A Weekly Journal of Toastmasters International-Philippines What matters most

If there's one thing that history has proven, it is that grandeur and glory shall all fade away.

Edgar Allan Poe revealed the immensity of the contribution of the Greeks and the Romans in education, culture, and government when he wrote this stirring and powerful phrase, "To the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome."

However, almost all things in the world are ephemeral.

The grandeur of Rome became nothing but history and soon, Greece lost all its glory. All men died including the great solons, philosophers, and artists. All the magnificent edifices crumbled to become ruins. Even the books of Alexandria were burned. All that they considered important that day became nothing but history, relics, journals, artifacts, and references. Nothing of what was important truly remained.

What good is life if it is that short? What profit do we get from riches, from grandeur and fame, if after a century today, they will all fade away?

A few years back, I asked myself a question: Why am I on this planet?

Perhaps, you too have the same question. I wonder if you wish to hear that deep voice thundering from the clouds as you quest for answers.

Three years ago, I became the youngest District Business Manager of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. I wanted to become a business manager then. But the process was both a product of choice and random chance.

I never had an idea of what the "big picture" was all about. Not until I became deeply involved with people. I lived with them; laughed with them; faced problems together; invested my time and effort; and sacrificed a little. No, just a little bit more than I used to.

It took me years of leadership experience to disprove that fame and influence are the better part of being a leader. That being famous and influential are merely incidental. But these are never the essential. Leadership is simply striving to change others' lives, not in grand and in glorious proportions, but through simple things, in many ways, always.

Allow me to ask some questions to further elaborate my point.

Who are the five wealthiest people in the world? Who were last five Heisman trophy winners? Can anyone tell me who the last five winners of the Miss Philippines pageant were? Who were the recipients of the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize during the last five years? Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

How did you do? Difficult?

Now try these...

List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

The point is very simple. None of us remember the headliners of yesterday. The annals of history speak of men and women who were no second-rate achievers and were the best in the fields. But applause dies. Achievements are forgotten; accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Grandeur and glory shall all fade away.

But the very people who make a difference in our lives remain. They are not the ones with the most credentials...The most money...or the most awards... They are simply the ones who care and matter to us the most.