The Randy Dellosa Company

Individualism and Teamwork

This entry is about teamwork and the need for self-fulfillment. On the one hand, we want to prove to ourselves and to others that we can carry our burdens and meet our responsibilities. On the other hand, we have to return to the idea that it takes an entire team to accomplish the goal set before us. We are not experts at everything. Everyone has something to contribute. One might be an expert in numbers. Another might be an expert in decision-making. But what if there are no available experts for a particular task? Or what if people are disinterested, unmotivated, or desiccated? Furthermore, in an uncompromising environment, members will be at a standstill. Tensions arise and frustrations mount. Someone might end up breaking down and productivity is rapidly replaced by damage control.

What is the solution? Is there even a solution? A team with clear roles and functions might be able to get through these situations. What does it take to arrive at a team with clear roles and functions? Iteration. Systems might not work out perfectly at the start. What matters is that members of the team regularly meet to discuss what works and what does not work. Regular sessions solely dedicated to obtaining suggestions and recommendations related to operation may be set. It is important to note that even by just talking about one’s duties and responsibilities, a lot of the stress and tension can be relieved. Of course, these sessions have to be conducted properly. A diplomatic person should be assigned to moderate these discussions.

Photo by Dylan Gillis

At the Plane of Stars

The Overview Effect is popularly known as a shift in perspective wherein things that mattered a whole lot seem shallow all of a sudden. Several examples might include once feeling extremely passionate about love to becoming more temperate, once feeling the need for immediate revenge to letting things run a fairer trial, once caring about stock portfolios to absolutely not caring at all in the end, etc. Attributed to what astronauts experienced upon returning home to Earth, the overview effect is a realization and appreciation of how small we humans are compared to the vastness of the universe. We might come to realize how shallow our conflicts are or how shallow our pursuits have become. As contrasted to hedonism, or the pursuit of ultimate pleasure, the overview effect might cause us to seek something else in life.

Of course, very few people become astronauts, leaving and returning to planet Earth. Fortunately, several practices lead to similar outcomes, such as gratitude, mindfulness, hypnotherapy, meditation, yoga, prayer, etc. The best way to make use of these is to find an expert or teacher. Although we can begin our journeys on our own, eventually we might see the need for further enlightenment. Who knows? Maybe we might discover a thing or two about ourselves and the universe.

Photo by Tobias Kebernik

On the Value of Childhood

Childhood is incredibly complex, as if a slight tap would send a child developing wholly different sets of interests, attitudes, and behaviors, and then have the parents blamed for the development. This has a grain of truth to it. How big is that grain? Who knows? What’s essential to recognize is that children need room or space to grow. While not unique to the Philippines, the problem is that families are cramped together in shanties, those with corrugated or rubber roofs. Thereon, these spaces must be safe, meaning no crimes or whatnot.

Now, some people think that exposing children to the realities of life would allow them to survive in the world—it becomes a duty, even. But how does one go about doing this? Do we simply show our children the gruesome and horrible deeds that people have done throughout history? The trick is to have a theme that answers why you’re teaching your children what you are teaching them. You can teach them about bargaining and how to get the best deals, how to properly talk to the higher-ups, and how to treat his or her girlfriend or boyfriend among others, all with the idea of how to live decently in mind.

The difference is that you aim your child to grow up decently and be able to handle the challenges the world will throw at them, as compared to no aim at all, as if the child will figure out for his or herself what to do with the horrors of the world.

Photo by Robert Collins

Elation and Joy

Said to be expressed by laughter and smiles, happiness is a positive emotion most of us are familiar with. An ounce of it is said to cure the most severe of illnesses. When do we feel happy? When do you feel happy? Do you feel happy being with your loved ones? With your partner? With your children? What about when you win a competition? It’s important to recognize what makes us happy, as we take some of the little things for granted. This can be done through gratitude journaling, writing short notes of appreciation and then placing these notes in a private collection, creating a list of events that make us happy, etc.

By doing this, we gain a better understanding of ourselves. If we do not feel happy when the same event happens to us, and since we took note of the even and remember when it made us happy before, we can begin to consider what has changed either with us or with the new situation. By taking note of the times we felt happy, of what occurred, and of who were present, we can construct an emotional journey. Where are we headed emotionally? Why? What happened?

It is important to note that the end of this is to become happier. This is because by constantly writing about ourselves, we might fall into our own traps and become self-absorbed. This means that we might end up feeling more sad or depressed. This means that while we can take note of happiness frequently, it might be better to go back to these notes less frequently. Nonetheless, going back to our notes of happiness is better than going back to nothing.

Photo by Matt Howard