Journey Mission Statement - part I

Have you heard of a Journey Mission Statement?

Its one of Steven Covey's way of helping others help themselves, by first understanding themselves better. It is also closely tied to his 7 habits... by way of 'First things First' and knowing one's self better.

Apparently, one comes up and builds up his/her own 'mission in life' through a series of questions... geared as to how one sees themselves or how one perceives certain traits.

I did mine... and once in a while, I revisit it - to both validate and update what I'd written down.

Now - in case I'll be needing to transfer machines, or in the possible chance that I would misplace said files, I've decided on placing it in my blog. So here goes...

My Journey Mission Statement:

Explore what the universe has to offer as captain of a Starship:

I see my life as a journey… an exploration – meeting new people, experiencing different and new cultures, if at all possible. I would like to think that I can meet challenges and any need for change head-on, and I see myself like a legendary Starship Captain – with the roles of leader, peace keeper, and ambassador.

I trust in what I can do, and the resources I can muster and keep the counsel of trusted and capable friends and family. I’m not afraid to make decisions that will affect my life – but I will tread a bit more carefully when it will involve the life of my family – for they should not suffer for possible mistakes I may stumble on. As would a Starship captain – who would boldly go where no one has gone before… yet making sure that all moves are calculated properly, for the lives of his crew and their family rests on his decisions and actions taken.

Build a legacy for better understanding and tolerance:

I aspire to make the world a better place, by emphasizing on improving communication and espouse better understanding of others. These can be better practiced with tolerance of what does not meet one’s norm or expectations, and the understanding of others’ viewpoints – to better realize where they are coming from – in this regard, I follow Steven Covey’s “Seek first to understand, then be understood”. That can lead me through difficult situations that could easily escalate into an argument, had I been less receptive and open-minded.

Exerting effort for negative actions are equally tiring – if not more so than positive efforts. It put one on the defensive and extra effort may be necessary to provide safety. Why bother wasting time on negatives when positives are easier to focus on – help me get inspired and in the process energize me with adrenaline and inspiration… the natural high. I would rather be living on a positive note than on negatives. Respect for others… their beliefs and their right to practice such beliefs, so long as such does not undermine another’s belief in one way or another.

Ensure my children's future as successful and independent caring leaders:

My children are my real legacy – they will endure, long after I am gone. My main responsibility in life is to give them the important lessons of wisdom – those that can make them strive for a better life, one that allows them to be better human beings – and looked upon as great and caring leaders. Independence is important and I strive to make them learn to stand on their feet – knowing full well that they are capable of whatever challenges life will throw at them.

My children will continue in this world when I am gone – they will need all the rules and guidelines that they can use in life – I can’t promise to be with them forever and at all times… I can make it a point though, that even if I’m gone, my lessons – my beliefs will continue to help ensure their safety… their living.

In this respect, I consider myself a dreamer, an idealist and leader with a legacy and responsibility to uphold. Global citizenship needs to make the world a better place to live in - unfortunately, this is not an easy task... and it will take time, maybe even generations - to help fulfil this goal.

Like any journey - it has to start somewhere, and the steps need not be grand, its going to be an experience.

So here I am, taking those small steps, that will lead to bigger steps...

Is there a Santa Claus

As the Christmas season comes closer, I once again find myself considering the role of the elusive, yet very likable St. Nick for my kids.

For the past years, my wife and I have kept the idea and presence of Santa alive and well with our kids. They have received their gifts - being the nice children that they are, and as always - Santa would just "come... leave the gifts, maybe have a bite of a cookie and some milk - then go", after all he still has to go around the world to deliver his other gifts, and he's on a tight schedule.

I wonder how long we can keep this idea alive before our kids get to suspect that we are portraying the role of Santa... how long should we keep this up?

I would like to say that I would keep it up for as long as it takes - letting my kids think and believe in Santa is important to me, since it links to their child-like innocence. Even as an adult, I secretly hope that there is a Santa Clause - even if I've yet to see him - and no, I've not seen him yet - but having watched some Hollywood films of Santa, more specifically the 'Santa Clause', I could not help but feel my inner-child delight at the rendition - if not the story - of said movie.

I hope my kids look at Santa, and remember his propensity to reward good, while serving a not so harsh lesson to the 'naughty' ones. Santa represents one aspect of Christmas - perhaps not the basic Christian or Catholic reason, but a seemingly more popular one, mainly because of his seemingly religious-neutral leanings.

Did I ever stop believing in Santa? I guess not - maybe as a teen I believed less, considering the fact that I received less gifts and none at all from Santa... but as I became a father, I took on the task of Santa, and I will continue to do this - for the sake of my kids.

Its a tradition I would like them to pass on to their own kids - should that time come.

My "inner child"

Its been said that everyone has an inner child within them. One has to wonder exactly what this means. Is having one a sign of immaturity? A lack of responsibility? Does this mean that anyone saying that they have an inner child is suffering from a case of split personality? are all these questions valid to begin with?

Do I admit to having an inner child? You bet I do. But what does this mean? The way I see it, I use the euphemism to refer to actions that I would do that are easily related to what a playful child would do. What do I mean? I learn to enjoy life - even life's simple items... after all, a child knows how to play and enjoy, so by my doing certain things that allow me to enjoy myself, I am actually letting my inner child out to "play".

As of this writing, I'm a 45 year old husband and father of two, a facilitator/I.T. consultant, a Toastmaster, a Leadership trainer, a coach to some. That sounds like anyone who happens to have built their reputation, and enjoys the trust and respect of plenty. Its my professional face.

But friends likewise know me as a role player - a game player... one that many people of younger ages tend to enjoy. If this is a doubtful consideration, the fact that many of my gamer friends (and myself included) find it hard to schedule a new game, due to the realization that we've not enough time to spare for this particular activity. Yet should we find the time, I'm sure we would either try a start game or just hang around and discuss - relive those heydays of memorable games we had the opportunity to share with each other.

Another 'child-like' activity I still do is reading comics - again, something that young teens would normally enjoy - which is about the time I got into such hobby (reading and collecting) and have yet to let go of... that is, if I'm planning to let it go to begin with.

But my inner-child attitude does not end there. I like playing pranks with my kids, my wife, my friends and yes, even my professional colleagues - harmless but enjoyable pranks like getting a colleague's company ID so I can attach it to the room's sprinkler system - thus hiding it 'in plain sight', letting a family pet dog lick my face (and letting it actually remove excessive oil from my face) then kissing my wife - who earlier obviously reacted negatively to the dog licking me... thus in the process, actually letting my dog-licked face touch hers.

The pranks or actions are numerous... and they help give spice to an otherwise droll life. It may also be the reason for me to looks slightly younger than my age (when compared to other colleagues of like age range), and it could also be a reason for me to have a relatively low stress lifestyle.

My inner-child appreciates the natural environment, and if I could run, skip and jump, I might probably just do that at times - alas, my body complains at times with these sudden urges to do such activities, and I do need more exercise... and my inner-child tells me when I need to relax because I'm too serious - so I tend to crack jokes when a colleague, upon asking a question, seems too serious. To said colleague's benefit, she pauses for just a second, then proceeds to spank my shoulder - a sign that she appreciates the change of pace I just gave her.

If I can remember correctly, one book even ascribes a person's creative juices with their inner child. Do I think this true - heck, I have of late, been writing articles of the comics I like so much and have had the great opportunity to have these articles published in a well-known fan web site. So is it a creative endeavor that can be connected to said inner-child... I'd think so.

So here's a toast (a grown up tendency - and a Toastmaster's natural capability) to my inner-child. A definite part of me. I would even further posit this part to be the creative, fun-loving part of me... one that I would probably be considered as a Scrooge, should I not have had the opportunity to use.

Hmm... that may very well be another great example right there. Who's to say that the story of Scrooge was actually a story of rediscovery - where Mr. Scrooge, and old, sorry, creepy rich man, finally found (or I should say rediscovered) the spirit of giving gifts and the joy of Christmas - a child's favorite holiday, I must add.

I'm proud of my inner-child, i wish him more happiness, more enjoyment, more discoveries to find and look in awe - it prevents me from being too jaded in a very jaded world. It gives me reason to trust, to believe in Santa Clause (yes, I still do - though its more my becoming one, and my body sure seems to reciprocate with the idea), and the Tooth Fairy (too bad all my teeth are permanent) and yes - share these beliefs with my kids.

My inner-child allows me to relate with my kids. Now... I'm off to play. 'Til next time...

How am I as a parent?

Its one of those responsibilities that sort of become a part of you, specially if you really want a family. Even with today's literature of 'how to' books, I find that my dealings - as a parent - with my kids, is mostly on the basis of making sure I respect and love them.

I also find that I am doing what I feel is right, based on experience. For example, I grew up with a strict mother who used the stick. Maybe she believed in not sparing the rod and not spoiling me... but I also grew distant of her, for the love was shared with fear. So I decided I would not spank my kids. I would reason with them - so far it seems to work. I also had a broken family - meaning my parents were separated at around the time I was around 7 to 10. So I never had the stability of a solid family... thus I, and my wife of course, intend to give my kids that stability.

Not to say they're prefect in all ways. My kids may at times be too slow to listening to me, and they're slowly getting to the teen stage - so I'll be expecting more debates and nights out. My son will start having possible social issues, with my daughter not far behind.

However will I cope? I'd better start stocking up on Dr. Phil tips... but I believe communication is key. one of the things I like about my relationship with my kids is that they relate to me as a friend and parent. They can talk to me and are open with me... at least, I hope they are.

I would want to spend more time with them - maybe share some activities together, so I try to make a point to have my weekends free for them.

I'll be needing a new aquarium stand

As stated in the title, I'll be needing a new aquarium stand soon. I use a metal framed stand - unfortunately, its been years since I've had it and its shown signs of rusting and misalignment. If I wait too long, this aquarium stand may give out from under the weight - and 35+ gallons, plus sand and some stones, is not light.

Nearly empty - with about four inches of water left, it took my brother-in-law, a helper and me to move said aquarium a few inches to one side. Of course we had to be careful or the bottom glass could crack and said aquarium would start to drip water.

Still, if this stand gives, it won't be dripping that will be my concern - more likely a small flash flood would happen in our sala.

Hope not. I'd better start saving up for a new stand first before I even consider all those other plans I thought about the last time.

My Aquarium - an update

Been a while since I've mentioned something about it, so here goes...

I'm trying to revive the old glory of a planted aquarium, but to do this I need three things:

• plants
• CO2
• lighting

Of these three I have access to the 3rd item - though it might take some experimenting to see if other bulbs will do as effectively. The CO2 will need a tank - and my mom will give me one of her oxygen tanks - the one she hardly uses, once the oxygen is spent, that is. That leaves plants - ironically the harder thing to find.

See, having plants are not that hard since plants are bing sold - its the type of plants I'm looking for that are a bit of a challenge.

I strive for the Amano-tank look. This means a natural looking tank with lots of plants, designed with a Zen-like look. One that is relaxing and wonderful to look at for long periods of time.

So far, I have some of the fishes, the shrimps and the tank. I'll be getting the CO2 soon (maybe next month) and can adjust lighting once the CO2 is installed. Hopefully, I do get to develop this real well... if its successful (or even semi-successful) I'll post a picture of the tank.

Until then, its planning and fingers crossing time.

My aquarium(s)

I've had an aquarium for the past three (maybe four) years now and up to this time, it has always delighted me with unending entertainment as a de-stress tool and a live microcosm representing a different world.

First of, I maintain a tropical fresh-water environment. Though salt water aquariums are manageable, I find that the needed extra care for water and desalination equipment may outweigh the want for keeping more colorful varieties - as salt water fishes are normally known for. Nothing can compare to their vibrant colors, but... tropical fishes aren't exactly push-overs, as there are quite a number of colorful fresh-water fishes as well. Any new hobbyist may well be better served trying out fresh-water tanks first... then when they feel more confident, and they've some cash to spend, they can consider a salt-water tank.

As for my tank's dimensions - I'm less likely to remember measurements than volume. I have two tanks - a rectangular (the basic shape) 35 gallon tank, and a 22 gallon octagonal (more decorative in nature - and covering less table space) tank. The octagonal is relatively new, not even a month old yet... and there's a story for my getting it. but more on that some other time.

The fishes I keep? Tetras - mostly for my older tank, see... I'm adhering to the size and breathing surface area rule of a tank, which states that as a general rule, the less in size the fishes, the more fishes you can put in a tank, and Tetras are rather small - averaging about an inch to an inch and a half for each fish. I've got:

• 11 cardinals... really wonderful blue and red colors
• 7 rummy noses, their face color is red - and that's the only color they have. Not to forget that their face colors are a barometer for the quality of the water they're in
• 2 ottos - don't ask me to spell out their name, its difficult to remember - needless to say, these guys are glass cleaners
• 3 albino corys - great white contrast against the entire background, plus the fact that they're... well, scavengers (bottom feeders and thus cleaners of the aquarium's sand)
• 4 Amano-type shrimps - likewise, algae-eaters / cleaners

With the exception of the Albino Corys and maybe the rummy noses - these others are hard to find these days - or if there is a shop selling them, I've yet to discover where it is. In fact, this is the reason i had to get another aquarium - so I could separate them from my larger fishes, which might eat said fishes.

Exiled to my other aquarium are the following fishes:

• 2 Marble Angels (one predominantly black on silver, the other an exact opposite in colors - and it seems that these two are a pair
• A spotted-talking catfish (no it does not really talk - more like a clicking sound
• A Clown loach - the fresh water version of Nemo (from finding Nemo the movie)

Since these guys are a whole lot bigger, I chose not to mix them with the smaller examples.

What's so good about aquariums? I get to watch the fishes interact - sometimes chase each other, hide in plants (live, not plastic ones) and this helps me relax.. and yes, relieves stress.

In fact, tonight, when I do get home - I'll relax on the sofa, watch the television or listen to music - but likewise, I will look at my fishes for brief periods of time, and enjoy watching the fishes move in their tanks.

So much for a regular try...

I kow I tried to come up with a more regular schedule in loading my musings, btu lets face it... many things can get in the way - prominent among them being a technical problem with accessing my internet at home.

Can I just say that there are times when I think our local phone and inernet carrier's service really sucks. So much for customer care. They've got this hotline (dial 171) and you're given voice mail - which is fine. It after all gets the user (or listener) to the right people - so long as you first listen to all their pre-recorded ads, and follow the automated intructions. Upon selecting the proper combination of number sequences, I get rings... then an automated response kicking in after a few unsanswered rings. First is a reminder that their technical people are busy (are they ever there?), then after another round, a less than profound appology with intructions to try again.

So, I've been trying this - on and off - for about a week now... to no avail. Crap.

So much for technology helping out. In the meantime, it looks like I'm stuck without any inernet access. I've a mind to change service providers if this obvious inneficiency continues.

How about that - my first musing... and its a rant to a telephone company. What's the name of this company? The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company.

Ice Breaker...

So far, I've had two attempts to come up with blogs - and though both are great. they lack the everyday feel of a log. They somehow evolved into handling special interest topics - not to mu initial intent, yet they did end up that way.

So this third attempt will try to emulate a more frequent entry. I plan to place more 'down to reality' postings here - trying for a more 'journal/diary' like approach. I'll try to put my daily musings here, no mater how trivial they may be - hence the title of this blog.

Minutiae (many small, if not simple) musings (thoughts).

Here's to a third try. If anything else, I get a better feel for blogging!

Cheers!

Butch