I'm About to Stand Up, Thank You Father

Dear Daddy,

Good morning Dad.

Thank you so much for another day. I feel so much better today.

I guess that's just how life is. You feel and accept the pain, plan, and then move on. It's just like the quote - "live to fight another day". Whenever we fall, we cry, wipe and attend to our wounds, and then start standing up again. Soon, I will be back on my feet running.

Thank you Dad. You obviously provided what I ask for, which is faith and strength. And it's all I needed.

Today I receive all your love Dad, your blessings, your healing, and your forgiveness.

Now, I start again. Refocus on my dream lines. Pray for it. And keep it in mind.

I continuously pray for your guidance and strength.

This I all ask through the mighty name of Jesus.

Amen.


RJB

Tired, Confused, About to become Unhappy

Dear Daddy,

I never thought that choosing to be an entrepreneur would be this hard. At first, it all seemed to be easy. I mean, it looked easy, but now I know that it's far from being easy.

I just had another fight with my wife. At the start, I thought it was another issue, but in the end it still went back to the common root cause - MONEY. Though, I know it's more than just the issue of money, but it still contributes a very large factor. Without a steady source income of salary, more and more of our worries pile up.

Is money really that important?

Ever since I resigned from my previous job, our "fights" became more intense and more hurting. I'm not even sure if I gave value to listening to what she has to say, or was I just forcing my own opinion.

Right now, I just want to give up. Go look for a new job, and become a unhappy employee again. But because of pride, I could not afford to that. It will not only make me look stupid, but it will discourage a lot of businessmen wanna-be's as well.

Why can't I just be hardworking, kind, honest, God-willing, faithful, rich, patient, and humble right now?

Most of all, I feel so helpless in solving my wife's complains about her pregnancy. Instead of being very happy of our coming angel, she’s miserable than ever. Just because of the mixed feelings she feels, and the constant vomiting, she's become so unhappy.

The sad part is that our relationship is getting really affected, and I'm about to become unhappy as well. Our relationship has always been very co-dependent, now that she is unhappy; I can't stop myself from being the same.

What should I do Lord? What should I do with my wife? Need your guidance and strength.

I know you haven't left me Lord. Not a single day did I ever become hungry. I rode a taxi most of the time. I still ate delicious food. My parents and family's health is very okay. We ate more than 3 times a day. Yet I still am emotionally unhappy.

Please help Lord......
 
RJB

I Need Help Dad, Please Guide Me in my Personal Reflection

Dear Daddy,

I'm really frustrated right now Dad.

Christmas is coming and I should be out buying gifts for my family, spending time with friends, giving out bundles of joy to the poor. But, instead we are now at the hospital and Mamai is suffering from frequent vomiting, hence she and our coming baby could suffer from dehydration.

It seems that the moment I got married, life just suddenly became harder.

Why, Lord? Is this my time of famine for now?

A Personal Reflection on my Left and Right side.

Dear Daddy,

I just read brother Bo's article for this week, and it got me doing a personal reflection.

Am I spending much more time looking on the left side of life or on the right side of life? Wherein the left is the bad and right as the good side.

Hmmmm.... That's definitely a hard question.....

Well, at times, I think more often of my fears and anxieties so I guess, I am looking at the left side of my life. Though, there are time that I try to look at the right side but I don't see it with my heart so I just take a little peak and don't appreciate it.

Now, that certainly is something about myself that I need to change. I guess this is the power of having daily personal reflections. You can really take time to think.

So I ponder on this personal reflection and start to think of the right side more. In fact, I will try to think of the right side only, and no longer on the left side of life.

A Personal Reflection on Focus and Commitment

Dear Daddy,

Today, was really quite a day. I've realize so much in just a matter of days.

I have been complacent. No, I have been really complacent.

I am no longer an employee, so I need to think, talk, and act like a real entreprenuer. I guess, having this daily personal reflection is part of it.

Like what Robin Sharma said, "our days define our future". What I do everyday, will certainly be the kind of future that I will have in a few years from now. If I get used to being complacent and sloppy today, then I will become that person one day.

I do have many dreams.

Dreams of an abundant life. Dreams of having enough to provide for my parents at their old age. Dreams of taking my wife and kids to vacations once every three months. Dreams of serving God's people by leading them to worship and going to mission trips. Dreams of spending daily quality time with my kids. Dreams of never saying no, when my children ask me to play with them. Dreams of having weekly dates with Mamai, and to enjoy her amazing personality. Dreams of earning a million a month, and giving away 90% of that income. And many more......

In fact, thinking of the things I want to do alone is already an enormous dream.

So now, I relearn of the word known as focus.

I will continuously do my daily personal reflection and I need as myself this question - Am I being productive or I am being lazy? Dad, please remind me of this frequently.

Dad, I ask for enlightenment, in Jesus name.

Amen.

RJB.

A Change in The Entrepreneur In Cebu To A Personal Reflection Blog

While I was back in the comfort room, I've decided to change the topics that I'm writing about in this blog. Though, I will still be writing of my many entrepreneurial ventures on businesses, I will make this my formal personal reflection blog.

Though I will really suffer with the keywords that I will use in these blog (hence lesser traffic, and lesser cash conversions) but I guess it's better than just living this blog outdated and with not much content.

I have been doing my personal reflection for quite sometime now, but I have never been really consistent with my personal reflection daily. So I hope that through this blog, there is additional motivation to write my personal reflection now that I have this blog.

I also pray to God, that as I share to you my daily personal reflections may He grant me the grace to be real so that I may be able to inspire a lot of people, even in my own very little way.

So except that in the next coming days, you will here a lot more of my personal reflections.

God bless you all,

RJB.

I'm Quitting My Job - I Hope You Are Too!

Today is the start of another tough journey in my life, - I'm quitting my job. I've already told my friends and family and so far their reactions are really not that encouraging.

Let me explain their side :

I currently work with one of the biggest food and beverage company here in the Philippines. I receive a high pay, and on top of that my company offers very good benefits. At this very day, my boss has already told me that I am already being groom to move up to higher position soon.  

At my age and position in the company, a lot of people would really love to exchange their jobs with mine. I am paid well. I have an "elite status", because everybody thinks our company is very stable. I have a car provided by our company. I receive great healthcare benefits. Aside from my salary, we have many monetary bonuses and I earn monthly commissions by hitting our targets.

In summary, I can afford to choose a higher lifestyle than the common Pinoy.

So now you know why my friends and family do not really agree with my decision. So why am I quitting?

Here are my reasons:

1. I don't have time for myself

Everyday, I leave at 7am in the morning for work and go home between 10pm to 1am in the morning. I can't even talk to my wife. I can't even do my usual night prayer. I can't enjoy our air-conditioned room. Heck, I sometimes even forget to brush my teeth. (I'm not kidding!)

Like what I discuss on my last post, between time and money, time is the greater asset. So I'm choosing the greater asset - TIME. 

2. I longer can do my sideline businesses

At the age of 18, I already decided that I will be an entrepreneur. Although just like Robert Kiyosaki, I needed to put food on my table, hence I am currently working as a sales manager. In spite that, I am committed to build and start small businesses on the side.


Like what they say, "you can't serve two masters at the same time". For me this does not much business, only common sense.

3. My job is the main source of my stress

Due the process of leading a sales group, management expects a lot from me and my team. So in essence, my work is always full of pressure in trying to achieve our sales targets. This pressure is equals to stress.

Specifically, since I lack rest the stress further grows in me and is slowly affecting my health. I can feel it through the ulcers and acids in my stomach. I know for a fact that if I'm able to have enough rest (usually on sundays), I feel very healthy.
Also I've notice that whenever I lack rest, my temper is easily disturb and I can't clearly focus on what I'm doing. So STRESS is a non-negotiable qualification in a job or business.

4. More importantly, I no longer have time for my relationships

In becoming a successful entrepreneur, I believe that you have to be win in all areas of your life. You can amass all the wealth in world but at the end of the day, if your not entirely happy with your relationships all the money in the world will not help.

So the problem with the kind of job I have is that I can't spend the needed time to nurture my relationship with my friends, my family (my siblings and parents), and my business mentors. Worse it is also starting to affect my relationship with my wife.

Along time ago I already made a decision to prioritize my relationships over money, and my relationships really need time to nurture. In fact, I highlight this part because I believe among anything else in the world, our relationships are the most important ones. 
 
So what is my plan?

I'm choosing the more important things in my life. I'm choosing time. I'm choosing to build my businesses. I'm choosing my health. And more importantly, I'M CHOOSING MY RELATIONSHIPS.

Dedicated to your business success.
Jake Bere   

Time and Money - Which is the Better Asset

Today was really a hectic day for me, and quite frankly I felt that I was unproductive. I spent too long on unimportant task on my job, that I had only little time to spend on entrepreneurial ventures. Now I'm more pressed on time than my usual days.

What's worse is that my negotiations with a friend to partner with me on a Carwash business did not work out well. After our conversation on the phone, he said it was too much for me to ask 60% of the profit while he gets only 40%. He added saying, "I invest 55% of the capital, and I should be getting the bigger share". My answer was simple, "If you want to be the one to fully supervise the business and me giving the 55% capital investment I would gladly take the 40% profits". His answer, "I think about".

Sadly, only a few people understand that between money (in this case profit) and time, time is the bigger asset. I believe in what Robert Kiyosaki said that "money is only an idea". Being an idea you can create and recreate it at any given time. Therefore it is something that you have control and can choose to earn more or less. Time on the other hand is ever decreasing as you grow older. The lesser your time is, the more value it has to you. In fact opposite to money, it is something that you have no control of.

As a business consultant for many sales distributors, I have learned that most entrepreneurial minds are not after money but time. It can be in family, hobbies, travel, and spending more time in their life purpose.

So in my life as an entrepreneur, I will continue to pursue businesses that will allow me to use OPT (Other People's Time), that will allow me to leverage my time for other important things like family and doing my passions.
 
This will be one my secret ingredients to success.  

As for that friend. If he will not decide by tomorrow then, his wasting my most important asset - TIME. Then it will be useless to do business with him. This my dream that many Filipino entrepreneurs will learn to delegate and master their business system, that it can run on autopilot.


Dedicated to your business,
Jake Bere

To Work Or Not To Work

It's a Sunday today and I would really love to do something that will allow me to earn more money. Although a part of me wants to rest and just sleep that whole day, but I know I would feel really unproductive if I would do just that.

There are actually four things that I want done today.

First

I want to finish my set-up on my Aweber account, so I can already have an autoresponder for each of my own blogs. Aweber is actually a marketing software which is focus on email marketing. 

It has other functions which I still need to explore but I know once I've started using it, it will be of great help to my internet business.

So I'm interneeading again and learning a new way to gain "another second income". In my journey as an entrepreneur, I already know how important it is to continuously read books to develop my skills and open my mind to new ideas in business. It's what they call, "sharpening the saw".

Second

I need to finish up my strategies on achieving my million in 90 days.

Actually there are just four things that I will be focusing on :
- Real Estate
- Network Marketing (MLM)
- Internet Business
- My Existing Businesses

I've actually started with most of my list above, but it needs more development so that each will greatly contribute to my million in 90 days.

Third

I also need to personally update my blogs. Most marketers know that to increase website traffic, you also need updated contents in your blogs. I currently maintain 12 blogs (including this site) so I need to do everything in a flash. Although I have other sites that is maintain by my wife wherein she also writes for the content. 

Fourth

I want to spend time with my wife. I believe a person cannot be called a success, unless he is successful in all areas of his life.

I'm not saying that he should be perfect, but he should focus not only in building his wealth but his personality, his relationships, his health, and his life mission.

I believe that there should be balance in all aspects of a person life. He should be giving time for himself, family, business, health, and specially his relationship with our Father in Heaven.  


So the question now is how do all this things in one day?

My answer : I Can't......

So I choose to do all that I can to develop my business in just a few hours (the most is 6 hours). Then I spend the rest of the day on taking care of my health, focusing on my personal growth, and giving more time for my relationships.

So in my entrepreneurial journey, I hope to follow this priorities. God-Family-Relationships-Myself-Wealth Building.

This is how I want my life to be as an entrepreneur.


Dedicated to your business,
Jake Bere 

Welcome to My Life As An Entrepreneur

Hi Everybody, I am Jake Bere. An entrepreneur from the Cebu City, Philippines.

This is my way of sharing my life's journey in the world of business. In this blog we will talk of the things that I did in trying to achieve my first million (I have another blog that is based on a challenge that I joined, click here). Every step of the way I will share with you. I am currently trying my hand at real estate investing, internet business, affiliate marketing, marketing consultancy, and many other businesses where I can use my core skill, which is Communication.

Like any entrepreneurial journey, I do not expect mine to be perfect. In fact, I think it will be tough and sometimes frustrating but MY DREAM is strong enough. I will become a millionaire, and I will bless my wife, my family, my friends, and the Philippines.

My dream is to be a multi-millionaire by the age of 35. I'm turning 28 this August and it's really close. You can say and think what you want but I'll get there. I have secret weapon -

A strong dream.....
A bias for action....
A loving wife.....
A dream team....
And finally the willingness not to give up.... (Just like my idol Naruto)

So let's do business and together be millionaires to uplift our countries endeavor.
To a prosperous Philippines.

Dedicated to your business success,
Jake Bere