What Grudge can do...

an officemate send me this touching story, it's a long one but worth the read. A heartbreaker, does this kind of fate really happens. Read and take time to shed some tears

Just two years after our marriage, hubby brought up the idea of asking
Mother to move from the rural hometown and spend her remaining years with
us.

Hubby's father passed away while he was still very young. Mother endured
much hardship and struggled all on her own to provide for him, see him
through to a university degree. You could say that she suffered a great
deal and did everything you could expect of a woman to bring hubby to where
he is today. I immediately agreed and started packing the spare room, which
has a balcony facing the South to let her enjoy the sunshine and plant
greenery.

Hubby stood in the bright room, and suddenly just picked me up and started
spinning round and round. As I begged him to put me down, he said: "Lets go
fetch mother".

Hubby is tall and big sized and I love to rest on his chest and enjoy the
feeling that he could pick me up at any moment put the tiny me into his
pockets. Whenever we have an argument and both refuses to back down, he
would pick me up and spin me over his head continuously until I surrender
and beg for mercy. I became addicted to this kind of panic-joy feeling.

Mother brought along her countryside habits and lifestyle with her.

For example; I am so used to buying flowers to decorate the living room,
she could not stand it and would comment: "I do not know how you young
people spend your money, why do you buy flowers for? You also can't eat
flowers!" I smiled and said: "Mum, with flowers in the house, our mood will
also become better." Mother continues to grumble away, and hubby smiled:
"Mum, this is a city-people' s habit; slowly you will get use to it". Mother
stopped saying anything.

But every time thereafter, whenever came home with flowers, she would ask
me how much it costs. I told her and she would shake her head and express
displeasure. Sometimes, when I come home with lots of shopping bags, she
would ask each and every item how much they cost, I would tell her honestly
and she would get even more upset about it. Hubby playfully pinched my nose
and said: "You little fool, just don't tell her the full price of
everything would solve it." There begins the friction to our otherwise
happy lifestyle.

Mother hates it most when hubby wakes up early to prepare the breakfast. In
your view, how could the man of the house cook for the wife? At the
breakfast table, mother facial expression is always like the dark clouds
before a thunderstorm and I would pretend not to notice. She would use her
chopsticks and make a lot of noise with it as her silent protest.

As I am a dance teacher in the Children's Palace and am exhausted from a
long day of dancing around, I do not wish to give up the luxury of that
additional few minutes in the comfort of my bed and hence I turned a deaf
ear to all the protest mother makes.

From time to time, mother would help out with some housework, but soon her
help created additional work for me. For example: she would keep all kinds
of plastic bags accumulating them so that she sell them later on, and
resulted in our house being filled with all the trash bags; she would
scrimp on dish washing detergent when helping to wash the dishes and so as
not to hurt her feelings, I would quietly wash them again. One day, late at
night, mother saw me quietly washing the dishes, and "Bam" she slams her
bedroom door and cried very loudly in her room. Hubby was placed in a
difficult position, and after that, he did not speak to me for that entire
night. I pretended to be a spoilt child, tried acting cute, but he totally
ignored me.... I got mad and asked him: "What did I do wrong?" Hubby stared
at me and said: "Can't you just give in to her once? We couldn't possibly
die eating from a bowl however unclean it is, right?"

After that incident, for a long period of time, mother did not speak to me
and you can feel that there is a very awkward feeling hanging in the house.

During that period of cold war, hubby was caught in dilemma as to who to
please. In order to stop her son from having to prepare breakfast, mother
took on the "all important" task of preparing breakfast without any
prompting. At the breakfast table, mother would look at hubby happily
eating his breakfast and cast that reprimanding stare at me for having
failed to perform my duty as a wife. To avoid the embarrassing breakfast
situation, I resorted to buying my own breakfast on my way to work. That
night, while in bed, hubby was a little upset and asked me: "LD, is it
because you think that mum's cooking is not clean that's why you chose not
to eat at home?" He then turned his back on me and left me alone in tears
as feeling of unfairness overwhelmed me. After some time, hubby sighed:
"LD, just for me, can you have breakfast at home?" I am left with no choice
but to return to the breakfast table.

The next morning, I was having porridge prepared by mother and I felt a
sudden churn in my stomach and everything inside seem to be rushing up my
throat. I tried to suppress the urge to throw up but I could not. I threw
down the bowl, rushed into the washroom, and vomited everything out. Just
as I was catching my breath, I saw mother crying and grumbling very loudly
in her dialect, hubby was standing at the washroom doorway staring at me
with fire burning in his eyes. I opened my mouth but no words came out of
it, I really did not mean it.

We had our very first big fight that day; mother took a look at us, then
stood up and slowly made her way out of the house. Hubby gave me a final
stare in the eye and followed mother down the stairs. For three days, hubby
did not return home, not even a phone call. I was so furious, since mother
arrived; I had been trying my best and putting up with her, what else do
you want me to do? For no reason, I keep having the feeling to throw up and
I simply have no appetite for food, coupled with all the events happening
at home, I was at then low point in my life. Finally, a colleague said:
"LD, you look terrible; you should go and see a doctor." The doctor
confirmed that I am pregnant.

Now it became clear to me why I threw up that fateful morning, a sense of
sadness floated through that otherwise happy news. Why didn't hubby, and
mother who had been through this before, thought of the possibility of this
being the reason that day? At the hospital entrance, I saw my hubby
standing there. It had only been three days, but he looked haggard. I had
wanted to turn and leave, but one look at him and my heart soften, I
couldn't resist and called out to him. He followed my voice and finally
found me but he pretended that he doesn't know me; he has that disgusted
look in his eyes that cut right through my heart. I told myself not to look
at him anymore, and hail a cab. At that moment, I have such a strong urge
inside me to shout to my hubby: "Darling, I am having your baby!" and have
him lift me up and spin me around in circles of joy. What I wanted didn't
happen and as I sat in the cab, my tears started rolling down. Why? Why our
love couldn't even withstand the test of one fight?

Back home, I lay on the bed thinking about my hubby, and the disgusted look
in his eyes. I cried and wet the corner of the blanket. That night, sound
of the drawers opening woke me up. I switched on the lights and I saw hubby
with tears rolling down his face.. He was removing the money. I stared at
him in silence; he ignored me, took the bank deposit book and some money
and left the house. Maybe he really intends to leave me for good. What a
rational man, so clear-cut in love and money matters. I gave a few dried
laugh and tears starting streaming down again.

The next day, I did not go to work. I wanted to clear this out and have a
good talk with hubby. I reached his office and his secretary gave me a
weird look and said: "Mr. Tan's mother had a traffic accident and is now in
the hospital." I stood there in shock. I rushed to the hospital and by the
time I found hubby, mother had already passed away. Hubby did not look at
me, his face was expressionless. I looked at mother's pale white and thin
face and I couldn't control the tears in my eyes. My god, how could this
happen?

Throughout the funeral, hubby did not say a single word to me, with only
the occasional disgusted stare at me. I only managed to find out brief
facts about the accident from other people. That day, after mother left the
house, she walked in dazed toward the bus stop, apparently intending to go
back to her old house back in the countryside. As hubby ran after her, she
tried to walk faster and as she tried to cross the street, a public bus
came and hit her...I finally understood how much hubby must hate me, if I
had not thrown up that morning, if we had not quarreled, if....In his
heart, I am indirectly the killer of his mother.

Hubby moved into mother's room and came home every night with a strong
liquor smell on him. And me, I am buried under the guilt and self-pity and
could hardly breathe. I wanted to explain to him, tell him that we are
going to have our baby soon, but each time, I saw the dead look in his
eyes, all the words I have at the brink of my mouth just fell back in. I
had rather he hit me real hard or give me a big and thorough scolding
though none of these events happening had been my fault at all.

Many days of suffocating silence went by and as the days went by, hubby
came home later and later. The deadlock between us continues, we were
living together like strangers who don't know each other. I am like the
dead knot in his heart. One day, I passed by a western restaurant, looking
into the glass window, I saw hubby and a girl sitting facing each other and
he very lightly brushed her hair for her, I understood what it meant. After
recovering from that moment of shock, I entered the restaurant, stood in
front of my hubby and stared hard at him, not a tear in my eyes. I have
nothing to say to him, and there is no need to say anything. The girl
looked at me, looks at hubby, stands up and wanted to go, hubby stretched
out his hand and stopped her. He stared back at me, challenging me. I can
only hear my slow heart beat, beating, one by one as if at the brink of
death. I eventually backed down, if I had stood that any longer, I will
collapse together with the baby inside me. That night, he did not come
home; he had chosen to use that as a way to indicate to me: Following
mother's death so did our love for each other.

He did not come home anymore after that. Sometimes, when I returned home
from work, I can tell that the cupboard had been touched - he had returned
to take some of his stuff. I no longer wish to call him; the initial desire
to explain everything to him vanished. I lived alone; I go for my medical
checkups alone, my heart breaks again and again every time I see a guy
carefully helping his wife through the physical examination. My office
colleagues hinted to me to consider aborting the baby, I told them No, I
will not. I insisted on having this baby, perhaps it is my way of repaying
mother for causing her death.

One day, I came home and I saw hubby sitting in the living room. The whole
house was filled with cigarette smoke. On the coffee table, there was this
piece of paper. I know what it is all about without even looking at it. In
the two months plus of living alone, I have gradually learned to find peace
within myself. I looked at him, removed my hat and said: "You wait a while,
I will sign." He looked at me, mixed feelings in his eyes, just
like mine. As I hang up my coat, I keep repeating to myself "You cannot
cry, you cannot cry..." my eyes hurt terribly, but I refused to let tears
come out from there. After I hung up my coat, hubby's eyes stared fixed at
my bulging tummy. I smiled, walked over to the coffee table and pulled the
paper towards me. Without even looking at what it says, I signed my name on
it and pushed the paper to him. "LD, are you pregnant?"

Since mother's accident, this is the first time he spoke to me. I could not
control my tears any further and they fell like raindrops. I said: "Yes,
but its ok, you can leave now." He did not go, in the dark, we sat, facing
each other. Hubby slowly moved over me, his tears wet the blanket. In my
heart, everything seems so far away, so far that even if I sprint, I could
never reach them. I cannot remember how many times he repeated "sorry" to
me. I had originally thought that I would forgive him, but now I can't. In
the western restaurant, in front of that girl, that cold look in his eyes,
I will never forget, ever. We have drawn such deep scars in each other's
heart. For me, it's unintentional; for him, totally intentional. I had been
waiting for this moment of reconciliation, but I realized now, what had
gone past is gone forever and could not repeated.

Other than the thought of the baby inside me that would bring some warmth
to my heart, I am totally cold towards him, I no longer eat anything he
buys for me, I don't take any presents from him and I stopped talking to
him. From the moment I signed on that piece of paper, marriage and love had
vanished from my heart. Sometimes, hubby will try to come into the bedroom,
but when he walks in, I will walk out to the living room. He had no choice
but to sleep in mother's room. At night, from his room, I can hear light
sounds of groaning, I kept quiet. This used to be his trick; last time,
whenever I ignore him, he would fake illness and I will surrender and find
out what is wrong with him, he would then grab me and laugh. He has
forgotten that last time I cared for him and am concerned because there was
love, but now, what is there between us? Hubby's groaning came on and off
continuing but I continuously ignored him.

Almost everyday, he would buy something for the baby, infant products,
children products and books that kids like to read. Bags and bags of it
stacked inside his room till it is full. I know he is trying to use this to
reach out to me, but I am no longer moved by his actions. He has no choice
but to lock himself in his room and I can hear his typing away on his
computer keyboard, maybe he is now addicted to web surfing but none of that
matters to me anymore.

It was sometime towards the end of spring in the following year, one late
night, I screamed because of a sudden stomach pain, hubby came rushing into
the room, its like he did not change and sleep, and had been waiting for
this moment. He carried me and ran down the stairs, stopped a car, holding
my hand very tightly and kept wiping the sweat off my brow, throughout the
journey to the hospital. Once we reached the hospital, he carried me and
hurried into the delivery suite. Lying on the back of his skinny but warmth
body, a thought crossed my mind: In my lifetime, who else would love me as
much as he did? He held the delivery suite door opened and watch me go in;
his warm eyes caused me to manage a smile at him despite my contraction
pain. Coming out of the delivery room, hubby looked at our son and me, eyes
tear with joy and he kept smiling. I reached out and touched his hand.
Hubby looked at me, smiling and then he slowly collapsed onto the floor. I
cried out for him in pain... He smiled, but without opening that tired eyes
of his... I had thought that I would never shed any tear for him, but the
truth is, I have never felt a deeper pain cutting through my body at that
moment. Doctor said that by the time hubby discovered he had liver cancer,
it was already in terminal stage and it was a miracle that he managed to
last this long. I asked the doctor when he first discovered he had cancer.
Doctor said about 5 months ago and consoled me saying: "Prepare for his
funeral."

I disregarded the nurse's objection and rushed home, I went into his room
and checked his computer, and a suffocating pain hits me. Hubby's cancer
was discovered 5 months ago, his groaning was real, and I had thought
that.... the computer showed over 200 thousand words he wrote for our son:

"Son, just for you, I have persisted, to be able to take a look at you
before I fall, is my biggest wish now... I know that in your life, you will
have many happiness and maybe some setbacks, if only I can accompany you
throughout that journey, how nice would it be. But daddy now no longer has
that chance. Daddy has written inside here all the possible difficulties
and problems you may encounter during your lifetime, when you meet with
these problems, you can refer to daddy's suggestion.. .

Son, after writing these 200 thousand words, I feel as if I have
accompanied you through life journey. To be honest, daddy is very happy. Do
love your mother, she has suffered, she is the one who loves you most and
also the one who loves me most..."From play school to primary school, to
secondary, university, to work and even in dealing with questions of love,
everything big and small was written there.

Hubby has also written a letter for me:

"My dear, to marry you is my biggest happiness, forgive me for the pain I
have caused you, forgive me for not telling you my illness, because I want
to see you be in a joyful mood waiting for the arrival of our baby...My
dear, if you cried, it means that you have forgiven me and I would smile,
thank you for loving me...These presents, I'm afraid I cannot give them to
our son personally, could you help me to give some of them to him every
year, the dates on what to give when are all written on the packaging... "

Going back to the hospital, hubby is still in coma. I brought our son over
and place him beside him. I said: "Open your eyes and smile, I want our son
to remember being in the warmth of your arms..." He struggled to open his
eyes and managed a weak smile. Our son still in his arms was happily waving
his tiny hands in the air. I press the button on the camera and the sound
of the shutter rang through the air as tears slowly rolled down my face....
A fatal misunderstanding and the person who loves me the most in this world
is gone forever..."Cruel misunderstandings one after another disrupted the
blissful footsteps to our family. Our originals intend of having Mother
enjoy some quiet and peaceful moments in her remaining years with us went
terribly wrong as destiny's secret is finally revealed at a price, everything became too late.."..... . ..

This is a true story.

LEARNING POINT - DO NOT EVER HOLD ON TO OFFENCES!!!

The Power of YouTube

Here's an interesting article I found worth reading, by gmtristan. It's a good start for a career if you don't have enough resources. learn and prosper...

Back in the old days of tri-media and Jurassic buzz-building, you needed big bucks, a very talented PR manager and lots of luck to make it big in whatever it is you want to attain – be it showbiz, business or politics.

Today, all you need is a little bit of video editing knowledge, original content (or talent) and your good friend, Youtube to make it big. Of course, luck still plays a part in the equation but the power of the Internet makes it possible for normal people to showcase their talents and skills to the entire world.

Let me share with you success stories on youtube and HOW YOU can make the difference and start your own youtube marketing/hype campaign.


How To Have A Successful Youtube Page

First, let’s look at the case of Filipino talents, Charice Pempengco, Arnel Pineda, Moymoy Palaboy, The Thriller Dancing Convicts and Happyslip. These stars were the product of Youtube.

Charice was discovered by US talk show hosts Ellen Degeneres and Oprah when a fan posted her videos on Youtube. The rest is history.

The same can be told for Journey lead singer Arnel Pineda and comedians Moymoy Palaboy.

Here are a few practical tips on how to harness the power of youtube. Who knows? You could be the next superstar.

Create a Director account – a no-brainer. Having your own youtube channel will mean you can compile all videos into categories or playlists. Make sure you select the proper tags and keywords so that you can be in the right niche.

Less is more – when making or editing videos, the golden rule is LESS IS MORE. Most people simply don’t have the time (or patience) to view your 10 or 20-minute video. Try to keep it under 5 minutes. For me, 2 to 3 minutes is best. The same is true for editing. Don’t get carried away with funky transitions and dizzying effects.

Find your niche – by creating original content. Sometimes a simple concept, like Happyslip’s original style or Moymoy’s wacky antics will sell. When you have good content, sheer WoM (Word of Mouth) will spread your video like wildfire

Invite all your friends to your channel – you can use youtube’s friend system and don’t forget to promote your channel via your SNS profiles like Friendster, Facebook or Plurk. Ask them to subscribe to your channel.

Have regular updates – maybe 1 video a day is overkill. But 1 to 2 new videos a week seems just right

Scan channels and videos with similar content – learn from the pros. Look at their videos. Discover their strong points. How long are their videos? How do they promote it.

In the end, if you have good content, it will spread like a virus. That’s the power of viral marketing and new media.

Best of luck!

Peace

HOW TO BECOME A SUPERSTAR

Last week, I got a body massage that I’ll never forget.
I was massaged by “Ate Guy” (Not her real name).
I call her “Ate Guy” because though she looks like a woman, I have a suspicion she’s really a guy. In fact, she has the strength of 10 guys in her little female body. But I’m getting ahead of my story.

One of my friends recommended Ate Guy to me, praising her skill to the highest heavens. My friend said, “Ate Guy’s singular mission in life is to remove your lamig (cold). She’s obsessed. She goes berserk when she finds lamig in your body. She’ll not stop massaging you until the lamig is pulverized under her fingers.”

With that glowing description, my wife and I contracted her services.
By the way, let me educate my non-Filipino readers. Lamig means cold, but it means more than that. Sometimes, it’s also called hangin or air. When Asians get sick, we say we have lamig or hangin in our bodies. It doesn’t jive with modern medicine, but this belief has lived on for centuries. In fact, it’s not uncommon that when you get massaged using this traditional method, you dighay and diglo at lot. Translation: Dighay is burp. Diglo is butt burp.

On the agreed time, Ate Guy came to our house.

The Torment Begins

I studied Ate Guy.
She was 4’11. Mid-thirties. Bordering on thin. Girlish ponytail.
Pretty harmless, I thought to myself.
My wife placed a mattress on the floor of our living room and lay down. She wanted to go first. As Ate Guy started massaging her, I sat a few feet away, writing on my computer. I looked on Marowe’s face: She was so relaxed. She appeared half-asleep. I got excited. I wanted to relax and sleep too.

After two hours, my wife stood up and said, “That was great! Bo, it’s your turn.” Oh goody. I lay down and got ready to relax too.

Ate Guy knelt beside me and held my face.
Ahhhh. Pure bliss.
At least, for the first two seconds.
After that, it was pure torture.
Pure, unadulterated, CIA, KGB, Mafia, Yakuza, Al Qaeda torture.
During her massage, I reached levels of pain I thought never existed in human experience.
Her little thumbs were like Jack Hammers. Like a Sumo Wrestler was massaging me.
As I lay on the mattress being massacred, I mean, being massaged by Ate Guy, I wondered if I offended my friend who recommended her to me-that this was his way of revenge.

In the entire 2 hours, I groaned aray, aray, aray (ouch) the whole time.
Actually, I didn’t want to groan. I wanted to scream, ARAAAAAAAAY! But my neighbors may think someone was being raped.
My wife came up to me and with a sly smile asked, “Do you like it, Bo?”
I whispered to her, “I feel I’m being run over by a train again and again.”
She laughed. I added, “Please call the US Embassy. Tell the Ambassador I have the perfect person to send to their captured Terrorists. Just 2 hours of Ate Guy and they’ll confess where Osama Bin Laden is hiding.”

>Ate Guy Was Rich

After two hours of excruciating agony, it dawned on me that I had to pay Ate Guy for almost killing me. We live in a crazy world, I tell you.

My wife asked her how much we owed her.
Ate Guy said, “P250 an hour.”
Two hours for her and two hours for me. So we paid a thousand bucks for 4 hours of torment.
I wondered. How much does this little woman earn a month?
I asked her, “Ate Guy, how many prisoners, I mean, customers do you massage everyday?” She answered, “An average of 4 to 5 a day.” I learned that she massages every single day. No day offs.

“Isn’t that tiring?” I asked her. “That’s 10 hours a day.”
“I like it that way,” she said, “If I don’t massage anyone, my body looks for it.”
Aha! I knew it. She was a closet masochist.
“Do you advertise your services?”
“No. My customers just recommend me to others.”
“I’ll recommend you to others too,” I said. I started thinking of all the people who owed me money. “But you mean to tell me every single day of your week is full?”

“Yes,” she said. “Because I’ve got mga suki (regular customers). Some even want me to massage them three times a week.”
“Three times a week?” I almost fell off my chair. These people need to see a psychiatrist.
That was when it all hit me: Ate Guy told me she was a former house helper who earned P3000 a month. Today, she takes home P50,000 to P60,000 a month. Much more than many managers I know.

No doubt about it.
Ate Guy is a Superstar.

Be A Niche Superstar

How much do other masseuses earn? More or less P10,000 a month.
Why does Ate Guy earn five times more? Because she stands out.
She’s dominated her niche: The niche of torture camouflaging as massage.
Other massagers try to please everybody. They’re average. They’re typical. They’re all alike. They’re forgettable.
Not Ate Guy.
You either like her or hate her.
Fortunately, there are enough insane people in this world who like her to make her a Superstar. My wife is one of them. She invited her back. I’ve already noted the date of her return-and I’ve arranged to be as far as possible from my house on that day.

You too need to find a way to become a Superstar.
But first, let me describe how problems create the phenomenon called Superstars.

Why Problems Create Scarcity,
And Scarcity Create Superstars

When I taught this message yesterday, I placed a number of ladders on stage. I told the audience that life offers many ladders to climb. And that ladders represent opportunities for growth.

A Superstar is a person who’s able to climb to the top of a ladder.
Do you have problems in your work or business? Each problem is like a step on the ladder. Each problem is an invitation to become a Superstar. Superstars are Superstars because they can solve problems.

That’s why I say problems are wonderful. Without problems, there will be no Superstars. (I wish to thank the brilliant Seth Godin for these insights.)

Example? Imagine that you and I can pick diamonds in our backyards.
Would you and I be wealthy? Of course not. In fact, women will stop wearing diamonds, period. Why? Diamonds are Superstars precisely because they’re scarce. If they’re no longer scarce, why bother?

Diamonds are scarce because of the problem of getting them. You have to build underground tunnels and excavate them from beneath the earth.

Think now of the many problems of becoming a great singer, a great artist, a great chef, a great businessman, a great priest, a great father, and a great mother.

Problems create scarcity. And scarcity creates Superstars.
Here are the reasons why you need to be a Superstar…

The Rewards Of Superstars

People go to Superstars.
People watch Superstar movies.
People read Superstar books.
People eat in Superstar restaurants.
Let me ask you: When you see an empty restaurant, with two waiters sleeping on the tables, would you go there? Not likely. Something in your brain says, “The food there must be awful.”

But when you see a restaurant filled with people, with a long waiting line outside, you’ll say, “My gosh, I better try that restaurant.”

Before you think that this article is just about money, let me also say that Superstars are more emotionally fulfilled. They feel they’ve found their place in the world. They feel they’ve found their mission in life.

And Superstars can serve God with more impact.
Do you want to become a Superstar?
Read on.

Superstars Have Skill And Spirit

To become a Superstar, you need Skill and Spirit.
For example, Ate Guy studied for 6 months in a technical school. Not satisfied with that, she enrolled again in another school for 2 months on specialized massage. But her most important education is the years of massaging almost 60 hours a week-year after year after year.

But what made her develop her Skill? Spirit.
When you really think about it, Superstars are a little bit crazy.
Superstars are obsessed!
At the end of the day, it’s Spirit. Passion. Fire. Love. In Japanese, they call this Otaku.
For example, Ate Guy hates lamig with an almost neurotic obsession.
Once, Ate Guy had a patient whose lamig was stubborn. She ended up massaging this man for 4 hours straight-free of charge-until she got rid of his lamig. I pity the man. Probably became a paraplegic.

But no wonder Ate Guy is a Superstar. Only people with spirit do those crazy things.
Let me give you an example from my life.
These past 5 days, I had 14 meetings. But despite that hectic schedule, I was still able to write 8 long articles. How did I do it? There’s only one answer: I’m crazy. I love writing. I love crafting words.

How much do I love writing?
Others get high on drugs. I get a high choosing the right adjective for a sentence. I’m nuts!

Why Do People Not Become Superstars?

I’ve met people who aren’t Superstars even when they could have been.
They could have been Superstars in their businesses.
They could have been Superstars in their careers.
They could have been Superstars in their service for God.
But they’re not.
Why?
I see three reasons.

1. Wrong Theology

Some people think that God wants them to remain small.
God wants them to remain insignificant.
God wants them to remain humble (a distorted definition).
Their religion tells them, “Don’t stand out. Don’t create waves. Just follow. Just obey. Just be quiet.”
Please. Throw that rubbish way.
Go ahead. Stand out! Create waves. Be the best that you can be!
Use the core gifts that God gave you and develop them to the hilt.
Because your God will be proud.
How do I know? I’m a Dad of 2 boys.
When I see my kids show their Superstar qualities, I get giddy with joy. My heart palpitates. My chest expands. I feel delirious.

Here’s my Theology: You owe it to your Maker to become a Superstar.
Because when you become a Superstar, you’re praising the One who made you.
Here’s the second reason…

2. Wrong Psychology

Some people believe they deserve to be small.
Some people believe they deserve to be failures.
Perhaps because their parents treated them as dirt and not as stars.
Or some other past trauma.
Friend, be aware of this inner programming and reboot!
Get a new internal software!
You deserve to be a Superstar because you already are one.
You’re made in His image.
God created Superstars. Get used to it!
Finally, the third reason.

3. Wrong Strategy

People fail to become Superstars because they climb the wrong ladder.
Let me shock you: If a ladder will not make you a Superstar, quit.
If you have no hope of reaching the top of that ladder, get off that ladder.
Why? Because you’ll always be mediocre. You’ll always be average. And in business, average is death. In jobs, average means you’ll be the first one to be retrenched. Even in relationships, average is risky. To be good enough is not enough.

You’ve got to be remarkable. You’ve got to be phenomenal.
Choose a ladder where you have Spirit and Skill to make you a Superstar.
This is just what Rex Robillos did.

Climb The Right Ladder

My friend Rex owns Buns and Pizza-a fast-food chain of restaurants. Rex already knew he couldn’t fight Jollibee. Why climb this ladder where the chance of success was almost zero? Why not climb another ladder where the chances of success is bigger?

Here’s what Rex did: He made Buns and Pizza the Superstar in secondary towns where there was no Jollibee. In these smaller, more far-flung towns, Buns and Pizza was king. It’s usually the only air-conditioned fast-food restaurant in the area. This is where the children of the Mayor hangout. He dominated this niche. After only 5 years, Buns and Pizza now operates 139 branches in the Philippines.

If you’re average, it’s time to quit.

Be A Superstar In One Thing

Years ago, I was climbing the wrong ladder.
Because of this, earning money was like pulling teeth out of the mouth of the universe. I had to struggle for every peso I earned. It was as though money didn’t like me-so I had to drag it with me by force.

My food businesses-which I was so excited at the start-were collapsing.
My hotdog stand, my ice cream store, and squid ball kiosk were all drowning in red ink. Money was flowing out from my hand like water from a broken faucet.

During those dark days, I wondered if I made a mistake in becoming an entrepreneur. I began to doubt my desire to become wealthy. Was this really from God? Perhaps this was God telling me to stop. Perhaps I should have just remained a preacher and kept begging for money whenever I needed it.

But in those agonizing moments, I went deep into my heart and listened.
There was chaos outside, like a signal 8 hurricane.
But in my heart, I found peace.
Somehow, I knew I was doing the right thing.
I was simply climbing the wrong ladder.
That no matter what I did, I’ll always be average in the food business.
Because I didn’t have Spirit and Skill in the food business.
Instead, my passion and gifts were in communication-speaking and writing.
So I closed all my food stores.
Today, my businesses are doing so well because they revolve around communication.

Live To The Max

Friends, the world needs Superstars.
You owe it to the universe to become one.
No one benefits if you play small.
You only live once.
So go full throttle.
Live to the max!

May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez

Interview with a man called ME.... Why Now?

Born as an average citizen in the city of Marawi, this guy had actually cruised the sea and travelled miles to reach the city of Manila where he now lives and work. With a degree of Civil Engineering on his resume, he put on an epic journey to reach the heights of his career. He had a stop on a company owned by J. Lo, i.e Crystal Steel Fabricator's (Phil) Inc, where he stayed for 2 months. And not a while ago, he started his quest with a vision to go beyond the horizon where his dreams await. And he found the perfect place to start, in Hyder...

**due to privacy rights and demand of confidentiallity of the interviewee, we shall disclosed the persons name and give him an initial M.E...



Me 1: After such a long silence, why now?

M.E. : I wouldn't call it "silence", I was always vocal, maybe on a selected people, or things (gave a smirk smile), but definitely not silence.

me1 : ok let me refresh the question, after not talking to me before, why talk to me now, me as the P.U.B.L.I.C, you know, if that's you wanna call me.

M.E. : that's more like it, well I gotta say I have a bad sense of timing, I can't really say this is the right time but I am sure this is not a wrong time, get what I mean?

me1 : hmm, let's just pretend I understand what you mean, so how are you comfortable with talking to us now, you know, letting them know you.

M.E. : who say's I am, but being not comfortable doesn't have to mean you have to stay hidden, If there is another way to do it, like hide behind the closet while telling you all this, then I would be more happy to do that...

me1 : well, I am happy we don't have a closet in here, I don't wanna talk with a closet, we might change the title of this show if that happens "ME AND THE TALKING CLOSET!"

(Laughs, claps)

me1 : so let's get to the BEEE.... as in BIG question, hope it doesn't sting. You've always envisioned yourself to reach immeasurable heights in your life, how far have you gotten?

M.E. : If I have to listen to what my friends, family, crush, even to those who barely know me, I would say, I've climbed the half the mountain so far..

me1 : that's qui..... (get interrupted)

M.E. : BBBUT, personally speaking, if I have to asses myself, I haven't been on the 3rd floor of a 850m building. Well I wouldn't say I haven't reach the 2nd floor cause I'm pretty sure I've been there (giggles) (*M.E. is the 2nd placer in the CE board Exam jan. 2008).

me1 : don't you think that's a bit harsh to rate yourself considering what you've been through.

M.E. : maybe, but I can't stop from wondering why it has to be that way, everytime I feel I'm starting get the momentum to get higher, then boom, it will then feels like I've just move an inch, or much worst, even move backward.

me1 : why? is it the family, the kind of environment?

M.E. : nope, definitely not, the family's great, one of the best I would say, the environment where I grew, maybe a little, but I found friends that fill up the holes. The friends, hmm, adventurous times but we've always manage to get through it all, I still came to where I am after all.

me1 : so are we missing something?

M.E. :I have to say, it's me, don't know what's worng, but with the way my set of mind is right now, it's gonna be a bumpy ride, I'm very much sure I can reach beyond that horizon I sought so much, but the way I'm gonna reach it and the amount of time it would take, that's what I dont know. If I want a smooth ride, I guess I have to make my mind clear and be focus on one thing, reach that goal.

me1 : nice, any last word?

M.E. : Life in general had always been mysterious, you may not understand everything, or anything at all. But you don't have to understand everything, what's important is for you to know that life become less mysterious if you understand the right things. seek for that things.

me1 : how does that relate to that subject????

(..pause)

me1 :we will have more of M.E. after a few minutes (months!!!). thanks and good day....