On September 9, 2011, I attended the joint meeting of the Region Eight Applied Communications Task Force (REACTF) and the Regional Management Information System-Core Group (RMIS-CG) of the Visayas Consortium for Agriculture and Resources Program. Part of the discussion was the upcoming silver anniversary and debut of the REACTF and RMIS-CG, respectively, in June 2012. Dr. Wolfreda T. Alesna who presided the meeting, shared how both groups started and how we become what we are at present. She also told us that ever since she was appointed the RACO coordinator and formed the REACTF, she gladly accepted the additional workload and saw it as a challenge to improve further her knowledge and skills. She has enjoyed the work, saying that "If you love your work, it is not work anymore. It becomes a hobby."

This brought me to a very similar situation in our Center, where we are loaded with more work because of more extension activities to accomplish. I then realized that attitude matters whenever we are given extra loads.

As e-Extension Coordinators, we have to promote the program and conduct several extension activities to this end. With the institutionalization of the Techno Gabay Program to the ATI, another workload has been added to us (though we don't call it as workload but 'added functionality'). These "add-ons" to our regular functions make us feel overload.

So how can you love a work that makes you feel overloaded? Some call it toxic. Ma'am Freda provided the answer when she said, "For every pile of work at your table you should smile, because that means you are still needed."

The feeling of being needed is something that no one can ignore. Indeed, it is a pile that you can smile about.