Today is Candice Cham’s Birthday

Yes, this is an off-topic. But allow me to share something about Candice.

Candice was my student in a Chinese School here in Quezon City. She is now in Australia and a graduating law student. She was our Editor In Chief, and I was their campus paper adviser. The first time I noticed her writing skills was when I asked their third year class to keep a journal. MY subject Filipino.

She did not like the Filipino language or find it difficult to understand. She comes to class with her Noli Me Tangere book in written English. I knew that she was trying hard to cope with the subject. And she got good grades,

Her journal was filled with random thoughts which showed her varied and deep thoughts. It would be difficult even for Freud or Jung to read her mind. She was just different. And yes, you guessed it write, she her Filipino subject journal was mostly written in English.

I was their English teacher when she was in her senior year. It was there where her raw talents in English came out. I was an instant fan, but I did not tell her. I have met other great student writers (great to me is subjective) and I thought she was of different kind. Her thoughts are moving, full of emotions, sometimes hopeful, sometimes sad, but always engaging. She made me think with her. But we never became close in school. I didn’t know why,we just never did.

Some days before her graduation day, she gave me a card. In their she said that it is likely that other students had already given me cards telling me that I was their great teacher. She wanted me to know, that for her, I was also one of the great teachers, maybe the greatest. I kept that card until today. The card is a constant reminder that we sometimes touched people positively without intending to. It is best if we make it a habit to touch everyone positively.

A year after her graduation, when she was already in Australia, she learned that at last I purchased a celfone. I had told them the I was not a fan of mobile fone, but it got her excited when she learned that I was already converted. She called me up. And that started the friendship that will last “even after forever is no more”.

That friendship made her love the Filipino language, and the Filipino people. Through that friendship we met F. Sionil Jose, the national artist for literature. Through that friendship we’ve gone to the national museum, watched Magnifico together, and wrote more in Filipino. She was always trying heard, but she was a committed learner. Through that friendship, she went stayed in the squatters area for a day, made friends with people. gained activist friends, and understood the heart of the Filipino.

Through that friendship also, I learned something about the Australian laws, the Chinese people, and their traditions. She taught me that nobody is ugly; everyone is beautiful in their own right.

Candice is my flattery. We know that the love that connects us cannot be reduced by time and distance and circumstances. So, allow me to greet my friend, Candice today a Happy Birthday.

Candice, sleep early, drink more water, and smile always.

Leadership on Fridays, Communication on Wednesdays

Staring July 2007, I intend to publish articles topics based on the day of the week.

I will publish entries on communication skills every Wednesday. The entries may include interpersonal communication, public speaking, writing,and whatever topics which I believe could help us (read: you and me) improve our skills as communicators.

Every Friday, I will talk about leadership. I intend to start our discussion on our leadership role in customer service. I will always contend that the primary reason for my business is to serve the interest of my customer. The entries that I will share with you will also be my constant reminder for myself.

On other days, I will write everything under the sun. Everything that is related to the objectives of this blog. That may include personal effectiveness, delegation skills, time management, coaching, training, stress management — soft skills programs that I conduct. There are times that I will announce my incoming seminars. I hope that you will share these announcements with your parents, friends, co-workers, and enemies. Yes, even the latter deserves to hear the good news according Jef.

I intend to provide more links from this site to great site. If you think that your site is great, please email me. I won’t be asking you to place a link of my site to yours. Anyone can do that. If you think that my site is worth sharing to your friends, then you can gift them the opportunity to read from this blog.

I will also be providing you with some online workshops. I got some of them from websites, some of which are no longer accessible. Since the time I discovered the wonders of the Internet, I have collected materials which I have already shared with my students.All worthy and free. Some of them had already disappeared (yes, because my computer has been reformatted more than 10 times and many files were sent to nility) I intend to keep this site for a long time, so hang-on, everything will come to place at the right time.

Tell your friends about this blog. Maybe their others friends will also benefit from our discussion.

Partnership with Development Academy of the Philippines

I went to Development Academy of the Philippines this morning to meet Ms Suri Alip. We’ve been talking over the phone and talking about the possibility of conducting workshops for DAP for almost a year now. I remember that last year I even offered that I  conduct presentation skills workshop for their executives. It did not materialize.  Suri told me that the executives were to busy to attend a workshop.

Ms Suri is very passionate about training. During our conversation, she told me (I think more than 4 times) that every DAP training is experiential. Of course, that must be expected. Both pedagogy and androgogy (young and adult teaching) must be experiential. But what really impressed me about our meeting is her genuine pride for her organization’s training brand.

For two years now, some government agencies have been requesting training proposal from me. So, far I have just conducted training for SSS, DSWD,and the office of the Ombudsman. It is really difficult for government agencies to get the training they want to because of the bidding procedures which slows down the learning development of government employees. I do understand completely why the government must safeguard its money. Some people may use training as an excuse for spending the money of the people.

This is definitely good news. In partnership with DAP, government agencies can now get my services easily. I can bring DAP to them. This is also good for all of my government clients. DAP will ensure that they will get only quality training from me. Suri said that “people must see the DAP quality ” in my workshops.

I have no problem with that. Helping people realize their potentials is my vocation. I believe I can give them more that what they expect.

You are what you believe yourself to be

“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, it shall surely acquire the capacity to do even if I may not have it in the beginning.“ MAHATMA GANDHI

Keeping Promises

Teacher: Didn’t you promise to behave?
Student: Yes, Sir.
Teacher: And didn’t I promise to punish you if you didn’t?
Student: Yes, Sir, but since I broke my promise, I don’t expect you to keep yours.

Journal Keepers in history

Leonardo Da Vinci: During his lifetime of 67 years (1452-1519), the great Italian artist and inventor filled his journal pages with inventions, jottings, drawings, original designs and experimental work. Long after his pen reached the paper, Da Vinci’s manuscripts were first published at the end of the 1800s. More of Da Vinci’s manuscripts were re-discovered and published in 1966 that include notes on painting and studies of optics.

John Lennon : Personal journals– songwriter and artist John Lennon kept between 1971 and 1980 have recently been collaborated into a book. These journals were not intended for publishing by Lennon. However, during his lifetime (1940-1980) Lennon did choose to make public and publish other writings, stories, poems and sketches of his.

My favorite Og Mandino (author of The Greatest Salesman in the World) also kept a journal. This journal eventually became one best seller too!

You can keep a journal too! The only materials your need are a notebook and a ballpen (of course, you can have as many ballpens you want!)

Everytime you write an entry in your journal, write the following on the page.
Entry number
Date, and
Time and place

You can start your journalling through FREE WRITING technique. That means that you can write anything the comes to mind. You will not bother yourself with grammar and usage. You will not erase. You will not stop writing. And when you have nothing to write, you can simply write WHO IS JEF? (or some other things more important like writing the ABC or the 123 or !@#..). Then you stop when the page is already filled.

Or you can give yourself five minutes a day–just to free write.

Another technique is FOCUSED FREE WRITING. The same method above applies. This time, however, you will write freely about a certain subject. Let me give you one.

JOY
When was the last time you experienced joy? What was it about that moment that made you feel joy? Describe what it felt like. How can you create some joy in your life today?

If you need some more tips about journalling, don’t hesitate to contact me.