The importance we put on our time and what we make out of it is directly proportional to the success we want to achieve in life.

That’s why we can see that the most successful people in business, politics, churches and relationships are the same people who make use of their time the most. Not a second is wasted to things that would deviate them to their goals.

Likewise, we need as well to realign our priorities and segregate the important, urgent, and not important.

Time management expert Stephen Covey illustrated it best where he suggested that we divide our activities into four quadrants.

• Important – Urgent
• Important – Not Urgent
• Not Important – Urgent
• Not Important – Not Urgent

In so doing, we can plan our daily, weekly and monthly activities according to its importance. The matrix can also clearly layout the time frame where things needed to be accomplish.

So, for all of us who wants to be successful, we must learn how to manage our time and best use the seconds out of our “very limited” resource of time.

Let these bits of wisdom guide us all in choosing our next sets of leaders.  These following words may be brief, but speaks highly of the essence of leadership that the Philippines need.

Let our decisions not be persuaded by just mere hearsay and publicity stunts. All the more we need to look at the character and vision of our leaders.

Thus, here are some words about leadership. Let their lessons be the bedrock for our WISE decision making.

Our nation’s leaders and managers for the next three and six years depend on the decision we make during the few minutes we will be in our respective precincts.

I hope and pray that most Filipino voters will be wise enough not to short sell the nation’s future for money, cheap talks, empty promises and publicity stunts.

A leader is a dealer in hope. -Napoleon Bonaparte-

“A wise leader doesn’t completely abandon the past but builds on it as he or she moves toward the future.” -From a Bible commentary, Be strong Joshua-

“He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander” -Aristotle-

The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet. -Theodore M. Hesburgh-

“A tyrant is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.” -Plato-

“You do not lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower-

“Leadership can be thought of as a capacity to define oneself to others in a way that clarifies and expands a vision of the future.” -Edwin H. Friedman-

“Whoever is providing leadership needs to be as fresh and thoughtful and reflective as possible to make the very best fight.” -Faye Wattleton-

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams-

“Leaders aren’t born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” -Vince Lombardi-

“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born — that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” -Warren G. Bennis-

-Margaret Mead-

True indeed. That during the course of history, the movers, shakers of the world evidently are a small portion of the society wanting change. The rest of the society either want to go with the flow, if not just be in a status quo.

Many ask for change. But only few move to change.

If there is anything I have learned, in my nearly 30 years of living, if I want something to change, change must start from me, then things around me changes.

- Rey Belen -