Day 12 - Peace

This would just be a very quick post.  I just feel very excited and happy right now and I can't wait to share to you why.

I couldn't exactly describe how I am feeling but if I were to sum it up in one word, I would say its "peace".  Years ago, I would not be able to imagine myself being in this state as I was buried in debt, living a lifestyle more than which I can afford, and unsurprisingly not being able to save.  That was me in the early two years of my corporate career.  And this state of "peace" that I have in my heart, back then, remained only as a dream.

I am thankful that I was able to surpass that moment in my life and, of course, now that I am in a very much comfortable state.

Right now, I just couldn't contain the excitement as I started to ride another vehicle which will eventually bring me to the happy millionaires' land.  During the past months, I have two major leaps and these are:

1. I started investing in the Stock Market! - Oh yeah! I never knew how fantastic it felt until I bought the first shares I now have for long-term investment.  The feeling was surreal.  What once just a dream for me was now a reality.  If you may have noticed, it took me months to decide before I bought my first stocks.  Why?  Because of fear.  I must admit that I am very much a control freak.  And it scares the hell out of me if you would tell me to invest on something that I completely do not understand.  That explains why I did not easily jump on stock market investing.  And analysis-paralysis made it worse.  For months, I searched for materials and seminars which could increase my knowledge on the matter.

I was not able to convince myself to invest until...

2.  I joined the Truly Rich Club! - Its an online membership community organized by Bo Sanchez which helps people to understand long-term investing on stock market.  Indeed, the information I got from this helped me to jumpstart my stock market investment.  It provided me the information that I need from how to go about creating my account up to buying my first stocks online.  And I'm looking forward to more meaningful information that I will get from Bro. Bo as I continue investing.

The old Filipino phrase "Magtanim ay 'di biro" is undoubtedly true.  It would entail great amount of effort, suffering and discipline.  But never did anybody tell me that its also fun and exciting!  Most especially when you visualize the fruits that you'll reap come harvest time.  Oh, isn't it such a wonderful idea to retire as a millionaire?

PS.  If you are interested to know more about the Truly Rich Club, please click on the image that appears at the left side of this blog.  God bless. :-)

Day 11 - Looking Back and Planning Ahead

It was an awesome day yesterday!  My day started early as I woke up around 3am.  I decided to engage in my weekend morning ritual which was walking and a little bit of jogging around the Marikina Sports Center.  Then, I attended The Feast at PICC, which had a very inspiring topic.  Right after, I met with friends slash former officemates to watch Sherlock Holmes and stayed around the MOA for until around 9pm.  Crazy schedule right?  Well my schedule for the past months has always been like that!  Now you should know why this blog went on hiatus for quite a time.  But now, I'm back!  With greater fervor than before!

Let me backtrack a little and update you of some small triumphs I had which I know would eventually lead me towards the achievement of my goal.  Here are some:

1. The evaluation I got from the students I handled during the first term of my teaching was very satisfying.  During a faculty meeting that we had, I was announced as one of the faculties who got an "Outstanding" remark from students.  Not bad for an amateur, right?  But that won't definitely make me rest on my laurels.  This actually served as a challenge for me to serve even better and to aim for a higher goal.
2. I was hired last September as an accountant for a multinational company which operates in the IT distribution industry.  I was back on the rank-and-file level.  But it doesn't matter.  Right now, I am perfectly enjoying learning new skills in this job.  The process I'm handling was quite simple and easy.  And now the challenge is on how I could deliver more from the small process I perform.
3. The shoe merchandising business I started out with friends did great during the Noel Bazaar last December.  We had an amazing time!  From the planning phase until the last day of the sale, we enjoyed it!  And not just that.  We even earned money while enjoying.  Now I'm looking forward to the fulfillment of our greater plans.
4. I was able to cross out one special thing in my dream list last December.  And it was "to take my family in an all-expense-paid trip to Baguio".  Oh yeah, I have no idea that it would happen sooner than I expected.  I guess I wanted it too much in my heart that the universe truly conspired to make it happen.  Again, I'm looking forward to new family vacations and trips that I would be crossing out in my dream list.

Time indeed flew fast.  The next thing I knew it was already 2012.  And I feel very excited.  I bet you would want to know why.  Well, it is because 2012 is my banner year!  This is the year that I will become a millionaire.  I am claiming it with all my heart.  I knew God will prosper and bless me more this year so I could bless more people.  He will make my dreams come true.  And I completely trust Him.

Bro. Bo talked about planning last Sunday and since this is my first post for 2012, let me share with you some of the small dreams or plans I wish to accomplish this year (aside from earning Php 2 Million by the end of the year).

• Start earning a masters degree
• Invest in the stock market
• Start new businesses
• Grow my current business
• Develop my accounting and teaching skills and start freelancing

Bro. Bo shared a very important thought.  He said that our mind would usually be filled with only two things: Memories and Imagination.  Planning takes a very important role in terms of how we live our life.  If we don't plan, we live our lives based on memories.  But if we plan, our lives will be lived based on our imagination.  Isn't that a great realization of how critical and important planning is?

My next post would focus on my purpose, my higher cause.  I know I have touched on this topic before, but let me do a quick reassessment and reinstating of my purpose.  I know this should have came rather ealier than this post, but I believe its never too late to go back and do some quick fixing.  After all, the chances given to us to recreate our life is unlimited.  So as our opportunities of redefining our purpose.

God bless everyone!  Yes to the fulfillment of our dreams! :-)

Day 7 - Don't Give Up!

"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do.  But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength." -Anonymous

Choosing to pursue your dreams didn't always mean choosing the easier path.  Most of the time, this path would seem the hardest to trod.  Difficulties along the way are encountered.  Problems, failures and frustrations would definitely weaken one's soul.  And sometimes, these hardships would push you to the verge of giving up.

I knew it was not easy.  From the moment I decided to follow my heart's desires, I was already informed that I was not opting for a more comfortable life.  As opposed to the somewhat "more secure" life that I had back then, I voluntarily threw myself to a life less stable, to an unfamiliar territory.  I took the risk - and even embraced it.  I knew back then that things were not going to be easy.  And I thought I also knew how hard it was going to be.

Over the past days, I always tried to analyze where I was at the moment and where I was headed.  I always kept my vision clear.  However, to tell you frankly, the past days had not been easy for me.  It even came to the point of me wanting to give up, of losing faith in the power of my dreams, of abandoning the aspirations I treasured both in my mind and my heart.  My impatience started to accumulate and became frustrations.  The fear of the unknown suddenly began creeping inside my head.  And my soul had gone tired and weary of praying, of hoping, of waiting.

But.

Last Sunday, I heard the words which brought me back my lost courage.  Bro. Bo talked about having a breakthrough and how it comes, most of the time, during the darkest hour of one's life.

Sometimes, when darkness comes, we tend to lose trust over the power of the mighty hand that guides all of us.  In our eagerness to survive and find light, we use our own hands to grasp at whatever is near.  We are filled with fear yet we rely on our own clouded thinking.  If we would only realize that the key to surviving darkness is trust, fear would instantly vanish.  A trusting heart sits still in the midst of the darkness knowing that soon light will come.  Darkness too shall pass.  And I feel nothing but pure excitement in waiting for the dawn to come.

A friend recently asked me if I had regrets over the decisions I made lately.  I replied instantly with a no.  I may never have the same material luxury I was enjoying before but right now I just feel happier and more content with my life.  I feel I am where I am supposed to be right now - on track to becoming a happy millionaire.

"How does one become a butterfly?" she asked.  You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar." -Trina Paulus

Day 5 - Hone Your Craft, Develop Your Character and Learn From Your Mistakes

Two months after I decided to quit my corporate job so I could give more focus on my budding career in the academe, I found myself sitting in front of the internet wasting my time looking for another job which is absolutely the same as that I just abandoned.

How stupid.  Really.

Reading through the few posts I had in this blog and being reminded of the dreams I keep in my heart, I knew that getting a similar job is the last thing I need to make my dreams alive.  Perhaps it is true that humans tend to easily forget pain.  Thus, allowing us to give in to temptations and commit the same mistakes twice.

I have been attending Bo Sanchez’ Feast every Sunday for more than five months now and I could gladly say that it made a huge impact in my life.  It taught me many things and gave me the necessary courage to go in search of what would make me happy.  It just rightfully deserves this space in my blog.

In one of his talks, Bo emphasized the need to finish strong.  In terms of professional career, relationships, personal life and spiritual beliefs, finishing strong, much like success, requires patience, endurance and commitment.  Oh but we all know that.  However, he mentioned two very important multipliers that greatly affect how strong one would finish and eventually succeed.  And these are Capacity and Character.  Capacity is defined by one’s talents, gifts and potentials.  Character is how one uses these.

I was greatly surprised by this revelation for it opened my eyes to the reasons of the major failures I had in my life.  I started out strong (having the right Capacity) but finished wrong (lacking enough Character).  It has always been that way.  I have been blind about it all these time.  I even put up reasons like, “I’m really not a finisher.  It’s just not my thing.”  But, reflecting over the character I upheld in the past years, I had a clear realization of why, most of the time, I fail.

Walking away from a job entails leaving behind the life I used to live.  With it, I hope, I would also leave the bad habits I had and the mistakes I committed.  With me I would carry only the lessons, the valuable lessons and the loving memories.  Right now I just feel very fortunate.  Many don’t get the chance, or afraid of the taking the chance, at a renewed life.

From this time on, I would only walk with faith.  The Lord has been so kind and so generous to not limit me of chances to recreate my life.  I had already been granted several chances before and had miserably failed.  But now I’m dusting myself off and, with more confidence, will brave a new life – a life filled with success and happiness.

For in Christ, nothing is impossible.

PS. The Feast is a prayer meeting led by Bo Sanchez every Sunday, 8:00am-10:00am and 10:30am-12:00nn at the PICC.  If you wish to be part of it, please feel free to come.