life goals

October 24, 2018

Home Again

44688699_10205536145678773_7320315892498169856_n

It’s been a year since the last time I was here. I miss the feeling. I miss showing that other side of me.

I’ve been away following a dream, trying to make things as best as I could. That’s why I miss this place, this place where I’m not afraid to fail or fall.

I may not have gone to a faraway place, but I feel I’ve been to the deepest core of every human existence. This may sound weird, but yes, for more than a year, I’ve exposed myself to the ideas of what makes us who we are, why we do what we do.

Of course, I don’t have all the answers to all my questions because I feel I have only touched the tip of my beingness. But it’s enough to make me understand more of myself and more of others.

How liberating it is to allow others to lead us to take a peek of their perspective, of how they see things much differently from us. The greatest lesson I learn is, there’s no us versus them, there’s only we.

I thought I would stay there for long, but after learning some of the necessary lessons, I have to move on to another path. It’s what I feel I’m called to do. I also learned, discovering our passion can’t always be done in one step. We need to follow a series of steps before we’re finally ready to do that mission we’re called to do.

For this, I’m allowing the waters to take away what no longer serves me and to prepare me with a refreshed mind for the journey up ahead.

Ahhhh. So, refreshing… And so glad to be home again.

June 6, 2017

Getting Real

Getting real

Before I started my venture online, I used to click links that promise me how to earn online. Not just earn. But earn millions. Naive as I had been, I keep giving them my emails and read every word they promise, that one day I end up like them: doing the things they love while having fun at the same time.

To my dismay, no promise was ever real. I was just lead to click links that either a scam or which I have to pay. Most of these promises turned out as leads to links of courses I have to take in order to get that promise of earning millions.

I have no problem with online courses. They help to a certain degree. What I don’t like is the ‘promise’ of a million. Most of the successful online gurus built their millions and brand for years. Neil Patel for one built his empire for five years. Not in a month, or even a year. But why couldn’t they be real?

As time pass by, I slowly unsubscribe to the sites that offer great promises. I retained in my inbox the ones that helped me along the way to be the best that I can be.

I no longer aim for the millions. I aim for the stars. Earning for the stars means I have to follow my passion, give to others what I can give sans false promises, and do the hard work required for its achievement.

There’s no need for me to follow the steps of others. They may serve as my inspiration as the going gets tough.

Mark Zuckerberg did his own thing. So did Steve Jobs. They innovate. They think outside the box, and perhaps never utter promises to others to help them achieve millions.

What these two great men did was inspire others to be the best that they can be, that one day, they too may make something of themselves that could help millions of people.

No false promises. Only a certain grip on reality.

 

pwnezel

Daily Prompt

February 9, 2017

Faith In The Power of Why


For years I have struggled to follow my dreams. I dream a little each day. Pray a little each day for that dream. Until I was determined enough to pursue that dream head on.

However, things just do not happen as expected. When you believe everything is in your hands, that’s the time when you are tested the most. And suddenly you realize, you are facing the mouth of uncertainty that’s ready to eat you any chance it gets.

That is actually what happened to me. I believe I could benefit from a separation pay that I would receive the moment I resign from my twelve years employment in the finance industry. What took place was the opposite. My kicked out employer denied to me the benefit she gave unto others who resigned ahead of me. This is something I need to settle with the labor agency. To add insult to injury, my laptop broke. Urgh!

With that at hand I begin to feel uncertain as of the moment. Fear is slowly numbing my being. I begin to ask if what I did was right; if I was designed to be here. The what ifs start to surface too. What if I could not find a job in months? What if my husband would no longer receive any projects? So many worst situations loomed before my face. To counter this uncertainty I began to ask for any vacant positions available in our government agencies. My friend gave me the idea too. I told myself it’s just for the meantime. 

But then, how many meantime should I beat before I should reach my final destination? I have already endured a stressful six years staying in the meantime. This time there should never be any meantime. And no second options to turn to. There should never be any second option, or else I would focus my full attention there instead of on my goals.

The best thing that I must do is to focus on my “why.” Why do I brought myself here. Is it just for a selfish reason, or for a nobler one? My first reason is to earn money, yes. I need money to support my children, to send them to school, to live a decent life, and to help others. I live in a third world country where employees earn a meager income despite the degree they possess. And I want to rise above that. I don’t want to stay in shambles just to live.

My second “why” is the very purpose why I am alive. This is answering to what life called me for. This why is what gives meaning and purpose for my life. This is heeding to what my conscience is directing me to do.

As I stand here I realized I am not called to fight life’s battles too soon. I am called to go through a series of trainings like a soldier before a battle. But no, I am not to fight like the soldiers of King Saul. I am called to fight like the Biblical David. I am called to stay in solitude to tend a flock of sheep, to create my own song and drive away foxes and lions that would feed from my sheep. Small and unarmed I may be in the day of battle, still I am able to defeat the biggest giant there is. Because my training would focus on the strength of mind and spirit.

With these realizations, I choose to stay here and not find any “meantime” activities no matter how promising they would seem. For I know, even if I follow the path to another meantime activity, my heart would still yearn to be here with my whole body and soul. My why is so strong it would never leave me even for a second.

So I would stay here. Achieve my goals one step at a time; with the firm belief that He who brought me here would never leave me to wither and die.

Much love,

Nezel

January 27, 2017

I Learned A Major Life Lesson Today

I Learned A Major Life Lesson Today

Today I learned a major life lesson with the sting of embarrassment. As what I have shared to you in my previous posts, one of my major goals for this year is to focus on following my career path online. In fact, January thirty-first would be my last working day in the corporate world. Yes, I already submitted my resignation letter and it had been officially approved.

I posted such major decision in my life in my FB account. Many friends reacted and asked why. I had been in that employment stint for twelve years. Since the path I choose to follow is yet to be started, I did not give any clear answer to the inquirers as to why did I resign. I only said I want to move on to something better. However, some members of our closely-knit family got worried and thought something unlikely might have happened which prompted me with the resignation.

Last night my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law asked me for the reason behind that decision. Out of a deep discontent that I felt in my workplace, I gave them answers that should not have been shared with them. There might be a spark of truth in what I said but it sounded as if the incompetencies of my co-workers were what prompted me to get out of the place—the usual victim story. And that message was not so healthy. My conscience filtered my answer. It then asked me back why do I focus my answer on the negative instead of focusing it on the positive? If a more positive life is what I am after, then I must start now. I am still in this process, so I just have to forgive myself. I must learn once again that I am also not perfect. And even if people aren’t perfect they also made me smile in their own unique ways at some point.

Chasing dreams is subjective. Sometimes it is awakened by the discomfort that someone feels around him, which is really true for me. But it does not mean someone has to get out because he is surrounded by an inept tribe. It might appear to be like that on the surface. Yet, deep down the person is not just meant to be there any longer because his strengths do not fit really well in that place.

As health psychologist Kelly McGonigal said, it is much helpful to focus on chasing the dreams than on the discomfort of the situation. This way stress is lessened. And she is very right. Lesson learned fully well!

pwnezel

Daily Prompt

January 22, 2017

The Path to Success

The Path to Success

Where does success end?

We all strive for success in all our undertakings. Just like my current state, I am ending my twelve-year corporate job to chase my full-time writing dream. Should I fulfill such dream, I could say I am successful.

But is that the end of it? They say some good things never lasts. Does this mean if I attain success in my undertakings, it would never last? Perhaps success is definitely not the end purpose. It is something that we become along the journey. It is our learnings, keeping our feet on the ground and being shaped into the kind of person we supposedly become.

So if we fail to become what we thought we ought to become, it signifies no failure. It means we got the message wrong. We then have to move on and find the right path for us.

And if in my case I get it all wrong, at least I know one more thing that is not for me. The best thing for me to do is to call on my God for the right direction to follow. In Him I know, I would never go wrong. The road may not be smooth, but surely the rewards are great as long as I never get lost all along.

May you too, would find your path to success.

pwnezel

January 19, 2017

3 Ways to Pursue A Lasting Legacy

3 ways to pursue a lasting legacy

It is still January, there are a lot that we could still add to our 2017 goals.

I happened to fall in love with this message of John C. Maxwell. It is very timely to my transition from a boxed life to a life of freedom. I am in the process of re-aligning everything in my life. And re-aligning it with my core values is the ideal way it should be.

These 3 ways to pursue a lasting legacy are my guides to living a life worth living.

Significance Over Success

Success is self-fulfilling, while significance is touching lives while we are on our way to success. I guess success is not something of an end goal. It is something that is with us all along the journey. It is doing the right things when no one is watching. When we have done much, others get to notice it. We are then recognized for the things we do rightly. That is when we or others consider our undertakings a success.

But being recognized for what we do does not satisfy our inner longings. It just takes one innocent soul to say how we have touched his life that makes us really fulfilled and successful.

Influence Over Awards

Awards end with us. Influence is passed down from us to the next generation. It is carving something in other’s hearts. It is etching something in their minds that make them share stories about us. It is the mark that we leave long after we are gone.

Impact Over Income

While money is a great tool in managing our lifestyle it is still never enough. It does not mean we stop pursuing it. We still need to earn money to pay the bills, send kids to school and make life more comfortable. However, it should not be our end goal.

On our way to earning money, we should not forget about the people we meet along the way. Especially when they are the very people who put us into the pedestal we are standing on.

We leave our impact into the world when we invest our time and energy with people. Adding value multiplies impact. The people whose lives we touched usually turn around and touch others’ lives too. The legacy then continues.

The biggest impact we could impart is planting the seeds of significance in the lives of others. We may not live long enough to see the fruits of the trees we planted, what matters is we have started something that makes our life worthwhile and fulfilling. This is truly the legacy worth creating.

Let us live a life of significance, influence, and impact!

pwnezel

 

 

January 17, 2017

Chasing Dreams

Reaching High

“Only as high as I reach can I grow,

Only as far as I seek can I go,

Only as deep as I look can I see,

Only as much as I dream can I be.”

***

Reaching out, chasing dreams is not only for the young ones but for the young once as well. I am talking about her. Yeah, she opens her childlike heart with us. She feels so free and so young now that at last, she listened to her inner child and give time to chasing her dreams.

Perhaps that dream is the purpose God places in her heart. She has done the grown up’s business. However, she finds it boring and chasing bubbles in the air. Life is simple. Her childlike heart knows that. She wonders why people have to complicate simple things. Why do they have to boast their toys such as brand new cars, signature bags and whatever they feel could boost their morale, when in fact, God loves them just as they are?

Now, she does not care. She does chase her dreams, and reach, and seek and look and be all that she can be.

Life is too beautiful to let go.

January 5, 2017

My 3 Major Goals for 2017

my 2017 major goals

This is the first time I am sharing my life goals for a specific year. I normally am a secretive person. I keep things unto myself. For playing it safe, yes. The fear of being busted keeps my mouth shut. But then again, the blogging world is deliberately guiding my arms to open up. Where then can I find a team of encouragers and inspirers but here, with you guys, who share with me the stuff or the cause I love doing.

The idea too of sharing my goals with you is coined by Liz of Stay Strong, Daily Warrior, who first shared her goals for 2017. I admit, I am a little fearsome for I know I am accountable when the end of the year comes. But a little courageous too because I could no longer make any more excuses for not doing the things I want to do.

At first, I thought I only have one or two goals for this year. But when I started to write the draft, I wrote twelve of them. Such a major difference when you put into writing your thoughts. Things come clearer. But I will just share here the major goals. So, here they are:

1. Work online full time

This has been my dream for the past six years after I gave birth to my youngest. However, I lacked all the necessary tools needed to fulfill this dream. I have no computer, no knowledge, no internet connection. In those six years, I slowly inched my way up to come here. I enrolled myself in an online course in order to know the highways and byways of the online life; of course, to learn the skills and tools needed too.

Now, I am ready! Yes, I am for hire as a blog writer, content writer or social media manager. If you, your friend or someone you, know need some help in content or social media, I might be able to help. You may view my full portfolio here .

2. Write my book

The other year, Darren Hardy asks his readers what is the one thing they each want to do. My answer is ‘write my own book.’ One person comments, “oh, that is the easiest thing to do in the world.” Sure, it is. Maybe for one who is living alone with lesser responsibilities. But how about for someone who is a full-time employee, hands-on mother, homemaker and a wife? Each of this roles must have an allotted quality time. Doing something apart from these roles means having to give up some of the time given to one role. Thus, it is the time that keeps me from fulfilling my lifelong dream.

This year, I need to change strategies and re-arrange my schedules. I am still connected in the corporate world as of now. When God grants me my writing gig, that would be the time I hop into a career transition.

3. Complete my Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) short courses

I am very much aware that I still need to learn many things. Thus, I avail some of the free courses offered by different learning institutions through MOOC. Hopefully, to get a certificate upon completion. That would be a great help for my portfolio. Whenever I get one, I surely would show it here.

That is all. These are my 2017 major goals. With much prayers that God would guide my way. What are your 2017 goals too? Would you love to share it with us?

pwnezel

Daily Prompt