A dream house and garden

When we are young, we can dream even for the impossible. But when we're at the last decade of our lives, I wonder if we still need to dream for something big. Yes if it's for the benefit of mankind, but if it's just for a material thing, maybe not anymore.



I dream of a house that will fit me when I'm too old, and it will just be a small one but with a big garden. The house I want should be a different one, made of logs, like the one shown in the photo. Surrounding the house should be a garden full of flowers, much better if orchids. The garden of orchids on the photos were taken at The Malagos Garden Resort at Davao in the Philippines. Even just a part of that garden outside my dream house will make me really happy!

Awesome dreams

Funny, but all my activities for the last few days were based on my dreams during my sleep, the night or early morning before. I'm not sure if doing the activity in my dream is the right thing to do, or if there is any explanation to that. It just makes me feel that I have started the activity and just have to continue it as soon as I wake up.

Maybe I should share this awesome experience: Last Sunday, maybe it was already morning when I dreamed that I should be selling a health product that comes in a package of several gadgets, than the single gadget that is already the whole product. I was awaken by a phone call from my father to make a presentation on selling a product since he knew that I was starting to sell health gadgets. The presentation will be for a Toastmasters project where my sister was supposed to present but has no time to prepare and it was just timely that I was selling to my sister and father a health gadget the day before my father called up. I had to be inactive in Toastmasters Club since 2006 because I wanted to study.

The past days after Sunday, my dreams were about the presentation I am developing so that was what I did during the day, so I even blogged about the product, which is an Electronic Acupuncture Healthcare Apparatus, in my other blog. Last night, I dreamed about the background of the calling card for the manufacturer of the product where I am a member. That reminded me that I have to make and print my own calling cards, which I am about to start now.

One dream I had that I will never forget was when I was still developing computer programs and I could not debug my program until I became sleepy and decided to go home, though I was obliged to produce the payslips, the output of the program, before 10 o'clock the following morning. I couldn't believe I would dream about the exact location of the bug in my program, so very early the next day, I was at the office at 6:30 in the morning and was able to debug the program, and print the payslips before 10 o'clock.

A leader sees everything as opportunities

Yesterday, I've attended one of the best leadership trainings I have attended so far. One of the speakers is a missionary, and there was one statement about leaders and his lecture about it stuck in my mind because it was the first time I've heard it. Since I know that there are many others like me dreaming to be an inspirational leader, I might as well share this, in addition to what I've shared in my last post.

The statement was "a leader sees everything as opportunities".

His lecture about it surprised me because he said "everything" includes anything, including problems. Looking at myself now in a problematic state because of financial distress, I could see his point. Because of our financial situation, I am now confronted with a lot of opportunities, and these include the following:

1. To value each cent that I have.
2. To eat just the right amount of food.
3. To travel by car only if absolutely necessary.
4. To be more humble.
5. To be happy even with the smallest things or help that I receive.

The list goes on. No wonder why even the homeless are happy with what they are doing. But of course, we should not stop at just being happy because of those opportunities. Opportunities are there for us to change continuously for the better. Not just to be helped, but also to help. Not just to be loved but also to love... the list goes on again.

To be an inspirational leader

One of the most recent dreams in my mind and is therefore not yet on my list, is to be an inspirational leader. There is a book that tells me how to fulfill such dream and this is "The Heart of a Leader". I enjoy reading this book because each chapter is short and is started with a quote. There is a quote that confused me not only once or twice. It says:

"People of humility don't think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less."

Every time I read the part that interprets this quote, I'd feel a strong desire to impart it to people but never had the chance, until today. This is the part I'm talking about:

A great rule for doing business today is: Think more about your people, and they will think more of themselves. And don't act like you are perfect. Leaders need to come from behind their curtains of infallibility, power, and control, and let their "very good" side -their humanity- be revealed. Folks like to be around a person who is willing to admit his or her vulnerability, asks for ideas, and can let others be in the spotlight.

I guess the quote and interpretation is a good guide to be the kind of leader I and many others dream to be.