How a Taxi Driver Became a Bank President? by Bo Sanchez

[cyber-shut]

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up for these very enlightening words from Bo Sanchez...

thanks smurky for the posts....

[lejean]

I have heard the name of Bo Sanchez before, but reading the articles are inspiring. Maybe one day Philippines will not be on the 3rd world countries but one of the richest if we educate each other and share what we learn.

[bawdogs]

Apply the Power of Focus (by: Bo Sanchez)

"Every great man has become great, every successful man has succeeded,
in proportion as he has confined his powers to one particular channel." - Oswen Swett Marden

In other words what im trying you to do is apply the Law of Focus.
The Law of Focus is like the Law of Gravity. It never fails. It has no exceptions.

The Law of Focus states that what you focus on grows.
Let me give you an example.

One day, when my wife was pregnant and had a tummy the size of a
huge watermelon, we were walking through the mall. After a few minutes
of strolling, she turned to me and said, "Bo, havent you noticed? there
are so many pregnant women in the mall today. ive counted more than 10 already!"

Were there really more pregnant women at that particular time? No.
She just noticed them more because that was her focus.
When your tummy is the size of a watermelon, how can it not be your focus?

So if each day, you focus on the bad things thats happening in your life,
i can assure you that these bad things will keep on growing.
Because you focus on them, you'll be an expert on spotting them a
mile away - and you'll be more miserable than ever. if all you do is complain
and bicker and criticize, without a shadow of doubt, you'll grow into an old goat
that no one wants to be with and your death will be a happy event in the family.

but if each day, you focus on the good things happening to your life - and begin
and end each day counting your blessings, then this is what will happen: your
blessings will increase! you'll be an expert in seeing more of them. and your
positive attitude will actually attract new blessings into your life.

thats why the Bible insists that we be grateful and "be thankfull in all cirrcumstances."

but wait a minute. how does this apply to money?

do you know why many spiritual people dont get rich? because they
dont focus on money. and what you dont focus on has a very little chance
of growing. because spiritual persons focus on their spiritual life, and "only" on
their spiritual life. and they become poor in the other areas.

theres nothing wrong with that. unless of course youre a father raising your
kids, and theres no money to put food on the table, or buy medicines when they get sick.

this is the message of this article: even if youre a spiritual person, give
yourself a permission to focus on money. start thinking about money, reading
about money, talking about money, learning about money - but always see
money from the lens of your spiritual life.

yes, put God first and all your money as HIS servant.

but you will still need to give some of your time to focus on money, ot it wont grow.

heres the most powerful way i know of focusing on money: have a financial goal
for each year, write it down in your LIFE DREAMs, and read it everyday.

and even while you sleep, your brain will search far and wide, looking for ways
to fulfill those financial goals. you'll be surprised at how opportunities will open
up before you. actually, many of them were already there. but because you
werent focused, you didnt notice them, waiting to be discovered.

when JIM CARREY was a struggling, broke, stand-up comedian in small comedy
clubs, he wrote $10 million check with the words "For services rendered" underneath.
he read this check everyday. years later, Jim Carrey would be earning $20 million per movie.

Apply the Power of Focus.

whose bro bo sanchez never know this guy when i was in cebu! sorry...hmmm he has powerful teaching
i've been through rough experience lately in my life...will i've felt depress tell now..yes this is true i'm always focus on what might happen...a friend told me to stop thingking negative bec...all the negatives will come to your life...this story really touch me...after reading this i hope this will change my way of thinking... so sad...

[smurky]

How Crispy Pata Changed MY Life (by: Bo Sanchez)

I’ve always loved restaurants.
Simple, little, cozy restaurants.

Perhaps because when I was a small boy, I remember Dad
bringing me for pizza or ice cream or hotdog every week.
In restaurants, I felt loved. And happy.

And when I hit my twenties, one of the favorite things I loved
to do was sitting in a coffee shop all by myself, reading a thick fat book.

But I had a big problem. For years, I was poor, single missionary.

How poor? Every time I entered a simple eatery like Jollibee,
I always had to first count my money—including my coins—to see
if I had enough money. And many times, I had to walk away because
I didn’t have enough money to eat there.

Let me tell you about one of my unforgettable experiences.
And yes, it has something to do with Crispy Pata.

***Emotional Pain Can Make You Change***

One day, I wanted to impress my girlfriend.

Thankfully, I felt rich that day because I had P500 in my wallet.

So I invited her to eat in a fancy restaurant. (Any restaurant that used
tablecloths was fancy for me.)

But a part of me still wondered if I really had enough money for the meal.

I knew the restaurant’s specialty was Crispy Pata or deep-fried pig’s
knuckles (Yep, I was still eating meat at that time). Quickly, I read the Menu.
It cost P150 only. Yes! I could afford it.

I called the waiter and ordered Crispy Pata. With two cups of rice.

To save money, I didn’t order drinks. Thankfully, my girlfriend didn’t order too.
I smiled. Things were going my way.

At the end of our yummy meal, the waiter brought in two little green
bowls of Macapuno (sweetened coconut). So this was how it was in restaurants
with tablecloths: They give free desserts!

The waiter then gave me the bill.

And that was when I felt like my soul jumped out my body for ten seconds.

Because my bill was P561!

With my heart racing and armpits sweating, I called the waiter.
I asked how my bill could be more than five hundred if I ordered only
Crispy Pata worth P150?

He showed me the Menu again. He pointed out that it was P150 per 100 grams.
With a beaming smile on his face, he informed me that he served us 300 grams.
Like he did me a favor!

So we ate a whopping P450 of Crispy Pata.

And that wasn’t the end of my trials. The waiter also pointed out
that the Macapuno was P20 each. It wasn’t free at all. So with the rice
and the tax, the entire bill reached more than what I had in my wallet.

So I did one of the most embarrassing things I ever did in my entire
life—right up there with preaching with my zipper open. Sheepishly, I asked
my girlfriend, “Uh, do you have money? I’m a little short…”

Thankfully, she had some.

But I had nothing left for the waiter’s tip.

With my head bowed down, I walked out of the restaurant as fast as I could.

Friends, this happened a long time ago.

But I can never forget how this embarrassing experience gave me a
wild fantasy. It may not be wild for you, but it was absolutely wild for
me: I fantasized of a time when I had so much money, I could enter into
any restaurant I wanted to, and order anything I wanted to—without
even looking at the prices on the Menu!

Call me silly. Call me juvenile. Call me crazy. But experiences like these were
painful enough, they fueled my desire to become wealthy.

***From The Brain or From The Heart?***

You need a fierce emotional reason to become wealthy—or it won’t happen.

Here’s why: We make choices based on emotional reasons, not l
ogical ones. (Oh yes, after the choice, we justify with logical reasons.
But the initial reason is always emotional.) The reasons must always come
from the heart, not just from the brain.

Funny, but that’s just how we humans operate.

Let me share with you my fierce emotional reasons for changing
my financial life—from the sublime to the silly.

My sublime reason: I hated the fact that I wanted to help people but
I couldn’t—because I had no money. I was always faced with the needs
of the people I ministered to… Some of them had very small financial needs,
and I couldn’t even meet those small needs. It was so frustrating.
So I nursed a fantasy: That I would have more than enough to share to their needs.

My second reason: I hated the fact that whenever I had ministry projects
in mind, I couldn’t just go ahead and do it—because the ministry always
lacked money. So I began to nurture another fantasy: That when I had
a new ministry project, I’d pull out my wallet or checkbook and say, “I’ll
finance this project for the first 6 months.” I had goose bumps just imaging
this scene. It felt so good and wonderful, it was my favorite daydream.

My third reason is my silly reason to become rich: Restaurants!

If you want to change anything in your life, find a big
enough “Emotional Why” and facts don’t matter.

You will change.

[smurky]

Do you WANT to Survive? Think Like an Entrepreneur (by: Bo Sanchez)

I can hear you saying, “But Bo, I’m an Employee!”

And you’re right. You may be an Employee in a bankor a call center or
the corner bakery down the street. But your entire world is changing.
Even if you’re working for someone else, you still have to think like an Entrepreneur.

Think this way. If your name is Rudolph Reyes, then you’re the Chairman
of the Board of Rudolph Reyes Personal Services Inc.

Why the shift?

Because I’ve met so many people who are miserable in their jobs
and all they do is complain the whole day about their crummy boss
and their crummy salary and their crummy company.

Listen.

Complaining accomplishes nothing.

Complaining is useless.

In the time of Moses, the Complainers got stuck in the
desert for 40 years. They never set one foot on the Promised Land.

Instead of complaining, take charge!

God made you responsible for your career.

Unless you take responsibility, nothing happens.


***Times Are Changing—Adapt Or Die***

My Dad worked for the old San Miguel Corporation for 37 years.

During his prehistoric era, companies were large benevolent, loyal, doting families.
The Owner was like Papa and all his employees were his kids for life.
And people coasted along.

Let me give you an example. When Dad retired at the age of 65
as Assistant Vice President, the company gave him 100% health
benefits until his dying breath. Can you imagine? Until he died at
the age of 88, San Miguel paid for all of his medicines and hospital
bills—which totaled to millions.

Question: Do you think San Miguel still does that sort of thing?

No way. They threw that policy away in the 80’s.
In fact, no other company does that anymore.

I’m not pontificating or telling you what is right or wrong.
I’m merely describing to you the very different world that you and I are living in today.

You live in a world where companies hire contractuals every 6 months
and replace them again with a new batch. (I repeat. I’m not saying it’s right.
I personally don’t like it. But that’s just how the world is operating right now.)

You live in a world where companies are shrinking via outsourcing. Your entire
department can be axed tomorrow and the work given to companies in China
or India or Davao or Cebu.

You live in a world where companies are bought or merged with other
companies the way your sister changes her shoes. Every time it happens,
you get (1) bumped up, (2) bumped down, or unfortunately, (3) bumped out.


In other words, you’re living in a world where only Entrepreneurs survive.

***How Do You Think?***

Like An Employee or An Entrepreneur?

Find out if you think like an Employee or an Entrepreneur.

If you think like an Entrepreneur, you just don’t understand what you do.

You understand why you do what you do.

Even if you’re just a messenger. You’re thinking of how to increase
profits and lower down costs. You’re thinking of how to wow the
customer and keep him for life.

Here are three examples of Employee Thinking:

First: “My salary is so small, its just enough for my daily
transportation and lunch! I’ve been stuck in my position since
Lapu-Lapu killed Magellan.”


Then why are you still working there?

Don’t say you have nowhere to go. When you say
that, it becomes a reality for you.

Hey, I’m not asking you to resign. I’m asking you to look for a solution.
Take responsibility. Make things happen!

Let me introduce you to a few options of the Entrepreneurial Mind…

Option #1: Get more training and get promoted

Option #2: Look for another job within the company where there’s more growth

Option #3: Become a Supplier to your company (My favorite! Look
at what your company needs and create a business by supplying this product to them.)

Option #4: Keep your day job and start a business on the side

Option #5: Look for another job at another company

The choices are endless!

2. “My company is Prehistoric. It hasn’t developed me. I don’t receive any training!”

This is classic Employee thinking: They wait for their HR Department
to tell them to attend seminars, arrange training programs, and supply
them with books to read.

But Entrepreneurs take charge for their personal development.
They keep reading. They keep learning. They keep innovating.
They attend internet courses, correspondence courses, and night classes.
They get the best mentors they can find. Because Entrepreneurs know
that if they don’t innovate, they’ll become obsolete one day.

Question: This year, what have you been doing to develop yourself?

3. “Me, save? Nah. My company will give me a nice retirement package…”

Readers of my blog are young. Average age is 30. (Perhaps
because the writer looks 30. Haha!) So talking about retirement
seems strange, right?

Wrong.

Believe me, even if you’re 16, you should start building your retirement.

Here’s my harsh message: Don’t depend on your company to give
you a retirement package. Even if they will give you one, trust me, it won’t be enough.

As I told you, my father retired at 65 and died at 88. That meant
he lived for another 23 years. Do you think your one or two or
three million will last for 23 years?

Don’t count on it. Perhaps three years. Perhaps five, tops.
After that, you’ll be poor as a rat.

I urge you to take charge for your financial future. How? Build a
separate retirement package on your own!

Here’s what you do. Starting today, set aside 20% of your income every month.

Next: Invest it. Don’t put it in the Bank. Learn how to use Bonds, Mutual Funds,
Equity Funds, and Stocks. It’s not as difficult as you think it is. Grow!

Friend, be an Entrepreneur.

No matter what you do.

Take charge.

[smurky]

Do You Want Inner Peace? (Bo sanchez)

Nope, It Doesn’t Just Come From Being Quiet, Spa
Treatments, Meditation, and Breathing Exercises.

Let Me Tell You How You Can Have Inner Peace

No Matter How Busy You Are…

I have a crazy schedule.

But despite this, I do enjoy inner peace.

By the end of this article, I’ll share with you the secret to
my inner peace, and how you too can enjoy it—no matter how busy you are.

But first, let me give you an idea of how insane my schedule is.

I’m writing this article in a train.

Crossing through Switzerland.

Yesterday, I was in Scotland.

The day before, England.

In the next four months, I’m flying to Indonesia, Singapore,
Vietnam, Macau, Israel, Jordan, US, and Canada.

Sometimes, I pinch myself.

This traveling stuff is what I see James Bond do in his movies.

But I’m no Secret Agent.

I’m a simple servant of God.

And unlike 007, I didn’t shoot anyone or stop a super villain
from annihilating the world. All I did was care for people. I told
them stories of God’s love. (Some call what I do preaching. I just call it “happy storytelling”.)

And here’s the secret of my inner peace….

***My Secret To Inner Peace ***

Is Having “The Reason” For Everything I Do

James Bond has a license to kill.

I have a license to care.

Sorry for being corny, but that’s what I really do.

The stuff I do is as varied as the shoes of Imelda.

But they all come from one powerful source, which I call “The Reason”.

This is “The Reason” why I travel around the world.

This is “The Reason” why I got married and have kids.

This is “The Reason” why I write books and publish mags.

This is “The Reason” why I broadcast on TV and Radio.

This is “The Reason” why I start organizations.

This is “The Reason” why I serve the poorest of the poor.

This is “The Reason” why I run businesses and do investments.

What is The Reason? I care for people.

Caring for people is the reason for my daily life.

It’s the reason for every thing that I do.

Don’t Bow To Me Yet;

I Fail As Much As You Do!


Before you think of bowing to me, canonizing me a saint, and
cutting my hair for holy relics, let me make one thing very
clear: I don’t always think this way.

I get selfish.

I get grouchy.

I get lazy.

I get mean.

Oh man, God knows how much I fail.

And whenever I do something out of selfishness—I feel a
disturbance within. Something isn’t right. Like a jigsaw puzzle
with a missing piece. This disquiet, this un-peace, this chaos,
pokes me within and tells me that I’ve lost my God-ordained path.
That I’ve lost my destiny.

Believe me. Inner peace doesn’t come from being quiet, having
spa treatments, meditations, and breathing exercises—as good as
all these are. The peace we feel from these activities will all be short-lived.

Here’s where real inner peace comes from…

You Need Soul Alignment—

The Only Thing That Can Give You Inner Peace

Real Inner peace comes from what I call Soul Alignment.

That means your life—which consists of your actions, words,
and thoughts—are aligned to the ultimate purpose of your soul.
That ultimate purpose has been written by God in every fiber and DNA of your soul.

That ultimate purpose is to love.

Bottom-line, Soul Alignment means aligning yourself to God’s love.

No wonder Jesus said that the greatest commandment is
this: Love one another as I have loved you.

And when you have Soul Alignment, you have inner peace.

[smurky]

Money Doesnt Buy Happiness: Money Buys Freedom (Bo Sachez)

And I Urge You To Use That Freedom To Love God More!

Once upon a time, I was poor.
And proud of it.

I was a happy single missionary who didn’t think about
money, didn’t touch money, didn’t save money, and didn’t
want to have anything to do with money.

At that time, I really believed that saving money was a lack of trust in God.

I also believed that insurance was for the spiritually weak.
“Jesus is my only insurance,” I’d tell everyone.

And businessmen? Man, I pitied them. I figured their souls
were loitering in the brink of Hell. Why? Imagine, all they think
about the whole day was money—the very instruments of the devil.

I repeat: I was poor and proud of it.

How poor? Before entering Jollibee, I had to first pull out my wallet
and count how much money I had. Could I buy a burger today? I
remember the days when I had to turn around because my cash
(or coins!) wasn’t enough.

I was proud that I was poor, deprived, and suffering.

It somehow made me feel holy.

Love The Lord With All Your Heart, Mind, Strength—

And Money Too!

Today, my beliefs have totally changed.

And that’s why I’m being criticized.

By religious people no less.

They say I teach too much about money.

“Bo, why have you changed?” they ask me, “You now keep talking
about savings and investments and business. Where’s the sweet and
simple guy who used to talk only about God and prayer and holiness
and heaven? We want that guy back…”

Sorry, but you won’t get that guy back.

Because God has changed me.

Let me tell you why I changed: I decided to love more.

Don’t get me wrong. I still preach about God and prayer and
holiness and heaven. (After all, money is only one of my many topics.)
But these past few years, I’ve been very burdened by the practical,
down-to-earth, very REAL needs of God’s people.

Here are the facts:

· Many good Christian families are buried in debt. They can’t
sleep at night. They’re terrified every time the phone rings.

· Many good Christian husbands and wives fight a lot because
of money problems. (According to surveys, 50% of marital conflicts
are money problems. One survey even says it’s 80%!)

· Many good Christians will be retiring without any savings or
investments—and will grow older and poorer as the years go by.

· Many good Christians are living in poverty, and their children
are suffering from poor health and poor education.

And that’s the reason why I changed: I want to help Christians
get out of debt, solve their financial problems, and gain more
financial blessings to help more people!

This is my commitment. This is my mission. This is my passion.
(I don’t care how many people criticize me for it.) I’ve devoted my
entire life to help anyone who’s suffering by giving practical wisdom
through my preaching and writing.

Whether spiritually, emotionally, or financially.

For Many People,

Unless There’s Financial Freedom,

There Can Be No Real Freedom In Their Life


You know my story.
Because my beliefs have changed, my financial life has changed as well.

Can I brag? (Not to brag but to emphasize a point.)

I’m no longer poor.

I now run small businesses, earn through real estate,
mutual funds, and the stock market.

I’m now able to help the poor in a way I couldn’t do before.
And I’m able to give more to the ministry of the Lord because of
the financial blessings He has given me. I don’t just give 10% of
my income. Because my lifestyle has remained simple (no fancy cars,
no big house), I can give much, much more than 10% to God. (By the
way, I’ve also learned that when I give, I receive so much more.

Today, I also believe that holiness doesn’t have anything to do with being
poor or being rich. Holiness has everything to do with love—and one can do
that whether one is poor or rich.

Money doesn’t buy happiness; Money buys freedom.

Bad people will use that freedom in a bad way—and be miserable as hell.

Good people will use that freedom in a good way—and be happy as heaven.

To be more precise, good people will use that freedom to do good.

It’s that simple.

Let me give you a small example of what I mean.

Today, I no longer stop in front of Jollibee to count my money.

And today, I can do something I could hardly do before: I can now
invite the poor for a free lunch. Something I do constantly with joy.

In other words, my prayer has changed.

Before, my prayer was, “Lord, I need something to eat. Please give me money.”

Today, my prayer is, “Lord, send me people who have nothing to eat today
and let me be a blessing to them.”

Friends, I’m using my freedom to love.

And after all these years of helping so many people in their spiritual lives,
I’ve come to a striking realization: Especially for those children or parents
depending on them, there can be no real Freedom in life without Financial Freedom.

I want to continue to teach you how to grow your money without robbing your soul.

[smurky]

(you can also get inspired from "others" experience not only from Bo Sanchez' stories
and blogs. Hope you like it - from SMURKY))

(this speech was delivered last March 1, 2002 during the launch of the
Ateneo de Manila University John Gokongwei School of Management )

from John Gokongwei:

Good morning.

I am John Gokongwei, Jr. I am not an Atenean but I feel
at home with you. Today, at least.

Sixty-two years ago, I could not have dreamt of appearing before
the Jesuits and their students to tell the story of MY life.
I was no more than a student then, at San Carlos University in Cebu,
when my father died suddenly. It left me, the eldest, the responsibility
of taking care of my mother and five siblings. That was tough for someone
who was 13. Creditors had just seized our home and business and I had
no experience with earning a living.

But here I am--not all on account of my good looks or charming
personality--but because I somehow survived. And when I look back,
I know now that I did so because I recognized CHANGE when I saw it.

The first change was war. I had turned 15. My mother had already sent
my brothers and sister to China where the cost of living was lower.
From Cebu, she and I had to make money to send to them.

I turned to peddling. My day began at 5 in the morning. I would load my
bicycle with soap, thread, and candles, and then bike to neighboring towns
to sell my goods. On market days, I would rent a stall, lay out the goods
from the bike, and make about 20 pesos a day, enough for me to survive
and to buy even more goods for next time. Those days, you might call my
BICYCLE AGE.

After two years of biking and peddling, at 17, I entered my BATEL AGE.
The batel was a small, very utilitarian boat that defied the open sea and
would take me farther from Cebu and all the way to Lucena, from where I
would take a truck to Manila, with companions twice or thrice my age. The
sea trips could take two to three weeks depending on the weather, and the
land trips another five to six hours. (I was lighter then, you can imagine.)

On the batel, I read books like Gone with the Wind under the great blue sky
to pass away the time, even if we traders were always in fear of sea pirates
and the bad weather.

Once, our batel hit a rock and sank. Thank heavens for my rubber tires! Those
were the goods I had with me to sell in Manila. Well, we all held on to those tires,
which meant I saved all those traders and those traders saved all my tires.

At that time, the War was still going on. Ironically, I look back at the War with
the fondest of memories. It was the great equalizer. Almost everyone I knew
had lost big and small fortunes at the time. This meant we all started at ground
zero. Ground zero meant living by our wits alone; ground zero meant starting
equal; ground zero was where I discovered I was an entrepreneur.

When the War ended, I was 19. Because of the war, the economy was more
dependent than ever on imports. So when I set up Amasia, my first company,
it was to import textile remnants, fruit, old newspapers and magazines, and
used clothing from the US.

There was a side benefit to this. I would wear some of my own stock, so I
would have different clothes to wear when I went courting Elizabeth, the
woman who would be my wife. But at the end of it, I made some money.

The Bicycle Age was over. The TRADING AGE began.

By then, my brothers and sister returned from China. Together, we
worked in the trading business I had begun: as bodegeros, clerks,
warehousemen, cashiers, and collectors. And all this while they were
all still going to school; me, I stopped schooling. Like most Chinese-Filipino
families, we worked where we lived, and at times, we had to endure the
stench of rotten oranges and potatoes filling our two-story apartment.

By the early '50s, we were importing cigarettes and whiskey as well. Business
was good. But two factors made me change strategies again. First, I saw that
trading would in time become a low-margin business BECAUSE we were at the
mercy of our suppliers and buyers. Second, I saw that the government was
working on import-substitution policies to encourage local business. President
Quirino wanted to shore up the country's foreign exchange reserves that had
been depleted as a result of the high importation of the post-war years.

So I decided to enter the AGE of MANUFACTURING. In 1957, I started a corn
milling plant producing glucose and cornstarch. Why cornstarch? Because I
thought--and it turned out, correctly--that the unglamorous cornstarch would
be in great demand from better known businesses like textiles, paper, ice cream,
pharmaceuticals, and beer.

But there was one problem: I needed capital. That was not easy. I was 30, had
no big company success to back me up, and I didn't know any bankers.

Thankfully, Dr. Albino Sycip, then chairman of China Bank, and DK Chiong, then
president, gave me a clean loan of P500,000 to start my business. He would be
asked later why he did that and he said something about knowing a good man
when he saw one. (Maybe he knew something I didn't.) Anyway, from there
Universal Corn Products, the predecessor of Universal Robina Corporation, was born.

Of course, the bigger cornstarch players did not give us an easy time. They
engaged us in a price war. That is a nice way of saying they tried to kill us
by selling low.

But we prevailed, and started to get clients like San Miguel Corporation. It
was my first real taste of competition. And I liked it. I think THAT first experience
prepared me for the bigger, tougher competitors in my future.

By 1961, cornstarch was becoming a commodity, and I saw that there was no
future in a business where we had to keep lowering margins to survive.

It was time to get into the bigger, and riskier, game played by big multinationals
like Procter and Gamble and Nestle. I saw that all they did to capture the market
was to brand their products, for instance their coffee and their toothpaste. That is,
give their coffee and toothpaste a name, a face, and an image that customers would
instantly recognize and identify with quality. Me, I dreamt that one day I would be the
Philippine Nestle or General Foods. So the Manufacturing Age for me was giving way to
the AGE of BRANDS.

So, we put up CFC, and our first successful product was Blend 45, an instant coffee
we put out to directly compete with Nestle's Nescafe. We positioned it as "the poor
man's coffee," hired top movie star Susan Roces to endorse it, and employed Procter
-and-Gamble veterans to sell it. Basically, we took a page out of the multinational book,
and applied it to our business. We gave our coffee, snack food, candy, and chocolates
a name, a face, an image. Today, Jack and Jill, Max candy, and Cloud 9 have become
household names.

It was also at this time that I returned to school for an MBA--with all due respect to
the Jesuits, at De La Salle University--and a decade later, for a 14-week advanced
management program at Harvard. Going back to the university for studies which war
had interrupted gave me an appreciation, believe me, for the beauty and the breadth
of business life. This is something I believe I would never have gained if I had
chosen to stop my education.

The success of URC opened up many opportunities for our group. We had the
choice to focus on food where we were very successful-or to pursue other
businesses. We decided that there were too many good opportunities to pass up,
and that remaining in our comfort zone would stunt our growth. So we got into the
Age of Expansion.

For the next two decades, we pursued businesses that answered positive
on FOUR CRUCIAL QUESTIONS.

First: Is there a market?

Second: Could we compete against both local and foreign players?

Third: Could we find the right people for the job and did we have enough
capital to pursue the business?

Last and most important: Did we have the stomach for it? That is, could we
take the sleepless nights, the cutthroat competition?

We went into textiles, retail, real estate, telecommunications, aviation,
banking, and petrochemicals because we said YES to all those questions.
Still, in all those industries, we were faced with tough and worthy competitors:
the mighty SM Department Stores and Malls, the unbeatable PLDT, the
entrenched Philippine Airlines and the powerful San Miguel Corporation. Most
pundits expected us to fail. They were wrong. Robinsons Stores and Mall, Digitel,
Cebu Pacific Air and Universal Robina Corporation are now market leaders in their
respective fields.

That's because they offered the public a choice.

Remember the story of David and Goliath? Every industry has its Goliath.
But every David knows that all giants have their weaknesses. Every
weakness is an opportunity.

In a few months, we will launch our mobile services to compete with two
giants, Globe and Smart. Our stomachs are churning for sure, but we know
that we faced similar challenges before, and we are hopeful we can prove
the pundits wrong again.

In the past decade, which is one-sixth of my entire business life, the company
has tripled in size. This was the decade when our companies raised money from
the global equity and debt markets, brought our companies public, and hired the
best professionals to run them. In six decades, we grew from a one-man team to
a group with 30,000 employees.

Now I am in what you can probably call the AGE of GLOBALIZATION. I am always
asked where I stand on this issue. I say that it does NOT matter where I stand
because as sure as the Ateneo Basketball Team will win next year's UAAP championship,
global barriers will come crashing down, and we have no choice but to prepare ourselves for that.

Still, our company will not take globalization sitting down. OUR future and the
country's depend on how we act now. JG operates branded food concerns in
Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Hongkong, China, and soon, Vietnam.
We also sell our snack foods in India, Korea, and Taiwan--one of the few ASEAN
companies to do so.

In a few years, when foreign products find their way into OUR shopping carts
as they already have, we want Piattos and Chippy to find their way into THEIR
shopping carts as well. Our dream is to be the first group to plant the Philippine
flag throughout Asia.

As I look back, I ask myself, "What if I had stopped at cornstarch?" I would
probably be the owner of the biggest cornstarch group in the country today
or just as possibly, be broke.

But I chose to live my life unafraid even during times when I WAS afraid.
I discovered that opportunities don't find you;/ you find your opportunities.
I found those opportunities when MY FATHER PASSED AWAY, WHEN WAR CAME,
THROUGH CHANGES IN PRESIDENTS AND THEIR POLICIES, DURING MARTIAL LAW,
DESPITE COUP DE ETATS, PAST ECONOMIC BOOMS AND BUSTS, AND IN THE MIDST
OF MARKET SHIFTS AND MOVEMENTS.

Now I'm 75 and retired. And funny, but I often wonder what ever happened to my
first bike! The bike that was my companion during those first years when my family
had lost everything. I wonder where it is now? That bike reminds me that 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. These have never been just easy slogans for me. I have lived by them.

I hope that many of you in this room will some day choose to be entrepreneurs.
Choose to be entrepreneur because then YOU create value. Choose to be an
entrepreneur because the products, services, and jobs you create then become
the lifeblood of our nation. But most of all, choose to be an entrepreneur
because then you desire a life of adventure, endless challenge, and the
opportunity to be your BEST SELF.

Thank you.

[smurky]

THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO MASTER TO GET WEALTHY! (by Malcolm P)

You know... there are hundreds and hundreds
of ways out there to get wealthy.

In fact, there are more ways to get wealthy
than there are eBooks, programs, and seminars
about getting wealthy.

But if you really, absolutely want to reach
your goal of getting wealthy, or any other goal
for that matter, then you have to know this one
thing that will ensure that you will get there:

YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR GOAL A MUST!

It shouldn't just be a want. You have to think,
"I must get it. I will do whatever it takes to get
it. I can't live if I don't get it."

I'm sure you've had a time in your life when you
wanted something so badly, you couldn't sleep
until you got it.

Or even if you did sleep, you would dream about
it.

If you want to be wealthier, you have to be
thinking that way...

Think along the lines of, "I must get my first
million. I will do whatever it takes to get there.
I can't live if I don't get my first million."

If you start thinking like that, nothing can stop
you.

You know why?

Because you wouldn't care about the obstacles
you'll be facing!

No matter how big they are, you'd just go there
and fight them with all your might. All you would
care about is reaching that goal!

Okay, let's see how this rule applies to anything:

Let's say you want to get thinner.

You want to get thinner because you want to
look more attractive.

But you usually think, "Oh, I'm pretty or
handsome enough anyway. Just got a few bulges
here and there."

If you think like that, then you wouldn't have
enough motivation.

You would probably try to go on a diet or do
some exercises but after a while, you'd think,
"What the heck, I'm fine. I don't want to do this
anymore. I don't need to do this."

But what if you went to the doctor one day and
he tells you that you need to start working out
and eating the right food or else you'll die within
a year...

What do you think you're going to do?

You're going to start working out and eating
right faithfully, of course!

Why?

Because you absolutely need to. Because you
have no choice. You have no choice but to act on
it in order to survive.

This principle is also the reason a lot of
successful millionaires or billionaires say that
you need to get bankrupt at least once in your
life.

If you get bankrupt, then you start acting on
your own. Then you start letting go of your
inhibitions.

Once you get bankrupt, you don't care about
anything anymore -- you willingly step out of your
comfort zone to go out there and fight.

That's what bankruptcy does. That's what
happens when you have no choice. That's what
need teaches you.

I really hope you don't have to get involved in
a life-threatening situation before you learn
this. You don't have to get into one.

You just have to want your goal so badly that
you've convinced yourself that you absolutely need
it in your life. That you can't live without
reaching it.

That you think about it all the time. Heck, you
even dream about it!

If you think like that, nothing would ever stop
you.

If you're this committed to getting what you
want, then you wouldn't let failures affect you.

You would get up as fast as you can from it and
fight again.

People who give up easily are the ones who
don't find the need to do what they have to do to
reach their goal.

They give up at the first sign of hardship.

Quitting is the easiest thing to do. It's so easy
when you just want something but not need it. But
if you need something, then quitting is not an
option at all.

You can't quit on exercise and a healthy diet
if your life depended on it. Even if you want to,
right?

Or you can't quit on rising from bankruptcy if
loan sharks are out to get you already, right?

The moment something becomes a 'want' instead
of a 'must', you will rarely achieve it.

You will always find a way to put it off or to
quit at the first sign of resistance.

Successful people are not born with luck or even
discipline or focus. You know what makes them
successful?

The way they make their goals a must for
themselves. They're not willing to accept anything
less than the best.

If your dreams and your goals are an absolute
must like that, and they're not just fanciful
wants; if you can't ever live without them and
you're absolutely committed to do whatever it
takes to get there, then you will no doubt achieve
your dream.

You will no doubt achieve what you want. You
will no doubt achieve that first million of yours.
It's already right there just waiting for you to
get to it.

Now, all you have to do is to make sure that
you do it the right way: legally and ethically, of
course.

[gr8pinay]

thanks for sharing! here's what i got from an email:

Freedom of Simplicity
By Bo Sanchez

Happiness is not found outside of you. It doesn't come from cars,
clothes,cash, or Caribbean cruises. Happiness is found within.
But how can you find it if you don't have the simplicity of time
and space to discover the most important things in your life?

How can you search the depths of your soul if you are too busy
impressing others, acquiring wealth, protecting your properties, and
paying your debts?

Simplicity is not about the external either: living in a doghouse,
eating in Hepatitis joints, wearing rags.

Let me define what it is: Simplicity is living from the core of your being.

A TREASURE MAP OF HAPPINESS

Simplicity will point to you where and what and who the gold is in your life.
Let me share with you the seven powerful lessons I've learned on simple living:

1. LIVE ON LESS, AND DELIGHT IN THEM MORE

Some take their pleasure dining in classy restaurants, trips to Europe ,
and owning the latest home theater-equipment. I've chosen the simple path:
If I can simply be with my wife, or take a quiet stroll under a canopy of stars,
or play with a child, or read a good book in my home, or laugh with friends
over a pizza, I consider myself richly blessed.

Focus on what you have and not on what you don't have.

2. STOP RUNNING AND WALK INSTEAD

Here's the truth: The person who has covered the greatest distance does
NOT win, but the one who has most enjoyed the journey does. Stop
running around chasing your own tail!

Get off your hurried pace and learn to breathe. Replace doing with
being. Learn to say no to invitations, appointments, and commitments,
activities and events that will rob you of your focus. Learn to say
"yes" to rest, to tranquility, to quietness.

3. YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR WEALTH

I own very few things today. Because I am more than the brand of my
watch,the logo of my shoes, the name of my car. I believe that if in my soul
I deeply respect and value myself, people around me will sense that, and they too,
will value and respect me-whether I'm wearing Armani or not.

You are more than your wealth.

4. AVOID BUYING ON CREDIT

I don't believe in borrowing from credit cards. (For convenience, I use one card
but I pay the whole amount at the end of each month.) If I need something really bad,
I save up for it. Sometimes, at midpoint, I realize I don't really need the darn thing
and give up the whole idea. The only exception I feel we should enter into a
credit is when buying a non-depreciating item, such as housing or land.
I believe we should always live within our earning capacity.

Proverbs 22:7 says, "Those who borrow are slaves of moneylenders. "

5. GIVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

If I content myself with P250 shirt instead of P4,000 Lacoste, I can help others more.
Trust me, there is immense pleasure! You will find that the empty thrill of owning a
diamond ring on your finger pales in comparison to the joy of handing a
piece of bread to an orphan child.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times,
having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." -2 Corinthians 9:8

The Old Testament of tithing, or giving 10% of your income is a good guideline to follow.
The New Testament challenges us to give with a cheerful heart. (When you're cheerful,
you may give more than 10%!) Make it a habit.

6. SAVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

Saving is essential to being good stewards of the money that God "lends" to us.
Saving is an important way of providing for our future-both for our needs and
to be generous to others. I recommend that you save at least 10% of your income.
I can almost hear you now: "Bo, that's impossible!" Oh yeah? Well, how did you
live three years back when your salary was one-half its present amount?"
Sacrifice. Many of our needs are actually wants. Is cable TV a need? Will you
suddenly die if you can't watch CNN or HBO? Are those new golf clubs essential
to your existence? Invest in time deposits, long-term stocks and housing.

7. BUDGET, BUDGET, BUDGET

Make a list of all your monthly expenses, according to categories. Make also a list
of irregular expenses-those that don't come monthly. Set up another savings account
for these expenses and put in a little money each month. To differentiate this from
the savings account, we call ours "freedom account" because it frees us from worrying
about them when they suddenly attack. And stick to your budget!

ONE LAST WORD BEFORE WE CLOSE

Balance.

Don't take living simply to the extremes! Living simply doesn't mean living in deprivation.
There are special days when my wife and I eat in a fancy restaurant. Or, when we splurge on a
vacation. Very rare, yes, but my point is that you take living simply NOT as a rigid goal-
but as a happy process towards the goals of generosity, inner peace and holiness.

May God bless you.