YOUR mantra for the week: Positive changes are now unfolding in my life.

 

Many people pride themselves in being intelligent—the levels of which are based on the standard IQ method.

 

However, if they are given the consciousness IQ test, they might have to modify their high opinion of themselves.

 

Here are questions they must answer with total honesty:

 

1) Am I conducting my life intelligently, keeping the four areas of my life—health, wealth, relationships, success—balanced and in sound condition?

 

2) Am I eating and drinking healthily?

 

3) Do I select my reading materials with discernment?

 

4) Do I select movies, TV shows and other forms of entertainment sensibly?

 

5) Do I spend my money wisely? (Because if you do, it usually comes back.)

 

6) Do I consider rationally the things I hear and say?

 

7) Do I approach and do my daily work judiciously?

 

8) Do I face my so-called problems and situations aptly and skillfully?

 

(To be continued next week)

 

Secret ‘livelihood’

 

I am often asked why, as the then columnist Conde de Makati, I was writing mostly about my parents’ friends and why was I moving in their circle instead of my age group. Wasn’t I too young at that time? How did I get invited to their parties?

 

Let met start with my grandmother teaching me how to play mahjong in my preteen, even against my father’s wishes. I remember her telling him, “Do not tell me what to do. I did not send you to school to make you better than I am. Just give George some money so we can play.”

 

That knowledge came in handy when I got to college because my father, who comes from Northern Luzon, was such a disciplinarian and so tight with money that my allowance did not allow for anything further than a minimum of refreshments.

 

So I asked my mother to introduce me to her mahjong quorum; in case they needed an extra player, I would join.

 

Fortunately, they enjoyed playing with me because I would make them laugh and they could not concentrate on their games—thus I would win 80 percent of the time.

 

My classmates thought that I had a lot of pocket money because my parents were wealthy and generous. Little did they know, I had a secret “livelihood” on the side.

 

That was my entry point to Manila’s social circuit, and because I was a frustrated stand-up comedian, people enjoyed having me around.

 

‘The way we were’

 

When Ferdinand Marcos came into power, I had a heyday taking digs at the Blue Ladies and Blue Boys especially “ma’am and sir.” The following quotes are from Conde de Makati which I would like to entitle, “The Way We Were”:

 

“The sincerest birthday greetings I received this year came from my insurance company, as usual. When they wish you many more years to come, you can almost feel them actually praying that you live forever.

 

“My insurance policy runs to seven figures, in case Someone-up-there or Someone-down-here (by the Pasig) decides my time is up before I’ve paid off all my debts. My beneficiaries may not realize it, but at the moment I am worth more to them dead than alive.”

 

Here are a few my favorite commentaries as Conde de Makati and it was especially delightful because nobody knew who he was—not even my father who wrote to me as I recalled in my Sept. 28, 2014 column entitled, “What would I be without social climbers?”

 

“Chito, one of the Madrigal daughters, who was once upon a time courted by a certain Ferdinand, says ‘he was lucky I turned him down. If I had married him, the most he would have become was President of Rizal Cement.’”

 

“Baby Fores once asked Oscar de Zalameda whether he thought ‘sex-from-the-back’ was painful. ‘Darling,’ retorted Oscar quickly, ‘that is not my department, why don’t you ask your favorite couturier.’”

 

“Once upon a (dinner) time, I sort of hinted to Ma’am that maybe she should allow Sir a ‘Few moments of R & R,’ considering there are those like Prince Sihanouk who would have as many as 20 ‘diversiones.’ To which she emphatically objected, ‘Ah, no. After all, Sihanouk is a Prince, and this one (pointing to Sir who was seated beside her) is only a plain Ilocano.’”

 

E-mail the author at [email protected]; visit www.GeorgeSison.com and www.iamism.org; listen to his “Positive Session” radio program on DWIZ 882 AM every Saturday, 9-10 p.m.