Because Ideas Change Lives
“Work hard and you’ll become successful.” How many of us have heard that advice and followed it hoping that it’d work? You work overtime and you put in extra hours to get some extra cash. You’re tired and stressed from working hard day after day, yet nothing seems to change. “Why am I not successful yet” you ask? While hard work and serious effort is indeed important, reality is far more complex. Here are seven reasons why you still haven’t made it.
“Bakit kami magsisikap kung bibigyan mo pa rin naman kami ng libre?” Ihanda mo muna ang sarili mo dahil baka masakit ang aral na ito kapag ikaw umasenso na sa buhay (o aasenso pa lang). Kahit ang kayamanan at pag asenso ay magbibigay sa iyo ng kakayanang makatulong sa iba (sa kamag-anak, kaibigan, at pulubi), ang sobra sobrang pagtulong ay nakakasama. Imbis na bigyan mo sila ng pakpak para makalipad, baka pinapaasa mo lamang sila sa iyong limos.
“In general, I am opposed to giveaways and handouts. They take away initiative and responsibility from people. If people know that things can be received ‘free,’ they tend to spend their energy and skill chasing the ‘free’ things rather than using the same energy and skill to accomplish things on their own. Handouts encourage dependence rather than self-help and self-confidence.” – Muhammad Yunus, Creating a World Without Poverty
(Madalas, umaayaw ako sa pagbibigay ng limos. Inaalis nito ang pagkukusa at responsibilidad ng mga tao. Kung alam nila na ang ilang bagay ay makukuha ng ‘libre,’ madalas gagamitin nila ang lakas at galing nila sa paghahanap ng mga ‘libreng’ bagay kaysa gamitin ang parehong lakas at galing para makamit ang mga gusto nila gamit ang sarili nilang pagsisikap. Ang limos ay humihimok ng pagpapasustento kaysa sa pagtulong sa sarili at pagpapalakas ng loob.)
“Why should we work hard when you’ll give us free stuff anyway?” Buckle down for a moment as this might be a painful lesson if you’re already financially successful (or on the way there). Even though wealth and financial success allows you to help others (family, friends, and beggars) more easily, too much of it can backfire. Instead of giving them wings to fly, you might make them dependent on your handouts.
“In general, I am opposed to giveaways and handouts. They take away initiative and responsibility from people. If people know that things can be received ‘free,’ they tend to spend their energy and skill chasing the ‘free’ things rather than using the same energy and skill to accomplish things on their own. Handouts encourage dependence rather than self-help and self-confidence.” – Muhammad Yunus, Creating a World Without Poverty
Minsan, umakyat ako sa Mount Pinatubo, ang isa sa pinakapopular na bulkan sa Pilipinas. Simple at masaya ang pag-akyat sa tabi ng mga ilog at talampas at napakaganda ng crater lake sa tuktok. Sa tabi ng crater at rest stop ay may matarik na hagdanan, at nakakapagod akyatin iyon kung hindi ka palaging nag-eexercise. Siyempre, marami sa aming mga turista ay napapagod doon.
Ang isa sa mga guides, isang local na sanay na sa bundok nagsalita tunkol sa “anak mayaman” gamit ang nakaiinsultong tono. Marami ang nag-iisip ng ganoon: Ang mga anak mayaman ay mahina, masama, at spoiled. Diba nga ganoon sila lahat sa TV?
Some time ago I climbed Mount Pinatubo, one of the most famous volcanoes in the Philippines. It was a simple and enjoyable hike along the rivers and the canyons and the crater lake at the end was beautiful. Around the crater near the rest stop is a set of stairs, and it’s rather tiring to climb unless you exercise often. Of course, a lot of us tourists get tired there.
One of the guides, a local who is used to the mountain landscape remarked “Anak mayaman” (rich person’s offspring, or “rich kid”) in a disparaging tone. It’s a common mindset: Rich kids are weak, mean, and spoiled. I mean, that’s how they all are on TV, right?
