Chronicles of the Daily Grind

all we remember are his stats:

six-time nba champion (1991-1993, 1996-1998)
mvp (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)
ten-time all nba first-team designation
ten scoring tiles, three steals titles
a finalist to be inducted in the basketball hall of fame
and many others...

yet, nobody remembers or cared about the number of times he failed, just what he achieved.

while people are driven by success, and employ the necessary means to get there, this drive would seem to blind us of the fact that we are not born perfect. and so comes the shattering feelings when failures and disappointments surface.

we are either consumed by it...
feeling wrecked and hopeless, viewing life as difficult, harsh and unfair.

or, we get up from it...
and see that mistakes and failures are means of improvement, stepping stones for success. michael jordan would surpass "himself" each day by constant practice, a.k.a. self discipline.

this example leads us to a particular attitude in this season of lent: self discipline.

we don't view the lenten season as a schedule of the Church, nor just a reminder of the paschal mystery. it is an opportunity for us to reflect, to look upon our weaknesses, our failures, our sinfulness, and develop in us that self-discipline; to overcome our failures in order to share into the success of Christ, His resurrection.

Labels: challenge, gospel reflection, insights, inspirational, interesting, life, reflection

Posted by brodiz at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

currently reading...

sun tzu's the art of war, edited and with a foreword by james clavell.


it's one of the oldest books in military strategy. yet beyond the pages of these chinese military tactics are gems of wisdom applicable to wherever you are -- designed for handling conflicts. one can actually wage a war without getting into the battle.

advices may be archaic, but its relevance will be based on one's personal experience. insights afterall are personal.

Labels: book review, insights, interesting

Posted by brodiz at 6:48 PM | Permalink | Comments

heroes season 3 episodes reveals a big surprise!

imagine this: sylar becomes the good guy while peter petrelli embraces the dark side. how could a murderous, megalomaniac monster become a hero, while a compassionate, self-sacrificing lad turn out to be the enemy? with these twists and turns, the overlapping events from different timelines engage me to anticipate episode after episode of this series.

yet, the lessons are clear. no man is born evil. a person who is bad now is not determined to be bad forever, inasmuch as we cannot expect a good person to stay good always. we can't be too quick to judge.

i got fascinated with sylar's and peter's character development. what made sylar to be the villain is his tremendous hunger or urges to know more, to learn more and to have more power. to attain this, he easily gives in through a quick fix of murderous intent, slaying one superpower individual after learning and taking their abilities. eventually, this same insatiable hunger or urges is acquired by peter petrelli, and he now tread the same path sylar took. while sylar takes a huge amount of struggle to control these urges, peter petrelli allows this as a personal instinct.

our hunger or urges to know more, to learn more and to have more power exhibits our inclination to sin. it is this stuff that makes us evil.

Labels: entertainment, insights, reflection, tv series

Posted by brodiz at 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: insights, introspection, personal, random thoughts, talking within

Posted by brodiz at 5:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

this evening i sort-of attended the graduating students of don bosco canlubang's high school department. as the gradutaing ceremonies unfold, flashes of memories from my own high school graduation play before my mind. i've been discussing to one of my confreres how ceremonies differ now in reference to our experiences. i could feel from our graduating students the ambience of gratefulness and great pride of having been formed in this institution. seeing this rewinds in me the similar feeling i have felt before when i was there, wearing my barong, seated among the group of gentlemen eager to reach the apex of high school life.

indeed, high school life is a treasure worth to keep. though a delicate stage of formation, it highlights our initial youthful enthusiasm as we face life as human person. more than the lessons learned, it's a journey worthy to look back into as we trace the path and the state of where we are right now. God indeed has a hand in this.

for this experience, i get to be all the more proud to be a bosconian. yet, what's even more amazing is that i am not only proud of being a bosconian, i feel all the more proud and relevant as a salesian. and as a salesian, i now take part in the formation of these young people, as i did take part in the formation of our recent graduating class. i pray that God may maximally use me in this mission of touching lives.

Labels: events, graduation, insights, life, reminiscing, salesians, youth

Posted by brodiz at 5:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

“life is about change.
sometimes it’s painful. sometimes it’s beautiful.
but most of the time it’s both.”

- Lana Lang (Smallville)

it's a reality i find a difficulty...
...of accepting.
days from now, life is about to change.
this seeming monotony which i first found to be deafening will soon break its silence.
and i find it a great weight in my heart.
change...
at times i want it, welcome it...
at times i shun it, abhor it, especially when i seem to like the balance.
yet it's the most objective reality there is.
things, people and experiences, even structures, i hate to admit, i would surely miss.
yet they would remain to be a part of me wherever i go.
change...
it comes in various forms.
either you change or i change or situations change,
many times it's the interplay of two or all.
either people leave...
or you leave...
either people grow...
or you grow...
change...
see there's both pain and beauty in it...
'coz that's life...
and this is the life i have come to embrace,
along with it are pain and beauty
... an inexplicable combination or a paradoxical twin.

Labels: insights, introspection, life, personal, random thoughts, reflection, talking within

Posted by brodiz at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments

i have prepared well. i was planning to bring laptop, karaoke, and make the most of this last day of catechesis class. to our dismay, there was none. i really don't want to end our class like that. i've been pondering on other possibilities, other days, it seems that this was really the last and opportune moment to gather them.

almost all of my student passed and are about to graduate this april (except for the 4 who had to stay behind because of backlog subjects). they have invited me for their graduation. it's a pity i couldn't come because it's in conflict with our scheduled annual retreat.

i handle 70 students, although 20 to 30 in average attend my class, considering it's scheduled at 1 PM at the most unholy hour of the day. according to them, they are one of the most notorious sections in the graduating class.


i would normally arrive in class at 12:45 PM, and i would not find any single soul in the classroom. it's very seldom when i meet students ahead of me, learning after that they had to go home for lunch yet.

at times, their last period of class in the morning would extend until 12:30 PM or somtimes beyond more. this would eat up my catechesis time. they had to go home to eat their lunch. some would skip my class because they want to sleep. some do not really want to attend at all.

i would observe that the few who regularly attend my class found in their conscience my efforts of being with them.

for the whole year i could say that we have only met for more or less 10 meetings (that would mean two and a half months regular class of one hour a week). i am supposed to discuss to them the 10 commandments. we only reached the fourth.

yet despite all these, i really enjoyed this year of catechesis. more than they have learned from me, i believe that i have learned a lot from them. i am not sure if all the things i have taught them would sink into them, or at least produce a minimal effect. but that is beyond my control. i would have to allow God's grace to work as i tried so hard to plant in them the seeds of the love of God.

yet, i have learned a lot from them. this experienced formed in me a different catechist compared form the previous years. i never scolded them. i never got angry at them. i learned how to understand their situation. i learned to become patient. i learned how to get down to their level. i learned how to reach out to them. i learned a lot from them personally as some would spontaneously open their life to me. i learned that what they long for: a friend who doesn't label, somebody on their side. i may not have captured all, though i really tried, but i have learned how to capture some hearts.

students in public schools, especially those belonging to the worse section are often neglected and labeled. these are the ones who needed more attention and appreciation. concretely, this experience allowed me to understand our option for the poor and marginalized. it takes a lot from me. i am a salesian, and this has to be lived by.

Labels: apostolate, catechesis, events, insights, introspection, reflection, youth

Posted by brodiz at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

this morning i received this rosary personally made by rey in response to (more than an exchange of) the jersey i gave him. realizing further that he personally made this rosary, i felt that my share is of lesser value than his.

i further affirm his simplicity after learning his rosary-making as a hobby. while i devote much time in blogging and in other entertainment, his is to stay silently in one corner as he would enjoy himself creating these marian beads. i would say that this indeed is a marian devotion.

pondering on these events led me to the awareness and realization of simple living and enjoyment, a more noble expression of the evangelical counsels, which i am expected to radically live.

thanks, rey, not only for the rosary, but for the example.

Labels: events, insights, introspection, marian, random thoughts, rosary

Posted by brodiz at 2:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

aware of the political state of our country and yesterday's interfaith rally in makati, i find myself questioning what could be the best option for the problem. i don't think that people power is the answer, nor the resignation of gma is the key. assuming the quest for truth and transparency has been achieved (which i find it hard to believe to happen), what next?

i hope that each one of us derive a very important and personal lesson in our social situation... what that is take to be an honest and responsible citizen?

few days back i have watched lozada's speech in a mass at baclaran church. it struck me that in the midst of our review for the comprehensive exams, he tackled the idea of "evil." we remember neri allegedly calling the president "evil" which he eventually denied of saying that in a press conference. people are clamoring to fight for "evil." lozada stressed a beautiful remark that "evil," as he have learned from his theology, "is the absence of good." he thus challenged everyone that,instead of fighting against evil, we must fill our hearts with goodness. a thundrous applause followed suit.

this is the call for all of us. we must fill our hearts with goodness and love.
this is not really something new.
we have learned this from our parents.
we have learned this from school.
our faith and the bible teaches this.
we know this by heart.
we just really have to act on it...
we just simply have to make it happen.

Labels: insights, introspection, philippines, philosophy, politics, reflection, social awareness, society

Posted by brodiz at 5:47 AM | Permalink | Comments

i am amused and overwelmed how this coffee theme get to be associated with me especially on the occasion of my birthday. please allow me to explain.

it all started during christmas vacation, when eson fell in love with a koreanovela that prompted him to buy a dvd for the complete season of "coffee prince." he narrated to us the sleepless nights he endured just to finish the series before coming back to the seminary last january.

i would attest that he really fell in love with the story (in the minimal sense) that he would keep on narrating the synopsis and almost the whole plot of the story. one sunday, he brought the dvd to the seminary.

another significant incident leading to this was that "blessing" when our bro. gene had an appendectomy. i first volunteered to attend to him at the hospital. eson and i were fighting over the slot of attending to gene for some personal motives. that night was the first time i saw an episode of the coffee prince. and frankly, i really liked it.

after gene's discharge from the hospital, i get to be more curious and i asked eson if we could watch the serie. practically, there were now three of us so engrossed watching the koreanovela, with bro. jm joining and "kilig to the bones". hehehe...


without knowing or intending, the coffee bonded us together... i guess nobody else could relate, perhaps except our cook, since only the three of us have finished the story. and now our mouths are filled with "coffee" both in the literal and figurative sense.

indeed, the coffee prince has brought a lot of positive effects... that would include our inspiration and zeal to study more intensely, more passionately. it served as a break from our intellectual routine -- perhaps a saving grace for keeping our sanity intact.

i don't really drink coffee, but this "coffee prince" made me a regular taker. i am not sure what would be the further consequences of this.

and so, i feel that, when both eson and jm (my groupmates in the human formation tea) organized and prepared my birthday celebration, it's a party for the three of us... hehehe....

i really appreciate and enjoyed the experience of bringing "coffee prince" into the postnovitiate and transforming the refectory into the coffee shop. but what i most value are their translated acts of love and appreciation for my person, which i received as a "sent message" from them.
thanks, guys.

Labels: insights, personal, postnovitiate, random thoughts, reflection, talking within

Posted by brodiz at 5:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: insights, lyrics, social awareness, society, song, video, youth

Posted by brodiz at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments

I did have... until I've read this...























We get to realize then that we tend to focus on our pain that we forget or we neglect to realize all the graces and blessings that we are now reaping.

Lord, this is really embarassing... after all these realizations... and I cannot but praise and give you thanks. Amen. +

Labels: comics, humor, insights, prayer, reflection, story

Posted by brodiz at 5:50 AM | Permalink | Comments