We are all fools for something. the question is, whose fool are you?

All of us had our lives set by birth - to be born poor or born rich. How we are when death knocks on our door is up to us.

Lots of people have been ruled by this thinking. But i believe being successful is not the main purpose of life.

The realization of one's talents is one of the gateways to self-actualization, and sometimes to building one's self esteem. Some find out that they are intellectually-gifted and so they become inclined to research work, studying for masters and doctorate degrees, attracting lots of companies to hire them, the list goes on... Some find they are physically gifted and they immerse themselves in sports; some become well-known athletes, some eventually become endorsers. Some realize their talent in managing businesses and finances, and they become bosses of their businesses. Later on, they start hiring people, they become employers. And at a certain point of view, we realize that this is a cycle. Whether there are newcomers in the flow or none, there are always people to continue the cycle. The lowest classes strive to live day by day, working under the leadership of people whose position is higher than theirs. People leading the lowest classes also work under the leading of those whose positions are higher than theirs. The pattern goes on until we reach the highest position in the company. In this viewpoint, we can identify a triangular hierarchy - the richest (very few people) are on top and the poorest (abounding in head count) are at the bottom.

Focusing on business industries, as i've mentioned, people work for those above them in rank. The cycle continues because it is made to appear that the masses are the "bosses". Of course, the masses have no choice in this matter because they can't help needing something. Businesses attend to the demands of the public - which obviously are keys to the survival and bloom of their business ventures. (In the first place, why do we patronize businesses around us? Fastfood chains, for instance, don't give a care about our health! They remind us only of the needs of our taste buds but never of our health.) However, this arrangement has always been in favor of those at the top of the hierarchy, then it trickles to the bottom. The middle class, even though they are second only to the richest, seem not to mind at all. In fact, they seem to be at ease working for their bosses. IN realtion to this, i've observed when middle classes buy from the dirty market and from sidewalk vendors, they keep haggling over prices. Not much do they realize that these types of vendors earn much less than those bosses of companies whose products are found on supermarkets and which couldn't be haggled at all. Nevertheless, they keep working for their bosses, earning for their needs and wants. In the process of working, they begin to dream of a wonderful family, pleasing trips and refreshing vacations. Some, upon promotion, still seek for higher positions, forgetting where they've been before, and never realizing that they'd practically never be able to replace their bosses' positions. People in lower classes need to exert much more effort to belong to the middle class. They need to risk, find opportunities and most of the time, forget being alive at the moment in the hope of finding life in the future. Somehow, it's just sad to know that some people who rise up from horrible lives never look back. Worse than that, they build walls, making it harder for those who are left behind to improve their lives. For example, in Mindanao, there is power shortage yet people who can afford to buy gadgets buy lots of them. And to make gadgets work, electricity is needed. Now, during power shortages in Mindanao, we need additional energy sources to meet the power demands of the people. To do this, power companies must not only rely on the usual energy sources, but should start burning fuel (usually diesel) which makes electric bills at the end of the month much more expensive in spite of black outs. The middle class will not suffer, they can afford to pay for "a little" additional electricity bill increase. Who will suffer?  - those who have very tight budgets, those whose earnings are good only for a day, those who are under the poverty line. And who's to blame? The lower classes? No! We should blame those large users of electricity who could not look past their social media life and realize their responsibilities to the less fortunate members of the society.

Sometimes i ask myself if it is still all right to dream. Lots of people have been born poor, have lived poor, died sadder and poorer. Maywut, 16, from Sudan remarked, "My dream? i can't dream of what i want in the future when there is still too much of a problem, and until the situation is better i can't dream." And so i am always reminded of what Will Salas pointed out, "No one should be immortal, if even one person has to die." So if i dare dream, i must dream not for myself, but for those who need it most. It's what Jesus did! Instead of dreaming to be rich, a hunk or a scientist, He chose to be in the company of fishermen, tax collectors, sinners, and taught them. In the process, He lost His life for others to find their life in Him. Isn't it cool and sweet?

P.S. i hope we'd come to our senses, to the one who has been given a lot, a lot is also required from him.