One Rainy Sunday

Nothing much to tell about the title. Just that I am quite hurriedly writing this because of a number of stuff that needs to get done before this day ends because tomorrow already has its own full plate of TTDs (things to do).

Opened a new tab while doing research just now for a paper I am writing when I saw this in one of the links. Wondering the last time I was here and wrote something...as it turns out, its been a long while.

...and as I try to save drafts, I see some of them in there. So that's where all the posts are all this time. Someone's got some major editing and reading to do. Hint: that's someone is no other than yours truly.

I am thinking of ways to keep posts coming in this place. Surely, I have more than 2,000 words to say on a daily basis and I don't get to talk that much to anyone since I work from home. Besides, what better way to share awll the things I read and see than having them here.

This is one place I've long thought of having its own hosting  but still having doubts on how to get it all off the ground. I remember asking one blogger how she manages to maintain at least 5 active blogs  - 2 of which are award winning - and have time to write for all of them on top of her mom and wife duties. She told me the writing  comes very easy once you get used to it.

Well, I've been writing since I was in third grade and started my first blogs with Friendster and Live Journal. I've been a ghost writer since 2005 and started doing that professionally in 2012...but the writing never became easy.

Not that it's gotten harder, either. Its just that it remained either motivated by reward or inspiration.

Now, I am not sure why I keep on blabbering about it when the simple answer is this: I never developed tha habit of "blogging" regularly. Sure, I wrote replied to emails daily, wrote manuals and procedures here and there, drafted contracts and pitches once in a while, produced academic and marketing papers on demand, and wrote rhymes and verses once in a while, yet I never worked on producing blog content regularly. Never pushed myself enough to make it a habit.

And so we for the next 66 days, the  habit should be updating personal blogs here and there and there. Make this a pseudorevival of the A Blog A Day Challenge but this time, we'll work harder on producing daily content. The goal is not PageRank but to build the habit of consistancy since I really suck at keeping my blogs updated despite blogging prefessionally for almost 4 years now.

Hope you take this journey with me.

Of Endings and Beginnings: Unbelievable Lightness

I've always believed there's a right time for everything.

This week, I think the right time just presented itself.

At first I was hesitant if I should go through with it. Its just that it seemed so long and unimportant anymore. However, I had to find the courage to do it because the chance might never come again and besides, I wasn't just doing it for the other person. I was also doing it for me. 

I needed to say my apologies and my peace. It really doesn't matter how the other person will receive and return the gesture, I just wanted to do it to get it off my chest. It was a burden of guilt and sadness that I've been carrying for quite a long time and it was taking up an important space in my being that can be put to better and more progressive use. 

So, there I was seated near the exit, waiting for them on their way out. In my head several things were still spinning, am I actually doing this? I felt cold and conscious of what I was going to say and how, what if I stutter or say the wrong things? At the top of my head, there's this queer little voice telling me to just leave because what I wanted to do won't change anything.

The minutes seemed eternal as the debate went on in my head if I was going to go through with it, on the left side of my brain. While the right side was composing what I was gonna say. Despite my own inhibitions, there was this stronger resolve to just get it over and done with since this is something that doesn't happen everyday.

On her way out, I called her name but she didn't hear me so I came after her and touched her shoulder, asked her to give me a minute. I told her this was something I wanted to do a long time ago but never had the chance. I said I'm sorry and gave her a hug. She smiled and said, "Wala na 'yun." She then introduced me to her son who took my hand and touched it to his forehead in a gesture of respect. I smiled at him and said, "Pleased to meet you." Just before we parted ways she said to me, "Sorry rin ha." Dumbfounded, I touched her elbow, smiled and said, "Okay na yun." I said my goodbyes and went my way.

To my surprise, the gesture was received with an equal amount of surprise, acceptance and an unexpected apology in return. I felt a surge of warmth, liberation, sheer delight and an unbelievable lightness in my heart that I never thought was possible. Its as if there was nothing you can throw at me that will get me upset. 

It was the first time I met these two individuals face-to-face, first time that I actually spoke with them and yet our paths and fate have been entangled over a decade earlier in a very twisted way. So unbelievably twisted that it hurt. Still, there is nothing I can do to undo all that. What I can only do is say I'm sorry and wish them both well. And I sincerely mean that.

Our past is nothing pleasant nor fancy but I am grateful that it helped shape who I have become and if through my loss, something good came out - just a ray of hope, a chance at happiness and a chance at love - then my loss, no matter how much of a heartbreaking epic and monumentally soul-shattering moment it was at the time, is something that I no longer entirely feel sorry for.

My story hasn't gotten that happily ever after storybook endling that little princesses dreamt of yet, but I've gotten my second chance to get back up on my feet and make things right - and I struggle to do so every single day. For me, that is enough. As for them, I don't know how their story has unfolded and I have no desire to. I only pray that they be blessed with the same lightness that I now have in my heart and the most genuine of joy.

Pitstop '15

I'd like to think that this is another pitstop am taking to lead me somewhere better that I ever imagined. Life is an adventure meant to be lived after all.

There is, however an almost poetic sadness in the recent shift of things. There was nothing dramatic or comical about it. It was rather quick and quiet, and hopefully a more matured decision than I originally thought.

As I have said before, I simply end chapters and avoid closing doors because for most things, we can never tell with finality when they are over. An affair can end in a chapter to be picked up again later. Some good things sometimes need to be put on hold for more important ones.

I am all in when it comes to pursuing passions but succeeding in that pursuit requires more than passion itself. It requires freedom, resources and skills - you do need something more to show, no not just show but actually put on the table other than sheer desire.

Personally, for me its knowing with some amount of certainty that I have taken care of all the other important things so I can freely go after the things I really want.

There is however a risk in putting off things you're passionate about on hold for quite some time to take care of more practical and pressing things. The process changes you in certain ways. As you grow, you begin to challenge and question things you earlier had very strong convictions about. I don't know for certain if its a good or bad thing when you get to a point when you wonder if what you've always thought you're passionate about suddenly feels like its no longer for you.

Its quite startling to be caught in the middle of trying to live up to it only to realize it doesn't feel right anymore.

People change, sometimes we grow and sometimes we grow backwards...whathever the case, its just important to take a step back and analyze where you're winiinwinning and losing the most and what demands you're greatest attention. At the end of the day, the important thing is to learn from the experience and take corrective actions as soon as one realizes his or her shortcomings. Life need not be perfect but it does need to be lived to the fullest.

Of Endings and Beginnings: Reflecting on Reflections from Another Lifetime

Really? I have to admit, I never thought I'd be adding another post to the Reflections series again. It just felt so passe and personally, overrated now. Not to mention that I don't even remember where I posted the earlier installments but just the same, it seemed appropriate.

For quite a while I've been wondering why am I still a part of it and what had happened. My initial reaction was to shrug it off. No matter how much people brought it up to me, it is none of my business anymore. It hasn't been for a number of years. I got better things to do that to stick my nose in other people's lives.

And then, today I was told.

Frankly, I felt sad and deeply sorry that the unfortunate happened. I didn't see all the point in everything that was wasted and all that's been lost. It just seemed to tragically stupid in epic proportions. As much as I've chosen to move on, grow and change, a part of me felt saddened and sorry that there were some of us who chose to stay behind and wither away in the most self-destructive way possible.

In a fleeting split-second I asked myself if I was at fault or if I had my share of blame, however bright-as-day obvious it all were: at some point we were all victims but there was always a choice between remaining victimized and rising up to save yourself. What happened then was too big not to takeaway anything. I made a choice and I have no regrets. I am only sorry that someone refused to learn.

For a while, I was tempted to reach out...but I held myself back. Was there a need for my comfort, was there a need for my compassion, was it even appropriate? I curbed my own desire to show support and affection for two things: propriety and peace. Its for everyone's best interest that we leave things as they are. I don't want my actions to be misinterpreted and taken any farther than they are - as they have historically been. No matter how much one wants to express concern, it was a risk I wisely choose not to take. Maybe in time, the occassion may present itself but at the moment, its best to keep quiet.

So today, in my heart I say a silent and sincere prayer: may you find the reasons to change your ways before its too late; that you have a shattering moment of clarity and see all the right reasons to change; that your heart finally have that courage to make a decision and stick it through; that all your fears and worries and all the battles and storms raging within you cease so you may find peace and calm; that your soul finally see the warmth and hope around you; and that your heart open up to love - to loving yourself enough and choosing to see your worth. I pray for your healing. I pray for your peace of mind.

Business Development

30. Single. Working from home. This sums up who I am and quite frankly, I am not happy with it. Sure I make a living, and yes I have the skills needed to be productive in what I do and yes, I do love my home-based lifestyle, it saves me money from clothes, food and transportation, I do not have to endure the hassles of traffic, commute and all the other stuff that took time, energy and money when I was still working a "normal job". 

I certainly, absolutely love my online career. It has allowed me to build up a network as I am adding something new to my skill set and well, I guess where I'm getting at is executing everything that I have learned and still learning and sharing the knowledge I have that made it possible for me to do that things I do online and making a living.  

Its about building my platform online and eventually a business. 

Yes, I think I have read and skimmed a couple of business books but the thing is we can never really be too sure or too prepared because business is dynamic. Specifically, e-commerce is dynamic. Then again, I have yet to draw up a business plan, neither do I have a mind map or a business model in mind.

In some of the job interviews I have had, I've always been asked why I kept on switching from one job and one industry to another. The answer is simple and constant: I haven't found the one career that will make me stick around for good. In all fairness and honesty, in each of the jobs I had, I always had a hint and a long-term plan. You see, I have made it a point not to start or begin something I have no intention of keeping for good. However, as soon as I see that its not working, it won't work or that it's not what I have in mind. I weigh things and revise my plan.

Right now, I'm what my friend calls a "solopreneur" and my online journey began just 2 years ago. Yes, I am still a neophyte but as I mentioned above, I don't do things without the intention of keeping them for a long time and well, I simply believe that we should grow where we are planted: to do well wherever we are and make meaningful contributions when  we can. And right now, I am looking at the possibility of not just getting all the necessary documents for a worker or business owner - what or however BIR will define me and the kind of work I do. Since we are getting documents to get comply with the legal perspectives, why not make the business a real one as well?

Had a long and interesting conversation with a like-minded person really early today or very late last night and well, it a way, it helped clear a few things up for me. I was able to ponder on things like who do I want to serve, the difference between my would be business and what can be considered as my advocacy. The importance of having a complete mind map can clearly draw lines on which is which and what should be priority one.

Well, I am still looking into the possibilities because the vast and untapped microcosmos of the internet offers that and more. The business has to be something as well thought of as possible not because I can only get one shot at it but because there are a lot of creative minds out there and no, they are not competition. They are a tribe and we have a lot of them. We need to join one to understand the environment, the climate and its problems. We need to know the rules and we need to know the structures and mechanisms already in place in the local cyber landscape. 

Building a tribe and an audience is also another great hurdle. Great but not impossible and in order to do that, we have to get a few websites off the ground. In the old school of selling I was taught to create the need for whatever it is that I was selling. That, and that I also have to earn the right to sell. In today's tribes, the custom is to be generous with help, information and educating not just tribe members but also others and asking permission to offer. Though there are still those that pitches their products and services.

I love my job - the team I am a part of and the things that I am learning with them. I love generating leads and writing pitches and I love writing, period. However, if I am to be of service to anyone, I'd choose to serve fellow Filipinos on how they can benefit by going online and the skills we need to get there. This is just me thinking fast forward and taking all the baby steps to make sure I get to where I want to go standing on my own feet and armed with the right knowledge and connections.

On Success

Hello and welcome to week two of the ABAD challenge! For brevity's sake, I'll be dropping the "a blog a day" abbreviation from the posts' title and we can just keep them in the tags instead. That way we get short and meaningful titles.

Since I rarely go out to socialize, I really dig and stalk social media to keep me posted on what's going on outside and what's trending. As I was half-heartedly surfing earlier, I saw someone shared a link of Arianna Huffington speaking at a graduation. I, being a sucker for such speeches took my headset and watched the video.

In her still somewhat heavy Greek accent she made me understand some simple things that can have a great impact in one's life - like being able to find one's calling, pursuing one's passion or simply letting go of things that makes life stressful all of which are definitely life changing.

I think it made sense when she said that, "you can complete a project by dropping it." Admit it, at some point, we all obsessed in doing or wanting to do everything ourselves. We refuse to delegate whether by arrogance or not wanting to share the credit with someone else. We spend time and resources trying to acquire or learn a new skill for a project. While this is a good trait and not entirely bad, when we are working on a project that might cause us our jobs or our business, we might want to think twice. If you can't do it, drop it or find someone who can and pay them good.

She spoke of a third element to add to money and power as metrics of success giving emphasis on the reality that yes, we have achieved an impressive collective lot in the various aspects of our careers, business and profession but success as we know and expect it is something that's not sustainable. This is a basic truth that requires no further amount of research. As children from the moment we began our school age until we reach retirement, there is one single expectation: to excel.

Wanting to excel and eventually succeed is not evil. However, the means we use to attain them, that's one that needs some major rethinking. At school parents expect their kids to excel academically, or in their extracurricular activities sometimes driving them just above the healthy competitive line. When we work, we often disregard our teammates or drive subordinates beyond the point of tolerance to produce the numbers to be on top. We disregard our family and friends - whom we consider the most important to us and finally we tend to disregard ourselves - our health and if we are fulfilling the desires of our heart. Our careers wont always be in the place where our heart is but in order to be at peace with ourselves, we have to find it in our hearts that we truly love whatever it is that we are doing and that it makes a difference to someone else.

Success as we know it has always been associated with grand offices and big fat paychecks. We buy the definition that's been handed out to us and we live our lives trying to fit in the mold. Today, we have more connections and more freedom, different media and platforms to choose from to deliver our message and express ourselves. Now, more than any other time before is the right moment to challenge ans express one's creativity and redefine success.

We live in a world where everyone might not have an equal opportunity but we are given the best power of them all: the freedom to express and show and make the difference. Let us be Smithies you and me and take on the challenge Arianna made. Let us shape and redefine success in a way that we'll be able to keep our sanity and remain calm and relaxed to take on new challenges ahead.

ABAD Day 7: The Business Brew

One week! Yaay!

Today will be short and sweet since I am really dead tired but I'm just so excited about a brewing business idea. I always wanted one and well, I think this might just be it. The long wait is over. You might ask me if I think this is a bit too early, well it might me be and you're probably right but if we never take the risk and hustle to get something off the ground, chances are the momentum will pass and we might never have the right time again to get great fantastic ideas out of the drawing board and into execution.

Thinking big is a great thing most success stories did not happen by accident. The opportunities may have been unexpected but most successful people dreamt and thought  big. So, I'm taking a big slice to take on that big cake of business and hopefully my beginnings is enough to be shared to everyone.

Now this isn't gonna be something that shoots off then falls down. I want something that's built to last so last which is why I'm calling on everyone on my network for thoughts and input to make sure the business model will be effective and that we really have the right market for it. The thing with research and all that preparation to get it right is we sometimes overdo it taking the biggest risk of all and that is missing the moment.

The lessons we learn on how tech startups build their business is a great reminder that no plan should be cast in stone and that w should be willing and quick when we intend to do something because aside from missing the right moment, the next risk is having someone create and introduce the same product or service that you are offering.

ABAD Day 6: A Serious Sunday Issues and Opinions

For today, we'll look into what's going on in the home front and catch up. I think this is an important part of our continuing learning, especially since these are things affect both our future and livelihood as well as the lives of our loved ones.

Filipinas, seriously?  

We talked about being sociable last time and well, when I heard it on the radio, I kinda lost it. The debate has been happening in the local social media scene for a few weeks now and my opinion is this, do we even need to do this? We already have an identity. Changing the spelling will not change our global image or economic status. And clearly, if there is no feasible support that it can make a difference in our GDP then why do we have to do it?

Those who support the idea says its historically correct. I respect that but is it legally correct? Not quite, right? That's why we need some legal form to have it corrected. However, how much are we going to expend to meet that end, further how much more to implement it? And in the end, the simple question in this is: what's in it for me? What's in it for all of us?

It think is is unnecessary and counterproductive. We already have an identity as Filipinos, and all our  business and transactions, internal and external relations and all other mechanisms will not be immediately affected by the change we even have to explain it to all the expats and foreigners we encounter.

The funds that will be spent for this might as well be spent on something that will benefit out of school youth or the urban poor or something more immediate and forward looking like disaster preparedness.

Bianca underfire

A tweet posted by celebrity Bianca Gonzales got the support of the vanishing middle class as well as the upper class but caught the ire of bashers and haters who are mostly informal settlers. 

The controversial tweet posted by Bianca Gonzales goes:

"Ang dami nating nagtatrabaho para makaipon para sa prime lot at bahay plus buwis pa. Bakit nga ba bine-baby ang mga informal settlers?

Pro-poor groups also disapproved of the host's opinion considering that she is equally popular because of her advocacies. Bianca spoke against the government's plan to subsidize housing of informal settlers on Metro Manila's waterways just to clear them. The government aims to provide Php 18,000.00 to qualified families.

I have been exposed to this business of informal settlers in my first job and the ways in which the government have been held hostage by professional squatters. Add that to the provisions of the Lina Law, the support from those who claim to be "human rights activists" and politicians jumping in not to help but for the most part woe voters in these areas and we have the perfect recipe for an age old problem.

Some of these people will tell you they came here to find greener pastures some were born in the slums and have known no other way of life. However to support them or finance anything to stop whatever they're doing or not doing, people like me who works hard and long hours are bound to question if not at least raise an eyebrow. There is a big difference between consideration and tolerance. Providing for their housing so that we can get something going is not that much of an achievement at all.

It is neither empowering or sustainable. The government would have to be creative in getting informal settlers out of NCR and would need to look beyond spending money - our tax money to support housing for informal settlers. We have to think long term. Get them out of the city and have them do some productive activities back in the provinces.

I am not against pro-poor sentiment. I know because I am poor but its bluntly not tolerable. Keep in mind the ancient adage,

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."  

We understand that these people are really desperate and in need and that they need all the support they can get to get them started but they need to get somewhere because we can't keep supporting them. The country needs money to finance priority projects too. A forward looking solution is not just to get them out but making sure they get transferred somewhere where its practical to live and make a living to get them settled in and on their feet. There has to be a term and certain goals because lets, face it 18,000 pesos per family is a big amount of money considering the number of informal settlers we have in Metro Manila.

Conclusion

I love the Philippines, I think we all do and we love other Filipinos too. Its who we are. I think we can change our names but it will not change who we are. I work at home wearing a tank top and lounge shorts using my LED TV for a monitor for an assembled computer. My name is Beth Vargas. I have been called in many names and worn countless clothes but I have built who I am neither with my name or clothes. Everyday, I build my brand, my identity with the words I say, the decision I make, the projects I take and complete, the work I do. One day I might get married and change my name, however it will not change who I am, at least not entirely. I will still have the same value system and beliefs and principles even if I chose to change my last name. 

Excuse the term, I have had my share of experiences with informal settlers but not everyone of them are helpless, there are some that have more appliances in their shanties that I have here at home, bigger bank accounts and who knows even a bigger house and lot away from the city. Do not be deceived, not all that live in the slums and claim they are a part of the urban poor really are, there are a few professional squatters. Also, do not let your compassion be manipulated. As long as there is no clear set of goals and accountability, we cannot be assured that the promised 18,000/month/family would really go to the appropriate beneficiaries. Marcos had housing projects, Erap did too but how many of these did actually went to the intended recipients and how many to their "affiliates"? 

Unless we become vigilant when it comes to accountability and practical, expressing our opinion on where our government spends our money, we cannot expect our hard-earned money allotted for the burden of taxation goes, we won't be seeing that much progress. 

ABAD Day 5: The Difference Education Makes

Yesterday was #MalalaDay. What on earth is Malala Day? Its Malala's 16th Birthday. Who is Malala again? A 16-year-old Pakistani girl who was shot together with her friends last year. They were shot for going to school.

As ridiculous that sounds, the Taliban went to murder a bunch of kids because they desired knowledge and learning.

Anyways, going back to Malala's story, I first saw this video reposted by World Bank yesterday but simply went past it. It only caught my attention when B School guru Marie Forleo shared the same link and called it a must-watch. Here is a link on Malala Yousafzai's video addressing the UN Youth Assembly.

You can read the full speech here. The simple and humbling words uttered by this young lady gave emphasis on our most potent weapon against poverty and abuse: education. It reignited my drive for education not just for myself but for those who needs the most basic of it.

In a culture where women does not share the same rights and privileges of men, Malala has proven that the importance of education should not be undermined and limited by beliefs and tradition and threats, especially when the welfare of an entire generation rests on it.

Perception and Education

Perception is a powerful thing. This is the way we see things and the way we see things affects everything else - our thoughts and actions. It may not be the main force behind everything we do but it certainly affects our preferences and decisions.

Our perception of education is also important. The value we place on the important role it plays and empowerment it provides dictates the emphasis and importance we place on education as a necessity in every person regardless of his age, race or religion.

Formal training and knowledge, even in its most basic forms has enabled men and women from all over the world to achieve something great. While the privilege of education cannot be attained by most, its foundations - the ability to read and right, to count and reason is, if not should be a universal right. These abilities may not allow them to conquer the world, but it will allow them to not be conquered by the world. It will give them a fighting chance to try and eventually succeed.

Passion for Education

When we are truly aware of the importance of education and the limitless possibilities it offers us, we only do not value it. We develop a deeper yearning and passion for learning that will not only allow us to get ahead or stay on top but a driving force and motivation that ranks fairly higher than success. 

I am talking about a passion the same passion that fueled Malala's drive to go to school despite the dangers that she faced. It is a passion that can go well beyond the required education to land a decent job and make a living but a passion for a lifelong learning - from the newest technologies, the most followed apps to the wisdom of the sages. Its that  kind of learning that never ceases not out of necessity or compliance but because of plain want and the satisfaction fulfillment brings. 

A light from a girl

Malala...she was shot last year. I have not heard of her until today but the words she spoke, as plain and simple as they are, struck something deep and sparked within me not a passion for learning but a passion for sharing learnings.

She taught me something new today, something I somehow already knew yet haven't paid that much attention to and it made a whole world of difference when one is trying to achieve a sense of meaning.

ABAD Day 4: On Being Sociable

Glad I can make it to day 4!

Looking good and feeling great. Especially since this blog now redirects to my domain. Uber cool!

Today, I must say that I have been having a pretty sociable time in the social media space. A few Facebook likes on stuff I've shared and got a number of Tweeter followers too. Connections are established, now the challenge is to make them more meaningful.

Now more than ever, we have nearly unlimited power to make connections and establish our personal networks - except perhaps the power of your bandwidth. The digital world literally has no boundaries and the internet has empowered us to reach out and make connections in any location with any culture and this is evidenced by the rampant development of different social media platforms and the rapid rise in the number of users who's routine now includes updating their Facebook walls and Twitter feeds several times a day.

Together with this phenomenon of social media explosion are certain advantages and disadvantages.

Aside from instant communication and constant updates, the major positive impact of social media usage to business owners and entrepreneurs is word of mouth marketing and connection to their customers. It helped generate leads, build a following, get immediate feedback and it allowed businesses to listen and get the pulse of the market.

As social media crossed geographic and cultural boundaries, it also leveled the playing field between big corporations and small business. Wherein the most sociable one got the advantage. Its not just between big and small business, it also facilitated delivery of service and exchange of ideas.

With all the beautiful things social media has done, it has also caused some evil. On top of the list is productivity. Admit it, we all have been guilty of this: cyberslacking. Looking at our Newsfeeds and streams or making status updates and posts when we are supposed to be working. It has made us narcissistic and lonely. It promoted me-me-isms not just in millenials but from people of all ages. We consciously beautify our lives with status updates, check-ins and overfiltered images but we don't stop there we check out friend's updates and well, you know where we can get from there: envy, discontent, depression and that list can go on and on.

Apart from slacking there is also cyberbullying. As we all have seen, anyone can be bullied and hated online from the shallowest to the deepest of reasons whether an inappropriate message was posted intentionally or without much thought, netizens' wrath can fall upon an unsuspecting victim much to his or her surprise. Sen. Tito Sotto, claims he was a victim, a student who became known as AMAlayer was harassed online for a video of her losing temper in the MRT station and celebrity Bianca Gonzales for tweeting her opinion against informal settlers. These are just some of incidents that went viral in the local social media scene.

Technology, in particular social media is defining our cultures and values in an unprecedented way. It is important that as we go onboard and adopt these new mediums of connecting and interacting, we keep in mind the basics: respect and consideration. Just because you are free to say something, you will do so and post it for the world to see. That's just you expressing your opinion and you might be wrong. Yes, you can dare your "friends" to unfriend you if they do not like the things you post but be  careful what you wish for because you might just get it and it is sad to be be deleted of one's friends list.

Where am getting at is that social media should be used to grow your network, not shortlist it. And, in order to grow that list you have to be sociable. Be gracious, generous and ethical with your online interaction. Remember that its not just the Golden Rule. Everything you put online doesn't belong to you anymore. It belongs to the web. A community of persons and technology that indexes and stores everything. Just because you deleted something you put up without thinking, it doesn't mean its gone. So be respectful and responsible. Don't indulge cyberspace into a feud that you can settle with just one person. Better yet, don't be the one to spread anything bad online.

Again, the name of the game is social media - be socially aware and socially conscious. Think hard before you click, avoid making status updates when you're mad. Always seek permission when reposting someone's word and quote them. Do everything in a way that you would want everyone else to do for you. Be sociable!

ABAD Day 3: You're a Done Deal, Now HUSTLE!

Hello day 3!

It took a long time coming up with this post because believe it or not, the problem had been choosing what to write! Oh yeah, next of course to finding the time to write. :)

Anyways, I've been hearing a lot about B School from a client but it was not until yesterday that I stumbled upon Marie Forleo and bam! I immediately fell in love - not with her but with her work and I see why people follow her. Her candid and witty approach to business and life is something that not only catches people's attention but she knows her business and that's what keeps the community tuned in. Clearly, her being a thought leader has built her a loyal following, a tribe capable of growing itself.

And, it just hit me..I'd like to be a thought leader too! :)

Going back to Marie, after watching one video, I signed up on her and got this nice little update earlier - an interview with Danielle LaPorte another mentor I've been hearing about. Marie was raving about Danielle's book called Fire Starter Sessions.

A quick takeaway from the program is reaffirming that we are a done deal. They talked about the power of visualization and how it can help us take our vision into the next level - from being a vision into a reality. Visualizing helps us identify what we want to do after we have achieved success and in a way it triggers a reverse engineering process from what to do when you are successful (as one envisioned) to how to get there and be successful.

Our visions are powerful things. Every person who went down in history had one - equality for Mandela, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, charity for Mother Teresa, financial literacy and freedom for Buffett, a dent in the universe for Steve Jobs, a PC in every home for Bill Gates and Facebook for everyone for Zuckerburg. This vision is what they had their mind when they set out to change the world. One of Covey's 7 Habits: Begin with the end in mind.

The end we have in mind determines the words we choose to tell ourselves and eventually believe. As Sean Stephenson said, the words we say to ourselves then shapes and creates our realities. So we ought to consciously pick the words to describe our vision.

Again, what I offered in the first half of this post are the theories - the ones preached by some best-selling guys. However, there is another approach that uses visualization successfully and these are done by some of the most logical brains around - IT people!

Most tech start ups come up with programs, products and solutions with a complete vision and definition of what they want it to do or achieve and go from one place to another asking for funding and selling the product as they are building it. For them, they can sell the idea for a projected monetary value that they then need to build and make a reality.

What I'm getting at is seeing ourselves as a done deal - of having a meaningful vision of what we want to accomplish as it will empower us and direct all our productive energies in hustling to make that vision a reality, nothing more and nothing less. The power comes from knowing that there is a likelihood, a possibility that we might end up living the life we want and changing the world.

ABAD Day 2: On Happiness

I'm glad I made it today...Woohoo, day 2!!! 

First, I am thankful that this challenge lets me think deep and hard about the things I believe in and the things am learning and those that I already know so I can make shifts and changes in my thoughts and belief systems as necessary. 

This is the second day of own version of a blog a day (hence, ABAD) challenge. I am inspired by a new friend to take on the challenge and since almost every writer asks about what to write, there might be times that my posts would be inspired by hers and whatever differences in opinion that we have is not meant to attack or discredit anyone's position or opinion.

Second, plain and simple truth is this is Bethylicious thinking out loud. As much as I would like to moderate and carefully consider each word that would be published here, there is always the risk of other people interpreting what has been written in a different tone and manner that was intended by the writer. Comments are welcome and Qs as well as long as they are non-offensive and can help me, the writer or anyone else reading understand further and for all of us to learn more. Topics and suggestions are also very much welcome.

Third, kiddin'! No more, we now move on to what I came here to write about today which is happiness.

We all want it. This is the universal and generic goal of every normal person: to be happy. So, how to? The short answer is  "be". In order to be happy, make the choice to be happy and do the things that make you happy. Make it a habit to see the good side of every situation no matter how difficult. Stop preparing yourself for a transformation to someone who is happier. Metamorphose now, take that leap and elevate yourself to a higher level of consciousness and eventually, higher level of happiness.  

Positivity is priceless: Happiness at Harvard

Isn't it a wonder that the more we achieve in life, the more we progress as a society, the lonelier we are. One of the most popular courses in Harvard in recent years has been Positive Psychology - one that deals basically with what makes us happy. Oh yeah, there is a science of happiness.

Money is not a key to happiness. Never has been. The most interesting proof of this is the 5-word conclusion of the Grant Study:

"Happiness is love. Full stop." ~George Vaillant

The Grant Study was launched in 1938 and followed the lives of over 250 Ivy League undergraduates for the next 75 years. Vaillant directed the last 3 decades of the research.  

One out of every 5 students in Harvard lined up for Tal-Ben Shahar's class. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to read one of his books and my take away is this: to be happy you have to strike a balance between fulfilling your current needs and desires and achieving future wants.

“Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable.” ~Tal-Ben Shahar

Seems, easy does it? Well, the theories are always the easiest, its the application that leave us empty-handed, most of the time. However, don't despair there are things we can do to make us happy. 

Apart from simply doing, we must make it a daily routine, an exercise, a ritual for it to be deeply embedded in our system so we can change our perception and the way we see things.

"See what we're finding is it's not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality." ~Shawn Achor 

Make Happy a Habit

As I was writing this piece, I received an email notification from one of the guys I follow and read: Leo Babauta and it prompted me to think on how this post will end. I read his post and reflected on the things I am currently practicing in my life and what makes me happy and so here it goes:

1. Gratitude. There is nothing more rewarding that knowing you have been very much blessed and that the more you give thanks, the more you seem to receive. I have seen this time in again not just from friends and family but have personally experienced this. In her book Thank You Power, Deborah Norville not only showed in inspiring stories how gratitude can change one's life but also showed research evidence that being thankful allows us to be happier.
2. Random Acts of Kindness. Helping someone, even in the littlest way possible is guaranteed to make you happy. Instead of ranting and blaming, shut up and do the work. You might be surprised to catch yourself smiling afterwards. Not only does this  relieve one from stress of not having things done, or perhaps the guilt of just simply watching it happen, it also feels good to know you did something that helped someone in someway. 
3. Initiative and Service. In being true to my inner Fred, this is something I continually do, as if it were second nature. I want to be someone who makes a change have an impact in anything I do with anyone I meet or work with. Evolution allows us...actually requires us to change with the times and reinvent ourselves and with the changes I've been through, service has always been constant.
4. Personal Leadership. Oh yeah, in order for us to live a life that we desire and make the change and impact we want to leave in the world, we definitely need a lot of this and I know you would all agree with me. Mark Sanborn has named plenty of heroes, leaders in their own right who does not have titles and all that crap but continue to show leadership to the highest degree. I think this is one form of leadership we all need to master before we go out to lead somewhere.
5. Quiet Moments. Noise comes in different forms these days and its hard to find a quiet moment not unless of course you go to an island without a mobile signal, then you can really find a quiet place. So its important for me to find some quiet time to be happy. Quiet moments, no matter how brief they are can certainly do anyone some good. It gives us time to reassess our priorities, count our blessings and mostly rest our weary hearts and heads. I think I already mentioned it in another blog, but its very important that our brains get freed up in order for us to accommodate new information and be more creative.
6. Authenticity. Authenticity has a sibling and its called Liberty. We are at our happiest when we can truly be ourselves minus fears that holds us back and other inhibitions. With our genuine self, we can be free to express who we really are but this does not, in under any circumstance promote anarchy, disorder or chaos. It is simply being honest with yourself and those around you.  

Be happy and make it a habit!
  

A Blog A Day Challenge - Day 1: Write

I saw this post last night on one of my Facebook Groups and the person who made the post simply said she wanted to challenge herself. Then I remembered the challenge I made to myself when I decided to transfer this blog a few years ago and created the links to my other interests about 2 years ago in order to develop my niche - aside of course from the fact that I am one OC freak. This is the very same challenge I made myself when I started my WP blog.

Bethylicious, this one is for my personal rantings and interests; And they called Me Mary is to document all the things I learn and discover as I go through careers, conversations and studies; Rhymes and Verses as an avenue for my inner poet; In search of Nirvana for sharing things that inspire me. I even intended for a cooking+DIY projects+crafts one to be called Bethy's Nook and reserved all my researched and formal writing for my WordPress blog I initially called Pavements and Skyscrapers.

Aside from my obsessive drive to get my writings organized, it was also a strategy to have them optimized since each blog, except Bethylicious and the WP blog, would have its own specific niche. I thought the number of the sites I had would be effective in establishing a more visible web presence. The downside however is that all of them had to be managed and while I had big plans, executing became the biggest hurdle and hindrance.

Now I am stuck with blogs that doesn't have consistent posts.

Add that to the sudden growth and impact of different social media circles then you'll be even more overwhelmed.

Then I have Covey's words echoing in my ear repeatedly, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." So what is the main thing? The main thing is to write.

The next thing is the purpose of writing. This purpose will help you get the words out in the right platform and shared with a targeted audience. True that a writer does not need an audience as much as he or she needs to write but keep in mind that the writer is an artist and in order for him or her to be true to form and really expressive, he or she must choose the right medium and venue for his or her creative expression.

Aside from the number, the fact that I was mostly writing for a living is also one of the reasons why I have had to set aside my own passion. I have been writing for as long as I can remember and I've had my fair share of praises for phrases but I never truly considered myself as a writer until a few months ago when I became a shadow/acedemic writer. Sure it was fun because I learned as I was writing and I also got paid but the need to bring in more project$ became the driving force behind my writing not my innate need to express in words and not with that much burning passion. It was not until I actually had a severe case of writer's block that I had my biggest moment of doubt as I writer.

It happened some months ago when I got a project. I was given  sufficient time to turn it in and the client has even granted me one extension after the other yet I wasn't able to deliver. I was mentally shaking myself in disbelief asking how hard can it be to fill up 30 or so pages with something that was meant to be researched and analyzed. Someone on that team sent me an email that basically says, "...if you couldn't write it, then you should have said so. You knew this was paper was important to the client."

Those two words haunted my writing for the next few months and even now I still find myself stopping short at those two words: couldn't write. I maintain a blog for another client and I have to admit each post has had its own birth pains despite the fact that I am already quite well-oriented on the niche.

This prompted me do a writer's soul searching. And what I found is that writing is simple. It doesn't require one to get published all the time and while a book deal is great, its really not essential. The most important element of being a writer according to experts is that one must write. In short, in order to be a writer you have to do some writing. Hence, a blog a day.

Touchdown for Day 1.

Hopefully, you'll see one again tomorrow and the next day and the day after that...for now I have to go back to writing for a living but I feel great and I do appreciate your time. :-)

Titanic @100

It may seem cliche-ish given all the publicity and tribute the centenary has generated the world over but there is just something so touching about that tragedy that people feel so attached to. No, this is not something to add to the long list of commemorative tributes and memorabilia about the ship...I think Leo and Kate have already immortalized that on the big screen.

This is just a simple account about that great unsinkable ship slowly disintegrating 12,000 feet beneath the Atlantic ocean and its lasting impact.

A few years ago I read a back issue of Reader's Digest and that is when I came across this novel called Futility (The Wreck of the Titan). This work of fiction written by Morgan Robertson closely resembles the fate of Titanic: the largest luxury cruise liner afloat at the time, called Titan described as unsinkable with a capacity of 3,000 was on its maiden voyage to America hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic on an April evening, capsized and sank with more than half of its 2,500 of its passengers perished because they brought only "as few lifeboats as the law allowed".

Similarly, RMS Titanic left its last port of call, Queenstown (now Cobh) on 10 April 1912 for its maiden voyage bound for New York. This Olympic class British passenger liner was built to be "the last word on luxury" and was designed to be unsinkable. There were over 2,200 passengers on board the vessel which was considered the largest ship afloat at that time. It carried only 24 lifeboats for a ship with a capacity of 3,000 which resulted to the death of more than 1,500 when the ship collided with an iceberg on its 4th day of voyage (about 11:40 pm, ship's time on 14 April 1912). The ship gradually sank in the next 2 and a half hours at 2:20 a.m. it split in half and went down bow-first with over a thousand people still on board.

The American novel was written in 1898, almost a decade and a half before Titanic.

Public outrage from what is said to be one of the largest peacetime tragedy at sea spurred much-needed regulation in the maritime sector. Two years later, in 1914 SOLAS was born. The sinking of the Titanic is not the most disastrous incident at sea but it is arguably the most popular and perhaps another lasting contribution of the Titanic aside from her history are lessons it taught us: to take preventive steps to avoid  tragic loss and ensure that life was protected when out in the open waters. 

Undefined

Lately, I've been looking around to find my voice. It seems that I have gotten better in most things but not further in the things I love the most. I know we all have to start somewhere.

I decided that the best way to find mine was to face the things I've always tried to escape or have taken for granted....one of them being this blog (IKR). While most people who started blogging about the same time I did have cashed in on their site, I have remained inconsistent in making posts and even with SEO knowledge, I still haven't decided which niche to concentrate on.

But what I do know is this: I never stopped concentrating on writing in one form or another.

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of reading lately (I am actually thinking if writing book reviews is a good idea), but what I've learned is this: passion is everything and in order to be more productive about that passion, you have to make it a part of your routine and make it a ritual. Lets ritualize my writing.

If there's one thing I'll never stop doing its writing verses that rhyme...I know, I have boxes and envelopes with papers and notebooks full of 'em. Unpublished, unfinished, undefined. So I guess that should be first in my order of business in making writing a part of my daily routine.

And here we go...guys, meet the poet.

Steve Jobs: a man who changed the world

Today, the modern world was shocked with the passing of one of its greatest movers. Early this morning on this side of the globe, word spread about the passing of Apple's Chairman, the late, great Steve Jobs. The internet was burning from reposts, reactions, retweets and reports of this visionary's death.

As one BBC researcher puts it,

"There are 3 apples that changed the world, the one that Eve ate, the one that fell on Newton's head and the ones that Steve Jobs built." 

Having been a Mac user for a few months now, true enough one cannot help but feel a tinge of sadness and loss. We all know the story very well. Steve was one of the ruling elite of the computing world - a contemporary to Microsoft's Bill Gates, an inspiration to Google's Larry Page and Sergey Brin, a mentor to Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.

Business and world leaders, media organizations, even ordinary people expressed their grief and condolences to Jobs' family. It's not everyday someone so determined and dedicated leaves a mark and changes life as we know it.

Jobs was a college dropout who invented the first Apple in his parent's garage. He made the company and was eventually booted out when it became successful. After that he went on to start companies like NeXT and Pixar. He went on to creating the successful movie franchise Toy Story, together with blockbuster top-grossers Cars, Monsters Inc., Wall-e and Finding Nemo to name a few.

He eventually returned to Apple after the first company he founded bought NeXT in 1996. This was when Apple began to take a leadership position in the market. Dubbed as the "second coming" of Steve Jobs, he made sure the next generation of Apple products will be innovative and cutting edge and overall aimed at giving a great user experience.

Some people have commented that Jobs, as a boss may be a little too hard to please and a whole lot temperamental. However, he is an inspirational and charismatic speaker who can spark creativity that'll motivate transforming dreams into a reality.

Here are some famous Jobs quotes I lifted from PC World:

Think Different

"Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes…the ones who see things differently--they’re not fond of rules. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things--they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."

"A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets."

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

"Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it."

Lead from the Front

"You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new."

"It's not about pop culture, and it's not about fooling people, and it's not about convincing people that they want something they don't. We figure out what we want. And I think we're pretty good at having the right discipline to think through whether a lot of other people are going to want it, too. That's what we get paid to do."

Strive for Perfection

"When you're a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you're not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You'll know it's there, so you're going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through."

Love What You Do

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

What did he do that has affected you and me? How exactly did he influence the world or changed our lives that send people into a frenzy when they woke up and found Steve Jobs gone...well my friend, that's simple: you'll never look at the fruit the same way again.

Hopefully, will get to write more on Steve over the weekend.

Facebook Timeline...Not much...what's the fuzz?

Followed the steps in Mashable on How to Enable the New Facebook Timeline and was able to make it work. (If you're interested to try, sign in to Facebook here.)

Not sure what the fuzz is all about because all the information in the Timeline were provided by the users. For the most part, as Facebook grew, we should have been more mindful of the things we shared online. 

I toured the new feature and was a bit well, surprised. It was kinda creepy that it remembered when I signed up, when my cousin was born and it was able to track how many friends I made each month. The most surprising part for me is learning how many of my "friends" were in Facebook in a year's time. I mean I joined in April 2009 and had a handful of 16 Facebook well wishers for my birthday that year compared to a whopping 110 last year. The idea of the number of people I was connected to came more of a shock to me than what the Timeline presented.

That perhaps is the most alarming reality of our time. The danger is not these social networks or some technical expert coming up with ultrasmart algorithms or software, it is the danger of us providing them with the idea or information unknowingly. Some criticized Zuckerberg's Law of Social Sharing - which roughly stated that, 

"...the amount of content that can be shared online doubles roughly every 12 months."

Its not surprising that privacy advocates are daunted by this overhaul in Facebook's Profile. The Washington Post reported that: 

"Timeline has three main components — a user’s stories, apps and a new way to express a person’s identity. Pictures and videos are featured prominently, making profiles more visually focused, and users can sort through information by date, type of media and location."

According to Nielsen, Americans spent 8 hours on Facebook last month, far cry from last year's 5 hours and 46 minutes. This shows just how much the social network has affected our lives. Spending time to check updates on their and their friends' statuses have now become part of the daily routines. 

Add that to the omnipresent Google and the microblogging platforms Twitter, with its ever-growing number of followers and  the meteoric rise of Tumblr, and voila! More and more time spent on line.

This is 2011, the digital age - everything and everyone is online. As privacy is slowly becoming a thing of the past, be mindful of information security. Before you click to share whatever personal information you have and grant access to anyone anywhere the globe, keep in mind that what you are sharing might be detrimental if not a direct threat to you and your loved ones.

FYI: Timeline rolls out this week, October 9 if I read correctly.

Of Learning, Knowledge and Education

A question was popped to me yesterday that inspired me to write this post.

That question was, "Why were we educated?"

You have to admit it was a rather simple question, one would have simply said to get a good paying job, to advance in my chosen field, to be better armed and prepared to face greater challenges or responsibilities.

However, the first thing that came to my head was because I loved to learn. Education gave me the training as well as the opportunity to see things and approach things differently - with analysis and caution and knowing that a single act could have varying effects and impact not just to the subject but other connected aspects as well. It thought me to be critical, observant and discrete as situations called for. My answer to that one sentence of a question was a paragraph - a synthesis of things that I have learned.

Then the person who asked me the question said, "Its simple, really. You went to school so you learn how to think." He went on to say that all the stuff they taught you in school, you're only using bits and pieces of that. Then one more from the group said, "Since I graduated, I began questioning the methods of teaching."

They were simply stating their opinions and beliefs and I respect that. Only it sparked a debate within - not to disprove their opinions but to express a greater understanding of the importance of knowledge, learning and education, after all the years I spent studying I think I should know better.

Well, they were right when they said that they teach you how to think in school. No, let me rephrase that: education itself challenges the mind to think. As Einstein puts it, 

"I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn."

Socrates also agrees,

"I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think."

Education is not just about knowing, it is understanding that the human mind is capable of basic grammar and mathematics, that it can be trained to do greater things.

That more than memorizing, history is a reflection of your past to help you see into the future. It defines behavioral and social sciences, helps one identify culture and tradition and establish an identity not just as person but as a family, a society, a people. Economics is more than just theories - its the theories that need to be understood in order to analyze a certain pattern or order of things. Algebra, Geometry and Calculus involves analysis of the expressions and the problems - the same analysis that is required in logic and philosophy.

To question is good. It means one is trying to understand, however has one taken steps to bridge the gap? I guess that's when the importance of the willingness to learn come in. Because you don't stop where society tells you to stop. Learning after all is a lifelong process. An educated person may have the necessary papers to support professional requirements but to say that it makes him knowledgeable is non-sequitur.

"Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune." ~Jim Rohn

Indeed, this will make a lengthy debate but at the end of the day its one's ability to adapt and use his capacity to think that will determine the level of education he has been able to instill in himself.

"Education is not the answer to the question. Education is the means to the answer to all questions." ~William Allin

A Job Affair: work I did, places I’ve been, people I’ve met

I’ve been working for a total of 7 years and 8 months now. During that time, I’ve also had 6 jobs. Given my age and the length of time I’ve been working and my level of education, people think I should already have a career. Sadly though, I have yet to find a job I can commit myself too especially since in my heart I know that service is my calling, the first five and a half years of my professional life is proof of that.

Rapport at North 

It was late in 2003, I was then a college undergraduate when I was offered a job at the Philippine Ports Authority in North Harbor. It was originally intended to be a brief project stint for their computerization program. What I thought would be a trial run for working lasted exactly 4 years.

View of a CY @ MICT, Nov. 2007

I started November 2003 and quit on November 2007. My initially boring tasks of reviewing lease contracts, scanning documents and data gathering were gradually finished and replaced with client transactions, license application review and evaluation, contract preparation, reports, research and communication, inspection and lease administration and other stuff.

@ the VTMS Tower

Over the years I learned to love what I do and even found time to go back to school and finish my studies.

@ M/V Princess of the Stars, Dec. 2006

However, I realized that skills and knowledge-wise I was growing but professionally, I wasn’t making much progress. Years have already come and gone and I still don’t have a career.

Daybreak, Dec. 01, 2007

And I deserved one, so sad and hard the decision had to be made. I packed my bags and moved on.

Landed @ Tech

Land Bank Plaza

For me coming to Land Bank was unplanned. It never really crossed my mind until one of my former workmates suggested it and I wasn’t overly excited about it at first. I even waited 2 months to actually come and apply for any position they had open for hire.

When I was finally invited for an interview, I had an impression that I did not qualify. The interview was so still and quick so when they thanked me for my time I left and told myself at least I tried. When I was about to step out, I was surprised that the receptionist told me she just received a phone call asking me to proceed to the 17th floor.

So I went back up a floor higher this time and when I got there the security personnel escorted me to the conference room and wait for my interviewers. It was a bit cloudy then and looked like it was going to rain but I was captivated by an overwhelming view. The conference room had an astounding view of Manila Bay stretching from the CCP bay area to South Harbor. A regular route I’ve been passing by for 8 years but never saw from up high until that instant. For me it was simply amazing.

A view of Manila Bay from LBP Plaza, June 2009

Then my interviewers arrived, I was still a little dumbstruck from staring outside the glass walls. Compared to the first interview I had earlier, this one went on a lot longer, over an hour probably. It was also more relaxed and we found ourselves laughing several times. The interview ended with smiles. This was August 2007.

Months passed and I stopped expecting to hear from LBP anymore so I was more than surprised when I got invited for an interview again and another, the last and final one. Finally on December 2007, I officially became part of eBSD-TMG.

eBSD's Retro Christmas @ Rosa's Garden, Dec. 2008

Brief as it may have been, my stint with LBP gave me the motivation and resources to go back to school and the opportunity to work with the best people and bring out the best in me. The experience really thought me a lot. I made a lot of close friends and it was sad I couldn’t stay.

BPO, KPO...brave new worlds: HSBC & TaskUs

When it was time to leave LBP, I realized that 5 ½ years of my working life has been given to service and that I have been waiting for a chance to get in for a while. I was beginning maybe it was not the career path for me or that maybe it wasn’t just the right time.

With the current buzz and boom of the BPO industry and given their big salaries, benefits and perks, I decided to give it a try.

I landed a customer service representative job at HSBC North Gate though it wasn’t planned. I went to Alabang for a different job interview and North Gate just happened to be a few steps away from where I was. I simply decided to hit 2 birds with one stone. After my exam and interview that morning I walked across the street to HSBC and went through a series of exams and interviews. I stayed till it was over for the simple reason that I wasn’t asked to go home. I thought maybe this was it. I was up for the challenge and took it.

HSBC M1 Tranche 114, July 2009

HSBC provided me a whole new culture, a different approach, a business experience. It thought me the value of diversity, expanded my knowledge on banking and showed me the importance of information security. More importantly, it provided me another avenue for learning, to push myself forward and break away from the ways I was used to.

w/ Team Arlene & the Service Queue, Oct. 2009

Unfortunately, as much as it really paid well, I couldn’t stay because it didn’t fit well with my studies. When I tried to weigh it, I just couldn’t give up school. It meant much and it was something I worked and sacrificed a lot of things for, it was just out of the question.

That was when I landed a voicemail transcriptionist job near our place in Cavite. It was near, it paid okay, I met friends. Friends from different backgrounds and they were interesting. Listening to messages also sharpened my ears and I hear a lot of stuff that were quite unfamiliar at first but Google was there to provide answers. I was rather a brief stint that got cut short because I was offered another job.

I thought about it. Staying in TaskUs is okay, if I wanted the easy way out. All I had to do was listen and type. However, I also knew that staying meant not putting all of my skills and talents in to good use. For me comfort was just not enough. I needed a challenge so I decided to throw in the towel.

A Century of Real Estate

I went to CPI after leaving TaskUs. I thought being part of the Documents and Collections Group was a step in the right direction. So even if I already had over 36 masteral units, I took on project-based contractual employment. It would accommodate my studies and for me titles and positions are empty if they cannot deliver or produce results. An individual’s contribution on an organization is not measured by his position.

Pacific Star Building

Combining all my years of working, I would have to say that the 10 months I spent in CPI was the most challenging. I don’t know how or why it happened but not a week passed that I did not have to write an apology letter or received a complaint. It wasn’t my job to find out why or how, the job was to address the issues and resolve the problems. I tried to do just that. It thought me to be resourceful and innovative and gave me the drive to put a system together and deliver quality service.

CPI Christmas 2010

Leaving came in naturally, not renewing my contract was a mutual decision. They were re-structuring the group and my position was dissolved. Having completed my masters, I felt obliged to put it into good use. Unlike my previous jobs, it wasn’t so hard leaving this time because from the start I knew it was a possibility.

w/ Systems & Inventory Team, Nov. 2010

Finally BGC

At present, I’m a virtual assistant for an offshore client. Adapting to a new culture, learning about new tools and technologies and meeting new people always interests me.

I am now writing professionally which i find rather challenging ‘cause as much as I love writing, it was for the most part always a hobby.

Now, it’s different. I’m beginning to discover an evolving world of e-marketing, slowly understanding SEO and PPC concepts and taking baby steps in content writing and backlinking.

When I told my boss I was leaving LBP, he told me:

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you work, who you work for or work with and how much you get paid working. What matters is you’re happy with what you’re doing.”

That depends on choosing to be happy though.