Net worth for July increased by $1604.15. Total expenses is less than $200 and I managed to save more than $300 from my allowance. Also, remuneration from my internship and the rise in value of investments account for the increase in net worth.
My internship has ended and I will be resuming my tuition which pays around $300 a month. I will maintain my current spending of $10/day in order to save an additional $200 from my allowance. This means that the cash portion of my net worth should increase by about $500 per month from now.
Every year, thousands of people become millionaires, while millions of people are still struggling to make they needs meet. Which group yourself belong? To find out, you must have an attitude and has a mindset same as of those millionaires otherwise you are belong to those millions of people still struggling.
Find out and let’s see if You Posses an Attitude of being a Millionaire.
1. Do you understand the difference between good debt and bad debt?
While some consumers are spending their loan money on electronic goods such as cell phone, flat screen tv, etc. Others are using their loan money by buying a foreclosed property. The first consumers will end up paying interest on a electronics goods that will only depreciate over time until no value at all. While the second consumers has the potential of making more money if they will plan to sale in the future, or a steady stream of rental income in the mean time.
2. Do you have a clear financial plan for yourself, five years, 10 year from now and in the future?
Many times, people become millionaires because they set specific goals for themselves, they focus their mind to improve their ways and then work hard to achieve those goals. Even if you don’t quite make it to your goals, chances are if you are aware of your financial condition, you want to make it better and find a ways to accomplish it, you will be better off money wise.
3. Do you understand the importance of budgeting? Or Do you live in the 80% or less of your basic salary?
Overspending is a very big problem and it gives way to fall yourself into a debt. If you spend more than what you earned, becoming a millionaire is like betting in the lottery which are very little chances or almost nothing. And for my opinion you depriving yourself to become a millionaire.
There is no point in making and growing the money if you are spending faster than what's comes in. Millionaires knows the importance of saving money, they know how to protect their money and also controlling their expenses, otherwise, they wouldn’t have that millions of money.
For example. Let’s say you spend Php. 100,000.00 every year on non-essential items. In ten years, you would have spent Php 1,000,000.00. Now, take that same amount Php. 100,000.00, but invest it in property or stocks – in ten years you would likely have much more than Php 1,000,000.00 at your disposal.
4. Do you understand that “overnight success” takes time?
While there are a few exceptions to the rule, most millionaires spent their time getting to that point. Whether it is five years or more. Becoming a millionaire requires effort, it requires focus and it requires dedication. If you are not willing to put in that kind of work, your chances of achieving that goal are very small.
Start developing the “millionaire mindset” and make baby steps towards achieving your financial goals. Whether or not you actually do end up making a millions of money, you’ll be working towards developing not only sound financial principles, but chances are you will have more than enough money to remain financially comfortable for the duration of your life.
7 Amazingly Motivational and Powerful Quotes from Zig Ziglar
Zig Ziglar was born in 1926 in Coffee County, Alabama, United States. He is an American author, salesperson and a motivational speaker. He is over 80 years old and still travels around the world attending motivation seminars to help people get stuff done.
Sometimes, a simple quote can change the way you see something, and that is what Zig Ziglar does so well.
With all that said, enjoy the 7 quotes below and think about how you can apply them to your own life. Is there something that can be improved? What steps can you take today to improve what you already have?
1. "You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
Being selfish in life might make you happy in the short-term, but sooner or later you’ll realize that what really matters is helping others.
It is what brings joy into your life and gets you up in the morning. As I went from a professional auditor to a more service oriented government employee, I started feeling a lot better. I find joy in helping, sharing and giving.
I am by no means saying to neglect yourself, because if you do not help yourself, you cannot help others, so there’s always a fine line of balance.
Like Bo Sanchez said, earn more to help more…
2."The greatest good we can do for others is not just to share our riches with them, but to reveal theirs."
Everyone has at least one gift and one passion in this life, usually more. Sometimes we’re blind to what’s in front of us, and we need someone else to point out the obvious.
Honestly, I am doing so many things I like but I admit that I should focus on few manageable things. Things I like most and my passion.
3. "Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude."
It is not your inherent ability that determines your success, but your attitude. I’ve seen people have everything delivered to them on a silver platter and fail miserably. They gave up at the first sign of trouble.
I’ve also seen people succeed with very little. If you’re determined to succeed, you won’t stop until you do. That’s the way I learned and that’s the way I’ve learned to make a living other than my salary.
I really like what I do, and I wasn’t going to give it up easily.
4. "Every choice you make has an end result."
What kind of choices are you making today, and how will they affect your life one day, one month, one year, or ten years from now? You’re choices now will determine your future.
Are you constantly avoiding going after your passion because you’re afraid of what might happen? Are you waiting for the stars to align so you can go after your dreams?
The decisions you make today are the ones that shape your life, so choose wisely.
5. "If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost."
I failed a lot before and started stand up and learn and try more. Although failing hurts, I no longer look at it as defeat. I learn from each failure, and from each mistake I make. That is my tuition fee for success. I know will fail more but I will take those as stepping stones to reach greater heights.
It may not be obvious what I’m learning all the time, but sooner or later it dawns on me. When you’re starting out with anything new, such as going after your passion and your dreams, you will make a lot of mistakes, and it will feel like you’re failing, but in reality, you’re making progress. Fail quick and fail forward to success.
6. "If you wait until all the lights are "green" before you leave home, you'll never get started on your trip to the top."
This is an excellent quote, because a lot of people want to wait until things are perfect until they start going after their dreams. I am guilty on this, analysis paralysis.
If you’re one of them, you most likely will be waiting your whole life. If you want to do something other than you’re doing now, then go after it, and start doing it in any little way you can. Jump now and learn your way through.
Stop waiting for signals and permission. Stop waiting for things to work out. Start doing what you can do today, conquer your fears and take things from there.
7. "Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful."
Adversity doesn’t feel nice, but it is sometimes just what you need in order to be successful. We don’t have a crystal ball, so we can’t really see that today’s adversity is tomorrow’s success.
Don’t judge the mistakes you make, the failures you have and the adversity you run into, because you never know if all of those things lead to something wonderful.
Inspirational quotes from Filipino entrepreneurs are helpful especially for those who are looking for an inspiration to start a business. It does not only keep you inspired and motivated but also changes your prospective about how you view life.
These inspirational quotes came from successful Filipino entrepreneurs who have motivated others to be the best that they can be by sharing their thoughts and providing a good example to others. They have inspired and motivated us to continue in reaching our goals. Many of the words spoken and written have provided inspiration to help us face whatever issues and challenges we were dealing with everyday.
Just like what Henry Sy said, “There is no such thing as overnight success or easy money. If you fail, do not be discouraged; try again. When you do well, do not change your ways. Success is not just good luck: it is a combination of hard work, good credit standing, opportunity, readiness and timing. Success will not last if you do not take care of it.”
Here are some of inspirational quotes, motivational quotes, inspiring tips and success quotes from Filipino entrepreneurs.
“Setting up the business was difficult, but as with any kind of work, if you love it you won’t dwell on the difficult areas. It won’t feel like work.” – Alvin Carranza, Macgraphics Carranz Int’l Corp.
“Don’t be afraid to make bold decisions. The greatest risk you are about to take may just be the source of your biggest profits.” – Filemon Barbasa, Filbar’s
“Work should not feel like work. Your business must be a source of joy and an expression of your passion. And not everything is about profit. When you make good things happen, the profit will follow naturally.” – Pacita Juan, Figarro Coffee
“Franchising is a viable tool for business expansion. It should never be resorted to just to raise funds for the business.” – Ricardo Cuna, Fiorgelato Ice Cream
“Stay focused. If your business booms, don’t look for another, entirely different business to start. You’ll be sorry.” – Les Reyes, Reyes Haircutters
“We should have contentment and gratitude in our hearts, and not bitterness or envy. Contentment and gratitude can reduce suffering in life. We should also be humble and positive towards pain. Sometimes, our vision becomes clearer after our eyes have been washed with tears. Sometimes we have to be hurt to be stronger in business, in love, and in life.” – Victor Tan, Bobson
“Never force things when it is not yet the right time.” – Steve Benitez, Bo’s Coffee
“Success is always there at the horizon. To get there, know how to chart the surest path, and follow it no matter what happens along the way.” – Raffy David, Pilipinas Teleserv
“When starting your own business, you have to know what you want and believe in the concept. You should always start for the right reasons.” – Sheree Gotuaco, Freeway
“To minimize your risks when starting out, learn everything you can about the business. Read. Research. Get a mentor.” – Rommel Juan, Binalot
“Doing a good job is the best marketing strategy as it ensures your partners will be doing more business with you. It’s the relationships you build that count the most.” – Nix Nolledo, Xurpas Inc.
“The only way one can predict the future is to invent it. We are always on the lookout for opportunities to widen our product lines to address all our customers’ needs.” – Ronald Pineda, Folded and Hung
“A small idea can be the seed of a big business venture.” – Nelson Yuvilla, Philtec Label Corp.
“The food business is still very basic. It’s still about taste. It’s still about How did you serve me? Is your place nice? Am I treated well? Do I get value? If you think about it, If we’re going out to eat, these are the basic things we look out for, but the execution is the difficult part.” – Tony Tan Caktiong, Jollibee Foods Corp
“You have to adjust to the flow of business. If you’re not open to change, your business can’t move on.” – Socorro Ramos, National Bookstore
“Success is not necessarily about connections, or cutting corners, or chamba – the three Cs of bad business. Call it trite, but believe me: success can be achieved through hard work, frugality, integrity, responsiveness to change, and most of all, boldness to dream.” – John Gokongwei Jr, JG Summit Holdings, Inc.
“The real test of an entrepreneur is how far he can go when the tides of business turn for the worse. It is in times like these when he should be unafraid. Be aggressive. Know your market’s needs and serve them.” – Ben Chan, Bench
“Entrepreneurs should never give up due to failure. Not just entrepreneurs, but people of whatever profession – all of us- should learn from our setbacks. We should never surrender to despair.” – Lucio Tan
“Do not rush into a business just because you have the capital. You’d lose your shirt if you jump into it recklessly. Do your homework first. Study the market and look for that golden opportunity. Whatever business you choose to go into, it must be something that you can pursue with passion.” – Andrew Tan, Megaworld Corp.
Four months ago, some of my co-workers and I were discussing the amount they got as an yearly increase in our salary. I asked one of my co-workers how much he got and he said he didn't know. I thought he was joking but after awhile I realized, he really did not know. By always asking and hot topic issues everyday my co-worker start to share how much he got on his salary. According to him by looking to his payslip, he got a 100 Saudi Riyal but that is such a small amount that it really doesn’t matter compare to other worker who got 2 or 3 times much higher.
Do you think the small amounts doesn't matter? If so, I had to say that this is not the best way to think about your personal finances. The small amount DO matters. Saving SAR 100 every month will give you SAR 1200 after a year. That may not seem like a lot of money but if you have NO savings right now, SAR 1200 is a huge amount of money.
When I was young, I would not pick up any centavo coins I see in every corner of our house or even on the street because it was only a centavo and has a very small amount. My grandmother would always tell me, “melvin, centavo make peso if you add them up”. I didn’t think that much about this when I was young, but now anything that I see small amount of coins or a change from supermarket I have no problem picking up this centavo coins and put it in a jar or an empty bottle.
You will notice after sometime that the jar is slowly getting full and it's not bad to spend those coins like buying shampoo, toothpaste in a sachet etc. At least it helps to save you some amount.
A mutual fund or an open-end fund is an investment instrument that raises money from several investors. These companies then invest the money in bonds, stocks and assets.
The 7 primary reasons to invest in mutual funds are given below:
1. Liquidity: One of the primary reasons to invest in mutual funds is liquidity. You may sell your units whenever you’re in need of money. If you wish to sell your units, then you just have to inform your broker about it.
Your broker will sell your units by the end of the trading day unlike in the stock market when you sell your stocks at your given price, the buyer should also be willing to buy at your price.
2. Professional management: Most of the individuals don’t have a thorough knowledge on stocks and bonds. Because of the lack of knowledge, several investors make costly mistakes. Fund portfolio managers can help you in this respect.
They do all the necessary homework and make investment decisions on your behalf. Look their past performances for guidance.
3. Broad range: Mutual fund companies invest in various kinds of securities like money market, equity, corporate bonds, government bond funds, etc. Hence, you can choose a fund according to your suitability.
You can easily get information on these securities from financial magazines, credit unions and over the internet.
4. Don’t need huge capital: Unlike stocks, you don’t need to have a huge capital to invest in mutual funds. You can start with as low as P10,000. Some mutual fund companies will even permit you to start with just P5,000. You only need to keep aside a small amount of your gross monthly salary for investment
5. Diversification: As it has already been mentioned, investment companies make investments in loads of companies in various industries.
If the price of one stock falls, then it doesn’t mean that you’ll loss money. The reason is the price of stocks of other companies is likely to go up. Therefore the risk factor is less.
6. Flexibility: The mutual funds are normally provided by management companies. These companies sponsor various funds. Hence, it becomes easier for you to transfer your hard earned money between funds. So, you may adjust your investments according to your wish.
7. Earnings: The history will speak for itself... Returns that beat the inflation.
Finally, if you want to retire wealthy, then you can think of investing in mutual funds. You don’t need to be a financial expert to invest in mutual funds. Fund managers are there to help you.
Nais ko lang ibahagi ang mensahe nagbibigay inspirasyon at pag-asa sa akin. Ang mensahe na ito ay natangap ko mula sa aking email galing kay Bo Sanchez. Sana makatulong din ito sa inyo.
3 Things To Be Happy
Just a short note on how to be happy.
A psychiatrist who’s been listening to thousands of unhappy patients for 40 years realized that there are three things to be happy. If you have these three things, it’ll be very difficult to be miserable!
Do you have these three things?
1. Something to do
2. Someone to love
3. Something to look forward to
Why did I mention these three things to you?
Here’s my message: I believe that if you make God first, all things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). Including these three things!
1. Something To Do
My mother is 85-years old and she’s happy. Why? Because when she wakes up each morning, she has something to do. Everyday, she goes to the prayer room and prays for me. If she has extra time, she prays for her other children.
Just kidding. She prays for everyone—every son-in-law, every grandchild, every cousin, every friend who needs prayer. That’s her call. And she’s happy.
One of the most precious things that God gives you is a call.
You were born with a sacred purpose in life.
Do you know why the entertainment industry is huge? Do you know why a single video game can earn $30 Million? Because people are bored. They don’t have anything to do. And that’s why people are miserable. And because people can’t take the misery, they thirst for distraction. And so they buy entertainment.
Why are people bored? Because they don’t have a cause to die for, a mission to dedicate their lives.
Here’s the good news: If you seek God first, He’ll give you something to do. You’ll wake up every morning with a cause you’ll be willing to die for.
I pity the person without a God-ordained dream, with a powerful Divine Call summoning his heart.
Listen to God’s voice in the depths of your being.
I created you for a beautiful purpose.
Live for this purpose. Die for this purpose.
2. Someone To Love
If you seek God first, you’ll have a lot of Someones to love!
Christianity isn’t a religion as much as it is a relationship. It’s primarily a personal relationship with God. He’s the first “Someone” to love.
And it’s also a relationship with a spiritual family.
If you follow God, you’ll never be alone again.
A woman came up to me yesterday. She said, “Bo, ever since I’ve attended the Feast (our weekly gathering), my life has totally changed. And my relationships have changed. My marriage is so much better. My relationship with my kids has grown so much because of the Feast.”
Give yourself to God and He’ll give you His family. Both come in a package!
And finally…
3. Something To Look Forward To
When a person doesn’t have hope, he dies.
If you seek God first, He’ll give you a vision for your future.
Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and have it in abundance.” I look forward to a life of abundance—in this world and in the world to come.
Last week, we were relaxing at home when my little Francis said, “I want to watch Shreck again.”
If you’ve got little kids at home, I’m sure you know this movie. Shreck is about an Ogre and his sidekick Donkey. Both of them rescues Princess Fiona locked up in a tower, guarded by a fiery red Dragon.
The movie has done so well, they’ve come out with a Shrek 2, Shrek 3, and Shrek 4. And we’ve watched all of them.
But yesterday, we put Shrek 1 in the DVD player and had fun fun watching the entire movie again.
But because I knew how the movie ends, I watched it in a different way. When the fiery red Dragon was about to eat the Donkey, I had a smile of my face. Because I knew that at the end of the movie, Donkey will marry the Dragon. (As crazy as that may sound!) In fact, in Shrek 2, they’ll have 4 kids.
It’s very different if you know how the story ends.
Thanks to Easter, we know how your story ends.
You may be going through rough times now. You may be going through severe trials. Sometimes, you wonder if you can overcome your problems.
Don’t give up!
Because you know that at the end of the day, you’re going to win. Because God is with you. The Bible says,If God is for you, who can be against you?
In fact, even death can’t win over you.
Like Jesus, you too will rise.
Death will be conquered.
And you will live forever.
Yes, we have something to look forward to!
Happy Easter, my dear friend!
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
Always Plant For The Long Term
Today, I’m starting a brand new series called Seasons.
Let me ask you a question: What season are you in?
Filipinos don’t think in term of seasons often. Because we only have two seasons: Hot and Very Hot.
But when you go to Europe and the US, they have 4 seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
And I believe the 4 seasons symbolize the 4 phases of our life journey.
Each season is beautiful. One season isn’t better than the other. Each season gives you special gifts. But you need to know how to receive all these gifts.
Spring represents youth, ages 1 to 20.
Summer represents adulthood, ages 21 to 40.
Autumn represents maturity, ages 41 to 60.
Winter represents seniority, ages 61 and onwards.
Are You Maximizing Your Season’s Blessings?
Every season requires a right response.
The Bible says, For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Let me give you an analogy.
When it’s raining, you bring an umbrella. When it’s scorching hot, you bring a fan. When it’s cold, you bring a jacket—and a camera. (I’ve noticed that Filipinos wear jackets not because it’s cold but because we look cool.)
You’ll look pretty foolish if it’s cold and you bring a fan. Or it’s hot and you bring a jacket.
Let me say it again. Every season requires a right response.
Why? Each season brings specially-made, tailor-fit, God-appointed, Heaven-crafted blessings for that season. To maximize your blessings for each season, you need to do the right response.
Here are the right responses for each of the 4 seasons:
During spring, you plant.
During summer, you work.
During autumn, you harvest
And during winter, you renew.
Please know that these activities aren’t exclusive to the season. Of course, you can mix them up. You can renew during summer, and you can work during spring, and so on. But if you mix them up, you won’t maximize the blessings of the season that you are in.
For the next four weeks, I’ll share with you these 4 Seasons.
What Season I’m In Now
But I’ve realized we’re not just living in one season. I noticed that I could experience one season in one area and another season in another area.
For example, because I started in the spiritual life when I was 12, it’s autumn in my spiritual life. I’m harvesting now.
But in my financial life, it’s still summer for me. Summer means work. And yes, I’m working very hard. Because I started late. I began working on my finances when I was 30 years old.
And because I got married at age 32, it’s still summer for me too in my family life. I still have small kids and I’m busy building my relationships with them. (Two weeks from now, I’m taking a three-day trip with my 6-year old boy. Just the two of us. While walking under a canopy of stars, I’ll tell my little Francis, “I love you, son.” That’s where I am now—working hard to build my relationships with my kids.)
Let me ask you. In each area of your life, what season are you in?
God Wants You To Bear Fruit
The Bible says, He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season… In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalms 1:3)
What is God telling you? That you’re the tree. And He is the stream. As long as the tree is near the stream, that tree will always bear fruit—because it has an unending supply of water.
As long as you live near the Blesser, you’ll bear fruit. Your blessings will come. You’ll work will prosper. Your success will be at hand.
Let me tell you a story. My wife loves crabs. She doesn’t eat as much today because she knows it’s not the healthiest food in the world. (It was a dark day for her when I gave my talks in Awaken The Healer In You—because I said that crabs and crustaceans were scavengers and eat toxins—and are therefore not very healthy for us.)
Once upon a time, she used to eat lots of it. She was telling me that she went with a few crab-loving friends to an Eat-All-You-Can Buffet. Their goal was to eat crabs only. They didn’t know there were other people in that buffet who had the same idea. So the moment the plate of crabs arrived on the buffet table, the crabs would be wiped out in ten seconds.
So the next time they ate there, they knew what to do. They chose the table closest to the crabs. Whenever the waiter came with a fresh plate of crabs, she and her friends would stand up and be the first in line.
They positioned themselves near the source of supply.
In life, that’s what you need to do. If you want blessing, you’ve got to live near the Blesser. Don’t wander far. Don’t walk away. Don’t live at the periphery. Go where God is and plant yourself near Him and never let go. Because God is the source of your promotion. God is the source of your health. God is the source of your wisdom. God is the source of your miracles.
The Bible also says, But I will bless those who put their trust in me. They are like trees growing near a stream and sending out roots to the water. They are not afraid when hot weather comes, because their leaves stay green; they have no worries when there is no rain; they keep on bearing fruit. (Jeremiah 17:8)
I love the line, “They have no worries when there is no rain.”
Face it. There are times in your life when there is no rain. There are times when your eyes search the horizon and there is no physical evidence of the blessings of God.
When you look at your bank account, there is no money.
When you look at your body, there is no health.
When you look at your relationships, there is no love.
But the Bible says that we walk by faith, not by sight. (1 Corinthians 5:7) Even if your physical eyes can’t see the blessing yet, say, “Wherever the Blesser goes, the blessing follows. And I have the Blesser!”
When there seems to be no rain yet, say, “Though the economy is bad, God will still bless me. Though the medical report isn’t good, God will still bless me. Though I have problems in my work, God will still bless me. Though I have conflicts in my family, God will still bless me. Though there is no rain, God will still bless me.”
Plant For The Long Term
Let me talk about the Season of Spring.
How do you live near the Blesser during spring?
Age 1 to 20 reflects the Season of Spring, the Season of Planting.
But if you’re starting anything new in your life, it’s still spring in that area, no matter what your age. And the response being required by that season is to plant for the long term.
I have a friend who is in his early 50’s. Let’s call him Late Louie. Through the years, Late Louie earned a lot of money. But through all those years, he never saved. He just spent and spent and spent. Recently, he read my financial books and attended my financial seminars. Today, Late Louie is a changed man. He’s now started to invest.
So even if he’s in his 50’s, it’s still spring in his financial life.
I told Louie, “You need to plant for the long-term.”
Louie isn’t planting today and expecting to harvest tomorrow. Louie is planting everyday—and he’s expecting to harvest 10 years from now.
Planting For the Long Term In Your Marriage
I know a married couple who have been married for almost 20 years. Let’s call them King Kong and Godzila. Because for all those 20 years, they were like King Kong and Godzilla to each other. They were monsters. They fought everyday. It was hell in their home.
But recently, both joined the Feast (our weekly gathering). King Kong and Godzilla gave their lives to Jesus more deeply. And I’m happy to say that God is healing their marriage. And for the first time, they’re respecting each other. They’re serving each other.
It’s awkward. They’re not used to it. King Kong feels awkward when he tells his wife, “Thank you for preparing dinner. It was delicious.” Nor is Godzilla used to telling her husband when he gets home from work, “I appreciate you working so hard for the family.”
Though they’re in their late forties and married for twenty years, they’re still in the spring of their marriage.
I told them what I told Louie: Plant for the long-term.
Don’t expect everything will be rosy. Old habits of selfishness die hard. But keep planting seeds of respect. Seeds of service. Seeds of trust. And due time, you’ll harvest big time.
Here’s what I realized. In life, long-term is almost always better than short-term. Almost nothing great comes out of short-term.
Long-term thinking is better than short-term thinking. Long-term relationships are better than short-term relationships. Long-term investments are better than short-term investments. Long-term businesses are better than short-term businesses.
Brewed coffee is better than instant coffee. Oven-baked food is better than microwave-cooked food. Slow-cooked meal is better than instant noodles.
God is always long-term. How long?
Eternally long.
Three Important Seeds
There are three seeds you need to plant during the Season of Spring:
o Plant your long-term Dreams
o Plant your long-term Teams
o Plant your long-term Learnings
1. Plant Your Dream:
Life is like a long car trip.
Before you ride the car, you need to define where you want to go.
Imagine if every morning, I ride the car and I wave to my wife, “See you, sweetheart.”
“Where’re you going?” she asks me.
Imagine if I tell her, “I don’t know. I’ll just ride.”
Wouldn’t that be insane?
But that’s how many people live their lives today. They’re driving their cars, going in circles.
Let me say it again. Life is like a long car trip.
You’ve got to define where you’re going.
Listen: You were born for greatness. God created you to go somewhere. God made you for a divine purpose. You’re supposed to bless the world in a very special way. This divine purpose is connected to how He made you. He gave you a specific passion. He gave you a specific personality. He gave you specific preferences and potentials and possibilities. All of which are connected to your divine purpose. The Bible says, For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm. (Jeremiah 29:11)
During spring, you need to plant your long-term dreams.
Living near the Blesser means going where God wants you to go. Because where He wants you to go is the place of prosperity.
A long time ago, in the Light of Jesus Family, we used to have a 3-page mission and vision statements. But no one remembered them. Today, we’ve shrunk them to four words.
Our mission: Make disciples.
Our vision: 1000 Feasts.
Having a focused, simple dream is powerful. Everyone rallies behind it. We know what we want. And yes, we’ll make it happen.
2. Plant Your Team:
Knowing where to go is important.
But knowing who will go with you is equally important.
Choosing your Team is as important as choosing your Target.
If your dream is long-term, you’ve got to choose a long-term team as well.
Because life is a long car trip, you need to choose the people who will be in the car with you. If you have the right people in the car, you can do almost anything. The Bible says, And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in Heaven. (Matthew 18:19 )
One of the greatest blessings that God gives a person is having the right team around you.
I started Light of Jesus Family 31 years ago with a bunch of guys that are still serving with me to this very day.
I don’t count in days, weeks, months, or years. I count in decades. If you want to be successful, you should too.
3. Plant your Learning:
Spring is a time of making mistakes, taking risks, getting messy. When you’re young, when you’re starting out, don’t play it safe. Don’t avoid mistakes! If you avoid mistakes, you’ll avoid victory.
Don’t be afraid of mistakes. Because many mistakes are short-term. But the lessons from those mistakes can be long-term.
During spring, plant your long-term learnings.
During spring, don’t be afraid of taking risks. (But at Autumn or Winter, you don’t take too many risks. It’s a different world!)
Here’s the truth: The only way to speed up your success rate is by speeding up your failure rate.
In life, there are no failures. Only lessons.
When Israel left slavery in Egypt, Moses led them to the edge of the promised land. Israel sent 12 spies to scout the area—and everyone of those 12 spies reported to the people that the land was flowing with milk and honey. But despite what they saw, only 2 out of the 12 spies said, “Let’s take the land!” 10 out of the 12 spies said, “We can’t take the land. We’ll be crushed by the giants.”
The people of Israel believed in the 10 spies and decided to play it safe. And because they played it safe, they got stuck in the desert for 40 years.
Do you feel you’re stuck?
Do you feel like you’re moving in circles?
It’s because during your spring, like the Israelites, you preferred safety over growth. You can’t do that. If you’re still in your springtime, you need to take calculated, well-studied, well-researched risks to grow.
I remember a young woman who was “stuck” with her boyfriend. All her friends have told her, “He’s not good for you. He’s a bum. He’s an alcoholic. Get rid of him.” But she couldn’t. In her mind, she said, “If I get rid of him, who will take his place?” She preferred safety over growth. It was a fatal decision.
I remember a man who came up, saying, “Bo, I’ve had the same job for 12 years. I’ve never been promoted all this time.” I asked him, “Why haven’t you moved?”
But I already knew the answer. He preferred safety over growth.
In the past 30 years, Light of Jesus Family made a lot of mistakes. I can write an entire book just about our mistakes. And believe me, that book will be as thick as the Bible.
But it is because of those mistakes—and the mercy of God—that made us who we are today. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is, We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
Plant for long-term!
May your dreams come true, Bo Sanchez
PS.Avoid Confusion. Get guidance. Join my TrulyRichClub. Every month, receive my WealthStrategies Newsletter, my PowerTalks, my Stocks Update every month. Immediately, you’ll also receive my Ebook, My Maid Invests In The Stock Market… And Why You Should Too! (you can get this copy for free on my recommended e-book pages) To join, log on at www.TrulyRichClub.com now!
I’ve been a follower of Bo Sanchez and also a proud member of his Truly Rich Club. And Bo Sanchez is one of the persons who influence me the most. Why I want to learn more about financial education? Is not just to achieve financial freedom. But simply because I wanted to share, teach, help and influence other people.
Like Bo Sanchez. I’m an advocate of wealth. Advocate of Financial Literacy. Advocate of Financial Planning and Education. The same reason why I’m writing and sharing what I am search, read and learning. It's the vision of this blog moneygurado.
I'm gonna share a story from Bo Sanchez about two lolas (grandmother's) one is his close friend and another lola is his retired mother. The story of this lolas was so enlightening (to think that I’m already aware of these retirement scenarios). I hope you read this and it creates an urgency to start saving and investing. Time is Gold Really! Time is of the essence!
The story is entitled “Plant in the Spring Or Beg in the Fall”. But for me I used “two ways of retiring in life” as to describe which path you will choose toward financial freedom. Although technically, on a deeper note, it’s all about Learning how to invest at the earliest possible time. And the story goes like this..
Plant In The Spring Or Beg In The Fall?
Do you want to prosper?
Then take this powerful message to heart: Plant In The Spring Or Beg In The Fall. It was Jim Rohn who said those wise words and I’ve never forgotten them.
Friend, life is always a choice.
God doesn’t force His plan of abundance to you.
You have to say YES to that plan of abundance if you want it.
Are you saying YES today?
Let me tell you the story of two Lolas (Grandmothers)…
The Story of Lola Penny
I have a friend who retired 7 years ago.
Let’s call her Lola Penny.
Actually, her real name was Lola Penang. She took a vacation in America, when she came back, she was now called Lola Penny.
Lola Penny is a widow with 4 children and 6 grandkids.
For 38 years, Penny worked as an accountant, crunching the numbers for her company. Because she was such a good accountant, she was promoted many times and became the manager of the entire department.
And she was earning very well.
But Penny told me that even if she was earning very well, she was living from paycheck to paycheck.
Which brings me to a very important principle: Income does not equal Wealth. It’s not how much you earn that makes you wealthy. It’s how much you invest from what you earn that makes you wealthy.
Yes, she saved some money. But like most Filipinos, she saved only for the big expenses: She saved to buy a house. She saved to pay for the schooling of the kids. She even saved for the wedding of the kids. But she failed to save for the biggest expense of all: Retirement.
Like many, she totally depended on the retirement package from her company.
When she retired 7 years ago, Penny got P3 million.
For the first year, it was heaven on earth.
Every Sunday, she brought her grandchildren to the mall to buy them toys.
And when her children needed money, they’d run to her.
“Mommy, can we borrow money to repair our car?”
“Mommy, we lack P20,000 for Junior’s tuition fee. Can you help?”
“Mommy, your apo (grandson) will compete in a swimming competition in Singapore. Can you pay for his plane fare?”
But very quickly, her money ran out.
After 7 years in retirement, Lola Penny was penniless.
This Isn’t Just A Story;
This Is Harsh Reality
Today, Lola Penny totally depends on her 4 children to give her money. But she knows that they have financial problems of their own.
One time, she overheard her daughter arguing with her Kuya (older brother) on the phone. What she heard tore her heart.
With anger in her voice, her daughter said, “Kuya, it’s your turn to give money to Mommy! I’m the one who takes care of her at home! I’m the one spending for her food everyday! And I’m the one buying her medicines. Last week, I spent P3000 for her meds! My husband is already complaining why we always don’t have money!”
When Lola Penny heard her daughter complaining, she began to cry.
The painful words she heard that day were like many knives stabbing her chest.
Lola Penny felt she was just a burden to her children.
And she wanted to die right there.
Here’s the irony: All her life, as an accountant, Penny was very good at managing the money of her company—but she never managed her own money.
This is not just a story.
This is harsh reality: According to surveys, 98% of people aged 65 and above are just like Lola Penny.
They depend on their kids, or they depend on their tiny pension, or they depend on charitable institutions, or they have to keep working—or they have nothing to eat.
Only 2% of people aged 65 and above are financially free.
Like Lola Pilar.
The Story Of Lola Pilar
You can retire in two ways.
You can retire like Lola Penny or you can retire like Lola Pilar.
Penny is a pseudonym. That’s not her real name.
But Lola Pilar is no pseudonym.
Pilar is my mother.
She is 85-years old.
Today, I give my mother a nice monthly allowance.
I do it not because she needs it, but because I need it. I need to show my love to her.
But in reality, my mother doesn’t need my money.
Let me tell you why.
Many moons ago, my mother worked in a small music store as a Cashier. Her salary was P120 a month. After working for 19 long years, she received a separation pay: A whopping P2000!
She invested that P2000 in the Stock Market.
The year was 1966.
And whenever she had extra money, she’d invest in very well known companies. My parents bought the stocks of giant companies of their time: San Miguel. Ayala. Etcetera.
My father retired at the age of 65. He passed away at 88. For those 23 years, my parents sold a portion of their stocks–little by little—for their big expenses.
After Dad passed away, Mom announced, “I’m selling all my stocks.” I was surprised that she still had P1 Million from that last sale—even if they were already withdrawing their cash from their little by little.
I asked her, “Did you sell everything?”
Mom said, “Yes, I did. Well, I left the crumbs…”
Crumbs?
“What crumbs?” I asked.
She explained, “Oh, I left the very little investments scattered in various companies. They’re very tiny. Nothing much.”
That conversation took place three years ago.
Just two months ago, I told her, “Mom, you’re 85. You better sell whatever you have left in the Stock Market. Yes, I know they’re crumbs. But just collect them anyway.”
She agreed. She called up her stockbroker and said, “Can you sell all the tiny stocks I have left?”
She was expecting P10,000. At most, P20,000.
But she got the shock of her life. The stockbroker told her, “Mrs. Sanchez, your stocks are worth P1.2 Million.”
Mom turned to me and said, “Bo, I’m rich!”
I told her, “Mom, you’ve always been rich. You just think you’re poor.”
Forty-five years ago, my mother planted P2000 in the Stock Market. And through the years, she planted little seeds of P50, P100, and P200 in giant companies.
Because she planted in the spring, today, she isn’t begging in the fall.
In her whole life, my mother never received a huge amount of money. She never inherited money. She never won the Lotto. She only built her wealth slowly.
Remember this truth I heard from David Bach: Wealth is not built in days; Wealth is built in decades.
There are two ways of retiring in life: Are you going to be a Lola Penny or a Lola Pilar?
God places the two roads before you.
Penny Poverty or Pilar Prosperity?
You choose.
God Says, “Plan Ahead!”
People today are living longer.
If you live until 90, will you have enough money for your needs? Or will you be depending on your kids?
God is telling you, “Plan ahead.”
Remember: No one plans to fail. We just fail to make a plan.
Jesus said, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ (Luke 14:28-30)
Today, think about the “tower” of your financial life.
God invites us to be like the ant. The Bible says, Go to the ant, sluggard; consider her ways and be wise; who, having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her food in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest. (Proverbs 6:6-8)
In other words?
The ant plants in the spring. So it won’t beg in the fall.
Plan To Be A Donor, Not A Donee!
Anawim is our home for the abandoned elderly. I built it some 13 years ago.
I know it’s a beautiful place. It’s so beautiful, some people tell me, “Bo, when I grow old, I dream of living there.”
No, I don’t want you to live there. That place is for the poorest of the poor. Old people who failed to plant in the spring and are now begging in the fall.
Don’t dream of being an Anawim resident. Dream of being an Anawim donor.
How?
The secret is in the next passage…
Don’t Borrow; Start Lending
Every time I talk on finances, I ask the audience, “How many of you have debts?” The response is shocking. It was though I asked, “How many of you are human?”
Almost everyone has debts.
And Filipinos love the fact that they can borrow.
One woman told me, “I’m borrowing money from the SSS.” I asked, “Why?” She said, “Sayang if I won’t borrow.” (It would be waste.)
Huh? I don’t get it.
The Good Book says, For the LORD your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow… (Deuteronomy 15:6)
Do you see what I see in that verse? It says that there are two signs that God is blessing you:
1. When you stop borrowing.
2. When you start lending.
Friend, stop borrowing. (Note: It’s okay to borrow for business; It’s not okay to borrow for your living expenses.)
Instead, start lending.
To whom will you lend?
99% of Filipinos “lend” to banks. How? You deposit your savings there.
But that’s not a good choice. The problem with banks is that they pay you a tiny interest of less than 1% a year.
I suggest you “lend” your money to others who can give you a higher return.
If you really like banks, then don’t deposit your money in the bank itself. Instead, buy shares of the bank. Be an owner. How? Buy the stocks of Metrobank, Banco de Oro, Bank of the Philippine Islands…. Over a 20-year period, your returns will be much bigger!
The Universe Loves To Multiply
Do you want to prosper?
You need to learn these 6 important words from the Bible: Everything reproduces according to its kind.
A cat produces another cat.
A dog produces another dog.
I’ll be very worried if a cat produces a dog.
If that happens, the end of the world is near.
From my limited scientific knowledge, a cat produces another cat, a dog produces another dog, and a penguin produces another penguin. That’s just how God’s universe works.
The Bible says everything reproduces according to its kind. (Genesis 1:11) In fact, this line appears six times in the first chapter of Genesis. And you see it throughout the Bible.
When the widow of Zarapath gave Elijah her oil and flour, what did she get? More oil and flour. Not clothes. Not wood. But oil and flour.
When Jesus fed the multitudes, he did it by (Surprise, surprise) multiplying 5 loaves and 2 fish.
He didn’t turn stone into bread.
He didn’t turn stone into gold, and then bought bread.
He turned bread into more bread.
Jesus—the Son of the Living God—needed bread to reproduce more bread.
Why?
Because this is a principle that operates the entire universe.
Everything reproduces according to its kind.
If you want to prosper, you need to learn how to multiply the little money that you have.
In 1966, Mom invested her separation pay of P2000. 45 years later, that P2000 became millions of pesos. (By the way, 1966 was really a good year for Mom. Not only did she receive P2000, she also gave birth to her favorite son. Ahem.)
Learn to multiply the little money that you have and you will prosper!
My Driver Is Now Investing
In The Stock Market
Let me end with one last story.
Because of my bestselling book, My Maids Invest In The Stock Market, my Maids are now the most famous Maids in the world. (Haha!) Yes, they have been investing in the Stock Market for a year now and are doing very well.
But my Driver just started two months ago.
Reason: He’s a 33-year old married guy. He has 4 little kids. His wife is a full-time mom, so the entire family depends on his salary of P12,000 a month.
That’s not all. His extended family and his wife’s extended family depend on his generosity during emergencies. Which happens every time they breathe.
In other words, his P12,000 is feeding an entire village.
So how can he save and invest with all these expenses?
I didn’t force him.
Instead, I just let him listen to the stories of my Maids.
You see, every other week, I lead a small prayer meeting with our 3 Maids and Driver.
And almost every meeting, my 3 Maids share how God is blessing their Stock Market investments.
I told my Maids that if they keep on investing the way they did last year, they’ll hit their first million in 7 years. That caught his attention. Finally, he said, “Ayokong ako lang ang hindi millionairyo! Magiinvest rin ako! (I don’t want to be the only one who isn’t a millionaire. I’ll start investing too!)”
Each month, he now sets aside P3000 of his salary for his Stock Market investments. And for the first time in his life, he has hope. He knows that he too will be a millionaire one day.
Today, when a relative or a neighbor begs for money, and he has no more money in his pocket, he can honestly say—“Sorry pare, wala akong pera ngayon.” (So sorry, I have no money with me now.)
Obviously, no one asks him, “Diba, may pera ka sa Stock Market?” (But don’t you have money in the Stock Market?)
No one knows about it. (Shhhhh!)
Note: By doing this, he’s also teaching them not to be parasites anymore. (But that’s another topic altogether.)
I’m very happy for him.
He’s 33 years old now. If he invests P3000 in the Stock Market each month at 12% until he retires at the age of 60, he’ll retire with P7 Million.
But analysts have backtracked the Philippine Stock Market’s history. If 20 years ago, you invested in the top 5 companies, your average growth rate would have been 20% per year.
So if my driver’s investments grow at 20% per year (especially with my guidance), by the time he retires, my driver will have P37 Million.
At P3,000 a month!
If you retire poor, it’s not God’s fault.
God is giving you a choice today.
Will you plant in the spring or beg in the fall?
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
PS. “Bo, can I be your maid or driver? So you can tell me what stocks to buy.” People tell me that all the time. Hey, you don’t have to be my Maid or Driver!
In fact, every two weeks, I tell people what companies to buy in the Stock Market. How? Through my Stocks Update Newsletter.
I send my Newsletter to all my TrulyRichClub members. (Like in my last issue, I gave them the name of 6 best giant companies projected to grow the fastest this year.)
To join my TrulyRichClub and start receiving my Stocks Update (plus a truckload of other life-changing material), click here now!
As Bo Sanchez said, I want you to experience this sense of hope and excitement too. Take charge of your finances. Don’t leave it to chance. I encourage you to invest in your future and join to his TrulyRichClub.
