Thinking Wealthy Rich =)

                Just how powerful is a human's mind?  I've been reading tons of success books lately and I've been attending seminars and all of them have one main point: it all boils down to one's mindset. If you have a positive mind, you will have positive results and likewise, if you tend to have a negative mind, you will be bombarded with negative results. Even the movie, The Secret, strongly emphasizes on this point. It states, for whatever the mind conceives, it can achieve. So yeah, mindset. It's all in the mind! And though I may be at disbelief at first, I came to realize just how true this principle is as I got to recall my nursing days.

               When I was still a nursing student in Cebu Doctors' University, I got to experience being assigned in an ICU (Intensive Care Unit). Most of the patients here are in critical condition and needed 24/7 of the nurse's attention. The ICU is only a small room for one patient and caters 1:1 ratio of nurse-patient assignment. Significant others are not allowed to stay long as the patient is in critical state and is usually in an immunosuppressed state. So yeah, during those times, I was assigned with a 69 year old Norweigan patient.

               

                         A percentage of the people I know, when being offered life changing opportunities, seminars and training, find lots of reasons to say "no"  but find ways to spend their money on nonsense things such as a brand new tv, etc. they don't know that the greatest investment they could ever make is when they invest on their selves, their mindset. I have encountered, witnessed and experienced a couple of times being with these people.  "Hey! There's this really great life changing [insert name of business opportunity/seminar here] that I know of that could make you better as a person!" 

  common replies: "err, busy ako eh. may gagawin kasi ako sa date na yan. ay may bayad pala? siya lang yayaman diyan! pagsure!" and more alibis an ordinary individual can ever think of. Do I get dejected? Nah. I don't. But I do feel sorry for these kind of people. They always have alibis for these kinds of stuffs but if it's the other way around, I know they would find ways to make it happen! 

          I can only feel sorry for these kind of individuals. Mas pinipili nilang mag invest sa mga walang kwentang bagay sa mundo. Oo nga, nakaka pigil hininga yung abs ni Jacob Black, pero ang tanong, may kinita ka ba? May natutunan ka ba aside sa pagiging malandi ni Bella? People complain that seminars are expensive and all that but they don't complain when they buy a new television. They don't know that the greatest investment they could make in their lives is when they invest on their inner world - their mind, that would soon enhance their outer world. :) 

                

             Who knew that a bowl of ice cream could spark so many ideas? :) This afternoon, Joel, Benson and I (the 90 days to a million challengers) brainstormed with each other as to how we could possibly generate our goal. It was amazing. We just ate ice cream and boom! tons and tons of ideas appeared. (oh, and we also got to oggle at sexy ladies passing by our table. xD The brainstorming session was so worth it that we even got to conceptualize a name for our team! Amazzing! Next time, we're buying ourselves pints and pints of ice cream! Who knows, the next time we do get to savor that taste of dairy product, we might generate BILLIONAIRE ideas. ^^ 

                       Aside from being able to conceptualize millionaire ideas, I also got to observe as to how my millionaire colleagues kill time. If I was with the normal crowd, we'd probably be doing chikas, gossips, libak, DOTA (or any other computer games for that matter), talk about the government, the bad economy, how to leave the country, etc. etc. But these multi-millionaires, they kill time by playing worthwhile games and reading self development books! They also talk as to how to improve each other and other possible opportunities that we could venture. Biruin mo, naglalaro kami ng Monopoly sa labas ng Krispy Kreme habang naghihintay ni Brother Bo Sanchez. Haha. 

        

                        Yesterday was such an inspiring day. I got to have lunch with John Calub and staff at a beautiful restaurant named The Port in Waterfront. At first, I really felt awkward because there I was, seated with a bunch of multi-millionaires. It was only when my good friend, Joel told me "do you remember success principle number 5?" that got me thinking. Success principle number five stated that if you wanna be successful, be with successful people. So there I was, someone who was hungry for success doing exactly what success principle 5 was stating, being with successful people.

                     I was in the zone, observing these multi-millionaires around me. I got so impressed by the sight in front of me. You see, wealthy people, they spend their free time reading books or just having fun. Yes, fun. It ain't true at all that all rich people don't have the time in the world. In fact, it's quite the exact opposite. They have all the time in the world because from what I was seeing, these multi-millionaires were spending most of their time with their families and friends because they get to have a control of their time. So whoever said that once you become rich, you will no longer get to spend time with family members must be working HARD (an employee), not SMART or perhaps has been watching too much television. :) The multi-millionaires I was with, were reading books that would further enhance their character, their skills and basically themselves as persons. Aside from that, they talk about life and other possible opportunities. Not a single problem was mentioned. Not a single negative vibe was felt. So this is why the wealthy rich get wealthier and richer! All they think about are opportunities and basically being positive! They continue to self educate themselves by having mentors and attending seminars! I've been with "middle class" and "poor" people and the difference between them and the rich as to how they spend their time is really astounding. 

                    You see, when I used to eat or hang out with middle class and/or poor people, all they talk about are TELESERYES or if not, they talk about OTHER PEOPLE either in a good way or bad way. They also love to talk about PROBLEMS and I've never seen them reading books either than perhaps fiction books, comics or mangas. These mere facts opened my eyes. I was also fortunate enough to have spent my time with two successful graduates of my mentor's 90 days to a million challenge - Kuya Jake and Kuya Hanz. 

                   It was at Bo's Coffee in Ayala that I got to hang out with them, spending time with them, interviewing them and just enjoying their company. It was there that I got to know them more as individuals. Kuya Hanz Florentino is just in his early twenties, was a magna cum laude in his class, skyrocketed to the managerial position in his past company in just a year and quit his job a few months after. xD Kuya Jake is in his late twenties, was always the employee of the month for six consecutive months in San Miguel Corporation, got sick and tired of his job and also quit. They faced humiliation from their families and friends, the acts of being ridiculed for quitting a high paying job for something that was not even there yet daw. But they persevered and now, look at them now. They are two highly respected ,successful and HAPPY individuals excelling in their field of interests and passion. Kuya Jake is now into stock market and is good at it. Kuya Hanz is into media, graphics and arts and is highly in demand for it and they've never been happier.                     You see, Ash, when you're in a job, there are lots of rules that you have to follow. But when you're in a business, YOU CREATE YOUR OWN RULES, said Kuya Jake. Be with successful people, Ash. Meditate every chance you get and always do the 3 second rule., added Kuya Hanz. "3 Second rule? What's that?" , I asked. "It's simple.", Kuya Hanz replied. "Have you ever experienced wanting to do something but you stop yourself because you had too many what ifs in your head? What if pumalpak? What if ayaw niya sakin? Ano kaya magiging reaction niya?" There and then I understood. The 3 second rule is another way of saying JUST DO IT. If you fail or succeed, it doesn't matter as long as you did it anyway and learned a lesson in the end than regretting and asking yourself Ano kaya nangyari if ginawa ko? and not learning anything at all. :)


Because no matter how many mistakes you make or how slow your progress is, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying

                        I'm now about a month old in my 90 days to a million challenge. It has become tougher so far. But I know the toughest is yet to come. The challenge is making me go out of my comfort zone and though I do complain sometimes, I understand that it is the only way for me to attain my goal. According to John Calub, the only way for a person to reach his/her dreams is if she GOYA. And no, I'm not talking about that delicious chocolate bar, I'm talking about Getting Off Your Ass. In short, do things that you are supposed to do. I mean what could you possibly do with your ass rooted to a chair, right? Sometimes, I get to wonder where I really am heading in life, in the challenge. Emotional ups and downs have crossed me and I know there are more yet to come. 

                         In my 3rd week or so, my colleague Joel asked me this simple question. What's your real purpose for enlisting yourself into this challenge? That got me thinking but a lot of answers to his query came into mind. Well, I wanna prove to myself that I can do it so that my family will no longer see me as "bagdoy bagdoy". I wanna find my path because even before you guys came along, I already knew I was different. That I had a different mindset from everyone else. So that was my simple answer to Joel's simple question. I was kinda happy answering such question until Joel's answer came along. 

Well me, my reason for enlisting myself into this challenge is really simple. I wanna know myself. I wanna know who I really am.  His answer got me thinking so much. Yeah it was much simpler than my answer but it surely was hella more deep than mine. I mean, come to think of it, I don't even know myself too. Who am I really? WHAT am I really? (and no, I'm not accepting sarcastic answers such as you're a human). Because I know it transcends way beyond that. Tsk. 

How about you? Do you already know who you are? 

Do you already have any idea as to what you really are?

Joel's purpose for enlisting himself into the 90 days to a million challenge may be simple but it sure beats all others' purposes. 

                           I am motivated! I am inspired! But I'm not doing anything!  How many of us have tried getting so inspired and motivated by one person's success and words of wisdom yet gets nothing in the end? We feel that burst of energy within us. The yes! I can be like you too! feeling. We feel that surge of adrenaline rush. That rush that makes us want to do anything! But alas, we don't do anything! That's the problem! All we do is feel the inspiration but don't do the motivation. Sad, isn't it?

                          I know so many people who gets so inspired out of others'success. They try it out for their own but the question is, do they try enough? I see so many quit in the face of hardships. What were they thinking? Were they thinking that success was just a walk in the park? They would then reason out the never ending reason of guess it's really not for me. Mas magaling kasi siya kesa sakin. OMG! Wake up people! Success is not something you get out of sleeping or merely getting yourself inspired to a hundredth degree! Success is something you achieve if you do something about it! Puro ka lang salita wala ka naman ginagawa eh d talagang hindi mapapasayo ung success na inaasam asam mo! Kumilos ka! Instead of getting wide eyed about other people's success, do something about your life to have that same success! Yung iba pa diyan, kapag walang results at first try, iggive up na. By golly, yung success ginigive up pero yung ka relasyon na away bati, break, make up ang show, todo todong pinupursue! 

                           There are also people who venture into something without knowing much about it. It's so sad because they never EVER take the time to learn what they've gotten themselves into. They expect immediate results. At dahil nga hindi nila tinutunan eh di sympre walang pinapapatunguhan ang career nila. All they do is rely so much on their team leaders asking them insanely profound ( i like to use this word instead of stupid xD) questions. Questions na yung mga sagot eh nasa manuals lang nila. Insanity! You did go to school to read, didn't you? So why not make use of that skill and take the time to read your manuals instead of reading chain messages in Facebook! Para lang kasing exam yan. Kapag nagstudy ka eh di pasado ka or di kaya mag eexcel ka pa. Kapag hindi ka naman nagstudy, natural, babagsak ka. So wake up na. Hindi lahat ay inaasa sa iba. The success you're aiming for is solely up to you. Ask those who've succeeded before you. Hindi naman sila yumaman or naging successful through depending solely on someone! Their success is theirs and because it's through their own effort, the success they reap is much more rewarding diba? Wag mong sabihin nakapasa ka sa school mo dahil nangopya ka? Ano feeling dun? Rewarding ba? :) 

                            Meron din namang ibang todo hintay lang ang show. Para sa kanila, ay mag aantay nalang ako at alam kong may mailalagay din sakin na blessings. Sige nga, try mong antayin bumagsak ung mansanas mula sa punuan. For sure, someone wiser than you will use a ladder to get that piece of apple :) It's so sad, so sadddd that most people are like the above aforementioned. And yet they ask why their life is what they're having now. People, life is what you make it. It's either you become a stagnant leech (leech are those that suck on someone's blood, depending on their blood for survival) or become  the blood! (blood gives life, it circulates throughout one's body in a never ending fashion. Despite obstacles, it never ceases to continue working, going distances, achieving things). 

                                  There are also people who aim for success yet the action is not there. They aim for it yet their actions show otherwise. Meron bang gustong maging successful ngunit yung inaatupag ay puro laro or kahit ano anong nonsense? 0__0 At ung iba naman, kapag pumalpak, binabanat lahat sa mentors nila. Remember, you are responsible for your own action. It was you who did the deed not the other way around. There are also others with attitude problems. Remember, to succeed in this world, you need to have an attitude that goes well with people. Paano ka maging successful niyan eh if along the way, inaapak apakan mo naman ung iba? So wake up! If you really wanna succeed in life, do something about it! Less talk, more action!

                               According to a really good motivational speaker, we as parents were just brought about by God here on earth to be shepherds of HIS creation. As a sheperd, it's our duty to guide our children's way. But it's never our duty to hold their lives as if it were our own. Who are we to control our children's lives? It'd be really better if you give your children a chance to seek his/her own path. If they fail, then let them be for them to learn about life. Help them stand up again. If they succeed, then be happy for them. Because not only did they prosper, they also went out of their comfort zone to reach their success zone in life. Para lang kasi yang batang tinuturuang maglakad. Pinapaubaya mo sa sarili niya na matutong maglakad. Pag nadapa, tutulungan mong tumayo ulit. Hindi ko naman sinasabing papabayaan mo na talaga siya. Ang sa akin lang, wag nyo sanang lagyan ng pader yung daan na lalakarin niya. So to all of us out there, good moorning sa inyoo!! :)

                        

                   There's this someone I know who could probably win the title of most number of bad deeds done in the past award. He's someone I recently established connections with and no, it's not to do "bad" things. In fact, it's the total opposite. For the past few days that I have come to know him, the thoughts of him being someone living a bad life in the past never came into my mind. So to know that he was in fact, a really bad boy in the past came as a total shocker for me. Who is this person you may ask? Well let's just hide him by the name of Mr. Jagger. (for privacy's sake.)

                    Mr. Jagger is currently 23 years old. At the outside, he looks just like one of those typical every day happy go lucky guy who doesn't have a single problem in life  but on the inside, it's a totally different side of the story. Who would ever thought that this guy, who uses laughter every chance he gets, was a former bad-ass in his past? Yep, I love to use the word past because I truly believe that it will be considered as such since Mr. Jagger is now a totally renewed person and is still currently in the process of undergoing transformation for the next 86 days and counting. Mr. Jagger and I are colleagues in our mentor's 90 days to a million challenge. At first, I only saw him as nothing more than a competition. A competition in business, a competition in other aspects of life. But recently, I have changed my perspective about him because now, I am seeing him as a friend. A true friend.  

                      It all started when I was nearly hitting my depression state. I was so down at that time since I was confused. Everywhere I looked, people I knew were already working, posting Facebook statuses about work, work and nothing else but work! The mere fact that my relatives gave me the "do you even have plans in life" questions every chance they got only made my situation worse. I kept asking myself back then if I was abnormal because really, honestly, the thought of working to earn money didn't fascinate me. Instead, my mind was harboring these thoughts of I know money will come to me in other ways than working my ass off for a company. But how?! Those were my questions back then and I didn't have the much needed support thus I felt down. It was then that Mr. Jagger came along. That fateful act of hitting him a message through facebook one day was no accident. It had a purpose. And I soon came to understand why. 

                       Hey, Mr. Jag. How are you? I'm so down right now I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. I have recently become stagnant! Then Mr. Jagger replied, Hey, Ash! How are you? As for me, I'm doing fine. May I ask what's wrong with you? What IS going on with you? Then I started to share to him about my recent happenings in life. I felt comfortable talking to Mr. Jagger probably because he didn't know me too well back then. It didn't dawn on me that all I ever talk about to him were my problems, my complaints. I only realized that when he finally mustered the courage to tell it to me straight in my face these words. Words that greatly affected me back then and up to now. You know what, Ash. I'm so disappointed in you. You used to be my idol. I idolized you because you were so good at what you were doing and here you are telling me things, telling me about your problems. I know you're better than that. I officially challenge you. You know I had to build my business back from scratch. I'd do anything just to be in your shoes seeing as to how you have already established your business whereas I had to get back to zero. This is my challenge to you then, I shall race you to the top. If I win, I shall put your name to embarrassment in whatever ways possible. But if you win, I disappear. How's that? I was like 0________________0 was this guy really serious? I mean who was he to suddenly tell me those stuffs? Nevertheless, the words he spat at me became my motivation. I was back on track!

                          Now you would probably think that after hearing those words, I would develop a world war four against Mr. Jagger. But nah, it turned out to be the exact opposite. Mr. Jagger and I have become closer  friends especially when our mentor's 90 days to a million challenge began. I got to know him more as a person and when the news of his past came, my mind boggled to say the least. You see, Mr. Jagger doesn't have exactly a past that was to be wanted by anyone. Surely, not all of us have tried doing things that were considered a crime, right? I, for one, have never tried shooting someone with a gun or whatever. But Mr. Jagger? He's super jagger. 

                             Smoking? Check. 

                             Drinking non stop? Check

                             Drugs? Check.

                             Stealing? Check.

                             Shooting someone? Double check.

These are just some of the many things Mr. Jagger has done in his past. Scary, ain't it? I know it is. But if you were to look at Mr. Jagger now you would never ever think that he even did those aforementioned stuffs in the past. 

                     Mr. Jagger had it rough. His parents never had time for him. He sought the love and attention of his family but he never seemed to get it no matter how hard he tried. I did all sorts of crazy things just to catch their attention, but I keep on failing were the words of Mr. J. He dropped out from school, re-enrolled himself to another course and recently, dropped out again. On his 1st day of our 90 days to a million challenge, I saw the human part of Mr. J. Right after visiting the girl with the lupus, Mr. Jagger told me about how angry he was at himself. He just couldn't understand why it wasn't him on that bed who was suffering. After all, he should deserve it considering all the bad things he has done with his life before (smoking, drinking, drugs and all that jazz). Just recently, Mr. Jagger shared to me about how he vomited this morning coupled with an aching stomach. Perhaps I'm now getting what I should have gotten right from the very start, he said. Ashley, you have no idea how bad of a person I was. I do beer for breakfast, I smoke at lunch time and do shabu/cocaine (drugs) at night. Despite all the information he told me, I never judged him. Why? Because I believe that every person has the right to change and not be judged by the reasons behind it. 

                      Currently, Mr. Jagger and I are at our 4th day of our 90 days to a million challenge. We're getting there, J! I keep on telling him with much excitement. Now I understand why I suddenly had that unnerving feeling to hit Mr. Jagger a message from before. It really was no accident. It was God's purpose that two confused individuals like us would become acquainted. Why? Because we had the same mindset. No, I'm not talking about his past deeds. I'm talking about our present and future deeds! Mr. Jagger and I are slowly but surely transforming into our own respective individuals. Better individuals who would soon touch the lives of others with our own set of stories.I truly believe that Mr. Jagger is becoming a better person in life. Some people may tell me to stay away from him saying he may probably go back to his old ways  but I firmly believe in Bro. Bo's saying, your past does not define your future. Mr. Jagger is changing and he's slowly getting there. Now I know that I may really be abnormal! Because I am a person who thinks waaaayyyyyyyy above what is normal. :) 

                          

                           

                       A lot of amazing things have happened to me on this day. After committing myself to my mentor's 90 days to a million challenge, my life has not been the same ever since. It was like my life made a complete turnabout.(and it's just my 3rd day ha! what more if 89th day ko na! xD) Anyway, so much has happened since then that I could not write the entire thing in this single blog entry. 

                      It was at around 8 PM, when my boyfriend and I got out of AA's Restaurant that I caught a glimpse of this really elderly woman wearing tattered clothes. She was in a stooping posture (probably caused by all the hard work she was doing in her entire life). She was short and her hair was in a dissaray with its grayish strands poking out everywhere. She wore a pair of slippers with straps that were about to snap. To make things short, she was among the less fortunate. Evan (my boyfriend) and I passed by her. She was standing at the entrance/exit of the said restaurant, her hands holding on to this plastic cellophane at her chest. I could not get rid of the shy smile she gave me when we were passing by her. I just could not get rid of that look she gave me when our eyes met. That look that seemed to say, "please offer me your sincerest help".  So I stopped my tracks. Evan seemed puzzled as we were already about to call out a jeepney. 

                       I stopped my tracks since I have recalled what I've been taught from day one during the traffic incident. (read previous blog entry). "Van, did you see that woman?" I asked my boyfriend. Before he could answer, the elderly woman appeared and approached us with a sort of hesitance. (she has probably been shunned many times). "Ma'am, sir, please help me", she said still keeping her distance. I smiled at her and tugged at Evan's arm. "What's wrong, 'la?" I asked her closing the distance that was between us. The elderly lady offered out the plastic cellophane which she was holding on her chest. "Please buy my slippers. I no longer have money for my medications. I'm hungry and I want to go home.". At this point, she was already in the verge of tears. So I grabbed the plastic cellophane out of her grasp and took out the two pairs of slippers. It was ordinary, to say the least. It was native and probably made out of abaca. Nevertheless, the slippers'quality was the last thing in my mind by then.
                 "How much?", I asked her. "120 lang po. I really need the money for my medications and transportation as well as my food." I paused and reflected recalling that I had 200 pesos in my pocket. I too, needed my two hundred pesos. It was gonna keep me going for the remaining days of this week. I shook my head when I realized I was hesitating. I recalled Ate Lovely's words from the previous day, "if ever you are to give something, do so wholeheartedly." In short, there must be no feelings of regrets. So I smiled, took out my two hundred pesos, grabbed the elderly lady's hands and placed the said amount of money on it. Evan took out a hundred peso bill and also gave it to her. The elderly lady's eyes grew in amazement and then she sobbed. "Thank you soo much, ma'am, sir. Now I can finally buy my medications for this week and I can also go home now. Merry Christmas." We smiled back. I then held unto her arm and we assisted her in crossing the other side of  A.S. Fortuna's busy street. We then watched her ride a jeepney. She left with our money, my "last" amount of money for this week. But she left us with so much more -- good vibes throughout the night and possibly, throughout our entire lives. :) 

                Hero. What comes into one's mind when this four letter word is uttered? There's Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Ironman and whoever- else- hand -drawn- comics- turned- into -movies -with- a- name ending -with -man out there. A hero, according to wikipedia (lol xD), is someone who in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage and the will for self sacrifice for some greater good of all humanity. Yes, I know these comic heroes display all of those traits and maybe more (cos they have superpowers!) but the real hero for me in this modern, chaotic world is my mother. 

                        My mother is unlike any other mothers out there. I know each and every one of us would also claim that too xD But for me, my mother is really a modern day hero. No, she does not have a spider sense that tingles every time something wrong is about to happen. She does not have a batmobile that could run at super duper high speed. She does not have an underground facility that contains all the modern day gadgets of the world to counter act evil. She does not have a disc that can throw off a villain once hit. But what she does have is a pure heart. 

                         Being an only child for 21 years and also a daughter left without a father by the age of 14, my mother was the one who took care of me through and through. She worked hard to suffice for our daily needs, my daily needs to the extent of sacrificing her very own. She served both as a mother and as a father. She stayed strong despite all circumstances, despite my selfishness and arrogance back then (haha). She is simple. So simple in fact, that she gets to be teased by others because of it, because of her lack of fashion sense daw. Anyway, I have so much to be thankful for for my mother because if not for her, I would not be where and who I am right now. 

                           My mother, I am thankful that when you were still pregnant with me, you were extra careful not to inflict any harm upon me. Perhaps I caused you lots of trouble back then since you used to work far away from home and had to take a bus to go home. I could imagine how heavy you must have felt carrying me inside your womb! You tell me how you used to carefully run for the bus so you could get home early just for you to rest so I too, could rest and not be stressed. You carefully followed your pre-natal check ups and all other sorts of check ups just to make sure I was still okay. You took vitamins and ate healthy sorts of food so I too, may be healthy inside your then growing belly. You are awesome, mother! :)

                          My mother, I thank you for giving birth to me in this world at the 25th of April in the year 1990. According to you, you really had a hard time back then since I was a huge baby. An eight pounder, am I right? (Must be because of all the healthy foods you ate. hahaha xD).The doctors and other medical practitioners advised you to undergo a cesarean section because you were in high risk, your life was at stake if you were to deliver me normally but you chose to still push through with giving birth to me the normal way even if it would have cost you your life. Wow! You were that brave! For that, I'm thankful because 21 years later, here I am, able to type this blog entry. :)

                         My mother, I thank you for always being there, for acting as my daddy whenever he was not around in the country cos he was busy with being a seaman. I am sorry that despite all that effort, I still distanced myself from you that time because daddy showered me with gifts and you never did as much as he did so I felt a gap from you despite everything you did. I thank you for being patient with me whenever I threw tantrums at you especially that time I threw coins at you for not being able to get me that yellow colored balloon at the church. You never spank me nor yelled hurtful words at me. Instead, you remained silent and patient giving me time to realize that what I was doing back then was wrong. You are so incredible, mother! 

                       My mother, I thank you for always being there in those important events of my life. I also thank you for being so supportive of me with whatever crazzzzy things my mind makes me think. You supported me through and through. You let me took piano lessons, bought me a piano, went to my recitals and announced to the entire barangay about my recitals. When I got bored with piano, you let me took tae kwon do lessons, bought me a complete tae kwon do gear (even that kicking pad thingy) and just smiled when I told you "shucks, I'm bored already with tae kwon do ma!). You let me took voice lessons, nagged the entire family to watch me sing, nagged daddy to buy you a videocamera so you could take a video of me singing on stage in front of all the people. You never cared that I was out of tune because for you, I was the best singer out there. (even when I knew I sucked! xD) You even went out of your way to tell your boss to give you a break from work just so you could attend my graduation ceremony even if it would have cost you your job. You even held parties for me every birthday I got and for every other important events of my life. Wow, you're so amazing! 

                      My mother, I thank you that you stood strong when you found out about daddy's sudden death. I thank you for letting me understand that daddy was already safe in the arms of Jesus and that there was no need for us to worry anymore. I thank you because you tried your very best to cover that gap, that emptiness I immediately felt by daddy's absence by buying me those material stuffs the way daddy used to. I also thank you that whenever I get really sick, you get really nervous and stuff and call the entire barangay for help. Heck, you were even willing to donate your own blood when you found out I had dengue even though you and I were of different blood type. It's so sweet of you mother.

                 My mother, I thank you for supporting me with my studies and for being proud of my achievements. I thank you because if not for you, I would not have been able to have my degree now. What strikes me the most is how you sacrificed your very own health for my education. Knowing you had health problems, especially that kidney stone that needed immediate attention, you still chose to delay your own treatment so that your money will go to my education instead still brings tears to my eyes. Because of you, I'm now officially a registered nurse in our country. You also never fail to help other members of our family and now, they too, are successful in their respective fields.You are a true follower of Christ.

                        My mother, I thank you for buying me clothes and I'm sorry if sometimes I say "it's baduy man ma!". I fail to realize that you are always thinking of me to the point of not thinking anymore about yourself. You buy me clothes so I may have new ones leaving you nothing in return. Now I know the reason behind your simplicity. Now you are more than simple, mama! 

                        Last but certainly not the least, I thank you my mother for still being there through thick and thin. For being a supportive mother in my topsy turvy life. You, for me, are the hero of all heroes. You've taught me values and stuffs which I could never ever learn in school. I love you with all my heart my mama. All that I'm doing, the changes I am very much willing to undergo, I do it all for you. Thank you for giving me life into this crazy world. 

                               

                            

                      Who would have thought that an ordinary taxi ride would turn out to be not so ordinary after all? In fact, it was extraordinary. Yesterday, I mentioned about my experience visiting someone whom I have never even met before in real life who was suffering from Lupus.I forgot to mention that yesterday I also got to learn something very amazing from just riding an ordinary cab with my not so ordinary friends. :) 

                       How many of us have experienced riding a taxi wherein all we could ever think about was reaching our destination in a short span of time as much as possible? How many of us would keep on nagging manong driver to make the car faster as we are gonna be late for work, school, appointments, etc.? How many of us have tried cursing out all the possible curses in the world whenever we get held up by traffic and miss the green signal? Lastly, how many of us have tried turning our heads as if we didn't see anything whenever a street person walks up to our cab, knocking its window, knocking our hearts just for us to spare them a few peso coins? Well, I admit, I have. And I know you do too. In fact, it is never new to see and experience such in our every day lives. We are busy people. We tend to rush to be in such a haste that we forget to see what we should be seeing outside our cabs -- the reality of life.

                      We are fortunate. YOU are fortunate that you get to read this blog entry. Because that only means one thing - you can either afford being in a computer shop or the computer with an internet itself. You have the luxuries of life and yet we still complain about not having enough. How much is enough then for us? Have we ever even thought about that perhaps what we are having now, the things we complain to be not enough for us, may be more than enough for others? 

                     So going back as to why my taxi ride turned out to be not so ordinary, aside from the constant teasing and fooling around inside with my companions, a single stop light made me pause, reflect and totally change my mindset. It was when the taxi stopped from a red signal of a traffic light that ate Lovely spoke. "Ash, you remember about my brother's seminar?" I nodded my head recalling what I've learnt from Jan Hilado's seminar from back then. If you're caught in a traffic light and a beggar approaches your car, be grateful. Because that only means one thing - more blessings are coming your way. Thus, whenever a beggar asks you for alms, give him/her what you have wholeheartedly. Giving your last amount of bill would be better. Because that means you gave what you have left for someone who needed it more than you did. Ate Lovely then shared about how their dad, Tito Tony would call out those beggars who pass by their cars. Because whenever a beggar approaches the first and second car but then passes by yours, that means no blessings will be on your way. Thus, call out that person. Because that person is a blessing sent from God above to see how we are as a person, as a fellow human. It was then that an old, blind lady who was being assisted by her companion came knocking into our cab window and opened up her palms. I was astonished. It was as if right on cue, she came along. We emptied out our pockets for her. We gave her all that we got wholeheartedly. The look on her face was enough of an evidence that she was surprised as if she never experienced being given so much in one cab. She smiled with all her might and just as the traffic signal turned green, she slowly walked away. She left with our heartily given money but she left us with something more than what money could ever give to us - the joy of giving to someone what we have with all our hearts. 

                          Today, I had the so called "hung over" feeling from the lack of sleep. I slept at 3 am yesterday because I had a life changing talk with my business mentors and associates til 2 in the morning. It was really a surprise for me to receive a message upon waking up from one of my closest friend and business mate, Joel. He told me these few simple words : where are you? our challenge starts NOW. Woah. Wait, hold up. What challenge? Was it THE challenge? Needless to say, curiosity got the best of me so I hurriedly went to the Hilado's house. (still, I arrived late hahaha this is really one of the many things I need to change about myself). 

                          As I rushed towards the gateway of the Hilado apartment, I saw Mr. Tony backing up their car. When he saw me, he told me to get inside as my colleagues were already waiting for me and that this was our first test. It was then that it occurred to me that this could already be the start of my 90 day to a million challenge. I was kinda afraid, I had to admit. But I remembered those words I learned from last night's talk. Do it afraid. So I went inside their place.

                         Four young familiar faces welcomed me. Ate Lovely Hilado, Jan Hilado, Benson and Joel were all there at the living room patiently waiting for me. Oh, make that five. The fifth one being Cheska's. (the family shih tzu xD). Upon entering, they all joked to me about how late I was. Dugaya oi! I smiled. I felt happy that I was with my friends. Friends who had the same aspirations in life as I was having. It was then that I asked, "what are we gonna do?/mag-unsa diay ta?/ano ba yung gagawin natin?". Joel then informed me that we were to visit someone who was currently being confined in Chong Hua hospital. 0.0 So off we all went to Chong Hua to visit a patient whom we have never even met in real life. It was new to say the least. I mean, I for once, never had the chance to visit a stranger who was being confined in a hospital. So it was surprising. But it dawned on me that I was a Radical Millionaire. We encounter surprises every day. :) But the impact that the said patient was to make on my life as well as on theirs, was the major surprise out of all surprises. 

                       We were just 5 young wandering adults amidst the corridors of Chong Hua hospital. We made jokes along the way especially inside the elevator which had this smell that stood out especially for Benson (whooo Benson!). xD  Anyway, we never really prepared ourselves as to what we were about to encounter. As we reached isolation room number 3, the patient's ate or older sister came out to greet us with a startled face. (Guess she didn't expect us either). We told her that we were there to visit her sister to offer them our presence as well as our financial assistance. Unfortunately, her sister had to be in reverse isolation, meaning we, the visitors, had to wear masks but we never bought any so we were just made to stay outside the patient's room. And there it all started.

                     The patient's name is Jobelyn Pia C. Abano. She is 18 or 19 years of age. She is a beautiful girl who just like many of us, had dreams in life. Sadly, Jobelyn was suffering from a systemic autoimmune disease known as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). It is a condition wherein the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissues resulting to inflammation and damage. According to her ate, they have been staying in the hospital for almost two months now and are currently on the process of being discharged since they could no longer afford the daily rate of the hospital not to mention the medications her sister has to take. They no longer eat as much as they are supposed to since all of their money goes out to her sister's recovery. She never mentioned to us their father's occupation but she did tell us that she was once an ESL teacher but due to her sister's sickness, she was forced to quit her job. Their mother who used to be an OFW in Saudi has also returned home to be here for Jobelyn despite their dire need for income. 

                       Jobelyn no longer recalls anything. Due to her constant dose of steroids, she experiences psychosis. Although we never got to see her in person, the way her ate describes every detail of what was happening to her sister tugs the depths of my heart and soul. According to her ate, Jobelyn used to be a very happy go lucky person. She loves k-pop, cosplay, anime and fashion. She has passion for ear piercings which she enthusiastically shares with her other sister. Despite the number of ear piercings, Jobelyn never had any bad habits. She never smoked,drank nor did drugs. It was just sad to know that the happy person she was once was now being confined in a hospital screaming loudly, restless and sleepless for days and restrained for her own safety. It pains my heart to know that a young woman like her was experiencing such thing in life. Her ate shares to us that Jobelyn dreamt of Mama Mary telling her that she will be better and that was the only thing that kept them going. Faith. We handed out a sort of booklet to Jobelyn's ate along with the envelope containing the financial assistance. We told her that that booklet was a novena that had been blessed. It was where they are to write down their 7 wishes in life. She happily took it and smiled. As she flipped through its tiny pages, she said these words that struck my heart more than ever - usa raman jud amo wish. siya raman. so wish number 1, siya... number 2,, siya... number 3, siya gihapon.. (we only have one wish. We wish for her. So our wish number one would be her.. number 2, her. number 3 still her..) I tried so hard not to cry right then and there because it would be wrong. I was there to give them strength not to let them feel pity and weak. 

                  After bidding our goodbyes, a lot of thoughts came running into my head. Joel's words from earlier flashed back- our challenge starts now. My challenge starts now. The encounter with Jobelyn and her ate made me want to change myself even more. I want to change not just for myself but for others as well who are in dire need like Jobelyn and her family. According to Joel, I want to be rich in all aspects of my life so I will be a better person not just for myself but for others. My friends, it is sad that most of us who have perfectly healthy lives abuse and neglect it. A lot of us party overnight, non stop. A lot of us drink booze like there's no tomorrow. A lot of us smoke packs and packs of cigarettes each day. A lot of us eat junk with the thoughts that we are still young anyway. But it's sad. Cos a lot of us fail to see that there are people out there with no bad habits whatsoever but are experiencing what they should not be experiencing in life and are more deserving of our life than us. But what do we do anyway with our own perfectly healthy lives? We abuse it. We do not value GOD's gift of life to us. May this serve as an eye opener to us that we have to change. We must change not just for our own selves but also for others.