CHANGING LOOKS

Apart from indisputable religious scriptures, the only thing that permanent in this world is change.  Dating back to our very beginning, the world has been changing through the passing of time and so the people.  Like life, love, and traits, even the well appreciated timeless beauty is changing.  Everything change and soon everything will fade.  Like the days and nights that end to their horizons, beauty and virility fade too.   The physical good look vanishes, the peak of our better days last.  In the circle of life, beauty may become even better or the vice-versa, or from the start is the other way that improved or the bitter destiny.

During our impulsive and daring youth, we often regard the physical attribute of the person that we encountered in days.  Most often than not, we easily recognize and remember those good-looking men and women in our barrio, those who were popular in our school, those often chosen beautiful who had numbers of suitors, and those who escorted the beautiful.  When I was in high school until my mid-twenties, I had always this feeling of grudge for not having the good look to the point that I even easily disregarded the classified ad when requires pleasing personality.  Having a thick lips and flat nose, I had no confidence when it comes to personality.  While others at my age were enjoying and getting the most out of their physical quality, I had deserted, tedious, and unhappy youth.

Moving on, I had to get along with the groups and colleagues but I had reservations and insecurities.  Until I reached the age of late twenties when I started to appreciate what I used to have.  That was when I’d realized that there was nothing to do with my bitterness anymore.  It was the maturity and acceptance but there was part of it that made me strong to uphold my confidence during that time, I started receiving nice words from people around me: compliments about my character, attitude, viewpoints and even the insecurity that I used to covet before – the physical look.  That was when even me had perceived that I actually look younger at my age while other colleagues were aged through times and life’s challenge.  Silly thing as such feeling but indeed it added my self-worthy without over trusting self.

That silly thing established and strengthened my confidence until I reached the so called beginning of life at forty.  The inspiring self-saying that it is better to start from down to up rather than the other way around re-lived my esteem.   Until I came to the point that I am no longer after my look, that nothing I have to aspire for I have knew that indeed people will like me despite my unattractiveness.  At my age now, I am not bothered if I am losing my hair or wearing uninteresting clothing.  Gone are the days of looking for the branded and signature products to make nice impression.  Those were the days of insecurities about my physical attribute.  Today, I dress and keep the nice grooming not for my look but for my work, neither I exercise and work-out for my health and not for posture.

Without doubt beauty, poise and masculinity fades, the admiration you are getting today may change, while the former simple appearance may turn into better soon.  The wheel of life is not always on top.  At this moment while you are suffering self-esteem, why don’t you enhance your deficiencies by looking at your forte?  Embrace the challenge, accept the changes and live the hope.  Everyone has specialty of our own that we can use to represent the better you and me.  And right there, establish your edge over the other that will feel you worthwhile.

By Alex V. Villamayor

March 27, 2014

BELIEVING IN SUPERSTITIONS

Since the ancient time till date, our world is full of wonders, mysteries, and miracle.  Superstitions, lucky charms, predictions and horoscopes are part of our old and conservative custom that still exists in our modern age now.  Superstition is an integral part of culture around the world.  Merriam Webster defines superstition as a belief or way of behaving that is based on fear of the unknown and faith in magic or luck; a belief that certain events or things will bring good or bad luck.  Superstition is the result of our religious belief or of precedent’s ancient occurrence.  While prediction is the result of the senses about what might happen in the future through extrasensory perception (ESP), could be based on astrology, numerology, etymology, even prophecies and unseen energy around us that vibrates.  Unlike superstition, prediction is somewhat intimidating to contradict for it lie the future, if life is at stake would be tough to gamble the chance.  Psychics always say their predictions are just predictions and prayers is still the best weapon, that they serve warning and preparation for dreadful forecast and inspiration for good.

In one point of our life, let’s admit that somehow we believed in a superstition.  I doubt if there is one person in this earth that on his entire existence had not ever experienced to follow any superstition.  I had a lot when I was young for I was not thinking then and just absorbing whatever I have grown with.  But soon after I’ve started probing its dependability, slowly I’d realized their essence seemed to be senseless.  Now, I really don’t sense to follow these superstitions because in some points it’s quite nonsense but I admit compelled myself to obey selectively if it has something to do about life and health.  I just don’t understand why these should exist.  Pardon me, but they’re mind-downgrading.

There is nothing to lose if comply as the believers always keep on saying.  But is that really so?  Is it worth to devour your personality in submitting yourself with this belief that has irrational thoughts and basis?  Maybe it can be nothing in the small and short-term circumstances that don’t bother you right there, but looking ourselves in the bigger picture, it is your being that at stake.  Superstition is mythical curse made by human that believing is losing of self-respect, conviction, confidence, common sense and religious faith.  While all of us have somehow obeyed superstition, I never fixate myself but choose the acceptable like doing the sign of the cross as good luck.  Even people who do not believe in superstition may still think of a wish when they see a falling star.  But instances like eating food being eaten by expecting mother will feel sleepy or sick, a man or a lady will come when the fork or spoon fell, not wearing purple otherwise you’ll be old maid until you die, and more; these things are really ridiculous that are really difficult to accept.  I do not really care to pay attention in these kinds for most of them are generally not practical and unreasonably true.  And I just feel fool to believe in the thoughts that have no concrete bases or natural process linking the main action and the corresponding consequences.

Prophecies, predictions, omen, and miracles are mysteries that are difficult to explain but do happen.  These are part of our journey that we unearth in finding the truth.  Including here is the superstition, it depends on our common sense to handle them.  Know the boundaries if we crossed the lines of rational and ridiculous.  It’s our faith.  Over complying in superstition is a turn off in our belief and mental aptitude.  But going back to the basic, if we are following the good life and clean living, the future will be good for us.  If we are sowing the good seeds to our brothers and sisters, reaping the good fruits is the law of karma that even without wearing lucky charms and following superstitions, we will not afraid and peace of mind will be around.

By Alex V. Villamayor

March 22, 2014

TEN YEARS

In my career history, my present job is so far has the longest year that I have stayed with any company reaching today at least ten years.  I’ve been in four companies both in local and abroad.  I have five years with my first employment in a bank while three years and four years in another local bank and overseas bank respectively.  With three consecutive banks that I served, it is presently in a foreign oil company that I have earned the longest service while thousand miles away from home.

It’s good to feel to have earned a decade of continuous year.  It flashed back to the very beginning where every new hires are excited for the job, motivated, hard- driven and focused.  I feel the sense of pride for reaching the first ten years and claiming the fruit of hard work from the long fruitful, remarkable and unforgettable ten years.  It is not the monetary digit that exhilarates my stay with my company now but what reward me most are the wonderful things I received that may not happened if I were not here for the last ten years.  And sometimes it is worth to ponder that beyond a certain point, our need may has less to do with money but it is the contentment towards we do is what counts more.  And I will always be grateful to everyone who in one way or another have been tools in receiving all the blessings.

Looking back the early years, I can’t help but to take a trip down memory lane to my very beginning.  In summing up the most remarkable chronicle of my stay from day one to this very present day, my prolific ten years could best describe when I was able make the most of my passion in creative writing while working hard for a living.  This is when I was given the opportunity to become part of a company quarterly newsletter.  It fits a snug as a bug in a rug, what a satisfying fulfillment when you can have both things that you most liked to do.  It is in this way when I am counting my first ten years with the company, the next ten years or more is a renaissance that metaphors my passion and interest in writing to reinvent my skills that sprouted its good growth and had born abundant fruits.  As a writer by heart, the company journal is the icing on the cake in my entire career that by chance happened to be in my present employer.

Completing the ten years is something that any employees will feel proud to celebrate the long years of working with the company.  It serves self-achievement in passing the long tough years and indeed could be sentimental; the ten year mark is the first true milestone in our career.  Like the daffodils growing in the environs, our decade symbolizes the happiness and joy that reflect the loyalty with being with the company.  The ten years of endurance and patience from unrelenting pain and suffering of being away from home have strengthened and hardened us like a tin to stand firmed.  It represents our flexibility and durability against the challenges but just like the malleable, ductile and silvery-white metal, trials may bend us yet it will not break us.

Celebrating the 10 years is nonetheless reviving our cores and right beginning using the apt scheme to gain success.  It is just the ideal time to restore the same early motivation we had to set more goals for the coming years.  After reaching the first ten years, it is inspiring to start that after all these years, there are still much more we can do and achieve for another ten years.  Earning the decade with any company will not happen if not for the good company itself.  Some may have ceased to thrive with the organization and may regretfully leave but authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman quoted “good employees leave their managers not companies”.  At any rate, I am staying with my employer as a company that is partner in reaping the future success.

B y Alex V. Villamayor

March 8, 2014