Abraham's One Liner

 

Life Is What You Make It

 

A high school student was asking me in our break time the meaning of "Life is what you make it." It seemed that the subject was being asked of them in their literature class. And he was telling me that the meaning was too vague for him to understand. Or was it profound ... for a high school student to comprehend?

I tell you ... it was never vague nor profound.  All you have to do  ... is to take the literal meaning of the phrase and never consider any poetic mumbo jumbo lurking behind. It is self-explanatory and there is no sinister explanation waiting for the elusive key for it to be unlocked.

Life is uncomplicated ... but success and what happens in your life in the FUTURE are dependent on what you make of your life ... at PRESENT. The concept of life is SIMPLE ...  but the process of what you make of your life is COMPLEX ... had you known the result beforehand ... you should have corrected your choices right from the get-go.

So it is not baffling and it doesn't take rocket science why life for you is hard now. What you SOW ... is what you REAP. Your parents have given you the freedom to choose what you want to be in the future -from choosing a profession ... a lifetime partner ...  or friends to be with.

So hindi nakapagtataka kung bakit hirap ka ngayon - kasi mas nauna mong pinili ang mag-bolakbol o ang bisyo kaysa harapin mo ang pagaaral mo. Yon bang akala mo ay naglalaro ka lang at hindi iniisip na kung gaano kahirap ang buhay kung wala kang natapusan... not to mention ang hirap maghanap ng trabaho ... kung undergrad ka lang.

Maaga kang natuto magbarkada - katunayan niyan mas mahal mo pa ang mga kaibigan mo kaysa pamilya mo. You spent all your waking hours with them ... at umuuwi ka lang kung gutom at matulog ka na. Mas pinapakinggan mo sila ... kaysa makinig ka sa mga pangaral ng mga mas nakakatanda sa iyo. They were part of what you are today.

And most especially maaga kang nag-explore na mga bagay-bagay na hindi dapat pinakialaman ng mga bata. Maaga kang nag-asawa kahit hindi ka totally equipped ng maturity at pagiisip on how to raise a family or how to how to become a responsible mama or papa.

So ang sabi ko dito sa high school student na ito ... kung ano ang buhay mo ngayon ... malaging bahagi ang iyong nakaraan for making the person you are right now. Kung successful ka ... yon ay dahil nagpunyagi ka. Kung naghihirap ka naman ... alam mo na ang kasagutan diyan ... iyon ay dahil wala sa priority mo ang makatapos ... at nagmamadali kang sampolan ang mga bagay na hindi mo dapat pakialaman,

So there ... "Life is what you make it."  You can make it easy on yourself ,,, or you can make it hard. Your call!

To Mess Or Not To Mess

It is a known fact ... that when traveling in this life's journey ... you are going to mess up ... one way or another and that's for sure. The good news is ... you are in the driver's seat ... and you have to decide which part of your life you want to mess up.

You know what is good for you ... and which ones are bad (the ability to know their difference ... that's a gift given to us). When you feel you are into barkadas ... the thrill of being with them excites you more. But when liquor, drugs, women, vices or gambling becomes part and parcel of the shenanigans - you have to option to withdraw or stay away from the group ... if you care about your future and your life.

If you care more about what your barkada will say ... and you are unwilling to let go of your friendship ... then you have the choice to stay and continue what you are doing.

Your life is the result of the choices you make. if you don't like life as you see it right now ... this is a wake-up call for you to make the right choices.

Too bad ... sometimes the realization that you mess up comes only a little too late. The rude awakening of the unpleasant truth only started its toll when you have totally wasted yourself ... and the chance to live a new life zeroes down from nil to none.

Men are like ....

Ron Angeles - Actor and Model

Men are like ... bank accounts.

The more MONEY they have ... the more INTEREST they generate.

Women are like ...

                                               Roberta Tamondong - Miss Grand International Philippines 2022

Women are like ... milk.

When they are fresh they look creamy goodness... when they age... they turn sour and biting.

SMNI hosts dinemanda dahil sa red-tagging

Red Tagging Defined

To better understand the video interview, let us define some terms discussed above.  Understanding the meaning of the words being used in the discussion will help us understand the discussion better and help us separate the weeds from the seeds. In so doing, it will help us determine who is doing right and who needs our support.

1. Red tagged

 What is the meaning when something is being red-tagged? A red tag indicates that there is a safety concern with the appliance or any part to which it is attached. The tags are put in place by a person, who will usually write a description of the problem on the tag and describe the necessary repairs.

So if the gas range or stove has a defective connection, for fear that an explosion is waiting to happen ... a red tag is hung near the stove or cylinder to remind everybody of the imminent danger. 

In hospitals it means warning signals or a red flag ... for example, No Smoking signs are placed near oxygen tanks and oxygen outlets to make everybody aware of the possibility of ignition or explosion.

2. Red Tagging

Just like the red tags placed on defective appliances ... red tagging on persons serves as a reminder to everybody to avoid associations or make connections with the persons being red-tagged.

Red tagging in our country has taken a new direction. It is a spiteful and venomous personal embargo on somebody ... the labeling and accusations range from making the person evil, harmful, or undesirable ... or blacklisting them for possible employment ... or tagging them as just a stern warning to avoid mingling and ignore a person or group.

It is also a form of harassment to individuals or entities especially groups that are unsympathetic or nitpicking the government ... and are not supportive of their work. They are being labeled NPA, Komunista, or terorista notwithstanding what ideologies they belong to or what political color they subscribe to.

It is tantamount to stirring up trouble for them something like encouraging anybody to do harm ... or inciting violence ... or worse egging any loose canons to do the inevitable ... resulting in assassinations or tokhang.

This political tactic weakens the country's democracy by strangling division and dissent and creating a chilling effect on everyday talks and conversations ... and gradually but in a subtle way ... encourages retribution and reprisal.