Go For the B

Did I forget to mention why my path has changed? :)

It's really because I've chosen to move to the B quadrant. I want to own a business!

I've got a super duper wonderful opportunity right now and I'm wholeheartedly pursuing it. I am going to import endoscopy units from China!

Why endoscopy? Long story. A relative from the US started a manufacturing company in China. He found out that the patent for a certain brand's endoscopy units are up and so he and his partners pirated the head engineer and started making their own brand. It took 2 years but the new brand is finally ready to be sold. I aim to be the exclusive distributor in the Philippines (maybe even in Southeast Asia)!

Why did I chose this path?
1. My previous experiences have all been related to business and management. I'm good at this and I really enjoy it.
2. I think this is a very rare opportunity and I intend to make use of it. Nowadays, it's hard to find a product which you can own. It's so great to be able to just concentrate on a certain market and offer a single product line that you can be an expert with.
3. Since I'm Chinese, I have more contacts and mentors in this kind of business than real estate investments.

I've been making plans, plans, and more plans! I've chosen the first part of my team: my investors and mentors in importation. They're my current bosses in Rockford so you won't see me resigning soon. Now I see that what I've been doing in Rockford is not mere service but more like an investment. Isn't it great to look back and see the purpose in something that seemed so mundane?

I've scheduled my trip to Shanghai and my boss has agreed to go with me to look at this new investment possibility. Meanwhile, the people in Shanghai are excited with the opportunity to open a new market in the Philippines. Can you see where this is leading?

I’m so so so excited!!!

Purpose Driven Life

I have a confession to make.

I started this blog with an agenda...I intended for it to get Larry Gamboa's attention. I wanted to earn his approval so that he would want me to join his and Trace's mentoring program.

But now I find that my path has changed.

I really think reading his book was instrumental in making me realize how I've been living like a zombie, reacting mechanically and unwilling to pursue wealth that is easily in my grasp. It made me realize that I still haven't reached my full potential. I had a deep desire to improve and learn, which I thought will be best achieved by having my inspiration as my mentor.

These past weeks though, I searched my soul and tried to see God's hand in the plans I've been making. You know what I discovered? I realized that we're not put on this earth to simply get whatever we can. The winner of the race isn't the one who is richest or most powerful, or the most admired. Instead, I needed to answer this question: Am I achieving my purpose in life?

When I felt satisfied that my office supplies business was doing okay, not great but just okay, it was because I wanted to have flexible hours to better take care of my ailing father. He would call and ask me to join his bedside and I would be there in a jiffy. Was I achieving my main purpose then? Yes, I was.

When I closed down the company and stopped working altogether to enjoy my long awaited pregnancy, and subsequently chose to take care of my own son instead of relying on hired help, was I achieving my main purpose then? Yes, I was.

When Tommy graduated and needed financial support while he started his practice and studied for the boards, and I chose to accept a mediocre job in Rockford to help ease his worries, was I achieving my purpose still? Yes, I believe I was.

So what is my purpose now? How does everything stick together? The answer came when God awakened in me a deep yearning, deeper than my desire to get rich. I want to give away money that will support those who are doing His work.

You see, I freely give my talents to the Lord. I serve by singing in the choir and I tell my editor in Kerygma not to send me payment when I submit my stories for the Catholic magazine. But when the basket comes near me during offertory (which is not often since I sit in the choir pew), I have to force myself to drop that P100 or P500 bill that I know in my heart is not enough. Like what my husband said, masakit talaga pakawalan yung pera. And that's what God wants to perfect in me.

Yes, I know I'm going to get rich. I already foresee God's blessings in that regard. But more than that, I also foresee what God's purpose is for all the riches He will bestow on me. Just wait and see.

Learning My Core Gift

I attended the Feast last Easter Sunday at the Arena. My first time. The liturgy was great. The music was awesome. And Bo Sanchez, as usual, gave the most wonderful talk.

Bo once again brought up that we need to find our Core Gift for us to succeed in life. That got me to thinking: What is my core gift?

Here are the things that I do well:
- Write.
- Sing in a choir as soprano.
- Organize data and create systems.
- Think outside the box. Make creative solutions.
- Listen and observe.
- Think and learn from what I experience and observe.

What do I love best?
- I love creating something new. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a new journal entry, a new system, or a new company.
- I love helping others. I need to know that what I’m doing is a benefit to others.

How do I see myself?
- I am a Martha. Working in the background is what I do best. Unlike Martha though, I do not envy Mary. I have no wish to be in the limelight receiving praise. I’m used to working more than my fair share. Experience has proved that all the hard work pays off in the end.

- Family comes first. God brought Tommy and me together for a purpose. He heals others, and I heal him. Healing is our primary mission as a family so his medical career gets top priority. I let go of my career in IT because it takes up too much of my time and energy and I have never regretted it.

- I’ve always been a planner. I envisioned my future and got what I wanted. But my deepening faith demanded that I give that up and allow God to take the driver’s seat. So I chose to be a passenger and just wait for our next destination. Although I sometimes panic and demand to see the map, our journey has been exhilarating and very, very rewarding.

To answer the original question, I think my core gift is that I can clearly discern God’s will in my life. My eyes are always open for new opportunities that come my way because I know this is God’s way of leading me to the next journey. I believe that God has used me to answer others’ prayers on numerous occasions, often while He was also serving a need that I have.

To achieve this, I do not just stare at the heavens and wait for instructions. I actively seek out His will. To use the analogy I’ve stated, when I can’t locate the map, I go into all the available streets to find the right path.

Lately, God is leading me to people like Bo who advocates goal setting to harness the latent power we have to control our future. It’s like they’re urging me to go back to who I was. I know one thing for certain though. As a Christian, any self-appointed goal is useless if I do not align my plans with God’s will for my life.

Funny thing about God’s will though, I’ve discovered there’s still a lot of free will available and that’s where planning and goal setting helps. For example, I can choose to start a new business or I can choose to become a real-estate investor. Both can increase my earnings and therefore help my husband. Both can provide job opportunities for others. Both can give me a chance to develop and use my talents. But before all of that can happen, I need to choose and make a commitment. I need to set a plan and follow it through.

Tommy's A Surgeon!

Tommy passed his oral board exam!!! Yipee!!! That means he's now officially a general surgeon and can begin his practice! :D

This is the culmination of sixteen years of continuous studies and endless sacrifice. The story doesn't end here, of course. But it's nice to stop and just savor this moment of victory.

Congratulations, my love!

Anthony Lim, M.D.
General and Cancer Surgery
Clinic address: G/F Richtown Building, Masangkay St., Binondo (near Metropolitan Hospital)
Clinic phone: 251-7769

Lessons From The Past Part 1

When I was in high school, I was a very self-conscious teen. I found myself cringing in humiliation whenever I recall embarrassing moments that I was so sure everybody would remember. Well, I got tired of rewinding my list of boo-boo’s, so at the ripe old age of fifteen, I decided on a new motto: “Learn the lesson and forget the rest!” The method worked for me because I found that remembering is not so painful if you’re looking for a lesson, and forgetting is easy once you’ve found that everything happens for a purpose. And that’s basically how I’ve lived my life since.

Let’s start from the beginning of my career: my first job. Before I applied for a job, I outlined the following:
1- I want to be able to use the knowledge I’ve gained from my thesis.
2- I want to be in the forefront of technology. I want to be responsible for making innovative new products on a wide-scale basis.
3- I want to be trained in UNIX because it’s the platform common at that time but it was never taught in school.
4- I want to have the opportunity to travel but only for short periods of time.
5- I don’t want to sign any contract binding me to the company.
6- I don’t want anything to do with databases.

I told you, it was very specific. I got accepted by a multi-national Japanese company that offered everything down to the last detail. Do you want to know how long I lasted in that company? One and a half months. Why? Because once I started, I learned that the highest position that a Filipino can achieve is to be a small-time Project Supervisor. That means you get to lead a team of 3 to 5 Filipinos on a single project and that’s it. There was no career growth. That was lesson number one: While shaping your present, you have to plan for your future. I needed a goal that went beyond simply getting a job.

I spent a month re-assessing my priorities and learning what I want for my future. Then I made a new plan which went like this:
1- I want to join a small company with great potential and help it succeed.
2- I want to grow with the company and attain the highest position possible.
3- I want my career to lead towards management, because I can’t be a programmer forever.
4- I want my officemates to be excited and passionate about what they do and likewise, I want to look forward to going to work each day.
5- I still want the product to be innovative and meaningful.
6- I still don’t want anything to do with databases.

When I started my new work, I was the first programmer in a company with only seven employees. Our leader was a great visionary and his enthusiasm was contagious. The goal at that time was to earn the first million. When I left four years later, it was already a multi-million company and has become a household name as the leading provider of investment software in the country. I was the Vice President for Software Development, responsible for several programmers, the maintenance and upgrade of existing products, and research and development of new software. Another dream fulfilled.

I left for two reasons. The first was because the owner and I no longer share similar values, and as I’ve pointed out, I don’t like compromising my principles. That was lesson number two: Don’t let success get to your head. Hold on to your values because character and integrity matter more than your wealth. I didn’t just abandon him. I talked to him, confronted him, and corrected him while still keeping up the morale of my staff. But to no avail. Another lesson learned: Learn from your failures. In other words, it's time to start a new plan!

The other reason why I left is because I got married. Watch out for part 2 – my first business venture!

Step One: Own Your Dream

Larry Gamboa shared his winning formula by defining seven steps. The first is to own your dream, meaning you’ll have to put your dreams in writing to be better able to make them come true.

I know the power of visualizing your dreams. Before I applied for any college, I outlined specific plans. The end result: I got into the exact university with the exact course that I wanted. Before I applied for any job, I specified what my dream job was, even down to the last detail. Again, I got exactly what I was looking for. Before I got into a relationship, I defined the qualities of my dream man. The rest, as they say, is history. We’re now living happily ever after :)

Hard to believe? It’s true. But more than just building castles in the air, the first task before you’ll know what to be in the future is to find out who you are now. What are your strengths? What are your fears? What can you tolerate? What are your expectations? I found that if I aim for something a little bit greater than my expectations, uncover and quench the fears that can block my achievement, know that I can tolerate some imperfections, and depend on my strengths to reach my goals – then I will achieve anything that I can dream of!

This is actually the first time that I’ll put my dreams into writing. It makes me feel a bit vulnerable but here goes:

- My dream is for Tommy to feel free to say to his patient, “You don’t need to worry. I will operate on you free of charge.” I want him to feel free to join surgical missions and even sponsor them. I want his medicine to be a vocation, not a job that should put food on our table. All these can only be achieved if we have attained substantial financial freedom. I want this to be true ten years from now.

- Five years from now, I want a passive income of at least P100,000 every month. I should have established my own system of earning from my real estate investments and have enough confidence in the formula to be able to teach it to people who are willing to learn. I want to have a track record I can be proud of and which I can use to convince investors to put their trust in me. I want a simple lifestyle for myself and for my family.

- By the end of the year, I want to have purchased a property and sell it well. I want to have my own team that I can trust and depend on. I want to learn, learn, learn and put all my knowledge into action. I want to know why I’m having trouble breathing so it will cease to be a block to my success. I want to attain a good balance when it comes to work, family, and giving service to God.

- By next month, I want to be a part of Larry’s mentoring program. I want to leave Rockford with my boss’s blessing and with a window open for a future business partnership. I want to be forced out of my comfort zone and prove that I can be better than I thought I could be. I want a new direction, one that will lead to a better future.

And last but not the least, I want to achieve all the above with my integrity intact. I may compromise on business deals but I will not compromise my principles. More than being an investor, more than being a wife and mother, I am first and foremost a child of God, and my first concern is to please my Father in heaven. Even now, He is looking down on me with His loving gaze and I know that I am in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, with the perfect settings that He has prepared, and I am at peace.

The Harsh Reality

Last December, I browsed National Bookstore in search for Larry Gamboa's "Think Rich, Pinoy!" book. I learned about the book through Shepherd's Voice Publications and wanted to give it to a friend as a Christmas present.

It never reached its intended destination. I read the book and it opened up a plethora of ideas and convictions that led me to believe that there's a more sensible way to earn money. This blog is a chronicle of my journey to financial freedom!

The year 2006 was a turning point for me. Up until then, I had always relied on the belief that once Tommy graduates from his surgical residency, I won’t have to think about money and just concentrate on my family. How wrong I was! When he finished his training, he had to build up his practice and that takes a lot of time. I was a full-time mom by then and we had to scramble to find a steady source of income.

I really thank the Lord that He provided me with a job offer at exactly the right time. Needless to say, I grabbed the opportunity and became the administrative officer for Rockford Marketing Corporation. But still, after a few months, there’s this nagging thought inside my head that something is not right. It took Larry’s book to make me realize the reason for my discontent.

Here’s what I realized: I knew that I was earning a little bit more than the minimum wage earner, but I was also spending all my salary for my basic needs. It was a hand to mouth existence although I was eating from a bigger hand and eating yummier food.

I do have a lot of savings that I never touch as much as possible. But around this time, I was having difficulty breathing and the possibility of imminent death wasn’t far from my mind. What will happen to my family when I die? No matter how much money I have saved, medical expenses and Lance’s continuing education will deplete it for sure.

That’s where Larry came to the rescue. The answer is Earn Passive Income. I learned that passive income is different from the income you earn from your salary. It is income generated from your investments. That means I have to use my savings wisely instead of just putting it in a time deposit to earn tiny interests.

I read and learned all I could to improve my financial literacy. I also took stock of my current investments. I was shocked to find out that the interest rate from time deposits have gone down to 4+% while I was assuming that it was still somewhere around 7%. My US stocks was worse because I was down 17%. I was losing money and didn’t even know it. I know, it’s really irresponsible, right?

I moved my time deposit to mutual funds which will yield a higher return. I divided it equally between bonds and equities because I figured this will lessen my risks while still getting all the benefits.

Instead of letting my “broker” handle my US stocks portfolio, I searched for a company that I wanted to invest in for medium to long term and moved all my shares into it. I really hope this will work out much better.

All in all, I’m much happier with my investments now but there’s something more that I learned from Larry. What’s probably the best investment in world is Real Estate. He found a formula that works really well for him which he generously shares with his readers. I so so so want to learn how to apply it! He also set up a mentoring program and I really hope to be a part of it.