Love

Wish I could see you

But you’re never seen

Wish I could touch you

But the answer is still the same

Wish I could smell you

But you’re hidden

Somewhere unknown

Maybe inside the heart

I don’t know

What I know is

You can only be felt

Because you’re invisible

To define you

Is a mystery

Just like life

But you’re still better

Because you’re eternal

And life is ephemeral

When you enter the heart of a man

You give birth to more invisible children

Compassion, Passion

Empathy, Honesty

Tolerance, Endurance

Courage and Hope

And because of you

Man is whole

For without you

Life is useless

-MOAB © 2015

Idea and Execution

Photo Credit: MSGT Dale Atkins (flickr.com)

Idea is cheap, it’s everywhere and we all have it. But most times, our ideas die in isolation when we’re daydreaming without taking action.

Execution is hard, expensive and it comes with a lot of sacrifices, and that’s why we rarely do it. On top of that, there are forces that make execution even harder than ever—fear, criticism, resistance, and other excuses.

But execution isn’t that hard as we might have thought before, it only requires the courage to act in spite of all odds. It doesn’t require you to have big and broad chest to do that. Just a single small step to show that you’re ready and act.

What are the ideas boiling down in your head right now? Write the darn thing down, take a small step towards it by knowing how to execute it, then repeat the process any time a new, fresh idea hit you.  An idea is powerless if it stays inside of you. You have to act to make it happen. Go!

-MOAB © 2015

Fear and The Rest of Us

Fear is real and natural. We are all afraid of something no matter how courageous we might claim to be. This is why we flinch when a blow or punch is feigned at us. We wanted to protect ourselves and be safe. Fear grips our minds for safety. But here’s the thing: great things don’t happen in safety zone. One has to move out, get hit, not once but many times in order to achieve greatness.

But fear is stubborn. You can’t fight it to a standstill, it’ll always be there. Apart from being part of us, it uses other people against us. People who are close to us.

Fear is contagious. I found a correlation in a prank video where people walking on the street suddenly duck for no reason, then other people walking alongside joined them. No one asked why these people ducked; they thought it’s better to duck because others did. They joined the train of fear because they wanted to be safe. This is how fear works, it becomes real when we see that others are afraid too.

There’s something interesting I saw in the prank video apart from the people who contracted fear from others. There were people who didn’t duck, who chose to be different, who were brave enough to look forward and realize that there was nothing to be afraid of, not because they’re strong or immune to fear but because they ignored the fear in others and move on.

This is what separates the doers from the dreamers. The doers have fears too but act anyway. But the dreamers have fears, but allow their fears to shrink them and that’s why they duck and hide. They wanted to be safe and live a pain-free life. Which one are you? The doers or the dreamers? Join the doers today, the courageous men who don’t care about the bullshit fear tells them. Go try whatever you’re afraid of today. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it just has to be done. Go!

-MOAB © 2015

Help Me Write a Book: One True Sentence

“One sentence is often all it takes to convey your truth. And each one of us has a sentence that we carry with us –whether it is a line from a novel, a verse of poetry, a song lyric, a personal mantra, words of wisdom from a loved one, or a simple string of words that bring you meaning. We take this “one true sentence” with us on our travels, drawing inspiration, motivation, and solace in times of trouble.”  –Amanda Festa

On the first day of this year, an idea struck me and I couldn’t help myself but to start this idea. It kept roaring in my head until I took the leap. This idea was simple but I was afraid to start because I might drop it at the middle of the ocean. I punched fear in the face and get started.

What’s this idea? It’s to write one true sentence every day. A sentence that comes from the heart and it must be less or not more than 125 characters.

Does this sound crazy? Absolutely. Is this idea new and fresh? Of course, not. But we can revive old things to become new and that’s called creativity.

I can’t do this all alone. Good things always involve other people in order to make it happen. And that’s why I need your help to spread this idea across and beyond my reach.

This is what I’m doing…for each true sentence, I’m writing the story behind it and why it came to being.

This is my first one true sentence that I wrote on January 1st:

Blessed are those who act on their good intentions. #1truesentence

I have written more till date…and still writing

Why am I doing this? It’s because I believe one true sentence can make a difference. And, of course, behind every one true sentence, there are long stories filled with reality, inspiration, life-changing nuggets, and empathy.

What are you going to do?

Write one true sentence that comes from the heart and it should be less or not more than 125 characters. Get yourself a journal, scribble it on paper, or post it on Facebook or on Twitter. Don’t forget to add the hashtag #1truesentence and let the idea spread like a virus.

Are you in? If yes, then let’s do this together. Because it’s not books that change people, it’s those one true sentences in books that touch lives and change people. Yours, too, can make a difference.

-MOAB © 2015

Age Has Never Been One of the Criteria of Creating Change

I once read a story about one courageous lad but I can’t remember the source. Here it goes:

A group of people visited a king to complain about the situation in their city. Among them were young and old folks. When they reached the king’s palace, none of them could speak. They were afraid that something might happen to them if they do. Then a young boy of 12 years old stood up, took the lead, and confronted the king.

The king told him to stay back and let the oldest among them to speak on their behalf. The young kid refused and said something like this: “If age was one of the criteria for choosing king, you won’t be the king now because there are people who are older, full of wisdom and experiences than you but they chose you.” When the king heard this, he was perplexed by the reality of this kid’s statement. He then allowed the kid to speak for the group.

You see, you’ve been lying to yourself and making invalid excuses that you’re not old enough to start something. Age has never been one of the criteria you need to start something or create something amazing, and it will never be. All you need is the confidence to start, the bravery to lead and the curiosity to ask good questions. What are you waiting for? Start now!

-MOAB © 2014

You Have No Excuse, Technology Has Made It a Lot Easier

I love this century for so many reasons. It’s the century of the “Silence Breakers.” I’m writing a book on this. Who are the “Silence Breakers?” The Silence Breakers are the people who are breaking away from mediocrity and moving to awesome. People who are challenging the status quo to create change.

Yes, this is our most beloved century because it’s made things easier than ever before. It’s in this century that you can change lives with just one click, it’s in this century that you can get paid while you’re sleeping (it sounds crazy, but it’s happening), it’s in this century that an unpopular, comical singer, and local elixir salesman becomes a star on Facebook. Why? Because technology has made it easier to spread one’s talent across the globe. It’s in this century that someone sits in his cubicle and calls for a poetry and photo contest, and become the talk of the country. Why? Because technology has made it easier to connect with like-minded folks.

So, what’s your excuse? You have no excuse because technology has made it a lot easier. Start something. Break your silence (self-doubt, fear, mediocrity) and go for awesome because you can do it and technology has made it easier for you. Stop eating that popcorn of excuses. Start now.
-MOAB © 2014

Why You Should Break Your Silence and Become Awesome

“Your silence will not protect you.” –Audre Lorde

There’s something that’s pushing you down to the bottom race. Have you ever asked yourself why you’re not doing what you should be doing? Maybe because you’re afraid of failure, of people’s comments, of being wrong, and of being blamed. Silence is the shackle that’s holding you back from being awesome. It keeps you safe, fit in with the status quo and you end up at the bottom. Break your silence, friend. Breaking your silence will take you places and open more ways to become awesome.

If you think that being silent will make you safe and fit in, you’re kidding yourself. Silence will never protect you. It’ll never take you places. It’ll never bring the change you’re craving. The people who are crazy enough to do what they believe in, people who challenge the status quo are the ones that are making a difference in the world. So why not join them? Why not break your silence and become awesome?

This is a clarion call to everyone who thinks they have something amazing to do, to make a difference, to create change, and become awesome. Don’t let fear win you. Don’t stay silent because silence will only make you stagnant.

Want to become awesome? Want to create change? Want to make a difference? Then break your silence.

What Does It Take to Be a Writer?

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” –Sylvia Plath

Is it a degree in Literature, English, or Creative writing? No. None of these degrees matter. You don’t even need to go for a writer’s surgery or take a writer’s pill (if there’s such thing) to become a writer. To be a writer—you only need to have the guts to write what others are thinking or imagine what others could be thinking and write it. That’s all you need to become a writer. Any other thing is just a plus. Got it? Good. Go now and write.

What Will You Make of This Moment?

 “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.”  –Eckhart Tolle

It’s true that this present moment will be gone and never come back again. That today will be gone and tomorrow will eventually become another today. But one day, everything will be gone and there’ll be no day left. The point here is not the continuation of days or the end of it, but what one has achieved or done in those days, those free present moments.

This is a hard lesson for me, because I’ve been stalling, getting stuck, and giving myself excuses that are not valid. I get stuck every time because I think there’s another day to do the work. There’s no abundant time at all. All I ever have is this present moment to do something that matters, to do good deeds, and make a difference in people’s lives. There’s no other time to start other than this present moment. If you think you’ll have this moment tomorrow, you’re kidding yourself.

So, stop stalling and start doing something right now. It doesn’t have to be something big as sometimes we get stuck thinking we have to do big things to make a difference, and we end up doing nothing at all. I know, for example, that I should be writing books, not updating Facebook status. I know, of course, that I should write more guest post and not reading more blogs. I get delight in thinking that there’s enough time, that there’s tomorrow, which has got me nowhere.  Not anymore.

You and I need to do things with urgency of this present moment. Good or bad, it doesn’t matter. Do it now or never. This present moment will never come again, take advantage of it. What’ll you do or make of this present moment?

-MOAB © 2014

Assumption: It Kills Our Creativity

Have you ever been to China before? I doubt it. But you surely have your assumptions based on some testimonies (media, movies, books, and people who have been there). And most times, our assumptions are not always true. We can never know a nation from books alone, or from people’s testimonies until we live there.

One of our assumptions about the Chinese is that majority or most of them are good at ping pong or many of them are Kung Fu masters. Chinese movies have spread the idea to us but the truth is, not all Chinese are good at ping pong, not all Chinese are Kung Fu masters.

What’s my proof? There are many Chinese in my class. Is my proof sufficient? Of course not. Here’s my own biased story: some weeks ago, it was an excursion week in my university. As monumental heritage students, our excursion was about exploring the 16th, 17th, and 18th century buildings (monuments) and how to preserve them for the future generations.

After so much work and sightseeing, we decided to have fun. There was a place to play ping pong. I love playing ping pong, but I’m not good at it. Because I know people who are far better at playing ping pong than I do. A Chinese friend got to the table first. He wanted to play with me. I was afraid to play with him, because, after all, he’s Chinese. He’s going to win, that’s my thought and other people’s thought. We were all wrong.

I won the first Chinese, then another one, then another one, until I played with all the Chinese around which I won all the games. Are you Chinese? “The Chinese students asked.” I smiled and said, “No.” They chanted you must be Chinese for you to be good at ping pong. They had their own assumptions, too. And in reality, they were wrong.

Most times, it’s not where you were born that makes you great or good at something; it’s the belief that you can do it that makes people great. It’s not your color, genes, language, or body, but will and passion. After many conversations with my Chinese friends, I found out that not all of them love Kong Fu, not all of them love ping pong or other famous activities ascribed to the Chinese alone. They have their different passions and that’s why they’re not good at playing ping pong. Your passion defines you and not your family background. Break the shackle that’s holding you back from greatness and, start doing and investing on your passion. Start now!

-MOAB © 2014