Entrepreneurs: Born or Made?

Becoming an entrepreneur is by far one of the most complex human processes you could undertake, for it involves discovering your leadership style, ability to influence followers, timing, resources, technology, history, luck and a few things that have not yet been thought yet.

However, like other complex phenomena and processes, it's only when they're broke down to their essential parts that the inner workings could be understood. This kind of understanding has spun programs in the different universities in the form of academic degrees.

For decades, our forefathers in entrepreneurship managed to grow and learn by sheer experience. Some of it is practical. For example, a novice entrepreneur will learn that it's important to find the quickest way to make a profit without compromising the end dream, or that he could focus on direct selling rather than spend on mass advertising. A good example is self-awareness-over time, each of us becomes more and more aware of what we really are. And although this process is not always smooth, we eventually figure out what suits us best. 

But like any activity that happens naturally, at some point a smart person would sit back and formalize all his accumulated knowledge into a sequence of steps that, if followed would lead to performance. To illustrate, after studying entrepreneurs, we realize that they start with a probable opportunity. They prepare a detailed business plan afterwards. Then, they slowly build a team. Then, they pitch their business ideas to investors, and so on. In short, follow this sequence of steps, and you would probably be an entrepreneur.

To become a successful entrepreneur, you must therefore understand and become aware of your natural talents, and combine them with learning. 

Kindness

What is kindness? Do we seldom experience it such that we have trouble defining it? In my case, kindness has been manifested in so many ways that I want to share with you because I choose to celebrate and affirm what is good in my life.

Kindness for me is a practice of being or the capability to be sympathetic and compassionate. It also says that kindness is a compassionate act, once that shows consideration and caring..

Let's Play a Game

Hmm, who has a good eye?find the cat in these pictures, this is a test of patience... hehehe 

Did you find it? Always remember that patience is a virtue if you haven't found it yet just try and try...

Healthy Habits to Happiness

Let me share to you an article that tackles on how we heighten our happiness and 27 healthy habits to happiness.

HEALTHY HABITS TO HAPPINESS

1. Look for happiness in the right places. – When we’re young we look for happiness in drugs, sex, alcohol, parties, fast cars, extreme sports, etc. Then when we get a little older, we look for happiness in more ‘mature’ ways – a stable partner, romantic getaways, walks along the beach, jazz music, a night at the bar with some friends. Do they work? Do these things make us happy? Sure they do. They raise our happiness temporarily. But people have a baseline of inner happiness. Certain events and possessions, like an unexpected windfall, might raise or lower our happiness momentarily, but soon we return to our inner baseline. The key is to gradually raise this baseline. Enjoy the moment, but don’t completely ignore long-term goals. What will you be proud to have accomplished, or disappointed that you didn’t do, five years from now? Read The Happiness Project.
2. Acknowledge the lesson in every situation. – Everything is a life lesson. Everyone you meet, everything you encounter, etc. They’re all part of the learning experience we call ‘life.’ Never forget to acknowledge the lesson, especially when things don’t go your way. If you don’t get a job that you wanted or a relationship doesn’t work, it only means something better is out there waiting. And the lesson you just learned is the first step towards it.
3. Be authentic. Be true to yourself. – Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else.” Live by this statement. There is no such thing as living in someone else’s shoes. The only shoes you can occupy are your own. If you aren’t being yourself, you aren’t truly living – you’re merely existing.
4. Move your thoughts beyond obstacles. – Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To different minds, the same world is a hell and a heaven.” Put in an effort to both seek out happiness-boosting experiences and learn to appreciate what you find. There will always be negative obstacles. This will never change. If you focus on them, your world will become Emerson’s hell. The real trick is to learn how to keep moving amidst these obstacles – acknowledging that they’re simply a part of life – and continually seek out or construct experiences that make you happy.
5. Focus on what’s right. – How you view yourself and your world are conscious choices. The lens you choose to view everything through determines how you feel about yourself and the world around you. Everything that happens in life is neither good nor bad. It just depends on your perspective. And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should. Either you succeed or you learn something. So stay positive, appreciate the pleasant outcomes, and learn from the rest.
6. Be a part of something you believe in. – This could be anything. Some people take an active role in their local city council, some find refuge in religious faith, some join social clubs supporting causes they believe in, and others find passion in their careers. In each case the psychological outcome is the same. They engage themselves in something they strongly believe in. This engagement brings happiness and meaning into their lives.
7. Use personal strengths to get things done. – Everyone possesses unique personal strengths. We all have different talents and skill sets. Emotional happiness comes naturally to those who use their strengths to get things done. The state of completion always creates a sense of achievement. If this achievement is based exclusively on your personal ability to get the job done, the psychological rewards are priceless.
8. Focus on quality over quantity. – An excess of things may seem wonderful when you imagine them, but when you actually get them they lose the magic you imagined. Quality and moderation often bring more joy than an excess. The first five pieces of candy always taste better than the rest. And if you eat the whole bag of candy you wind up feeling a bit nauseous. One awesome gadget or tool is often better than five mediocre ones. One great looking shirt often brings more joy than ten from the clearance rack.
9. Avoid negativity and negative people. – Don’t belittle yourself and don’t put up with people who try to belittle you.
10. Appreciate the things you already have. – The road to happiness isn’t difficult. Happiness is not dependent on amassing a certain amount of wealth or notoriety. If you’re always striving for something bigger and better, without stopping to appreciate what you currently have, happiness will remain slightly out of reach. Your current situation may be far from perfect, but if you can detach from your own negative views and appreciate the simple aspects of each moment, happiness becomes easier to cultivate.
11. Instead of searching for passion, live passionately now. – Sometimes we get so wrapped up in ‘finding ourselves’ or ‘finding our passion’ that we forget how this discovery is actually made: By living passionately now. In other words, if you want to find out where your true passions lies, stop looking and simply start living each day with passion and zeal. If you do, self-discovery will come naturally.
12. Savor the joy of simple pleasures. – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the best things in life are free. They come in the form of simple pleasures and they appear right in front of you at various locations and arbitrary times. They are governed by Mother Nature and situational circumstance and captured by mindful awareness. It’s all about taking a moment to notice the orange and pink sunset reflecting off the pond water as you hold hands with someone you love. Noticing these moments and taking part in them regularly will bring unpredictable bursts of happiness into your life.
13. Exploit the resources you DO have access to. – The average person is usually astonished when they see a physically handicap person show intense signs of emotional happiness. How could someone in such a restricted physical state be so happy? The answer rests in how they use the resources they do have. Stevie Wonder couldn’t see, so he exploited his sense of hearing into a passion for music, and he now has 25 Grammy Awards to prove it. Get it?
14. Help others when you’re able. – In life, you get what you put in. When you make a positive impact in someone else’s life, you also make a positive impact in your own life. Do something that’s greater than you – something that helps someone else to be happy or to suffer less.
15. Live debt-free. – Financial debt causes stress and heart ache. Live a comfortable life, not a wasteful one. Do not spend to impress others. Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects. Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you. Always live well below your means. Read The Millionaire Next Door.
16. Share time with people you love and experience life together.– The quality of our personal relationships correlates directly with our overall sense of worth and happiness. Sometimes in the midst of life’s chaos we forget to do the little things that remind us we’re part of something greater than ourselves. We need a certain amount of meaningful contact with other people to feel fully alive. There are few things more satisfying than recounting the greatest moments of your life with your family and closest friends who lived these moments alongside you. And remember, you don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of.
17. Be faithful to your significant other. – Sustained fidelity in a long-term intimate relationship creates a healthy foundation for everything else you do.
18. Resolve conflicts with others. – Always forgive people and move on, even if they never ask for your forgiveness. Don’t do it for them – do it for yourself. Get that unnecessary stress out of your life.
19. Perform random acts of kindness on a regular basis. – Pay for a stranger’s coffee in line at Starbucks. Buy the office receptionist flowers just to say, “Thank you.” Help an elderly lady with her groceries. There’s nothing more rewarding than putting smiles on the faces around you. Check out Makes Me Think.
20. Smile more often. – A genuine smile makes you and everyone around you feel better. The simple act of smiling sends a message to your brain that you’re happy. And when you’re happy, your body pumps out all kinds of feel-good endorphins. This reaction has been studied since the 1980’s and has been proven a number of times. Bottom line: Smiling actually makes you happier.
21. Be self-sufficient. – Freedom is the greatest gift. Self-sufficiency is the greatest freedom. It’s nice to have close friends and family you can count on, but it lifts a huge weight off your shoulders when you know that you could survive on your own if you had to.
22. Invest time, energy and money in yourself every day. – Happiness comes as a side-effect of learning new skills and challenging yourself. Read, listen, adapt and stretch to accommodate new ideas and new information. When you invest in yourself, you can never lose, and over time you will change the trajectory of your life. You are simply the product of what you know. The more time, energy and money you spend acquiring pertinent knowledge, the more control you have over your life.
23. Use your body as it was designed to be used. – Walk, jog, run, stretch, throw things, and lift things. Jump around! Dance! Exercise in the gym is good, but so is making love, exchanging back rubs, or cutting firewood. Your body is an incredible machine and it can be either a source of joy, or a source of aches and pains. It just depends on what you do and how you treat it.
24. Compete only with yourself to be the best you can be. – When you catch yourself comparing yourself to a colleague, neighbor, friend, or someone famous, stop! Realize that you are different, with different strengths – strengths these other people don’t possess. Take a moment to reflect on all the awesome abilities you have and to be grateful for all the good things in your life.
25. Accept things when they are less than perfect. – If you find yourself at a point of intense decision making where you’re caught in a spiral of over-analysis and you’re making no progress, take a deep breath, break the spiral, make an educated guess on the next logical step, and take it. Even if you get it wrong you’ve learned something, which is better than doing nothing. Your failures along the road to your goals are simply opportunities to learn and grow. Remember, the real world doesn’t reward perfectionists; it rewards people who get things done.
26. Make time for fun. – Fun is way underrated. With all of our responsibilities, fun seems like an indulgence. It shouldn’t be. It should be a requirement. Ponder what you did to have fun when you were younger and go do it again. Leave the yard un-mowed for a weekend and get out on the town. When you’re older, you will remember the fun, not the freshly mowed yard.
27. Take full responsibility for your life. – Either you take responsibility for your life or someone else will. And when they do, you’ll become a slave to their ideas and dreams instead of a pioneer of your own. You are the only one who can directly control the outcome of your life. And no, it won’t always be easy. Every person has a stack of obstacles in front of them. You must take accountability for your situation and overcome these obstacles. Choosing not to is choosing a lifetime of mere existence.

Enjoy life every minute of it  we never know what the future holds,whether we, or our love ones still have a good health or even be alive. 

Right Food To Eat To Stay Healthy

Remember to eat a variety of foods to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy.

Stick to water, milk and 100% fruit and vegetable juices as your main beverages and limit sugary soft drinks. If you get tired of plain water, add a slice of lemon or lime to add a touch of flavor. For kids, try some fruit juice jazzed up with carbonated water.

and Avoid Unhealthy Foods such as:

Battered and deep fried foods

Sugary sodas

Processed lunch meats

Greasy snack chips

White bread and refined pasta

Most canned spaghetti and ravioli

Sugary breakfast cereals

Frozen fried chicken, fish sticks and corn dogs

Life

In life, what matters is

- not what you bought but what you built;

- not what you got but what you shared;

- not your success, but your significance; 

- not what you learned but what you taught;

- not your competence but your character;

- not how long you will be remembered but by whom and for what

Live a life that matters, that cares, that loves. Make the most out of it. Enjoy Life!

34 Days

Real life doesn't change even though Christmas is here - we still have to go to work, clean our places, exercise and go through our regular routines to some extent. Adding all the thrills associated with Christmas, well, we can really get carried away!

34 more days to go and it's christmas..

Have you thought of buying gifts for your loved ones? Well start saving already, hehe.

The Key to Success

There's nothing wrong in dreaming big as long as your doing the right way to make it on top. In life there is no one else to blame if you failed but yourself. Maybe you missed on the right thing to be done for you to get the right results. The good thing with failing is that a lesson is learned. Never give up! Simply learn from your mistake, GET UP and brush of the dust.

Recently i've been joining several seminars/webinars to learn strategic ways to make my business succeed. By doing it right and in God's help I'm sure everything will fall into right places. We must put in our mind that we are the creator of our own destiny don't be afraid to try new things, we must learn and have an open mind to new ideas  as the saying goes "‎You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb himself." I'm not afraid of failure because I know I can stand up and learn from it.. Let's not forget that only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.

Mt. Apo Tour and Guide

Mount Apo is Davao’s unique natural wonder. The Philippines highest peak near Davao on Mindanao Island can be done by seasoned trekkers in a day or two but most people should allow 5 to 6 days for getting ready and the climb up and back down.

Apo means “Grandfather”. It is an inactive volcano. Mount Apo’s attractions are thundering waterfalls of Tudaya, lakes, sulphur pillars, primeval trees, endangered plant and animal species.

Soaring to 3,143 meters ( some say 2954 meters ) or (10,311 feet), the highest point in the Philippines, it is the centerpoint of the Mt. Apo National Park located on the boundary between the provinces of Davao del Sur and North Cotabato.

Its base covers about 72,796 hectares of mountain ranges that extend from Davao City, Davao del Sur, Northern Cotabato, Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur to Misamis Oriental. The park is one of the largest in the country and is home to the endangered Philippine Eagle. The gateway to the park is through the town of Kidapawan.

It takes 4 or 5 days and March thru May(the dry season)is the best time to go. There are Water Falls and Hot Springs on the way up that provide beautiful “rest stops”.

Guides and porters can be hired for P 800.00 / day. (with free meals)

Note: A porter carries maximum load of 15 kilos and charges an additional 10 pesos/kilo/day in excess of 15 kilos. A fraction of the day of the porter’s services, either on the first or on the last is considered whole day.

You need a warm sleeping bag, Tent, Stove, Cook set, plenty of water and don’t forget salt to prevent dehydration.

There are 5 routes the Kapatagan the shorter one, Makilala-New Israel, Kidapawan, Magpet-Bongolanon, Calinan-Tamayong is the Longest of all.

Registration fee in Kapatagan starting September 2007:
Student – 360.00, Local – 600.00, Foreigner – 900.00
you should provide your medical certificate upon registering in Kapatagan.


I am Jochled Almaden,32, from Davao City, Philippines.
Member: Alsons Mountaineering Club (ALMOC)
for further information, pls. e-mail me thru jialmaden@yahoo.com or gervass102@yahoo.com, also my facebook - jialmaden@yahoo.com, and feel free to contact me thru my mobile no. 0918-6934214