The Evolution of One's Goals

"Why do you want to become financially succesful?" is the question I always ask my guests attending our Wealth Course or Cashflow Workshop. The most common answers I get are:

• to be able to provide for my family's basic needs
• to have more time for my family
• to get out of employment
• to make a difference to other people

There are no right or wrong answers. What I observe, however, is that our goals change over time. They become more deeper and more meaningful.

The best psychological explanation would be the famous Hierarchy of Needs as explained by Abraham Maslow.

In one of our Wealth Course modules, we ask participants to list down 10 Purposes of Money, and rank them according to priority. From there I can pinpoint his/her current needs and where it falls under the pyramid.

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur whose primary "end goals" are for the betterment of community and country, I encourage you to attend our community events! Our country needs more business leaders. 

My Favorite Poem: Ithaca

Here's my favorite poem, introduced by our English professor way back during freshmen year in college.

Ithaca by Constantine Cavafy

When you start on your journey to Ithaca,
then pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
Do not fear the Lestrygonians
and the Cyclopes and the angry Poseidon.
You will never meet such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your body and your spirit.
You will never meet the Lestrygonians,
the Cyclopes and the fierce Poseidon,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not raise them up before you.

Then pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many,
that you will enter ports seen for the first time
with such pleasure, with such joy!
Stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and corals, amber and ebony,
and pleasurable perfumes of all kinds,
buy as many pleasurable perfumes as you can;
visit hosts of Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from those who have knowledge.

Always keep Ithaca fixed in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for long years;
and even to anchor at the isle when you are old,
rich with all that you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would never have taken the road.
But she has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not defrauded you.
With the great wisdom you have gained, with so much experience,
you must surely have understood by then what Ithacas mean.

Rich Dad's Words of Wisdom

One of my favorite words of wisdom from Robert Kiyosaki's rich dad, as this resonates with my philosophies in business and running:

"The difference between a winner and a loser is defined by the finish line. Winners do not care if they come across the finish line in first or last place. All they care about is crossing the line. Losers quit before winning. Losers run 95 yards of a 100-yard race every day of their lives."

The Value Of A Network

Robert Metcalf is one of the people credited for creating the ether-net. He also more recently founded the 3 Com Corp., which produces the popular Palm Pilot. He is also credited for defining Metcalf's Law, which is:

A Network's Economic Value = No. of Users (squared)




Stating in simpler terms, if there exists one telephone, it really has no economic value. The moment there are two telephones, according to Metcalf's Law, the economic value of the phone network is now squared. The economic value of the network would go from 0 to 4.

Applying the principle in network marketing, just joining one does not entitle you to harness the power. In order for you to do so, your job is to clone and duplicate someone just like you. The moment there are two of you, your economic value is squared. The value of your network has just gone from 0 to 4.

And this is how to harness the power of Metcalf's Law. Happy Metcalf-ing! :)

Success In Network Marketing Is Not Measured In Money

On why a lot of people do not make it to the top of a network marketing business:

"Most people only join to make money. If they do not make money in the first few months or years, they get discouraged, quit, and then often bad-mouth the network marketing industry. Others quit and go looking for a company with a better compensation plan. Joining to make a few quick cash is not the reason to get into the business."

What then are the reasons?

"Reason number one is TO HELP YOURSELF and reason number two is TO HELP OTHERS. If you join for only one of the two reasons, the system will not work for you."

Deep inside I know that in a few years' time, I'll get to see the bigger picture and understand why this statement rings true. :)

"One piece of log creates a small fire, adequate to warm you up, add just a few more pieces to blast an immense bonfire, large enough to warm up your entire circle of friends; needless to say that individuality counts but team work dynamites."  - Jin Kwon

Network Marketing: How To Choose From Good To Bad

We live in a world of duality. Black and White. Yin and Yang. Ernie and Bert. One cannot exist without the other.

Just like in the world of Network Marketing, there are the legal and the illegal ones; the good and the bad.

We all have some "horror stories" of the bad scamming ones, but how can we choose the best network marketing company for you? I suggest you follow these simple guidelines (taken from Robert Kiyosaki's "The Business School For People Who Like Helping People"):

1. It's Not About the Money... - The best MLM is not the one that could offer you the best compensation plans as compared to others. One must not be blinded by the riches and expensive property flashed by the so-called leaders or pioneers.

2. It's Not About the Products... - Well, just make sure that the products sold by an MLM are legitimate, safe, and not just some kind of bogus magic stuff that you can easily purchase in Quiapo. But like I said, choosing the best MLM is not solely based on the effectivity of its products.

3. It's About the Education Plan! - The most important criteria is the company's commitment in training and educating you not only as a salesman or distributor, but more importantly, to be a well-rounded leader. The education must be a life-changing one; not immediate, but for the long term. The best analogy would be the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly.

So why did I join Create Abundance? Because I can see that the community is committed in making its members grow from caterpillars to butterflies. I suggest you keep an open mind and discover this brave new world! :)

FYI, this is a good article to determine whether a network company is legit or fraud: http://www.pinoynetworkmarketing.com/articles/scam-detection-checklist

Why Network Marketing

Before I joined the community, I was one of those against network marketing. The mere mention of the words "networking" and "MLM" conjured images of dark pyramids, promises of earning huge amounts of money without working, the face of that Japanese dude who perfected a scam decades ago and getting away with it, and the showing off of riches and the desperate recruitment methods. I almost joined one of them years ago, and after that traumatic incident, I swore not to join an MLM (multi-level marketing) Company and just follow my dream of being a lawyer and/or focusing on my business....

Fast forward September 27, 2010, a day after Bar Exams. I realized that focusing on my law career alone will not make me reach for my dreams that fast (unless I would give in to sacrificing some of my values.). I needed to find other ways of becoming financially free. My life partner Coach Jenny Sia was the one who introduced me to Create Abundance and made me attend Module 1 of the Wealth Course. Although I already have an "insider information" about the businesses that the community teaches, I decided to
suspend my previous beliefs and keep an open mind. After attending all the modules, finishing the tasks and finally being part of the Core Team, I now realize that not all MLM's are illegal. Well, there are the
good ones and the bad ones. Unfortunately here in our country, the industry has a tainted image, so it's really up to us to check out whether the company we want to be part of is on the "right side of the fence."

So why Network Marketing? Here are a few reasons why this is an effective way of not only making you successful, but also making others successful as well.

1. Low price of entry - Unlike when you start your own business where you would need a huge amount of money for capital, in network marketing, you get to be part of the business for a minimal amount of investment.

2. Established business system - Most legal MLM's have established systems which are tried and tested to make you successful if you devote your time and effort to it.

3. Education - A good network marketing group makes sure you grow and develop as a leader, and not as a mere distributor or self-employed person.

4. Mentorship - What better way to be successful than to learn from mentors and coaches who have already been there.

How to choose the right MLM for you? Tune in to the next post!

Looking Back: 10 Successes This Year 2010

2010 was a fairly good year. Lots of new friends, challenges, lessons and experiences. As we bid farewell to 2010 and welcome 2011, let me get a quick recap of the best highlights, or what I call as my successes of the year:

1. Officially graduated from law school. - 'Though I finished law school last October of 2009, the actual graduation ceremony took place on April 16. Yes, the road was long and arduous. Challenges and obstacles here and there. But as cliche as it may sound, the journey is more important in the end, and what matters is you crossed the finish line and didn't quit. The law career may not be the perfect fit for me, but I was able to make my family happy (or relieved I should say) for this final achievement of my educational career.

2. Survived the bloody Bar Exams. - The final battle of all law students. Time went by so fast that the exams were finally over! 9 months of preparation, prayers and play time (to balance my well-being) were all worth it thanks to my friends and family who were always there to support me and just keep me sane throughout the entire journey. The exams were really tough, but I gave it my best and answered every question in a "lawyerly" manner. Whatever the outcome, I can proudly say that I didn't give up and was able to finish the Carpio-Morales Bar Exams.

3. Law school to Law office. - After law school I helped out as a legal assistant in a law firm in QC, and despite the short stint, I was able to be a part of very wonderful people and learned a lot of stuff, especially on how to deal with different kinds of people.

4. Evolution from a 5-K runner to a half-marathoner. - I was hooked with the running fever during the last quarter of 2009, and I am very happy that I have upgraded to finishing 21K. Running has gave me a lot of lessons in life, especially the 1st 21K that i finished last August where I firmly believed that by doing so, I am ready to take the Bar with no hesitations. Come 2011, it's time to conquer the full marathon!

5. Firestarter to the RunChaos - Early this year, I suggested running to my good friend Ahia Francis Chua, who was looking for a way to keep fit and recover from a knee injury at the same time. He enjoyed running, gathered a few more friends to try running, and thus Run Chaos running group was born. The group is composed of ordinary people who just loved to run, and I am fortunate enough to be part of them. They are like family to me whenever we have runs, and I enjoy their company especially with their hilarious antics! Age, indeed, is nothing but a number!

6. The rise of Golden Morthee. - 2008 and 2009 were tough times for our family business, especially with the old wholesale business going down. Fortunately, the four of us (Dad, Mom, Chels and me) were able to bounce back and make a good transition to the ladies' fashion industry. Although the business is still experiencing growing pains, I know Mom and Chels will become successful and famous in the near future.

7. Birthday Run and Outreach. - One of my dreams is to someday organize my own fun run and give back to the less fortunate on my birthday. It was partially realized last December 5 when I was able to gather some of my friends, mostly first timers, to join the  5K of QC International Marathon. Part of the proceeds were used to purchase Vitameal bags for Lifeline Foundation's feeding program. Someday, I will be able to help more people, and I am looking forward to that day.

8. Back to the "old" new house - New year, new beginning! It's time to move out of the old house and go back to the new house starting 1/1/2011. A new environment would be very conducive to brainstorming for our businesses, and hopefully will cure us from our own bad habits.

9. Shifting to a different career path and helping people through financial education. - Although I was able to finish law school on a high note, being a successful entrepreneur/businessman is still my first love. Thanks to Jenny, I was introduced to Create Abundance, a business community of very open-minded and positive individuals who want to be financially free not just for themselves, but for the country as well. Right after the Bar Exams (hangover and all), I was able to take the 1st Wealth Course, and the rest is history. Joining CA opened me up to a new world of possibilities, and I am very happy because I am able to spread financial education to the Filipino people while doing our own businesses.

10. Jenny and I on the same page. - Jenny resigned from corporate life (for good) at the same time I was reviewing for the Bar. Talk about good timing! If she was still employed, I foresee a lot of fights due to lack of time for each other. Now that the exams are all over, Jenny and I are now able to synchronize our priorities and do our own business together. It takes the both of us to be open-minded and work together for the business to grow, and so far, I can say that we are a pretty good combination! I strongly believe that 2011 will be a very good year for us, and this is a great opportunity for us to enjoy life, give back to our parents, and build our dreams.

To everyone who were a part of my Year 2010, thank you very much! 2011 will be better than the last, and I am ready to embark on new adventures and face new challenges that life has to offer. :)

No Regrets

Here's my favorite quotation on Having No Regrets in whatever decision you take in life:

"I would much rather have regrets about not doing what people said, than regretting not doing what my heart led me to and wondering what life had been like if I'd just been myself." - Brittany Renée

 There are two kinds of pain: the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Of the two, the pain of regret hits the hardest, because you can never bring back something that's already gone.