The Motivational Killer

I began working for the Sales Department in my company in 2010. Back then it was only 3 of us and we hustled. My Sales Director worked around the clock and keeping up with him was hard and almost impossible, but very rewarding. Sometimes I would have to work on the weekends, very late at night or early in the morning, it didn’t matter though because I realized that my boss would never asked me something that he wasn’t willing to do (he worked almost 24/7 that whole year) and my hard work never went unnoticed. For example, if I showed up late one day because I knew I was going to stay late or had stayed late the day before he didn’t mind or if I needed to leave early to do a personal errand on any given day he was OK with it. He just wanted me to make sure that my work was being well done regardless how I was doing it. It was a win-win situation and he definitely won my respect & loyalty

But then along came Polly (HR). She wasn’t mean, only a bit inexperience and lacked PEOPLE’S SKILLS. She went by the book most of the time and forgot that she was dealing with unique human beings. I had gotten used to showing up late but she made her mission to changed that. I seriously felt harassed if I was late even by 5 minutes – thus making my mornings miserable.

I admit I like to sleep, and even more than that, I like to take my time in the mornings to have breakfast, shower and start my day without a rush so I can have clarity and peace of mind. But with the insistence of HR that I needed to be there on time I began skipping breakfast and began hating to go to work.

Reasoning with her was like reasoning with a Cinderella’s insensitive stepmother. Every suggestion or request was met with a stern NO. She killed any desires I had to work in the company. I no longer had the attitude of “lets give my all” but instead it went to “9-5pm, Monday- Friday, Please don’t bother me after”.

Why? Because I felt unappreciated. I felt that as a human she didn’t understand nor care to understand my situation(s). But most importantly, I felt I was just a THING, a NUMBER, a ROBOT, a SLAVE. My value as a person did not exist and all that she wanted was for me to do my work at the hours that I was supposed to because they were paying me.

Like Simon Sinek wisely said IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND PEOPLE, YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND BUSINESS. And unfortunately HR only knew books, theory, and laws.

I still struggle to get up in the morning but I am consciously learning how to NEVER deal with future employees. I am spending a lot of energy working on my attitude rather than spending it on doing quality work but its OK, one day I know I will have people under me and I hope to NEVER kill their motivation or desires to come to work.

If you have people under you – please learn to see their value and ask yourself, WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE SURE THEY STAY MOTIVATED? Don’t be afraid to pamper or treat them right. You might be surprise the quality of work they can do and their loyalty to you.

If you have insensible bosses (or HR, like me) – You are not alone and if you can, try to get out of it because you are worth far more. But if you cant or have to stay there for a little bit longer, then try to give your best regardless. Your time will come. I promise. Just be patient. #ALWAYSDOWHATSRIGHT #INTEGRITY.

DECISIONS

I’ve heard people say “life is too complicated” but I see life quite the opposite “its freaking simple”. The law of cause & effect makes it so darn simple – Do you want to have more money? spend less than what you earn. Do you want you lose weight? Eat less and exercise more. Do you want to be happy? Focus on giving to others than on getting for yourself. Do you want to have a partner? Go out and look for him/her. And so on…

 What I believe to be complicated in life is doing what we need to do to get the right outcome. THAT’S CALLED MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION. THAT’S CALLED HARD WORK. But it is very rewarding.

 Often times though we take the easy road and end up making really bad decisions. Don’t despair, life is not over. You can always get back on track but it will be harder work.

One of my favorite sayings is  “A year from now you will wish you had started today”. Theres nothing more constant than the sun, so trust me, that year WILL COME and along with it will be the benefits of the decisions you make TODAY. Whether good or bad, if you are alive for March 26, 2013 – You wil be living with the outcome of today’s decisions. So take a moment today and ask yourself, DO I WANT A BETTER TOMORROW BY WORKING HARD TODAY? OR DO I WANT A COMPLICATED TOMORROW BY TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT RIGHT NOW?

 Life is meant to be lived. So lived it well. #HARDWORK #WISDOM

#Remember

Often times we come across great advice, ideas, tips that might help us improve or even change our lives but we forget too quickly about them. And so we let the momentum of a wise word simmer and go to the back of our mind without causing an impact. That’s why its so important to REMEMBER.

REMEMBER a universal truth (value)
REMEMBER your non-negotiables (principle)
REMEMBER your dream (goal)

As humans we tend to forget too quickly so the best way to learn how to REMEMBER is to constantly keep these things in our mind. A practical and easy way to do it is to get a 5×5 card , write down KEY WORDS that remind you of a goal, principle, value, advice, ideam,etc, and carry it with you so you can be constantly reminded & guided..

 For example, if I want to remember my purpose in life I write, QOL & SDG. That’s it. It’s short and simple but those 6 letters mean the world to me and have the power to change the direction of any decision I am about to take  (I should get them tattooed). And because we are now in a more modern world, remembering has never been easier. We can HASHTAG our values “Today is a great day! #Gratitude”, We can also share with others our goals “I am running a 5k in two weeks”. Or take a picture that reminds us about something that we don’t want to forget.

So I implore to you, realize that we are humans and forgetfulness is in our DNA, however, with a little effort we can take in the wisdom around us and have a better Quality of Life.  #REMEMBER.

¹² So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. ¹³ I think it is right to refresh your memory… 2 Peter 1:12-13

Why I am not buying the new Iphone 4S

I am an apple person.

It all began with the creation of ITUNES — freaking genius when they decided to give us songs not albums. Right now as I type I am listening to a playlist composed of The Holiday & Darjeeling Limited’s soundtracks, Electrotango and two songs of Jeff Buckley. Each song has been carefully selected (and paid in full) to inspired and get my writing juices flowing.

I am also writing on my MacBook Pro (with its awesome orange cover). Its way faster and better to look & use than any laptop out there.

Next to me is my ipad nano which I bought this weekend JUST BECAUSE I want to start running. I have my playlist ready and all that I need to do is strap it on my wrist and get going. I’ve been going to the gym but been finding hard to stick to cardio for more than 10 mins because I get bored easily, so I KNOW that this lil’ guy will HELP me stick to my fitness goals and plus I got an orange one with a white wristband – Im gonna be fit AND stylish too.

Just now, I got a facebook notification on my Iphone 4. I cant even begin to describe how much I use/need/want this phone in my life. Apple has really improved my daily tasks overall BUT I AM NOT GETTING THE NEW IPHONE 4S.

WHY?

Because I dont care for a dual processor nor a split on the antenna. See, every Apple product that has come out, from the first macintosh up to the Iphone 4, Apple has been successful at communicating its use and its efficiency in our lives. I am afraid and sad to say that it failed to do so with the Iphone 4S. I am not an engineer nor a tech savvy person so when Apple comes out and says IT HAS A DUAL PROCESSOR! my reaction is “blank stare”. Honestly, with the new IOS system on my perfectly fine Iphone 4 I dont see the nedd to buy the 4S (even though the S could potentially stand for Shaq).

Until I understand HOW its going to benefit me, I dont want nor care for that phone.

The same goes with everything in life – we need to learn to understand the needs of others. People will buy your product and/or services when they can feel that what you have to offer will help them.

Why I Work Out

I began working out for two main reasons.

The first one was for my health. I have a hormonal imbalance problem and the best way to keep this in check is by reducing my stress level and working out.

The second was for a personal goal. On 11.11.11 I want to be on the top of a high mountain so for that I need to get in good shape.

Those WERE the reasons I started working out but now my hormones are balanced (lol) and I’m actually going to be in Bolivia for 11.11.11 so I dont need to climb any big mountain anymore. So what keeps me going?

BELIEF.

Not the belief that it is good for me, but the belief that my trainer has in me every time I go for a workout. He makes me do some crazy and hard stuff, for the most part I think he is the crazy one for making me do it. I always swear that one day I’m going to collapse on a push up or fall off from the ball (that hasnt happened yet). He keeps pushing me to my limit because he thinks I can do it and THAT energizes me.

My whole point with this is the following, there’s an unexplainable energy that comes when someone (specially an expert in their field) believes in you. So take this as a two way street. Who needs your belief? And… are you surrounded by people who believe in you?

I hope you can answer these two questions this week and feel the energy that comes from it.

One more thing.. I do believe in you.

Overload

I’ve been reading alot lately.

Mother Theresa
Nelson Mandela
Seth Godin
John C Maxwell
Peter Rollins
Dr. Tim Elmore
blogs, news, twitter

They make up my week and give me useful information on life, leadership, love, wisdom, philosophy, God, time management, etc.
I REALLY enjoy analyzing and dissecting every single principle & it’s application. My life has been enriched, theres no doubt. But sometimes I feel like Solomon “MEANINGLESS…EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS”. Sometimes I feel I get an overload and it just doesnt make sense anymore. I’m feeding my intellectual brain but starving my soul, my heart — the part in me that needs relationships, touch and a good laugh.

I am reminded of Matthew 16:26

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

I try hard to find the balance, to put down the book when I feel that my soul is crying. Society tells you to continue, to hustle, and it actually rewards those who have spent most of their lives with their noses between textbooks. If you have a brilliant mind, by all means, get a freaking PhD. But if you are like me – with an average mind – learn from the cry of my soul and put down your ambitions to gain back your soul. What good will it be if you obtained the highest honor an intellectual/business leader/entrepreneur/[insert your own ambition here] gets but end up without a family, without friends, without love, without wrinkles in your face caused by laughter… and even worse, without being at peace with your Maker?

The Father who Failed

There was once a brilliant man who had a remarkable worked ethic. Since his youth whatever he did was with excellence, so it was no surprise that the company he began grew in number and fortune. This man had a wife and 3 sons. His sons enjoyed growing up in the “family business” but each had a distinct personality. The man was mightly proud of each one of them and encouraged their independence.  The company knew nothing but success, however,  at the age of 45, this man made a risky move and partnered with another successful person. The partnership began as a good thing but in two years they realized that they were different. The man worked hard and his standard of excellence was set up very high. The other successful man rode off the successes of others and barely had an original thought, less a good working ethic. After 8 years of partnership and having lost alot of the company’s fortune, both men decided it was time to part ways.

The man, the father,  had failed.

He had made a risk and bold moved that made him lose half of his fortune. His sons, all grown up and in college, knew that their father didnt have the energy nor the time to start from zero. So they came back home. One by one began to work along side their father. Through trial and error, they began to polish each other’s character. Through perseverance and lessons from the past, they stirred the company into a new era. Thankfully, the foundation that was laid was a good one, so it was only a matter of time when they began to see the fruit of their hard work. The sons, as independent as they were, understood the culture of the company and with their father’s guidance each became successful. The father had failed in business but succeeded in what mattered the most; passing the baton of greatness, hard work, integrity and honesty to his 3 sons.

What would had happened if the father had never taken a risk? Maybe he would have never known failure and he would have died a successful business man. But also, he wouldnt have been able to teach his sons through his example and guidance the true character of a successful person.

I WANT TO FAIL

It’s been long since I posted in here.
I really havent had something meaningful to write and I refuse to waste mine or anyone else’s time, so I rather keep quiet. However, today is different. Today I want to write my first of many manifestos.

Today I want to fail.

I want to fail because it would mean that I am doing something.
I want to fail because it would mean that I am learning.
I want to fail because I want to move on.

I’ve had many projects on my plate and its been taking a long time to get it off to a start because I’ve been so careful in planning each step. But now that those steps are set in place, its time to put them into motion. I know I will fail at some point, and when that happens GOOD. I will learn and move on. I guess failing will be my measuring stick. When I fail, I know I am moving forward. Keyword: MOVING. So let’s start failing.

Open Letter to Mr. Gutfeld from the RED EYE

March 23, 2011

I read your column on Evo Morales and Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize. Though I am not a supporter of neither I am objective and also respectful of the human race, hence my reason of writing.

The way you start your column “So Evo Morales, the Bolivian president (yes, one exists)…” is arrogance at its best. No wonder  why other nations hate us. This type of sarcasm shows an arrogance and superiority that is a characteristic of a selfish “Yankee”. Please, let’s never forget for one second that we are blessed to have been born in a country where freedom and an opportunity for a good quality of life are at our fingertips. We should be tankful not arrogant.

The continuation of your column shows your ignorance. I hope that no Bolivian reads this since they will be having a great laugh at your expense. For your information, a hectares is equal to 2.471 acre – 1,000 square meters (in case you don’t understand acres either). You accuse Bolivia of being the “world’s third largest purveyors of cocaine”. Seriously? Tell me it was a typo and you meant to write COCA LEAF, because a coca leaf is very different from the cocaine drug. You should go down to Bolivia and visit the Altiplano, I am sure you’ll be thankful for the Coca Tea or the Coca Candy, because let me tell you, the altitude is a killer and the coca leaf really relieves  the altitude sickness. Or how about if you go a few feet under and work all day in their mines, chewing a coca leaf will suppress your appetite. See, the Bolivians, especially those that live in the Altiplano region NEED the coca leaf. Of course, theres the other side of the coin where there are people from all over the world and in Boliva, too, that cultivate it to make the drug we all call like to call cocaine, but to say that they are the third largest purveyor of cocaine is just plain WRONG and IGNORANT.

I do not agree with Evo’s political agenda nor stance but he does raise a point “How is it possible that a Nobel Peace Prize winner leads a gang to attack and invade?”. And I agree with you, Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize was premature. We should have given him more time to show his character and later, if deserved, award him with this prize. But to put down a nation, to call them purveyors of cocaine, to make fun of their president is completely unethical, wrong and well – sometimes I think its very American. You do nothing to shed the image we have with the world. Your arrogance and ignorance confirms what I had always feared – even educated Americans  have their eyes close to the world.

So I write to tell you, please, next time choose your words carefully and take your time to understand the culture of another country before attacking and belittling them.

Sincerely,

Susan Guerra

Learning to see Love

I once read that if you go down at the very bottom of a well and look up to the sky, you will see lots and lots of stars.

Is that how love is?

You get into a deep well, you dont try to get out but stay in. You learn  to love the smell of damp rocks, old dirt and even though there is a rope you stay.
Your eyes learn to see in the dark place. The cold you felt becomes a cool breeze to your face caressing your cheeks.
After a long time you look up – and behold, a miracle before your eyes – thousands of bright stars! Some are big, some are small. They vary in color and shape but they are gorgeous.

Maybe love is learning to see past the other person’s imperfections. Embracing his talents and learning to accept the different points of view.

And then after a while you see him with different eyes.
You see him with love.