Cate's Chronicles

I am not a good dancer although I wished I was.   I don’t play any sports although I wished I can.   I wanted to join the cheering squad but it was not my forte.   Every single year, my struggle in being an honor student was…my grade in P.E. I was thin.   I was sickly.   I had asthma.   Believe me, I tried but it just won’t happen for me.   On my 4 th year in High School, I wanted my father to see me go up the stage with honors.   He deserves that and more for the sleepless nights he spent creating SALN’s to send us to the best school in town.   I know that my grade in P.E. will be a challenge again.   On one stormy day, I saw my P.E. teacher walking right outside the gate of the school.   My impulse said she needed help.   I told her,” Where do you live?   Can I give you a ride?”   She told me in almost a decade of being a P.E. teacher here, you are my only student who offered to give me a ride. ...

I started my weekly piano lessons when I was seven.   It was my passion.   My lesson is scheduled for one hour but I wanted more.   One hour was not enough.   I would ask my dad if he can pay my teacher more so that I can have a two hour session and he graciously granted. Initially, I wanted to be a virtuoso because music transported me to a different planet.   As my grade school music teacher Mrs. Mildred Gemperoso would say, Music is the panacea for all woes.   I felt relaxed each time, I had my own mini recital at home.   I would play nonstop all of the pieces I knew from Chopin, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and pop music. Later on, I realized that this could be my bread and butter.   After giving birth to my first son, I was jobless.   I put up a streamer stating: Piano Lessons and our phone number.   I had more than 20 students that summer.   I earned more compared to being employed.   I was able to buy the nee...

1. Trust is a VERB not just a noun. It is ACTIONABLE. 2. SPEED of TRUST - When there's a trusting relationship there's faster movement, great results. Low trust slows down results. 3.You can behave yourself out of a problem you behaved yourself into. 4. Self trust is very important. If you don't trust yourself people know. They feel what you think. 5. If you say something, do it. You snooze, you lose. 6. Show loyalty. Speak to people as if they are present. 7. Get better. Attend retreats, read, learn and apply. 8. Don't make FAKE commitments by saying: "Let's see, Will try, I don't know, I'm not sure but will see..." 9. EXPRESS vs. SUPPRESS - Speak up, share your thoughts.  People who suppress their thoughts and emotions tend to be unhealthy and suffer from hypertension. 10. What it means to you is what is stressing you not the person or the action. # VXIHEARTOFALEADER

1. We move forward together if we have agreed values. - Mica Tan: CEO MFT 2. Marry well so you can take off. - Iris Baguilat: President Doehle Seafront Crewing 3. Engagement is about an emotional commitment an employee has to the org and its goals. - Iris Baguilat 4. Turning off the faucet when the water is unclear will bring fresh water over time. - Berna Romulo Puyat: DOT Secretary 5. Best sellers are single mothers. Best workers are women who can handle pain. - Grace Granlund: President and CEO GetMorePh 6. Motherhood is a consistent guilt trip. Don't beat yourself up. Focus on one thing at a time. - Grace Granlund 7. Baby steps build the brave. - Jana Stansfield: Inspirational Singer, performed in Oprah, Entertainment Tonight, etc. 8. Psychological safety is the top element in building an effective team. - Rebecca Morgan: Bestselling Author: Leadership Lessons from the Silicon Valley 9. Work hard for something that you incredibly care about. - Ly...

1. If you want to be on top you have to push yourself like hell. 2. You can achieve balance even if you are a little tilted. Anyone who does Pilates knows that. 3. Be community builders instead of having a culture of crab mentality. 4. Find what you are good at (not your passion) and be the best at it. 5. Find good people, keep them close. 6. Men should be allies who share the workload at home. I do the laundry this week, your turn next. I do the dishes for lunch, your turn for dinner. 7. Never accept things as is. Challenge the norms. 8. Absolutely NO tolerance on harassment. 9. The phenomenon of a perfect mom is a myth and should be obsolete. There are so many expectations from us, just do what you can. You get tired, stop, rest, get up and try again. 10. Find your ONE word EQUITY. hashtag # Balanceforbetter

1. Punctual- Tour guide arrived 30 minutes earlier than the call time. Train schedules are accurate. If departure time is 7:02, there's no delay. They respect each other's time. 2. Polite - They bow to greet. They always respond with respect. They always say thank you - Arigato Gozaimasu. 3. Helpful - There's a language barrier. They barely speak English. Even if they can't give clear answers to questions or give directions about where you are going they would usually just accompany you instead and show you the way. 4. Grateful - They usually ask where tourists are from and you hear a genuine and heartfelt response of ”Thank you for visiting our country.” 5. Accountable - You don't see a lot of trash cans in public places. Why? You are supposed to bring your garbage with you. Own it. Dispose it when you get home. 6. Independent - You see 4 year old pre-schoolers riding the train on their own. Talk about training them early. At the same t...