Life Biz

Simplifying

riacatalasan — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:04:50 +0000

By Butch Bautista

“Some of the best things are blindingly simple,
and they’re usually based on truths.”

My life, or at least how I think I live it, boils down to the above statement from advertising man Dave Droga.

My no-frills living starts with basic belief. A priest accidentally led me to God. I was six, braving first confession, the mandatory Catholic rite of passage. Having hardly memorized,
much less understood, the ritual prayers, I mumbled and hoped the priest would not notice. But suddenly he stormed out of his sacred cubicle and bellowed, “Go home,” he was big and red, “Come back when you have memorized the prayers.”

I remember thinking why I had to memorize words to talk to God. And I wondered how saying the same words over and over again could erase my sins. But most of all I was so scared to go back to the man in the box.

Maybe I could talk to God directly? And so I did. I prayed at bedtime. I talked to God in church, during mass which I still attended with the family, or anytime I wanted to ask for something. (Later I found out I had cut the middleman, the first step in simplifying.)

Some of the things I asked for were as childish as a gold medal in a high school contest, some were as big as healing and long life for my parents, or protection from accidents for the whole family. I asked for few things, but I know all of them were heard, and granted. As my batting average grew, my tolerance for the superfluous shrunk. I was getting results talking to God directly, so why memorize prayers, names of saints, their birthdays, their functional specialties, and similar stuff? Why even go to mass?

Growing up I also found that if I focused on one or two things I really enjoyed, I might be good at it. I was good at playing but not competing, so making friends was easy. I loved reading and writing and didn’t care about report cards, so school was a breeze. After attempting violin, guitar, drawing, basketball, tennis, even boxing with the gloves and speedball my father gave me, I gave up because I was lousy at all of them. Lack of talent and ability compelled me to keep things simple. A car is needed to take one from point A to point B, which a VW Beetle, then a Toyota Corolla, does. I had only one girl friend and married her after a year. She’s still my wife after 44 years. We still keep the first bank account we opened 45 years ago, when Citibank was still called FNCB.

Sure, there were many problems, jobs, heartaches, temptations along the way, but I stuck to the main point. Keep it simple.

People who can facebook, paint toenails, listen to rock, and do homework while texting amaze me. I am essentially a one-at-a-time person. Multitasking confounds me. Can we really do everything? Some people can, though, and I admire them. But I keep it simple.

I have long ago given up on pleasing everyone. Is it even possible, or worth it? Can we be
everything to every one? Any one?

“Believe,” we are told many times, “and you will have eternal life.” Is it that easy? Is it that simple? Yes, it is, but we still doubt. We want things complicated.

I also learned something about stuff.

When a good friend decided to consolidate his homes in Manila, Hong Kong, and San Francisco into one house, the clutter he collected living in three locations could have filled a small Home Depot. He had beds, tv sets, refrigerators, stoves, appliances, pans and cutlery, furniture, tons of clothing and shoes for four seasons, golf and fishing gear, hundreds of books, many of them same titles bought at airports throughout the world, thousands of tools, gadgets, artifacts and countless remnants of profuse spending. He had retired in his mid-forties and was planning to build the rest of his life around golfing in California, fishing in Malaysia, New Zealand, or the Caribbean, and touring the world.

Amid this wealth of confusion, he told me, “You know one thing I discovered? Only a few things really matter to me: a couple of shirts, two pairs of jeans and my Swiss army knife.”

But he was talking to a long-time collector of sunsets, cool breezes, and walks on the beach, so of course I readily identified with him.

“I know.” I said, “I have nothing, so I simplify.”

Jesus distilled a monstrous dam of 613 rules into two droplets: Love God. Love your neighbor. When you get down to the basics, nothing could be simpler.

Who Really Doesn’t Make Sense

riacatalasan — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 01:07:17 +0000

By Roxanne Lee

God calls us to be obedient. But there are many times when He asks to do something that just doesn’t make sense. Like those times when we barely have enough and He tells us to give. Then there are those times when we treasure something dearly, but He tells us to let go. How about those times when we are when we are uncertain of what lies ahead, but yet He tells us to move forward. My favorite is when it is God who is telling us to wait, but we are the ones who want to advance. We would rather disobey, because we think that His command goes against what we think is common sense.

But think about it. God is ever present and all knowing. He is faithful. He is good. He never fails. He is our provider. He is our creator. He knows what is best. Most importantly, He loves us. If God is all these and more, when He tells us to obey and we don’t, who really doesn’t make sense?

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

Starting, Planning, Simplifying 2011

riacatalasan — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 12:50:05 +0000

by Anna Moran

annamoran.com

At the end of the year, my husband, JA, and I have this tradition of sitting down and coming up with a list. On it we would the write things we are grateful for in the passing year, as well as things we are believing for in the coming year. We do this because it helps nurtures gratefulness in our hearts, as well as help build our faith.

It is also during this time that we discuss about what we believe God wants us to do and not to do. Whether it is things we should prioritize or things we should let go of. We also discuss things we need to pursue and things we need to change in our lives. When confronted with uncertainty over decisions that need to be made, I usually find it helpful asking myself these three questions to help me come to a resolution.

For whom am I living for?

JA and I have long decided that Jesus is the Lord of our lives, He calls the shots in our lives. This decision affects all our decisions–big or small. Our lives, our marriage, our family, our careers, our relationships, our time, our resources are all His and all for Him.

What is the will of God in my life?

I have come to a point in my life that I no longer want to do so what is popular, what is convenient or what makes the most money. I do not want too be limited by my abilities and my resources. I want to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for my life, and for my family. And this is how I want to live my life. I am praying that I will have His grace, wisdom and power everyday to live out what He wants me to do, not what I want to do. God never shortchanges us anyway. His dreams are always better and greater than anything we can dream for ourselves.

After God, who is next?

My husband JA would be my next priority. This would mean putting his needs, his schedules, his dreams, his plans on top of mine. I really want to be the helper and support that he needs his wife to be. This year, I want and I will do my best to make it easier for him to work, succeed and live out his dreams. Andi, my child (and any other child that would come in the future) would come in third. This would include taking care of her, teaching her, training her and spending time with her.

Building a home for my family would be fourth. My family and the home I am building does not take a back seat in my life. I want to build a home that the people dearest to my heart would love to come home to and stay in. I want it also to be a source of blessing to people who visit my home.

This year it is going to be a little different as I am going to add another priority to my list and that is health. JA and I really want to live healthier lives. We want to not only eat right, but to exercise more and get enough rest and sleep.

It is only when all these priorities are taken care of that I can pursue the things I want to do, things I want to achieve and dreams I want to pursue.

I am starting a new year.

I am planning the best and wisest way to live it out.

And I am simplifying it.

Destiny, The Heart of Leadership Greatness

riacatalasan — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 09:53:09 +0000

Raising and developing leaders has always been a part of what we do as a ministry. And because we’ve placed a premium on developing leaders, we’ve invited someone who has peered into the lives and faiths of leaders in government. In his books, he talks about the faith of George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, and even Barack Obama. He is convinced that their faith holds the key to how they administer justice, how they create laws and ordinances, and even how they conduct themselves in public office. Stephen Mansfield definitely has lots of insight on the topic of God and leadership.

We encourage you to come and hear Stephen Mansfield as he talks about destiny and Leadership. We believe it will open our eyes to a deeper understanding of the long-term impact of the spiritual disciplines we have today.

“Destiny: The Heart of Leadership Greatness,” will be held on Tuesday, February 1, 7:00 PM at the Assembly Hall of the Every Nation Building. Tickets are priced at PHP 600 and will include a sit-down dinner. For more information, call Ria Catalasan at 817-1212 local 406.

It Takes Love to Build a Home

Francisco Bautista — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 01:37:12 +0000

By Anna Moran (www.annamoran.com)

It has been several months since our household help left to go back to the province. Since then, I was literally forced to look after my home in a totally different and new way. And I am glad I went through this, no matter how physically tiring (sometimes draining) it may be.

This is what this experience made me realize: It takes love to build a home. It takes love to build a home that my husband JA would want to come home to. It takes love to build a home that my daughter Andi would want and love to stay in.

Here are some ways (that I have learned and I am constantly trying to do) that you can do to build a home that your husband and children will love.

1. Be home! I wrote about this before but I think it is worth mentioning again. You need to be home to build a home. I am not implying that one shouldn’t work or go out. What I mean is that you need to prioritize being at home too so that you can attend to the needs of your husband, children, and your home. Remember, your role is irreplaceable.

2. Be attentive to your husband’s/children’s needs and wants. There are foods that JA prefers to eat, stuff that he needs that I shouldn’t forget to buy in the grocery, clothes that he needs to be clean and ironed when he needs to wear them, and some stuff that he wants to be arranged or thrown out, and some decoration preferences too. There are activities that Andi loves doing now that she’s two, shows that she enjoys watching, and some that are educational too. There are particular books that she likes reading, songs that she’s happy singing. (Of course with Andi, I am on the lookout what she likes but ultimately I decide what is best for her.) And because I love them, I try to learn what they need and want everyday and then adjust my home accordingly and what I do for them.

3. Keep it clean, orderly and peaceful. Who would want to come home to a place of mess, noise and chaos? Who would want to stay too in a place like that? I wouldn’t. I am sure my husband and children wouldn’t want that too.

4. Manage your finances well. First, I used the word manage because that is what we are, managers. The money that we have is not ours, but God’s. Everything is His. Second, We can choose to be a blessing to our husbands and children by how we handle our money. Whether you work or not, the money that you have is meant to honor God and bless your loved ones and others. Are you helping your husband save with how you handle your finances? Are you on the look out on how you can build for your future? Are you united with your financial goals and how you want to achieve them? Or are you impulsive and selfish?

5. Remember that you are the heart of the home! Having said this, this is what I challenge and encourage you to do. Stay happy! Amidst the tons of work to finish and errands to do, choose to have a happy disposition. I have noticed that when I am irritable, annoyed, sad or angry, most often than not, JA and Andi end up feeling the same way too. And it just gets worse. Since I am, we are the heart of our home, I can/we can dictate the atmosphere and disposition that our home and our family can have.

6. Pray for your husband, your children, yourself (you need it!) and your home. Praying for your family is one of the best acts of love that you can give them. It is the most powerful too. Do not miss a day without doing this. Prioritize it because take it from me, you cannot do it alone!

7. Tap in to the Source of love. Ask God to fill you everyday with His love, so have something to give out to your family. I was telling my friend a few days ago about this blog that I was planning to write back then. I told her that I so believe that it takes love to build a home. And she said this, ” And it takes God giving us love first so we may be able to give this love…” And I totally agree with what she said. I need the love of God to love my husband, my child and to have the love to build a home for them. You do, too.

A wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Proverbs 14:1

A Wise Woman Builds Through Her Words

Francisco Bautista — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 01:25:03 +0000

By Anna Moran (www.annamoran.com)

A wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Proverbs 14:1

I want to be a wise woman who builds. I hope you do, too.

In marriage, in parenting, in our home and family, in living our lives, let’s choose to build. Faced with countless decisions that we have to make in a day, we have the choice either to build or destroy. We make this choice in our thoughts, in our words, in our actions.

I hope to be a woman who is wise and who chooses to build in everything she does. It is attainable. It is something we can aspire for. It is something we can do. And a wise woman is something that we can be.

How do we build through our words? —Speak only words that bring life.

• Speak words that build up your husband. Tell him that you are proud of him. Do not speak ill of him (even if you want to), directly or indirectly. Thank him for providing for you and your family. Pray for him. Bless him. (If you are a wife, I highly encourage you to get a copy of the book, Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie O’Martian.)
• Speak words that affirm, encourage, and comfort your children. Regularly tell them that you love them. Correct out of love and reaffirm them. Bless them. Speak and confess their great destinies in God. Pray for them. (If you are a mom, the Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie O’Martian and Bless your Children Everyday by Dr. Mary Ruth Swope are good books to use to pray for and bless your children).
• Sometimes you build by choosing not to speak at all. There are times when the best thing to do is to not say anything. I usually resort to this when I am extremely upset and emotional, stressed and tired. Based on experience, these are the moments wherein I say things that I afterwards regret saying. So I have decided that it is wisest to shut up and cool down.
• Choose not to retaliate. I often am tempted to do this when offensive or hurtful words are said against me. But I have learned too that it is wisest not to retaliate because it often fuels the fire and makes arguments and fights worse.
• Say I am sorry often. And say it quick.
• Say I forgive you often. And mean it.
• Do not be historical. Really, does it help if we do this?
• Confess the Word of God. And believe it.

A wise woman builds. And she builds her marriage, her family, her home, her life, and her relationships through her words.

I have in no way mastered these. But this is what I am aiming for. By God’s grace, I know I can be the woman God wants me to be. I know you can be too.

To those who are single, you do not need to wait until you are married and have children to be this kind of woman. Learning this early on will be of great advantage to you. Proverbs 31 says that a wife of noble character does good to her husband all the days of her life. You start blessing your future husband with the life that you live now.

Proverbs 18:21 “… the tongue can kill or nourish life.”
Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Proverbs 21: 9 Better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
Proverbs 21:19 Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill tempered wife.

Nothing More to Ask @ 30

Francisco Bautista — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 04:55:11 +0000

By Anna Moran (www.annamoran.com)

I turned 30 a few months ago. Many have been asking me how I feel about it. Did I have birthday jitters? Do I feel old? What am I wishing and hoping for this coming year?

In a few words I will try to summarize what I am feeling and thinking of right now: I can’t ask for more. There is simply nothing more I could ask for.

Does that mean that I have stopped expecting from God?… No, because I always want and choose to be expectant. Have I stopped believing for more?…Of course not. I never have and I never will.

But here’s the thing. I am content. I am at peace.
I have Him. I have all that I need.
And even though I do not deserve it, He has blessed me with a full life.
I have a loving husband.
I have a beautiful daughter.
I have my family.
I have the best friends I could ever ask for.
I am provided for.
I have a purpose and destiny.
I am alive and well.

And I acknowledge that every breath that I have is a gift from Him. Everything is a gift. My life is a gift.

I am grateful. And I desire that everything in my life, all of my years and all that I am, and all that I will be, will be for Him and about Him.

So thank you Lord, for my 30 years.
I have you, and I have all that I want and need.
And because I have you, I know that my life can only get better.
Yes, it can only get better and better.

If there were any song that could capture my sentiments at 30, this probably would be it. I can feel every word as if it came from me, as though it were written for me.

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like met
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine
(Amazing Grace performed by Chris Tomlin)

I have indeed received His unending love and amazing grace.
And He is forever mine.
This is the source of my joy. That is why I cannot ask for anything more.
I have already been given the best. And I know that He will not withhold the rest.

4 Turnaround Lessons

David Bonifacio — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:00:17 +0000

I’ve spent most of the day looking at financial statements. One of the things I’m doing now is working on the turnaround of Issho Genki Interntional, the producers and distributors of the most trusted brand of Squalene (which is currently a small yet growing category). We’re not completely out of the woods yet, but this last quarter is looking very positive for Issho Genki. We have improved enough to make me a little more comfortable with writing about the lessons we have learned from our mistakes. There are actually a lot of lessons I would like to share but I’ll start with these four.

What Do You Love?
Squalene is a natural antioxidant which protects and enhances the body’s cells. I’ve been taking the thing for about 15 years now and love the stuff. So aside from the challenge and necessity, loving the product was an attraction to me. I’m not really a salesman. I can’t sell anyone anything. What I am is a highly contagious sick man. When I fall sick in love with something I’m going to infect you with it if you hang around me long enough.

Turn Around Lesson #1: Work on something you’re passionate about. Turnarounds have a lot of baggage that can distract and discourage you. Working on something you’re passionate about helps keep you motivated. While need is a great motivator, never underestimate someone who is madly in love.

Go Treasure Hunting
Issho Genki used to be a very popular supplement brand but dropped out of people’s consciousness when management was not able to transition well into retail outlets. It’s a classic case of a business that did well, overspent, didn’t change relevantly, and descended. The good part though is there was a lot to work with such as the brand recall due to its, at the time I took over, 13 year existence, historically large distributor base, high-quality manufacturing base in Japan, and existing distribution relationships with Mercury Drug, Watsons, Dyna, and other retailers and customers. The most important thing the company had though was some really trustworthy and hardworking people that made the chance of a turnaround possible.

Turn Around Lesson #2: Look for the pieces of value. These are things you’ll be able to work with and build on. What are the assets? (Of course depreciate accurately!) How much cash? (This is your blood. Even if people owe you, you run out of cash, you’re dead.) Can you use your assets to generate cash? (Either through sales or as collateral) In our case, we didn’t have any hard assets aside from a very nebulous concept of brand goodwill. We had no way of accurately measuring this so working with that was a step of faith. We also didn’t have a lot of cash. We had a third of what we needed to survive month 1. (That month was very stressful for me!) But what we did have other than the brand were good people who made the sales happen and extended payables and stretched and stretched. Good people are always a great asset.

Cut the Fat
When I walked into my corner office on the 25th floor of a nice commercial building in one of Metro Manila’s business districts I had the following thoughts in sequence:

1. Wow. This is cool.
2. This is really big. Too big.
3. This must be expensive.
4. This has to go.

One problem businesses have as they go along is that they take on too much fat. That’s actually like us humans. Hehe. We take on so much unwanted baggage that weigh and slow us down, or worse, choke our organs which kills us. We had to do a lot of cost cutting in Issho Genki, more than a third of our operating expenses. This also meant there were contracts we could not renew, people we could not hire, perks we could not enjoy, and rewards that had to be differed. Of course not everyone was happy – including me. But you have to do what you have to do.

Turn Around Lesson #3: Cut the fat. Look in the mirror and see where everything is starting to sag and cut those parts out. (I’m in no way suggesting liposuction. I’m talking figuratively.) While Lesson #1 is to work on something you’re passionate about, don’t mistake the fat for the purpose. Fat are the unnecessary things or parts or even functions we’ve accumulated that no longer effectively contribute to your purpose or bottom-line. So to cut the fat you should have a well-defined purpose for your organization. I see this so many times in business and even non-profits where everyone wants to do everything, so there are so many people accumulating fat, and no one can recognize what’s fat anymore because there is no clearly defined purpose. So define the purpose based on what’s important to you (values) and what doesn’t fit is fat. Cut that. Some people can afford to go on a diet. We couldn’t. We had to have surgery. So we did just that.

Who’s Your Daddy?
I was 23 years old when I took over a company that was closing down. When I look back I really had no idea what I was doing. They say that sometimes not knowing is actually better so that you don’t know what to be afraid of. I don’t know if that’s true. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I was really scared. More people would have seen it if my repertoire of facial expressions was more than just a smirk, but in my gut I was really really scared. I was scared because I knew that I didn’t have what it takes to make this work, and this is what led me to what I consider my life’s greatest lesson: Run to God.

Turn Around Lesson #4: This isn’t from the business books, but it’s really from my life manual: run to God and wait on Him. There were days when I would go to the office at 6am just to pray for a miracle. That somehow something would happen that day and we would live to fight another day. I would walk around our empty office and say “Father, please help Beth with the finances. Please help Guada with administration. Help Lolit with logisitcs.” I would pray for everyone and everything, and guess what? Most of what I prayed for didn’t happen. Hehe. But better things came along. Life lessons instead of quick profits. Humility instead of promotions. Contentment instead of abundance. Peace beyond understanding. These, along with the knowledge that my Father is watching over me, fixing my mistakes, redeeming my wrongs, forgiving my sins, and surely preparing a place for me, these are my profits.

Money is useful, but these experiences, they’re priceless.

And life is not being able to afford the numbers on the price tags. Life is about enjoying the priceless things.

…By the way, sales are up and expenses are down. That’s always a good sign.

David Bonifacio
davidbonifacio.blogspot.com
twitter.com/davidbonifacio

PSALM 23:1 – A Multi-Layered Word on Life

Francisco Bautista — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 01:25:08 +0000

By Meg Isleta

I thought I had turned Psalm 23:1 inside out. Maybe I had, but one thing I hadn’t tried to do was to break it up into bite-sized pieces. This was what popular author Max Lucado, who has such a way with words, did for me.

I was listening to him give a one-minuter the other day about the opening line of this particular psalm and what he said struck me. “The Lord is my shepherd” is a 5-layer-rich verse…and how each layer hits you depends on where your emphasis is.

“THE Lord is my shepherd.”

Who is Master of my life? Come to think of it, do I have one master or do I serve two…or maybe more? Then the verse becomes “A Lord is my shepherd.” Or…”These lords are my shepherds.” If it is not the Lord, then take caution… for you may be led astray. All other lords create the distance and the difference between me and an intimate relationship with God. We can choose whom we give our all to, whom we surrender our time, effort and will to, each moment.

“The LORD is my shepherd.”

If we declare Him as Lord, is He really the LORD of our lives, and all that this conveys? Are we ready to obey with joy, without question, even if we do not completely understand why, even if we don’t really want to …all because we know He alone knows what is best for us? As I obey, is it with the knowledge that He holds my future in His hands…everything: my safety, my relationships, my health, my career, my spouse, my children, my ministry? Or, do I give Him the first three, but decide that I and I alone am the one in control of my career or my children?

“The Lord IS my shepherd.”

Right here, right now I am going through something. The very ground I am standing on isn’t stable. Or is it my knees which seem to be buckling as I write this? I am like the sheep that is being led through the valley of death…a valley so narrow I can barely walk through it without hunching my shoulders. A valley with walls so high that there is barely any light to see where I am going; I cannot see what is on my right or my left, I can only move forward, backward, or stay still, frozen in fear. Do I choose to let Him lead me or was that a picture of me years back before all this hit? What if I am okay, or have been living an ordinary life. Is my life extraordinary only because it is He who IS in front of me and has been all this time? Or is it only when I remember?

“The Lord is MY shepherd.”

It is good to keep the company of those who are in constant fellowship with Him, to be mentored by people like that, to know we can run to friends who are godly, who have our best interests in mind. But what’s our relationship with God like? If I were to be thrown into a situation in my life where it was just me and God, would I embrace this? Or, do I rely on others for the strength they have from God but have built nothing of a relationship with Him that can withstand anything? How personal is He to me? How real is He in my life? Can others who struggle see Him in me? Do they take shelter under the shade of the tree that is my life, rooted in God and His Word?

“The Lord is my SHEPHERD.”

What is a shepherd? What is a brother? What is a friend? What is a teacher? What is Jesus to me? What is He to my life? A shepherd leads a flock. If He is my shepherd then I am part of that flock that follows Him wherever He takes me. I depend on my shepherd for food, clean water, shelter, safe pasture, for protection from dangerous animals, poisonous plants, thorny bushes, deadly parasites and fleas, accidents and bodily harm. I depend on my shepherd for my very life! I follow Him—not blindly—but because I have known, seen, experienced His care and concern for me. He has proven it time and again. He has picked me up when I have fallen, He has lovingly removed everything entangled in my wool that is hurting and endangering me. He has defended with His life animals much bigger than me, that have nothing but hunger, flesh and blood on their minds. Therefore, I want to…I must follow Him where He takes me. My very life depends on it.

This is the universe of meaning that Max Lucado revealed to me. As I continue reading and rereading this famous psalm, those five seemingly simple opening words will never be the same again.

All You Can Do Is All You Can Do

David Bonifacio — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:00:40 +0000

I have to apologize for not updating this column as regularly as I should. I’ve been very busy with my different involvements, particularly with our growing website naturalhealth.ph and the food supplement Issho Genki Squalene.

I’ve also been busy correcting a classic mistake of youth: over-extending, over-reaching, over-confidence, or in other words: over-stupidity.

Now that I’ve been working for about a decade (I started my first business when I was around 16 / 17 years old) I’ve realized that I could have saved myself the headaches, gas exhausted, money spent (mine and others), and time wasted on going for too many opportunities. Don’t get me wrong. Opportunities are great, but only if they’re the “right” ones. Here are some lessons learned from a life of over doing:

1. Act on passion and strength, not just opportunity.
Sometimes we come across the “deal of a lifetime” or a “great investment”, “the next Google”, or “an opportunity you shouldn’t miss”, and while these can be tempting, honestly check if the opportunity lies within your passions and strengths. Working on things we’re passionate about ensures that we will be motivated even when things get tough. Working within our strengths increases our chances of success.

2. A few great things are better than a lot of mediocre ones.
Several beautiful dates can’t take the place of the love of your life. Expensive toys and gimmicks are nowhere near as important as a committed parent. In the same way, don’t think that trying everything, doing everything, being everything is going to make you successful.

3. Focus on what you’re good at. Let go of what you’re bad at.
Be honest when something is beyond you. I used to think I could do everything, and even more delusional, I used to think I was good at everything. Now I’ve realized that I’m actually terrible at everything and only good at a few activities. This honest assessment has helped me figure out what to join, what to stay away from or what I have to terminate, who can do the things I can’t do, how far can we take this, and identify other important factors.

All You Can Do is All You Can Do
I’m not saying give up when you do badly. I’m not saying don’t evolve or don’t adapt. I’m saying be very honest with yourself in assessing your passions, strengths, and areas of focus, in reality all you can do is all you can do. You only have so much time in a day. You only have so many strengths. You only have so much resources to spare. So make sure that the “all” you CAN do is maximized and brings value to others. If all you can do is speak, be an excellent speaker. If it’s mopping floors, be the best floor mopper in the world. Take what you can do well and be the best at it and you’re bound to realize a few things because being the best at something reveals and develops related strengths. Like our floor mopper, he’ll need to learn how to attack different floors and different surfaces, what type of mop to use, or floor cleaner, maybe there’s an organic alternative, or maybe there’s a way to keep people from slipping. So many angles can be explored with something as simple as floor mopping. If you think this is an exaggerated example think about Pestbusters the pest control management company that controls 95-percent share of the high-end Singapore hospitality and healthcare industry that includes the Shangri-la chain. If there’s opportunity in bugs there’s definitely opportunity for you.