Witnessing weddings The first wedding I’ve ever witnessed was that of my kuya, which was almost a decade ago already. Fast forward to today, I’ve been married for almost two years. Mika and I are expecting our baby this March, so fortunately, we were still able to go to the weddings of my friends these […]
Creating more meaning through analogies Figures of speech, especially metaphors and analogies, tend to stick and resonate with me. As a teaching and learning tool, I feel like any technical concept is one wonderful analogy away from being understood by any person. Figures of speech have a way of being gifts of meaning that can […]
So good they can’t ignore you When I was going through my own quarter-life crisis, I read three books that shaped my perspective about careers: The Dip by Seth Godin, How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen, and So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport. What stood out to me about […]
The wisdom and foolishness of crowds The wisdom of the crowd refers to the idea that large groups of people can make more accurate estimates than any single individual. This is based on the idea that the collective knowledge and diverse perspectives of a group can lead to better decision-making. A group of people can […]
To lead is to accompany As more and more people have access to media and various communication channels, we realize that leaders at the top do not necessarily hold all the power anymore. Although I am not in favor of cancel culture, this phenomenon reveals how people, in general, are discovering that we have the […]
Candle to candle The idea of humility and servant leadership can be likened to a candle, which gives light to others without drawing attention to itself. The candle, in its very nature, is selfless, as it consumes its own wax to provide light for others. The candle also symbolizes the idea of sacrifice. In order […]
If no good deed goes unpunished, should we stop doing good? It is such a tragedy to think that the world can sometimes be so harsh. A jungle-like “survival of the fittest” paradigm is one thing. However, what’s worse is when the world can be so evil that it punishes good deeds. Thus, I find […]
Insights and the spirit of traditions Traditions offer a framework for comprehending and interpreting the world, but they should not be viewed as a barrier to development and original thought. They should be viewed as a road map that directs us to newer insights and discoveries. We must be willing to challenge conventional wisdom and […]
Fermenting wine and insights Just as wine needs to undergo fermentation in order to develop its complex flavors and aromas, our minds also need to process and digest new information in order to fully understand and integrate it. Fermentation is a process that takes time, it’s not something that happens overnight. Similarly, cultivating insights also […]
Protecting (but not limiting) the child within us A child has the license to dream. Naiveté and innocence are seen as endearing rather than a weakness. As children come of age, somehow this license is revoked. Why do we, as a society, define growing up as letting go of our childlikeness? We are keen to […]