go to the nursing homes.”  Of course it’s in other places, where the government is firm enough to spend funds for them.  Here, knowing that we hold Filipino values, and knowing that the government doesn’t have the guts to improve this situation, we should take the initiative to address this.  It starts within us.  I still believe that in the coming future, no senior citizens will ever beg on the streets.

     This is without prejudice to the ways of our government helps them but, it is as if they are still blind to see the real image.  They are overwhelmed in the goodness of what they have done to others but refuse to accept the reality that they forget many of these people; these people who really need there sympathy.

     My friends, we should not forget the ones who first taught us how to dream, how to love, and how to appreciate the beauty on everything in this world.

Telling if it's it...

Truly, it is pleasant to wake up each morning knowing that someone you dreamed of once is already here with you and always will be.  Fulfilling is it to have him beside you all the time letting you know that you are loved, you are treasured, and you are that special: the care, the tenderness, the attention, and some other things you see and feel with him unique from others.  Love, isn’t it?  Having you believe in its mysteries, holding you back to your innocence, as if you never learned to think right but only happiness, trust, and refuge. But what if someday you’ll wake up realizing that you’re just drowning yourself in a stupid dream?

Well for now, it will remain a question.haha  I've been very busy today.  No matter how hard I try to apply writing jujitsu, still, I can't hit the proper aim. (Advance apologies to my cute and sweet friend who requested this.)

I was in my old friend's house and took charge of his baby boy for half a day (okay not a half, not even a fourth.. but still..hmmp).  It was really great to see an old classmate and to talk about anything and anybody as far as where our minds took us. Reminiscing the past? Not much...  but talking of the future? Yes, and also, love life—his love life... mine's empty.haha

That will not be the last time I'll go there this summer.  Well, he must expect I'll bring our comrades.  The Croshans will return!

Christ has risen. Alleluia!

This Easter Sunday reminds us always that all things are meant to happen. We may not know how or why these things ensue whether good or bad, but still we surely must believe that at the end, the result will be at its triumph.  As a matter of fact, it will come when you least expect it.

Here’s a question, “Why do people give more extravagance to the birth of Christ than to His resurrection?”

Well, this indulged my senses to make an opinion.  As ordinary human beings, we see lots and lots of ordinary things (I mean, it is relative.).   We see people giving birth, we also see new born babies and lastly, we see people die. But we have not seen people rising from the dead after three days.  As humans, normally, we only believe what our eyes can see, what our ears can hear, what our bodies can feel.  It is so normal for we are only humans.  That is why the essence of Christ’s resurrection is for it to remain a mystery- a mystery to test how other people are faithful or faithless, to prove that we are only humans incapable to know everything; because God knows if we know everything, we will forget to trust in Him.  Maybe that was what had happened to the apostles after Jesus had died, there minds refuse to think and believe that on the third day, Jesus will rise. But what did they get?  Even they are His apostles, still had their eyes so pronounced when they saw Him entering their door.

Another factor why Easter is less special than Christmas for people is that, we do not like sorrow.  We are always exited when we are invited to a fieldtrip but glooms when we know exams are approaching, most likely.  It is natural for us to avoid loneliness because we know it’s not healthy.  We do not realize that for a while, it will make us stronger. And at most time, surpassing loneliness is the most worthwhile to do.  This Easter shows how victory is most won with success when it first came from hardships.

I remembered the lessons I got from our priest this morning, “We cannot change the things around us.  We cannot avoid changes everyday. But God has given us chances to change ourselves, only ourselves.  Start from within us.  Trust in Him and trust in yourself and you will see the rest will follow.”  It’s true, yes.  We are all given choices to everything we do. I mean given. We did not earn it nor did not want it for the first time we aim, but already given to us from the time we started to breathe.  Let me tell you a story from once upon a history:  There was a king who wanted to make his kingdom’s streets cemented because he can hardly walk. He told his confidant to summon capable men to be his workers and capable women to prepare for their food.  But the confidant said, “Sire, the people you are talking are already hungry and very poor right now, all we can do now is to make you a new pair of shoes.” What’s the moral lesson?  Again, we are not always capable to change our surrounding.  If we need change, start it by adjusting ourselves.

Happy Easter…

This is Black Saturday

Black Saturday—this day is heavily melancholic because this is the second day of Jesus’ death.  Being in darkness here does not pertain mainly about Jesus’ death now but also about His friends; His loved ones who really cared and believed in Him.  Why?  If I was in their sandals, I would feel the following:

Disbelief. It is very hard to lose someone—a friend, a relative, a lover. This Black Saturday, Jesus’ friends felt the same way, too.  The Savior they believed was already dead.  They could not believe what they saw.  They could not believe that after all this time of seeing miracles, saving other people, and preaching for goodness sake, here, now, He’s dead.

Faithless. Do you think they ever thought of what Jesus said to them? That He will rise after three days?  No.  They even did not notice Him along the road to Emmaus. They forgot everything.  All they could think of is how to escape in that cruel place away from the people who persecuted Jesus.  They might have even blamed their selves why they had to suffer that kind of situation.

Fear. Or shall I say, intensely frightened.  At that time, they felt unsecure for they know how hard it was to suffer. As if they do not expect what will happen.  Yes, they do not know as if they were not told.

I can say that the essence of this Black Saturday is for us to know that we will experience pain.  All of us at least once in our life will have to say farewell to the ones we love most.  All of us may feel like quitting, that as if we see other people making us small and pathetic. But, we must always remember that at times when we don’t know what to do and at time when we feel like fallen and forgotten, surprises from heaven will come much higher than we expect… or the surprises we don’t expect the most.

This Black Saturday serves a lesson in life that we all are seeing signs.  We all are told everyday what we will be in the future.  Our destiny is already written in the hands of God.  Even the ones who say they can change their destiny also are foretold that they will do so.  But we refuse to believe.  We are too busy building our own pride; we are too busy making our own ways to make us happy all the time.  We forget to trust the One who really molds us.  We forget that in every suffering we share, every tear we shed has their signs, signs that we are persons experiencing what’s best for us in the eyes of God.  We need not to understand all that’s happening to us.  We just need to trust.  As one book says, “Congratulate yourself when you don’t understand everything, for you will not learn anything by just understanding.”  In all the hardships we encounter, know that we’re not alone, and know that in Him, we are assured.

Live. Love. Cry. Believe…

Seems Surreal (Second Day Monologue)

Today’s Good Friday.  This is a time to meditate and a time to remember the passion of Jesus to save us.  Thinking of Him walking and carrying His cross to the place of His death makes me realize that the burden I carry is nothing compared to His… or it is even incomparable, yes.  All I can utter right now is “Thank you Lord.  Thank you for giving me this final perseverance.  Thank you for making me strong by giving me this chance—to again prove myself that I am worthy for you.”  Then suddenly a though came: what if this happened to my other classmates?  They say God doesn’t give us matters that we could not handle so be thankful if we are in the hardest because God knows we can bear it.

Looking at the positive side of something needs not to be so hard.  A man once said, “When a door of opportunity closes, the other opens.”  Often we only see the closing of the doors. We often forget to look around and appreciate the opening of another.  The only thing is patience.  Life is not a race and life is too short to make it shorter by not doing anything.  Just remember, bigger rocks mean higher stepping-stones.

This is my second day of mending my broken disposition after the “incident”.  Honestly, it feels lighter now because of yesterday’s heartfelt tête-à-tête I had with my friends.  In my solitude, they tried to seam my soliloquy and added more of what I can think of in this mess.  I am very thankful knowing that I am not alone on this journey.  They may not be with me walking but I know they’re still around.  The only thing I can’t do now is to look them in their eyes.  I don’t know why.  I still don’t know.

It seems very surreal—I am happy.

First Day Monologue

These coming days, I may not mind the pain of failing the subject, maybe because I’m at home feeling secure…  I am at home far away from other people—from my classmates.  But I know for the coming months and years I will gradually feel the regret of not exerting much of my time in my subjects—of not exerting much effort (have I not exerted much of it?).

For how many times did I say I am fine since the result came out, but I always come to the point that I realize I am just kidding myself.  I thought letting myself believe that it’s okay makes it feel easy, but no… thanks to a friend who said that this is a process;  I need to let this burst for a time but I also need to stand and continue.  Now I feel and realize that moving forward is not that easy and letting go is always bitter.  I just want to believe that this will make me stronger.  (I just want to believe) that this is an eye opener… that God really has a purpose for letting me carry this.

I know I need to instill in my mind that the chance was not meant for me.

I am very thankful for having parents who understand me although I know it’s also heavy for them seeing me like this.  I know it’s hard for my father to know that I’ll extend extra year. 

No one knows what I really feel but one thing is for sure right now, heaven knows how embittered I am.  The only thing I have is the thought that I want to have this post.

By the way, congratulations to my classmates.

Gift of God

In the van, I was asking God about this downfall… somber; gloomy; melancholic (synonymous).  Suddenly, a vehicle overtook. A message on its door says “Gift of God”.

Yes, Your will be done. Your will be done.