and after 76 years of taking you for granted, i am back. no matter how i try to apologize for not writing and keeping you updated, the non-attention is unforgivable. if i say, "i wished i had more time..," you will give me THE look because you know that we both believed that everything is about the effort, the initiative to do, the Will to make things happen. if i say, "i was too busy and caught up in my every day whirlwind of activities.", you will smirk at me because you know that i also believed, and so strongly at that, that no one is TOO busy to care.
dear blog, i must admit that i so wanted to spend time writing here. it was just .. i wasn't able to --- not because i had nothing to share (i had too many, too much!) or i couldn't write my thoughts (you know that this will never ever be true!). i just didn't bother to open you and sneak a word or two so it becomes a paragraph and then a complete sharing of my day. there was FB and then Twitter that my emotional, brilliant and shallow musings were quickly posted and shared. for the life of me, i cannot do that to you. you deserve my full attention, intense thought process and my writing ... the writing that you know that i do when i blog --- exodus, often rambling, but well-thought, sincere, personal. i do not dare to change this relationship with you. it is the only way i can honor and reaffirm that you are important to me.
indulge me then so i can share how my 2012 went, oh just so, quickly and ended with a bang.
Work has been exhilarating. it's like wanting to get to try the highest Roller Coaster ride there is and you don't know what to expect really (but you have an idea, more or less!). and then the ride starts slowly, gets some momentum than Bam! the ride gets more fun, alive, with ups and down, yet still exciting and mind-blowing. and then you're done with the Ride but despite the hoarseness of your voice (from shrieking in both fear and glee) and the sore muscles you had from holding the safety bar too tight, you look forward to finding the higher, more angled and complicated Roller Coaster (or in my case, get thrown into it to ride and experience!)
i am blessed and my gratitude will be unending for God's generosity. i didn't have to even adjust bigtime at work. my team is vibrant, willing to learn, really fun kids, and brilliant! so well-rounded that i am humbled every day that i know so much but know so little at the same time. my OIC gave me the free rein to mentor, and this opportunity gave me the chance to actualize my purpose for going back to government service.
i wish the kids learned a lot from me as much i did from them. while i am known to be very strict on standards and those "basic fundamentals", in my heart, i hope they felt that i truly cared for them and i only wanted the best for them.
there are many lessons i learned this year, and it is only now that i get to compel myself to put them in writing.
1. there is no such thing as overly-planning. Foresight is a good friend. there have been many times that my OC-ness, my "other side of the Fence"/other person's shoe mode, my "conspiracy theory" (including that of the Universe's!) worked to my advantage. i was able to anticipate a lot of things, welcomed and accepted them because i have, more or less, knew the inevitable was forthcoming (among the myriad of options and scenarios i always conjured in mind).
2. set standards and follow your own Rules. the kids at work know i love them to bits. i hope they know i am their friend. but what is remarkable about them is that they know i'm their mentor and i am serious with the work we do. they are fun-loving yet they are as passionate and hardworking during work, especially when the going gets tough, which is always and everyday. they know and are clear about the lines separating party and work, mentor and friend, no matter how often it intersected or how muddled and invisible it gets at times. i think, it takes some maturity and a lot of good values in place to not abuse and take advantage. the kids have been like that, wise and not abusive. we are one in our commitment to do our best, and be happy with every thing that we do.
3. work your best, don't engage into politics (yes you can!) and play your cards well.
4. mediocrity is only for the coward. be bold. even without recognition or be given credit, excel. it's nice to have a mantra, like "it's your time to shine." ha!
5. be compassionate, and be sincerely so. we have made our workplace like home because we truly cared for each other. we always reinforced each other and the kids, taking after what i always tell them, pep talk one another by saying, "it's your time to shine" (even in jest!), especially if thrown in a big meeting, with big people, alone. they can do it, they have done it and they will moreso continue to do it come 2013.
6. you cannot live Under the Rock forever. deal with it. embrace the Big Girl moment. albeit unwillingly at first, the kids did that. (i hope they eventually commit to it willingly. they're so low-key and shy when it comes to anything work-related, which i think is so out of character, because they're so mahirit, mahadera, makulit at most times.)
7. never forget the magic words. it heals. it reaffirms. not to mention that it speaks volumes of what and who you are. in this crazy, dog-eat-dog world, people often forget what "thank you" means or how "i'm sorry" impacts. don't. you will not be remembered by your position, power, brilliance or wealth but how bastos and walang modo you were at people or during extremely trying circumstances. and "good work" and "very good" should be part of the magic words.
8. never lose sight of your goal/s. be purposive in everything that you do. all the things i do at work may seem to be perceived to be after the old days of slavery. i make the kids do all sort of tasks and papers that were not even required by our higher authorities but in the end, thankfully, they seemed to have appreciated that those efforts were not wasteful. (and do not make anyone do things that you cannot do yourself. or else, how do you monitor compliance?)
9. don't sweat the small stuff. 'nuff said.
10. be true to your word. know and stand by what "confidential" truly means.
11. Respect is earned and so is trust.
12. be yourself. because everybody around you can sense if you're a fraud and a cheat.
13. your good work and right attitude will catapult you to Big Girl moments. (deal with it. unless you want to be mediocre. pick.)
14. advocate life-work balance in the truest sense. cliche as it sounds, there is always a Time for everything.
15. know that good work recognized or difficult times experienced do not happen to inflate or deflate your ego. they just happen. get rid of that ego. it's useless. but know when to take Pride.
16. believe in a Higher Being. yes, there is one, bigger, more powerful Force than you. you are nothing, and He is The One. Give thanks and give Him Glory in things that you do and say.
17. never lose the Child in you. it will make your life (and everything in and about it!) more manageable. having young staff is nakaka-bagets according to a friend. so true.
18. stay healthy in body, mind and spirit. i am so paying for the abuse i did on my body. buti nga sa akin.
19. know when to stop.
20. remain steadfast, give Hope.
and my promise for 2013: blog more often and have a better 2013 --- with much love, more compassion and greater Faith.
love, Pie
dear blog, i must admit that i so wanted to spend time writing here. it was just .. i wasn't able to --- not because i had nothing to share (i had too many, too much!) or i couldn't write my thoughts (you know that this will never ever be true!). i just didn't bother to open you and sneak a word or two so it becomes a paragraph and then a complete sharing of my day. there was FB and then Twitter that my emotional, brilliant and shallow musings were quickly posted and shared. for the life of me, i cannot do that to you. you deserve my full attention, intense thought process and my writing ... the writing that you know that i do when i blog --- exodus, often rambling, but well-thought, sincere, personal. i do not dare to change this relationship with you. it is the only way i can honor and reaffirm that you are important to me.
indulge me then so i can share how my 2012 went, oh just so, quickly and ended with a bang.
Work has been exhilarating. it's like wanting to get to try the highest Roller Coaster ride there is and you don't know what to expect really (but you have an idea, more or less!). and then the ride starts slowly, gets some momentum than Bam! the ride gets more fun, alive, with ups and down, yet still exciting and mind-blowing. and then you're done with the Ride but despite the hoarseness of your voice (from shrieking in both fear and glee) and the sore muscles you had from holding the safety bar too tight, you look forward to finding the higher, more angled and complicated Roller Coaster (or in my case, get thrown into it to ride and experience!)
i am blessed and my gratitude will be unending for God's generosity. i didn't have to even adjust bigtime at work. my team is vibrant, willing to learn, really fun kids, and brilliant! so well-rounded that i am humbled every day that i know so much but know so little at the same time. my OIC gave me the free rein to mentor, and this opportunity gave me the chance to actualize my purpose for going back to government service.
i wish the kids learned a lot from me as much i did from them. while i am known to be very strict on standards and those "basic fundamentals", in my heart, i hope they felt that i truly cared for them and i only wanted the best for them.
there are many lessons i learned this year, and it is only now that i get to compel myself to put them in writing.
1. there is no such thing as overly-planning. Foresight is a good friend. there have been many times that my OC-ness, my "other side of the Fence"/other person's shoe mode, my "conspiracy theory" (including that of the Universe's!) worked to my advantage. i was able to anticipate a lot of things, welcomed and accepted them because i have, more or less, knew the inevitable was forthcoming (among the myriad of options and scenarios i always conjured in mind).
2. set standards and follow your own Rules. the kids at work know i love them to bits. i hope they know i am their friend. but what is remarkable about them is that they know i'm their mentor and i am serious with the work we do. they are fun-loving yet they are as passionate and hardworking during work, especially when the going gets tough, which is always and everyday. they know and are clear about the lines separating party and work, mentor and friend, no matter how often it intersected or how muddled and invisible it gets at times. i think, it takes some maturity and a lot of good values in place to not abuse and take advantage. the kids have been like that, wise and not abusive. we are one in our commitment to do our best, and be happy with every thing that we do.
3. work your best, don't engage into politics (yes you can!) and play your cards well.
4. mediocrity is only for the coward. be bold. even without recognition or be given credit, excel. it's nice to have a mantra, like "it's your time to shine." ha!
5. be compassionate, and be sincerely so. we have made our workplace like home because we truly cared for each other. we always reinforced each other and the kids, taking after what i always tell them, pep talk one another by saying, "it's your time to shine" (even in jest!), especially if thrown in a big meeting, with big people, alone. they can do it, they have done it and they will moreso continue to do it come 2013.
6. you cannot live Under the Rock forever. deal with it. embrace the Big Girl moment. albeit unwillingly at first, the kids did that. (i hope they eventually commit to it willingly. they're so low-key and shy when it comes to anything work-related, which i think is so out of character, because they're so mahirit, mahadera, makulit at most times.)
7. never forget the magic words. it heals. it reaffirms. not to mention that it speaks volumes of what and who you are. in this crazy, dog-eat-dog world, people often forget what "thank you" means or how "i'm sorry" impacts. don't. you will not be remembered by your position, power, brilliance or wealth but how bastos and walang modo you were at people or during extremely trying circumstances. and "good work" and "very good" should be part of the magic words.
8. never lose sight of your goal/s. be purposive in everything that you do. all the things i do at work may seem to be perceived to be after the old days of slavery. i make the kids do all sort of tasks and papers that were not even required by our higher authorities but in the end, thankfully, they seemed to have appreciated that those efforts were not wasteful. (and do not make anyone do things that you cannot do yourself. or else, how do you monitor compliance?)
9. don't sweat the small stuff. 'nuff said.
10. be true to your word. know and stand by what "confidential" truly means.
11. Respect is earned and so is trust.
12. be yourself. because everybody around you can sense if you're a fraud and a cheat.
13. your good work and right attitude will catapult you to Big Girl moments. (deal with it. unless you want to be mediocre. pick.)
14. advocate life-work balance in the truest sense. cliche as it sounds, there is always a Time for everything.
15. know that good work recognized or difficult times experienced do not happen to inflate or deflate your ego. they just happen. get rid of that ego. it's useless. but know when to take Pride.
16. believe in a Higher Being. yes, there is one, bigger, more powerful Force than you. you are nothing, and He is The One. Give thanks and give Him Glory in things that you do and say.
17. never lose the Child in you. it will make your life (and everything in and about it!) more manageable. having young staff is nakaka-bagets according to a friend. so true.
18. stay healthy in body, mind and spirit. i am so paying for the abuse i did on my body. buti nga sa akin.
19. know when to stop.
20. remain steadfast, give Hope.
and my promise for 2013: blog more often and have a better 2013 --- with much love, more compassion and greater Faith.
love, Pie
3 comments:
Very Nice...
Enjoyed reading that! My favorite items (lessons) are #4, #5, #12, and #17! :)
Have a blessed and more meaningful 2013, 'Ta Pie! Love you much! Cheers! Please kiss the "kids" for me, especially my Pink! :)
Nico, i'm glad you liked it. this was may way of honoring the hard work and the big heart you all gave in the Workplace.
Ket, kyoot that you picked faves! and happy that you enjoyed what i wrote even if it took me 10 years to post. i hope to write more, and i hope you dont tire reading my dramas, you know me. hahahahaha! love love love!! oh, the maldita pretty little one says hi! and yes, i xoxo-ed her for you! :)
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