What You Focus On Expands

I will guarantee you that every single champion in all arena of life will say that "focus" is paramount to their success. Unfortunately for me, it was one thing I severely lacked in my life. Fortunately,  I am a work-in-progress. One of the quote that has impacted me so much in the past year is what I always hear T. Harv Eker say, "what you focus on expands". Whatever the dominant thoughts in your mind are, will dominate your physical reality. Very simply, the more you focus on anything, the truer it becomes.

It is very typical to hear "Emergency Funds" in most envelope budgeting system. For years, we focused our budgeting in the realm of emergency funds. Among the first step in Dave Ramsey's envelope system is to complete the first $1000 on the emergency funds right away. There's no arguing that preparing for the rainy days is a smart and responsible thing to do. However, because we focused on saving for emergencies, that's exactly what we keep getting. Either a car breaks down or an unexpected bill arrives just in time for our newly-funded emergency funds to get depleted again. Have you ever had that situation when you thought you could get ahead of your savings account only to find something very important to spend it on? That was us!

After realizing that what we focus on truly expands, we started shifting our focus. We graduated from Dave Ramsey's envelope system to T. Harv Eker's Money Jar. The money jars represents the envelopes, only more visual. The only difference is that the most important of the jars is the "FFA" or "Financial Freedom Account". Part of the jar is the "contingency jar" as I try to avoid the word emergency. The tiny shift of focus has worked magic for us allowing us to become financially independent. Its amazing how an exact amount of money managed with a slightly different focus can have a better result. Guess what, we definitely had fewer emergencies.

Truly understanding that whatever your focusing on expands is empowering. Sad to say my focus towards my life vision isn't exactly laser light today. I am distracted even more now with more wonderful opportunities coming my way. With my innate enthusiasm, its easy to loose focus. The good news is that both focus  and success are learn-able skills. So I am going back to the very basic by forming the right habits.

Since I want to inculcate success in my habit, I've decided to start a success journal. This allows me to focus on being successful on a daily basis. At the end of each day, I will right down successes I've had that day and at the end of each week, I will write down 2 major successes. Journaling about my small daily successes not only helps me focus on being successful, it also motivates me to do something worth celebrating. Today is day 5 of my success journal. I taught an SAT class, something I've been doing for years now but because of my success journal, I prepared myself better and taught the class with a higher energy just so I can celebrate this success today. Notice how a shift of focus can make a huge impact. Same activity, different focus, different result.

I encourage you to observe yourself and your dominant thoughts in the next few days. Pinpoint your key focuses and examine if it is supporting your vision and goals in life. How do you know if your focus is not supportive to your goals? Its simple--look at your results. Are you anywhere close to your goals? If not, maybe its time to shift to a better perspective. Shift your focus from focusing on the  problem to the solution itself. Use helpful tools like journaling and the jar system.

Truly understanding the power of focus is liberating. Within one year of shifting our focus to a more solution-oriented perspective, Marlon and I have accomplished things we only dreamed of years ago. We now know to channel our energy and focus only on things that supports our vision. Its amazing how a small shift of focus from "emergency funds" to "financial freedom funds" changed our lives exponentially.

Who ate the fucking ranch?

Basic Combat Training with the US Army is among the most memorable and exciting part of my life. It was a scary and fun experience. I came across this page on Facebook a few days ago named "Awesome Shit My Drill Sergeant Said". Its filled with epic and hilarious basic training stories. I decided to submit on of the funniest moment in my time in BCT. Here it is:

https://www.facebook.com/ASMDSS

Field days usually mean eating MRE’s or hot food is brought over to our location. It was a little later than our usual chow time, we were all hungry, grumpy and cold. I was voluntold to help serve lunch that day. As it usually is on chow time, I watched other soldiers stand toe to toe and snaking the line. Drill Sergeants eats last and after serving 200 soldiers, it was their turn to chow. We had beef stew that day and the usual salads and fruits. After the last soldier was served, there wasn’t much food left to serve to the Drill Sergeants. Here comes DS G- he epitomizes all of my notion of what a DS is. He just barely came back from deployment and acted real crazy. When he realized the beef stew was gone, that got him cussing. “What the fuck, bunch of fat selfish asses”. So he went on to fill his plate with the salad instead then he flipped when he realized all of the ranch packets were gone. He threw his plate up in the air, and yelled “WHO ATE THE FUCKING RANCH, Privates!”. He started ranting “Privates, you are all fucking selfish!”, “Who got 2 packets of ranch?”. He went from soldier to soldier to inspect. We all tried so hard not to laugh as he will smoke anyone that gets in his way.

DS G walked away yelling for the last time “Who ate the fucking ranch privates? You are all selfish, Privates fucking eating all the ranch.” It was quite an epic exit! It instantly became our favorite topic to talk about in basic. Who ate the fucking ranch!

Fort Jackson

2010 Winter Cycle 

My time in basic training is nothing but a fleeting memory. I will post some more about that experience another time. 

The Best of Them All

Life is a many splendor thing.
There at the end of the sea is the sun setting and over the mountains the same rises.
In each event gloriously extending it's rays to melt one's heart.
Spring brings forth beautiful flowers and the grandest of patterns, in such vibrant colors and sweetest floral fragrance.
The breeze soothingly touching my cheeks, cool yet heart-warming.

Life is a many splendor thing experienced in the delight of opening  a ribboned-christmas present or the nostalgic feeling in hearing  songs from the not-so-distant-past.
Reminiscing the good laughs with close friends and all the wondrous moment.
Even more so with the comfort of the heavenly bar of chocolate in the middle of a rush hour and a cup of coffee on cold snowy winter.

Life is a many splendor thing through wonderful people we meet throughout our lifetime.
 It is in each moment with a child and the joy of it's innocence.
Through the music and stories that inspires us.
Life is a many splendor thing....

AND THE BEST OF THEM ALL is with each moment  spent with you.
When we laugh together out of mere silliness and corny jokes.
It is at it's best in every long drive's conversation about life and others.
Life is at it's best each night when you hold me so close to you after kissing me goodnight.
All the more with each text message reminding me of your love.
Your hug soothens me on bad days as it assures me on tearful moments.

And the best of them all is waking up each morning knowing that beside me is a greater cause to pursue more of life. 

I wrote this one in March 13, 2008, 12:29 AM

The Goal Boards

My eyes were opened to a whole new world in April of last year. Being new business owners, my husband and I became more and more sensitive to personal development. We signed up for an intro class to Stock Market through Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Education. From then on, our journey to personal development commenced. Our lives has changed drastically since!

In just less than a year, Marlon and I had the great privilege of seeing a few power individuals speak. Inspiring people with such inspiring journey to success such as Toni Robbins, Robert and Kim Kiyosaki, Donald Trump and T. Hav Eker. We've learned so much about principles of success. Unfortunately, my life has a clear pattern of being a jack of all trades and a master of none. Fortunately, of anything-if anything, I know I am an excellent student.

In devouring books, audio books attending and listening to recorded seminar, I've realized one of the most foundational concept in achieving massive success in life is setting intentions. Some call it setting goals or vision, I personally prefer to use the word intentions as the word "goal" is overused and ever so commonly unmet. Setting intentions simply mean knowing exactly what you want to accomplish and intending to do so.

Marlon and I went right to the drawing board. We discussed what it is that we wanted out of life in general. From that broad concept, we broke it down to the very specifics. What better way to start setting your intentions than to make it visual. Often, people term it "vision boards" but with my observation from my friends' vision boards, they are often sporadic and abstract. Typically in vision boards, you will see abstract pictures of happiness, joy, love, money, freedom, health and so forth. All of these--I also want but the challenge is it doesn't outline exactly how to achieve it. So we've decided to create a more focused intention board.

Geared with my arts and crafts tools, with what little I had, I got right started. Above are pictures of our intention boards with different focus. On top, is our Passive Monthly Cashflow intentions for 5-year plan. It is clear that Marlon and I wanted to become first debt-free then become financial-free to have the freedom to create wealth. In each year, we outlined specifically how much passive monthly income we want and what vehicles do we use to achieve it.

On the bottom left picture is our business's intention board for 2013. I outlined the monthly and daily breakdown of our goals and making an emphasis on how many people we will serve. I've learned this from Robert Kiyosiki to shift the focus from the amount of money to the number of people we help. It's been a paradigm shift that allows us to grow our business in the direction we want while all at once feeling more fulfilled in knowing that we are adding value to the lives of others.

The bottom right box is my intention board for my business last year. Because we were a startup business with initially zero contact, I set the intention of fully taking over our  county and become the premier provider. I left out blank spots to write down each account I close. I am glad to say that our intentions were met when 2012 ended.

Since April 2012, in just a matter of months, I am very humbled and proud to say that we became debt-free and financially free. Truly, there is POWER IN SETTING INTENTIONS. Of course, our journey did not just magically happen after setting our goals. We had to fully commit ourselves to the idea and work smart and hard. What's very important though is to identify what you want and take the first step.

This year is still early. I encourage you to set goals for 2013 that are specific. Use a vision board if you must, it certainly helped me propel my business to the direction I want it to. Set your intentions, take the first step, commit to it and know that the rest will reveal itself to you. Setting clear intentions is perhaps one of the most powerful act you can do to drastically change your life.

Cheers! 

..and 2 years since!

Like so many things I get myself into, blogging has been thrown in the background. It has been 2 years since my last entry and now I feel shameful for not staying consistent. What a great opportunity to document and share your state of mind at a real time basis. Call it awakening if you must! Over 2 years ago now, some of my perspective in life has been challenged. Since then, it has been quite a journey!

In it's simplistic overview, here's what transpired:
1. Started teaching high school students
2. Joined the US Army National Guard
3. Went back to school full time
 4. Started my own business

I feel empowered, inspired and hopeful of the idea of my future. I am playing huge roles in my life and truthfully loving every bit of it! My mind is stimulated almost constantly, never bored! I call it my crazy life! The late Steve Jobs once mentioned in his famous speech that in time, you will look back in your life and connect all the dots. All the events, good or bad, will weave into this wonderful and intricate personal story and it will all make sense.  

Right now, I am a wife, an entrepreneur, a soldier, a student and a teacher. Each role represents a dot. A dot that someday will connect to each other and become an inspiring success story. At age 27, all I am is a promise. A promise of an innately passionate woman who thrive through all of her pursuits. A woman who will someday inspire many people as Steve Jobs. One day, I will look back and connect all the dots. AND IT WILL ALL MAKE A GOOD SENSE!

Dentist Visit

Today, I am very proud to announce that my decade-worth of procrastination has ended. Tooth #19 has been pulled, at long last. Growing up, I have always been afraid of the dentist. I've ran out of the dentist's clinic and canceled appointments countless of time. Little did I know, extraction would actually turn out to be such a satisfying experience. It seems as though my dental frustrations through the years has been brought justice the moment my dentist pulled out tooth #19. As I sat through waiting for the numbing gel to work, my anxieties has once again surfaced. I've been honest enough to tell my dentist how scared I was of this very moment. "Trust me Grace, ok?" was what he told me and oddly enough that HELPED! It takes a lot of my courage and trust to allow my dentist to work his magic with my dental miseries. I feel such great connection with him through each agonizing yet satisfying pull. Like a child to her father, trust was all I could. And that experience was nothing but personal to me. A bond was created. In the end, what seemed to be my most dreaded event, wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Follies

Emma Goldman. If you don't have much background as to who she is and what she has accomplished, I encourage you to research her. In all of the characters in literature, both fiction and not, Emma Goldman has challenged me most. She was an anarchist. Clarifications: I do not necessarily believe in "Anarchism". She is my favorite historical character because the words she spoke about a century ago allowed me to recognize the trap of my time's follies. She introduced me to wear a pair of sunglasses and be open to another point of view. She stood up for what she believed in with strength and dignity. I got to know Emma Goldman through an essay I wrote for one of my History class in college. The process of this particular essay was such an emotional ride for me. Page by page, I realized that what was true in my life may no longer be so. The greatest lesson I have learned from her is TO THINK OUTSIDE THE triviality OF MY GENERATION. Wherein we often get too caught up with the standards our society has imposed on us that we revolve all of our life's agonies and joys around it. It is sad too see that we often fall victim over and over to superficial norms of our generation. I know of this couple in their late 60's who has continued to stay together despite the fact that half the time of their marriage were unhappy moments. They chose to stay together because in their culture, it is not acceptable to separate. Divorce was a shame. It is a tragedy to see them staying together unhappily for the remaining years of their lives because of this standard. It doesn't have to be this way! I am not writing because I am a believer of divorce. The purpose of this blog is to challenge all of you to examine all facets of your situation and have the courage to choose freedom. Do not victimize yourselves by following some of the pitfalls of your generation. Sometimes, detaching yourself from the usual people around you helps you to see your situation in a different shade, as how the world deem to change when you're wearing your sunglasses.

...the world in my shades

"... the world in my shades" was a topic I thought would be interesting to write an essay about. For the first time in my life, I finally owned a pair of sunglasses at age 22 only because I hated wearing them. I'm mostly a carefree and happy person though sometimes my husband calls it clumsy. Wearing a pair of shades is just a distraction. I never expected that the world seemed different in the sight of my sunglasses. It felt as though the sunglasses' frames limits my vision to an extent that it helps me focus only the things within my peripheral vision. So suddenly, March Lane is no longer like the same March Lane I've always driven into for the past years. This inspired me to write an essay I never got to finish. So here I am finishing an unfinished business, only with a deeper perspective. My idea in creating this blog is to allow readers as yourself to see through the lens I am wearing in my life. The past year has been quite a road of discovery for me. I hope to take you with me as I continue to travel the winding roads of my life.