The Discomfort of Change

"Doing things the same way over and over expecting a different result is insanity!"

People always say change is difficult and yes sometimes I agree with this. The most difficult changes in life are the one that you don't see coming. But should change be really difficult? Life changes are a test of character, test of your own self and it puts you where you are not used to living. I have to credit my mentor who by the way is a female self-made millionaire at the young age of 22. She said change is not difficult rather change is uncomfortable. It is hard to be taught by someone younger than you are but when I met her I was an empty cup with my back against the wall, I heard her story and her story is so similar to mine though in my mind more difficult. Back in 2007, 2 months before graduation a tragedy struck her family, her father the primary breadwinner died of cancer being first born she was put to the test having a housewife for a mom and a still student sister during that time and mind this her parents are living in LA while she was here she even described the situation being she is an OFW here while her family is in USA. Given that she is a nationalist because she is a product of UP she decided to stay here. She was pushed in a situation and a position of a huge change. She was given a responsibility that was not her choice.

Most people will crumble at this situation but my mentor is resilient and determined. She knows she can only provide results and not excuses in the face of adversity where quitting is not an option.

 Another true story of a young woman who overcame a life changing event to be one of the youngest millionaires in the Philippines. At the age of 18 while in between semester in college her dad left her and get this he is the only one she has in her life. She literally was alone(she is Japanese), she has no relatives just friends in Manila. She had a choice as well to adapt to the change, live and prosper or crumble. Guess what choice she made? At 24 years old currently she earns an average of 2 million pesos a month, married, has 3 kids and has a wonderful family. Now I believe that is success.

 So by now you are asking how they did it. It is very normal to ask yourself that question nothing wrong with that but the real question you should be asking is WHY they did that. Just imagine you are on the way to some family reunion and you are running a bit late you want to attend to and haven't seen your family in a while and as you drive the way to go to the reunion is blocked by a minor road accident that occurred just 5 minutes before. Now you call your folks asking how they got there and they told you about the way, little did they know an accident happened after they have passed the way. By now your "how" has been nullified, that how is no longer valid but you still have your "WHY", why you should be there. If something similar happened to you in your life did you stop? Did you go back to where you came from and quit? Or did you asked around and found a new way?

 You see there are changes in life that happens to us, some we see some we don't, some we want some we hate, but these changes happen and sometimes we need those changes especially when we are going nowhere. Changes are not difficult it is just uncomfortable. Just like anything in life there is a first time and what we do is we accept this change and we adapt!

 For example you broke your arm due to a roller blading accident, do you deny it happened or you accept it and seek medical help? Same with any changes in life we need to accept it, understand it and adapt to it because if we know our "WHY" then all we need to is find a way and go through it!

 The fact is sometimes we have to go out of our comfort zones for a better future, for a better destination and for a better life. If we want something better in life we have to introduce a good change in our lives.

 Introduce a change, accept the change and adapt to the change!

 And:

The Demise of my Ipod, A collection since 2006 gone.... And finally the rebirth of my IPod

The Demise of my Ipod Songs, A collection since 2006 gone....

My iTunes suddenly turned on the sync mode and that was that I lost all my songs in my Ipod Video 6 years’ worth of songs and playlist gone with the wind. I felt my heart broke and my stomach dropped I didn't feel like listening to any music even if it is the same I want to hear it from my Ipod. It was a huge loss my Ipod has been a part of my life for six long years it has been with me with all my out of town and out of country trips. It has comforted be during long walks, hard commutes and Manila traffic. In a few seconds it was all gone. It was like a haymaker thrown at my jaw and I got Knocked out I didn't see it coming.

Given that my Ipod is old, I don't even know what generation it is all I know is it is Ipod video 30gig that is it. It has been broken all these years but I got it restored simply because I love it, it is my partner. People jog with their dogs I jog with my Ipod, I work out with it, I drive with it, heck I listen to it while taking a dump and the list goes on and on.

My playlist is like my mood I have a rocking playlist when I feel like energetic or want to be energetic; I usually use this at the gym. I have my shindig playlist I play this when I feel like partying or dancing, yeah I do that after years of clubbing last decade it got to me. I have my sentimental playlist I listen to this when I feel in love or I want to share my love and maybe relax look forward to a great date. I have my classical playlist I use this at work to keep me focused and mentally stimulated while working. My classical playlist is so valuable ever since I used it my efforts at work were greatly rewarded with praises, promotion and increase. And lastly I have my sleep playlist, a collection that helps me sleep at night and during powernap to give me peace.

I looked around at my community (which I will not name for now), I saw time passed me by my IPod is obsolete; people use Iphones and ITouch to listen to their music. Same with work I don't see people use my IPod model even at the gym nobody uses it anymore it too big for a workout session. It got me thinking maybe I should get an ITouch it has better features, larger screen display and I can watch better movies.

I tried looking at sulit.com for used ITouch that are in good condition. I thought about getting those since they are cheaper and I trust Apple I know those things are made to last. The second hand Itouch I saw are all loaded with the owner's songs and playlists I got excited for something new. The Itouch has a lot more to offer than my old IPod, I can imagine the fun I will have with it, playing better games instead of the old solitaire, watching clearer movies and so on. Suddenly I refreshed my memory of my old IPod it has a movie feature too hence the name IPod video, I remember the times I loaded simpsons episodes there and watched it during late night commute since back in 06 I finish work at 11pm. How long did I use that feature and I remember not a while it was the music that really mattered to me in the long run. Not the pictures not the movies but the music! My music!

So I reflected on it should I rush buying an Itouch something that will make me feel really good and excited in the beginning maybe a few months. What is the use of the new Itouch really... Yeah I will get to listen to something new maybe some of the songs there are songs that I used to have as well but all in all the loaded ITouch has a different character compared to my old IPod. It is simply not me and it will not influence me in some way because in the long run I have been developed by my own choices. In a few months I will just be looking for my Ipod in that Itouch and will realize I have wasted money on something that is not for me. I miss my Ipod.

I have decided to understand that my songs are gone but who I am isn't. I accepted that fact and finally I started rebuilding my old Ipod, remembering the best music before that I always play and listen too, I looked for them. One by one, artist by artist, genre by genre I am building my Ipod for the better. I realized my past mistakes and checked my internal settings turning off the sync permanently so no matter where I plug my Ipod the itunes of my friend, the itunes of my mom, brother, sister will not change who my Ipod is. My Ipod's music can be heard and listened too who ever uses it and each itunes it attaches too it can get some good music from the owner of that itunes making it better too.

I have learned all is not lost, it is just time to refresh, learn and understand that I am in charge of who I am should I choose something that is not me in a rush because of a loss or wait relax sit down and realized what I have lost write it down search for it because in reality the songs lost were never lost it was just not in my ipod at that time and I can regain it make my ipod better than it has ever been.

 

Your main weapon: Your mind!

When you think about the greatest person for something particular like Basketball: Jordan, Golf: Tiger Woods, Hockey: Wayne Gretsky, Bodybuilding: Arnold Schwarzenegger and so on and so forth, you see their success because of their accomplishments and how they look presently. Underneath all those things, hidden behind those countless trophies and medals is a story. Stories of failures turned into success, when you see Michael Jordan you see his 6 rings of championships his MVP trophies and all his success but you see he has failed a lot early in life. He tried and tried to beat his older brother in a backyard basketball game and failed miserably. With that story he is a loser but underneath all those losses he is a winner in his mind because he refused to quit, he believed that if he can beat his brother he will be the best in the world! And indeed he was. Jordan was never the best player in his student years but in his mind he was, he never stopped practicing, he still shoots balls when his teammates are on the way home. When his dad calls him home from their backyard he tells his dad "just one more shot pop!". From then he has always wanted the last shot, the game winning shot, he is very confident on his shot to win the game.

 Tiger Woods is just the wrong combination of a person in his sport during his humble beginnings. He is both black and Asian in a white dominated sport, Michael Jordan even at the height of his fame in the 90s during offseason plays golf intensely but was being discriminated in some golf clubs because he is black. Imagine Tiger Woods from early in his career as a golf prodigy versus a white dominated sport there will always be challenges but Tiger's play has inspired and motivated all sorts of people on this planet. He never let his color be an issue with his achievements in golf thus becoming the greatest player in the history of golf.

 Wayne Gretsky the greatest player of hockey started competing at age six with teams consisting of 10 year old players; imagine the physical disparity not to mention experience. But as great as Wayne was it was never an issue to him, it never crossed his mind that he can't compete with these older kids. And truth be told he just plainly dominated them. Wayne became the best despite the fact that he didn’t have the physical attributes needed in the game of hockey. He is too skinny for a sport of nonstop contact and pain yet he accepted this challenge and became the best.

 Arnold Schwarzenegger is an all-time successful athlete, celebrity, entrepreneur and politician. During Arnold's time in the 70s the era of the hippies it was very uncommon to go to the gym and lift weights, if you remember all the athletes during this era and prior to this decade like M. Ali, A. Jabbar, R. Marciano, Joe Louis, W. Chamberlain, B. Russell, Babe Ruth, Olympians and all of the other athletes they just trained and practiced with their own sport. Arnold brought bodybuilding as a necessity to all athletic sport there is. He brought new limits to all athletes there is. Because of him a new age of modern super athletes arrived, athletes became more muscular, more conditioned and more explosive: Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Carl Lewis. Even actors became humungous stars started to lift weights and appear bigger than life on screen like Sly Stallone, heck even current stars like Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt, Mark Wahlberg go to the gym and shape themselves up for movie roles.

 Back to Arnold, before all his success and influence on the whole world he had his share of naysayers he was told he will not be able to make it in Hollywood because of his accent. He was told his surname is too difficult to pronounce and with that he can't be a star and he just looks to different compared to other actors. But in Arnold's mind he has always believed that bodybuilding is his key to success in Hollywood, he was inspired by big figures such as rulers and leaders like kings and religious figures such as Jesus, Hitler, Caesar etc. At some point he knew that these figures were hated but was not stopped and he wanted to be like that. He tried and tried, he failed and failed but he never stopped preparing for success and when he saw his window that was it he became a movie star one of the biggest earners in Hollywood who most of the current action stars look up to as an inspiration. He became an entrepreneur, he became the governor of California one of the biggest states in America. Quite an accomplishment for someone who is not an American, correct? I thought so.

 So what do this ‘greatest’ people have in common, is it their physical attributes? Jordan was short in his varsity years before he had a growth spurt; Arnold was a skinny teen before his bodybuilding. Wayne is skinny as well Tiger is black, is it because they were rich heck no? It is their MIND!!! They believed their biggest muscle is their mind. They never feared failure, they knew in order to succeed one must fail and get up to try again. They found a way because they believed there is always one. They never listened to naysayers saying they can't do it instead they just used it to prove them wrong. When you are seeing no success no improvement never dwell on your failure. There is always two sides on things up and down, right and wrong, left and right, positive and negative. So never dwell on the negative because the positive is just around the corner. When you fail at something find out why and try to change it. Doing the same things over and over expecting the same result is borderline insanity. This is how Edison succeeded in creating the light bulb.

 So go ahead and fail, learn from it do something different and SUCCEED! No matter what the challenge is look at things with positivity. Think outside the box. Look at things differently. Success is around the corner because you have to realize like all the successful people you have the same weapon they have: Your MIND!

My story and motivation for you!

I am writing this guide or motivation article for several reasons number one being I just saw a one handed guy working out a few nights ago at my gym. Secondly I believe in order to be truly healthy I want to have people around me like my family, other love ones and friends to be healthy too.

A little background on my journey I have been actively working out and eating healthy since March of 2005, I can still remember the day I decided to workout. It was the first match of three of Pacquiao vs Morales the broadcaster which was RPN channel 9 at that time showed the weigh in before the fight. It was my first time seeing Pacquiao weigh in and it really shocked me how ripped he was, how no ounce of fat is visible. 

I was a former fatty and clueless on what’s healthy or not. I’d eat loads of unhealthy food, oily stuff and I don’t stop until I feel full. And I have no idea if this was bad or good, I just didn’t care because the food I eat makes me feel good albeit temporarily.

To summarize what my mind told me "If he can do it so can I!". I have these beliefs that if others can do it then so can I no matter what it is. I was also a realist that sometimes I am at an advantage or disadvantage in doing these things, one thing I know is there are different paths to the same goal depending on where we stand. Today we see great people, rich people, people with great bodies as they are, I see them as regular people who someway started from scratch especially people with great bodies and a healthy life they weren't born that way it took them hard work, dedication and a lot of trials and challenges along the way.

There is one advantage people like Pacquiao have clearly over me when he started and it is that success is his only choice from the very beginning, he is a the bottom of the mountain unlike me who is I believe in the middle of it. He had no choice but to climb up while I was complacent at the middle with two directions available up or down.

If we are in a disadvantage or in a dire situation the best thing to do is find the silver lining. We are all taught or at least who went to a few elementary grades of mathematical problem solving. There is always a way to solve something, always always gather the given, always list what you know and identify what really is the problem. With the given we can formulate our approach to the problem our solution to our problem. For example you want to be in better shape, what do you know about yourself, what do you eat? what's your schedule like? What time during the day can you work out? How much do you spend on your daily diet? What can you buy with the same amount that's a healthier option? What can you do to up your budget? What are your expertises you can capitalize on? And the questions and possibilities go on and on and you begin to see the SILVER LINING. You begin to see something you thought that was impossible to something really doable.

My journey to a healthier lifestyle took me years of trial and error, knowledge seeking and practice. I believe I am succeeding in this journey of healthy living as I really do inspire people about self-improvement. I believe that people who succeed in any journey is that they have their eyes on a goal, no matter what path they took right or wrong they know they will learn from it, they stumble they fall they get up. Truly successful people failed in some way or another along the way but their intestinal fortitude to see things to the end was the key. To not to give up and take failures as key lessons in life and the journey they are taking.

Yes I got a six pack and I am proud of it but to be honest with you I don’t have truly good genetics if I based them on how my parents look both of them are obese class 2 or 3 if that is possible. My late dad was 100lbs++ overweight and my mom is almost 100lbs overweight but I never for a second believed that this predetermined on how I'm going to look it motivated me instead to show people you know what I believe I can do this no matter what. Say that to yourself " I’m the best I can do this no matter what anything is possible", never listen to naysayers, negative people I know this is not entirely possible but if you do strive to prove them wrong. 

In your journey of a healthier lifestyle your best asset is a healthy mind and all else will follow. People who are successful have the same mindset; the first step you take is just to believe in the possibility of a greater you.

I will follow up on this post about practical things and specific workouts that can suit your personal goal. Feel free to comment and I will be glad to help you!

Excerpts from my before sunrise story

He covered her with his coat, she felt cold, and Tom wanted to cover Audrey up not just to give her warmth but to suppress her natural seductive body. Audrey's skin turned into gold during that night, Tom had to admit to her that he feels seduced already and can’t stop looking at her breasts that is why he covered her. Audrey said confidently and unaffected “I know you are looking”, she insisted holding Tom’s hands just because it was warm but she held his arm just like they were lovers for a long time. Audrey suddenly said “I am so horny”, Tom was unaffected by this, he likes Audrey even more so now that they have finally gotten together.

Tom thought that he should reserve this for the right moment with Audrey and he felt it wasn’t right and it was not the right time. Audrey repeatedly requested Tom to ask her more questions to get to know her better and told him that it was his chance. Tom tried to concentrate on driving with one hand while the other hand is held by Audrey, he said “let us talk when you wake up and have a proper conversation“. While this is happening Tom thought “this is surreal the girl of my dreams is right beside me, holding my hands already seduced, I don’t know, I care about her, not like this, not like this”. No matter how they stopped themselves the romantic music of fra lippo lippi intensified the moment inside the vehicle they were drawn to each other.

“Here we go, you are home Audrey you need rest”, she doesn’t respond she fell asleep already but still has a firm grip with Tom’s rough hands. Tom decided to take a snooze as well and lay down the driver seat. As soon as that happened Audrey’s head moved on Tom’s chest, she said “your heart is beating so fast”, “it is because of you and I like you so much”. “I don’t believe you” Audrey said and she fell asleep again. Tom just watched her beauty as she lay on the passenger seat she looks even more beautiful asleep, like the face of an angel, little lips, perfectly placed moles while the street light lit her face golden. Tom began stroking her curly Italian hair, her little ears like she is a baby. Tom thought “I want to die happy”, he then began to touch Audrey’s small pouty lips and as he expected it is smooth. Tom went in the proximity for the kiss and like the positive and the negative of a magnet their lips met. The kiss was full of passion, a kiss that was long overdue almost 5 years overdue. Audrey’s tongue is small but it was aggressive, the feeling they have was that they thought everything has shut down there was no time, there was no weather, there was nobody just them sharing their passion for each other. Just as Tom’s hand began to move Audrey grabbed his hand and put in on her perfectly shaped breast, “another surreal moment” he thought. He then put his hand inside Audrey’s blouse and brassier, he touched her pointy nipples and showed it and began to kiss it and lick it with passion. He then went back to kiss her lips and she kissed back with more intensity. Tom’s hand slowly went south thru Audrey’s flat stomach to the insides of her pants. Her pubic region was trimmed, he slowly put his fingers in and Audrey’s body began to quiver, then it jolted with excitement. “Insert more fingers, more fingers, more!!!” Audrey moaned. Tom obediently followed and shut her up with kisses. And finally Tom said “I want to put it in….”, and Audrey replied “let’s go to my room”.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: what is the superior adaptation

I tried watching the Hollywood version of the girl with the dragon tattoo again and the Swedish version is superior in everything, from the actors to the setting and the effects, the simplicity of the Swedish version ironically made it superior.

Ok, without a doubt Rooney Mara is hot and clearly outclasses Noomi Rapace with her natural beauty and female charm but it is one of the basic reasons why Noomi outclassed Rooney(it is nice that their names coincidentally rhymes) as Lisbeth, the realistic look of Noomi as lLisbeth made her performance really believable and immortal. Noomi will forever be attached to the great name of Lisbeth Salander probably the greatest and smartest female heroine in all fiction. A female Sherlock Holmes with the misdeed of the great Arsene Lupin equates to a Lisbeth Salander.

David Fincher the great director he was especially great at the movie Social Network, Fight Club and Seven has bit more than he can chew as he was unanimously beaten by Niels Arden Oplev who directed the 2009 adaptation. David tried his best to be as close to the book as possible and yes he was closer to it versus the 2009 version of the film however he never provided me with the excitement and feeling of mystery of Oplev's version. Even if I have watched both several times the 2009 version still gives me a feeling of mystery versus the 2011 version.

The key scenes were short. The encounters with each key characters were short, Cecilia Vanger appeared to be a solid bitch which she wasn’t (in the book Mikael had sexual encounters with her). Frode was the sacrificial lamb to look like the murderer he was nothing but nice in the 2009 version. Nils Bjurman looks shady in the Hollywood version the moment you see him you know he can't be trusted compared to the Swedish version Nils looked like a proper lawyer, clean cut and orderly office and apartment in the 2011 version he looked like a corrupt wanna be lawyer whose job is in a notary public or whatever you call that shit job. The investigation of Daniel Craig with the key photos of Harriet at the parade it was so full of special effects that it made zero appeal versus the 2009 version where it looked like the camera was just watching a slideshow over and over and it appeared to have the natural thrill and it gave the audience what Mikael really sees in front of the computer.

One of the greatest mysteries of the 2011 version is Daniel Craig's lack of appeal as Mikael, I like him as bond and I think he is the best bond ever a natural, he didn't look like a natural womanizer in the movie like the real Mikael. Even if the 2009 Mikael is clearly outclassed with looks and perhaps muscularity he made it up with chemistry to the characters he was fucked in the movie. It made me feel that every female encounter he had is a romantic conquest. His bed scenes with Lisbeth though cold have chemistry compared to the 2011 version.

Overall the 2009 version is deeper better Lisbeth and Mikael overall and more believable characters.

Black Nazarene

I was watching the tv on GMA. And I was wrong after all there was a miracle. There were survivors. There were people who were lucky to survive the event.

So much is wrong in this society, I was raised by parents and grandparents that were seriously religious, my grandfather on my maternal side kisses all the icons of the saints he sees inside a church lucky for him he is “blessed” with longevity, and he is still sharp at age 87. My grandmother on my paternal side brought me to church all the time when I was younger, and I was eager to join her too. I used to wake up at 3am in wee hours of the summer mornings just to join the procession or “salubong” as they call it to celebrate the resurrection of jesus during holy week; I was so active that I really make an effort to be beside the Cart of the “virgin” Mary.

My grandmother probably is the nicest old lady I know, she gave up her studies to make her siblings finish theirs and she became a businesswoman and lucky her she ended up owning several parcels of land in a village Quezon City. Even if her son-in-law swindled her money and issued checks that bounced and yet she never took him to court or take any legal/illegal actions against him. She forgave him in the name of the so called god a supreme being made through the imagination of the Roman slave owners. That’s how nice and forgiving she is.

Essentially my grandparents and parents are righteous people who never took advantage of anyone and they are also just and tried to be fair with everyone. This is how they were raised and this is how I was raised. How come they are so nice in this cruel world? What was their belief? Was it religion? Was it their belief of heaven and hell?

The god described in the bible is probably the cruelest Supreme Being ever created by the imagination of man. If you commit sins against him, steal from others, kill people, have no faith, commit adultery, even imagine doing bad things you will suffer eternal fire, torture, pain blah blah blah but he loves you. Was that cruel or what?

Take a look at these so called devout Catholics, they have these rules that they need to follow for the rest of their lives, love god above all sure that is easy, thou shall not kill ok doable, thou shall not commit pre-marital sex phew hmm let me guess open to interpretation? Shall not do sexual acts before marriage yeah still open to interpretation; there are many similar open to interpretation now because of the billions and billions of hypocrites in the society. The powerful has used religion to put fear into the minds of the weak, the easy to fool and the poor slaves.

What was the bible’s position regarding slavery, read it and see for yourself how strong your faith is in your religion. Follow the best-selling, award winning and most copies sold fictional book of all time the bible. A book that’s full of incest, child-rape, slavery and violence. A book that tells how the world ends, the coming of the apocalypse, the three days of darkness spirits and the blasphemy of the holy spirit is the most or if not the only unforgivable sin. Read it and imagine it is really fiction and you will feel that it is just nothing but a horror story designed to scare and control a fool.

To be continued…..