Are you a Chicken or is acting like one?

Last week, I attended the graduation rites ceremony at the school where my kids in grade school received special awards for their outstanding performance for the school year. I could not help but become proud of their achievements thus far.

In this post, I will not dwell on what are the significance of Graduation or Recognition day but rather on the message delivered by the guest speaker on that occasion...it is The Chicken-Eagle Story. It's original source may have been "The Eagles Who Thought They Were Chickens" by Mychal Wynn, but the story has been passed on in various versions and his was similar to this one. I cannot let this one slip away and not share this story told a million times because this one is what self-development is all about. Here it goes:
"There's an old fable that talks about a man who found an eagle's egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eagle hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life, the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken.
He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he would thrash his wings and fly a few feet in the air.
Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. It glided in graceful majesty among powerful wind currents, with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings. The old eagle looked up in awe. 'Who's that?' he asked.
'That's the eagle, the king of the birds,' said his neighbor. 'He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth—we're chickens.'
So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that's what he thought he was. "

With that, this quote comes to mind:

" If you say you can,you can! If you say you cannot, you cannot! On both cases, you are absolutely right! "

I'm pretty sure you are an Eagle! You'll definitely fly and soar high...

coz that's what our Creator intended us to do.

Let me end by greeting...

Happy Graduation Day to all the 2009 Graduates!

Let's soar and enjoy the view from the top!

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On Mind Map and Hot Rods ...

Another week have past and as I have committed I'll post my mind map about self-development or what this blog is supposed to cover. As I go through it , the more I realized how big the scope self development is, approached holistically should cover our physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental development. The mind map I have created did not go through the rest of possible subtopics available on a certain subject. I guess I'll just cross the bridge when I start to touch on the particular subject.

As it is, I'll definitely have more than a years worth of topics or subjects to blog about. For some of the subjects, I may have to borrow from some articles and books and add my inputs or thoughts on it. In the end, I'll blog what I feel is more relevant at the moment and hope that you'll be able to relate it with your own life's experience.

My apology for having the mind map unreadable from this page. You may have to download it and zoom it on your screen later. I used the SmartDraw 2009 for it, it is relatively easy to use. It is still on the trial period. Gives me time to think if I'll purchase it or not.

I mentioned that we went to McKinley Hill in Fort Bonifacio last Sunday where a car restoration expo was held. It was a fun day and we went there with a family friend. Took some photos of the kids with some of the hot rods, monster trucks, and some mini coopers. Different people have different passions, most of the folks involved here definitely have passion for restoring cars. Someday, with enough resources and add'l inspiration I might dive into this...for now catch me posing on the side of Mr. Bean's car...

You did see me, don't you ? Coz you are already at this part of the blog. Perhaps you are smiling now. This is me saying, don't take life too seriously...have fun, shrug of your failures, and move ahead with what life still has to offer. Enjoy the journey!

Now, who says Mind Map and Hot Rods is an odd match...but one thing for sure...both exists in between your ears and fascinates men more than women or so I say.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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Need to do a Mind Map for this...

One of the things I learned from the hundreds of trainings I attended in my more than 18 years work experience is about Mind Mapping...mind what? Mind Mapping , from the combination of those two words you'll have an idea what it wants to accomplish...to map or locate all pertinent ideas inside your head or brain. From one of the website offering the software for Mind Mapping, below is a more detailed description of what it is all about.

Mind Mapping is a useful technique that improves the way you take notes, and supports and enhances your creative problem solving. By using Mind Maps, you can quickly identify and understand the structure of a subject, and the way that pieces of information fit together, as well as recording the raw facts contained in normal notes. More than this, Mind Maps encourage creative problem solving, and they hold information in a format that your mind finds easy to remember and quick to review.

Popularized by Tony Buzan, Mind Maps abandon the list format of conventional note taking. They do this in favor of a two-dimensional structure. As such, a good Mind Map shows the 'shape' of the subject, the relative importance of individual points, and the way in which facts relate to one another. Mind Maps are more compact than conventional notes, often taking up one side of paper. This helps you to make associations easily. And if you find out more information after you have drawn the main Mind Map, then you can easily add it in.

Why do I need to do a Mind Map for this Blog? Because I want to give you, the readers of this blog a continuous offering of relevant and useful topics on self-help and personal development. Hopefully it will make each topic seamless from the succeeding ones and make the information more thorough and something to look forward to on each publish.

I'll post the result of my mind map on my next blog. I am too tired right now after spending the day checking out The Car Restoration 2009 Competition at McKinley Hill in Fort Bonifacio. The event is great especially seeing old models brought back to their pristine condition. I'll upload some photos taken from the event as well. Doing a mind map is somehow like car restoration..bringing out what is already there inside or on its original form, just have to refresh it or restore it.

Le's do that and we'll definitely feel brand new.

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It is a w-RAP!

Two days ago March 6, 2009, one of the Philippines' Music Icon joined our Creator...he is 44 years old and his name is Francis Magallona or Francis M. or Kiko for people in his close circle of friends. Also known as the Master Rapper and The Man From Manila . Other than being a prominent Filipino rapper, he is also a prolific songwriter, producer, actor, director, and photographer. Often hailed as the "King of Pinoy Rap", he was considered a legend in the Philippine music community. With the success of his earliest albums, he was the first Filipino rapper in the Philippines cross over to the mainstream. He is also credited for having pioneered the merging of rap with Pinoy rock, becoming a significant influence to artists in that genre as well. He was also a popular television host, notably on MTV Asia where he served as one of the channel's first Filipino VJs, and on noontime variety television show Eat Bulaga!. He was the first Filipino to introduced RAP music here in the Philippines.

You can catch his last blog at this site.... http://francismagalona.multiply.com/

After hearing about his death after battling acute myelogenous leukemia, I realized how much his music and his character influenced me especially during my growing up years. Me and my elementary school buddies even performed the "Growing Up" song number from the film "Bagets" where he is one of the main cast. During my high school days, my mom got angry at me for having a "Devil's Cut" a hair cut where the V-shape of the hairline is emphasized making at appear that it is a spot for horns to grow on your head. This is a haircut which looks really good on Francis during the top of his game.
Perhaps, it was my quest for self identity and looking for person or character to identify with in terms of values and personality that made him one of the people I look up to for inspiration. Self-development brought him there thru the perfection of his craft. It is something we should all emulate ...it is surely is not for the money....but to leave a footprint...leaving this world a better place.

His passion for music , pride of country, and of being a Pinoy is evident on his famous songs like" Mga Kababayan Ko ( My Fellow Countryman )", Man from Manila, which surely left an indelible mark in me and for sure to the rest of his fans. His life maybe short but certainly not lacking in color and impact for the vast amount of lives he has touched.

This is for you Francis...A Free Mind ...at home at last...

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement.
To expose your feelings is to risk rejection.
To place your dreams before a crowd is to risk ridicule.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure.
To believe is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken,
Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he cannot learn, he cannot feel, he cannot change,
He cannot grow, he cannot love, he cannot live.
Chained by his certitudes, he is slave.
Only a person who risks is truly free.
Unknown

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Is there still space for two bottles of beers?

The teacher placed a large glass jar on the table with two Zero-degree bottles of San Miguel Beer pale pilsen beside it. Then out of a bag he took ten stones, each the size of an orange, and began placing them, one by one, in the jar. When the jar was filled to the brim with stones, he asked his students: ‘Is it full?’ They all agreed that it was.

The teacher, however, took some gravel from another bag and by jiggling the large stones around inside the jar, managed to fit in quite a lot of gravel. ‘Is it full now?’ The students said, yes, this time it was definitely full. At that point, the teacher opened a third bag, this time full of fine sand, and he began to pour it into the jar. The sand filled up any empty spaces between the large stones and the gravel, right up to the top. ‘Right,’ said the teacher. ‘Now the jar is full.

What do you think I’ve been trying to demonstrate to you?’ ‘That it doesn’t matter how busy you are, there’s always room to fit in something else,’ said one student. ‘Not at all. What this little demonstration shows us is that we have to put the large stones in first because, afterwards, they won’t fit.

Now what are the important thing in our lives? What are the plans we postpone, the adventures we never have, the loves we fail to fight for? Ask which are the large, solid stones that keep God’s flame alive in you and put them into your jar of decisions now, because very soon there will be no room for them.’

Oops! Before I forget, the two bottles of Ice-Cold beers is for us to drink...there certainly is a space for it in our stomach my friend. To a more balanced life...Cheers!

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