The idea of teaching children and adult excites me.  I feel this weird sensation every time I have a planned “teaching” appointment in office or online.  I simply love the idea of teaching others.

Why do I love to teach anyway?  First, of all, I am not a teacher that has teaching records in school.  I am not a teacher that has a classroom with letters of the alphabets posted on walls.  I am not that kind of teacher.  I love to teach because a wise man and a friend of mine once told me that when you teach, you learn more than what you are teaching.  Aside from the topic or the lesson you teach, you learn how to communicate more effectively the information.  You learn how to be more patient in delivering your message.  You learn more when you teach, a lot.

I used to teach kids in a classroom setting.  I remember the first time I picked up a white board marker and started teaching my first student.  It was my first time to teach a kid the subject Music.  I was teaching the kid how to play a recorder without technical knowledge of how to play it!  It was really embarrassing but I had to teach that kid.  At the end of the day, my student played his recorder beautifully.  How did I do it?  Because of my love of teaching and how I put inspiration into it.  That’s how I taught my first student.  I plugged in some inspiration into his system.  I told him to close his eyes and feel his music.  After I gave my instructions, I was looking at an angel playing his recorder beautifully with his eyes closed.

I learned a lot from that experience.  I learned more than what I taught.  I learned more than the knowledge that I could imagine.  That day inspired me to teach others and on that day, I realized I love to teach!

Friends, if you are tasked to share or to teach something, be glad.  Why?  Because you will learn more than what you can share or what you can teach.  Teaching is never an obligation to me.  Teaching will always be my joy, my passion.

In this website, you can find useful lessons that I gladly share with you.  These topics are about personality development, how you can make an earning website which requires you not to be geeky, and the lessons I learned in this journey called life.  You can find valuable topics as most of them are the lessons I learned from my mentors.

Anyway, are you ready?  Read on!

Talk to  you soon.

Now grow stronger and live better!

Some would even risk their health for their addiction.  Some would wake up very early in the morning to satisfy their addiction.  Some would stay late in the evening to satisfy their addiction.  Some would not even care of the time as long as their addiction is satisfied.

Other people see addiction as need.  Is the line “I wouldn’t live if I don’t have it!” familiar to you?  Or “I need to beat the top score!” rings a bell?

Recently, I was addicted to a game in Facebook called Tetris.  What makes it worse, I had to open Facebook for me to play it.  That means, double the addiction!

Tetris was called Brick Game when I first encountered the game about 15 years ago.  The objective of the game is to align the bricks without gaps in between.  Once you have successfully aligned them, they will get erased in the screen.  The Tetris in Facebook is given a little twist.  You can play against your friends or even strangers.  The objective of the game is knock out your enemies within two (2) minutes.  The more you get your opponent knocked out, the better your chances of winning.

Friends, playing Tetris is one examples of addiction.  Some are addicted to pornography.  Some are addicted to illegal drugs.  Some are addicted to sex.  Some are addicted to new gadgets.  Some are addicted to various vices!  Sad to say, but most of us prefer an addiction that destroys our lives.

Addiction kills the need for you to have a life.  Why would you sit all day playing computer games?  Aside from risking your health, you are wasting your talents (unless you are a professional arcade player!) for something useful.

Friends, make use of your time properly because in this modern time, time is a luxury that everybody does not have.  If you think you are addicted on something right now, make a decision to stop it right away.  It’s easy to spot an addiction from a need.  If it is ruining your life and if it makes you unproductive, then what you are doing is an addiction.

Now grow stronger and live better!

PS.  As for Tetris, I am quitting it.

When you have decided that something is over, be strong to say it’s definitely over.  Don’t waste your time wishing it worked.  Thomas Edison invented the light bulb and it took him a thousand ways not to build a light bulb.  He gave up on those ideas and he pursued on another which led him to his success in his light bulb invention.  Sometimes, we are too attached on something or someone that we hardly give up on them.  The truth of the matter is, we are given the gift to think and decide on what to give up and what not to give up.

But before you totally give up on something, give chances.  It’s unwise to give up on something on your first try.  In baseball, in order for you to be out of the game, you should hit three strikes.  That’s at least three chances of hitting the ball!  Whatever the situation is right now, give chances before letting go.  Be  strong and be brave enough to give chances.

Friends, life requires you to think.  Life does not prohibit you to give up.  Give chances before giving up.  Be hopeful first before wisely giving up.  Give chances but when it’s over, it should definitely be over.

Now grow stronger and live better!

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
- Proust

One day I was looking for a book on marketing when I found the book Peaks and Valleys by Spencer Johnson, MD.  It caught my attention because it was written by the author who wrote “Who Moved My Cheese” and the books says, “Making Good And Bad Times Work For You—At Work And In Life” on its cover.  I bought and then I read it.  The first few paragraphs got me hooked but unfortunately, I had to leave the coffee shop where I was at.  Fast forward, when I finished reading the book, I was pleased and I am pleased about the lessons from the book.  In this article, I am going to share with you the brief Five Points of the book that can guide you when you feel low or when you feel high in your career and in your life.  Are you ready?  Read on.

1.  Manage your good and bad times

It’s very important that you know how to manage your good and bad times.  As they say, what’s happening to you today is the result of what you did yesterday and what you do today will give you results tomorrow.

Always remember that you truly make REALITY your friend.  If you ignore REALITY, you will get hurt, guaranteed!  God has designed this planet to have peaks and valleys.  God has also designed that we experience peaks and valleys.  Do you know why?  How ugly the planet would be if everything is peaks or if everything is valleys.  Life is more wonderful because of our ups and downs, lefts and rights, fronts and backs.  God knows we can manage our good and bad times.

2.  Get out of a valley sooner

It is very stressful to be in your valley most of the time.  How do I know?  I’ve been there A LOT of times.  In every undesired situation, there are always hidden desiring events.  It’s up to us how to find them.

A person lost his job.  Most of the time, we think how unlucky the person is.  But did we ever think how blessed he can be?  He may find a better and higher paying job or he may find a more satisfying job.  Friends, when an undesirable event happens to you, the first step to get out of it is to look the good hidden in that bad time.  When you do that, you will eventually find yourself in the peak!

3.  Stay longer on a peak

Most people’s mindset when they are at the top of their careers is “celebrate and celebrate as if there’s no tomorrow!”  And the next day, they find themselves in an undesirable situation once again.  Staying longer on a peak is as challenging as getting out of the valley sooner.

When you are aiming for something desirable, equip yourself.  Get yourself ready to achieve that goal.  Imagine yourself climbing your way towards the summit of Mt. Everest wearing your pajamas only!  Surely, failure is an understatement!

4.  Get to your next peak

Don’t settle for a peak.  Go for your next peaks.  Always aim for more.  Always aim for something better.  Always aim for DEVELOPMENT.  As the say, a stagnant water goes nowhere.

Friends, be adventurous.  Always explore new things.  You will feel pain along the way, but that is totally OK when you do something about it.  Move it! Get to your next peak!

5.  Share it with others

Be a blessing to others.  Share your experiences, share your ideas, share your thoughts.  The lessons you have learned from your personal peaks and valleys can help others.  Share, share, share them!

Friends, learn and apply these five main points of the book Peaks and Valleys and surely it will make a BIG DIFFERENCE in your life.  How do I know?  I’ve done it and I am applying it in my life.  And I have shared it with others and now, I am sharing these key points to you.

Now grow stronger and live better!

PS. Watch out for articles of each key point.  I will post them here in my website.

On my way home tonight, I reflected why we give everything in the name of love.  I also realized if that love is real or not.  If that love is true or not.  If that love is genuine or not.  Many times in our lives, we say that we love somebody but the question is, do you truly love that person?  Friends, next month is the month of Love as they say.  Next month, red roses and red balloons will be everywhere.  But will you really give EVERYTHING for a true love?

What is true love, anyway?  How can you say if a love is true or not?  After thinking of many reasons, after debating with myself, and after I got out from a “nature call,” I realized that there are two lovables to whom you should give EVERYTHING because of true love.

Firstly, 1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”  Simply saying, God is love.  God is true love.  If everything should be offered, true love especially, God should be first to get that.  He doesn’t deserve it because the word “deserve” is an understatement of the true love that you should give Him.  Friends, He does not require us of extraordinary things.  A smile on somebody, a greeting of Good Morning, and a genuine compliment you can give to others are among the ordinary things that you can extraordinarily do.  Jesus was born in a simple manger.  Good deeds can be done in simple ways.  God is simplicity, don’t make your true love for Him complicated.

Secondly, give everything for true love on people who matter to you and those people who value you as you are.  Don’t be such a martyr or don’t be such a stupid person who gives everything to somebody who can’t even value you as you.  Yes, Jesus tells us to love our enemies.  And loving is giving.  Yes, you can love your enemies but you cannot give everything to your enemies.  Try giving everything to your enemies for the sake of experimenting.  Trust me, you will hate them more.

Friends, when choosing to give EVERYTHING for true love, choose wisely.  Choosing to truly love God is the wisest thing to do.  Choosing to truly love the people who value you is wiser thing to do.  Give EVERYTHING for TRUE love because in truth there is happiness.

Now grow stronger and live better!

I saw a girl in Mcdonald’s today and she looks like the person whom I admire. She (the girl in Mcdonald’s) has her (the girl that I admire) smile, almost. She has her cute eyes, almost. And she has her charisma, almost. When I saw her (the girl in Mcdonald’s), all I said was, “She almost just look like her! But she doesn’t have teeth braces!”

I wonder how some people look alike. A few months ago, our department newsletter featured some of the members of the department and their look alike. I feel lucky because I was not featured in that newsletter because my look alike discover (hint: from TV5, a channel in the Philippines) came late. Thus, I was not in that nerve wrecking featured article!

Two years ago, a local TV station had a segment in their show called, “You’ve Got A Look Alike!” It featured submitted photos of viewers that looked like a celebrity. It was funny when we realized that one of our team mates looks like James Yap, a basketball star player. But later discoveries reveal that he looks more like Phil Younghusband, a soccer star player in the Philippines! It’s really funny when you discover some of your friends look like celebrities that you know, locally or internationally.

Aside from twins there are people who look the same. But does that mean they have the same attitude? Same character? Same belief? I don’t think so. Even identical twins have differences in their attitude, character, and belief, how much more to people who only look almost the same!

Friends, I believe whoever celebrity or anyone we look alike, we are created as uniquely as our thumb marks. We are designed to be our own selves, no duplicates. We are created unique to duplicate God’s work in this planet. Sounds strange, but that’s how it seems to be.

Right now, I’m in one of my coffee shops writing this article. I’m seeing unique and beautiful people. As for the look alike of the person whom I admire, she’s uniquely beautiful. And I admire her serving other people in that Mcdonald’s!

Now grow stronger and live better!

This article is based on the talk that I gave in our department.  The title of the talk is, “Lessons from Peaks and Valleys: Five Key Points On How to Make the Good and Bad times Work For You at Work and in Life!”  Yes, I am guilty of copying the ideas of Dr. Johnson.  I am also guilty if I won’t share it with everyone.  Later you will find out what this “madness” is all about.

The lessons I learned from this book has helped me several times when I was at my lowest in my career.  It has also helped me how to manage all of the achievements that I had in my life.  Friends, I highly recommend this book to you because it is written such a way that you will easily understand the story.  And as a result, you will learn great things about how you manage your life and career.  You will become better.

The story of a book is about the young man who lives in the valleys and the old man who lives in the peaks.  The young man is not contented with what he has.  He is not satisfied in his life and career.  Contrarily, the old man is contented with his life and career.

When you read the book, you will see the changes that will happen to the young guy.  I highly suggest that you imagine that young guy as you.  Listen to what the old man is saying.  Listen to what the old man is telling you.  Listen to the old man’s teachings.

There are Five Key Points discussed in the book.  These are:

1.  Manage Your Good And Bad Times

2.  Get Out of a Valley Sooner

3.  Stay Longer on a Peak

4.  Get To Your Next Peak

5.  Share It With Others

I will write an article on each key point for you to digest.  Remember earlier when I said, “Madness?”  That’s what item #5 is all about.  Anyway, see you on Key Point #1.

Now grow stronger and live better!

According to the priest in charge of the procession, Catholic devotees of the Black Nazarene who have excess fanaticism should be corrected.  I am a Catholic and I am with the priest who said that we should correct our excess fanaticism.  Some Catholics treat wooden statues as God that they could die for it.

Friends, I am not doubting their faith.  I only hope that they realize what these images, statues, and carved woods are for.  They are not our God that we have to wipe our hankies all day long and hope that something will happen.  The Bible teaches us that when we want something from our Father, we close our doors and we talk to Him.  Statues and carved woods are there only to remind us that our God exists and He is there all the time.

Again, let me say it once again.  These statues and carved woods are only reminders.  Let’s not overdo things as Catholics.  Never make them as the replacement of God because that ain’t cool.

Now grow stronger and live better.

New year.  What does it mean to you?  Some said that they must wear polka dots.  Some said that they must have fruits that are shaped circle on the tables.  Some even said that they should jump as high as they should!

Those are only some of what we prepared for on the New Year’s eve.  But what do they mean?  New Hope. It all sums up to being hopeful for this year.

No job last year?  Find one this year!  No promotion last year?  Work harder and smarter this year!  Not so many friends this year?  Go have fun with new friends this year!

Every year hope for something better.  We hope for some improvement.  We hope because we are specially designed by our Creator to Hope.  I felt sad when I saw on TV a young lady when she said that she doesn’t want to celebrate New Year with hope because she lost her family during the typhoon Sendong.  I can’t blame her of what happened to her and her family.  Friends, tragedies are only tragedies.  They will never stop you from hoping!

When the clock hit the midnight mark, I made a few but very important resolutions.  It had been years since I made serious resolutions.  Serious hopes.  Yes, seriously.  I talked with my Creator and asked Him to guide me so that I can achieve what I plan to achieve this year.  I looked weird and strange if I were to look at myself.  Thankfully, I was alone at home last night.

Yes! I spent the New Year alone at home.  I watched our neighbors’ fireworks displays alone.  I watched the TV at home alone.  I celebrated the New Year alone.  Now you ask me if did I enjoy my new year?  Absolutely!  Even if I am away from my family and friends, I am hopeful that this year will make a significant mark in our lives.  Even if I am away from them, I hope that they are OK and safe (I know, they are).  If you are like me who celebrated the New Year alone, don’t worry..don’t be sad!  Be hopeful to be with your family and friends any time this year!

Anyways, I hope nothing but the best for you.  Have a blast this 2012.  Big blast in your career, big blast in your family and friends, big blast in yourself, and the biggest blast with your Creator.

Happy New Year!

Now grow stronger and live better!

Develop Options Continually
One of the most important rules that I have ever learned is this: You are only as free as your well-developed options. Before you can plan your time and your life, you must be absolutely clear about both the hourly rate that you are earning today and the hourly rate that you want to earn in the future. Every hour that you spend on a low-value or no-value activity is costing you $25, $50, or more.

Determine the Highest and Best Use of Your Time
Whatever job you choose to take, company you choose to make with your money, or time you choose to spend on a particular activity, think it through carefully in advance and be certain that you are making the highest and best use of your time and resources.

Refuse to Settle
Abraham Maslow once wrote, “The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short.” Many people, because of fear and timidity, settle for far less than they are truly capable of achieving. They stay in jobs they don’t like. They stay in relationships that don’t make them happy. They invest their money in things they don’t understand and leave their money there long after they realize they’ve made a mistake. If you are not satisfied with any part of your life, with your current seat selection, remember that you can always pay a price to be free.

Ask for What You Want
In business and in your personal life, remember that every term or condition that you are ever offered has been decided by someone and can be changed by someone else. Whether this involves the pay and conditions of a job, the terms of a contract, the costs of products or services, rental or lease rates of offices or equipment, or bank terms for loans of credit, if you are not happy for any reason, don’t be reluctant to ask for something different.

Cast a Wide Net
The rule with ideas is this: Quality is a function of quantity. This means that the more ways you achieve your goal that you consider before you embark on your journey, the better will be the quality of the choice you make. Cast a wide net. Don’t fall in love with the first idea that occurs to you. You must continually remind yourself that emotions distort evaluations. This means that the more emotional you become about a course of action at the beginning, the less able you will be to make the best decisions and determine the best way to reach your destination.

-Brian Tracy