Tuesday, January 16, 2007
{trying to find the principles in inconsistencies}
one important lesson i've learned in law is this: procedure matters. no matter how great your argument or how valid your cause of action is substantially, if the procedure followed is wrong, then the court can dismiss your case. in the same way, there is both procedural and substantive due process, both of which are of equal importance (i am reluctant to discuss the aforementioned further since i don't think i have the authority to do such). the point i'm trying to drive at is that there should be unity of both the substance and the procedure. or in real terms, unity of means and the ends/merits/motivations/howsoever one chooses to phrase it. in one word: integrity. another word: consistency.
ok, so maybe i'm engaging in a bit of conceptual over-stretching (or however you would term it), but you get the picture, right? or maybe i'm just being my usual malabo self again. hahaha. but seriously, i've been trying to reconcile many things lately. i just cannot seem to do so. and truth be told, i'm getting frustrated. it seems that lately, the mind set of some people is along the lines of the Macchiavellian "end justifies the means." as long as the goal is attained at the end, who cares about how you got there?
i do not agree. not one bit.
and i'm bothered. not because i don't agree but because i seem to be the only one who is.
Posted by arianne at 11:37 PM
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
{be good anyway}
i don't know what it is with me but i've always had a relatively easy time forgiving. my mind set is this: if you're ever in a bad situation but you're still not cursing and your whole world isn't yet falling apart, things are still good. move on. prove you're the better woman (or man) or come to think of it, you don't even have to prove that you're better, you simply have to be good regardless of whether or not its reciprocal. simple as that. i guess it's sometimes easier said than done. after all, we're only human and you cannot blame us for hurt feelings harbored after something bad happens or someone does something bad to us. i apologize for being malabo. allow me to elucidate further...
imagine this situation: A and B are good friends. B does something mean to A. A, understandably, gets hurt and harbors ill feelings towards B. at the end of the day, no matter how mean and bad and vile B is (or rather what B did as i don't believe there are bad people, just people who do not so nice things), the net loser is A. why? because while B probably moved on (unless B has a really guilty conscience which apparently isn't the case with most people), A is still clinging on to what happened with B. A becomes bitter. A may even become mean. tis sad. unfair, even because A didn't do anything wrong then suddenly has to shoulder the heavy burden of being angry at someone.
but hey, that's life. and human nature, even. but i figure, if you didn't do anything wrong or you were the wronged party, why burden yourself? just because people are mean to you doesn't mean you have to be mean back. similarly, if strongly believe you're doing the right thing but it just so happens that everyone around you isn't, there's no reason for you to stop and automatically distrust everyone and assume all they do they do in bad faith. do the right thing anyway. because at the end of the day, people are who they are. if they do bad things, then they'll have to live with themselves and the consequences of their actions.
back to the same premise: A and B are good friends. B does something bad to A. this time, A forgives B, moves on, lives a happy life. B, on the other hand is still a jerk wherever he (or she...para equal protection...go consti!) goes unless B reforms. people will recognize that. sorry nalang siya.
when life throws you lemons, make lemonade. it IS a constant struggle to always look at (and for) the bright side of life and overcome difficult situations, but it is rewarding. and much more relaxing. and better for your skin. hehehe! :) PLUS there is the added bonus of knowing you're doing what you think is the right thing to do. talk about win-win situation. :)
why did i post this? hehehe, that's for me to know. in any case, i think this applies to a myriad of situations. politics. friendships. life in general. :)
Posted by arianne at 7:23 PM
Friday, January 05, 2007
{because i'm a high disclosure type of person...}
... i'll post my resolutions (no particular hierarchy unless otherwise indicated). just following the lead of some of my other friends. :)
short-term must dos:
1. finally complete the puzzle cube (or whatever you call it) (note: i completed it FINALLLY this morning. woohoo! when i sent a text message to my parents to tell them that i finally did something i was slaving [hehe] over during the break, my dad replied with "glue it together." hahaha!)
2. re-start taking muay thai (i start tomorrow! woohoo!)
3. learn ballroom dancing (i started today before game night...hehe!)
4. continue italian (we resume next week), german, french, and spanish (over the summer, i'll find the time)
5. beat my younger brother in chess (sana nga...hehe!)
6. re-learn how to play the piano or learn another instrument (can't wait til summer!)
7. learn how to mould/sculpt (haha..new obsession to be, i think... ang feeling ko, i don't have a single artistic bone in my body..hehe!)
8. get over my ______-fear ('nuff said)
9. forgive myself and stop putting myself down (i've realized that oftentimes, i am my own worst enemy. i remember my "problem" before graduation last year... i was the only one who bet against myself. so NOT a good practice so for that, i've decided that everytime i put myself down, i will have to compensate)
10. stop thinking i'm being "haunted" by ____ ______. i'll just let him be my inspiration and leave it at that.
11. give myself a chance. (i figured that i keep focusing on my shortcomings. i'm going to try to NOT focus on them and just go, go, go and do my own thing in the best way i possibly can)
12. be more patient, disciplined, understanding, and nice.
13. don't let little irritations or bad events get me down (as i've always believed, as long as i'm not cursing, things are still ok)
14. figure out if law is really for me.
15. make every day His day.
16. finish the (literally..hehe) ton of books i've been planning to read since time immemorial.
17. find a worthwhile cause.
18. develop less-pasaway study habits.
19. become more productive.
20. live a healthier lifestyle
21. reduce my personal carbon emission to help combat against global warming (hehe, was inspired by an inconvenient truth)
long-term:
1. get my master's degree
2. find something i love to do and feel very passionate about and stick with it.
3. graduate from law school and pass the bar (assuming law is really for me(
4. reform the country's electoral system (or at least attempt to since tis really a tall order)
5. work with an NGO (either human rights-related or electoral/policy-reform)
6. travel the world (especially Cambodia and rest of Southeast Asia, Africa, the UK, Greece, Turkey, etc.)
7. end poverty (hehe..been reading a book my blockmate dianne gave me [thanks, dianne!] entitled the end of poverty by jeffrey sachs..very awe-inspiring) or at least help combat it.
8. develop some semblance of self-confidence.
it's only been a few days into the year and i'm very happy. i hope this keeps up. :)
oh yeah, i absolutely LOVE game nights! just had one with my blockmates. can't wait til the next! :)
Posted by arianne at 12:22 AM
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
{happy new year! :)}
From In Memoriam AHH by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
CVI.
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
Here's looking forward to a wonderful 2007 ahead!!! :)
Speaking of wonderful, check out a bunnyfied 30-second version of It's a Wonderful Life here. So cute! :)
Posted by arianne at 12:23 AM