19 Dec
Life's Priorities

Quit on the means, but never quit on your dreams

I said before that the quote “Winners never quit and quitters never win” is not true. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he quit on hundreds of Apple products and left it with 10… those 10 products sold billions. Akio Morita, the founder of Sony quit on their first product: a rice cooker. His rice cooker didn’t cook rice, it burns it, selling less than 100 units. Of course, we all know Sony today. Steven Spielberg was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theatre, Film, and Television 3 times. He then attended another school, only to dropout to become a director. Spielberg returned to school in 2002 to finally complete his studies and earn his BA.

“Winners quit all the time. They just quit the right things at the right time.” Let me clarify what I mean.

Winners know the difference between a goal and a tactic. Marketing guru Seth Godin said this about Persistence: “Persistence is not using the same tactics over and over. That’s annoying. Persistence is having the same goal over and over.”

In other words, quit on the means, but never quit on your dreams. You may have to close that business, or look for another job, yet consider that it is only one of many ways you can reach your goals and dreams. Yes, persistence will show you the best way to get there. But you need to persevere in the things that will get you closer to your dreams, and quit on those that won’t.

07 Dec
Blog, Life's Priorities

The lesson continues until the lesson is learned

Many times, people with problems would ask counsel from me regarding their money, relationship, or personal troubles. Whether it was from a bad decision or from not making a decision (which is the worst kind of decision), 90% of the time, the problem was self –inflicted… they created their problem.

A girl who recently got pregnant asked me, why did this happen to her? As if the answer isn’t obvious enough. When she got the result of her pregnancy test, the guy whom she thought loved her, suddenly vanished. The answer to her question is simple… it happened because of a decision made, and in this case, a bad one.

If we are currently facing a problem, our initial response is to ask ourselves, “when will it end?” But until we look at the root of the problem – which is accepting the problem is ‘us’ – then the problem will never end. Remember that, “The lesson continues until the lesson is learned.”

Take a look at people with a big problem today. Their big problem came from the same tiny problem they initially had. Until they learn from a problem and solve it, it will be the same problem, possibly with different manifestations, for the rest of their life.

Tiny problem → Small problem → Big problem → Huge problem

Everyone deals with problems, but life is about solving problems. Once you solve a problem, a new one can pop up, then you get to solve that new problem. Now, if you solve a big problem, you become capable of solving bigger and bigger problems, and that will make you a bigger and bigger person. The bigger the problems you solve, the more successful you will be. In fact, successful businesses today made their livelihood from solving people’s problems, even problems that people don’t know they have.

After reading this blog, solve that problem you currently have today. The faster, the better.

20 Nov
Blog, Books, Life's Priorities

Make Reading Your Weapon Of Preparation

Reading is one of the most important habits for self-development. There are many reasons why we should read, but this post is not about the advantages of reading; rather my goal is to make a stark distinction: Don’t simply read.. STUDY!

Studying is reading with a purpose. It will give you a path to self-directed education that would eventually become a strategic weapon in this competitive world. You may ask, why would I need to be reading when I could be out doing? Well, reading will make ‘your doing’ easier by giving you clear thought.

We are living in the Information Age, and having information is handy. But don’t just try to gather information, do your best to get the right kind of information you need. I got this from a leadership book: “One of the biggest secrets to high achievement in life is to make reading your weapon of preparation.”

Don’t simply read, study! Read with a Purpose.

18 Sep
Life's Priorities

Plan B: Sa Panahon ng Kagipitan ano ang Kakapitan?

Kung napanood niyo ang remake na pelikulang The A-Team, ang kanilang motto ay: There Is No Plan B. Magandang pakinggan, pero kapag sinundan natin ang payong ito, parati tayong magiging talunan. Ang pagpaplano ay napakaimportante sa buhay. And we need to have an alternative plan, if our original plan fails. A plan B is a must.

Ang kasabihan na: “People don’t plan to fail; they just fail to plan” ay nauugnay sa tendency ng mga tao na hindi nagpaplano. Pero paano naman doon sa gumawa ng plano na hindi nagtagumpay. Para kang isang coach na gumawa ng play para sa mga players mo upang manalo sa isang close game. Ano ang ginagawa ng isang coach na hindi na-execute ang kanyang play? Gumagawa ulit sila ng panibago.

Sa buhay, we will experience ups and downs. High moments in life are weddings, birthdays, or anniversaries; low moments are funerals, accidents, or tragedies. At sa buhay, meron din mga worst-case scenarios, yan ang mga pangyayari sa buhay natin na wala nang mas sasama pa. Kaya nabuo ang idiom na “kapit sa patalim” which means swallowing the bitter pill. Pag tayo ay gipit, ganito madalas ang tingin nating solution sa problema.

Ito ay tatlong bagay na dapat nating gawin upang maghanda sa mga unexpected things kapag hindi nangyari ang ating hinahangad at nabigo tayo sa ating mga plano:

1) Believe in Yourself

When we were in debt for millions, I never considered myself poor. I only considered myself broke. Because poor is permanent but broke is temporary. Our value is not based on how much money we earn or how famous we are. It is based on how we perceive ourselves. Ang tawag doon ay Self-Concept.

Motivational speaker and best-selling author, the late Zig Ziglar said, “You cannot perform in a manner inconsistent with the way you see yourself.” Ang success ay madalas napupunta sa mga tao na naniniwala sa kanilang sarili, kahit na hindi pa sila successful sa ngayon.

Naniniwala kaba talaga sa sarili mo? Kapag hindi ka naniniwala sa sarili mo, sino pa ang maniniwala sayo? Pagkatapos mong basahin eto, pumasok ka sa kwarto mo at tumingin sa salamin. I hope you like what you see. Because you cannot face a problem if your problem is your face.

When you wake up in the morning, start the day right. Think of your wins in life so that you can build up on something and then build momentum. Pero paano kung wala pa akong wins? Magpapauso na lang ako? Alam niyo ban na ang ating subconscious mind ay gumagana kahit na ayaw nating tong paganahin? If you imagine that you are successful long enough, your mind will think that you are. And when the right opportunity comes, then you will be ready.

Our success starts with the right thinking. Everything starts with our thoughts, our thoughts become our words, our words become our action, our action becomes our habit, our habit becomes our character, and our character becomes our destiny. So have the right thoughts about yourself.

2) Believe in what you are doing

Kaya siguro nahihirapan kang magkaroon ng break ay dahil hindi ka 100% naniniwala sa ginagawa mo. Kapag ang isang boksingero ay lumaban, dapat buo ang loob niya. Kapag umpisa pa lang ay hindi na siya naniniwala sa sarili nya, hindi pa nag-uumpisa ang laban ay sigurado nang talo.

So after believing in yourself, pag-aralan mo ng mabuti ang iyong craft. Best-Selling author Malcolm Gladwell teaches us about the 10,000 hour rule. It means that upang tayo ay maging magaling sa ating career or vocation, we need 10,000 hours of experience under our belt. When the Beatles came to the States, nabighani ang mga tao sag ling nila. Hindi nila alam na ang Beatles ay hasang-hasa na noong makarating sila sa States. Even though they were a young band, they played a combined 1,200 times as a band.

Ang basketball player na si Larry Bird ay 90%+ ang free throw percentage, kasi he shoots more than 500 free throws a day.

Si Manny Pacquiao, when he was starting, ang bayad sa kanila kapag nanalo sa isang boxing match ay P150 lang. Hindi niya inisip ang pera. Kumuha lang siya ng kumuha ng experience. After so many years, today, he is making an average of $30 million a year or P4 million a day.

Huwag kagad pangungutang ang isipin ninyong solusyon kapag wala kang pera. Isipin niyo muna kung saan kayo marunong or magaling at ibenta niyo ang products or services niyo. Lapitan ninyo ang mga kaibigan upang mag-alok imbes na mangutang.

3) Believe in God

When my wife was about to give birth, wala kaming pera. We were in debt for P2.5 million because of our bankrupt restaurant business. May isang gabi, bago kami matulog ng wife ko na si Kat, naluha ako. Nakita niya and siya din ay naiyak. Nag-iyakan kami sa daming problema. Manganganak na siya in 3 weeks at wala kaming pambayad pati sa hospital. Habang kami ay magkaakap at umiiyak, naramdaman ko iyong tinatawag na “The Peace of God.”

Sabi sa Philippians 4:6-7, 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Wala dapat tayong katatatakutan kapag may problema. Dahil ang diyos natin ay mas malaki sa kahit ano mang problema na haharapin natin.

Kapag tayo ay gipit, mas malaki ang opportunity for learnings. Nang bumagsak ang aking negosyo, I thought that was the worst year of my life, but I found out that it was the best year of my life. That experience made me stronger, wiser, and a better person. “Do not waste tough times.” Sayang kung hindi tayo matututo. Pero katulad ng lagi kong sinasabi sa mga tao na may pinagdadaanan, huwag silang mangamba dahil “lilipas din yan.” Remember that “Tough times don’t last but tough people do.” Kung may pinangdadaanan kayo, matatapos din yan.

27 Jun
Life's Priorities

Mission Possible

I have been speaking full-time for only 10 months. A few weeks ago, I asked God: Lord, I don’t know how it will happen, but I am praying for my first international talk before I reach my first year in public speaking.

Luke 11:10 (NIV)
10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

I’m off to Cambodia later for my first international speaking engagement, and will stay there from Thursday-Sunday. God can answer our prayers with a snap of a finger. Our job is to believe, God’s job is to make the impossible possible.

And what do you know, I just got an invitation yesterday to speak in Vietnam. When it rains, it pours. God is showing me that even if you are the best at what you do, but doesn’t have His blessing, all is naught. Yet when He is with you, God can move mountains and bring you to places you’ve never been before. It’s like sitting in the passengers seat and letting God take over the steering wheel of your life — He just wants you to enjoy the ride. If you are praying for something Big, it’s nothing to our BIG God!

I’m reminded of the Adidas Ad: Impossible is Nothing. Nothing is impossible to our God whose goal is to make the impossible possible.

20 Jan
Be Younique Blog, Business, Life's Priorities

Common Sense Business

Common sense nowadays is uncommon. It’s common sense to eat healthy food but we pick chocolates over vegetables without blinking. It’s common sense for parents to ask their daughter if the guy who proposed to her is trustworthy and hardworking but the first thing parents ask is what’s his business…It’s the vernacular for Is he wealthy? (Ano bang apelyido nya? Kasi kung ang apelyido may Dating, may Datung!) It’s common sense to put God first in our list of priorities but often he is at the bottom end.

We can tackle a lot about what’s ‘senseful’ and what’s senseless but our topic is about what’s common sense in business. I will be discussing how to’s for a start-up small business.

Let’s start with the most important part of the business. You! Do you have what it takes? Do you have the courage to pursue your dreams in life? Are you ready to be ridiculed by many and criticized by the majority? I’ll be honest with you; it’s not a walk in the park. Between 75% and 90% of all new businesses fail within the first 10 years. Starting a small business seems to be right up there with shark-diving and Race car driving as a dangerous activity that’s best avoided.

The good news is that anyone can build a successful business. Anyone can be successful but not everyone will! Contrary to my prior belief, now I don’t believe that businesses is for everyone. Although I do believe that everyone should try to start and build a business. And the only way for you to find out if a business is for you is to start one. A business is a vehicle to reach your dreams and make it a reality. It’s one of the most exciting things you will ever do in your life.

Here’s a roadmap to our journey: First chapter is about “Building on your best assets.”

1) You

2) Your Employees

3) Your Suppliers

4) Your Capital

5) Your community.

I know it’s odd but I feel like starting first with this before the dreaming stage, which is the conceptualization of your business. I’ll cover it in chapter 2, “The Small Business Cycle.” The third chapter is about “The Small Business Traps.” Last chapter is “What if you failed.” (note: I didn’t include the parts for the succeeding chapters.)

If you plan to be a successful entrepreneur read on. Ready set…