CJ Faderogao

International floating book fair, Doulos Hope, visited Philippine shores earlier this year. It docked in 4 ports: Subic, San Fernando, Manila, and Batangas city. Bringing knowledge, multicultural awareness, and help to communities, Doulos hope gives a great opportunity for people of all ages to have a glimpse at the diverse cultures of the world, while sifting through quality and affordable literature.  I visited Doulos hope during its sojourn in Manila bay last April 9, and it was a memorable experience. Being surrounded by books, people of different ethnicities, and the relaxing view of Manila bay was a rejuvenating scene. It was the perfect day off for me. I'll be sharing more of my experience but first, let's know more about  Doulos hope.  The noble voyage of Doulos hope  Doulos hope is one of the two ships operated by faith-based organization,  Operation Mobilization (OM) and German charity,  Gute Bucher fur alle   (Good books for all). The ship's mission is to bring

When 2023 started, I set an intent to read more self-help books. From reading History and Politics in 2022, I determined that it would be great learn more practical knowledge that I can use to navigate my adult life better. As I conclude my readings this year, one of my critical realization is that: I should have read self-help books earlier.  All of the books I've read helped me greatly, but if I'll choose which ones I'll consider most influential to my growth, I'll pick the following 5 books. These are the top 5 books I've read in 2023: 1. Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz (published: 1960) Psycho-cybernetics is a termed coined by American plastic surgeon and author, Maxwell Maltz to describe how our psychology functions like a cybernetic system that helps us in accomplishing our goals. The only caveat is that this system can serve us either in good or bad ways depending on our relationship with it.  Maltz shares that the link where we can influence this built-i

Stephen Covey, a renowned management teacher, shared to the world a framework for good living in the form of the book  The 7 habits of highly effective people.  More than 30 years after its publication in 1989, Covey's ideas and insights continue to change the lives of people today. The book remains an influential toolkit in navigating our psychology as adults in our present fast-paced society.  From Bohatala.com article: The 7 habits of highly effective people overview. The power of Covey's idea lies in how he developed the habits as interconnected steps towards growth and maturity. Covey provided a  software, as Jim Collins described it in his foreword for the book's 30th anniversary edition, that makes personal development manageable and pragmatic.  For my blog post this week, I would like to revisit my favorite out of the 7 habits. The habit of self-renewal or, as Stephen Covey termed it, the habit of  Sharpening the saw.  * * *  By sharpening the saw, Covey means to sa

What does it mean to be educated? We often associate education with being institutionalized. We consider a person educated based on grades, diplomas, or titles. While we often put emphasis on these things in gauging other people's-and even our own-aptitude, we know through observation that they alone don't make a person completely cultivated. There are more, often veiled, aspects that merits our consideration.  You might wonder what this aspects are, as I also did when it became a subject of my contemplation these past weeks. Searching for answers myself, I came upon a book that helped me. A memoir released in 2018 that I felt was relevant to the questions I was posing. Aptly named, it is Educated by Tara Westover. This book is a memoir of Tara Westover's peculiar journey towards being "educated." She is from rural Idaho, United States. Following a long, challenging-but rewarding-period of education and unusual upbringing, she was able to finish a doctor's deg

Starting a reading journey in Philosophy can be intimidating. With numerous topics to cover, it can easily be confusing and drudging. It is, however, normal to feel these things. It's the point of Philosophy after all to get us to question and reflect upon our society, ourselves, and the world that we live in. Nevertheless, it would be of help to have a starting point. A place where we can plant the seed of our curiosities and nurture it as we go along the journey. The internet is teeming with recommendations: "Start with Greek Philosophers" or "Begin with Stoicism" and there are also some that encourages starting with anything we find interesting.  In my case, I went about it by going through Philosophy's History. I decided to make a survey of the subject's landscape first. Doing this allowed me to be familiar with key themes, people and the timeline that occurred within the history of thought.  I think this approach can also be helpful to other people.

Talent isn't passed down in the genes; it's passed down in the mindset. When do praise become counter-productive to our growth? This is a question I like to ask myself whenever I'm doing any type of work. For there are times when I notice that praise, especially those that pertains to one's talents, seem to have the opposite effect. It makes one insecure, defensive, and reluctant to anything that may undermine the approval of others on one's abilities.  Failures are interpreted as a lack or a defect. It becomes a threat to one's self-image that is formed by the constant praise and the belief in one's "specialness".                                        In light of educating myself on this subject, I read this book. I have known about this book for years now but I was only able to read and finish it last month. It's a Psychology classic, 264 pages long, and it's been widely read since it's inception in 2006. It still garners reception