When my husband and I decided to homeschool our children, I have this Big Question on my mind...Am I doing The Right thing? Then I began to get interested with people who are being homeschooled and I found so many famous persons out of curiosity. Da Vinci was one of them, Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell the two most famous inventors of all time. But little did we know that most of the successful individuals nowadays are mostly homeschooler because they drop out of school at an early age. With the coming of information age, a lot of successful personality in their chosen field started to affirm the public that school was necessary, but it was not the biggest factor to consider to be successful in your chosen career. Before this I posted videos about the speech of Steve Jobs in one of the prestigious university in the United States well no one doesn't know who Steve Jobs was I supposed CLICK HERE if you want to watch it. And recently Bill Gates gave a speech to all the High School Graduating class about the 11 Rules You Will Never Learn In School and I want to share it with you. Enjoy watching.
I am reposting this once again since I blog this before way back on the other side of the blog world when I was still working in a University. I've read it in one of our magazine subscriptions. But now just a few minutes ago, I've just found out that there was a video on it so I just want to share it with you. I've learned to love Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar animation, creator of toy stories (I've watched it 10X actually my children love it). It was all started when my brother-in-law sent an e-mail about this speech on one of the best university in the U.S. From that day on I've become a fan and because out of curiosity I've started to read his biography.
Actually I loved reading biographies of different successful people. I had several collection of them at home, the like of Lucio Tan on how he got his first millions, Gokongwei on how he struggled his childhood before he became rich since he became fatherless at a very young age and he took the responsibility and obligations to his siblings because he was the eldest. How Henry Sy started Shoe Mart (SM SuperMall now), why Warren Buffett donated her billions to Bill Gates foundation and how Bill Gates started Microsoft on their garage and now me and my husband are currently fascinating to read Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad teachings. I was fascinated with their life's failure and how they became successful not only on their financial aspect but success as a whole, is it easy?
Upon reading Steve Jobs autobiography I've learned that we have lots of things in common except of course of his Billions and millions of money hehehe, but we're not far behind with our millions of credit, I know we are leading the same path hehehe. Seriously Steve Jobs gave me the courage to fulfill the dreams I wanted to accomplish. Let me site some instances on his life that I consider meaningful (I've read it on Women's Journal)
* Connect the Dot= in his speech he told the newly graduates that it was all started before he was born. Steve Jobs was being adopted because his biological mother decided to give him a better life maybe, not knowing that someday he will be somebody. Upon growing up he experiences different wrong decisions, he was a college drop out, but later on in his life he realize that it was all part of life. And that's how I see my life I am trying to connect my dot in different situation as what Steve Jobs says "You just have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, life, karma this approach has never let him down and it has made all the difference in his life and I'm sure it will never let me down too. Just to mention a glimpse of my life. I had several failed relationship but if that relationship became successful I don't think that I will have the best relationship ever in my life with my husband now.
* Second was about Love and Loss=Steve Jobs found what he loved to do early in life. He started apple at 20 he work hard and in 10 years apple had grown from the garage into a $2 billion company with 4,000 employees. Early in life I know what I wanted to be and how I wanted to be. I've just wanted to have a simple but better life. I've just wanted to finish college, have a decent job and fulfill my mother's dream. But everything was shattered when my mom left me for a while just to fulfill that dream that she wanted for me. I was lost since I was so pampered I felt she was just so selfish fulfilling those dreams for me that I didn't even wanted at all. But sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick (according to Steve). Just don't loose faith and suddenly after 10 years of wishful thinking I've realized that what happened was merely a preparation for my future, to be strong in whatever trials and suffering may come my way, to be able to embrace all the hardship life's may bring, to be able to appreciate simple things and be satisfied.
* Death= last quarter of 2006 I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer first came into my mind was am I going to die soon? I cried so hard because of my children. Before having this kind of sickness, I have this thought that I was ready to leave this cruel world after so many worst things had happened to us. But suddenly God gave me the reason to stop and listen. Listened to my inner world, to my inner feelings. What I really wanted and how I really wanted. I still wanted to see my children fulfill their dreams, I wanted them to remember me as a kind of mother who will always be there especially in times of trouble. I know this is my mission, my purpose in life, to make this three little creature to be somebody someday. "Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the best choices in my life" according to Steve because he was also diagnosed with cancer. Early 2007 my mother-in-law died which I consider one of the most influential person in my life aside from my mom. It was a sudden death it made an impact to me and my husband. Now we know where we wanted to go and how we wanted our life to be. "Our time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the result of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinion drown out your own inner voice"...Now we've learned and hopefully we are leading the road that only HIM knows the way.
"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, they are plans for good, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
After 9 years, it was proven that the word "ikayu na pung bahala" (your will be done) was the most effective way for me to ask for God's blessings because 9 years ago I only ask for a companion, but he gave me more than I ask for..."DIRECTION"
Today was my eldest son's birthday (Sept 05). Time really flies so fast and it seems like yesterday that I was condemned and crucify by just having him in my life (hehe just joking) because ten years ago I was judged by different people with different point of view. With the kind of society, we have sometimes you are being judged without knowing the real score behind the story.
I ask God at that time to give me a companion. But instead He delivers different individual to make my life quiet miserable. I never understand then why, but I've tried everything to face with courage every challenge that comes my way. Honestly, I was scared then but it's true when no one seems to listen that's the only time that you will find the answer and the real purpose from within.
With technology nowadays we believe that children can learn on their own faster than we can ever imagine. That is why my husband and I decided to homeschool our children a year ago to give them some head starts on their own. With this, we also decided to enroll them in Kumon, a center which started and developed by Toru Kumon so that they can focus on two important subject Math and English without so much pressure.
Just a Glimpse What is Kumon? and why we believe so much in this
In 1954,a Japanese high school mathematics teacher named Toru Kumon, began to teach his eldest son due to his problem in math subject at school. Toru Kumon developed the Kumon Method, it is a math and reading educational method that is now practiced in Kumon's own learning centers. The Kumon Method advocates several values of learning that include speed, accuracy and mastery of material before a student is able to move on to the next lesson which is my children are currently practicing now.
The below photos are my son's Kumon worksheet that are being hung around at the Kumon center they are presently attending. They are being hung on their wall as a motivation to the student to continuously get perfect and a high score on their own. I am very proud to picture them because since we started attending the Kumon center a lot of development was made to my son and he improves every day together with his bro and younger sister.
Just Trivia
Did you know
In 1956, Kumon opened the first Kumon Center in Osaka, Japan with the help of parents that were very interested in the Method. In 1958, he founded the Kumon Institute of Education, after which Kumon Centers began to open around the world. Since 1956, some 20 million students have been enrolled in Kumon. Today, there are around 4 million Kumon students worldwide.
