Thoughts to Live By

Aren't they true?

This Is For You, My Friend

It's called Mindset!!

As my friend was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? So make an attempt to grow further.... Why shouldn't we try it again?

"YOUR ATTEMPT MAY FAIL, BUT NEVER FAIL TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT."

BE THANKFUL

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

*** http://www.indianchild.com/thoughts_for_life.htm ***

A Dark and Stormy Night

They were together in the House.

Just the two of them.

It was a cold, dark, stormy night. The storm had come quickly

and

each time the thunder boomed he watched her jump.

She looked across the room and admired his strong appearance...and

wished that he would take her in his arms, comfort her and protect her

from the storm.

She wanted that...more than anything.

Suddenly, with a pop, the power went out... She screamed...

He raced to the sofa where she was cowering.

He didn't hesitate to pull her into his arms.

He knew this was a forbidden union and

expected her to pull back.

He was surprised when she didn't resist but instead clung to him.

The storm raged on...as did their growing passion And

there came a moment when each knew that they had to be together.

They knew it was wrong...

Their families would never understand... So consumed were

they in their passion that they heard no opening

of doors...just the faint click of a camera......

>>>>>>>>>>

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Jack and Diane - A Love Story

They'd known each other since their school days and had since become the

best of friends. They shared everything and anything and spent lots of time

together in and after school. But the friendship never developed into

anything deeper.

Diane kept a secret: her admiration and love for Jack. She had her reasons

for keeping it a secret. FEAR. Fear of rejection... fear that he might not

feel the same... fear that he might not want to be her best friend

anymore... fear of losing someone that she could always find comfort in. At

least if she kept her feelings to herself she would still be able to spend

time with him... and hopefully, he would be the one to tell her how he

felt towards her.

Time passed, and soon school was over.

Jack and Diane went separate ways. Jack continued his studies overseas,

while Diane got herself a job. They still kept in touch though... penned

letters, sent each other photographs, and mailed each other gifts. Diane

longed for Jack to be back.

She decided that she would tell him her feelings once he got back.

And then out of the blue... the mails from Jack stopped coming. Diane wrote

to him, but there was never a reply. Where was he? What happened? Lots of

questions ran through her mind...

Two years passed and Diane was still hopeful that Jack would come back... or

at least send her a note. And then her prayers were answered. One mid-August

day, she received a note from Jack. It said:

Diane, I have a surprise for you. I'm flying over. Meet me at the airport.

My flight comes in at 4pm on Saturday. I can't wait to see you again!

There's something I need to tell you, something I've been keeping inside all

this time.

Love & Kisses,

Jack

Diane's fingers shook as she read the note. Her heart soared. Diane was

thrilled. Love and kisses... it meant a lot for a lady who had waited so

long for those words. She was ecstatic!

The day arrived, and Diane waited anxiously for Jack. She had slipped into

her best dress, and did her best to look as pretty as she could.

She looked around... but Jack was nowhere in sight. She waited and waited,

wondering what she would say to Jack when he got there, what their meeting

would be like. Would there be love in his eyes? Would there be longing, bred

from years of separation and hiding each others' feelings?

Oh, how she longed to see him! How she longed to throw her arms around him

and tell him she was a fool to ever let him go without ever telling him how

she felt! And she was certain Jack felt it too. There was always a certain

magic about them when they were together.

Then a lady in a sexy, tight, blue dress approached her. She had a very

concerned look on her face, "Hi! I'm Lynn, a friend of Jack. Are you Diane?"

she asked. Diane just nodded her head.

"I'm afraid I... I have bad news for you. Jack is not coming... he won't be

coming back anymore," said the lady, placing a hand on Diane's shoulder.

Diane shook her head in confusion. She felt her heart constrict.

What could possibly have happened? Diane felt an overwhelming fear inside

her. Her hands turned cold. Her voice shook as she asked:

"Where... where's Jack? What happened to him? Please tell me..."

Diane begged the lady...

The lady looked intently at Diane... and then she gave Diane a nudge on the

shoulder and said...

"HOY GAGA! IT'S ME, JACK... JACKILYN!! Don't you remember me?! Im so beautiful now, huh?! It's me, sister!

KAKALOKA KAH HUH!! TEKA, SANDALI... MEET MY 'PAPA'!!"

The Teacher

A first-grade teacher was having trouble with one of her students. The

teacher asked, "Harry, what is your problem?"

Harry answered, "I'm too smart for the first-grade. My sister is in the

third-grade and I am smarter than she is! I think I should be in the

third-grade too!"

The teacher had enough. She took Harry to the principal's office. While

Harry waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal

what the situation was. The principal told the teacher he would give the

boy a test and if he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go

back to the first-grade and behave. The teacher agreed. Harry was brought

in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.

Principal: "What is 3 x 3?"

Harry: "9"

Principal: "What is 6 x 6?"

Harry: "36"

And so it went with every question the principal thought a third-grade

should know. The principal looks at the teacher and tells her, "I think

Harry can go to the third-grade." The teacher says to the principal, "Let

me ask him some questions?" The principal and Harry both agree.

Teacher: "What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?

Harry: "Legs"

Teacher: "What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?"

(The principal wondered, why does she ask such a question!)

Harry: "Pockets"

Teacher: "What does a dog do that a man steps into?"

Harry: "Pants"

Teacher: "What's starts with a C and ends with a T, is hairy,

oval,delicious and contains thin whitish liquid?" (The principal's eyes

open really wide and before he could stop the answer...)

Harry: "Coconut"

Teacher: "What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky?"

Harry: "Bubblegum"

Teacher: "What does a man do standing up, a woman do sitting down and a dog

do on three legs?" (The principal's eyes open really wide and before he

could stop the answer...)

Harry: "Shake hands"

Teacher: "Now I will ask some 'Who am I' sort of questions, okay?"

Harry: "Yup"

Teacher: "You stick your poles inside me. You tie me down to get me up. I

get wet before you do."

Harry: "Tent"

Teacher: "A finger goes in me. You fiddle with me when you're bored. The

best man always has me first." (Principal was looking restless and bit

tense)

Harry: "Wedding Ring"

Teacher: "I come in many sizes. When I'm not well, I drip. When you blow

me, you feel good."

Harry: "Nose"

Teacher: "I have a stiff shaft. My tip penetrates. I come with a quiver."

Harry: "Arrow"

Teacher: "What word starts with an 'F' and ends in 'K' that means a lot of

excitement?"

Harry: "Fire truck"

The principal breathed a sigh of relief and told the teacher, "Put his ass

in the sixth-grade. I got the last ten Questions wrong myself.

UPD 2007 Valedictory Speech

UPD 2007 Valedictory Speech

I would like to share with you a beautifully written valedictory speech by a 16-year old "girl" who graduated summa cum laude with a BS Physics degree.

A mere 16-year old, who could just be graduating from high school, but is actually finishing at the top of her entire graduating college class with an GWA of 1.099. Actually, many of us were doubtful if this wisp of a girl, not even 5 feet tall, who smiled at everyone so innocently, could tell us, could inspire her class to go forth and meet life after college. But she was the chosen one to deliver a message to her class. And so, out of respect for her feat, we gave her a standing ovation upon her introduction.

With her first words, "One of the things that strike me as being very "UP Diliman" is the way UPD students can't seem to stay on the pavement...", everyone was silent. It was a silence I have seldom experienced. It was as the amphitheater was empty, and it was only the girl and I in that huge space. But i looked around, and even the audience -- the parents and guests surrounding the graduates -- were silent, intently listening to this small voice, now made louder, not by the amplifier, but by our collective silence.

This is when it would not be exaggerated to say, "You could hear a pin drop" by the quality of silence. But I would say, and those of you who have been to the middle of the UP Ampitheater would know what I mean, you could hear the leaves rustle with the slightest breeze.

It was speech that did not talk about a student's personal experience with Physics, as I had feared. It was a young person telling us how she looked at the world -- her world for 4 years -- and how she is encouraged, inspired and compelled to make a difference in this world. She received a long standing ovation, not out of respect this time, but I guess because of what she made us feel about ourselves, about our country and about our future.

I will be humble enough to say that she inspired me. I am renewed once again in my idealism. I hope it strikes a chord in you, because it has strummed my chords so deeply.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mikaela Irene Fudolig – BS Physics, Class 2007 Valedictorian.

Mikaela Irene Fudolig – BS Physics

Speech at the Commencement Exercises, UPD

April 22, 2007

One of the things that strike me as being very "UP Diliman" is the way UPD students can't seem to stay on the pavement. From every street corner that bounds an unpaved piece of land, one will espy a narrow trail that cuts the corner, or leads from it. Every lawn around the buildings sports at least one of these paths, starting from a point nearest to the IKOT stop and ending at the nearest entry to the building. The trails are beaten on the grass by many pairs of feet wanting to save a fraction of a meter of traveling, no matter that doing so will exact some cost to the shoes, or, to the ubiquitous slippers, especially when the trails are new.

What do these paths say about us, UP students?

One could say that the UP student is enamored with Mathematics and Pythagoras, hence these triangles formed by the pavement and the path. Many among you would disagree.

Others could say that the UP student is naturally countercultural. And the refusal to use the pavement is just one of the myriads of ways to show his defiance of the order of things. This time, many would agree.

Still, others will say that the UP student is the model of today's youth: they want everything easier, faster, now. The walkable paths appeal to them because they get to their destination faster, and presumably, with less effort. Now that is only partly true, and totally unfair.

These trails weren't always walkable. No doubt they started as patches of grass, perhaps overgrown. Those who first walked them must have soiled their shoes, stubbed their toes, or had insects biting their legs, all in the immovable belief that the nearest distance between two points is a straight line. They might even have seen snakes cross their paths. But the soiled footwear, sore toes, and itchy legs started to conquer the grass. Other people, seeing the yet faint trail, followed. And as more and more walked the path, the grass gave in and stopped growing altogether, making the path more and more visible, more and more walkable.

The persistence of the paths pays tribute to those UP students who walked them first – the pioneers of the unbeaten tracks: the defiant and curious few who refuse the familiar and comfortable; the out-of-the-box thinkers who solve problems instead of fretting about them; the brave who dare do things differently, and open new opportunities to those who follow.

They say how one behaved in the past would determine how he behaves in the future. And as we leave the University, temporarily or for good, let us call on the pioneering, defiant, and brave spirit that built the paths to guide us in this next phase of our life.

We have been warned time and again. Our new world that they call "adulthood" is one that's full of compromises, where success is determined more by the ability to belong than by the ability to think, where it is much easier to do as everyone else does. Daily we are bombarded with so much news of despair about the state of our nation, and the apparent, perverse sense of satisfaction our politicians get from vilifying our state of affairs. It is fashionable to migrate to other countries to work in deceptively high-paying jobs like nursing and teaching, forgetting that even at their favored work destinations, nurses and teachers are some of the lowest paid professionals. The lure of high and immediate monetary benefits in some low-end outsourcing jobs has drawn even some of the brightest UP students away from both industry and university teaching to which they would have been better suited.

Like the sidewalks and pavement, these paths are the easiest to take.

But, like the sidewalks and pavement, these paths take longer to traverse, just as individual successes do not always make for national progress. The unceasing critic could get elected, but not get the job done. The immigrant could get his visa, but disappear from our brainpower pool. The highly paid employee would be underutilized for his skills, and pine to get the job he truly wants, but is now out of his reach. And the country, and we, are poorer because of these.

Today, the nation needs brave, defiant pioneers to reverse our nation's slide to despair. Today, we must call upon the spirit that beat the tracks. Today, we must present an alternative way of doing things.

Do NOT just take courage, for courage is not enough. Instead, be BRAVE! It will take bravery to go against popular wisdom, against the clichéd expectations of family and friends. It will take bravery to gamble your future by staying in the country and try to make a prosperous life here. It might help if for a start, we try to see why our Korean friends are flocking to our country. Why, as many of us line up for immigrant visas in various embassies, they get themselves naturalized and settle here. Do they know something we don't?

Do NOT just be strong in your convictions, for strength is not enough. Instead, DEFY the pressure to lead a comfortable, but middling life. Let us lead this country from the despair of mediocrity. Let us not seek to do well, but strive to EXCEL in everything that we do. This, so others will see us as a nation of brains of the highest quality, not just of brawn that could be had for cheap.

Take NOT the road less traveled. Rather, MAKE new roads, BLAZE new trails, FIND new routes to your dreams. Unlike the track-beaters in campus who see where they're going, we may not know how far we can go. But if we are brave, defiant searchers of excellence, we will go far. Explore possibilities, that others may get a similar chance. I have tried it myself. And I'm speaking to you now.

But talk is cheap, they say. And so I put my money where my mouth is. Today, I place myself in the service of the University, if it will have me. I would like to teach, to share knowledge, and perhaps to be an example to new UP students in thinking and striving beyond the limits of the possible. This may only be a small disturbance in the grass. But I hope you'll come with me, and trample a new path.

Good evening, everyone.`

Life is what we make it

How do we define happiness? Is it when someone starts smiling? beaming? laughing? Or the inner feeling of contentment and satisfaction? Someone had told me that happiness is an outward appearance and the inner one is called 'joy'. I have very little time to make sure which is which, besides I get headaches when I keep on thinking; which is why, I will plainly believe and picture happiness as this picture. One, Cedie, smiling and the other one, Uday, is laughing. But being there, I know that they are happy. And it shows not only in their faces but in their sparkling eyes.



You see, I don't believe that a person can say that he/she is happy but cannot bring him/herself to smile or laugh. Although, there are really some that can laugh and say they are happy but they are actually not. The magic is in the eyes of a person. We surely can smile even if in times of weakness and troubles, but that smile will not reach the eyes. Picture this: a still face with parted lips, that is all there is.



So next time your seatmate, friend, sibling, parent, nephew, niece, and just anybody else smile at you, look deep into the eyes and see if that smile reaches the eyes to know its sincere. If it is, that means that that person is happy to see you and be with you. If not, either there is something wrong with that person or you are that 'something wrong' in that person....