Excellence - The True Mark Of A Person's Character

There was this person who was down on his luck. He recently lost his job and had difficulty paying his bills. He seemed to be a good person though as he volunteered for different organizations and other causes. His life's story was something to be admired if you were one of those people he told his story to. It had all the ingredients and factors needed for one of those feel-good movies that the movie industry seems to churn out these days. A poor boy born into a life of struggle and poverty yet despite all the odds was still able to get a college degree. He didn't accomplish it entirely on his own though for he got help from different people along the way. He was the beneficiary of a charitable institution run by nuns, paid his way through life by doing different jobs, but despite his poverty still managed to volunteer for noble or civic causes and give his best.

It really is good when you think about it. It somehow restores one's faith back in humanity when they see such people pave their ways through society. Indeed, it is something to be admired.

After knowing this, you'd wish to be able to help this person in any way you can because you feel he deserves it. You know that with a little good luck he could do wonderful things. You feel like he is really true and good!

So when you are presented with an opportunity to really extend a helping hand, you immediately contact them and let them know. This is it! It is time you reward kindness with another kindness, with the thought and intention that they will be perfect for it because not only do they subscribe to the same values that you do, they walk the walk and talk the talk too. There was this job opening offered by another and this is the opportunity you see that would help them but it would require them to be away from their familiar environment and good friends. But with this new environment they'd be getting they'll encounter other people to help and expand their horizons. The work was a rewarding one. He'd be given a chance to help out other kids born in the same circumstances as he was. The salary package wasn't bad either. Plus, there was travel in their horizon if they did well.

With such wonderful news they immediately take up your offer and agree to your conditions. They promised to do their best and commit to the project. They gave you their word that they won't let you down.

But just two weeks later in to the job they quit! The reasons given were not even reasonable.

So what do you do? You gave the person who offered them a job a stunning recommendation. And then this person whom you once admired just let it go.

Anyway... This whole episode got me thinking.

What is the true essence of a person's character? People, especially the ones you meet online can present themselves in any manner they wish and in the process fool not only the strangers that they don't have personal contact with but also their own family and friends.

I admit I was really fooled by this person. I relied only on his information and never really bothered to investigate his true nature. But then again, how does one know really? Everything can be faked or can't it?

Excellence and greatness True excellence and greatness can never be faked. It is quite impossible to. They don't have to be a CEO of a big company or someone rich and famous to be excellent and great.

Excellent people would follow-up with their commitments and do their job to the best of their ability.

They know that if they give their best they won't be the only one benefiting from their efforts but in the process get to help out a lot of people. Even though their goal is for personal gain, the effort they put in along the way would help improve their situation and by doing so would also impact others.

They develop their self and focus their attention on how to be better. They don't easily let go of responsibilities and abandon tasks just because of paltry reasons.

I would say this event taught me a couple of things. Lessons learned the hard way. I am also wary now of trusting people, I must admit. I would have done the job myself if I could have turned back the clock.

It is too late now though. At least this experience taught me a very valuable lesson.

Some People Don't Deserve Any Kindness

You know who are!

The road to Hell can sometimes be paved with good intentions. Often you are not even aware you are descending there because you are only thinking about the good for all.

Little do you realize that the people you encounter and trust along the way are the very ones who would make your journey an unbearable, unpleasant one.

Trust is a very sensitive thing especially when the person we wish to trust is someone miles away and our only interaction is online.

We only have their words and stories to rely on.

What they tell you is as good as it gets.

Some people are just very good at manipulating words.

Many also use their unfortunate financial states to justify lying, stealing and scheming.

Often, they immediately throw their dignity away for a very paltry amount.

When I learned your story I was touched. Knowing your struggles and your predicament then, I thought it was wise to help someone like you who was just down with luck. I was very confident you'd do a good job because you would be able to relate to the people whose lives you'll have the opportunity to touch and even change, the very change that you got to experience for yourself when people who formed foundations helping kids reached out to help someone like you. But I was wrong. Instead, you squandered the opportunity. Took advantage of it and sucked it for all it's got.

The only regret I have was to trust someone like you. That was a very big mistake.

You could have had a good future, a career worthy of dedication, a life. Yet, you opted to destroy it and head back to an existence of no opportunity. You destroyed the trust of other people, not only me, who banked on your character. You also destroyed friendships. You didn't think.

You knew the terms, you knew what was expected, you knew the conditions and yet you chose to commit. The least you could do was stick to it until the time your dues are paid up and you fulfill your end of the bargain. But you couldn't or you didn't want to. You did not even have the courtesy to contact me or any of your comrades. Instead you opted to hide and lie some more.

At this point, I find it hard to wish you anything good. I'll just wait for life to deal with you accordingly.

When a Katoliban Speaks!

I encountered this blog post in one of the debate groups I frequent I can only shake my head at the sheer stupidity of this person's post. At first I didn't want to post a reply but since I took the time to address some of his points in a group then I'll just copy my post here.
We were even discussing to address his issues one by one. But why bother anyway, this post is just way too pathetic and it is clear he's a member of the Katoliban. A quick search on any search engine would show all he has written is pure garbage.

I'm only going to tackle the points that pissed me off.

Number 4 irritated me. “In a poll, the most secular countries in Europe rated themselves as having the best quality of life

... yeah and the highest suicide rates"

An individual's decision to commit suicide is irrelevant to the overall development and quality of life of the citizens in a country. Can anybody spell Ignoratio Elenchi for this poor lost soul?

As I read his 9th point raised, it made me realize that there should be a new internet law to be introduced and I propose we call it Reductio ad Stalinum a short spin on the Argumentum ad Hitlerum but only this time an ignaramus would resort to citing Stalin's non-beliefs. The conclusion is suggested/hinted/pointed based solely on Stalin's claim that he was atheist (but this has been debated in political-literary circles that Stalin was SPIRITUAL but not religious)

"Stalin had a different policy outside of the Soviet Union, he supported the Communist Uyghur Muslim separatists under Ehmetjan Qasim in the Ili Rebellion against the Anti Communist Republic of China regime. He supplied weapons to the Uyghur Ili army and Red Army support against Chinese forces, and helped them establish the Second East Turkestan Republic of which Islam was the official state religion."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin#Religion

Stalin's extermination of believers in his homeland was fueled by political motives BUT NOT DIRECTLY ABOUT HIS NON-RELIGIOUS IDEOLOGIES. Unlike religious wars where the soldiers are told to fight for some imaginary sky dada and the glory of heaven.

And if we must reduce to looking for the most common factors as to why mad leaders resorted to unspeakable crimes against humanity rather than exploring and studying their philosophies and guiding principles let me bring up then that very obvious fact that both Stalin and Hitler sported facial hair, how come nobody's blaming the beard?

11 and 12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreducible_complexity

13 We find it important enough because this relidiot's camp keep insisting that certain laws be passed in their favor, tormenting kids and gullible people about hell, tax exemptions because they choose to believe in an imaginary being etc...

This guy had the gal to Hitch an idiot when Christopher's expose of this hypocrite nun called Madder Teresa was one of the most well-researched exposes done by him.

And if that is not enough, Hemley Gonzales and his mission have been working their asses off to expose Madder Terresa's "charity" and really helping the people of INDIA.

15 still doesn't change the fact that "The Catholic church is stuck on moral issues and trivializes world hunger".

After Life: The Strange Science Of Decay

I admit that the thought of death (my own and my loved ones) scares me. Many people like to think and fantasize about immortality and eternal youth. But what for? What is so appealing about getting to live forever?

I see the whole process of dying as sacrosanct. Why is death and decay important in the cycle of life? Here's something you need to see. Being reborn not in the biblical sense but in a more profound way than it. Life relies on death. Death paves way for life. We need not fear it.

I guess this understanding of death, decay and dying is helping me be comfortable with the idea and natural flow of life. I'd love to live longer though but not forever.