41 Days More - I Wish I Was a College Drop-Out

"Have you been absent lately?"

"Nah, not yet, I don't want to skip classes, our prof told us he'd give additional .3 to our grades if we would never miss a class."

"Really? .3 is big enough! I won't skip classes too!"

"Good. I'll try my best to be on the dean's list this semester."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you'll get it."

"I want to become a CPA like my father, take it as a pre-law too. Imagine, I'm a CPA and also a lawyer!"

"Awesome!"

I had a smirk while listening to these two college boys while in the locker room of the gym. Oh, I really miss going to school. And if I'd get a chance, oh boy, will I cut classes! 

Back in college my world was the library. Lets say, I'm more of a nerd, a nerd hunk to be exact. hehehe There were only 3 places I know in school, the classroom, the Campus Ministry Office, and the Library. But I spent most of my time in my kingdom - the library.

I was pretty diligent too, never missed a class, attentive in discussions, cursed myself if I get 3 mistakes in an exam, I studied and read a lot, I was the typical A-student. And so I graduated an A-student. And everybody was happy. But looking back, shocks! I missed most of the good part. Hanging out and wasting time with friends, laughed out loud, group cutting classes, being scolded for trying something new, ran off to play games, and a whole lot more. And right now, I regret, I'll never ever have a chance to experience them.

Sad part here, though I became an A-student obviously I ended up an A-employee. Great job, great pay, and of course GREAT responsibilities. But no matter what I do, I'm still an employee UNDER an employer UNDER the punch card UNDER the 15 day salary cycle UNDER someone who gets rich everyday because I work hard for them. Not the freedom I expected from an A-person like me.

Another "sadder" part here is that only about 10% of what the A-student learned was applied to his being an A-employee. Ouch! Where's the 90%? In the trash bin together with the test papers!

(Oops, the optimistic Hanz has something to say, "Thanks to the training you had with your professors and collegues, you were able to sharpen the right attitude though. And don't forget, thanks to becoming an A-student you became an A-employee -hehehe- and so you had just enough salary to support your family!" 

 "Okay, 'get your point" the writing Hanz agreed.)

And I regret, "If only I was learning in college what I am learning right now, then I would've been an enlightened millionaire in 7 days!! I could've been an A-employer already! I would've developed my core gifts earlier and I could've touched millions of lives at my age right now!"

Listening to those two teens, inside me was screaming to tell them, "Don't take it too seriously, skip classes time and again, enjoy college. You don't need all those stuff to succeed! Drop out boys" 

Oh well, I wished someone was telling me those words when I was in college.

(But wait, the optimistic Hanz has something to say, "Remember Hanz, someone still has to become a teacher, an engineer, a CPA and a lawyer, right? The world needs them! So just chill..everything has a reason.")

55 Days to Go - The Poor Dad

My mind still cannot understand how certain people think!
"You help them but they just won't help themselves! "
Yes, I am angry but composed coz I'll end up busting they keypad of my sis' laptop.

Jimi, one of my father's workers, lived in "the mansion" as what his neighbors called during my dad's visit in their place. Yes, a mansion as it is, though slightly bigger than the neighbor's pig pen, he has 3 children 12, 10, and 2 years old. Unfortunately, his wife is pregnant of the 4th. And It is good to note that his wife is blind due to the infection brought by a cyst.

Imagine, everyday they eat for all their meals "lechon baka" (roasted beef) and "lechon baboy" (roasted pork). However, only the name is sumptuous for these are the names of the best selling one peso junk food.

His daugther, Jenny Rose, is going high school this June. While his son Tyson, the 10 year old, will soon be a member of Akrho and will be enjoying the group's benefits of free coffin courtesy of St. Peter in 5 years time.

Desperate, he went to our house a couple of weeks ago bringing the pics of his children and offered them for adoption. As my mother recounted, "He was like selling puppies!" Being an answered prayer, my parents agreed to take in Jenny Rose. You see, we have been looking for help here at home for quite a long time. My mom is the real-life-working-mom-chef-entrepreneur-buyer-seller-government-offices-goer-helper-of-her-burdened-brothers-and-sisters-disciplinarian-cook-5am-daily-mass-goer-amazing mother of all. Indeed, Jenny Rose would be a great help to lessen her arthritis and headaches.

And so arrangements were made and they brought Jenny Rose three days ago. Everybody was very excited most especially my sister. She gave her most of her dresses and stuffs looking forward to becoming an "ate". My mom got her her room and they were planning to enroll her this week at school. She was indeed a great help especially with the 5 pages to do list of my mom.

But just today, after going for a visit at their home she texted us that she won't be coming back. She said she missed her family. ( A 15 mins,7 peso ride away from our place)

"I cannot comprehend how someone who is literally handed a blessing, a lifetime opportunity, right into her hands threw it all away. I don't know why. You help them, but they don't want to help themselves!!!!" This is what my father said as I heard the news.

Just writing this post, I realized how good the world is. It is full of amazing, endless blessings and opportunities. And these blessings are dying to help you, longing to get noticed, opportunities are hungry for our attention. BUT only man shuns himself from all these. Runs away from blessings. Throws all opportunities away.

I will never forget what Kuya told me the from our first meetings..

"I have helped a lot of people...but only a very few deserves it"

And now, I understand.

57 Days to Go - EVERYBODY PLEASE READ THIS!

I was shocked and speechless after a couple of my friends mentioned at me saying that this website looks like another million dollar SCAM!!!! EVERYBODY PLEASE READ THIS!!!!

"Why don't you set a goal to become a millionaire?"

He didn't say, "Set a goal to become a millionaire for the million dollars."

He said...

"The million dollar is automatic...

set a goal to become a millionaire for what it will make of you to achieve it,

for the person you would have to become: knowledgeable, understanding the marketplace, 

learning to improvise, overcoming difficulties, solving problems, bringing value to the marketplace, 

all the stuff you must learn, and do, and become to be a millionaire."

He said, "If you do it right, that's what's important to become a millionaire."

He said...

"Then once you get the million dollars you could just give it away...

because what's really valuable is not what you got but what you really became..."

-jim rohn

59 Days to Go - Happiness of a Millionaire

"What makes a millionaire happy?"

I keep on asking myself this question. Will it be his wealth? Will it be the help and opportunities he has given to people? Will it be his family? Will it be his vacations and trips all over the world? Will it be the difference he has make in people's lives?

According to Srikumar Rao - an adviser to senior business executives, whom he helps find deeper meaning and engagement in their work - from his video on TED entitled "Plug Into Your Hardwired Happiness". He shared this wonderful exercise...

Think about this for a minute:  

What should you get for you to be happy?

Ponder on this question and enumerate your answer.

Typical answers would be, a loving family, a good stable productive job, perfect relationships, wealth and security, and a bunch of stuffs. However this is his follow-up question.

Do you agree that anything than you can get can be un-get?

Everything you get for you to be happy can be taken away.

For this, he stated that all of us are born to be happy. We are designed to be happy people. However, we have followed the opposite IF-THEN Mental Model that there should be an "IF" or a variable that can cause us to be happy, a "THEN".

Ten years ago, I had goals, some particular "IFs" I have been focusing on - a good job, stable income, happy family, graduate with honors, and amazing girlfriend. Yes, I already achieved them.

But where has that left me?

In the same place I was 10 years ago.

So what's the point? Two things: I am born to be happy and because I am so happy, it overflows that I need to share them. How? I need to focus on things that even though I have it now and the next second someone gets it I am still happy. And what is that?

EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE GIVEN.

The lives I have helped and inspired. The graces I have shared with people.

And in a millionaire's perspective I still need to "get" something. However, I am "getting it" so that I can GIVE it.

69 then 68 Days to Go - Analyzing My Net Worth

A Networth is simply the financial value of everything I own. And this is the true measure of ones wealth. From clothes, to gadgets and gears, my money on hand and in the bank and piggy bank (Yes, I have one!) and money in my investments. And do you know how much is my net worth? Actually, I calculated it after lunch and to my amazement I only have 36,050!!! I was shocked, confused, and disappointed. I never thought I'm only that value! huhuhuhu

However, I was appeased as Kuya told me I'm waaaaaaaay better when he was broke and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than most of the people. And so my disappointed became my challenge to really focus more on increasing my net worth. As the life principle goes, "What you focus on more..grows!"

Together with analyzing my net worth is to look into its four sources: Income, Savings, Investment, and Simplification. Let's look into this as to how it runs into my life. Two of which I've already shared: savings and investment. Let's see the other two:

Income:

Honestly, I have a generous salary. I work around 9 hours a day from the prescribed 8 hours and they pay me well. I believe most people would be satisfied with the amount I am receiving per month. Me too, but that was before. I begin to ask this BIG question,

COULD I BE WORTH MORE THAN THIS??

Of course! Millionaires think BIG! I shouldn't settle for less. The ideal working income should be based on results not on time. And to think I am the type of person that delivers BIG results, and I'm sure you do too. And so I am now looking for ways to be paid based on results. But as of the moment, it is not right to resign and start working freelance or what. So this brings me to look into another type of income...PASSIVE income.

My passive income streams as of the moment are my blogs. Of which, I am saddened that my adsense account is still under El Nino. I'm sad that my magicJack blog after working hard and fast about 3 days ago still has no visitors except Jan and Kuya. Sigh! The same goes with Inzpiro, 2-3 visitors a day. Anyway, but still my hopes are high! I'll look more into it. As one of my favorite 7-word-quoute goes...

Never never never never never give up!

I need to focus more on Passive Income at this time because of my schedule at work. I cannot really work big on business or real estate because my work consumes my time badly. (However, I'm starting to work it together. Striking every "free" moment I can at work to look into business and real estate. As Millionaire's think, we choose "both" while poor people choose "either/or")

I'm looking into selling ebooks but I need to work on gaining traffic especially through this blog. What I have in mind is an e-book with the collections of stories for millionaire-to-be's. Or maybe I should look for more ideas.

Simplifications:

Is simply to simply things through simplifying your lifestyle. That simple! I learned early in my career that to succeed financially you have to break the law, the PARKINSON'S LAW: As income increase so does my expenses. And so I learned not to follow it. In spite my promotions I keep my expenses low. No branded apparel, no fancy gears and gadgets, stick to McDonalds, watch movies by asking free tickets, and no junk foods and beverages. However, I few branded clothes but with discount and new fine cuisines once a month would do. The good thing is, aside from the prioritieS I have with my family, I never really had a major problem with money.

78 then 77 Days to 1 Million

I missed to write on the blog yesterday..awww. However, I was able to write one very amazing application of my learning on the new book I'm absorbing now, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker. Its about Money Blueprint which is basically ones programming or mindset towards money. I made a very controversial example of that learning on my post entitled, Mr. Manny Villar's Financial Blueprint on my other blog at Inzpiro. 

The main theme there was...

The reason or motivation you have for making money or success is vital. If your motivation for acquiring money comes from a non-supportive root such as fear, anger, or the need to "prove" yourself, your money will never bring you happiness.

This would answer why a lot of rich people like Filipino politicians end up successfully unsuccessful.

Hmmmmm..how about me? What's my motivation for being rich?

Freedom! I could really do a lot of good if I have all the wealth. My main issue is simply I have lived a fortunately blessed life and I ought to share it and give back to God and the people what He has given! I grew up in a financially poor family but I was never deprived of love. My mission is to share that love and I can't do it without money!

When I get to have my first million, surely a chunk of it will go to my roots, Don Bosco. It has been my second home where I was able to establish my key life values and really honed discipline. Without the Salesian Community I am not what I am right now.

Anyway, here are some updates on my Business Ideas.

- I have come up with a counter part of the Live Strong wrist band, my Positive Switch. 

- I will contact Dro's friend who plans to start-up a gym coz I think I just have the right product to sell in that gym

- I will follow-up Feddy on how he is doing as the great engineer-mathematician learns programming! Imagine?? We'll gonna be marketing something big!

-Store in this blog my idea of the Lost and Found Center.hehehee