Pitsikurno and The Brotherhood

My first fraternity recruitment was when I was in grade 6. Yes, you read it right 'grade six.' A group of out of school youth addicts infiltrated our breakdance group.  I asked what they could do for us. They said they could protect us and hit our enemies.
As a sampling, they sent two big boys to accompany Mat in hitting his supposed enemy. I was so uncomfortable. First, I did not even know the guy they're supposed to hit; second, I knew it was wrong. But while I weighted on these things in my head, things were fast unfolding around me: we’re on our way to the target.
It was around 9 am. I saw Mat talking to the kid in the middle of the playground, all of the sudden he hit him with a 'pitsikurno' down the ribs. The kid crouched in pain. Mat was delighted with what he did. Then the kid ran back to his classroom and came out with a slingshot. It was then that Mat ran and shouted at us, 'run!'
And so we ran. Mat, Ruben, Noah and I ran around and went back to our classroom as if nothing happened. The two big frat kids ran. They ran home.
At around 12 pm, the students and teachers started going home for lunch. Then little by little, we saw from the windows, packs of bigger kids swarming towards our classroom... with mixed excitement and fury. I estimated nearly fifty mix-sized warriors. With fire in their eyes, they came for a revenge.
The teary Mat was ready with his pitsikurno. Ruben picked up a shovel. Noah got a metal dust pan. Me, I held my back pack with a stiletto inside. But I was calmer than the rest then. I was confident I was not the target. They didn't know me.
The tension was high. Mat was already murmuring the name of his father. Ruben was rocking back and forth. Noah was shooting his blame speech to the group, nagging each one of us. I ... was looking for a way out.
Outside, by 12:30pm, their leader shouted the battle cry. Inside, Mat’s murmur was now a loud cry of mixed fear and anger. While, they were advancing, I was looking through a whole in the closed window, towards the principal's office. I saw some of our lady classmates parading... with a teacher. Ahhhh, I was relieved.
With his office overflowing with juvenile and troublesome visitors, the principal conducted his short investigation, and a common sermon. We're all made to promise not to engage in trouble again.
I thanked our heroines. I thanked God for saving us from unnecessary pain and trouble. I thank God that those frat kids did not come back anymore...  We were saved from a wrong kind of brotherhood.

The Fangs of Generation ‘L’

 

It’s always nice to belong to a great generation.

My favorite is generation X (Born: 1966-1976). That's my generation. Some of you might belong to generation Y (Born: 1977-1994), generation Z (Born: 1995-2012).

Each generation has its strengths and weaknesses, and each generation is a gem to society. In short, these generations are great generations. Know, embrace and contribute to your generation. -- But please, whichever you belong, don't belong to GENERATION L.

Generation L stretches its DNA in all generations. It carries with it a signature of failures, bitterness and a curse. People who belong to this generation easily quit. They have no clear vision of what they want to be.

They're by nature skeptics, who doubt the reasonability of logic, but easily swayed by lukewarm advice from persuasive emotional quack advisers and pastors. Their mantra is "there's nothing right in this world."

Gen L is a people who listen only to their own voices. Their arguments are infallible and loud outside the meeting rooms, but they’re silent inside the board room. Their complaints echo from the morning until sunset. Their emotions control them. The most important thing in the world is the opinion of other people about them. And the hardest thing they could do is to say, “sorry.”

Generation L is the generation of losers. They are in your neighborhood, in your weekend clubs, workplaces, schools and even in your family. And they have a mission: to make you one of them.

***Next: The Grit of Generation ‘E’

10 Powerful and Time-tested Tips on How to Escape Investing for Your Future

1. Tell yourself, ‘There’s always tomorrow.’
2. Let your employer decide for your future.
3. Believe that rich people are thieves, and being poor is noble.
4. Let your children carry the burden of your old age.
5. Just put your money in the bank with 1-3 % p.a. interest.
6. Keep impressing your friends: buy things you don’t need.
7. Don't study nor attend anything pertaining to financial matters.
8. Stay as an employee forever and let your children do the same.
9. Don't believe in your country's economic growth.
10. Run away from Financial Advisors, simply consult your friends regarding money matters.

Attitude, attitude, attitude!

 

“Assume until you become...”

Smile, Hormones and Money

That’s it! This is what we call mind control.
Imagine that in the brain of every person, there are buttons. And each button corresponds to each action or reaction. Now, these buttons can be pushed through by the use of our senses. So, the eyes, for example, when they see a smile from others, the brain naturally pushes the button which is called ‘endorphin’ button. Once activated, your glands flood your brain with ‘happy hormones’ which will make the person feel good, and eventually smile back at someone.
And not only that, it will eventually lower their defenses, releases their tension and become hopeful. Now, turning this information into money, I say, smile FIRST before you offer your product to your clients. If they smile back, you’re more than halfway to your closing the deal.

Happy selling.

Poor Migrant Workers - Filipino version

English version – click here.

Isa sa mga shockers ko ng pumunta ako ng Europa ay ng makasalubong ko ang isang matandang babae na mahigit ng 27 anyos sa Roma. Sya’y humihingi ng 5euro para sa pagkain nya.

Baguhan palang ako noon sa Roma, ang isip ko'y litong-lito. Nang tinanong ko si ate kung ano ang nangyari sa pera nya, sabi nya nandon daw lahat sa mga ‘tinutulongan’ nya. Ngayon, hindi sya makauwi dahil ang bahay nya ay tinitirhan ng mga anak nya at mga pamilya nito na hirap parin sa buhay. Wala narin syang pambili ng ticket. “Ang akala ko, tuloy tuloy lang trabaho ko. Tatlong amo ko na ang namatay, at ngayon wala akong halos matirahan.” Paiyak na kwento sa kin ni ate.

Marami na rin syang sinalihan na networking sa Italya, at sa ngayon, puro bote ng capsula ang pinakita at mahaba na listahan ng downline nya. Ang pangakong biglang yaman, wala. May pinakita rin syang mga resibo ng binayaran nyang condo, at hindi naman natapos dahil sa biglang pagkawala ng trabaho nito.

Nang umikot ako sa ibang parte ng Europa, katulad ng Belgium, Holland at France, halos pareho-pareho ang estorya: stressed sa unrealistic na demand ng pamilya sa Pinas, luhod sa trabaho, walang totoong investment para sa sarili. – Nagugulat nalang sila, palubog na pala ang araw para sa kanila.

Ng umuwi ako ng Pinas, katulad ng ibang OFW, wala akong dalang sako-sakong pera, pero may dala akong dalawang kayamanan na higit pa sa kayamanan na hindi kayang pantayan ng euro at pasta: Ang yaman ng katotohan sa likod ng magarbong posts sa FB ng mga OFW’s, at isa sa mga totoo at tapat na solusyon ng kahirapan, na isa-isa kong nang inilathala sa website na ito.

Related posts:
The Hanakyl Circle
Your Virtual Wealth Container
God’s Financial Managers

Poor Migrant Workers –English version

For Filipino version – click here

One of my shockers when I went to Europe was when I encountered an old OFW lady who spent more than 27 years working in Rome: she was begging for 5euro for her food.

Being a first timer,  I was confused. When I asked her where was her money, she told me, she spent all of them 'helping' others. Now, she could not go home: her house is occupied by her children's families who could barely meet their daily needs. Obviously, she could not buy a ticket home. - "I thought, my work would be 'forever'. All my three employers died, one by one through the years, and now, I don't have a job." She tearfully revealed.

She also joined countless networking 'businesses' in Italy, but all she got now are the bottles of capsules and long lists of her down-line. The promise of getting rich never materialized. She also showed some receipts paid for the condo she failed to continue paying.

When I went around to some other parts of Europe, like, Belgium, Holland and France, the stories aren't so different: stressed from unrealistic expectation of the families back home, hard work and no true investment for themselves. - They woke up one day, the sun has already set for them....

I went back home, like the 60% of the of the OFW, without sacks of money. But I brought two things more valuable than euros and pastas: it's the wealth of truth behind the extravagant posts and smiles of OFW's on FB and a genuine and honest solution to the cure of the inherent poverty, which little by little I have already started sharing in this site.

Related posts:
The Hanakyl Circle
Your Virtual Wealth Container
God’s Financial Managers

Generation X's Prayer

Lord, make me
An amplifier of your goodness
A speaker of your Good News,
A megaphone of your forgiveness,
A Wi-Fi of your presence,
An Android of your grace,
An iPhone between You and Your people.
Make me
A product that best speaks your brand,
A singer of your good works,
A comedian of your Holy humors,
A pitchman of your Promises,
A salesman of your Kingdom.
Lord, allow me to serve You another day,
For I know, the reason why certain people still exist
It's because, if not their deeds, their mere existence
Speaks of your wonder...
Thank You, Lord, for using me...

--- John B. Bejo---

The Hanakyl Circle

Updated June 2014

So why the rich are rich, and the poor are poor?

First, we need to see an established fact with a question: “When economy improves, who gets richer?”

It’s the INVESTOR. Why? Because he gets more money and more time with less energy. The Hanakyl circle tells us that it’s the investor who is the nearest to money.

Second, it’s the BUSINESSMAN. He get’s more money but less time for his family and himself, and exerts more energy.

Third, it’s the SELF-EMPLOYED. Self-employed people hire themselves, control their time and energy, but when they stop working, they stop earning.

Next, the EMPLOYEES. Employees spend most of the time and energy in the cycle of economy, but earn the least. And the worst thing is they depend on the people who hire them, namely, the self-employed, the businessmen and the investors.

And lastly, the dependents. This is self explanatory.

In the limbo, outside of the circle are the people who are farthest from money:

the un-employed, the indecisive, the scared, the believers in ‘swerte’ (luck), and the worst, the FINANCIALLY ILLITERATE.

In the economy of blessings, it’s not the question of having money or none, it’s the question of having the courage and the knowledge in handling money. In the Parable of the Talent, all three were given, but only the two had the courage to invest their money and profit from it. The coward and the lazy was even punished.

In this Hanakyl circle, the law of vicious circle plays continuously, unless somebody will decide to alter it. The children of the employees will follow the culture of employment and thus will remain poor. On the other hand, the children of the investors will more likely to become businessmen and investors, thus they will enjoy more quality lives. Their children will go to better schools, eat tastier and healthier foods, travel and have more money to help the charity.

So, what shall we do? Our job is to make those from the business, self-employed and employee sectors to invest. And how shall we do this? Since the greatest evil is ignorance, we combat it with knowledge, that’s why we need to do an effective and doable Financial Literacy which what we are doing now.

Congratulations.

***Related posts
Your Virtual Wealth Container
God’s Financial Managers

***Foot Notes: obviously, Hanakyl Circle was inspired by Robert Kiyosaki’s cash flow quadrant. But, if you look at this, it needs a little explanation understanding the economy of wealth. Plus, Hanakyl Circle added new dimensions and insights on the question of how and WHY of wealth economy.

God’s Financial Managers

The M in Monday stands for manager and money. We are all STEWARDS of God's grace. In God's economy of grace, we are all financial managers. Some are excellent, most are in-the-making.

In a survey conducted by FLARe, people ranked themselves ‘expert’ financial managers, but when asked about basic money concepts they ranked low.

Learning about money is oftentimes complicated. Our culture, religion, family habit and real needs are convoluted. In my case for example, during our childhood we did not want to be labeled as rich, or had money. Being rich was tied with the idea of corruption, un-generosity and legal thieves.

In our spiritual upbringing it was constantly hinted that money was 75% hindrance in going to Heaven… “Enough’ was the byword.

It took me a long trip to Italy and the other parts of Europe and back to REALLY learn about money. It’s was a slow, painful but rewarding process.

Throughout this blog, I will reveal little by little what I have learned. As of the moment, let me say that I used to hate the word ‘sell’ when I was at Dell. Now, selling is my passion… And I can proudly say, ‘Selling hope and peace of mind is one of the best works in the world!’

***Part of Your Virtual Wealth Container

The Lion’s Teeth

Don’t envy the rich
Who strut on the rope of comfort,
Nor the beggars who survived the famine days and slept in seeming peace;
For even the sun has to stop shining to give way for the sky to drop it’s tears.

Don’t envy the comedians
who cracked laughs out even from the manager’s stiff heart,
Nor the models who posed with canned smiles and appetizing curves;
For they too saw lightless days.

Don’t envy the big man in his huge noisy car,
Who displayed his wife like a Barbie
Nor the wife who shopped as if she owned the malls
For they too owned thorny beds and rocky pillows.

Don’t envy the dead
Who lie in peace and seemed forgotten
Nor the living who wasted their health and threw away time;
For Mother Earth never forgets her own.

Look for flowers everywhere;
The Dandelion pretends to die in Winter
But shows her fangs in the first day of Springs.
Wait for your day, and never let your heart be bitten by envy…

5 Most Liked Tidbits of Wisdom

I’m posting some tidbits of wisdom I posted in the previous weeks:

• Assuming always that the lessons you heard and read are not for others but for YOU, that is WISDOM.
• Being on time saves you money, energy and relationships; commands respect and makes you feel good.
• Winners vs. Losers: Winners control what happens to them. Losers are controlled by what happens to them. --- Winners DECIDE what and HOW they should feel about something and somebody.
• God never lies. When He said, you shall receive, all you need to do is to ask. So, ask without a doubt. If you receive it anytime soon, then you know He loves you. If you won't receive it, then you know that He loves you because He won't give something that will put you in danger and it's not meant for you...
• Keep yourself always ATTRACTIVE. Attractive people cultivate a sense of wonder, beauty, joy, appreciation and optimism that something good is always coming. Attractive people are irresistible.

Valentines Day Mnemonics

 

V is for 'vacate.' Vacate your heart of bitterness and pain.
A is for 'accept'. Accept things you have no control over.
L is for 'let-go.' Let go of the things and people who make you unhappy.
E is for 'effort.' Take EFFORT to say 'I love you.' Take effort to change if necessary
N is for 'nap.' Take a nap. Recharge.
T is for 'time.' To our loved ones, time=love.
I is for 'insist.' Insist on having the best. Give your best as well.
N is for 'no.' Learn to say 'no' if you are not comfortable of doing and having it.
E is for 'end.' End relationships that do not make either of you better and loving persons.
S is for 'share.' Sharing your joy with someone doubles it. Share your life.