Healthy Mind

My recent travel in the beautiful island of Bohol (Philippines) helped me to understand a significant comparison among two kinds of people. One that carries an electronic gadget and the other reads a novel.

I am not against those who play games on PSPs and IPods. They are cool and I think much more exciting. But let me ask you dear readers, can you weigh the amount of time you play games rather read a book that enhances your creative imagination? In which do you spend time most?

Take a look at these guys I met in the resort where we stayed. And I saw many of the same nationality carry thick books while on travel. I just admire their habit of reading.

How reading uplifts your personal growth:

Reading makes you think well without any aid of visuals.

Reading creates pictures in your head.

Reading ups your analytical thinking.

Reading boosts your thought process.

Reading instill a character in you.

These are the reasons why you'll find books I recommend and currently reading in this blog. I am bookish. Whether I can read it or not for a time in travel, books are my instant companion. If I can't afford to enroll in a seminar, I just invest in good books and write ups in the internet, and downloadable Ebooks as well.

Now, the moment you finish your game in the gadget, think how it would affect your long term goal. For some good reasons, kill time. Play games. Laugh and be merry. But, don't ever ignore that you need to put a value on your self and give value to others.

Achievers and Settlers

As a child, the only way to learn is through careful observation. Little boys watch their dads drive the car. Young girls catch their moms cooking a delicious meal. I believe, we need the same principle as we grow professionally, and as an individual.

No matter how many years we have been living in this earth, we still need to listen and learn from others. Great book authors read different books as many as they can in a month. This type of people are what I call ACHIEVERS. Only the achievers will worry about not having any movement at all. You can't hide them inside a box. They will find a way to be creative. Their veins will rise and perform to its excellence. Achievers take time to listen and learn from experts.

SETTLERS just stay where they are. No push. No movement, not even an inch. Give them two tasks and they will complain. Things should be easy or else they will mess up. There's no place like their home- where everything is less. Imagine if they will join the bunch of achievers- the achievers fly high while the poor settler crawl too slow. Take it easy, he says to himself.

What separates the Achievers from the Settlers is the PURPOSE. To further illustrate this, I'll put it this way...

The ACHIEVERS created the bag of chips and television that the SETTLERS munch and watch TV shows all day.

Think of it. Are you an achiever or a settler?

Pitch your tent where good people are. Mingle with them. Learn from them. Jot down notes if possible. Be interested with helpful reads. Watch free training videos on You Tube. Invest on seminars and workshops. Filling your pail with white sands will enable you to build an awesome sand castle. Same thing with life, your purpose will determine whether you are an achiever or just a settler.

10 Free Things to Enjoy!

Pause. Before we complain too much, let's remember that our life is not like a ball of fire. You can enjoy it while you want. Here are some tips I'd like to share to make your day. Let me start it with a quote from famous leadership author and guru Dr. John Maxwell:

Everything you now do is something you have chosen to do. Some people don't want to believe that. But if you're over age twenty-one, your life is what you're making of it. To change your life, you need to change your priorities.

- John C. Maxwell

10 Free Things to Enjoy!

1. Happiness is free so you don't have any excuse in stamping your feet and murmur all the time.

2. This blog is free so you can freely browse it. Much more, like it.

3. Breathe fresh air because it's free. No one will bill you for inhaling tons of it.

4. Laugh all you can before somebody robs it from you.

5. Stare at the sky and be thankful for the stars. That's totally free. You can't pluck them anyway.

6. Kiss your Mom and Dad. Hug them as well. Do it before it becomes too expensive.

7. Walk around the park. Bring your friends with you. Before you know it, you already walked more than a mile. Enjoy the walk.

8. Throw I LOVE YOU's to your love ones and greet them million HELLOs. You can't buy their smile with your few bucks. Just appreciate them and they will love you back.

9. Read your Bible. God made His Word available for everyone. Take advantage of His Free Gift of Life through Jesus.

10. Sing a song. Those traffic officers will not arrest you for being out of tune. (Just don't make this an excuse for irresponsible driving.)

Now, I'm done with my list, how about you? I'm pretty sure you can list many things to be thankful for, not just because they are free, and you have come to realize that life is too short to rush it with complains and negative thoughts.

Taste the freebies of life.

Be One of the Best!

I'd like to borrow this principle I got from Francis Kong. I heard it many times from his talks but this time, admittedly, it struck me. Here's a bite size of his thoughts.

There are three kinds of people in the world:
1. Those who make things happen.
2. Those who wait for things to happen.
3. Those who say, "Why, what happened?"

I grabbed his latest book "Being the Best You Can Ever Be" this morning on my way to office and found myself chewing and swallowing the truths about boosting my potentials. What in the world are we doing when we keep on complaining? It doesn't change our situation. The only time we can achieve our dream is to step out from where we are.

Which among the 3 kinds of people you are?

Influential people make things happen by taking the risk and embracing change. Nothing is significant if we continue to do the same thing again and again. Discover the skill and learn it so that it can bring you to your dream.

For those who are waiting, I have a question. What are you waiting for?!!! Don't just relax and wait for the diploma and medals to come. Work for it. No one will recognize you unless you have a valuable contribution.

And for those who are wondering what happened? Meet Google! Get up from your lazy bed and don't pitch your tent in the Wondering Zone. There are 6,852,472,823 (and still counting) people in the world today and you have to create a room for yourself. Get noticed by your significant contribution.

Here are my tips for those who would like to make a difference:
- Keep a little notebook and pen and write your ideas.
- Get connected with significant and influential people.
- Spend time in research and reading books.
- Master you craft!
- Invest in helpful tools and gadgets.
- Befriend YouTube and learn from teaching videos.
- Create a blog so others can read it!

Happy journey to a better you!

Being the Best You Can Ever Be is available at leading bookstores in the Philippines. For orders, you may contact CSM Publishing at +632.852.7301 or click this link: http://csm-publishing.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=736:being-the-best-you-can-ever-be&catid=30:christian-living&directory=33

Waiting Is Over

Waiting is over.

This is one of the nicest words you can hear after long waiting for your roasted chicken meal. Or, you have waited for your airplane at the airport to be home before night. Maybe, waiting for your girl's response to your marriage proposal? Why waiting is too much to bear? What in the world does it exist? Why there are people who are not willing to wait?

Patience.
Test of patience. In leadership, waiting has a big role. You can't do everything at the same time. While you wait, your patience level increases. You wouldn't notice that you are waiting for the bus for more than 20 minutes if you are packed with ounces of patience. Waiting is your character builder.

Self-control.
It would be easy to go over the counter and forget about the number of people standing in line at your favorite fast food restaurant. You'll be in trouble, let me remind you. Self-control is developed in the course of waiting. You can't just freak out and tell everyone that you are hungry. Though you say sorry, you already lost your control. Learn to control your mind and mouth during waiting.

Value of Time.
Yes, time is precious. You may think you have wasted your time when you haven't. It could be time-killing for the caterpillar to spend much time inside the dark cocoon. You may be in an environment that you don't like but little did you know, the world has taught you how to value people, rather give value only to yourself. The time you've spent waiting is not by accident. It has a divine purpose.

When someone says "waiting is over", it does mean "breakfast is to be served". At the end of the rainbow, there is a pot of gold. At the end of waiting, we'll realize, the waiting is worth. Just when you are expecting to have a baby. Just when you have spent many years and got promoted to CEO.

Now, waiting is over.