Charlotte Chandler is a writer noted for her revealing books about famous personalities.

One of
the books she wrote is entitled The Ultimate Seduction. In this book she shares insights into the
philosophies of famous people concerning the role work played in their lives and in their quest for
happiness and fulfilment. All of the famous people who were interviewed for the book say that they
found their ultimate seduction (or attraction) in their work. They told her how they achieved success
doing what they wanted to do and what it was like when one actually achieved success.
Chandler concludes that for people of outstanding achievement, work was not a task but a
passion—and often, it is the vital passion of their lives. Of this she writes:
This work has grown out of . . . a vision that they felt compelled to share with the world. They
are the ones who put on the ruby slippers, followed the yellow bring road, and found Oz.
And for people who have read the book , often one of two key points stick in their minds. First,
many famous people worked very hard. And second, their motivation for working was not
money. More often than not, their motivation was to make a dream come true or to make the
world a better place to live in. They felt compelled to share with the world.

Invitation: to pray with Ignatius: Prayer for generosity

 to give and not to count the cost
 huwag magbilang; when I count what I invest in my work, I count what I expect to receive
 we limit ourselves; we disqualify ourselves to receive the unquantifiable joy that the Lord wants
us to have because we have limited ourselves to our expectations.
 as Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians: “But as it is written: ‘What eye has not seen, and
ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who
love him.’”
 Jesus himself has promised: Your reward will be great in heaven  heaven is being united with
God

Personal Experience:
 Never dreamt to be a teacher; wanted to be a pianist which was my mom’s dream for me; or a
corporate lawyer which was my father’s dream for me; I studied the piano at a very young
age but got tired of it when I was in high school; took ME to prepare for law studies and then
become a corporate lawyer
 one thing led to another: Jesuit Volunteers, Ateneo de Manila vs. Ayala Corporation; taught
for 3 years; worked with Citibank, after one year was set to transfer to Procter & Gamble; but
went back to teaching
 Used to count the cost: missed “opportunities”; compared myself with my “successful”
classmates who went up the corporate ladder; envied their lifestyle: golf, travel, the fine
things in life; the costliest: my relationship with my father.
 Now: they come to me to appeal for acceptance, to ask for advice, they envy me for who I am
and the joy I have even if they are more financially rewarded (which I envy! Hehe)

The American philosopher Sidney Hook once said, “Everyone who remembers his own education
remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational
system.”
May you be remembered by your students not because of the knowledge and skill that you have
taught them but by the way you have been Christ to them.
And may you remember your days in the Ateneo, and the time spent in teaching, not by what you
have earned or have not earned (because it will not be much) but by the depth of your identification
and union with Christ because you have identified and united yourself with his mission of forming
the young.