Fueled by the Heart

 success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day  – Jim Rohn

 As observed during classes, the academic style of my students can be generally categorized as follows:

 The wandering prodigy. They come to class without clear conviction of why they are studying, unsure of what embodies learning. They attend classes like empty pails wanting to be filled, yet are not sure why. Their mindset is caged in thinking that filling the rote memory constitutes sound knowledge. They are self-convinced that they are not able to learn from reading with understanding and then trying to apply what they’ve understood. Nevertheless, they want to have correct answers quickly though unwilling to delve into deep analysis of concepts needed for problem-solving. They are usually answer-focused when asked to solve a problem: their first step involves looking for a solution from a reference (reviewer), instead of solving (or trying to solve) on their own. They are comforted by the sight of a solution thinking that they will know the solution, but in fact, they don’t. They equate solving to following the solution shown in their reference, oblivious to the fact na ang ginagawa nila ay hindi pag-so-solve (sa halip ay paggaya lang sa pattern)… Worse, there are those who resort to simply copying the solution (directly from the reference). Their notebooks will show many solved problems which sadly are technically not their own. Di ba, they are only fooling themselves? A filled-up notebook affords them a feel-good glee but deep inside they are also still sure that they don’t know (enough) yet.

 The self-delimited students. They come to class wanting to know but are somehow hesitant to do the requisite actions. They desire the result but are not fully willing to devote (or give) commensurate time and effort oblivious to the fact that just as harvesting requires prior pertinent seed-planting, learning requires corresponding input of diligent efforts fueled by sincere desire for taking in and understanding new knowledge. They prefer not to get out of their comfort zones, usually choosing the method that they are familiar with. They have a limiting notion that they somehow do not have the ability to develop a ‘new’ learning process besides what they are already used to: having difficulty adapting to new or unwanted teaching styles. They also think that meddling with their seatmates as the latter solve seatwork problems constitutes learning for them. Contrary to the dictum, “Hindi ako natatakot magkamali” they want to write in their notebooks only if they are already sure that the solution they will write is correct. They prefer to erase or remove wrong solutions written in their notebooks, instead of leaving the same for later reference (of what to avoid). 

The decided learners. They come to class ready and willing to learn. They are attentive in class. They are very open to try doing what they are tasked to do. It is normal for them to try solving a problem on their own first before asking a seatmate. They don’t mind initially committing some mistakes along the way. They remain in high spirits even when their initial solutions are not correct because they marvel on, and savor, the discovery of knowledge as if learning is a sufficient end in itself. They are comfortable with not erasing their mistakes (written in their notebooks) perhaps because they consider them as pointers for review. They are using nuggets of discovery to build their storage of knowledge. When discussing their solution, they can stand behind their (initial) understanding (kahit pa that will involve “defending” their viewpoints) and yet willing to change consequently when found incorrect. These aspects add excitement to their journey towards learning.

 So why am I saying these? If the obvious is not yet clear, the differences described above are borne largely by attitude! Not necessarily by intelligence…  

This means anybody desiring to be a better learner can! Just like A B C…

Attitude Begins Constituting Desired Education…

and the effective attitude is "Smile on me, your servant; teach me the right way to live" - Psalm 119:135 (The Message)

The choice is yours: would you rather not be? or better yet be?

~ Sir Magi

 

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Beyond My Limits

 various parts of my body were already aching, crying “pain” after more than a hundred minutes cycling and sitting on the bike saddle, but giving up was not an option…

    I used to think of San Pablo City as far from our place in Batangas because it’s more than 2 hours travel time from home. That changed when I started believing Isaiah 40:31! I normally biked a couple of days per week the 15-km distance between work and home knowing the importance of exercise to the human body. And being in Gawad Kalinga – Batangas management team, I started biking on duty calls to various GK villages, going farther and farther as I was able to. Upon hearing from Gary Brecka that "ageing is the aggressive pursuit of comfort[1]" I aimed to reach more, the farthest of which was the 47-km GK-Chicago in Brgy. Janao-janao.

    In consequence, I also made it a point to answer the “kumusta ka” greeting with a “malakas pa sa kabayo” reply. Thus, I thought that it’s about time to breach that distance… by going to Victoria, Laguna, the second town after San Pablo City, a 60-km distance from home. I prayed for direction and wisdom, then charted a course with four milestones:

• Lipa City at 20km, the last point for decision; 
• San Juan, Alaminos junction, the point of no return being more than halfway in my course;
• San Pablo City proper, the “almost there” point and the threshold of exploration as the areas ahead were unfamiliar to me;
• Itik Park in Victoria, the landmark of destination.

     Several days after returning from Bayani Challenge 2024 Sulu, I got a “go” on August 2^nd. I had to leave without my air pump because my 0530HR ETD was already delayed looking for it. The uphill pedaling from our place to Lipa City was all too familiar, but that acquaintance didn’t lessen the efforts I needed to exert. Nevertheless, upon reaching Lipa City already wet with sweat, I thought I could still proceed. So I kept the “I think I can” mantra of the Little Engine[2] going to the San Juan junction. Though physically taxing, I reached my second milestone getting convinced that I really can, {though I couldn't help but notice that the road I was traveling was downhill, which means uphill on my return journey, I reminded myself one step at a time: focus first on attaining my first goal}… Proceeding to San Pablo, I had to fight my being tired because not reaching my destination was not an option. My having to pedal with waning energy was mitigated by the mostly downhill roadway, though my awareness that this would mean uphill on my return trip lingered in my thoughts. I reached San Pablo City beyond my ETA, but as I turned left towards Calauan, my fatigue got mixed with excitement thinking perhaps I really can! I munched some crackers before moving on. But even with that, I had to walk near the summit of one steep climb right past San Pablo City. As my excitement was building up, I was being careful not to overexert beyond exhaustion.  As the kilometer posts showed that Victoria was getting nearer, I was anticipating the relief I’ll get from physical tiredness upon reaching my goal-destination. And after more than 210 minutes cycling, I came face to face with Itik Park! I could finally say, “kinaya ko nga”! Thank God!

    I was welcomed by Mang Atong’s family which was another experience altogether, I cannot yet tell dahil hindi pa ako nagpaalam sa kanila na magkukwento.

     The return journey was what I prepared much more for! I thought that it was good for the two steep climbs (between Calauan and San Pablo) to be at the start of my trek, in both of which I had to walk near their summits, thinking that the rest would be already easy. My initial thoughts turned out to be incorrect! The roadways were generally all ascending up to Lipa City. Nagsusumigaw ng “tama na” ang mga binti ko! I had to convince my legs that I can still continue! To avoid exhaustion, I had to take some 2-minute rests along the way remembering what I learned from the Boy Scouts about the benefit of ‘short rests at short intervals.’ I had to summon all my strength as I pedal uphill from San Pablo eying San Juan junction first, then Lipa. It was grueling for me so much so that I had also used what endurance athletes call ‘second wind’ in order to reach Inosluban in Lipa City. There, still more than 20km away from home, my buttocks were already crying “pain” after more than two hours of sitting under pressure on the bike saddle. But giving up was not an option! Moving on, I found myself wanting in energy in the flat areas of Lipa City (even after munching two bite-sized brownies). But I must reach home no matter what! I could not give up anywhere along the way! I kept on pedaling in spite of pain and fatigue, claiming the I “shall not be weary” and the I “shall not faint” part [3] of verse 31. I kept going and going, even if each pedal was strenuous akin to a brain over brawn strain but more likely a divine provision because I had already used my physical sources of strength... I reached Batangas City na hingal kabayo yata after four hours of cycling, though very very tired I could still say, "malakas pa sa kabayo!" Thank God!

    You too can seek your limits and overcome them!

~ Sir Magi

 

* PS: I said I got a go because I waited for an answer to my prayer. Without a roof, the gravel bike was not designed for cycling in the rain. With that go, I was able to avail of God's provision of fine weather!

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 References:
1.  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4xx52GeS3TU

2.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jadHQ_sCHo "The Little Engine That Could"

3.  Isaiah 40:31 (New King James Version):"But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; ...They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint."

Easier Than It Seems

...stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit – it’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.¹

 

            Every so often we come to a point where we feel too weary and our goal or desired destination seemed still afar off at which time stopping or quitting seemed to be a nice option. We should consider, however, that although giving up appears to be an easy way out, it will also mean putting to waste those which we have already done so far. Giving up appeals to the weary soul who thinks that the steps ahead will be (or worries that they will be) more difficult than those already trodden. However, the truth is we'll never know unless we try.

            When we do try, the hardships we will experience will remind us how really difficult it is. At this point, it may be a helpful suggestion to remember why Zeno's proposition² that Achilles cannot outrun the turtle is called a paradox but I think there's some significance to his reference on the halfway mark. This is for the reason that the halfway mark is a good threshold to reckon upon when faced with difficult tasks... because once you're past the halfway mark, you can (almost) always muster enough energy to finish or complete the task. I count on that every time my mountain bike ride home looks like a daunting task for me. Not being a professional cyclist, the almost 10-mile distance of all uphill climb is relatively "grueling" for me but I've discovered that my body has always enough energy once I was already able to bike halfway through, even though the steepest ascent is still on the last half mile away from home. It's reminiscent of how Watty Piper's little engine³ who thought it could, eventually did, triumphantly. There may even be times when continuing the task reaches a battle of the mind even to the point of mind over matter... the one who'll win is the one who don't quit!

            We'll really never know how difficult the remaining part of the task-at-hand is unless we go on (head-on) with it at which point we just need to keep pushing on, whether or not it is really as difficult as we've imagined it to be, because supernatural help is also present⁴. If it turns out to be easier than what we think, there's a bonus: the remainder of the task will be a breeze, like a walk in the park so to speak.

            And there's more, when you've already made a habit out of persevering in spite of difficulties, you can apply this same principle in doing various tasks without looking (or waiting) for the halfway threshold... even right from the very start. It may sound amusing at first but I already experienced how it worked. Like the first time I volunteered as a dishwasher for a summer camp: after breakfast of the first day of the camp proper, I was "suddenly" faced with an overwhelming task of cleaning 600 pieces of tumblers (and cups, and spoons and forks, and dishes...). Unwilling to give up, I decided to do it one-at-a-time. After washing the first cup, I said, "only 599 remaining" [the emphasis being on the operative word only], because it causes the task to appear easier (or smaller) than what it actually is. Then after proceeding to the next cup, "only 598 remaining." Before long, I was done with my "daunting" task for that morning with enough stamina looking forward to facing those 'daunting' tasks again after lunch... and after dinner. With that mindset, the 15-day camp was over before I even noticed it.

            You see, it makes sense to make it a habit out of always finishing your tasks even if they appear enormous or overwhelming at first. Rewards come to those who persevere to the end. Remember how the little engine who believed was able to do what at first appears to be such a formidable task. When you're already accustomed to it, you can even later say, "bring it on!"

~ Sir Magi

 

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References:

1) https://www.thepeoplesfriend.co.uk/2020/05/24/dont-quit-an-inspiring-poem-by-edgar-a-guest/

2) http://platonicrealms.com/encyclopedia/zenos-paradox-of-the-tortoise-and-achilles

3) https://www.printmag.com/obsessions/watty-pipers-1930-the-little-engine-that-could/ 

4) Psalm 91:11 "God will command his angels to protect you wherever you go" (Contemporary English Version)

Learning Made Easy

Have you ever wondered why it seems difficult to study and/or remember what you have studied. One reason for this is the confused mind. You see, our minds treat information it gets in a similar way. When you ‘learned’ something but you tried to shrug it off later, your mind will tend to treat other information in that way too. For example, you learned that indiscriminate throwing of garbage is among the major cause of flooding yet you habitually litter anywhere for the sake of convenience, you are training your brain to never mind the ‘important’ information you have been learning. With your brain already accustomed to such way of treating information, don’t be surprised when your brain also ‘forgets’ the information you want to remember in the courses you are studying. You have ‘trained’ your brain to forget or to ignore important information so that’s what it does!

So, what’s the better way of learning? Value what you are learning. Stephen Covey puts it this way: “To know and not do, is really not to know. To learn and not to do is not to learn.”

When you believe that a thing (or information) is important, learn it. Otherwise, just ignore it! Your time (and effort) is too precious to spend on unimportant matters. Assimilate what you are learning, make them integral to you. As such, your ‘new’ learning will become etched in your mind. And when the important matters have already become integrated in you, you free that part of your brain tasked to hold new information thereby making it ready to learn anew. If you want to become an engineer, learn engineering; if you want to become a teacher, learn teaching. Nevertheless, don’t forsake your humanity because you are first of all a human being: ethics above knowledge!

In other words, be congruent in your thoughts, words and actions. This way, your mind and your body will in no time be confused because one is the same as the other. This can also be called focus, an awesome means of power [light when focused becomes LASER] and a very potent way of making life simple… because it is also being true to yourself. So, what would you do?

What do you want to BE? and, will you?

~ Sir Magi

 

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Value of Learning

Humility is a mark of the truly learned!

    Instead of becoming a source of pride, the knowledge intelligent people already got prompts them to be humble for included in the ephemeral  knowledge they have are their consequential aspects:

what they already knew is very little compared to all the knowledge there is to know…

·         Knowledge can be indeed considered as a treasure but the physicality of human beings makes him incapable of assimilating all knowledge. As Steven Spielberg depicted in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” there is simply so much more to know out there that we could not possibly take them all in. A sane person would have to be humbled by this… And so most of the time, a learned person have to settle to having some form of expertise in one field of knowledge.

knowledge cannot be stolen but it is of no use unless used to serve others…

·         The use of learning and knowledge is for giving. No knowledge is truly useful to oneself alone for its real value is in its use for serving many. If you are good at making watches, there’s no use making a thousand watches for yourself. If you are good at constructing tall buildings, there’s no use making a hundred-storey building for your own use only! If you’re good in singing, wouldn’t it be boring if you sing only to yourself? If you are good in drawing or painting, what would be the use of your artworks if nobody else sees them? Talent is useful only when used for serving others just as knowledge gets real value only when given away.

knowledge unused will eventually fade away to be obscured or lost…

·         you lose what you do not use is physical law! Anything we only keep (or worse, hoard) in storage, including knowledge, will eventually become useless. Time erodes the value of material possessions by weakening them or by simply making them obsolete just as time obscures knowledge unused until they are eventually forgotten. The only knowledge we can retain are those we use!

amusing or perplexing?

·         Because of the above, I find it amusing to see students cheating in tests. In effect, they are telling the examiner that they know something (though they don’t) that they would have no use anyway, because they can only give away something they want to give away if they already got them. That is counterproductive because they would have nothing to draw upon when faced with situations requiring the use of the knowledge they lied about and without realizing or admitting it, they are treading a path of un-development because a person cannot only grow when he/she admits the insufficiency of his/her knowledge thereby preparing the self for learning. It’s amusing if not perplexing because cheaters thought they are fooling the examiners when they are actually fooling themselves by blocking their avenue for learning new knowledge, by robbing them of a chance to develop self-confidence, and by preventing personal development.

    Yes, learning and knowledge can indeed be considered as treasures but only when you see their source of value! Are you among those who are happy to see these?

~ Sir Magi

 

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It so Happened?

"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous" - Albert Einstein

 

It was 22^nd of December 2012 and I was going to fetch my sister Mabel from the Lipa (Tambo) Exit of the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollway), where the bus from Manila using the expressway would pass for alighting passengers. Since parking space there is almost non-existent, I prefer to arrive at the place at about the same time that her bus will arrive there, normally only 25 minutes from home.

It so happened that there was a little leak in the fuel hose of the owner type jeep we were to ride on so I had to pass first by the gasoline station (which is out-of-the-way by almost a kilometer) to load some fuel.

At that time, the Starex van my family would use for their travel the following day was being checked up and the mechanic found that the oil filter had to be changed. It so happened that the shop was along the way from the gas station so my brother-in-law rode with me to buy the oil filter (but it was not available in Cuenca so he had to go all the way to Lipa with me).

It so happened that along the way, we were halted with bumper to bumper traffic at Brgy. Ibabao because the parked vehicles of people attending the "misa de gallo" (simbang gabi) constricted the roadway. That was the first time I was not annoyed by a heavy traffic on the road because I felt the Lord was doing something special.

It was already dark when we eventually reached Brgy. Tambo but we could not find the auto shop where my brother-in-law was supposed to buy the oil filter. On our way back, I saw lights at the Starex dealer shop so we went there. The man we found there said, “actually Sir we were supposed to be already closed”. It so happened that they had a Christmas party which had just ended and they were about to close shop. The “parts-man” showed up shortly and we were able to buy the badly needed oil filter. [Had we arrived too early, they would still be at the party. Had we arrived too late, the shop would be already closed].

We then proceeded to the STAR Tollway Exit. I saw a spot at the road shoulder where I can pull over (not intending to alight from the vehicle). It so happened that as I was pulling over, my sister was just crossing the roadway from the other side where her bus had stopped. I realized that was what happened because as soon as I pulled over, I requested my brother-in-law to go fetch my sister and then as he was walking towards the intersection, lo and behold, my sister was just arriving. [She need not have to stand waiting on the road, and I need not have to worry finding appropriate parking space because I didn’t need to park]. We arrived home almost in a jiffy.

Were those events just so happened?

Weren’t they too precise for us not to see that God let them happen to lead my way?

God is guiding your way too, through simple and through special things. Just let Christ Jesus into your life and you will see!

Hallelujah!

~ Sir Magi

 

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No need to fear exams

Wonder why it seems so hard to take an exam?

            Most of the time, this is because examinees come to an exam with a wrong purpose: to get a high score in the exam…

            This focus takes part of one’s mind/brain away from becoming ready for the exam, robbing oneself of some of the resources needed for the exam. The wrong focus on the desired score usually leads to various uncanny ways of preparing for an exam with undesirable consequences. One that is becoming very popular is trying to foreknow the possible questions that will be given in the exam. This is a hit or miss approach because the examinee can only answer if the question reviewed will be given in the exam, otherwise it’s a matter of luck hence it does not really prepare him for the exam. To increase the chances of passing, one needs to know more of the “expected” questions. This often results to overdoing the preparation for the exam… which tends to tire out the examinee too close to the day of the exam eventually leading to the undesirable result of the exam, the very outcome being avoided in the first place!

            Your mind should be relaxed and ready (fully-charged, so to speak) when you come to an exam and this will not be the case when you fill it with such concerns like I need to get 90% in this exam; or there are still some things I’m not yet very familiar with; or some other apprehensions. Needless to say, the part of your brain used for these concerns will not be ready-for-use in answering questions during the exam.

            The best way to approach an exam is to take it as it is: as a test! Paradoxical as it is, it works! In this, examinees need to look at an exam as a means of evaluating one’s level of knowledge for a particular subject/topic, as a measuring tool and as such, they should be ready and willing to accept the result of the exam.

            When you come to an exam ready to accept whatever the result will be, having let go of any concerns which are outside your control, your mind will be wholly free to tackle the test. One hundred percent of your mental resources will be available for use in the exam. Thus, people who are willing to discover and accept at what level they really are at a particular time have greater chances of passing an exam than others who are afraid to ascertain themselves.

            Having a crash review works only when there is already a base knowledge to which the review will add upon. Otherwise trying to get a passing score simply by cramming during review is tantamount to fooling oneself… which makes it hard even for the self to believe, much more to actualize… Because it denies one’s present level of knowledge, the starting point for moving on is lost in the process. On the other hand, people who are not afraid to discover the truth of their present level of knowledge can use the result of an exam as the starting point for moving on in their journey for development. It is better to let go and when the results reveal an undesired state, commit to improve yourself so you can pass the next test.

            Preparing for an exam is quite simple: master the basic principles applicable to the topic or subject matter of the exam, know the possible variations in their applications, and practice applying them… ask questions when in doubt! This should enable anybody to answer and pass exams, a by-product of your becoming better!

            Passing an exam should not be considered as the fruit of your efforts to grow and develop or to become better. It should rather be likened only to a picture of the fruit… because the fruit is your growth or development. The fruit is something in you! Passing a test/exam only attests to that growth in a document form.

            Grow... develop yourself… and then passing exams with flying colors will just be a breeze!

~ Sir Magi

 

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Little is NOT Nothing

When we consider the many ills in our society, it is an easy retort to point upon the politicians, those in the government office, or just any other people, as the culprit because it relieves us of any responsibility and accountability on the problem. It is easy to be blamers, to see other people as the source of these problems. However, as Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Unless we become part of the solution, we are technically part of the problem!

Seeing the situation as hopeless aggravates the problem even if that does not become another problem. No wonder Egypt’s president Anwar el-Sadat said, 'He who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality, and will never, therefore, make any progress.' Though at first glance the problem may appear extensive or gigantic, this does not mean that it is unsolvable. There is still hope for a solution: if we will believe and if we will begin the solution within ourselves! A person can only change himself, experts say. This means that we cannot directly change any of people who may be part of the problem yet this also means that the solution to the problem is right in us and hence the main hindrance towards a solution is only one: our own selves... .each one of us !

Never underestimate what a single person can do: one Anne Frank simply confided to her diary and became one of the greatest champions for racial injustice in the 20^th century; the works of one common man Mahatma Gandhi gave India its independence from Britain; the selfless compassion of one Mother Theresa took care of countless poor, otherwise hopeless people. We need not lose if we will not concede. As Helen Keller said, 'I am only one, and yet I am one. I cannot do everything and yet I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do.'

This is because anyone of us can choose to be a transition person: one who will not pass on anything we believe to be incorrect though we may have experienced or seen any of these wrongs. That is the effective way of ending unwanted practices. But what effect can a little effort have on a gigantic problem? Little at first, but not nothing. No good effort towards a solution will be wasted, its effect will be there and will be felt in due time as a trim-tab does to the rudder. A trim-tab in a ship (or a plane) is the small rudder that turns the big rudder that turns the entire ship. Just as a trim-tab eventually turns the ship though the ship is enormously very much bigger than it, each of us in our “small” capacities can become a trim-tab – leading and spreading influence no matter what position we hold. We only need to believe in the infallibility of the principles that God ordained to work in the world where we live thereby not being hesitant to practice them: taking the initiative to live with integrity regardless of what other people say or do. To live with integrity is a matter of each person’s choice, and its effect is contagious! As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, "Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world."

Regarding the trim-tab attitude and spirit, Tom Peters advises: "relish the ‘little’ assignment or ‘chore’ that no one else wants! Seek it out! It’s a license for self-empowerment, whether it’s a redesign of a form or planning a weekend retreat… you can turn it into something grand and glorious…"

Taking initiative is a form of self-empowerment. It is the means by which you increase your influence. No matter what the issue, problem or concern you have, you can empower yourself by taking initiative in some way. Be sensitive, be wise, be careful regarding timing, but do something about the situation. Avoid complaining, criticizing or being negative; be especially weary of absolving yourself from responsibility and simply blaming others for failures. We live in a culture of blame… so taking responsibility means swimming against the current. Yes, as Mother Theresa said, "Few of us can do great things, but all of us can do small things with great love." This life is given to each of us as an opportunity to have some worth, to leave a legacy. Indeed, that’s our destiny. It’s just that there are people who choose to avoid his/her destiny. Yet, as Gandhi said, "We must become the change we seek in the world."

Your opportunity is before you: don’t you want to meet your destiny? The choice is yours!

~ Sir Magi

 

Reference:
1. Covey, Stephen R. "The 8th Habit" Free Press, New York, 2004

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Excellence is Designed in Us

We are Created to Excel

(we should discover how to...)

as They Did…

            As a child living with strict parents, Sir Edmund Hillary walked barefoot to school, no matter the weather. His teachers often told him bluntly that he was physically unfit, thin, weak, and too often sick. Edmund escaped his harsh family life by reading – sometimes at the rate of one book a day. Overhearing some climbers one day, he decided to “climb something.” His early attempts to fulfill this decision were not exactly successful. He broke 3 ribs in one fall, was gored by a frightened yak during another climb, and suffered infected leech bites, massive blisters and frozen nose drips on various climbs. Nevertheless, Hillary became the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest with sherpa Tenzing Norgay.

            Having not so much financial resources, Joey Reyes decided not to enroll in a review class though he was not among the top of his class. He compensated for this by diligent and consistent review at home. He became the first topnotcher from PBMIT (now BSU) when he placed 5^th in the May 1986 CE Board Exam.

            At age 4, Itzhak Perlman became seriously ill with polio and lost the use of his legs. He had to wear braces and use crutches to attend school. Because he could no longer run, he concentrated on music. By his early 20’s he is considered by many to be the greatest living violinist.

            My former classmate Violeta Sepillo didn’t want to take a review course because she didn’t “know what to review” though most of her classmates toiled to study/review even beyond their physical limits. She passed the board exam while many of those who overdid their review failed.

            As a student, Marie lived as simply and cheaply as possible, traveling to the university (in Paris, France) on foot in all kinds of weather and spending her evenings at the library so she didn’t have to heat her small rented room. She continued this way through a master’s degree and then two more degrees – one in Physics and one in Mathematics. She was enthralled with her studies and her friends, one of whom was Pierre Curie, whom she married without fanfare. In fact, when a friend insisted on buying her wedding dress, Marie said, “If you are going to be kind enough to give me one, please let it be practical and dark, so that I can put it on afterward to go into the laboratory.” With relentless determination and hard work in their damp, icy-cold shed that served as a laboratory, Marie – together with Pierre – succeeded in isolating Radium. The Curies might have profited greatly from their research, but they decided neither to take out patents nor to profit materially from their discovery. Instead, Marie installed her X-ray apparatus wherever it was most needed… which were used to help more than a million soldiers. Her discovery led to treatments that saved millions of lives through the years.

            As a young woman, Juliette Gordon Low, spent much of her time on parties. But at age 46, she longed to do something worthwhile. After meeting the founder of the Boys Scouts 6 years after her husband died, she knew what to do. A year later, at age 52, she founded what eventually became the “Girl Scouts” becoming its principal fund raiser for years. At the time of her death, there were nearly 168,000 members of the Girl Scouts.

            The life of Elizabeth Blackwell changed the day she visited her dying friend who told her that if she had only been treated by a lady doctor, she might not be dying (because the friend was too ashamed to mention her internal problems to a man). Driven by her compassion, she prepared for medical training by reading medical books at night. Afterwards, she wrote to 29 schools seeking admission. Only one small medical college in New York considered her application, where she was eventually accepted and graduated at the top of her class, the first woman to receive medical degree in the USA. Unable to find a job, it was at a maternity hospital in France that she was finally accepted as a nursing apprentice. After two years in Europe, she returned to the US still unable to find a job, she decided to found her own dispensary. She and her younger sister (who became a surgeon) worked in that clinic. Over the next 90 years, more than a million patients were seen at the clinic Elizabeth founded. She worked until her death at age 99, with a firm belief: “Each soul must answer to its Maker, so I work on in joyful faith.”

so Can You…

            Anne Frank “confided” to Kitty – her diary – by writing about her life. With its publication after her death, she has come to be regarded as one of the most famous “voices” from the Holocaust and one of the greatest champions for racial injustice in the 20^th century.

            Before Abraham Lincoln became the 16^th president of the USA, he first suffered many losses: he lost an election to the Illinois state legislature in 1832, he did not get a desired a appointment in 1849, he lost two Senate races; in 1855 and in 1858, he lost the vice presidential nomination in 1856; his mother died when he was 9 years old, his 4-year old son died in 1850, his father died in 1851 and his 12-year old son died in 1862. He attended only a few months of “blab school” – a school with no books at which the students repeated the teachers’ words aloud. He once said, “I will study and prepare myself, and one day when the time comes, I will be ready.” He taught himself mathematics, read classical literature and worked on his writing style using the Bible as his model. He wrote to a friend, “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” On the eve of Gettysburg battle during the civil war, his generals asked him why he was so calm. He answered, “I spent last night in prayer before the Lord. He has given me the assurance that our cause will triumph…”

            Due to a sickness when Helen Keller was 9 months old, she lost her abilities to see, hear and speak. However, she refused to relinquish her curiosity about the world and her desire to communicate. With the help of Anne Mansfield Sullivan, her mentor-turned-friend, she did overcome. Keller not only learned to read and write Braille – the raised print for the blind – she also took speech lessons and eventually learned to speak English, French and German. Keller traded the titles of “blind, deaf and mute” given to her as a child for the titles of “scholar, author, philosopher, motion picture actress, traveler, lecturer and winner of countless awards and accolades.” She still cannot see and hear the way we do but nonetheless, according to her friend Edward Everett Hale, “she does know what is the omnipotence of God, what is the infinite range of hope, and what is faith in the unseen.”

            When I came to BSU as an instructor, my goal was to be the best instructor, to share with my students what gave me a 13^th place in the May 1987 CE Board exam. This was why I am very diligent when it comes to doing my job as a subject instructor: I check/evaluate what the students are submitting; I come to all of my classes; I let my students evaluate me for the purpose of becoming better each year. I believed then that these were the right goals to aim for… until I received a message from someone who introduced himself as “Ka Hector” saying that he will cut my head off for giving a failing grade to one of my previous students. That led me to rethink my personal goals and my activities.

Oseola McCarty began to work cleaning clothes after school at age 8. She continued to do this for more than 70 years until arthritis forced her to retire at age 86. Throughout those years, she made it a point to deposit part of her earnings in a savings account. She never complained about her life and after retirement, she turned her life savings – which had grown to $150,000 – into an irrevocable trust assigned to provide scholarships for needy students. In Oseola’s words, “I think the way we live matters, not just for now but for always. There is an eternal side to everything you do.”

            I realized later what was wrong: my vision was too narrow that I didn't see the bigger picture; my goals were too self-serving! That was why everything I did amounted to”nothing” in reality. A few days later, I said to the Lord, “sa ‘yo na nga po ang buhay ko.” For the first time in my life, I experienced real peace and I was at peace. It was only after surrendering myself to God that I experienced real, meaningful and joyful life! No wonder Pope John Paul II said, “brothers and sisters, don’t be afraid to welcome Christ and to accept his power.” When we do, we acknowledge God as our Lord but He considers us as His friends... and then we'll see meaning in our life...

then why hold back yourself?

As a young man, Clive Staples Lewis thought of himself as an atheist, but at age 28, he had a conversation with a colleague Thomas Dewar Weldon that set him on a spiritual search that ended 3 years later. Lewis wrote, “I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.” Several months later, he wrote to a friend, “I have just passed on from believing in God to definitely believing in Christ – in Christianity.” By the end of 1931, Lewis was praying regularly… He gained a reputation as the “scholar pilgrim” – a man who did not perceive that logic and faith were enemies, but rather, that logic was a legitimate path toward faith.

            Developing confidence and overcoming obstacles share a common foundation: trust in God. Once we realize that we are imperfect and have many limitations, we can only be confident when we are sure that God is for us; that God is our friend. Charles A. Lindbergh – the first to fly an airplane non-stop from New York to Paris –said, “In my youth, science was more important than either man or God… Now I understand that spiritual truth is more essential to a nation than the mortar on its cities’ wall. For when the actions of a people are undergirded by spiritual truths, there is safety… We must understand spiritual truths and apply them to our modern life. We must draw strength from the almost forgotten virtues of simplicity, humility… and prayer. It requires a dedication beyond science, beyond self, but the rewards are great and it is our only hope.” When we trust God and submit to Him, we can pray (communicate) with God in confidence that He listens to us! As Pope John Paul II said, “when I was young, I thought that prayer could be – should be – only in thankfulness and adoration… I changed my opinion completely. Today, I ask very much.”

When Nick Vujicic when was born without limbs (arms and legs), his Dad thought he wouldn't survive for very long, but tests proved that Nick was a healthy baby boy, just with a few limbs missing. God provided them strength, wisdom and courage to go through and soon enough, Nick was able to attend school. His life was not easy but God’s love saw him through. Nick has now completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Planning and Accounting. He said, “if you have the desire and passion to do something, and if it's God's will, you will achieve it in good time. As humans, we continually put limits on ourselves for no reason at all! What's worse is putting limits on God who can do all things… The awesome thing about the Power of God is that if we want to do something for God, instead of focusing on our capability, concentrate on our availability for we know that it is God through us and we can't do anything without Him. Once we make ourselves available for God's work, guess whose capabilities we rely on? God's!”

            My goal now is not only to help you realize your goal but also to help you see, and aim for, the only worthy goal for humans: knowing God & receiving our sonship. Here, I’m at your service.

In the book “This is My Story” Toni Rose Gayda said about God’s reconstructive power: “with Him, no life is wasted because He can fashion even our worst mistakes and greatest trials into something good & beautiful, if only we place them into His hands.” Speaking of her confident assurance of God being her anchor in life, she said, “I am deeply loved, completely forgiven, totally accepted and I am a whole person because of Christ.”

          You can be one too… the move is now yours!

 

~ Sir Magi

  (c.magi@yahoo.com)

 

References:
1. You Can Be a World Changer Lighthouse Inspirational Books & Gifts, Manila, Philippines, 2004

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