In the month of hearts, let's stop and think about what's inside ourselves. We will keep it "indoor" internally this time. The "outdoor" will follow... As Buddha says, "whatever you feed your mind and soul (represented by heart), it is what you become."
Being an Entrepreneur, I make a conscious effort to learn about what the business acumen practice to be successful. In one of my readings I chanced upon this author, motivational speaker named Debbie Ford. She is NY Times best-selling author and an internationally recognized expert in the field of personal transformation and human potential.
When asked how she defines soul, she answered "Soul is a part of us that never dies... it is who we are at our core... it carries all the lessons, messages in the past... it tells us why we are here (living on earth) and what we are here to do..."
What does your soul say?
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
A Life of Poverty
extracted from Bo Sanchez' Truly Rich Club newsletter
For 20 years, I lived a life of poverty....
Once upon a time, I was a poor missionary. I was so poor, there were days I couldn't even get a haircut, or eat a burger, or even ride the bus. For 20 years, I lived with a few pesos in my pocket. Yes, I was happy serving god, but there were days when I wished I had a little extra so I could give more, help more, share more.
I loved the poor. For years, I lived with them. To minister to them, I lived in a squalid slum area; and for 3 long years, I lived in the boondocks that had no water or electricity, so I could live with orphans and abandoned elderly people. I really thought that to love the poor, I had to BE poor.
Bus as I look back, subconsciously, it was almost like I wanted to REMAIN poor. (I never realized this before. Just in hindsight.) Proof: I distanced myself from learning about money, learning about business, or learning about investments... I felt ALL of that was of the devil.
But every so often, I had dramatic, pivotal moments that would rock my world. That shook me to my very core.
Like that phone call I received at two in the morning. My friend called me up, saying, "Brother Bo, we're bringing my sick baby to the hospital. Please pray for us because we have no money! I don't know if the hospital will accept us.."
I said, "Yes, I'll pray..."
When I put the phone down, I felt a searing pain in the pit of my stomach. Because I realized she wasn't just asking for prayer. She was asking for money. But I had nothing. At that time, I had 55 pesos in my pocket. I felt so bad. I felt my heart was a can of Coke crushed under the tire of a truck. I said, "God, will it ALWAYS be like this my whole life? I feel so helpless."
And in my heart, I felt God tell me, "Bo, life is a choice." [end of article]
And, indeed, life is a Choice...
At the end of 2007, I chose to become an Entrepreneur. Looking back at my childhood, journals, and life situation at that time, I thought it was the right time to become Independent and venture on a business... but there was a detour - I will tell you about it next time... Have a great weekend!
For 20 years, I lived a life of poverty....
Once upon a time, I was a poor missionary. I was so poor, there were days I couldn't even get a haircut, or eat a burger, or even ride the bus. For 20 years, I lived with a few pesos in my pocket. Yes, I was happy serving god, but there were days when I wished I had a little extra so I could give more, help more, share more.
I loved the poor. For years, I lived with them. To minister to them, I lived in a squalid slum area; and for 3 long years, I lived in the boondocks that had no water or electricity, so I could live with orphans and abandoned elderly people. I really thought that to love the poor, I had to BE poor.
Bus as I look back, subconsciously, it was almost like I wanted to REMAIN poor. (I never realized this before. Just in hindsight.) Proof: I distanced myself from learning about money, learning about business, or learning about investments... I felt ALL of that was of the devil.
But every so often, I had dramatic, pivotal moments that would rock my world. That shook me to my very core.
Like that phone call I received at two in the morning. My friend called me up, saying, "Brother Bo, we're bringing my sick baby to the hospital. Please pray for us because we have no money! I don't know if the hospital will accept us.."
I said, "Yes, I'll pray..."
When I put the phone down, I felt a searing pain in the pit of my stomach. Because I realized she wasn't just asking for prayer. She was asking for money. But I had nothing. At that time, I had 55 pesos in my pocket. I felt so bad. I felt my heart was a can of Coke crushed under the tire of a truck. I said, "God, will it ALWAYS be like this my whole life? I feel so helpless."
And in my heart, I felt God tell me, "Bo, life is a choice." [end of article]
And, indeed, life is a Choice...
At the end of 2007, I chose to become an Entrepreneur. Looking back at my childhood, journals, and life situation at that time, I thought it was the right time to become Independent and venture on a business... but there was a detour - I will tell you about it next time... Have a great weekend!
Monday, December 31, 2012
If running Marathon is Insanity, What then is Spartathlon?
The clock is ticking while the final curtain is moving to a close. Year 2010 is about to end... There is something about 'end' that is nostalgic. Before reaching for this blog, a friend broke the news that my most unforgettable priest has now put to rest in the bosom of the Lord. His name is Father James Reuter. I will not forget the best recollections / retreats I had with him...
Another unforgettable and almost surreal event, a milestone in my life, is finishing my first full marathon.
Running it was difficult from the start. My race started ahead of the starting line. It started when I was struggling with the idea of doing a full marathon. Am I prepared for it and the training that goes with it? the last long slow distance I did was almost a year ago. Am I fit for it? With the project I was working on that time that demanded even my weekends. It was almost impossible to steal time to train.
There was a Cain and Abel in my mind. My left brain, analyzing the situation, said "No!" My riskier right brain said, "If not now, you will never do."
And so I waited for the last day to register. After a week, packed my overnight bag, wore my running shoes and headed to the nearest bus terminal to Naga..
So after going through the discomfort of riding a 10-hour bus ride, running for shelter at 4 in the morning as hotels are all booked, trying to get sleep from a partying neighborhood (it was fiesta!), and waking up at midnight to get on the road before it closes for the race... Sleepiness, hunger, fatigue, heat... these were all the factors that kept my body clock ticking like a timebomb... I thought I wont finish my first full marathon. Every bit of step after my 25th kilometer was grueling. Between END and DNF, neither was an option. Neither was found in my vocabulary. What was prompting like a ticker in my head was E-N-D-U-R-A-N-C-E. I was spelling it out the whole time. I was glad that I still had the presence of mind, inspite of the exhaustion, to spell it and not stop at the instance of 'D.' Or i may be sorry now...
And so I did finish. It may not be the best time for anyone but I did make it before the curtain call. Recognizing not champagne but Red Horse crossing the finish line. Not a bouquet of flowers but a garland of pride (with a golden finisher's medal). I finished the 42km!!! Wow! When I got to the hotel, the first thing I asked the frontdesk was a schedule for a massage. Wowed (because I finished 42km) but perplexed, she asked me "why would you spend hours to travel here, get an expensive room, pay to join a run, just to ran out of energy and leave you pain all over..." Why? Let me answer through an article about running long distance. If running a full marathon is insanity for people, what then is spartathlon?
Vomit, Bleeding nipples, Hallucination. Why would anyone in their right mind run the Spartathlon??
The Parthenon is lit, but Athens is still dark. In the gloom, a cleaner is sweeping the pedestrianised road that runs beneath the southern slope of the Acropolis. And in the trees beside the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, an ancient stone theatre, Lyrca-clad figures are urinating everywhere.
These are the last few minutes before the start of the Spartathlon, one of the world's toughest ultra-marathons. Click here for the complete account of Spartathlon - from the Economist.
HOME | MADE in PH | OUTDOORS | ORGANIC FARM | KOOP
Another unforgettable and almost surreal event, a milestone in my life, is finishing my first full marathon.
There was a Cain and Abel in my mind. My left brain, analyzing the situation, said "No!" My riskier right brain said, "If not now, you will never do."
And so I waited for the last day to register. After a week, packed my overnight bag, wore my running shoes and headed to the nearest bus terminal to Naga..
So after going through the discomfort of riding a 10-hour bus ride, running for shelter at 4 in the morning as hotels are all booked, trying to get sleep from a partying neighborhood (it was fiesta!), and waking up at midnight to get on the road before it closes for the race... Sleepiness, hunger, fatigue, heat... these were all the factors that kept my body clock ticking like a timebomb... I thought I wont finish my first full marathon. Every bit of step after my 25th kilometer was grueling. Between END and DNF, neither was an option. Neither was found in my vocabulary. What was prompting like a ticker in my head was E-N-D-U-R-A-N-C-E. I was spelling it out the whole time. I was glad that I still had the presence of mind, inspite of the exhaustion, to spell it and not stop at the instance of 'D.' Or i may be sorry now...
And so I did finish. It may not be the best time for anyone but I did make it before the curtain call. Recognizing not champagne but Red Horse crossing the finish line. Not a bouquet of flowers but a garland of pride (with a golden finisher's medal). I finished the 42km!!! Wow! When I got to the hotel, the first thing I asked the frontdesk was a schedule for a massage. Wowed (because I finished 42km) but perplexed, she asked me "why would you spend hours to travel here, get an expensive room, pay to join a run, just to ran out of energy and leave you pain all over..." Why? Let me answer through an article about running long distance. If running a full marathon is insanity for people, what then is spartathlon?
Vomit, Bleeding nipples, Hallucination. Why would anyone in their right mind run the Spartathlon??
The Parthenon is lit, but Athens is still dark. In the gloom, a cleaner is sweeping the pedestrianised road that runs beneath the southern slope of the Acropolis. And in the trees beside the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, an ancient stone theatre, Lyrca-clad figures are urinating everywhere.
These are the last few minutes before the start of the Spartathlon, one of the world's toughest ultra-marathons. Click here for the complete account of Spartathlon - from the Economist.
HOME | MADE in PH | OUTDOORS | ORGANIC FARM | KOOP
Monday, November 19, 2012
My Endangered Baby..
It has been difficult to keep up with blogging especially for one who prefers to travel light without a laptop (and not even a camera). One who prefers to stay in an isolated town, away from the internet world.
But I guess there comes a time when you cant keep up with preferences and cant contain the drive to write... something close to heart...
Last weekend, I went to an adoption center... The walk to the building gave a familiar touch, a feeling of excitement because this is not my first time.. Years back i made an adoption but had to make a tough decision quickly altogether --to let go of the baby for reasons I don't have control over. He simply cant live in my world.. I re-lived that day.. This poem I made for my baby, Jaldi, translated in Hindi as "fast"
Jaldi baby,
my little one, i will send you to the world,
alone...
you will be learning how to catch fish, crabs,
without me
feeding with seagrass or algae
without mom's help
my protection you will be without
my care, will just be a memory
be brave
dont be afraid of predators,
of yours
and other sea creatures
be fast,
take the lead
where you are, let it be better place
to live in
multiply
like the myriad of stars
so endangered will long be forgotten
and your presence will live on...
I adopted a Turtle:
To ensure survival and growth for the endangered species.
To foster awareness and consciousness among the peoples that it is illegal to trade turtle as it is to a human child. Drop us a note here, if you wish to adopt a turtle
Together with Metro Drug volunteers headed by Mr Mikey Ong & Ms Chi Jimenez, we were taken to the Pawikan Conservation Center built by Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau-Department of Environment and Natural Resources (PAWB-DENR).
To account the history of the center, "In late 1999, Bantay Pawikan, a local organization undertook the first in situ turtle conservation project called the Community-based Pawikan Conservation in Bataan in the small village of Nagbalayong in Morong, Bataan, a province in Western Luzon. What is noteworthy about this endeavor is that the members of the implementing organization, the Bantay Pawikan Inc were former poachers involved in the collection of turtle eggs. These poachers-turned-conservationists were at the forefront of protecting the sea turtles that breed and nest in what has been identified as the biggest nesting beach of the olive ridley turtles in the Philippines. In 2001, the project received a grant from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the continuance and strengthening of project activities."
As multitudes of turtles have been freed by multitudes of volunteers, Bantay Pawikan continuously welcome visitors and take them to the cycle of sea turtle's life or what can be death or extinction without proper care.
The following video recounts the work of the center, its volunteers who painstakingly keep a watch on sea turtles and visitors (Metro Drug employees included) who drove from different parts of the country to enjoin in the noble cause. Special notice is given to a child, who at his young mind spoke like an oracle, "I adopted a turtle and then I realized that I'm supposed to let it go so that its population will not be extinct." Click here to view more about Pawikan on TV5.
HOME | MADE in PH | OUTDOORS | ORGANIC FARM | KOOP
But I guess there comes a time when you cant keep up with preferences and cant contain the drive to write... something close to heart...
Last weekend, I went to an adoption center... The walk to the building gave a familiar touch, a feeling of excitement because this is not my first time.. Years back i made an adoption but had to make a tough decision quickly altogether --to let go of the baby for reasons I don't have control over. He simply cant live in my world.. I re-lived that day.. This poem I made for my baby, Jaldi, translated in Hindi as "fast"
 |
| Jaldi, my baby |
my little one, i will send you to the world,
alone...
you will be learning how to catch fish, crabs,
without me
feeding with seagrass or algae
without mom's help
my protection you will be without
my care, will just be a memory
 |
| Go Jaldi go!! |
be brave
dont be afraid of predators,
of yours
and other sea creatures
be fast,
take the lead
where you are, let it be better place
to live in
multiply
like the myriad of stars
so endangered will long be forgotten
and your presence will live on...
I adopted a Turtle:
To ensure survival and growth for the endangered species.
To foster awareness and consciousness among the peoples that it is illegal to trade turtle as it is to a human child. Drop us a note here, if you wish to adopt a turtle
Together with Metro Drug volunteers headed by Mr Mikey Ong & Ms Chi Jimenez, we were taken to the Pawikan Conservation Center built by Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau-Department of Environment and Natural Resources (PAWB-DENR).
To account the history of the center, "In late 1999, Bantay Pawikan, a local organization undertook the first in situ turtle conservation project called the Community-based Pawikan Conservation in Bataan in the small village of Nagbalayong in Morong, Bataan, a province in Western Luzon. What is noteworthy about this endeavor is that the members of the implementing organization, the Bantay Pawikan Inc were former poachers involved in the collection of turtle eggs. These poachers-turned-conservationists were at the forefront of protecting the sea turtles that breed and nest in what has been identified as the biggest nesting beach of the olive ridley turtles in the Philippines. In 2001, the project received a grant from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the continuance and strengthening of project activities."
As multitudes of turtles have been freed by multitudes of volunteers, Bantay Pawikan continuously welcome visitors and take them to the cycle of sea turtle's life or what can be death or extinction without proper care.
The following video recounts the work of the center, its volunteers who painstakingly keep a watch on sea turtles and visitors (Metro Drug employees included) who drove from different parts of the country to enjoin in the noble cause. Special notice is given to a child, who at his young mind spoke like an oracle, "I adopted a turtle and then I realized that I'm supposed to let it go so that its population will not be extinct." Click here to view more about Pawikan on TV5.
 |
| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8noPb2NDZe8 |
HOME | MADE in PH | OUTDOORS | ORGANIC FARM | KOOP
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Hala Buko Festival
During my childhood, a jingle is played on the radio that surely get each person's appetite to height. It goes, "When you're hungry, tat-tarat-tarat-tat, -----s is the place to be" This song reverberate in my mind while on my way to one of favorite restos in Quezon City, the Coconut House.
The house that coconut built. Everything coconut. From BREAKFAST of Coco Pancake, Veggie Coco Omelet, Coco Pandesal, Cocolog to LUNCH/DINNER of Chicken Binakol, Gatadobo, Pork Sinigang sa Buko, Kalderatang Dagat sa Gata, Coco BBQ Fiesta. And a whole line of coconut desserts and drinks.
In celebration of World Environment Day, I hope you find time to choose your food. Know more about Food Safety and Security.
HOME | MADE in PH | OUTDOORS | ORGANIC FARM | KOOP
The house that coconut built. Everything coconut. From BREAKFAST of Coco Pancake, Veggie Coco Omelet, Coco Pandesal, Cocolog to LUNCH/DINNER of Chicken Binakol, Gatadobo, Pork Sinigang sa Buko, Kalderatang Dagat sa Gata, Coco BBQ Fiesta. And a whole line of coconut desserts and drinks.
In celebration of World Environment Day, I hope you find time to choose your food. Know more about Food Safety and Security.
HOME | MADE in PH | OUTDOORS | ORGANIC FARM | KOOP
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