The Magnifying Glass

The Magnifying Glass

by Reynor Buenaflor

 

 

 

Back in my childhood day, a friend of mine showcased

his new toy - a magnifying glass.

 

I was amazed by how he burned the paper under the heat of the

sun using the magnifying glass.

 

Taking also his rubber slippers, he scribbled his initials on his

slipper beaming with pride and grinning from chin to chin.

 

The rays of the sun become so much more powerful when concentrated on a

single dot.

 

Many times petty concerns, distractions, urgent things, and the hustles and bustles of life

can take us to different conflicting directions.

 

Our energy is used up and zapped. Anguish takes over.

We feel so we need to so much and we don't know where to start.

We are so busy yet nothing is accomplished.

 

We become busy with activities leading to nowhere.

 

If we can pause, reorder our priorities, get rid of the clutter and pursue the things that matter most...

 

We become like the concentrated rays of the sun...

 

Then we start to think clearer,

we start to breath deeper,

we begin to have more time,

we begin to enjoy life,

and the best part... we begin to make things happen.

 

 

PRIORITIZE. Then FOCUS.

Learn the lesson from the magnifying glass.

 

In Pursuit of Success and Happiness

In Pursuit of Success and Happiness

 

 

 

Life is a cake...

It has the cake and the icing.

 

The cake - the real stuff - in life are relationships.

Relationship with God, Family, Friends, and Business Associates.

 

The icing is wealth, success, achievement, career and financial well-being.

 

I was on a Mach 1 velocity flying like an F150 jet fighter plane in pursuit for the icing in my life...

 

I found my businesses in line with my passion and core gifts.

I lost track of time as I give my all for my businesses...

 

What a life! I love what I am doing so much I would gladly do it for free....

Much more that I earn a lot while doing them...  What a great privilege!.

What a life indeed! Or so I think...

 

... until my wife confronted me.

Why? Why am I so focus in all the things that I do putting all my time and energy

having no more time left for my family.

 

Ouch!

 

Have you ever been hit with a brick on your head?

It feels like that.

 

I could only mumble my reason and say...

"Well, I do this for our future...for you... for the dream of financial independence."

 

I begin to ponder and realize...

My logical reasoning is flawed...wrong.

 

 

Yes, I am doing all these for my family with grand intention in my heart...

What do I gain if at the end of the day I become very successful and

my family I have taken for granted..the very reason for all my doings is destroyed and gone?

 

What a pity! A very lonely picture I never dreamed of.

 

"Here is the man who conquers the world but losses his family and friends."

An Icing without a cake... Sweet at the beginning... Yet never satisfying...

It is lonely to celebrate success alone.

 

I resolve then to pursue the whole cake -- both the cake and the icing.

I still have my dream to achieve financial independence. I still have my dream businesses running....

 

But if I need to slow down a bit and do some pit stops once in a while...

and delay my financial independence by 3 to 5 years.... arriving the finish line with my

family intact, with my relationships intact, with my relationship with

God vibrant and growing and my values preserved... then success would be sweeter

and life will be meaningful.

 

Is it possible to have the best of both worlds? Why Not.

And this is the challenge I want to embrace... finding a way to success

bringing along my family with me.

 

It reminds me of two quotes I read many many months ago:

 

"No external success can compensate for failure inside the family." - anonymous

"Beware of what you become in the pursuit of what you really want." - Jim Rohn.

 

Before wealth and financial success are my God, my family, my friends, and my health.

Then and only then success becomes permanent. God bless us always.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fun Factor

The Fun Factor

By: Reynor Buenaflor --> http://ebookwormonline.blogspot.com/

 

 

  

I was attending a financial seminar on real state and it was worth some big amount of fortune.

 

The speaker is a very successful real state investor who have been doing his trade for

some time and is earning big bucks... huge income that commands respect and admiration from his

captivated audience. I was one of them...

 

The room was very serious... attentive a more appropriate better term...

everyone was anxious and excited of what nuggets of wisdom we can bring

and apply...

 

The silence was broken. "Are you guys having fun?”

"Because I don't like doing things that is not fun.” our distinguished speaker asked. 

 

It was more of an ice breaker rather than a comment.

It was not even a part of the topic, yet somehow it strikes a chord in me.

 

If you are doing something that is in line with your passion...in line with your core gift...

... you are in the flow... and most likely it should be fun!

 

If it is not fun, you better take a deeper look and see if it is something worth doing.

And when I say fun, I mean fun that comes from a worthwhile endeavor.

 

From the words of Donald Trump when he was asked why he loves money so

much... "It is not that I love money. I just love to build buildings. And I do it very well.

And I make so much money from it."

 

To succeed, you find something that you really love to do... Then do it well. 

 

Find a job or a business you really love and you will never work for the rest of your life. 

Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking

By: Reynor Buenaflor --> trulyrichreynor.bookwormonline@blogger.com

 

 

 

There was a time in my life when I gabble up books and believe

whatever written on the book since Mr. So and So said so... 

without taking time to verify them myself.

 

I am reminded of the story of Abraham Lincoln.

 

He asked his ministers, "If you think that the tail of the cat is a leg,

how many then are the legs of the cat?"

 

"Five", said the minister confidently.

 

Abraham said, "Four. Only four. Thinking the tail as a leg doesn't

make a tail a leg."

 

Very witty. What a simple yet profound philosophy.

 

Not all that can be heard and can be read are true.

 

There are 3 types of information - the truth, the half-truth, and the no-truth.

 

Quoting it from a great man named Jim Rohn, "Be a student, not a follower."

 

It is not enough that we seek to satisfy our cravings for learning.

 

Let us make sure that what we are feeding our minds and what we believe to be true

are indeed true.

 

Now that's critical thinking my friend... Use it.

 

 

 

Persistence

"When you become unstoppable, your success becomes inevitable.” - by Brian Tracy.

 

I received an email from a good friend of mine this afternoon stating that his shop is going to close down for 3 days.

He by the way owns an internet cafe that generates a net profit of around 6 - figures a month.

 

A typical good friend and indeed a bit concerned - as I imagine myself someone closing my shop for 3 days - I give him a

short encouragement...

 

"What happened? I hope it is not that bad. If I could be of any help, just inform me.", I recounted.

 

I was taken a back by his simple yet straight forward reply. "It is about the competition. My business rival had played a trick on me.

But it is ok. This is a challenge for me...

 

No non-sense. No complaining. No ranting. Cool yet determined... And willing to do whatever it takes...

No wonder he is a successful guy.

 

Life is a series of two steps forward and one-step backward. There will be times and in fact many times - I find myself unable to make a

breakthrough... With lots of hard work, with burning goals, with all the prayers, with all the sweat of the brow and all the many ways I

took to reach a burning goal...

 

I feel heavy and weary...  with empty hands... without fruits of my labor... nothing but spent energy....

 

Who said success is easy? Who said success is cheap?  

Success belongs to the persistent. To those who keep on keeping on. To those who keep on pushing...

 

If you are a cry baby or a weakling or someone who wants things easy... wake up and realize....

that to succeed you need to have a heart of a winner.

 

Winners never quit, and quitters never win.

 

When we realize that only persistence and only hard work... of course with God's blessing... success is on the way...

 

Because when you become unstoppable, your success becomes inevitable!

 

Perspective

"Where is my coffee? Please..."  

"Just...1 teaspoon sugar and 1 pack of creamer...."

 

For the health conscious ...."no no no…not sugar, put some honey instead"...

 

You want to make things simpler ...  rip open the 3 in 1 instant coffee sachet...

No thinking...Just pouring... and the most favorite part... the drinking...

 

Or maybe you want it brewed with its smelling aroma... 

Watching the droplets of pure black coffee gives you a pleasing sight and some

form of anticipation.... and sophistication. 

 

Guys, for a coffee lover... Coffee is synonymous to friendship, social life, break, energy and round table talks 

 .... with nodding head and reminiscing smile... words are not enough to describe...

 

For coffee haters and the”I-don't-cares", with rising brow and alien look... words are simply irrelevant...

 begetting to reaction such as..."So? Now what?"...to the strongly opinionated.... "What are you guys talking about?"

..."What is so special about this black bitter thing?"... “It is not simply my thing."

 

Life is like a coffee. You either love it, hate it or you don't care....Which side are you? 

Your choice.

 

As for me, life is worth living.  

 

Everyday I start the day as if opening a gift containing precious irreplaceable 24 hours... whether it brings with it

joys or sorrows ...ups or down... variety makes it even more special. 

 

I am grateful for the gift of life.