Good Begets Good

2012-04-14T12:04:00.001+08:00

Wowowow. Time sure does pass by fast. It's been a year -- almost -- since I last made a post on this blog. Had been busy on so many things. But I'm back. Say, how are you doing? Did everything start off right with you in 2012?

Learning A Very Important Lesson From A Kid

2011-03-26T20:51:00.026+08:00

In my adult life I never thought that I would learn the biggest lesson I could ever learn in life, from a kid. It all started when I watched a movie I missed seeing when it was first shown in theaters. Please allow me to tell you about it.

Of the hundreds of movies I have seen so far, only one made a profound, life-changing impact on me. Essentially, in watching the movie, I learned what I think is the most important lesson about living, from a kid.

All my life, people I know kept telling me I am a good man. I never bothered to study myself to find out if they were right. I simply took their word for it and went on with my life believing that what they said of me was true ... until ... I watched the movie, Pay It Forward.

Then, I realized, I was not really the good man I thought I have always been, after all. I've been living a lie.

The movie revealed what I have come to see as a major flaw in my character. It hit hard where my ego hurt the most: the realization that I was selfish all along. I wasn't doing what a real good man was supposed to be doing. And that is: doing good from the heart with no strings attached.

Yes I did good, countless times, but I did only when asked. Very rarely did I volunteer to do good.

Thank God for the movie, I came to my senses. My life was never the same again afterwards. There's a lot more that I need to work on in making things right about myself and I cannot expect to be perfectly good in my physical life, but I'm making progress.

Along the lines of "paying it forward," all I want to do now is pass on to others the many good things ...

that have been done to me but which I cannot pay back to my benefactors, like for instance: the education I attained which was made possible by my aunt's support, without which, I would not have gone beyond elementary school. My aunt has long since gone and I've never been able to repay her at all for all her kindness. What better way for me to honor her and give recognition to her generosity than to pass on to others the good she did for me.

And that's exactly the reason why I thought of putting up the MindSpring Center for Value-based Learning and Entrepreneurship. My aim is to provide value-based education and training to talented but marginalized youth who, instead of attending school, have to labor hard just to put food on the table. Education is key to progress and it is what separates the rich from the downtrodden of society.

This point in time, planning the project is like building the proverbial castle in the air. But I've got to dream big, not for myself or for personal aggrandizement, but for our would-be beneficiaries who we have already identified as deserving of help. These are the talented and creative kids who are working to produce beautiful handcrafted products for a home-based handicrafts business in Asin, Baguio City, to augment family income. This, they are obligated to do out of necessity when they are supposed to be in school studying. They have no choice. They need help.

Perhaps you can chip in to get the project realized. Even just a single dollar that you can spare for the cause will go a long way in achieving the goal. Your help will not go in vain for God will bless you richly for it. Please click the FREE GIFT Tab to download our token of appreciation for your generosity. Thank you very much.

If you want to watch the movie, Pay It Forward, but can't find a copy in your local video shop, you can buy it from Amazon.com at a cheaper price. If you do buy from there, you will be helping the cause since I am an Amazon.com associate and I earn a commission from sales generated through my link. Please click the product link below for more information. Thanks.

Can You Share To Help The Talented But Marginalized Kids Have A Bright Future?

2011-03-22T17:31:00.027+08:00

Moving forward with our plan to put up the MindSpring Center for Value-based Learning and Entrepreneurship aimed at providing education and entrepreneurial skills-training to talented but marginalized youth who are deprived of the benefits of education due to poverty, we have identified our would-be beneficiaries and they are the kids aged 10-15 who are presently making handcrafted products for a home-based handicrafts business, just to earn money to augment family income. Some of these kids are out of school owing to financial constraints.

Handicrafts-making being the main livelihood in the community where they live, these kids have acquired skills early in life which now enable them to make products that earn them some income but barely enough to get by.

Basically, what is needed is research and training in modern crafts-making techniques and designs to enable them to make products that appeal to today's consumers. Part of our mission is to create market for their products.

We are not condoning child labor with our plan, rather, we want to help them improve further the skills that they already have and motivate them to make the most of their free time producing instead of engaging in juvenile activities that may lead to the commission of petty crimes that progress into more serious social problems as they grow older.

Much as no one wants to see these kids work just to make a living, it cannot be helped. Reality demands it of them. Either they do or they will have to cease to exist. Household income is just not enough, even with both parents working, to sustain the family's needs.

Below are the pictures of just a few of the products these kids have produced. I have included them here to give you an idea of just what they are capable of doing, per chance that you'd get interested and place an order or donate to our cause.

For more information, you can contact us through the button at the upper left corner of your screen. There's really nothing like doing good. Good begets good. Pass it on.

Wake-up Call

2011-03-19T16:50:00.012+08:00

Aftermath of Japan quake

Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, volcanic eruptions and other killer cataclysms are becoming more and more frequent these days.

We call them "natural disasters" that strike without mercy anytime, anyplace, leaving behind large swaths of destruction with myriad lives lost, billions of dollars worth of property damaged or destroyed and economies ruined.

Just days following the devastation of Christchurch, New Zealand by a 6.3 temblor last February, the entire country of Japan is now reeling under the heavy blows of the magnitude 9 killer quake that struck March 19, which spawned a 30-ft tsunami that wiped out villages and damaged the country's Fukushima Nuclear Power complex that is now causing jitters around the world because of radioactive emissions.

Only the most callous of hearts perhaps would not feel sympathy towards the Japanese for all the troubles they are going through now. I can't imagine being in such a situation myself.

In a jitney I was riding the other day, two elderly gentlemen were discussing this latest tragedy in the history of mankind. One of the men said: (translation) "Well, it's a wakeup call for everyone of us, particularly those who are awash with cash and who have forgotten God."

That kept me thinking as we rode on till I reached home. The man was right. Our material wealth significantly loses its value (i.e., if it's not altogether lost like when it's swept away by the rampaging tsunami) when disaster strikes. What becomes really valuable in times of disaster is our humanity -- the desire, need and capacity to connect to fellow human beings.

When we were kids we bothered little, if at all, about riches and the big things that preoccupy adult people most of their time. A few coins in our pocket were enough to make us happy for the day. All we wanted was to have fun all day -- everyday -- before we retired for the night.

As we grew older, however, our outlook began to change. Before long, all we wanted was to become rich and have all the material things we want in life.

As adults, our wants become so overwhelming that we toil long hours to acquire them. In fact, we don't even think of the things we actually need. We think of our wants as need and so we work hard for it. Even when we already have more than enough to sustain us and our family for the rest of our fragile life, we still want more: billions in the bank, a palatial home, a fleet of expensive cars, a multi-million dollar yacht, a Gulfstream jet, vacation in the Bahamas and other pricey resorts for months -- the good, "exciting" life.

We have little empathy and compassion for the destitute. Why should we? We worked hard to become rich. Doing good is far from our minds.

"These pathetic, lazy poor. Why don't they just get out of our way ...."

And then calamity strikes. It's a close call.

"Thank God, we are alive."

Doing Good and Giving From The Heart

2011-03-16T17:32:00.009+08:00

We have always known kids to be selfish ... that if you don't give them what they ask -- pronto, they throw tantrums and won't stop until you give in.

But there is something about kids that I like the most: when they give, they give from the heart.

Not so with adults (of course not everyone). To a good number of grownups, "What's in it for me?" is the first thought that comes to mind when they find themselves about to part with something they possess to give to someone else. I admit, I have been guilty of this, myself, on several occasions. Thankfully, that's all been changed when I watched the movie, Pay It Forward.

I was just thinking, if only everyone, the world over, has the pureness of a child's heart, there would be none of the troubles and miseries now plaguing mankind. There would be no poverty, no hunger, no hate, no wars, no suffering, no wickedness.

Because of selfishness and greed, we have become like the beasts of the jungle who know no better than kill to survive. Such savagery, however, is understandable because these animals live by instinct not by reason, by necessity rather than want. For that reason, it could be said that mankind is worse because we are equipped with minds that could reason and hearts that could love but then, instead of being what we are supposed to be, we think and act on the contrary.

If we think about it, there is actually no reason for poverty to exist in this world. As a matter of fact, its very existence is absurd considering that the Great Creator has filled the earth with so much abundance that there is more than enough for everyone. All the inequalities, the imbalances, injustices and discriminations among peoples are the result of the evil that crept unawares into man's heart and took on the form of god by whose dictates we act and behave to our own detriment and destruction.

Imagine if everyone shared such abundance within the limits of their personal needs and not desire beyond what is needful for comfortable and convenient living, there would be no shortage, no scarcity, no deprivation. There would then not exist the great divide between the filthy rich who live in giant palatial homes with more rooms and beds than their puny 6-foot frame could occupy and the wretched poor who only have the crevices in rocks and dilapidated buildings to shelter them from the elements.

What has Solomon, the wisest and richest man who ever lived, said as he faced the reality of the "end of his days"?

"I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

"So I hated life because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun.... So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it.... What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This ... is meaningless."

He then concludes: "Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.... I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and DO GOOD while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil -- this is the gift of God."

Must We Wait For Kids To Show Us The Way ...?

2011-03-03T19:02:00.004+08:00

I was browsing the videos on YouTube when I stumbled on these. Please watch. Very powerful messages that can move mountains. I won't say much here, the songs say it all.

S5PHARE34K86

I have A Gift For You

2011-03-03T16:56:00.000+08:00

I'd been thinking of what I can give you through this blog since I set it up -- something handy and timeless which would be of use to you not only at the time you receive it but all through the days of your life -- as a token of appreciation for your support.

An idea came to mind. How about a digital library? Yes. I'm sure you are going to like this one.

Please click on the tab FREE Gift For You for the contents of the library and download link.

I would appreciate a "like" and a "follow" from you for this blog. Thank you very much..

The Greatness of Little Things

2011-03-03T14:50:00.004+08:00

Have you noticed how big and wide the ripples would grow when you throw a tiny pebble into the water?

How about that big tree in your backyard under whose shade you often find yourself cooling off during summer, did you pause a moment to ponder how it grew so large from the tiny seed that it once was just like the one you extracted from its fruit moments ago?

Little things becoming big in the course of time is so common a knowledge, perhaps only a little kid just out of his/her diapers would wonder how such a thing could have happened, that we regard it not worth spending time to think about.

Insignificant as it may seem though, this phenomenon, if you like, affects every aspect of our physical existence regardless of whether or not we take cognizance of it.

Take for instance the hurt that 4-letter F word you blurted out in anger caused the person who unintentionally offended you or inadvertently made some mistake which you found unacceptable. Or how much gladness the stranger you met one morning and simply said "hi" to, felt inside.

Yes, little things, even the seemingly insignificant ones, do mean a lot. One word of encouragement to a grieving widow is enough to assure her that everything will be alright despite the loss of her beloved. Even that faint smile on a child's face is enough to make the day a little brighter in spite of the bad weather.

The movie, Pay It Forward, made a profound impact on my thinking with its easy-to-understand illustration of how a simple act of kindness extended to just three people could spread far and wide if each of those three did the same; three people each onwards, thus making this world a better place in the process. As it was said in the movie, "we cannot change the world but we can make a difference."

Good begets good so start doing good today. Pass it on.

The Purpose and Meaning of Life

2011-02-28T23:23:00.002+08:00

We live in a time and age when people "run to and fro" in the mad rush to acquire material possessions. Get this ... get that.

"Give ...? Are you kidding?"

Have you got no pity for the poor?

"What ... the lazy bunch ... you ruin my day."

In the news today: The "notorious son" of a despot somewhere "commissioned plans to build a super yacht worth $380 million -- almost three times more than his energy-rich country spends annually on health and education programs combined."

WOW! What a life! This guy must be feeling good ... really good. But ...

"What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?"

Does that statement make sense?

I've not thought really seriously about the meaning and purpose of life until I watched the movie, Pay It Forward.

I was pricked to the bone while watching the movie. I realized that I'd been living my life selfishly and I am held fully accountable for it.

This project that I am all set to put up has given my life new meaning and dimension.. It's becoming a passion and I just love it.

Indeed, good begets good. When I started doing good without being asked, and from the heart, things began to change in my life.

Thank You Very Much

2011-02-27T00:56:00.003+08:00

Some kind of euphoria is sweeping over me as I write this post. Can't help it. Since I set up this blog just a few days back, I've been getting favorable responses, positive feedback, perfect 10 reviews from Linkreferral members and encouragement, left and right.

I'm inspired like I've never experienced before in previous undertakings. I'd say, I have finally found my place under the sun. Indeed, there really is nothing like doing good.

But I have only just begun. The road ahead is long and hard and for sure, it's not going to be an easy ride for me. There'd be difficulties and challenges to face but for as long as there are people like you with a golden heart who unselfishly lend a helping hand, I'm confident I will succeed.

Thank you, thank you very much.

Good Begets Good - The Golden Rule

2011-02-24T10:33:00.006+08:00

"Do unto others what you would want others do unto you," so states the golden rule espoused by practically all religions of the world.

Simply stated, treat others as you want to be treated. Naturally, each one of us wants to be treated well. You do, don't you?

What a real nice place this world would be if everyone just lived religiously by the golden rule. Sadly, in this dog-eat-dog world where selfishness reigns supreme in the hearts of men, the golden rule, though still generally accepted to be the right thing to do, has become nothing more than just an expression of rightness that has lost its relevance and have very little use in the real world.

The sad thing about it is: when this golden rule, by the least of chances, is practiced, it is not to serve the noble purpose of building mutually beneficial relationships but to satisfy selfish objectives, like when trying to gain favor or advantage over a negotiated deal.

God minced no words when He said: "They worship me with their lips but their hearts are far from me." A clear indictment of men's hypocrisy.

What You Do To Others Will Be Done To You

View more presentations from He Yan

Thankfully, it's not all that bad and hopeless, though, as far as the human capacity to love and care for others is concerned. There are countless people in the world who still have their hearts in the right place, so to speak. People whose dedication to doing good and having genuine, outgoing concern for their fellowmen, is just awesome -- truly admirable.

Wanting to make up for my own shortcomings, I decided to take action now and make the most of my life by doing what I can, within the limits of my God-given talent(s), knowledge, experience and acquired skills, to help improve lives. That's my objective for this blog.

To get the ball rolling, I am into affiliate marketing on the Internet and some mlm program (offline) to raise the needed resources to fund the project(s) that I have in mind aimed at improving lives starting with the marginalized youth deprived of the opportunity to acquire better education due to poverty.

I would appreciate it very much if you, dear friend, would consider purchasing some of the affiliate programs I promote like Rapbank (banner on the right) and joining me on Vera7 for the benefit of the above-mentioned youth.

You might have your doubts that I may just be using this blog as a cover to hide a hidden agenda. I can't blame you given the prevalence of scams on the Internet with wolves in sheep's clothing preying on unsuspecting souls. All I can say is TRY ME.

Thanks a lot, my friend, for reading my post to its very conclusion. I appreciate it. Have a very wonderful day.

Nothing Like Doing Good - Pass it On.

2011-02-22T16:20:00.002+08:00

Hello Friend,

Welcome to my new blog. This is my first post and here, I'd like to discuss the issue of selfishness as the stumbling block to thinking and doing good, wholeheartedly with no strings attached.

If there is any human weakness that we can regard as the main culprit in all of the wretchedness and suffering in the world, it is: SELFISHNESS.

No one would like to admit that he/she is selfish. But that doesn't change the reality of the fact that everyone is selfish, to one degree or another. From the least of us, to the greatest, everyone is guilty of selfishness at some point(s) in his/her life. Anyone who says otherwise is blind to his/her carnal proclivities.

Listen to what the Bible says about selfishness: "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet but you cannot have what you want ... because (of) wrong motives, that you spend what you get on your pleasures." (James 4:1.3)

What is the antidote to selfishness?

There are several ways that this carnal tendency is overcome and reversed to perform feats beneficial to the human race and the environment. One way is by putting to good use the talents we possess by helping others improve their lives and making this world a better place. People who go out of their way to make a difference is the best example I can cite to drive home the point.

There is an inherent good in everyone of us. God created us so. All that's needed is to awaken that slumbering giant to perform the greatest of feats everyone of us is capable of achieving in this life, if we only put our minds and energies to it, and that is: doing good for others without any thought of receiving anything in return.

That is my purpose for this blog. I admit my own shortcomings on the issue of "doing good" and so I thought of starting some kind of "good works" to make up for it.

I'll be telling you more about my plans in my succeeding posts, per chance that some of you would join me in the endeavor to improve the lives of ordinary folks deprived of life's comforts and conveniences, not to mention basic necessities, due to poor education, scarce information, and livelihood opportunities.

In the meantime, let me share with you this wonderful poem that pictures vividly what is bound to happen when selfishness reigns in the heart of man.

The Cold Within

Six humans trapped by happenstance
In dark and bitter cold
Each one possessed a stick of wood,
Or so the story's told.

Their dying fire in need of logs,
The first woman held hers back.
For, of the faces around the fire,
She noticed one was black.

The next man looking 'cross the way
Saw one not of his church,
And couldn't bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.

The third one sat in tattered clothes
He gave his coat a hitch,
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?

The rich man just sat back and thought
Of the wealth he had in store,
And how to keep what he had earned
From the lazy, shiftless poor.

The black man's face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from sight,
For all he saw in his stick of wood
Was a chance to spite the white.

The last man of this forlorn group
Did naught except for gain,
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.

Their logs held tight in death's stilled hands
Was proof enough of sin.
They didn't die from the cold without,
They died from -- THE COLD WITHIN.

-- James Patrick Kinney