tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22909119524776031062011-09-19T17:01:13.477-04:00THIS IS A MIRROR BLOG FOR http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com,adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125blogspot/livefrgmailhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-14259503389719379532011-05-25T00:04:00.001-04:002011-05-25T00:04:01.262-04:002011-05-25T00:04:01.262-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>I&#39;m not always fan of people. They exhaust me. They&#39;re full of issues, problems and have tons of concerns, from routine problems to psychotic episodes. They can be annoying. People are imperfect, prone to mistakes, destined to commit an error every so often.<br /> <div class="gmail_quote"> <br />Fortunately, I&#39;m part of the specie called humans. My foremost negatives - insecure, judgmental, possessive, cynical and above all impatient. I&#39;m prone to commit a mistake and have racked up my own history of errors along the way. <p /> But when a human being forges a friendship with another, he is transformed to a social being. He chooses to see past negatives of our fault, as a people, and gaze on what&#39;s positive in his fellowmen. He recognizes that everyone has his shortcomings, list of wrongdoings and embraces the very fault in people that he condemns. <p /> Having a friend is one of the simple magics of life. It can turn the greatest antisocial to a huge fan of his fellow humans. <p /> <i>PRONOUN DISCLAIMER: My use of the masculine pronoun is intended for simplicity only. </i><br /> </div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/when-friendships-are-forged">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-1425950338971937953?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v_vvwQPovb9YObP2QZdJU6TdF2M/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v_vvwQPovb9YObP2QZdJU6TdF2M/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v_vvwQPovb9YObP2QZdJU6TdF2M/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v_vvwQPovb9YObP2QZdJU6TdF2M/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/d88QXAkjJlU" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2011/05/when-friendships-are-forged.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-12504000801406409942011-03-03T11:55:00.001-05:002011-03-03T11:55:26.498-05:002011-03-03T11:55:26.498-05:00<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Paper_shelf_03" height="510" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-03-03/HyAeybfdEGhfgrtuuEfkhbcBrsmqBAqFcyJwBkzilqfCAAcIjbjqqDrmtEnj/paper_shelf_03.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="323" /> </div> I remember in the late 1990s how tens of millions of dollars are pouring into ventures with a business model that has more to do with lavish operatons spending than profitability. It's a wild time for visionaries and tech entrepreneurs. The dotcom bubble was the biggest hype that captivated the hearts (and pockets) of investors and the attention of Wall Street. Back in those days value investor Warren Buffett wasn't smiling as the valuation of these digital enterprises skyrocket, with their IPOs grabbing headlines in major news outlets and the international press.</p> <p>A few months later, no one - in the dotcom industry, wall street or even the investment banking world - was smiling. The bubble was poked, millions of capital was loss, hundreds of companies went bankrupt and thousands were left unemployed as the market corrected itself. The then emerging tech world landed back to the fundamentals of what makes a business a real enterprise. That is - it has to be profitable, way sooner, for it to survive.&nbsp;</p> <p>Meet the ultralights, businesses that operates as lean as possible in order to become profitable without taking in venture capital. Owners of ultralights know that their business better be profitable now, or they'll perish later. Last February 16 the founder of Ultra Light Startups, a community of online and media entrepreneurs with these types of business shared with me how he founded the organization, why you're never too young to start a business now and how he made his first sale at a ridicuolously young age of three!</p> <p>You can read the story here at <a href="http://yeahnewyork.com/features/yny-careers-solid-and-heavy-business-advise-from-an-ultralight-guru/" target="_blank">Yeah New York</a>.</p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/what-entrepreneurs-are-made-of">My Random Thoughts, In Order</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-1250400080140640994?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/11QmU_qtXFV9wokX2PXONwoqmRE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/11QmU_qtXFV9wokX2PXONwoqmRE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/11QmU_qtXFV9wokX2PXONwoqmRE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/11QmU_qtXFV9wokX2PXONwoqmRE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/6x0A_BqF7Ck" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2011/03/meet-ultralights-and-no-i-not-talking.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-31550990149394376062011-01-30T23:21:00.001-05:002011-01-30T23:21:08.137-05:002011-01-30T23:21:08.137-05:00<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-01-30/vCplJitfpfCEEjblIieBJtvtBtvCCAwGBxkhrjpbFFrDfGxhywfqCsbrBbFy/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people-cover.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-01-30/vCplJitfpfCEEjblIieBJtvtBtvCCAwGBxkhrjpbFFrDfGxhywfqCsbrBbFy/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people-cover.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="801"/></a> </p> <p>When my dad gave me the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, it was an act of love from a good father extremely concerned of his son's social life. Well, that was before. I used to dislike people and consider them more as distraction in life than a crucial element of it. Developing human relationships is a boring practice in my past life and an item on my checklist that is better left unchecked.</p> <p>When I went to college, however, it was a different story. I enjoyed people too much. I love meeting as many of them as I could that I actually ended up with a handful after graduation. I even lose a good bunch of them before that due to some stupid conflict. So much for sacrificing academic pursuits in exchange for relational bonds, most of which have become so magnetic that I didn't realize they had the same charges. But enough of me. The goal here is to examine how to destroy friendships. Sometimes, the best way to learn is by knowing the reverse, the what not to do and how not to do it. Doing so makes us realize that we're stupid enough to actually apply them in real life anyway.</p> <p><em><strong>1. Talk about your problems, worries, anxieties, depressions, suicidal tendencies, childhood struggles, bad meals you have eaten lately, horrible shows you've seen recently anf the bus driver who didn't give you a transfer a while ago....at all times.&nbsp;</strong></em></p> <p>It's enough that there are a lot of people who enjoy talking about themselves. Many individuals in this world so lack attention and love that they derive it from human sources by channeling all the attention to themselves, despite the fact that they are innately uninteresting. Considering you're not one of them, it's slightly forgivable that you talk a lot about yourself, however, shift the topics to the negatives of your life and make that the centerpiece of every conversation you have and I guarantee that you will find yourself in a spot that is sure to push you further to depression, a solitary state where no human being would like to hear what you have to say.&nbsp;</p> <p><em><strong>2. Make one (or two) people your version of god </strong></em></p> <p>Even if you don't believe in God, it maybe a good idea to at least rely on Him for emotional necessities. He won't mind it, He made you anyway. But if you don't believe in Him and rather consider one or two people in your life as a source of all your emotional needs, filling the void in your heart with their attention and love, then expect a future, with your "source," to nowhere. Always remember that no human being can make you whole. Although it's enjoyable to see it in romantic movies, the idea that someone will actually complete you is a myth. Wholeness is derived by a person's resolve to be who he or she is no matter what the situation is, regardless if he/she's is with someone or not. If you turn someone to your version of god, you'll see yourself forced to be agnostic.</p> <p><strong><em>3. Enrich your friendships with jealousy, envy, slander, malice and all other elements of hate</em></strong></p> <p>There are no other ways to destroy a growing friendship or a maturing bond between two people than blending jealousy and it's evil cousins into the relationship. Deceit, lies and talking behind your friend's back are surefire ways to eliminate good will and trust between two people, two fundamental elements needed for a relationship to grow. Ensure that these elements are present in your friendship and expect for it to grow deep, deep enough to go six feet under.</p> <p>There are other ways to lose friends and irritate people, but these three will cause enough damage that you will not have to worry about using other tactics to accomplish your unhealthy social goal. <strong><br /></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/how-to-lose-friends-and-irritate-people">My Random Thoughts, In Order</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-3155099014939437606?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0YnusR_n6FWznUL5dyNnz6egVcA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0YnusR_n6FWznUL5dyNnz6egVcA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0YnusR_n6FWznUL5dyNnz6egVcA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0YnusR_n6FWznUL5dyNnz6egVcA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/FPca8omnpjE" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-lose-friends-and-irritate-people.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-30375925653694008572011-01-25T23:57:00.001-05:002011-01-25T23:57:43.139-05:002011-01-25T23:57:43.139-05:00<div class='posterous_autopost'><p>There's too many things to extrapolate from the President's speech tonight, but one of the topics spreading around like wildfire is the President's mention of America's "Sputnik moment." Provided, the world is not in a cold war, nor are the Soviets a threat (at least explicitly), to national security. But the idea of pushing the boundaries, stepping up innovation and challenging the limits of preconceived realities is what attracts me to the idea.&nbsp;</p> <p>So with no further ado, let me ask you the question, what will create your Sputnik moment? How do you create new processes, methods and approaches that will transform the way you do things? How will you push the boundaries and break the barriers that has kept you from achieving your visions and desires?</p> <p>Not sure how many people will read this, but I'd love to hear about how you'll achieve your Sputnik moment!&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/whats-your-sputnik-moment">My Random Thoughts, In Order</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-3037592565369400857?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D8OSstFu2Tug2ta-lpjR1xgE9pg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D8OSstFu2Tug2ta-lpjR1xgE9pg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D8OSstFu2Tug2ta-lpjR1xgE9pg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D8OSstFu2Tug2ta-lpjR1xgE9pg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/cZwBEqYlwKA" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-your-sputnik-moment.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-91113740161417266582011-01-22T22:36:00.001-05:002011-01-22T22:36:23.470-05:002011-01-22T22:36:23.470-05:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>I’m writing this with just a blank white screen, bordered by two dark shades, and even though this is the only thing in front me, I still find difficulty in concentrating. Writing is not easy and for those with the ability to just play with words and pen a piece without effort, I sure hope I will meet them in my lifetime. I desperately need their energy, love, support, values, philosophy, best practices, secrets, lifestyle techniques, relational guidelines, religious stance, tactics, etc. In short, I need to be them. I know, however, as per my father’s guidance and insistent teaching (especially on the grammar area) that writing is truly difficult and even the great William Zinsser himself tries to avoid it, even if he’s one of the best writers we have. It takes time, effort, concentration and the ability to put in ink what we have on our cluttered minds in an organized fashion. <p /> I’m partly being paid for writing for the past 14 months and it’s a job I’ve dreamt, as part of my at least 1 billion dreams and secret projections of my future, but never really thought I could get. I’m fearful of my prospects, frightened by the uncharted territories I have yet to explore, the rules and styles I still need to learn and the volumes of content I have yet to create. Add to this, that sense of insecurity in my ability to convey thoughts in the best way possible. I have been borderline nerve wreck when I know I have a blank screen to fill, the feeling started a few months after I have dove in to this potential “career path”, not knowing where the path will lead. <p /> In reality, though, I need to make writing for me to work. My conceptual skills are practically unlimited, but my technical skills have always been geared to doing one thing - dealing with the written, printed, tweeted or in a more web 2.0 fashion, spreadable word. I do not know if I will feel excited to write again, but all I know right now is I want to write. I want to share my thoughts, dreams, aspirations, visions and desires on paper or the web or wherever the characters I’m using now can be seen or applied. <p /> I know it’s difficult to write and this public confession, which will probably be read by at least three people- my parents and my best friend, may still not reflect on my actions, but typing it away feels darn good. <p /> The reason it’s difficult to write is because it involves sharing a lot of you, a good part of you and I guess if I want to be good at this, I need to learn to be very, very generous. In the end, I’ll feel darn good anyway for doing so. <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/why-its-difficult-to-write">My Random Thoughts, In Order</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-9111374016141726658?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/NWVXVOKiQRyTIG-s1f5fjfAu9jY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/NWVXVOKiQRyTIG-s1f5fjfAu9jY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/NWVXVOKiQRyTIG-s1f5fjfAu9jY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/NWVXVOKiQRyTIG-s1f5fjfAu9jY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/-cSF8PhGNW8" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-its-difficult-to-write.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-63486565442546675492010-10-13T00:41:00.001-04:002010-10-13T00:41:25.497-04:002010-10-13T00:41:25.497-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'><p>A few minutes ago, I received a reply from a social media influencer. He is a best-selling author, a fully-booked public speaker, a talent of Hollywood's most prestigious agency and one of the faces of the emerging discipline of new media. His e-mail was short and sweet. By social media standards, it's one word, a hashtag actually.<p />This was the full content of the e-mail's body without the signature line.<p /><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><strong>#ThankYou :)</strong></span><p />He must have repeated that more than a 1,000 times. It shows that this guy practices what he preach. He firmly believes in dealing with his clients on a one-on-one basis, even if his base has practically been scaled to hundreds of thousands. His Twitter follower count shows that he has 855,000+ followers and on Facebook he boasts 52,000+ likes. In all standards, he's an industry biggie! But he has never forgotten the habit of responding and reaching out to a single customer.<p />This social media influencer preaches the gospel of building your business one person at a time and emphasizes the need to value customers as people. His teaching of commerce is basic and has been repeated over and over and over again. The basis of what he says is the same, the only thing different is the form. But he connects to people, big time, because he reminds many of us - those who try to market things, ideas, products or services to people the very essence of commerce.<p /><a href="http://www.garyvaynerchuk.com" target="_blank">Gary Vaynerchuk</a> brings us back to the basics. He enlightens us what we should have known all along. Business is about people. It is about satisfying their needs. It is about providing a solution to their problems. It is about making things easier to a difficult process they perform.<p />Business is about serving people. It's about recognizing their past, present and future concerns and devising ways on how our skills and knowledge can effectively respond to those. The presence of an exchange is structured to satisfy a need and providing an incentive to the person or entity who can be the solver. It's about service. It's about enhancing another person's life or duty and gaining a living by doing so. The one who can best provide, solve and enrich life, becomes the winner.&nbsp;</p> <p>Unfortunately, this common knowledge has not been to common. The reason why individuals like <a href="http://www.garyvaynerchuk.com" target="_blank">Gary Vaynerchuk</a>, a passionate, sincere and dedicated marketer has become a fresh face for business, a new icon for aspirants and established entrepreneurs alike. He heralds principles that should be the very foundation of any enterprise.</p> <p>The fundamentals of all commerce and the free economy can be traced from the dictum of Adam Smith, the Father of Modern Economics. It declares that:</p> <p><strong><em>"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages."</em></strong></p> <p>No, I have no way or intent to disprove that. Although altruism is not a core competency suggested in any form of business process, there is one thing in this dictum that holds truth and can be related to what Gary proclaims. Though the butcher, brewer or baker may not characterize any form of generosity in their business dealings, they all intend to do one thing -serve humanity by being a source for someone's dinner. &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/a-reminder-why-we-or-they-do-business">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-6348656544254667549?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rJMlqJ_uA4YCfCuikDreyjYDwz8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rJMlqJ_uA4YCfCuikDreyjYDwz8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rJMlqJ_uA4YCfCuikDreyjYDwz8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rJMlqJ_uA4YCfCuikDreyjYDwz8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/acK-62MyV-0" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/10/reminder-why-we-or-they-do-business.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-58825943708888929912010-10-11T00:23:00.001-04:002010-10-11T00:23:21.713-04:002010-10-11T00:23:21.713-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>If there&#39;s one part of the body that causes more danger and destruction than a male species&#39; private part, it&#39;s the tongue. It&#39;s the most morally ambiguous member of the human physique, useful for various situations, productive in any given time. Through it, we nurture ourselves physically and with it we speak what&#39;s on our mind. The tongue is a bodily instrument that can uplift, encourage and create good things, while at the same time, can emulate the demonic trio of stealing, killing and destroying. <p /> Taming the tongue requires a lifestyle of extreme discipline, tremendous memory, and strict adherence to absolute principles. Keeping secrets, acknowledging what is confidential and not, recognizing what can and can&#39;t be said, privately or publicly, are certain guidelines any man must abide if he plans on keeping his mouth shut. Speaking the truth, explaining sincerely, and pinpointing what is false, are few measures that must be taken if he plans on making a positive impact when he opens his mouth. Using the tongue properly requires a holistic effort on anyone&#39;s part. He needs to not only concern himself of ensuring that it doesn&#39;t emit deadly odor, but he also needs to be careful not to emit something worse - deadly words, packaged as full-sentence lies and false statements. <p /> In order to do this, he needs to know his boundaries. He needs to be enlightened that the tongue has it&#39;s limitation and boundaries and he doesn&#39;t need to speak his mind at all times. Depending on the timing, situation or nature of the event, the tongue must at many times be kept shut. If it&#39;s used, it must be for the purpose of building someone up or correcting what is wrong. Though it is entertaining, the tongue must never be used to enjoy something at anyone&#39;s expense. It&#39;s function must be applied to enhance something or someone or better yet, be enriching to the point that it can transform and turn things around for the good. <p /> Before someone uses his tongue, he needs to ask himself - will saying it makes thing better? Or will it make things worse? Will speaking it steal someone of his joy, destroy someone&#39;s personal image or kill a relationship I have with a person? Is it worth using the tongue at all for this situation? Or must I just use my mind and think through it first? <p /> The worst lie ever spoken to man is framed in this saying: &quot;Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me&quot; <p />Sticks and stones will break your bones and physically hurt you. It will injure you and for a period of time, it will cause pain. Depending on the gravity of the impact, sticks and stones use for a violent purpose can kill you. Words, on the other hand, will have to skip breaking your bones. It will be quick enough to cause pain, light enough to speed the process of injuring you permanently. <p /> The tongue is a gift. Without it, we cannot eat, drink or speak what we must say. But being endowed with it is not a license to plant seeds of sorrow and pain. No, the tongue cannot caused unwanted pregnancy or be used for rape. It can do far worst than that: kill a person&#39;s spirit, dreams and self-respect, while he&#39;s still alive. <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/the-most-dangerous-body-part-note-its-not-the">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-5882594370888892991?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BEzj3oFPfM0uGgQPnH7jHOtuTzQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BEzj3oFPfM0uGgQPnH7jHOtuTzQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BEzj3oFPfM0uGgQPnH7jHOtuTzQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BEzj3oFPfM0uGgQPnH7jHOtuTzQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/SM5NltckhMM" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/10/most-dangerous-body-part-note-it-not.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-73555271070029644762010-10-09T01:09:00.001-04:002010-10-09T01:09:34.611-04:002010-10-09T01:09:34.611-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'><p><a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/calebgalaraga/fwFgkFsdFHwGAGqcyihglvHoArmyBFptoDdflDBjjHHFJmGryHwIfbqHmGHe/IMG_0002.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/calebgalaraga/fwFgkFsdFHwGAGqcyihglvHoArmyBFptoDdflDBjjHHFJmGryHwIfbqHmGHe/IMG_0002.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="667"/></a> </p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/what-every-social-media-marketer-aspires-to-a">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-7355527107002964476?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/X4Kf--J2eE_u5WIc42YJFUMVnPQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/X4Kf--J2eE_u5WIc42YJFUMVnPQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/X4Kf--J2eE_u5WIc42YJFUMVnPQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/X4Kf--J2eE_u5WIc42YJFUMVnPQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/uwRyRYeiQNw" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-every-social-media-marketer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-61306214827822935902010-10-01T08:10:00.001-04:002010-10-01T08:10:10.678-04:002010-10-01T08:10:10.678-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/calebgalaraga/oSU6uEoaPKHMIEsILUcmQANSbEjFqGiyPR2nRlE4yz7TdNU3kEkXYmr6fdIi/airport.jpg" width="480" height="640"/> <br />I&#39;m sitting a few yards away from Gate 27 of JFK Jet Blue waiting for a delayed flight to Jacksonville! Many of you, the three of you reading this post, may feel like throwing up just by the sight or smell of an airport. The lines at the check-in counters, the security check that almost leaves you unclothed and the delays and cancellations that accompanies the romance (or nightmare) of flying by plane makes for a ghastly sight and an experience that will make you stop booking for tickets. Despite of all these, however, there&#39;s a degree of beauty just by staying in an airport. The sight of peoples of all backgrounds and cultures waiting for their turn to board, either to go home, pass by or migrate into a new place makes an airport a launching pad not only of heavy air transport, but of ideas, dreams, expectations and hopes. <p /> Diplomats use airport to reach nations and territories to strengthen relationships between two nations. Foreign workers use airports to go to a place where they can enrich their careers or enhance their income. Businesspeople use airports to explore new markets, close deals and develop networks. Religious workers use airports to get to a destination where they spread their faith. <p /> Airports are platforms, the terminals and gates funnels to things new, different and for some, sentimental and full of meaning. It is where you begin a journey or mark an end of one that was just taken. Just as if we have Facebook to connect to people, Twitter to connect to conversations and Wordpress to connect to an audience, we have airports that connects us to new places where we discover, demystify and develop a perspective of the world we may never have gained without the wonders of air travel. <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/the-hustle-and-bustle-of-air-traveland-why-i">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-6130621482782293590?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vCGMX60POhkm35RyJ9q2TOcZDu0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vCGMX60POhkm35RyJ9q2TOcZDu0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vCGMX60POhkm35RyJ9q2TOcZDu0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vCGMX60POhkm35RyJ9q2TOcZDu0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/0IuavhHibY8" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/10/hustle-and-bustle-of-air-traveland-why.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-40713794798181665192010-09-27T16:46:00.001-04:002010-09-27T16:46:45.050-04:002010-09-27T16:46:45.050-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'> <div style='padding: 5px 5px 10px 5px; margin-top: 5px; border: 1px solid #ddd; background-color: #fff;line-height: 16px;'> <div style="float: left; margin-right: 5px; overflow: visible;"><a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/calebgalaraga/pPVQGakIScPyRoCNXkhXhvs5wwkkYpOndiE7bYbMT6qOUmd1npAFlrT0fYm3/IMG_0099.mov' style='color: #bc7134;'><img src='http://posterous.com/images/filetypes/mov.png' style='border: none;'/></a></div> <div style="font-size: 10px; color: #424037;line-height: 16px;">Download now or <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/a-very-young-professor" style="color: #bc7134">watch on posterous</a></div> <b><a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/calebgalaraga/pPVQGakIScPyRoCNXkhXhvs5wwkkYpOndiE7bYbMT6qOUmd1npAFlrT0fYm3/IMG_0099.mov' style='color: #bc7134;'>IMG_0099.MOV</a></b> <span style="font-size: 10px; color: #424037;">(2069 KB)</span> <br style="clear: both;"/></div> <p>Sent from my iPhone</p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/a-very-young-professor">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-4071379479818166519?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/lGMILPN5bCcNiSqwWDMqKDVO-dM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/lGMILPN5bCcNiSqwWDMqKDVO-dM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/lGMILPN5bCcNiSqwWDMqKDVO-dM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/lGMILPN5bCcNiSqwWDMqKDVO-dM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/LmoQGRJt9Vc" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/09/very-young-professor.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-73913343442540365952010-09-27T00:21:00.001-04:002010-09-27T00:21:36.697-04:002010-09-27T00:21:36.697-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>...doing what you want to learn. <p />I love reading. I&#39;m so passionate and hungry for information that I read everything and anything I&#39;m interested at. It doesn&#39;t matter what format they come in, reading is a form of relaxation and a chronic habit that I can&#39;t seem to shrug. To read for me is like eating, the printed word makes me salivate for the information contained in its bits of data. <p /> The problem comes when my desire for new information ends with reading. I consider myself knowledgeable on various topics, a few of them even slightly technical. But when I get to the point that am able to eloquently and articulately explain certain concepts and ideas, but have nothing to show for it in terms of results, I lose confidence. It&#39;s a phenomenon worthy of the realization. Results, after all is what makes us individuals productive. Output is defined not by what we know but what we&#39;ve done. Ideas are meaningless unless they are implemented, executed and turned into tangible goods, services, entities or movements. <p /> Productivity is key and though knowledge is necessary for us to do something, since all processes begins as ideas weaved into our own thinking, knowledge need not to be gained only by consumption of information. <p /> Taking risks, experimenting methods, applying new practices and simply just doing it are also means for us to learn. It requires a holistic involvement - physical, mental and even emotional, making the learning experience active and the knowledge gained easier to retain and master. <p /> I do want to learn a lot of things. My free time will only allow me to read so much. I&#39;ve learned that by doing some of the things I want to learn, giving myself time limits on the passive learning process of just consuming information and forcing myself to immediately implement some ideas, no matter how small the scale is, is still the best way for me to gain knowledge. <p /> I&#39;m a believer that wisdom is more powerful than knowledge. Remember: Wisdom is simply knowledge, applied. <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/the-best-way-to-learn-is">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-7391334344254036595?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yDOypajdeG7rMham419frm7BFFg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yDOypajdeG7rMham419frm7BFFg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yDOypajdeG7rMham419frm7BFFg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yDOypajdeG7rMham419frm7BFFg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/oahSwh8svGk" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/09/best-way-to-learn-is.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-24560180886111182162010-09-25T20:40:00.001-04:002010-09-25T20:40:17.884-04:002010-09-25T20:40:17.884-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>I&#39;m lying on my bed right now with my laptop on top of my pillow. Writing this in the name of consistency more than anything else. Consistency is one of my most favorite traits, one that I hope to keep intact as I continue to do the gazillion of things I have to work on every single of week. Since I&#39;ve had the consciousness that work is an important part of life, I always have diverse workloads, manifested in my dual roles as a professional. I was at one point a student with a part-time business, a working student, a student with many types of work and today, I&#39;m a worker who&#39;s working a lot in hopes of becoming a student again (for a master&#39;s program). Most of my working life, I had double, triple and sometimes quadruple workloads before me to finish. Focusing on the one thing that I think (or feel) I do best is difficult.<p /> Last Friday I read a blog from Jason Kottke, the founder of the famous blog Kottke. In that blog, which was linked from an article in Mashable celebrating blogging from 2006-2010, he was saying how he finally found a focus and how the leap necessitated support from people and discipline upon himself (mostly financial). In his post, Jason was sharing his desire to focus on his blog and was asking for support. He also shared that the day he decided to just focus on producing and developing Kottke was the day he just had one thing to do.<p /> That one thing to do is the elusive situation I have yet to discover. I hope and pray that the day will come where I need not to do too many things to sustain myself, but will have the luxury of doing that one thing which I enjoy doing the most and am destined to be great at.<p /> If you are in the same shoes as I am, I hope and pray for the same for you.<p /><i><b>Reposted from my old blog, <a href="http://calebgalaraga.com">http://calebgalaraga.com</a></b></i> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/knowing-and-doing-that-one-thing">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-2456018088611118216?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CtedbiGiou2U0qlU856KTOX1kE0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CtedbiGiou2U0qlU856KTOX1kE0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CtedbiGiou2U0qlU856KTOX1kE0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CtedbiGiou2U0qlU856KTOX1kE0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/A2OjmcBfO6E" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/09/knowing-and-doing-that-one-thing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-13572920396883871332010-08-05T12:13:00.001-04:002010-08-05T12:13:42.568-04:002010-08-05T12:13:42.568-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: transparent; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My closest colleague in the office is a graphic designer, my best friend is a 2D/3D animator with a host of other visual design skills, my first real job was an admin person for an arts and entertainment organization and the company I work for has the word </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">creatives </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">in it’s legal name. Not to mention, the person who referred me to this job is a film editor. Heaven knows why, but I am far from being creative nor being artistic, and it was only until I graduated from college that I have realized that artists, media professionals and entertainers are actually productive members of society. Today, I deal with men and women who practice such professions. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The compulsion to underestimate the creative arts is a pervasive non-sense that still exists today. Earlier this week I’ve read an article about the UK Film Council being abolished and in a meeting I had three nights ago, I learned of state budget cuts on government support for arts organizations. In an interview with Anna Wintour, Vogue’s Editor in Chief, who is considered the “single most influential person in the $300 billion fashion industry,” she explained that some people who don’t understand fashion (and yes, it’s a form of art) tend to insult it and say demeaning things about it. And it’s true, many of us who have long contained and nurtured our brain cells on the western hemisphere of our skulls tend to look down on those who have discovered the right part of their brain. We tend to look down on them, seeing them as distractions, men and women from the sidelines desperate to get the spotlight. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s ironic then that people who tend to not give higher value to the arts, entertainment and media industries are the same people who loves to buy chic clothes, watch the latest movies, hear the latest news or adopt to the latest cultural trend (or fad). We have lived in a bubble of our own mundanity that we forget that our consumption, opinion and even preferences have been influenced by a creative professional who decided to break out of the pack, jumped out of the box and took risks in many shapes and forms to deliver a new idea or product. They are men and women who have truly practiced the art and science of innovation and have churned out work which the world has patronized and adored. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Innovation transcends common logic and incumbent reality, but will always demand creativity. The past century has been dominated by technological advances and new things, and though technology is not classified with being artistic, the process of developing niche ideas for a mainstream market is a creative process in itself. A process mastered by those in creative industries. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The left-brain populace has a lot to learn from their right-brain counterpart, more importantly, both has to work together to develop a progressive world that will continually produce new ideas. Ideas which can serve as foundations, platforms or processes necessary to devise solutions for a planet filled with multifaceted challenges.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We only have one brain. We need both of it’s parts to function and live life. Similarly, we need to understand those who are more creative than us and support them in their quest for to explore the dimension of human life that we do not want to venture to. They are more than willing to translate and share to us their discoveries, many of which has been an essential part of our daily life.</span></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/on-creative-people-the-arts-and-left-brain-in">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-1357292039688387133?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vIUGIKZIXtNHdPCpSrg0Ybf3EmQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vIUGIKZIXtNHdPCpSrg0Ybf3EmQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vIUGIKZIXtNHdPCpSrg0Ybf3EmQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/vIUGIKZIXtNHdPCpSrg0Ybf3EmQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/3wACf9dDYJg" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/08/on-creative-people-arts-and-left-brain.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-74360416227214847072010-08-01T23:58:00.001-04:002010-08-01T23:58:53.405-04:002010-08-01T23:58:53.405-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>I hope and pray that the week ahead will be a fruitful one. Seven days filled with grace, seven days filled with peace and seven days filled with gratefulness. <p />As we meet the next seven days, I hope and pray that we will have the courage to see what&#39;s in us, beyond us and through us, viewing it with a lens dedicated to the cause of a persona greater than all of us. <p /> May these seven days be the best seven days yet, and may the coming moments after these build up to something marvelous for you. <p />Seven days is long for those who have endured existence and have forgotten to live life. I hope and pray you will feel that the next seven days is a really short one. <p /> A week is a crucial part of the year and we only get 52 of them every year of our life, may this week be the best week you&#39;ve ever had and may the coming weeks be greater than the former. <p />Seven days can be blessed days and if you decide that it will be, your faith and will can make it happen. <p /> Seven days is not just seven days. It is a week, a part of a year, an element of a decade, a peek to your future. <p />I hope and pray that the next seven days be a beginning of greater days for you. <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/seven-days">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-7436041622721484707?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p1GEC9n98xHw7_VCvF8IRin8450/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p1GEC9n98xHw7_VCvF8IRin8450/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p1GEC9n98xHw7_VCvF8IRin8450/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p1GEC9n98xHw7_VCvF8IRin8450/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/eOthnfjFKHg" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/08/seven-days.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-38205986777772472062010-07-19T23:11:00.001-04:002010-07-19T23:11:26.093-04:002010-07-19T23:11:26.093-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'><i>How many nights a week have you slept tired but fulfilled? </i><p />If you can answer seven nights a week to that question, you&#39;re blessed. Not everyone, including myself sometimes, is fortunate to be able to answer affirmative to that one-sentence interrogation. It&#39;s because fulfillment is never derived but a person&#39;s ability to exist throughout the day, but to live it. <p /> The grind, which we can call the rat race, involving a commute, a romantic or violent affair with a desk table or chair and horrendous or harmonious relationship with a superior is part of the daily life of practically every living productive being on earth today. Many have depicted this as a form of imprisonment, which one has to get out of. Books, podcasts (previously tapes and CDs), videos and a host of other information products have been dedicated to empowering the individual from escaping this so-called race. A dead-end, painfully described by a few. <p /> But life is how you make it, as my former housemate used to tell me. It is how you perceived it (as long as you don&#39;t try to live in a dream) that defines it. It is how you shape it, that makes it either a good one or a bad one. <p /> Therefore, fulfillment can only be defined by you. What makes you fulfilled? How can you make something fulfilling out of what you do now? How can you transform the grind into a pleasurable journey? <p />Fulfillment is defined by a man&#39;s ability to live without regrets, fully exerting his best to what is before him, giving his all to what has been asked of him. The task we have at work, the schedule we have this week or the plans we need to realize in the coming days may not have been exactly what we desired. But it&#39;s there. It&#39;s what we do with it that defines if at the end of the day we can sleep peacefully and say, we&#39;re fulfilled. <p />We cannot always blames things beyond our control to provide a rationale of why we&#39;re unhappy, dissatisfied or frustrated. We cannot always rely on our lack of maturity and inability to take responsibility to keep us comfortable in the realm of self-pity and despair. We cannot always choose to give our self the delight of basking into sorrow and hopelessness. <p /> The reason many lose their souls on the so-called rat race is not because of the mere reality that they are in a routine, but the lack or the choice to lack the capacity to see things differently and make the most out of what&#39;s available, today. <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/on-deriving-fulfillment-and-how-not-to-lose-y">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-3820598677777247206?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wKQ7z_DERG_yP8VtP8YPhvpAdOY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wKQ7z_DERG_yP8VtP8YPhvpAdOY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wKQ7z_DERG_yP8VtP8YPhvpAdOY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wKQ7z_DERG_yP8VtP8YPhvpAdOY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/I548XKyWNys" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-deriving-fulfillment-and-how-not-to.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-91322743193020267702010-07-15T13:19:00.001-04:002010-07-15T13:19:23.357-04:002010-07-15T13:19:23.357-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'><div>I have met and heard enough from people to understand the value of forgiveness, at least in its simplest form. Forgiveness is the most powerful of tools to heal a broken heart, mend a wounded soul or restore a promise that one has held dear. It is a key that unlocks the storage containing those what has been stolen from us. It could be joy, happiness or a better tomorrow, but through forgiveness, what has been robbed from you can be returned. </div> <p /><div>Many discussions and ideas of forgiveness are useful for preachings, blog posts (like this) and value-based instruction. But I have learned as of late that forgiveness is a practical solution that will enable us to become better individuals from its practice. </div> <p /><div>Forgiveness becomes necessary when people don&#39;t live up to our expectation. No matter what we try to do, people will not change. It&#39;s neither our right, obligation, privilege or responsibility to change them. When we choose to accept others, we take them as who they are. We must (as in must!) learn to accept them the way Christ accepted us for who we are. </div> <p /><div>It is always inevitable, however, that those whom we love and value the most are the very people who will be instruments of pain. They will try to damage your heart, destroy your soul and rob the joy out of you. The very people who have encouraged, built you up, supported you and strengthened you are the very beings capable to do the reverse. </div> <p /><div>Recognizing early on that an imperfect world breeds imperfect people and produces imperfect relationships, imperfect outcomes and imperfect ideals will help us overlook offenses, understand problems and realize why evil is present (yes, that too!). </div> <p /><div>I asked my Mom one time, what will I do when I see this particular person, who has brought offense to me indirectly, and she said, forgive...77 times. </div><p /><div>Forgiveness it seems, is a habit. And like all things, it&#39;s difficult the first time you do it. But the more you forgive, however, the easier it gets to do it again. </div> <p /><div>When we look at ourselves and discover, knowingly or unknowingly, that we offend and sin against a perfect Being, One who has given His all and is willing to sacrifice the greatest of sacrifice on our behalf and will only ask that we give Him the opportunity to love us and bless us more, then forgiveness, it would seem, must be easy. But it&#39;s not. So, He who we offend the most will give us the ability to forgive, to the point even when it hurts. </div> <p /><div>It is a good reminder then that every time we choose to forgive, we acknowledge the fact that someone forgave us first. He did it too, even when it hurts. </div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/my-take-on-forgiveness">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-9132274319302026770?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/uG0sBUyw5Uan7KrMyudOatFhyo4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/uG0sBUyw5Uan7KrMyudOatFhyo4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/uG0sBUyw5Uan7KrMyudOatFhyo4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/uG0sBUyw5Uan7KrMyudOatFhyo4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/WJxxlPDUUqk" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-take-on-forgiveness.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-21625288708555297622010-07-13T09:16:00.001-04:002010-07-13T09:16:49.632-04:002010-07-13T09:16:49.632-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'><p>For many of us, worrying is a part-time job. We have integrated it so well in our daily lives that its second nature for us to worry. They worry about what to wear, what to eat, what to drink, what to say, what to do, basically anything. Some even worry about the terror attacks that occurred 17,000 miles away from where they live, the coming recession 10 years from now or the pending doom that accompanies the fulfillment of the prophecies in the book of Revelation. But like all fruitless day-to-day activities, worrying leads to an unhealthy conclusion that will cause you to worry more: Lack of focus, inability to think clearly, unhealthy emotional and psychological disposition and the ultimate killer – stress. </p> <p>But life will be too unconventional if we’re not worrying. Besides, some habits are there for a reason; they just need a minor adjustment for it to work well enough to our advantage. Thus, it’s efficient and probably effective to think about those things that we can actually, well, apply the ancient practice of worrying. </p> <p>Extrapolating from the book of life who urges us not to worry about tomorrow, I will say, it may be safe to worry about today. Besides, faithfulness is not measured in your ability to think, strategize or plan the future, it’s based on how you handle and do things today. There are enough worries today that to think about the future more often is a sin in itself. We have to learn to concern ourselves with how we can be a better person today, how we can have a better attitude today, how we can live a more fruitful life today, how we can handle our finances better today and how we can strengthen our relationships with people and our God, today. </p> <p>Today is not only tomorrow’s past, but it’s a basis for how tomorrow will play out. If we say we’ll be better tomorrow, we’ll do well in the future or we’ll achieve this or that 10 years from now, today will define if those aspirations will happen. </p> <p>Our Creator knows what He’s doing, thus He defined and classified “worrying for tomorrow” as sin. He knows there are enough tasks and matters today that we must concern ourselves with. If we deal with it well, faithfully, diligently and excellently as we should have, then worrying about tomorrow may finally appear as what it’s supposed to be all along – a sin we do not need to commit. </p> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/the-only-thing-we-must-worry-about">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-2162528870855529762?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6sppaSPB46hIkc0BDLTf7IlzYKM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6sppaSPB46hIkc0BDLTf7IlzYKM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6sppaSPB46hIkc0BDLTf7IlzYKM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6sppaSPB46hIkc0BDLTf7IlzYKM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/B5FSTRdBn-o" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/07/only-thing-we-must-worry-about.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-3977738268965474322010-06-20T02:49:00.001-04:002010-06-20T02:49:03.403-04:002010-06-20T02:49:03.403-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>NO! I’m not a bad son or a backslider, but it’s true. I rarely listen to him preach and not for the reasons that you’re thinking. <p />Crossing the Pacific Ocean on a weekly basis is definitely not a viable idea, and anyone, who does that just to hear someone preach is either mentally deranged, idolatrous or has no financial self-control in any sense of the word. But ever since I had a decent amount of brain activity going on in my head, I never found it useful or even necessary to hear Papa preach. <p /> The reason: I learned a lot from his example. <p />I struggled to read through my first non-academic book. I remember reading it 10 pages at a time, per day, in order to finish it. It was a small and thin material, but finishing it was a success. And I started to read more, and more, and more. I don’t remember Papa telling me to read books (or read a lot) before I was actually showing visible interest on reading. But because he loves reading and have actually turned our house, no matter where we lived, into a library/living space, reading has become part of my lifestyle. It’s a passion and sometimes, an addiction, that I still have and my siblings and I can attest that we find ourself very comfortable in bookstores. No matter where we are. <p /> Nation building wasn’t really the main topic at the dinner table. Until all of us kids were old enough and was showing interest in the stuff did Papa tell us of what he was doing. But we knew what he was doing all along. He was involved in all these Christian organizations and activities that has something to do with nation building. At one point he even wrote speeches for the President for religious events. He didn’t have to tell us that we need to love our nation or be passionate about its welfare. We saw his dedication and love for the nation in his work. And because I’m an extremely smart kid (like every other kid on earth), I learned to follow (some) of what he did. Since he lived it out, I tried to sort of carry some nation building work on my own when I was in college. The idea failed. Heaven knows if I may have a chance to do it again. Nation building, however, is still an advocacy and career I will always have an interest in, even if I’m living in a completely different nation now. Someday, I hope to carry some of what he did, remixed in my version, in the new nation I’m in now. <p /> Church ministry and the people behind them did not really interest me when I was a kid. Papa never singled-out the ministry as “the job” or ever said that being a Pastor or minister is a holier calling than being a businessman, doctor, or whatever profession. However, I found myself having greater respect and deeper appreciation for those who do church work. I actually even did a stint at a church-based organization to kick start my working life. I was never coerced to love church leaders or be grateful of what they do, but since Papa is a minister and I saw how much he love other ministers, I ended up emulating his example. Today, I have a special place in my heart for those in the ministry, first because I’m a Christian, and second, because Papa has been giving his love, life and resources to equip them to become more excellent and effective in the calling they responded to. <p /> They say that you tend to remember about 20% of the things you hear, but can retain in your memory more than half of what you experience. Experience happens when something is seen, felt, heard, read, understood and appreciated, all at once or during the process of encountering it. It is the most powerful of ways to learn and receive impartation of a mindset, habit or lifestyle.  <p /> Papa’s greatest preaching is not being delivered with audible sounds, and thus its impossible to listen to.  He has been living it and has made and continually been making a great impact in my life, far more than a thousand sermons combined. <p /> Happy Father’s Day, Papa! <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/why-i-dont-listen-to-papas-best-preaching">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-397773826896547432?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3rU9kB9BM3ST3wrqjnqkAUCHoxc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3rU9kB9BM3ST3wrqjnqkAUCHoxc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3rU9kB9BM3ST3wrqjnqkAUCHoxc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/3rU9kB9BM3ST3wrqjnqkAUCHoxc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/1x6MdUiwFXM" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-i-dont-listen-to-papas-best.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-79148429126511550772010-06-16T23:59:00.001-04:002010-06-16T23:59:40.444-04:002010-06-16T23:59:40.444-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>Marriages has mastered the art of transforming what was angelic form of unity to an enduring disaster. It will seem that whenever a friendship, partnership or any form of union in a direct or indirect sense is created, one person has gotta give. Unfortunately, for him or her who has given more, at the very end more will be required. The recipient of whatever it is will be cold, stoic, stupid, manipulative, self-serving, and self-absorbed. Any form of relationship where the basis of its existence is sacrifice from one party and one-sided enjoyment from the another leads to destruction. If you&#39;re the beneficiary of a bilateral or multilateral commitment and you never give anything back, let me be the first to commend you for an excellent job of being a parasite. <p /> I know this sounds like a bitter post, and it is. My indignation has sometimes reached the apex of self-inflicted internal cruelty that my best form of breathing and venting is to put things in paper. It&#39;s enough that people get hurt, emotionally beaten by the daily grind, suck out of life by sticking with a routine that is killing them daily. It is enough that the monotony one has to subject him or herself causes pains, sufferings and distress not fathomable by anyone but the person experiencing it. It is enough that the mistakes in one&#39;s life, which has yet to be rectified, will only be complemented by a greater fault. <p /> People change and sometimes they are the nightmare version of who they once were. They will lure you to believe their existence as heroes and pillars of authenticity, but they are treacherous, manipulative and unsafe. Many of them lurk around, searching for a prey to devour, and many have fallen on their traps. <p /> They speak words well and are devious in their approach. They will make you believe they are for real. Behind those words, however, is a tactic - intended to rob your best from you for their own use and in the end they will leave you with nothing but a painful emotional experience, a lifelong scar that will can only be healed by a supernatural force, provided by an Observer who has experienced the suffering you&#39;re going through a multitudes times over. <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/a-sincere-warning">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-7914842912651155077?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_BxgIEu1wlTPXkMvyZWEGqBRRxA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_BxgIEu1wlTPXkMvyZWEGqBRRxA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_BxgIEu1wlTPXkMvyZWEGqBRRxA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_BxgIEu1wlTPXkMvyZWEGqBRRxA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/6gDBqz-zu_U" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/06/sincere-warning.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-72532566413712491212010-06-15T16:07:00.001-04:002010-06-15T16:07:58.057-04:002010-06-15T16:07:58.057-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'><b>NOTE: I love blondes and don&#39;t think for one second that they&#39;re dumb. But this joke sent by a friend is just freaking hilarious and I have to share it!</b><p /><div><span style="font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><i>A blonde calls her boyfriend and says, &quot;Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can&#39;t figure out how to get it started.&quot; Her boyfriend asks, &quot;What is it supposed to be when it&#39;s finished?&quot; The blonde says, &quot;According to the picture on the box, it&#39;s a tiger.&quot; Her boyfriend decides to go over and help with the puzzle. She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzle spread all over the table. He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to her and says, &quot;First of all, no matter what we do, we&#39;re not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a tiger.&quot; He takes her hand and says, &quot;Second, I want you to relax. Let&#39;s have a nice cup of tea, and then...&quot; He sighed... &quot;Let&#39;s put all the Frosted Flakes back in the box...&quot;</i></span></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/this-crazy-blonde-joke-is-a-must-read">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-7253256641371249121?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/adXtOJEpJo-78ZRrWKjPjJ7Lzq8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/adXtOJEpJo-78ZRrWKjPjJ7Lzq8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/adXtOJEpJo-78ZRrWKjPjJ7Lzq8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/adXtOJEpJo-78ZRrWKjPjJ7Lzq8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/kY4tJP2D5Hk" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-crazy-blonde-joke-is-must-read.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-60851256310822997262010-06-13T22:18:00.001-04:002010-06-13T22:18:39.658-04:002010-06-13T22:18:39.658-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>Mistakes can easily be made by anyone. Profanity, everyone&#39;s favorite sin, is a common one, especially because we have forgotten that curse words are not newly minted expressions or interjections of the 21st century, but are still what they are known as before: curse words. This is not to say that I don&#39;t utilized such fabulous vocabulary, especially when I&#39;m irritated at work or a cab driver just won&#39;t stop when it obvious that we - poor NY pedestrians - have the right of way and support of the stop light while crossing. However, such linguistic shortcomings minimizes the issue of generational mistakes, categorized as sins or transgressions or whatever you call it, which actually bring about consequences beyond you or your life here on earth. <p /> Many people commit this type of mistake and for us &quot;righteous&quot; and Christian people (yeah, I am one), it&#39;s easy to judge them. Heaven knows how I regularly pass on judgment on those who commit this type of  failing and the commonly known speaking in tongues that I practice actually translates into a different language when I express my opinion about them. A language my parents will definitely abhor, rebuke and flat-out reject, in Jesus name. <p /> Human flaw dictates that we compare ourselves with those who we feel are more flawed than us, having the narrow and dumb idea that we are flawless, using it as some benchmark for our oration on righteousness and holiness. A benchmark that, I strongly feel, we must only apply to our unsophisticated analysis of human matters when we are intoxicated or experiencing some form of hallucination. Reality, over and over again has shown that we are imperfect and any human being who acts or treats another human being as if he or she is the epitome of infallibility may well deserve a penthouse suite in a mental institution. <p /> We all make mistakes and at the end of the day, none of them is bigger or greater than the core idea that we committed a sin. It&#39;s the consequence, however, where the line is delineated on the severity of our error, transforming mistakes from generally homogeneous acts of missing the mark of righteousness to paths of terror of varying proportions for the affected. And such mistakes, we Christians firmly believe but rarely uphold, can only be judged by the Almighty who will hold us accountable at the end of our lives. <p /> My personal experience has shown me that people make mistakes, sometimes beyond their own control, many in a deliberate fashion. Our fallen self will force us to commit the act of passing on judgment, complementing the already committed act of sin, since such practice is a sin in itself. But emotions ride wild, especially when we allow it to manifest itself unhindered - enabling our tongue, minds and actions to inflict greater sorrow on those who we feel have committed the greater error. <p /> Matthew 7:1 declares, &quot;do not judge, or you too will be judged.&quot; A hearty suggestion for us who may have the instant instinct to do such deed, simply because we can. And every single day, as I grow up and meet more realities that I never have met, I realize that in these times when I witness someone has fallen from grace, regardless of how often it may have been, begin to understand the enormous significance and value of my parent&#39;s advice. An advice that will serve me well, in any setting, keeping me from sin and becoming an apprentice of Satan when someone has fallen short of the righteous standard we proudly declare we have to bear, but which we all regularly violate. <p /> When you have nothing good to say, and especially when your opinion is not useful and not requested, - shut your mouth. <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/on-generational-mistakes-and-keeping-our-mout">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-6085125631082299726?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/a5rhjTeCV00ajC8Orl2yJOJ1VRA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/a5rhjTeCV00ajC8Orl2yJOJ1VRA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/a5rhjTeCV00ajC8Orl2yJOJ1VRA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/a5rhjTeCV00ajC8Orl2yJOJ1VRA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/AWem62kAFEA" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/06/on-generational-mistakes-keeping-our.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-4164533385626209492010-06-11T23:52:00.001-04:002010-06-11T23:52:33.813-04:002010-06-11T23:52:33.813-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>1. People think we have a natural tan, making us extra special in the eyes of the most powerful people on earth (a.k.a white people) <p />2. We work hard, like really hard, regardless of the odds because we don&#39;t know how to do it any other way (translation: Sanay tayo sa hirap ng buhay) <p /> 3. We are able to communicate without using much words (tactic: nguso, labi, dila, mata at pisngi) <p />4. Most of us, if not all of us, have in one way or the other have a friend, relative, family member, neighbor, enemy, ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend, acquaintance, former maid, former nanny, previous officemate, crush, high-school sweetheart, running partner, bus mate, &quot;kasabay sa MRT o bus&quot;, peer, best friend, etc. who is, has been, planning to, on their way, about to settle or just-got-their-visa on the world&#39;s most powerful country. <p /> 5. Because Ninoy and his wife, Cory, thought so and we affirmed it by voting for their only son. <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/five-reasons-why-the-filipino-can-make-it">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-416453338562620949?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CKznZyS1pGYxvmEYLzTbfY-k0Ic/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CKznZyS1pGYxvmEYLzTbfY-k0Ic/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CKznZyS1pGYxvmEYLzTbfY-k0Ic/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/CKznZyS1pGYxvmEYLzTbfY-k0Ic/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/WeGg3UyxR80" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/06/five-reasons-why-filipino-can-make-it.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-34578160215909313972010-06-10T00:54:00.001-04:002010-06-10T00:54:09.297-04:002010-06-10T00:54:09.297-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>My home country, the Philippines, finally has a President-elect. I did write a letter addressed to him a few days after polls show that he is the President-apparent, but since I redirected my namesake domain to my posterous account, that letter has gone to digital oblivion. I&#39;m certain it can be recovered but 12:42 AM and am sleepy. <p /> Leadership change usually brings with it a euphoria filled with the air of hope. Many, especially the supporters of the new leader, will proclaim all the motherhood statements, vague promises and overused cliches that will allow to believe that utopia is coming soon. Of course, after 21 years living in my Motherland, witnessing three Administrations along the way (not since the time I was born, since the time I knew what was happening out there) and hearing all the rhetoric and lofty ambitions and promises of political, social and spiritual leaders, all these sentiments is usually deemed useless. Useless in the sense that emotions and all the good feelings attached to a transition will not guarantee genuine action. <p /> Anything in life requires action, and the divide between vision and reality has to be bridged not only with a sense of optimism, but genuine discipline in carrying out what needs to be done. <p />This new President my country will have now looks boring and I mean, really boring. But I don&#39;t need an inspiring President (Marcos was inspiring), I don&#39;t need one with a great charisma (Estrada is Charismatic) and I don&#39;t really want another intellectual (the incumbent has been), but I need a leader who will be willing enough to be boring. Dealing with a nation&#39;s problem is a boring matter, something that&#39;s not fun to do at all. If he can, however, produce the results he desires, then it may just be good for him. If he truly is what we think he is, one whose resolved is geared towards actions and results, then he may just derived nirvana from making the Philippines a better state and might let go of his awful habit. <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/our-new-president-looks-boring">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-3457816021590931397?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HufP0xYYUpDkUV4YHu7jnTZg3FU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HufP0xYYUpDkUV4YHu7jnTZg3FU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HufP0xYYUpDkUV4YHu7jnTZg3FU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HufP0xYYUpDkUV4YHu7jnTZg3FU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/hUPZSOpILaw" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/06/our-new-president-looks-boring.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-59461686611683370542010-05-28T09:54:00.001-04:002010-05-28T09:54:53.417-04:002010-05-28T09:54:53.417-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>Just a thought, since it&#39;s supposed to be observed and not really celebrated. I realized, after almost four years here, that though it&#39;s the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day (or formerly known as Decoration Day) is to look back and remember the fallen heroes who has fought for this great land. <p /><div>Hmmm...just wondering.</div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/is-memorial-day-really-happy">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-5946168661168337054?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1V170lQKxT7oMqXutNV_vBh2WV8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1V170lQKxT7oMqXutNV_vBh2WV8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1V170lQKxT7oMqXutNV_vBh2WV8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/1V170lQKxT7oMqXutNV_vBh2WV8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/epHss_H6NT8" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/05/is-memorial-day-really-happy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290911952477603106.post-61217421231431612292010-05-06T23:03:00.001-04:002010-05-06T23:03:36.773-04:002010-05-06T23:03:36.773-04:00<div class='posterous_autopost'>One of the best thing I love about writing is the fact that you can improve over time. By investing a little effort, on your grammar, on your vocabulary, on your knowledge and other elements that makes a decent and good post, you&#39;re able to develop a skill that requires very little technical knowledge. Considering that almost every technical skill now requires a level of proficiency about a particular software, many techie-but-not-really people like me appreciate the fact that to blog, tweet or e-mail demands very low skill on software use, if not none at all. Improvements, when done regularly, snowballs into great updates on one&#39;s knowledge and skill-set. <p /> The most important thing about improvements is consistency. One has to be consistent in what he or she does. It won&#39;t be easy to improve on something, especially if you&#39;re use to doing procrastinating or worse, just halting things, over and over again. For expert procrastinators, consistency means you do everything at the last minute, on a regular basis. Unfortunately, however, the last minute is not good enough, because you should have spent the first hour to get the task done. Many would argue that it brings out the adrenaline, the best in you, the finest version of you when you do things at crunch time. I&#39;m still wondering if that applies to those whose dreams have been fulfilled. <p /> If there&#39;s a characteristic I&#39;ve observed in great people, is that they have been consistent. No matter what they do or where they are at a stage in their life, they were doing the same thing, improving upon it and mastering along the way. When they have an idea, they don&#39;t go on producing more ideas that are just inked and filed, but they act on it. They use all their energies into one thing in order for them to be able to grow what little they have. They are stewards of their abilities by regularly enhancing their mind with knowledge and skills that will complement their over all goal. They are decisive, driven and determined. And they are in that state, although not absolutely all the time, on a regular basis, especially when needed. <p /> Consistency for me is a struggle. Blogging is one thing. I&#39;ve tried and attempted to maintain a blog, but it never works. I never was able to finally launched something or grow something that has my name on it (or at least not my pseudonym). This will be my attempt to maybe, just maybe, build upon something and finally, grow up. <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://calebgalaraga.posterous.com/on-consistency-real-tool-to-growing-up">Basically Sharing</a> </p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2290911952477603106-6121742123143161229?l=calebgalaraga.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pQs7Am1pjBY8lUwJ6NdngC7HMlc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pQs7Am1pjBY8lUwJ6NdngC7HMlc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pQs7Am1pjBY8lUwJ6NdngC7HMlc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pQs7Am1pjBY8lUwJ6NdngC7HMlc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/livefrgmail/~4/qy9_gySYVvg" height="1" width="1"/>adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11058799229047637753noreply@blogger.com0http://calebgalaraga.blogspot.com/2010/05/on-consistency-real-tool-to-growing-up.html