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Archive for March, 2010

In one of the rare times that I watch TV, I saw yesterday’s news on Volvo sold to Geely Holding Group of China. That reminded me of an article referring to the Swedish company with regards to a concept called slow-down culture.

It’s an interesting reflection that reminds us not to rush things, especially with today’s attitude of ‘I want it now’ and the fast food culture. You just simply cannot put nine doctors together to have a baby in one month.

This article takes time to read but the message is excellent. Read it slowly.

Slow Down Culture

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans

It’s been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It’s a rule.

Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to possess a need to see immediate results.

This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold X quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

Said in another word:

1. Sweden is about the size of São Paulo, a little state in Brazil;

2. All of Sweden has just 2 million inhabitants;

3. Stockholm has 500,000 people;

And yet –

Volvo, Scania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia, Ikea are some of Sweden ’s renowned companies. Volvo supplies to NASA. The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, a bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2,000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn’t say anything, neither the second or third.

One morning I asked, “Do you have a fixed parking space? I’ve noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot.”

To which he replied: “Since we’re here early, we have time to walk. But whoever gets in late will be late if he needs to walk a long distance. He therefore needs a place closer to the door. Don’t you agree?” Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there’s a movement in Europe named “Slow Food”. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle.

Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called “Slow Europe”, as mentioned in “Business Week”. Basically, the movement questions the sense of “hurry” and “craziness” generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of “having in quantity” (life status) vs. “having with quality”, “life quality” or the “quality of being”.

French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8-hour workweeks and have seen their productivity to have driven up by 20%. This slow attitude has brought forth the US ’s attention, the pupils of the fast and the “Do it now crowd!”..

This no-rush attitude doesn’t represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means re-establishing family values, friends, free and leisure time.

Taking the “now”, present and concrete, versus the “global”, undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans’ essential values, the simplicity of living. It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do.

It’s time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rushing, that will increase productivity – improve the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there’s a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, “I can’t, my boyfriend will be here any minute now”. To which Al responds, “A life is lived in an instant”. Then they dance to a tango.

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time.

Others are so anxious about life in the future that they forget to live and enjoy the present — which is the only time that truly exists.

We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more, nobody has less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time.

We need to live each moment with joy and contentment.

Someone remarked, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”.

Most of us have heard this passage (Psalm 23) one time or another, often in solemn religious ceremonies. Here is a modern twist as applied to everyday office life.

The main theme of Psalm 23 is that of a high measure of trust in God and a commitment to Him to rely on that trust so that He can exemplify it by our experiences, thus making our lives more of an adventure in faith rather than a game of chance.

The most common version is the King James Version which I placed below right after the ‘modern version’.

Included are some background music to complement the reading experience.

Thanks to my sister Caroline Joy for sharing this nice article.

Enjoy!

Ps 23 – Maranatha
Ps 23 – Choir Boys
In His Time

Psalm 23 (For the Workplace – modern version)

The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want.
He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.
He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining.

He reminds me that He is my source and not my job.
He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions that I might honor Him in all that I do.

Even though I face absurd amounts of email, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn’t cooperate every morning, I still will not stop — for He is with me! His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.

He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me.
He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go. His faithfulness and love is better than any bonus check.

His retirement plan beats any 401K and RRSP there is!
When it’s all said and done, I’ll be working for Him a whole lot longer, and for that

I bless His Name!

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Psalm 23 (King James Version)

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Here comes another weekend as I lazily watch it pass by. Imagine yourself on the beach on a perfectly quiet evening watching the sunset transition into a moonlit night sprinkled with stars along with a soft gentle breeze, the waves rushing to the shore with the rustling of palm trees.

Great. Now let’s add some music that goes along with these moods.

Here are some collections that wash away the dust of everyday life which accumulated in the past week.

Enjoy the highlight of the weekend.

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My One And Only Love
Living Inside Your Love
Is it You
Tonight I Give In
When I Think Of You

Here’s another treasure catch from my Inbox, I guess I have a lot of email buddies who do have a parallel with my interests. I hope this is interesting to you as well.

Enjoy the good stuff!

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Background music: Ballad Pour Adeline

Accept that some days you’re the pigeon and some days you’re the statue.

Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

Drive carefully, it’s not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

It may be that your sole purpose in life simply to be kind to others.

Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.

Nobody cares if you don’t dance well. Just get up and dance.

Since it’s the early worms that gets eaten by the bird.
Sleep late.

The second mouse get the cheese.

When everything’s coming your way, you’re on the wrong lane.

Birthdays are good for you. The more you have the longer you live.

You may be only one personin the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

If you lend someone P1,000 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

We can learn a lot from crayons. . . Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery in a detour.

Taken from The Philippine Rotary Magazine

Here are some notable and ‘quotable’ quotations from today’s catch on the net.

Enjoy!

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Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.

The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.

The harder you fall,the higher you bounce.

Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.

A problem is your chance to do your best.

We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.

I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.

Never let your memories be greater than your dreams.

The time is always right to do what is right.

What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.

This article is absolutely precious. Parents like myself will definitely love this one.

The questions below were (allegedly) answered by kids.

It’s amazing how these young minds can have such incredible insight on such a complex subject that takes husband and wife decades to master the game, often with very little success.

Are you thinking out of the box yet?

Sleeping Child

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
– Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with.
– Kristen, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
– Camille, age 10

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
– Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don’t want any more kids.
– Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
– Lynnette, age 8 (isn’t she a treasure)

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
– Martin, age 10

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

When they’re rich.
– Pam, age 7

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn’t want to mess with that.
- – Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It’s the right thing to do.
- – Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
– Anita, age 9 (bless you child )

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN’T GET MARRIED?

There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn’t there?
– Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favorite is……..

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.
– Ricky, age 10

Sleeping Child

This is a long article but is worth reading all the way. Its message is incredibly strong and everyone can relate to it easily. I found this from my InBox and many have posted the same on their websites in several variations.

For those of you who are not ham radio enthusiasts, just ignore the Q codes although it is easy to catch the drift by reading between the lines.

Don’t forget to play the bonus song at the end of the article. Enjoy!

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I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the basement shack with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.

Walking into the shack, I flipped the switch on the Astron power supply. That fired up the dual-band mobile that is usually set on the local repeater frequency and it also brought my HF rig to life.

In a few seconds, I was tuned to 7.040 MHz, the QRP calling frequency. Early morning on 40 meters can be interesting and like fishing, you just never know what you might snag.

I turned the gain control up until the volume was comfortable, then I leaned back and scanned the local paper. Another shooting, another bombing, some terrorist group threatening retaliation, and the government debating a tax increase. Well, at least it’s reassuring to see that the world hasn’t changed since the evening news report the night before.

In the background, I heard a station calling “CQ FISTS.” Before I have time to call him a VE3 with a booming signal calls him and so begins another QSO on 40 meters. Before long, that QSO has ended and another was underway.

After a quick coffee refill, I went back to the shack, put the headphones on, and begin tuning around. There was a strong signal on 7.035 MHz calling CQ. I returned his call and made contact with a fellow in Kennebunk, Maine. We exchanged signal reports and proceeded to tell each other about our rigs, antennas, and the weather. A few minutes more and my new friend told me he must QRT because he is meeting several of the local hams for breakfast. We signed off, with “Best 73″ to each other.

Then I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whoever he was talking with something about “a thousand marbles.” I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say.

“Well Tom, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter’s dance recital.”

He continued, “let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities.”

And that’s when he began to explain his theory of a “thousand marbles.”

“You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.”

“Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now stick with me Tom, I’m getting to the important part.”

By this point, I was completely hooked on this QSO. Forget the swap net, I wasn’t moving from this frequency until I heard what the old man had to say.

“It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail”, he went on, “and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy.”

“So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round-up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away.”

“I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.”

“Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.”

“It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. 73 Old Man, this is K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!”

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. “C’mon honey, I’m taking you and the kids to breakfast.”

“What brought this on?” she asked with a smile.

“Oh, nothing special, it’s just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we’re out? I need to buy some marbles.”

100 Years – Five For Fighting

What The World Needs Now … Is Love Sweet Love

Tech Support: Yes Ma’am… how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I’ve decided to install Love. Can you guide me though the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I’m not very technical, but I think I’m ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart ma’am?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running ma’am?

Customer: Let’s see, I have Past/Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past/Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of it’s own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma’am?

Customer: I don’t know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error – program not run on external components." What should I do?

Tech Support: Don’t worry ma’am. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Can you pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey!!! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: I promise to do just that. By the way, what’s your name?

Tech Support: Just call me the Divine Cardiologist, also known as the Great Physician, or, just "I AM." Most people feel all they need is an annual checkup to stay heart-healthy; but, the manufacturer (ME) suggests a daily maintenance schedule for maximum Love efficiency.

I can’t imagine a world without music. Our modern culture and society immerse us into this element several hours a day, unconsciously for the most part — on the way to the office driving the car, in the background at a bar or restaurant, at home on a lazy weekend. It is as intangible yet ubiquitous as the air around us.

Our personal space can be filled with so many things that don’t interest anyone else. Music however always has a place in the deepest recesses of ourselves, and no other music has such an influential effect than love songs.

It can move us. It can inspire us and disappoint us at the same time. It is a painting of the wide spectrum of colors that this life allows us the freedom to experience.

Life comes once and it’s quite short and you have to appreciate what’s good in it. Love songs tell you much of that story.

Here are some choice quotes and love songs that will make this article complete.

Enjoy!

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Close To You – Carpenters
Loving You – Minnie Riperton
When I Fall In Love – Natalie Cole
Living Inside Your Love – Earl Klugh
Longer – Dan Fogelberg

It is possible to commit the perfect crime:
I will steal your heart,
and you steal mine

If I had to choose between loving you and breathing…
I would use my last breath to say “I Love You”

The spaces between your fingers were made so another person’s could fill them

It’s true that we don’t know know what we’ve got until it’s gone, but it’s also true that we don’t know what we’ve been missing until it arrives

True love doesn’t have a happy ending because true love never ends

Love wasn’t put in your heart to stay because it isn’t really love until you give it away

Love is giving someone the power to break your heart, but trusting them not to

We can’t control love, love controls us

It takes someone very special to make you smile with tears in your eyes

A kiss is just a kiss until you find the one you love, and a hug is just a hug until it’s the one you’re thinking of

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Got any good quotes to share? Send us a reply/comment, we would love to hear from you.

Desiderata is a Latin word which means “Things to be desired.”

This fine piece of literature was written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s. During my early college days in the ROTC, we were obliged to memorize this poem as part of our training. I still remember it by heart after all this time.

Desiderata was inspired by an urge that Ehrmann wrote about in his diary:

I should like, if I could, to leave a humble gift — a bit of chaste prose that had caught up some noble moods.

Desiderata contains a message that is powerful and relevant to this age and beyond.

I included here the vocalization by Les Crane to give your reading experience the perfect musical score.

Enjoy!

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Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond the wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have the right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.

Be careful. Strive to be happy!