Reflections, etcetera.

After a week of imbibing the lessons taught, insights learned and stories shared, I have decided to write down my own personal learnings from this experience. Let me say at the onset that I am thankful for such an opportunity.

Lessons Learned About Myself.

I am unique. I am different. I have a different set of values, a different set of beliefs, a different background. While I share some of these values and beliefs with other people, I am mostly distinct. I can be imitated but I can never be duplicated. I can be emulated but never replaced. No body in the world is exactly like me.


I see things differently. I have formed within myself a different set of principles. These are perhaps brought about by the influences of my family, my school, my religion and my community. I have acquired from each domain fragments from which I have formed my image of self.

Nonetheless, my awareness of my uniqueness is not, and should never be, a source of self-righteousness or vanity. While I take pride of myself and exude a confidence out of such recognition, I cannot place myself superior to, or even inferior to, anyone. I can never please anybody but such fact should never be made as an excuse not to conform to what is collectively agreed upon as moral and socially acceptable.

My recognition of my uniqueness is not a point of reference for comparison. I cannot be compared nor will I ever dare compare myself to anyone. To begin comparing one’s self is to invite jealousy or vanity.

My recognition of my uniqueness is only a reminder of the fact that others are also unique. They have different sets of values, of beliefs, of backgrounds, of principles, of perspectives. I cannot impose my own values to them. I cannot dictate my own beliefs to them. While I take joy in the common things we share, I am obliged to respect those which we don’t share. In my recognition of their uniqueness, I secure my own uniqueness.

I have a purpose. I live the life which was made for a specific mission. A life with purpose is a well-chartered life. My purpose is dynamic. It changes. It is never absolute. As I grow and mature, I begin to learn and re-discover my purpose. I have many purposes, because as a unique individual, I am multi-faceted.


There are purposes in life that I am aware of. Some purposes are yet to be revealed. Some purposes in life have already been fulfilled. There are others which are yet to be accomplished. There are purposes which I have to fulfill immediately. There are those which do not require haste. There are purposes which may seem unclear. There are purposes which are clear cut.

In the pursuit of these purposes, whether in their discovery or their fulfillment, I have and will encounter more hindrances and stepping stones.

I find comfort in the fact that I revolve my life around a purpose which I consider as my life’s guiding principle. It is nonetheless my desire to reach for higher, nobler purposes in life. It is a must to impose upon one’s self a nobler purpose. Life is a waste if not anchored on an ennobling purpose.

I have a choice. I live my life with the knowledge that I live it with autonomy. While there is such a thing as fate, mostly it is due to the choices I make. None of the things which occur to me happen by mere chance. Therefore, I can control, to some degree, the future which I can spare for myself.

I have a choice, whether to be happy or lonely in life. I have a choice, whether to be content or to be wanting. I have a choice. I can choose not to be happy or not to be lonely.

No matter what the choices I make, I make them out of my own freewill. Thus, whether they are the right choices or the wrong choices, I must face up to the repercussions.

But the possibilities of make the wrong choice should not deter me from making a choice. I must choose. I can never be neutral. While I can compromise, I can never NOT make a choice.

I can make a difference. I have the power to do so. I can affect change.

It is inevitable. My uniqueness is a feature which leads nothing but to the performance of things which can only be attributed to me.

It is inescapable. Part of the fulfillment of my purposes in life is that I would have to leave a legacy behind. The road to my purpose is sandy and long that I would have to leave footprints for others to see.

It is a choice. And it is the right choice.

Lessons Learned About Others.

Each one has a story to tell. Every person has a life story. Because of their life stories, I cannot, without due consideration, make a conclusion out of each person. I must hold my judgment.

In my contact with others, I should bear in mind, therefore, that I must, to get to understand the person’s personality, learn his life story. I must therefore spend time to consider his feelings and way of thinking. I must first seek to understand then to be understood. In this way, should there be conflicts of values and perspectives, I shall learn to collaborate, rather than impose.

His life story is as important as mine. All I need is to listen. I must learn to listen empathetically. I must listen without prejudice. I must listen without bias. Most especially, I must learn to listen to what he is not saying.

Each person is a potential teacher. Every person I meet is my teacher. I need only to find the opportunity to learn from him or her. Each person has an insight to share. It does not matter how young or old he or she is. Every person has something to teach.

To recognize this fact, I need only to remind myself that I must, always, humble myself and admit to the fact that I have yet so many things to learn. I must admit to the fact that I do not know everything.

I must remain therefore, throughout my life, as a perpetual student. Learning never stops and the best way to learn is to learn from other people.

Each person is important. Every person I encounter has value. I place value on each individual not because I can benefit from him and therefore use him to meet my needs. Rather, I place value on them for they are as important as I am. What other people say matters, too. What other people feel matters as well. They are too valuable to be ignored. I cannot simply brush them off aside.

My being aware of their importance enables me to consider them as entities with potentials. They are rough stones that when processed properly they can turn into gems. They are important. They too, like me, can make a difference.


Knowing well about the potentials of other people, it is only natural for me to help them bring out the potentials in them. I must be capable of motivating persons. In my daily living, I must affirm each person whom I come in contact with.

I acknowledge each person’s talent, each person’s contribution, each person’s unique outpouring of one’s self.

Lessons I Still Need To Learn.

Learn to forgive. Nobody is perfect. Not even me. With this mind, it should only be easy to forgive. It is hard to let go of the grudge for it clasps around the memory so tightly it leaves behind scars of resentment. It is hard to disregard the faults for they root themselves in the domains where hurt is thriving and healing is slow.

I must learn to forgive. And in the giving of forgiveness I hope to be forgiven for my own mistakes too.

Learn to listen. To listen is easy. It never requires any strenuous muscle movement. To use our eyes demands muscle involvement. To open our mouths require muscle movement. Listening is effortless.

I must learn to listen. I must learn to listen to the words I hear and do not hear. I must learn to listen to the stories people share and to the stories they are reluctant to tell. I must learn to listen actively. I must learn to listen without prejudice. I must listen first. Then perhaps, I need not necessarily talk afterwards.

Learn to accept. To regard each person and circumstance as a gift is a step towards acceptance. I must be open to receive these gifts and always bear in mind that they are gifts to me from God.

Persons are gifts and with joy I must learn to accept each person as who they are. I must search for friends and not converts. Therefore, even if we disagree, we can disagree without aggression.

Circumstances are gifts and with anticipation I must learn to accept each circumstance in my life as they are. Not that I would always conform to or submit myself to situations which I feel should be confronted. Circumstances, unlike people, are gifts which I myself should assemble, only that they do not come with manuals.

I must learn to accept and with my acceptance I can learn to be content with life.

Learn to affirm. I must be liberal with my praise and sparing in my criticism. I must learn to give feedbacks and not critiques. I must learn to appreciate people and not only their ideas. I must learn to motivate people and not just projects.

I must learn that most often than not, it isn’t money which drives people to excel but the desire to be acknowledged for what they are good at. I must learn to reward and not just to pay.

Learn to love. It is not easy to love especially if the love we give goes unrequited. But the demand is for me to learn to love. Nothing else. To be loved back is only a bonus. I am lovable and I can be loved. But while it matters to be loved, it is sufficient to only love others.


I must learn to love, first of all, those who could not love me back. I must love those who work for me, those whom I work with and those whom I work for. I must love my family. I must love my children. I must love without waste. I must love without delay.

(These reflections are brought about by the letures learned during the Health Leadership and Management Program Training conducted by the Zuellig Foundation, Module I: "Actualizing Potentials".)