This New Year, many people will start writing their resolution and things they wanted to change and achieve. Some may ‘re-align’ their dreams and goals to wherever they are. On this topic, I want to use the words of Warren Buffet, one of the world’s richest men with reference to the Bible. In this, I want to bring you to what the billionaire Jack Ma said: “If you did not make it to your dreams, it is easy to get back to who you were before.”
- On Earning. Never depend on single income. Make investment to create a second source. Hindi pwedeng isa lang ang pinagkakakitaan mo, dahil pag yan ay nawala, mahihirapan kang makabawi kaagad. Habang malakas pang kumita, mag-impok na at matutong mag-invest kagaya ng ‘mutual funds’ or time deposit or small business na kaya mong i-manage. Hindi kelangan malaki ang puhunan kaagad. Yung iba nga, nagsimula muna sila ng lugaw e, tapos ngayon may korona na: “Lugaw Queen” pero nagsimula sila ng P1,100 pesos lang! Ngayon may franchise na sila at booming ang negosyo. Hindi mo kelangan na malaki ang puhunan lalo na kung di mo pa gamay ang pagnenegosyo. Kahit maliit lang, malay mo, swertehen ka. Minsan dapat din tayong sumubok ng mga bagong bagay, dahil mahirap umasa lang sa iisang pagkita. Sabi nga ng mga driver, maganda meron laging reserba, para pag flat tyre na, may pampalit ka. Tama din yung sinasabi ni Robert Kiyosaki to work full-time and start a part-time business. Yung kinikita mo ngayon should be treated with respect. Ang sabi ng Bible in Proverbs 6:6 “You lazy people can learn by watching an ant. Ants don’t have leaders, but they store up food during harvest season.” Sa panahon ngayon, hindi sapat na masipag, kelangan wise din. Kase may masisipag na “t-a-n-g-a” (sorry for the emphasis). Palaging naiisahan, naloloko at nagogoyo. Pagdating sa pera dapat marunong din tayo makiramdam. Magtanong sa Diyos sa mga desisyon natin patungkol sa pananalapi. Ang sabi ng Lord sa Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Strive to have a second source of income. There’s a woman in Proverbs: “and she always works hard. 18 She knows when to buy or sell, and she stays busy until late at night. She spins her own cloth, and she helps the poor and the needy. Her family has warm clothing, and so she doesn’t worry when it snows. She does her own sewing, and everything she wears is beautiful. Her husband is a well-known and a respected person in the city.”
- On Spending. If you buy things you do not need, one day you will be selling things you need. May isang magka-klase, si Badong at si Henry pero nagkahiwalay ng landas after high school. Si Badong nag-abroad, ngunit si Henry nag-negosyo na lang sa Pinas. Medyo maganda ang sahod ni Badong kaya medyo lumaki din ang gastos. Dati nasa Pinas pa siya kasya ang P5,000 na sahod niya, pero ngayon na halos P50,000 na ang sahod nya, nakakabili na sila ng mga bagong at primera klase na cellphone, signature tshirts, sapatos, relo at mga bagong gadget sa bahay. Si Henry naman ay medyo mabagal ngunit kumikita naman ang negosyo kahit paano. Matipid siya at hindi maluho. Walang bagong gadget sa bahay nila. Sapat na ang isang cellphone na hindi latest model. Sa bawat kita niya, inilalagay niya ito sa kanyang negosyo para makakuha siya ng maraming items and quatitites, para may discout sa wholesaler, para maipasa naman niya ang discout sa kanyang mga suki. Hanggang sa lumago ang negosyo at nakaahon din siya. Lumakas ang negosyo niya at halos yung ibang negosyo nagsarado na dahil sa kanya ng pumupunta yung mga kustomer. Ngunit hindi pa rin siya naging magarbo sa pag gastos. Si Badong naman natapos ang project sa Middle East at nagkatanggalan sa trabaho. Isa siya sa natanggal at napauwi ng wala sa oras. Dahil bumili agad siya ng malaking bahay na hulugan, hindi na niya ito kayang hulugan ang amortization. Napilitan na siyang ipa-remata sa bangko ang bahay niya at bumalik na lang sila sa probinsya para doon manirahan. Dahil sa medyo may edad na din siya, wala ng tumanggap sa kanya, kaya kahit yung mga gadgets at appliances nila, kelangan ipagbili na. Tama ang kasabihan: “Too many people spend money they have not earned, to buy things they don’t want just to impress people they don’t like.” Don’t go broke just to pretend you are rich! In the book of Isaiah55:2: “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread?” Yan bang binibili mo ay nakakabusog? Baka naman kapritso na lang yan? In Proverbs 19:17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
- On Savings. Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.Unahin muna ang pag-iimpok bago gumastos. Hindi yung uubusin muna nag kita, saka mag-save. Mali iyon. Proverbs 13:22 “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.” Ang sabi ng Bible, ang mabuting tao daw ay dapat may ipinamamana mga lupain siguro yon or mga alahas at ginto (noong unang panahon). Baka naman puro utang din ang iiwanan mo? At saka tayong mga magulang, dapat matuto na din tayong mag impok for our retirement and pensions. Wag tayong masyadong aasa sa ating mga anak sa panahon ngayon dahil iba na ang panahon. Buti yung anak mo siguro ay mabait, pero kung makapangasawa yan ng hindi mabait, paano ka na sa pagtanda mo, sino mag-aalaga sa iyo? Aminin man natin at hindi, ang mga tao ngayon ay tumitingin na din sa mga bagay na matatanggap nila. Eh kung wala kang maibigay na dahil wala kang savings, paano na? Proverbs 13:18: “Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored.”
- On Taking Risks. We should identify between faith and foolishness. Never test the depth of a river with both feet. Sa mga decision, lalo na sa malalaking decisions, hindi dapat ipinagmamadali. Mahirap ng bunutin ang mga bagay na nakabaon na.Mahirap kalagin ang mga bagay na naitali na. Mahirap bawiin ang mga bagay na napagkasunduan na. Huwag magpadalos-dalos. In the Bible, there was Noah who sent a dove in Genesis 8:8-9: “Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth…” The dove returned with no indication that a place had been found to alight. A week later, in Genesis 8:10-11, Noah sent the dove again: “He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.” Things had begun to grow once again; the earth was becoming more habitable. Take note that Noah, despite his faith, used his mind to understand the risk he was in. Imagined he did not send the raven and the pigeon, and instead opened the big door to let all the animals out! To have does not mean to indulge in stupidity.When the time is right, I will make it happen. -Isaiah 60:22. So don’t rush on taking a risk. Put one foot down, but never two so at least you can do two things: 1) to know if that is what you want; 2) to go back to who you were if you do not like it in the first place. Kaya ayaw ko ng kantang: “Foolish heart...”
Diosdado’s life story exhibits perseverance, hope, determination, and the power of self-belief. The son of a farmer in Cagayan, Diosdado would walk barefoot just to complete his high school education. His resilience made him a Magna Cum Laude graduate in electrical engineering. His excellence in the academe paved the way for Diosdado to become a pilot-trainee at the Philippines Airlines or PAL, which would eventually open doors for a design engineer position at Boeing Co. The opportunity brought Diosdado to the US where he completed a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science at Stanford University. His success opened doors to build his own company, Monstroni, in 1985 and Chips and Technology, which made US$ 12 million in the first quarter alone. By 1996, Diosdado sold Chips and Technology to Intel for US$ 430 million!
- On Investment. Do not put all your eggs in one basket. Parang ganoon din ito sa ‘On Taking Risks.’ Hindi dapat inilalagay natin ang ating capital sa iisang negosyo kase pag palpak yan, said lahat walang tira! Paano kung nabasag lahat yung eggs doon sa isang basket, e di wala na tayong ‘eggs.’ Kaya marunong tayong mag diversify. For example, lahat ng cash mo nasa business na ito, baka pwedeng ang iba naman ay nasa ibang form of investments para hindi tied up lahat ng assets mo sa iisang financial instruments lang. Hindi pwedeng lahat nasa real-estate baka mag collapse yan, lugi ka. Hindi naman lahat dapat nasa stocks, kase bumabagsak din yan. So the key is to find somewhere you can invest your money “eggs” into another basket. In Ecclesiastes 11:1 King Solomon writes, “Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.” The word “cast” here could mean “send” because Solomon was heavily engaged on commercial sea tradings and the bread could refer to the grain and wheat produced which should not be loaded on one ship alone so if it ever sinks, he will not be upset as a businessman. In Proverbs 31:10-31 there was a wife of a nobleman: “She knows how to buy land…and how to plant a vineyard, and she always works hard. She knows when to buy or sell, and she stays busy until late at night. She makes clothes to sell to the shop owners…” In Matthew 25:27, Jesus was saying: “Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest.” We are God’s financial steward. We must protect it and make sure it earns with the highest maximum interest.
When Alfredo M. Yao lost his dad at age 12, his mother was left to support him and his siblings by becoming a sidewalk vendor. A relative was able to give financial aid, which allowed Alfredo to reach, but not complete, college at the Mapúa Institute of Technology. Alfredo took several odd jobs, which included time at a printing press. During his stay there, Alfredo learned how to print cellophane wrappers for candies and biscuits. His experience prompted him to start his own printing business. His printing business was doing well. However, his discovery of the Doy Packaging system from Europe was the turning point of his entrepreneurial career. He tried to sell the system to juice manufacturers, but no one was interested. Thus, Alfredo ventured into the juice business by concocting flavors in his kitchen. These juices were not only delicious but also appealing to parents as they found the light and brightly colored packs easy to include in their children’s lunch boxes. Best of all, the packaging allowed the juice to stay chilled longer. Zest-O was born! Today, Zest-O controls 80% of the juice market, and it has expanded to markets in Australia, China, New Zealand, Korea, Singapore, US, and several countries in Europe. Alfredo’s entrepreneurial success has revitalized the juice region in the Philippines particularly farmers growing dalandan. The Doy packs are also recycled by local cottage industries into handbags for export to other countries! The boy who once faced the harsh realities of life now become a successful juice manufacturer. Alfredo has diversified his business interests into airlines by acquiring Asian Spirit Airlines and renaming it as Zest Air.
- On Expectations. On People. Honesty is very expensive. Do not expect it from cheap people. There was a Christian passing by and saw a group of young boys who were surrounding a cute little dog, a puppy. He asked the kids not to hurt the animal, but one of the boys responded, “we are just playing a game: the one who could tell the biggest lie can take this dog home.” The Christian was shocked and told off the boys: “You boys should not be playing like this. Telling lies are not a contest!” He then opened the bible and started preaching saying: “Do you know, boys, that liars go to hell. When I was at your age, I never lie.” There was a complete silence for a moment, then one of the boys said: “Ok, give him the dog.” Honesty is better than suagrcoated lies and deceptions. Honesty may not get you many friends, but it can attract the right ones. “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” – Proverbs 21:3. On the same manner, sometimes you will need to stop explaining yourself to other people because they will only understand from the level of their perception. There are those who will leave you no matter what you said. There are those who will stay with you, no matter what you did.
On things. Mark 11:23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.