Great Talks

Nene graduated yesterday along with all the other SSC students.

Anyway, my mind is already off and running to another prospect which is my graduate school.

However, before I ran out of steam thinking, dreaming and obsessing about it, I just would like to reflect on the past month.

Yes, March is always an enlightening month. It is the time for school alumnus to speak up for the graduates. I have always loved listening to the speeches of these great people.

It helps me work out a clear course for myself as to what to do to reach the achievement they have achieved.

The Recognition and Promotion Program speaker for this year was Engr. Aristotle Pardilla. His speech sort of encouraged the non-honor students to work hard since he himself was also not an honor graduate. His secrets to success were: 1) discipline, 2)knowing your strength and weaknesses, 3) honesty and 4) determination.

He also suggested that when it comes to work, one should avoid over promising and should instead, overwork. If a superior asks one to work at this level, and knowing that you could not do so, you should be honest and come upfront. Then, you should reset the limit and overachieve it.

The SSC 10th Commencement Speaker was even better. Ma’am Jazmin Pama, the current Schools Division Superintendent and another PNHS Alumna, also said that the secret to success would be persistence and perseverance.

She went on to insist that without persistence an perseverance, talent and genius will we wasted.

She shared the story of an 18 year old young man whose surprising persistence got him a good job.
But, what I absolutely liked was the last story she shared. The one about the Wisdom of the Hot Chocolate.

I like that one better.

In the story, a group of college graduate visited their former college professor who has now retired.

The professor served them hot chocolate in one big jar. Then, he took out different cups in various types, sizes and shapes. There were expensive cups, crystal cups, ordinary cups, regular cups etc.

When his former students took part of the chocolate, the professor started to speak about how the cups left on the table were the most ordinary ones. The more expensive, organized and neat ones have already been taken.

All unconsciously went for the best cup when one is really after the hot chocolate.

He said that everybody seems to want the best cup for himself. Now that they have already each chosen and taken a cup, had they not noticed that they kept looking at each others cup and comparing one from the other and who has the best cup of all?

But, is not the chocolate they are drinking all from the same jar ?

The cup is supposed to contain the chocolate and the chocolate they are drinking is just the same. So, is there a reason for comparison?

The professor then compared the chocolate to life. And the cups to friends, wealth, courses, career paths and choices etc.

The cup does not define the quality of the chocolate. The same is true in ones life. Friends, studies, etc are simply tools that contain life. They are not the defining factor in ones life.

God brews the hot chocolate but He does not chose the cup.

Ma’am Pama then ended her message with the following words:

“The happiest people do not have the best of everything, they just make the best of what they have.”