Given 5 minutes to introduce yourself; can you use it all up?
Life aside from work and career, do you have other worth mentioning or can be proud of things to recall?
A friend was sent to the US by the company for training, when he returned, it was like he was transformed into another person. He was always happy, full of life, very different from the person before the trip who was always in a bad mood, eyebrows were always drawn together in a frown, a totally different person we are seeing now. His change had made everyone curious on what had made the transformation.
A colleague/friend was tasked to ask him out for lunch, to ask what had happened, what started the change as everyone is extremely curious.
He recounted the story when they arrived in the US for the training, the company had hired a bus to fetch them and bring all of them to a hotel situated in the middle of the forest/mountain. They were allowed to do anything – eating, drinking, sleeping, anything except going out. They have to stay indoors and attend class.
On the first day, the teacher asked them to introduce themselves for 5 minutes. He thought it was very easy, but once up, he had finished introducing himself for a full 2 minutes – talked about his degree, the title in his name card, family and staff. He can’t think of anything to talk about for the remaining 3 minutes! Then the teacher asked him , ‘Do your life experiences cannot fill up the 5mins time?’ He was shocked and panicky, thinking suddenly ‘oh my! I’m almost 50 yrs of age, I can’t even talk about myself for a full 5 minutes?! But I really can’t think of anything worthy to discuss in class!
All his life, what he value most is his work and career, but these people came from the same company that he works with, also assuming high positions in the organization. So whatever he’d been doing in the company, it will not be far from what they are doing, so what is there to talk about? Apart from work, there’s nothing else worthwhile to share.
So he answered the teacher back ‘there’s really nothing else to say’. Then the teacher ask him in return, ‘when you were a boy, what was your ambition? Your goal?’
He thought for a minute, then answered ‘ to be a national basketball player’ because his father used to have a very valuable booklet, with 1940s basketball tournaments’ clippings. Seeing his father’s fondness on basketball, he resolved to be a national basketball player, winning tournaments for his country. But of course, being athletic is one thing, but becoming a well-rounded athlete is another thing. He didn’t make it, but he is still fond of basketball, just too busy with work so it’s been a while since he’d last play ball. His son was always begging him to play but he just can’t find the time.
Then the teacher asked him to talk about his son, from the time he was born up to the present. While he ponders on this, he just remembered his son when he was born, when he entered first grade, then it’s all a blur – he felt like it was fast-tracked and now, his son is already in senior high school. He can’t remember much about the mid-part (the past 10 years), it’s like a blank recollection.
Eventually, the teacher said ‘then do you wish that after you die, there’s nothing to be put in your tombstone except the year, month and date?’
He was shocked beyond words again, because he suddenly realized that he had led a worthless life after all.
He began to understand his life’s priorities are wrong, and he can’t set the time back. These people sitting here, wearing coat and tie, enjoying the luxury of air-conditioned room, these wealthy people, on the surface they look successful, but if you remove their name card, they are left with nothing at all.
Life’s significance is mind and heart’s abundance, and these can be found in the concern, care and offering we give to others. And he is very poor in these aspects. He wasn’t even able to take good care of his family, the people around him… the lessons he learned served as a wake-up call.
That’s why when he returned to the country, he started to bring some unfinished work to home, finds time to be with and eat with his family as often as possible. After dinner, he also accompanies his wife to take a walk around their place for an hour, then afterwards, he will retire to his library and finish his pending works.
On weekends, he is sure to accompany his son to play basketball, while on Sundays, the whole family will go to his mom’s (grandma) place to buy groceries and clean the house so that his younger brother and sister can rest for a day. He said his work did not diminish, but life is fuller now. His family’s attitude towards him has improved a lot, so is his moods.
After sharing, everybody got a thoughtful look, reflecting inwardly of their own life.
Ang nabasa mong article ay nakita ko lang sa Facebook. Na-inspire ako kaya naisipan kong ishare sa inyo. I hope you liked it. 
