Men in Progress | April 2015

In This Issue:

The Builder Prioritize to Make Time

Real Men Loving Time

You’re the Man! When Time Slowed Down Gadgets & Gizmos Extreme Sports, Extreme Faith The Gym Breathe In, Breathe Out

The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.

— C. S. Lewis

The Builder

Prioritize To Make Time

by Revodem Avarientos

T

ime management is a question of priorities. We make time for what we value. Every one of us is given the same amount of time every day.

How we spend it depends on how we rank the things we do from the most important to the least. To effectively utilize my time, I need to prioritize what I value the most. Below are my priorities ranked according to their importance in my life.

1. God – Let Him control your day. Spending time with God through prayer and reading His Word puts everything into the right perspective.

2. Spouse/Family – Next to God, is my wife, the most important person in my life, and then my children. As the head of my family, their concern is my concern.

3. My Job – Recently, I learned that my work at the office is a God given ministry. It is not just a place where I earn money to provide for my family. It is also a place where I can dramatically make a difference for God by sharing Jesus with my colleagues.

4. Ministry - Church Ministry is also an important part of my life because this is where I learn and grow with my brothers and sisters in faith. It is the place where I serve the body of Christ.

5. Friends/Others - It is also important to invest time with friends and other people. Having friends has made my life enjoyable and meaningful.

What about me? Me- the one person I didn’t rank. Here’s my personal “like-to-do” list: Rest, ‘Me Time’, Exercise, Learning new stuff. By prioritizing, we maximize time, thus, we become more efficient.

Here’s an analogy of an empty glass jar. The empty jar is our 24-hour day. First, fill the jar with golf balls: these represent the important things in our life- God, family, work etc. Then fill with pebbles the spaces in between the golf balls: representing time with friends, outings, etc. Lastly, we can put fine grains of sand between the spaces of the pebbles: That’s time for myself, like reading a good book, and sports. Remember: Put in the big stuff first, the most important, otherwise, they won’t fit.

Real Men

Loving Time

by Joshua T. Kho

Mr. Emer B. Tria is the Regional Manager for Marketing in Mindanao of Unilab Philippines. Being in the industry for almost 26 years, he handles teams that make sure quality medicine is provided to our countrymen. He lives with his wife and three daughters in CDO and is an active member of his church. o love time, is to love life. Time management (TM) is the skill we can use to make the most out of our lives. Without it our days and lives would just go by unplanned and unproductive.

Thus, I’m thrilled to have had the privilege to interview someone whom I think should be knowledgeable at TM. He’s a regional manager of his top company, so he should somehow be able to manage his time properly - right?

Enough speculations, let’s get started.

T

How do you rank TM as an essential manager’s skill?

“Nasa top three yan, it’s a big factor in order to deliver what’s expected of you as a manager.

You have to divide your time with your bosses, partners, clients, customers, and most of all to divide my time, unang-una sa Panginoon and my family.” “Napaka-importante ng TM, it will help you grow as a person, and at the same time it can help you achieve your goals.”

Was there a time you struggled with TM?

“Actually everyday is a struggle in terms of TM, even now. You can have a routine job, but it doesn’t stop there, anytime of the day pwedeng may bagong ibibigay sa’yo na task and you need to adjust using TM. The more responsibilities you have the more you need to manage your time.”

What happens when you are having a hard time managing your time?

“Palagi akong stressed, mainit ulo ko, high blood. Minsan nagkaka-sakit ako, marami ako nakakalimutan, una yung time ko sa Panginoon nagsa-suffer, pangalawa yung time ko sa family.

Minsan nagiging priority ko trabaho ko, kasi yun ang means of income ko at nakakalimutan ko na itong mga blessing na ito ay galing sa Panginoon.

Dahil walang TM nakakain nung trabaho, yung time ko sa iba.”

“Was there a time you directly achieved something positive with good TM?”

“Sa career nung nag- Yolanda, na-assign ako as ground commander to make sure that all

Mr. Emer Tria and family.

Unilab employees are evacuated at the earliest time possible, kasi nagugutom na at nagkakagulo na mga tao sa Tacloban. We immediately hired vans and I emailed to them the schedule, day 1, day 2, and so on, at ano yung mga gagawin. In the end, nailabas namin sila ng maayos at walang casualty, at hindi nagtagal,… and because of that kahit supporting role lang ako, I was recognized as one of the key persons dun sa rescue, nabigyan ako ng parangal sa company.

“Sa family naman… I focus on quality. I make sure nakakapag-usap kami mag-anak and bawat anak ko nakaka-usap ko one on one. You make the best out of your time.”

What TM principle is very important to you?

I was expecting he would say things like, consistency, perseverance, or commitment.

What he said was really profound and truly inspiring.

“Sa totoo lang…pag nagkaka-problema ako sa oras, lalo na kapag related sa quota, Zpinagprapray ko muna. ‘Lord give me wisdom, anong uunahin ko?’ Kasi dati kung ano maisip ko yun na agad ginagawa ko.” “My priority is the Lord, ‘ ”Lahat ng tinuturo N’ya hindi ako nagkaka-mali ng decision.“ “Dati dedication key principle ko. Give your best shot…kilala ako sa company as one of the most dedicated and passionate employee.

‘Noong una, ‘yan ang nagdala sa akin sa career ko, pero ngayon, kaya hindi ako stressed-out kasi I seek yung Panginoon, yung wisdom nya.

‘Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…’”

You’re The Man!

When Time Slowed Down by Alvin Eleazar Tud I have always admired nature— mountains, forests, and flowers. A few weeks ago, I was looking down on such a scene of nature. The building where we were staying, built on a mountainside, had a panoramic view of magnificent sunrises and the colorful valley. Awestruck by the variety of colors and the serenity of the place, time, momentarily, slowed down for me. There, I whispered a prayer to God for my tasks, and my future, believing that my prayers will be answered in His time.

From the ancient philosophers, to the modern scientists, time has baffled man.

How do we describe time? The Bible tells us important principles about time. Here’s some: First, God is the Author of time. God is Eternal (Genesis 21:33). He is beyond time.

He is called The First and Last (Revelation 22:13). He created the universe and time.

He does not change, like the changing time and seasons (Malachi 3:6). He remains the same in power, wisdom, and love. As Creator, we will be accountable to Him on how we use our given time.

Second, there is a time for everything.

King Solomon, said that life on earth has its times and seasons-- is a time to be born and die, to tear and build, to mourn and dance, and so on. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) God has not given us the ability to know eternity, but He has given us the gift of time. We must understand our season in life so we can respond accordingly. Partnering with God, will give us the wisdom to live life fully and beautifully.

Third, use time wisely (Ephesians 5:15-16a). Life is short. We must invest our days on what really matters. Taking time to spend it on things that is eternal— relationship with God and people, caring for our soul, and the sharing of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

What time is it? It’s time to slow down and re-evaluate.

Gadgets & Gizmos

Extreme Sports, Extreme Faith

by AM Bernal-Dela Rosa

I

n the death-defying world of motorsports, you have to be certain of something aside from your next move or your machine: your faith.

For Sam Tamayo, a national motocross champ, his passion for the sport revved up when he was 12. “Having a competitive nature, I trained and gave myself room to improve everyday.” Soon, he was part of a national team and winning championships around the country.

However, Tamayo’s career came to a halt twice: first, after his dad passed away in 1998, and then, four years later, when the national motocross industry came to a “lockout”.

His passion then shifted to his family and ministry duties.

Seven years later, Tamayo went back to motocross. In 2012, Tamayo with his two brothers opened MX Messiah Fairgrounds (MMF) in Taytay, Rizal with a double purpose.

First, is their mission of uniting the sport of motocross in the country; second, they want to see “Filipino Youth, become world-class extreme sport athletes competing to bring honor and glory to both God and country.”

Tamayo holds a worship service at the racetrack every Sunday morning and before every race day starts. During invitational races and tournaments, thousands of spectators flock to MMF, and have a chance to hear the Gospel. “That is the ‘backbone’ of why I am here (in this sport),” said the 35-year-old husband and father of twin boys. He lives by 1 Corinthians 9 in his ministry as pastor anywhere he goes—becoming all things to everyone to share the Gospel, and serving the Lord with all one’s heart.

The Gym

Breathe In, Breathe Out

by Nathan Maliwat

M

ost people take short and quick breaths, filling only about a fourth of the lungs.

Observe your shoulders as you breathe. If your shoulders rise and your abdomen goes in as you breathe, you are breathing in a shallow manner.

Why is shallow breathing bad? Quick, short breaths take more energy from the heart resulting to oxygen getting used up fast. We also fail to use the lungs’ full capacity. Stale air stays longer in the body and so do toxins. Without enough oxygen, cells are starved and do not function at their best.

Our metabolism slows down leading to slow food break down and weight gain. Shallow breathing also leads to feeling of anxiety and lack of control.

How can you learn to breathe deeply? Start by having the right posture. Avoid slouching or stooping as this posture squeezes the lungs tight.

On average, the normal human lungs can take as much as two gallons of air. But normally we only take in about two to three pints of air. The basic ‘stomach in, chest out’ is a good position for breathing because the lungs are expanded and the muscles supporting the rib cage are free to move. As you breathe through the abdomen, the core muscles are activated, helping you to stand tall. When you breathe poorly, the muscles around your neck and shoulder are strained, causing you to stoop down.

Deep breathing requires awareness of the air coming in and out of the body. You can check this by putting your hand on your abdomen.

Your hand should slowly rise as you inhale. Try holding your breath for a few seconds before exhaling. Then, feel the air as it passes from your lungs to your nose. As you draw breath, make sure to fill the lower parts of the lung first. With regular practice, deep breathing can be habitual and automatic. Before you know it, you begin to be calmer, more relaxed, energetic and stronger.

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