Today's Business Lessons
You have tight skin
Total
Makeover. This term isn’t accurate, at least not for me. First of all
it’s not total. Secondly, it’s not really a makeover, it’s more a
required medical procedure for better health.
Every end of the year, I have my hair cut real short, and given a
rest from all the glues, pomade and gels that were used on it throughout
the year. The Ilocana and I also go to a clinic and have our warts
zapped, while our daughters get a facial. Then we leave for our annual
family vacation.
Warts! The doctor said they’re caused by a virus. You get it from
shaking hands, doing beso-beso or using a towel that’s infected. I meet
literally thousands of people every month. I shake hands and do
beso-beso with them, so I have a good chance of getting infected as well
as infecting others. I don’t want this to happen, thus the yearly
facial.
Recently, as I sat on the fancy chair similar to a dentist’s in a
very posh and charming salon, and while the doctor examined, inspected
and probed every inch of my face, she said something that ignorant men
like me would never understand. She said, “You’re amazing… At your age,
you have VERY good skin. Your skin is still tight!” Good skin because
it’s still tight! I didn’t understand what she meant, but it certainly
sounded good to me.
I don’t use expensive and fancy night creams. But I have dry skin, so
I once went to a convenience store, consulted a pro-merchandiser and
bought one of those moisturizing ointments. I’ve used it on my face
every evening ever since, only to find out years later that the ointment
was really meant for the body and not for the face. Now I feel
insecure… Or should I?
When I meet people and they say, “Francis, you don’t look old for
your age!” what they’re essentially saying is that “Francis, you’re
old!” When I attend class reunions and I hear people say, “Why Francis,
you haven’t changed a bit!” they’re being polite but they’re not telling
the truth. Of course you and I change over the years. When someone
says, “You’re looking good for your age!” are they not saying you’ve
gained weight?
Everybody changes. You change, and I change. And the changes I see in
people I know aren’t only physical. I’ve met many old friends who have
grown more Christ-like over the years. They’ve mellowed, become more
giving and forgiving, and their commitment to truth and righteousness
has strengthened. I’ve also met people who started out committed to
doing good and to doing well, but who have compromised their ethical
stand, and become greedier, selfish, disloyal and untrustworthy.
Everybody changes. This is why the friends, partners and people whom
you used to trust may no longer be trustworthy today. Or perhaps people used to trust you but you’ve made yourself untrustworthy because of the ethical compromises you’ve made over the years.
Everybody changes. I guess this is why Scriptures say that you and I
are to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Outwardly, you and I may be decaying, but we have to be purposeful and
intentional so that inwardly we change to become better, not bitter;
more selfless, not more selfish; more truthful and courageous, not to
cower with fear in the face of resistance and temptation. Life isn’t a
100-meter dash for the finish line; it’s a marathon. We don’t succeed in
it just by starting out strong. We need to finish well as well.
I welcome the New Year with greater expectations, and with a resolve
to level up and become better, both inside and out. With His grace, I
can achieve this. If I stumble along the way, I’ll ask for His
forgiveness and try again.
And I’ll wait for this year’s appointment with the doctor, and see what else she can say about my skin and all.
No comments:
Post a Comment