MAGKANO ANG PANGARAP MO?

Narinig mo na ba to: "Libre lang ang mangarap."
Pag mukhang walang direksyon ang buhay mo, sasabihin nila, "wala ka man lang kaambi-ambisyon! " Pag ang dami-dami mong gustong gawin, sasabihin naman nila, "ambisyoso ka!"

Ayos ba?

May mga nagtatagumpay sa buhay, may sumisikat at nalalaos, may gumaganda ang buhay pansamantala ngunit pagkatapos ay bumabalik sa dati at kung minsan ay mas masahol pa.

Tignan mo yung kapitbahay mong nag Saudi o kaya'y pumunta sa Dubai at Italy o kaya si ate sa Hongkong. Wag na tayo lumayo…. Musta kaya ang buhay sa call center sa bandang Libis o Ortigas? O yung teller ng bangko sa Makati . Ano ba ang kasalukuyang sinasalamin ng buhay nila. Kaginhawaan? Kasaganahan? O kahirapan pa din.

Marahil marami ang nangarap sa buhay. Kahit siguro yung kaibigan mong ewan, marahil ay may pangarap din ngunit libre nga ba ito? At kung libre, bakit madami pa din ang di nakakaabot sa kanilang mga pangarap. Kasya ba ang take home pay mo?
May kakilala akong nag-Saudi. Nakapag pundar ng bahay, umabot sa mahigit isang milyon ang nahawakang pera. Tuloy tuloy na sana pero nalulong sa droga, nawala lahat ang kabuhayan.. Nangarap ba siya? Marahil. Pero somewhere along the way, nawala ang focus niya.

Tapos si Manong Ed, istokwa, bata pa tumira na sa palengke. Sabi sa kanila, "black sheep" ng pamilya. Di na inintindi ng magulang. Ang batang palaboy-laboy sa palengke ng Surigao, kamuntik naging sundalo, kamuntik din nakatapos ng engineering at nag-mekaniko. Nasaan na siya ngayon? Nag-abroad na, tangay ang limang kaibigan at kapamilya. Saan kaya niya hinugot ang kanyang lakas upang makaalis sa palengkeng naging kanlungan niya habang siya ay nag-iisa?

Listen, yung nanay ng friend ko at age 44, nag-nursing. San na siya ngayon? Nag to-tour na. She has all the money to do just that. Ano! matanda ka na? Eto isa pa. Yung lola ng friend ko, nag retire at age 65. Bumalik sa skul, kumuha ng Law. Sabi ng mga apo at anak, “Matanda na kayo. Pahinga na lang kayo sa bahay." Sagot niya, "Ubingak pay! (bata pa ako)." Nakinig ba siya? Hindi! Ayun pumasa sa bar, lawyer na ang lola! Whew!

Ano, hihirit ka pa?

Minsan sa isang seminar, lumapit sa akin ang isang clerk, may konting luha at lungkot sa kanyang mga mata. Sabi niya, "Labing pitong taon na akong clerk, wala pang nangyari sa buhay ko!" Ako ay namangha at nabagabag. Ang lalim nun ah! I got scared. Sabi ko, "Anong ginawa mo? Madami namang seminar na pwedeng puntahan, libro na pwedeng basahin o kaya panibagong skills na pwedeng pag-aralan." Ang kanyang tugon ay nakakalungkot. Sabi niya, "Busy ako sa work eh!" She was practically imprisoned sa lamesa niya for 17 years! Kaya ang mas malalim na tanong, "Are we busy with the right things? Does it make us grow? Does it make us a better person? May mas magandang pupuntahan ba ang ginagawa natin sa susunod na mga taon?" Ang karayom, pag tinusok sa'yo ay masakit. Mararamdaman mo ito. Kaya ang karayom itinali ko sa isang steel rod at itinusok sa dibdib niya, at sinabing, "Tignan mo yang isang officemate mo. Dati clerk din siya, ngayon Systems Administrator na. Pareho kayo ng simula diba?"

The desire to dream starts from the heart, it is a daily decision to be where you want to be. It is owning it. 'Tol, wag ka umasa sa mana mo o kaya sa gobyerno o sa Boss mo. At the end of the day, commodity ka lang. Ang buhay kasi is buy and sell kaya dapat alamin mo ang tunay mong halaga baka na syo-shortchange ka!
Ask yourself. Masaya ka ba where you are? Ok ka na ba diyan? kumusta lineage ng pamilya mo? Is that what you want to see in your generation? Sabi ng isang guard sa akin noon. “Security guard na lolo ko. Security guard din tatay ko, kaya security guard na din ako.” Sabi ko, "Ayaw mong maging chief of police?" But really, kung yung nagdaang henerasyon sa pamilya mo e puno ng kakulangan, would you even dream and act to change it? O you resign to it and say, "Eto ang kapalaran ko."

Simulan mo. Minsan masarap maging discontent. Wag mong isiping bata ka pa o matanda ka na o may kakulangan ka. Ala akong pinag-aralan eh. Mahirap lang kami. Wala kaming pera. O nagpapadala ka sa mga taong nagsasabing, "Sama-sama na lang tayo dito!" This one really scares me! O nagsasabing, "Ambisyoso ka!" 'Tol, at the end of the day, di naman sila ang magpapakain ng pamilya mo eh. Try mong utangan sila. It' not about lacking in resources, it is about resourcefulness.

I started losing friends when I realize may mga taong excess baggage sa buhay natin. Minsan may nakilala ako, sobrang nega. Sala sa init sala sa lamig. Laging may problemang dala. Minsang kasama ko sabi niya, "Bat di mo ako kinakausap?" Sagot ko naman, "There is nothing good to say!" Lagi akong nagtatanong, "Is this person going to make a good influence sa buhay ko?" Syempre, yan din ang lagi kong tanong sa sarili ko.

Choose your friends. An eagle can not fly if he is dressed like a turkey. And you can't go to the same school as the duck's school.

Tignan mo if they have grown in the past few years kasi may tinatawag na Law of Association. Are they excited about life or they see it as drudgery? Are you in survival mode or is your life accelerating? Do you hear more complaints than movements? Ang bakasyon ba mas pinagpla-planuhan kaysa sa buhay? Is happy hour better than growing together? There must be what they call the next level kasi ang buhay hindi dress rehearsal. Kaya if you see yourself in the bar every weekend with your friends, you better run away from them!

Start within you. Change the way you see things. Look at your life as a new canvass. Choose the colors ! Wag mo nang balikan yung nakaraan. Di mo na mababago yun. Yung ngayon at bukas, may magagawa ka pa.. Dapat may internal change muna. You have to start with your character. Be a better person everyday. Lahat ng gagawin mo should have an impact hindi lang sa buhay mo kundi sa mga taong nasa paligid mo. Everyday decision yan.

Pag-align na yung character mo, pag tama yang puso mo, everything will come into focus. Mas magaan ang buhay mo. Then yung sinasabi nilang, the whole universe will collide to give you what you deserve will definitely happen. Remember, the universe respond to deserved, not need, not want.

Finally, stretch yourself and your life like a rubber band. You will never know what your potentials are until you stretch yourself hard enough it's gonna break you. Don't let anyone live your life and drive you where they please. The only person who can tell you na hanggang diyan ka lang is yourself so the competition is not between you and the other person. It's the devil inside you that doesn't want you to grow.

Make a decision to change wherever you are. Don't wait for someday. Someday, someday, someday. Remove that from your vocabulary and say NOW IS THE TIME TO CHANGE!

Sama sama tayong mangarap. Mahal ang mangarap pero halika, I'll walk with you. Ano, kelan tayo magsisimula?

You already know everything you need to know about success. All you have to do is to put the remote control down, scoop that bag of chips away, get out from the couch and do something!
(Read more inside ..)

A letter to Mr. Aquino

Dear Mr. Aquino,

I was born in early 1985, the year where democracy was killed and freedom were stolen from millions of our countrymen and with my innocent mind, I was not aware of all the violence, fear, animosity and injustices that surrounds me during those times.

People were killed, student activist were buried from the unmarked grave others just lost without a traced. Anyone who go against the administration will suffer. They were afraid that is why no one had ever tried to fight and stand for what is right, but its you and you alone have the courage to stand and lead them, its you who has the courage to speak to what is right and what is wrong. It is you who woke up the minds of many to fight without violence and blood shed. You alone.

You were imprisoned for seven years and seven months not allowed to see the stars and the moon where the only possession that you have is your faith and courage. I never witnessed your sadness, agony and the pain that you've been through but the stories written in our history doesn't lie. I owe my life to our God and to my loving parents but I know I owe you something that I can never repay, something that WE can never repay. It is the "FREEDOM" that we have right now.


You brought back the voices of the youth that had been shutted down for over 21 years. You brought back the smile in every face of our countrymen that had been threatened by violence. You brought back the faith that had been shattered. You ignite the people to retrieve the democracy that had been stolen by selfishness and most of all you save the future of our generation. Thank you very much Sir!
I know it is not too late for me to give you this letter of mine for I believe that I will see you in time. There I can hand you over this letter personally.


Sincerely yours,
Hungry mind
(Read more inside ..)