Today's TLA is TPL
The Personal Legend.
When I first came to this country almost 19 years ago, I had a very difficult time speaking English (with a Southern California accent, dude it was rough), writing English (I still suck, but I am working on it with these blog thingies) and reading English. It is a bit odd, because the primary language taught in the Philippine educational system was English. So its not like I didn't know the language. I still have a very high respect for the Philippine education system. I left the Philippine system after the 1st grade and I was coming in with at least a 3rd grade US reading rate. The US elementary school wanted me to be in 2nd grade, but instead I passed a test and the teachers and principal put me in 3rd grade.
I attended Saint Dominic Elementary School in Eagle Rock, California. I was in Mrs. Ruck's 3B class. Maybe at that time I didn't like reading, or maybe I was just a slow reader, but perhaps I felt discouraged when I came to this country with regards to reading. Mrs. Ruck used to have a reading chart where everyone could see the progress of your peers via happy faced stickers and golden stars, with regards to how many books he or she have read throughout the course of the year. The girls always had at least 50-70 (3rd-4th grade-level) books read. And I, the 7 year old Filipino FOB, who at the time spoke English with a thick Tagalog accent and probably thought and read in Tagalog first, rather than English, painstakingly managed to only obtain 10 happy faces/golden stars.
I still probably carry low confidence and insecurity with my English reading abilities from having inadequate happy faces/golden stars. I should grow up and let that baggage go. Life is not about the quantity of happy faces/golden stars, rather the quality of your accolades/happy faces/golden stars which you give to and receive from family, peers, teachers, coworkers, friends, strangers, and God. What is really interesting is now I really enjoy books. Books give you knowledge, understanding, inspiration, and insight about the human imagination, human purpose, human experience, and human existence.
Continuing with this humanity theme, last night I read "The Alchemist", by Pablo Coelho. In it he talks about everyone's Personal Legend. The following is a quotation refers to this idea of a Personal Legend.
"It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone when they are young knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point their lives, everything is clear, and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend."
-"The Alchemist" by Coelho
I really like this book. Coelho reveals that each person must seek out his or her own Personal Legend. When you are young the Personal Legend is infinitely possible, but when you are older something convinces you that it is infinitely impossible. Coelho uses the main character Santiago to experience what a particular Personal Legend can be. Santiago did not have to (but it sure enhanced and learned a lot about his Personal Legend) leave his sheep, become a crystal merchant, travel across the African desert, or go to the Pyramids to find his Personal Legend. It was inside him all along. Anyways, here is another interesting quotation.
"If someone isn't what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own."
-"The Alchemist" by Coelho
Another profoundly interesting claim. A lot of other people (family,teachers, counselors, friends, peers, managers) have an opinion on what you should be, do we ever really ask ourselves what we want to be? That is a very perceptive and interesting sentence. Personally, after 19 years in this country, I am still trying to figure out what I want to be and where to make my stake in human history. All I know is I want to be better and do something with a great deal of enthusiasm, love, and purpose.
Anyways, I hope I made Mrs. Ruck very proud, because I just read "The Alchemist" in one night. Also here is a list of books I have read in 2k4 and 2k5. I hope she gives me at least 10 happy faces/golden stars.
1. On the Road
2. Purpose Driven Life
3. The Four Agreements
4. Who moved my cheese?
5. The Alchemist
6. Tuesdays with Morrie
7. Fredrico Garcia Lorca's selected book of poems.
8. Pablo Neruda's selected book of poems.
9. The Motorcycle Diaries
10. Louis Borges' selected book of poems.
Enjoy,
Jonathan
The Personal Legend.
When I first came to this country almost 19 years ago, I had a very difficult time speaking English (with a Southern California accent, dude it was rough), writing English (I still suck, but I am working on it with these blog thingies) and reading English. It is a bit odd, because the primary language taught in the Philippine educational system was English. So its not like I didn't know the language. I still have a very high respect for the Philippine education system. I left the Philippine system after the 1st grade and I was coming in with at least a 3rd grade US reading rate. The US elementary school wanted me to be in 2nd grade, but instead I passed a test and the teachers and principal put me in 3rd grade.
I attended Saint Dominic Elementary School in Eagle Rock, California. I was in Mrs. Ruck's 3B class. Maybe at that time I didn't like reading, or maybe I was just a slow reader, but perhaps I felt discouraged when I came to this country with regards to reading. Mrs. Ruck used to have a reading chart where everyone could see the progress of your peers via happy faced stickers and golden stars, with regards to how many books he or she have read throughout the course of the year. The girls always had at least 50-70 (3rd-4th grade-level) books read. And I, the 7 year old Filipino FOB, who at the time spoke English with a thick Tagalog accent and probably thought and read in Tagalog first, rather than English, painstakingly managed to only obtain 10 happy faces/golden stars.
I still probably carry low confidence and insecurity with my English reading abilities from having inadequate happy faces/golden stars. I should grow up and let that baggage go. Life is not about the quantity of happy faces/golden stars, rather the quality of your accolades/happy faces/golden stars which you give to and receive from family, peers, teachers, coworkers, friends, strangers, and God. What is really interesting is now I really enjoy books. Books give you knowledge, understanding, inspiration, and insight about the human imagination, human purpose, human experience, and human existence.
Continuing with this humanity theme, last night I read "The Alchemist", by Pablo Coelho. In it he talks about everyone's Personal Legend. The following is a quotation refers to this idea of a Personal Legend.
"It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone when they are young knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point their lives, everything is clear, and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend."
-"The Alchemist" by Coelho
I really like this book. Coelho reveals that each person must seek out his or her own Personal Legend. When you are young the Personal Legend is infinitely possible, but when you are older something convinces you that it is infinitely impossible. Coelho uses the main character Santiago to experience what a particular Personal Legend can be. Santiago did not have to (but it sure enhanced and learned a lot about his Personal Legend) leave his sheep, become a crystal merchant, travel across the African desert, or go to the Pyramids to find his Personal Legend. It was inside him all along. Anyways, here is another interesting quotation.
"If someone isn't what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own."
-"The Alchemist" by Coelho
Another profoundly interesting claim. A lot of other people (family,teachers, counselors, friends, peers, managers) have an opinion on what you should be, do we ever really ask ourselves what we want to be? That is a very perceptive and interesting sentence. Personally, after 19 years in this country, I am still trying to figure out what I want to be and where to make my stake in human history. All I know is I want to be better and do something with a great deal of enthusiasm, love, and purpose.
Anyways, I hope I made Mrs. Ruck very proud, because I just read "The Alchemist" in one night. Also here is a list of books I have read in 2k4 and 2k5. I hope she gives me at least 10 happy faces/golden stars.
1. On the Road
2. Purpose Driven Life
3. The Four Agreements
4. Who moved my cheese?
5. The Alchemist
6. Tuesdays with Morrie
7. Fredrico Garcia Lorca's selected book of poems.
8. Pablo Neruda's selected book of poems.
9. The Motorcycle Diaries
10. Louis Borges' selected book of poems.
Enjoy,
Jonathan
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