Harmonizing Life with Time…by Virtue of Discipline

Harmonizing Life with Time

…by virtue of Discipline

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

We cannot control time, much more, go against its ticking hands. But we can live in harmony with it by virtue of discipline. We cannot turn back the hands of time, as the song says, so we have to synchronize our life with it for our own advantage.

 

Synchronizing with time and the degree that calls for it differs according to culture and environment. In Spain, siesta time after lunch till early afternoon is an integral part of the people’s culture. Their “nighttime” is also long, lasting till the wee hours of the morning. Meanwhile, in other countries, the people are not conscious of time.

 

In a well- disciplined country like Japan, time is treated with respect. And, so is in the United States, where time is followed to the last second, in which at the strike of five in a workplace, everything is dropped. In European countries, the same treatment of time is observed – with strictness, hinged on discipline.

 

The standard work period is eight hours. But to date, because of the many factors that affect the daily lives of the people, especially, traffic, “broken time”  or “flexible or flexi time” is applied by some companies, for as long as the eight-hour period is completed. Adjustment is made on the work period of employees in consideration of the traffic and distance that needs to be covered by commuting from their home.

 

On the other hand, regardless of whether we are in a workplace, at home or just anywhere, time is very much part of our activity…our life. Practically, since the first day that life is developed in the womb of the mother, time element is already involved, such as the number of days until the fetus finally breaths the fresh air as it comes out into the world. And, the development of the growing child is reckoned by phases of time– physically, mentally, and emotionally.

 

In wrapping up, the best thing to do, if we do not want to be hassled then, is by being always ahead of time. Whatever time is “earned” can always be used for some other things that we need to make our life comfortable. We should, however, remember always, that living in harmony with time should be tempered with discipline.

Sighs for Lost Opportunities due to Wasted Time and Arrogance

Sighs for Lost Opportunities

Due to Wasted Time and Arrogance

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

 

It is always the sigh of regret that one can only heave out of his chest every time he losses an opportunity. Wasted opportunities may result from wasted time as some are just careless in managing their lives. They seem to or deliberately forget that time is a very important element that affects man’s daily life. Many forgot the adage about the hands of time that cannot be moved back. Man is no match to the infinity of time. So many also forgot that nowadays, in order to survive, discipline and resourcefulness are very important factors, and both are affected by time.

 

Those who slave it out from 8 to 5 every day, lost precious hours deducted from their take home pay every time they report to work late. They always blame the traffic. I cannot understand why they cannot leave home hours before the onset of the traffic which is normally at 7AM.

 

For those who are looking for jobs, stories are true about intelligent guys who graduated cum laude but oftentimes fail to land a job. These humbugs wonder how other job hunters could ever get a job despite poor scholastic marks for courses earned from unheard of provincial colleges and vocational schools. The cum laudes forgot that the “early birds get the seeds”. Because of pride and overconfidence, they thought that they can always make it because of high marks on their transcript of records with letterheads of prestigious universities. They forgot that nowadays, employers prefer applicants who show interest in the job, and this interest is initially indicated by being the first in the line on the day of interview. Of course, scholastic marks earned from memorizing lessons can help, but job hunting is a different thing. Respect for time and adeptness in reasoning are two most important measures used to know if a person is ready to take responsibilities.

 

Those who finish high-end courses from universities thought that the job they prefer must fit their course to a “T”. In this regard,  “management course” graduates, expect to be “managers” right away. They do not want to start from the lowest rung as an office staff. As computer engineering graduates, they expect an “engineer” tagged in the position they are applying for. They do not want to start with a job as computer technician or programmer. These losers only have their pride to blame.

 

As regards the parents who are crying their hearts out because of growing undisciplined children, they should not ask themselves how this could have happened. In the first place, they forgot to implant in the minds of their children the values that should have been the foundation for their developments. They allowed the children to spend precious time with their peers outside their home even during unholy hours. They give their children hard-earned or borrowed money so they can go to internet cafes to play games instead of studying their lessons at home. They give in to the whims of their children for gadgets that are not necessary. These parents had all the opportunities and time to nurture their children properly but wasted them. They equated love with “pampering”!

 

Children of well-to-do families have more opportunity to prepare for their future. They have money for every thing that they need, especially for education. But they spend more time with barkadas than with their parents, even skipping classes to be with them to play games in internet cafes or hang out in parks and mall. When they grow old, they realize that they have been left behind by friends who have been serious with their studies.

 

Lawmakers are losing time and opportunity in bringing out relevant issues beneficial to the government and the people, because they waste precious time lambasting each other for the selfish motive of gaining publicity mileage. They pretend to be immaculately clean in person and heroic in their effort as they besmear each other’s image. In the process, they forgot that they are supposed to formulate laws instead of broadcasting intrigues which should be left to the rumor mongering writers and columnists of showbiz magazines and tabloids. Before they know it, no more time is left of sessions that should have been devoted to their basic mission as lawmakers.

 

Finally, every worship day should have been spent by people who belong to the various religious leanings for the atonement of their wrongdoings. Unfortunately, their effort is thickly coated with insincerity and hypocrisy. Deep in their mind, they believe in God, but deep in their heart, they believe that He is blind and dumb, so that when they come out of their temples of worship, they are back to their old selfish and arrogant characters.

Respect for Time, Discipline, and Death

Respect for Time, Discipline and Death

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Practically, everybody is familiar with the adage, “we cannot turn back the hands of time”. But still, many do not have a full understanding of what it means and its effect to our life. They may also appreciate such adage that serves as a reminder, but they are not serious about it.

 

Time is the most important factor that can affect life as the world is at its mercy. Regretting for the lost time is like crying over spilled milk or precious water. We may cry our eyes dry and punch our chest with clinched fist while uttering hundreds of mea culpa, but what have been spilled can no longer be recovered. We cry over lost opportunities because we were late for appointments. We lost a prospective job because we were late for the interview. We missed our flight because we did not wake up early, etc.

 

Anything that is not respected is disregarded or taken for granted, and that is what many people do to time most often. Many forgot that time is used to reckon our physical and mental development, how we fare as we trudge along the road of life, and in giving us a chance to change for the better. We always say, “…give me time” which simply means, “…give me a chance”.

 

Time is so much a part of our life that many people become uneasy if they do not glance at a watch every hour of the day. Everything that we do is controlled by time, from waking up until we go back to bed. Time controls our job, our meals, even our use of the toilet. We even use it to warn others about their misdoings by telling them, “how many times did I tell you….”. Even our pulse and heartbeat are timed to check if we are physically fit.

 

If time controls us, discipline compels us to abide by its ticking, such that husbands must be home before midnight, employees must be at their post at certain designated time, minors must be home not later than ten in the evening, meals should be taken at certain times of the day till evening, medicines should be taken at certain times, etc. Respect for time and utmost discipline cannot be separated as without the other, our life and the world will be in a topsy-turvy state.

 

We should also be thankful to the guy who discovered time and those who invented gadgets that we need to measure the extent of our life in this world. Time tells us when we should “depart” from this world, unless it is cut short by unexpected events resulting to what we call as as “untimely” death.

 

 

Everything Moves with Time

EVERYTHING MOVES WITH TIME

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Nothing stays in its place permanently as Time carries everything along its current. However, beings with consciousness and with deciding ability may metamorphose into a higher or better state. Some may just be contented with what they already are…it is a choice. Along this line, ambition can push a person to strive.

 

While some are in a hurry to move on or up, others who have not learned their lesson take their time which they later regret because they realized, though, too late, that indeed, they cannot move back the hands of time. With regret and envy, they gawk at others who enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice and labor. In this particular situation, I am referring to people who need to struggle in order to survive, not those who were born with silver spoon in their mouth, and who could live more than comfortably even without lifting a finger…they are not concerned in this dissertation.

 

Some people thought that they can forever be strutting around with a pretty face and physically fit body. They thought that they can invest those physical attributes in gaining friends, even if they will show abhorrent attitude. They forgot that in time, as leaves and flowers wilt, so do the face that gets crinkled with furrows and the body that gets to shrink become humped. Gluta treatments may help but only for as long the physical make up of a person can take them. Meanwhile, the face and some parts of the body have limited elasticity for stretching, and the Viagra can be of help only up to a certain level of ageing.

 

Finally, the tenacity of man is such that he practically makes use of science to virtually “perpetuate” life with the use of cloning. From a minute piece of man’s body, another of his kind is given life in a laboratory, and so are plants.  But, even if man and other creatures may live for thousands of years, the big question is, will Earth do?…considering the rate man is practically doing some kind of self-destruction due to pride, selfishness and wickedness?

Harmonizing Life with Time…by virtue of Discipline

Harmonizing Life with Time
…by virtue of Discipline
By Apolinario Villalobos

We cannot control time, much more, go against its ticking hands. But we can live in harmony with it by virtue of discipline. We cannot turn back the hands of time, as the song says, so we have to synchronize our life with it for our own advantage.

Synchronizing with time and the degree that calls for it differs according to culture and environment. In Spain, siesta time after lunch till early afternoon is a very part of its people’s culture. Their “nighttime” is also long, lasting till the wee hours of the morning. Meanwhile, in other countries, the people are not conscious of time.

In a well- disciplined country like Japan, time is treated with respect. And, so is in the United States, where time is followed to the last second, in which at the strike of five, everything is dropped. In European countries, the same treatment of time is observed – with strictness, hinged on discipline.

The standard work period is eight hours. But to date, because of the many factors that affect the day to day lives of the people, especially, traffic, “broken time” is applied by some companies, for as long as the eight-hour period is completed. Adjustment is made on the work period of employees in consideration of the traffic and distance that needs to be covered by commuting from their home.

On the other hand, regardless of whether we are in a workplace, at home or just anywhere, time is very much part of our activity…our life. Practically, since the first day that life is developed in the womb of the mother, time element is already involved, such as the number of days until the fetus finally breaths the fresh air as it comes out into the world. And, the development of the growing child is reckoned by phases of time– physically, mentally, and emotionally.

In wrapping up, the besting thing to do, if we do not want to be hassled then, is by being always ahead of time. Whatever time is “earned” can always be used for some other things that we need to make our life comfortable. We should, however, remember always, that living in harmony with time should be tempered with discipline so that we can use it to live a comfortable life.

Long Distance

Long Distance
by Louie John M Salda

We find each other at our most unexpected time,
I never dreamed that you will be mine.
Your eyes shine and smile like diamonds in the sky,
That gives me joy that it so hard to find.

In this weeping sky I feel your warmest embrace
The stars glitz and we were at peace.
The cold breeze and the moonlight shades the night with meaning,
And the sweet sounds of the air made me feel that someone is missing.

All the memories of yesterday frolicked and flashbacked,
The times that we hold each other’s hand.
Im wishing and staring in the stars that you will soon come back,
for I miss you so bad and I want to hug you so tight.

In this very night you take your first flight,
To the destination you’ve chosen right.
I know that you decided with a good reason,
And I’m willing to wait for you even if it will take that long.

For as long as we keep each other’s faith,
Our love for each other will truly be blessed.
Our hearts that beats as one,
Surely you will always be the one.

I will surely miss you,
And I know that you feel the same way too.
And in my heart I will always keep you.
For sooner or later I will be with you.

This long distance relationship would really challenge us,
In a way that we will realize that we need each other’s hand.
Time will come I will ask for your hand,
And God’s mantle will clothe as one.

As Time Moves On…So Does Life

As Time Moves On

       …so Does Life

 

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

 

Life is a never ending cycle

that moves with time

there is no turning back

not even retracing of steps

to where we have been;

whatever time has been wasted

cannot be regained

but there is always the chance

to make amends

for mistakes committed

…as lessons learned.

 

We grow with time 

we can’t be forever young

we have a purpose in life

and this we should fulfill  

hence, live  a sensible life

it should be –

replete with gladness and contentment

not voraciousness for material things

for at the end of our day

such a load is just too heavy

as we embark on our final journey.