Eternal Success Story in the Making

With great powers comes great responsibilities. – Ben Parker

A comedian is like a Jedi with mind controlling powers. In the right hands, this power can temporarily heal people’s sadness… making them forget the worries of this world….

But a comedian who embraced the “darkside” (quote and unquote) is much worst than a RAPIST. What he does is… he morphs into a Fat Old Geezer… approaches a beautiful sexy woman… do his Jedi talk… and in the morning the woman wakes up SMILING… asking her Lolo look-alike… “sa susunod John… magsumikap ka ha?”

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Disclaimer: Any similarity to real people or situation of the above statements is purely coincidental. Blogger is not liable for any misuse of this post.

Parental Warning is Advised.

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I’m sorry if the above is not funny for Filipino people who are in their early 20’s ‘coz you ain’t gonna get it. Halata na yata edad ko ^_^

Anyway, I think that most people are fascinated with the X-men, Spider-man, Elastic-man and Pacman. All have great powers… with these powers they can do awesome things… like mind reading, wall crawling, arm stretching and Jaw breaking (ouch!).

But in reality, those things are impossible (except for Pacman of course). Yet in reality we can develop powers that can put us ahead in life. Powers coming from leadership, positive thinking, critical thinking, public speaking, etc. Even mundane skills like cooking can tame a wild man… if you are a good cook that is.

Humor is a skill that is powerful. It is not only used by comedians but people who are influential like politicians and preachers. Even Bro. Eli uses humor in his talk, which is why he has a different kind of charisma that is loved amongst his brethren.

Each comedian has their own comic persona wherein their point of view (POV) is manifested. For example Bob Ong the writer of ‘ABNKKBSNPL ako” and “Ang paboritong aklat ni Hudas” has a comic persona of a 30 year old media writer that talks about the past and the present in a funny and somewhat with a little spiritual side in it.

But when a preacher like Bro. Eli uses humor, it just captivates his listeners. I can describe his comic persona to be as a “frank and bold preacher”. That is why besides his rightly dividing the word of truth… his humor gives him a different kind of charisma as compared to other preachers in this time. His listener loves it! But not all… ‘coz through the use of humor, in his punchlines, he exposes the false doctrines of many religions.

Here’s the video (i’ll try to insert it sometime…)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sa_lyrdqHw

With that said, moving forward (este)… next time, I’ll try not to be too “serious” on my succeeding posts and try to insert some humor in them.

Humor is a skill that is powerful. It can be developed. It should be acquired by people who are into writing, blogging, public speaking, in the business world or just about anyone who wants to add a little spice in their lives… (I’m not talking about having two or more wives )… PERVERTS! J

What the mind conceives and believes it will achieve.
You can do it if you Believe you can.
Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail.
Begin with the End in Mind.
Do what you love and love what you do.
Do it right the first time.

Yan ang mga ilan sa mga paborito kong mga kawikaang pangtao para makamit ang tagumpay o “success” kung tawagin sa wikang Ingles.

Ang salitang “success” ay may iba’t ibang kahulugan para sa iba’t ibang tao. Sa iba, ang success ay nasusukat sa mga material na bagay tulad ng pagkakaroon ng magarang sasakyan, bahay at lupa, magandang damit, latest cellphone, 15k na ipod, magandang girlfriend, gwapong boyfriend, poging aso na nagkakahalaga ng sampung libo (masarap kaya ang asong iyon kapag ginawang kalderetang aso?).

Sa iba naman nasusukat ang “success” sa mga bagay na “intangible” tulad ng pagkakaroon ng kapangyarihan sa gobyerno o sa pinagtratrabauhang companya, pagkakaroon ng masayang pamilya, pagkakaroon ng malusog na pangangatawan, pagiging experto sa isang larangan, pagkakaroon ng isang mabuting asawa kahit hindi gaanong maganda/gwapo (huwag lang tulad ni bakekang, pangit na mukha pangit pa ang ugali), pagkakaroon ng mga tunay na kaibigan (yung mga kaibigang kahit nakakalimutan mong itext andyan parin sila, mga kaibigang nagsesetup ng makakadate mo kahit ayaw mong makipagdate, mga nanghihiram ng gamit mo at hindi na sinasauli kung isauli man dalawangpung taon ang bibilangin mo, mga kaibigang nagyayayang lumabas para lang magpalibre, mga kaibigang mapangasar).

Kahit ano pa man para sa iyo ang kahulugan ng “success”, ang tinuturo ng mga success guru upang makamit mo ito ay dapat daw magkaroon ka ng naglalagablab na pagnanasa (burning desire) upang ikaw ay magsikap sa pagkamit nito.

Tama iyon, kaya nga sabi ng kawikaang tunay “Seek and you shall find, Knock and you shall be opened, ask and it shall be given unto you”.

Ngunit aking napagtanto na kahit anong gawin mong pagsisikap kung wala ka namang Dios na kasama hindi mo makakamit ang tunay na tagumpay.

Marahil may maganda at mayaman kang asawa ngunit bungangera naman… mas mabuti pang umakyat ka sa bubong ng bahay nyo at wag nang bumaba. O kung lalakeng asawa naman, kahit gwapo at mabait, wala namang Dios sa buhay niya… ikaw na marupok na sisidlan hindi ka kaya mabasag?

O kaya’y kumikita ka ng limpak limpak na salapi ngunit ang kapalit naman ay ang iyong dangal at integridad anong pakinabang ng salaping iyong iniipon?

Marahil nakapunta ka sa isang first world country sa pamamagitan ng fix marriage ngunit ang kapalit ay ang pagkakaroon ng asawa na hindi mo naman mahal… anong pinagkaiba mo sa mga kalapating mababa ang lipad pwera sa kasal? Ang ginagawa ng iba matapos makuha ang green card… divorce kaagad. Ang tanong… Kristyano ka ba pag ganoon?

Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon kahit sa patalim ang karamihan ay kumakapit narin. May kakilala akong babae na pumatol sa isang Hapong may asawa. Nagkaanak sila, binibigyan naman ng malaking sustento ngunit sino ang nadamay sa kasalanang ginawa nila? Ang anak sa labas na walang malay. Na lalaking may kaagaw sa pagmamahal ng kanyang ama.

Ako man ay nakaranas ng mga pagkabigo sa trabaho, sa negosyo, sa relasyon, sa mga interviews sa call center, sa mga pyramiding scam (alam nyo ba ang powerhomes?), etc. Bakit nangyayari ang mga ito sa akin kako? Sinunod ko namang ang mga payo ng mga success gurus pero bigo parin ako.

Matapos ang matagal na soul searching… narealize ko na kaya nawala sa akin ang mga bagay na iyon ay para tanggapin ko naman ang mas lalong dakilang mga bagay na makakabuti sa akin.

Kung hindi ako nabigo sa negosyo, hindi ko sana nasumpungan ang dream job at dream company kong ito na di ko man lang kinailangang mangibangbayan. Kung hindi nangyari ang pagkabigo ko sa mga maraming bagay, hindi sana ako ngayon nandirito na patuloy na naglilingkod sa Kanya (unawain ng nagbabasa).

Dito ko narealize na hindi lang sa sariling kakayanan dapat tumiwala ang isang Kristyano, kundi bagkus sa pagkakaroon ng pananampalataya sa buong makakaya at kabutihan ng Dios na di makakapagsinungaling. Na ang kanyang pangako ay:

…Sa anomang paraan ay hindi kita papagkukulangin, sa anomang paraan ni hindi kita pababayaan. – Hebreo 13:5

I feel that I am old whenever people come to me and ask advice. But I think it would be wrong not to share what I’ve learned. I do not profess that I know much, but I hope some people could use these tid bit thoughts of mine (sorry for the grammar and spelling). Here you go…

• Most people who are “fast talkers” and good in persuading others are the people you must not lightly give your trust.
• If a business proposal promises you to get rich quickly… it’s a scam. Never enter a business that is closely related to pyramiding… or any of its cleverly devised variants that seems to be legitimate.
• There is no elevator to success… you must take the stairs.
• 8 out of 10; Ang pinoy balasubas pag dating sa pangungutang - Tulfo
• Looks can be deceiving, even an innocent looking woman can do you harm.
• Thieves are real; never think that they will never do it to you. And don’t think that they are dumb ‘coz they are usually smart.
• If something did not turn out the way you plan… get over it and move on.
• If you can’t do something right… it’s your fault! Do it better next time.
• You can do it if you believe you can.
• Set goals early in life.
• Be passionate on what you do.
• If you hate your job… find another one. And don’t give me excuses like “Looking for a new job is hard” crap.
• As much as possible avoid having your friends or relatives as business partners, it’s not worth risking your relationship with them.
• Obey first before you complain at work.
• Your boss, no matter how wrong he was… he is still your boss.
• You can not choose your co-worker neither your boss… get along with them.
• If you are a boss, never treat all your people the same.
• If you’re a supervisor, always do things “by the book” if you want problems like sabotage and backstabbing. There are times that you need to use your heart…. “Lead with your heart and think with your mind”.
• If you reprimand/correct someone, you should have established a good “emotional bank account” with that person. Every sincere praise is a deposit; every feedback/correction/constructive criticism is a withdrawal. Never withdraw more than what you have deposited.
• It’s better to give than to receive.
• If you saw someone you haven’t seen for a long time… leave what you are doing and devote considerable time with him/her.
• The company you work for can easily replace you, but your family can’t and won’t leave you no matter what.
• A relationship not according to God’s will, won’t have a happy ending.

I’ve taken inventory of all the self-help books / ebooks… see above pictures. I’m currently trying to finish the Millionaire’s Seminar ebook… Don’t ask me who photocopied the two books in the picture lol… they are just unavailable on bookstores… no choice but to photocopy.

Reading too much self-help books - is there such a thing?

 I’ve remembered an article wherein most people read too much of these books but fails to take actions. That’s sad.

In my case, I’ve gained a lot of good insights and these really helped me a lot in my career and in dealing with people.

No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people (books??) who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals. - Brian Tracy

How will you feel if you achieved your dream? Something that would not be ordinarily achieved without careful planning, effort, determination and a divine power working to help you in every step of the way? The feeling is indescribable! I was caught by surprise; I was momentarily speechless… just when I’m about to loose hope.

Today, I am blessed to have one of my dreams come true. My dream company called me and gave a job offer. They offered me a job as a Senior Software Engineer with a salary that tripled my previous one. Although I still need to submit the required documents and undergo a physical/medical exam, I feel that I already have achieved my goal. As a career shifter I have successfully broke inside this industry. The job offer had not only satisfied the things I’m looking for, it even exceeded my expectations… both the job position and the salary.

If you have rendered excellent service and maintained a professional relationship with your previous superiors, co-employees and the whole company they could help put a good word for you when your target company will do a background check. Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting my previous company to express my gratitude especially to the people that were interviewed by my dream company. At the same time I’ll be asking personnel department for the required documents I need to submit before the signing of contract.

Passion, skills, planning, action, and persistence may have helped me achieve this dream but I believe I can do nothing without His guidance… To God be the Glory!

I’m growing weary of waiting for a job offer from my target company. They have already done a background check a couple of weeks ago.

So the game continue. Last night I sent my resume to a couple of international job agency. Maybe, with their vast networks they could help me find a favorable job abroad. The only thing that I was concerned was that I indicated my job preference to be in the manufacturing industry (wherein I had 5 years of excellent experience). This mean, I will no longer pursue my dream job in the IT industry. Anyway, as long as my goal of landing a good job with good pay abroad is met (enough to give my family a good life) I should be contented with it.

I was also surprised today. I received a phone call from a company in charge of hiring staffs for luxury cruisers. The company asked a detailed copy of my resume. This was the result of my Aunt’s referral who is working there. In terms of pay, it is TOO GOOD to be true; it was 20 times higher than my previous salary. My Aunt mentioned this right after I sold my business (February: six months!). I am so grateful she referred me, she is actually a distant relative (2^nd cousin of my mother).

When will my job hunting end? I don’t know. My target is on this coming September, before I turn 29. But the process of giving a job offer is beyond my control. Cross my fingers you say? Hmmm… I don’t believe in luck.

July 9 Sunday – Receive a prank call from a friend who is pretending to be an interviewer of my “dream company”. Learning American accent from a call center, he managed to disguise his voice. Errrrrrrrr. I’ll get you too man!

July 11 Tuesday – My “dream company” called to inform me that Mr. X from their company will call me tomorrow for another interview.

July 12 Wednesday – Mr. X called me, a senior manager of my dream company. It is a closing interview; basically he described the job he had in mind for me. It is on software testing. I was somewhat unsatisfied by the job description, what I want is a job on programming and not a job on testing programs. I’ll try to ask some friends who are inside the company about the job and determine if there are chances wherein software testers would also be doing programming at a later stage of their career in the company.

I know software testing is a part of the software development life cycle and it is a good skill to have, but I want to start my career right this time. I must admit I was going around circles and never really knew what I wanted after graduation. But now, in my career shift, I want to start right. I do not want to waste time on developing a skill that has little or no contribution to the achievement of my definite chief aim.

July 13 Thursday – An agent from a background checking company visited me. Hmmmm… never thought they would go this far. I guess they have too much money to spend… they even hired the service of a second company to do the background checking.

July 14 Friday – Completed and mailed the required clearance papers (regional and municipal trial court clearance). I had been employed in three companies before but I never had to acquire those clearances. All I need is an NBI clearance (counterpart of FBI in the
USA).

Just received an e-mail… <download ppt>

“An 8 year old child was caught in a market in
Iran for stealing bread.

In their law, he will be punished; his arms will be crushed by a car. He will loose forever the possibility to use his arm.”

He’s only a child! @#@!2)(($$!!!!

Though the email is about the negatives of a certain religion, I would just like to present a different perspective in it.

Thinking about it, I’ve realized how fortunate we are to live in a democratic country wherein human rights are imposed and its violation reviled by the public. I’m also grateful that I don’t have to steal bread because of the savings I had from my previous jobs (I’m currently on a job hunt).

When I was working in my previous company, I recieved another email wherein it tells a story about a father. Getting a job was so hard in his country that he had his hands cut-off on purpose in order to beg!

Thinking again about that email, I learned to love my job more. I learned to be grateful. I learned to be more tolerant with difficult people at work (of course not to the point of being a pushover). I learned not to complain too much of little things at work. That is why I just had to comment on a certain top post here in wordpress. Although the author’s purpose is to suggest improvements in the workplace, there were ”some” work attitude displayed that I do not agree with.

All I’m trying to say is before you complain about the little things in your company… think about the people who are trying desperately to have a job. Before complaining… “How come other companies provide their employees free donuts… or free coffee… etc. etc.” Think about the kid in the picture… who have to steal bread just to mend his hungry stomach… (i still can’t imagine what they did to that kid… you heartless piece of @##!!&*#)

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Oh, I just finished my 1 hour phone interview this morning with flying colors (if I can evaluate my performance).   Just have to wait for another month to finish the overall interview process (2 more interviews). Anyway I just have to continue sending my resume to other companies. It’s hard if you are a career shifter and selective on your prospective companies… but with determination and preparation I believe nothing is impossible!

Just got a phone call from my dream company, it is among the world’s leading global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing organizations. They scheduled me to have a one hour phone interview (final interview) on Tuesday at 10:00 am! Wow, tell me about a high class company who considers their applicants’ comfort. I don’t even have to go to manila (2 hours trip).   

I just can’t help comparing it to a company who only sent me an instant message (text message) on my mobile phone last Tuesday. They asked me to come over to manila for an interview but they did not even bother to confirm if I got the message or not… sheeezzz. I did not attend that interview, thinking that their HR department is more concerned about their quota over the situation of the applicant. Imagine? Only a text message? I don’t know if I’ll regret not attending that interview, but I guess I deserve a little more than that. What do you think? 

Anyway, I’ll be preparing my self for that coming interview on Tuesday. The usual stuff, company and industry research, reviewing my resume, preparing for the usual questions, and different vignettes. 

Vignettes - or brief descriptions, should be used in every interview to describe knowledge, accomplishments, and experiences. A vignette should convince interviewers that you know what you are talking about and should replace the simple yes or no response to interview questions. The format of these mini-stories should include a company problem, action taken by you, and the outcome that benefited a previous employer.From – Winning the Interview Game; everything you need to know to LAND the JOB by Alan H. Nierenberg 

I am so excited! I thought they will not call me again. It’s been two months since I took their qualifying exam. I wonder why it took them that long. Too many applicants I guess.  

But before that, I’ll watch a movie first with my brother and cousin (SUPERMAN). I’m getting a little tired of having a 17 inch monitor 10 hours a day in front of my face. I need to have a break from my studies. See you later! Ha ha!

Since I started creating my sample "windows application", I've been away from this blog for a couple of days now. I just wanted to start my real job hunting as soon as possible. And I want to be sure that I will be successful in this career shift.

I've also created an online portfolio somewhere in the vast space of the internet. I think having an online portfolio is pretty cool since you can showcase your skills, experience, sample of works, goals, about yourself etc. I'm thinking if I will make it "searchable" just like this blog or just make it known to companies I apply a job.

I'm having second thoughts on having my real name being available on search engines… i don't know, maybe I'm just paranoid… thinking that there will be terrorists who will be interested in me and search my name on the web and they can have my profile in an instant. Too much movies I guess LOL

Ayayay its three in the morning! I better get some shut eyes…