In Starting An Adventure

The Hobbit, a prequel of the The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a movie about having the courage to take on an adventure that can change one's life.

image source: decca.com

I believe that we all need to have the courage to take on an adventure. It does not necessarily mean that we have to leave home and be on the road kind of adventure, but an adventure that requires us to face the unknown and leave our comfort zone. An adventure that asks us to be brave, to have fun and to meet new friends.

For a lot of people, it could be having a family. For others, it is choosing to do what they have always wanted to do. For me, it is starting a business. It is an adventure that is making me stronger every single day of my life. I realized that I am becoming a better person because of my choice of being an entrepreneur.

Yes, there is fear. Just like the dwarfs in the movie, I am always in search for success. Along the way, I meet wizards (my mentors and coaches) and elves (business partners). And you guessed right, there are ogres (naysayers), trolls (dream snatchers) and goblins (just pure negative people). But it is okay, because that just makes the whole journey an amazingly unexpected experience.

May your life be filled with adventures such as mine. Buenas dias!

Of Dreams and Goals

Why do people love to dream but hate making goals?

We would probably all agree, everyone has dreams. Whether it be having a long weekend vacation, or having a sprawling house or giving your parents the retirement that they deserve. Everyone has dreams. The question is, why isn't evryone doing something about it? Why isn't everyone setting goals so that they can actually start making their dreams a reality?

Dreams create a "fantasy" or a future that we all know exist in some distant future. Goals remove that 'distant future' and make it concrete by putting a definite or exact date as to where you would want the dream realized. Surprisingly, people are scared of making the distant future concrete. They are scared to fail. They are scared of being frustrated that the fear of pain is bigger than the gain of the sought after dream.

As my mentor was making me realize this, I remember the picture of a donkey pulling a carriage following a hanging carrot that he might never really have. Sadly, we are all contented that we can see the carrot without us knowing when will we ever get it.

I don't like to be the donkey. I like having control on my life. Yes, in some instances, goals are not met. I failed a couple of times. I made a lot of mistakes. And yes, it hurts. It hurts so bad that it is understandable to rest for a while. But all this time, I understand, I knew, that I would rather give it my all, I would rather try my best to get my dreams that live my life wishing, hoping, dreaming of a life that I might not be able to live.

Dreams are meant to be real and lived. Quitting is never part of the picture. Because honestly, I'd be more frustrated to have not done anything for me to succeed. I'd rather die trying out something, not live without ever doing something worthwhile.

Buenas dias!

Of Belief and Possibility

I am an engineer by profession. Back in gradeschool, I've always dreamed of becoming a journalist because I love to both read and write. But then, when I was in my final years in highschool, I considered having a career that would give me the success that I want as fast as I can. I thought the key was to get a degree that would give me a title on my name. I considered three courses: law, medicine or engineering. Both law and medicine were too long for me, I was not willing to wait that much. Engineering was the fastest, just 5 years. I finished it in four and a half with leadership and academic awards on my diploma. Took my board and got my license on the first take. I was so ready to be successful.
A few years after, I still could not find the success that I was looking for. I was in the verge of panic. I decided to leave the country to look for opportunities.
I met a lot of people, mostly Filipinos who have been working in that country for 5, 8, 10 years. Guess what? They were still working, haven't saved much and is still not successful. I was asking myself, what was happening? Didn't they tell me to just study hard, get good grades and find a safe, secure job? I realized, that advice was way outdated.
I didn't just look and tried other jobs, I was also open to putting up a business. There was a point where I was working at three jobs at the same time. I did a couple of businesses, but without the proper training and very little capital, I was like a headless chicken.
Three years ago, an opportunity came to my life. It was an answered prayer. It showed me a possibility that I can have. It renewed the flame of my dreams that were slowly losing its spark. I have always been a big dreamer. I think everyone of us have big dreams. Sadly though, reality seems to snatch them away from us that we tend to forget them as we try to juggle a lot of things in our life.
Why am I telling you all this? Because today, I learned a lot about possibilities.
My mentor is also an engineer. Before he went to business, he never thought that his life right now, was possible. These days, he travels the world with his family anytime he wants. With what he is earning, he can buy any luxury car at whim, in cash. And he has all the free time to spend with his beautiful wife and amazing son.
I met an undergraduate farmer, who does not know much English, not knowing anyone who is in business but succeeding still. Now, he is known all over the world and inspiring other people of the possibility that he was able to make into reality.
I met a caregiver, who used to work in the states for more than years. She lost her parents and sister in a span of three months but she was not able to come home. She had to work and chose instead to just send her family the money they need. Now, she is back with her family and happily enjoying their company, while earning more.
People tell me that it's impossible to earn a seven digit income. People tell me that opportunities are scarce. People tell me that having big dreams is difficult. I ask them why?
I worked for more than 8 years and it got me nowhere near my goals. I was actually happy but I realized that I could be happier. I met people who were working 20, 30 years and are still struggling. And then I wonder, why are people still believing that they can get to where they want to go with what they are currently doing?
They ask me back, why am I willing to risk it? Why do I have the courage to do something different? Why am I insanely confident that I can be successful?
Because I have seen how possible it is. I am not there yet, but the journey is so worth it. I am happy with everything that I am getting. I am thankful each and everyday for the opportunity of having Nu Skin in my life.

my look: white long sleeved blouse, black sleeveless top, black slacks

May you also be blessed with a possibility like mine. Buenas dias.

Of Cores and Beliefs

I love animated films. It brings out the child in each one of us. I believe we all need to be like a child every once in a while, full of wonder and unwavering belief and filled with dreams.

Rise of the Guardians is a movie about finding your core, believing in yourself and finding the courage to face your fears. 

Rise of the Guardians - a must see!

It is easy to get lost in life if you do not know your core. It is what dictates your whole being. It is who you are despite and in spite of everything else. It is your center. Santa's core was wonder. Jack Frost's was fun. I thought to myself, what was mine? In silence, I learned, my core was inspiration. To inspire people and move them to live a lifetime of joy, excellence, abundance and purpose.

We all have a purpose in life. I read from somewhere that there are two important days in our lives: the first was when we were born and the second was when we finally learned the reason why we were born. Sadly though, in life, not everyone gets to fulfill their purpose. Jack Frost's purpose is to become a guardian but he had a hard time believing it. We are all destined to be great. We are alive because of a reason. Our goal is to find that reason and once we find out what it is, we believe.

Fear is a natural thing. I always tell people, if you've never been afraid, you are not human. But fear is a very tricky thing, it gets stronger the more you run away from it. The key is to accept that you are afraid but choosing to face it anyway. Courage is not the absence of fear but the realization that something is much more important than fear. Just like what Jamie said to Pitch in the movie: "I believe in you but I am not afraid of you."

It's amazing how a cartoon teaches us more about life than any other movies. Find time to watch the movie. It's incredible! 

Buenas dias!

In Following Your Heart

No, this is not about romantic love, but love still.

I believe that each one of us have dreams. That "I've always wanted to be, do or have" kind that we have always wanted to achieve in our lives. Sadly though, not everyone gets to fulfill their dreams. Maybe because they've given up, or they tried once and got hurt that they never wanted to try again, or they never had the courage to even try.

I am talking about following one's heart, doing what one loves despite everything else and choosing to fight for one's dreams.

my photo shoot look - khaki polo, skinny jeans with brown leather belt

Just recently, a good friend of mine, Charmaine Loise Clamor, asked me to take her picture for she needs it as requirement for an audition in an upcoming Broadway and West End musical. I agreed to do it excitedly. Of course, it would not be as fun if I would not be working with talented people such as Mel Nunez, our make-up artist for the day.

I admire Charmaine's courage. She has an amazing voice and is a very talented singer. I believe that she was born to sing. But one must first step up, be brave enough to really want it, to be given the chance to live their dreams. Making things happen is not easy but it is always worth it.

Mel Nunez prepping our beautiful model, Charmaine Clamor

I am not a professional photographer but my love for this art led me to venture into this world of looking at life through my lens. Here are some of the pictures from the shoot. Hope you like them:

I just love the effect of mirrors and minimum lighting

Charmaine's sexy look: dark smokey brown eyes, nude lipstick

Blurring the background to highlight an off-center subject

Charmaine's fresh look: minimal eye make-up, pink lipstick and blush

I believe that God does not put the desire in out hearts without giving us the possibility to put it into action. He gave us the talent to be a singer or an artist or whatever it is that you love to do, because that is what we were meant to do. Our life's purpose is doing what we love. It is fulfilling our heart's desires. It is following our hearts.

A lot of people thought that when you follow your heart and go for your dreams, it will be a lonely ride. It doesn't have to. Success is best accomplished with a great team. I am thankful that I have great people to share my dreams with. Moments like these are etched into our memories because they are experienced with friends:

with my friends: Charmaine (model) and Mel (make-up artist)

When asked how I can be thanked after the shoot, my honest reply was: "to be given the trust of taking the pictures is thank you enough for me". As for my friend Charmaine, I pray that she gets the part. She'll be amazing on stage, I just know it.

It is not often that people get to do what they love and love what they do. I have that in my life. My dream is that every person can have the chance to do what they love and what makes them happy. But first, one must know what they want to do. Mine is capturing moments, Charmaine's dream is singing on stage, what's yours?

I hope that you will give your dreams a fighting chance. Buenas dias!