Back In Manila and 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich

I am back again in Manila. I arrived last Sunday March 23, 2008 after spending 2 months again in the UK but this is only shortlived for I need to go back again on April 13, 2008.

Last Wednesday March 26, 2008 I started a new book Bo Sanchez's "8 Secrets of the Truly Rich". The book is very interesting and well-written. Like Rich Dad's book Bo's book does not use high-falluting words which makes it an easy reading but not losing all the essential ingredients of a great book.

"I Dont Want You To Be Rich; I WANT YOU TO BE TRULY RICH" were the first few words that I read from the book. Like Bo I also want to encourage people to be TRULY RICH not just financially but also spiritually. When you have both then you can be a good steward of God's Blessing.

Being Cheap

I am almost done with my first book "Retire Young, Retire Rich". Another thought from the book strikes me again "You can increase your wealth by being CHEAP but at the end of the day YOU ARE STILL CHEAP." OUCH! I was really laughing so hard when I read this text from the book. Im guilty of this bigtime! Let me tell you my story.

I accumulated a massive Credit Cards debt in the last four years. Not just one credit card but 3 or more credit cards that I have to pay a monthly fee that is more than an average employee earns in a month.I must admit I have not been a good steward of God's Blessing and in return I felt so guilty about it. To punish myself I started buying CHEAP things. You see buying cheap things does not necessarily follow that you save a lot. I realize that its not the solution for my problem the solution is to take control of my spending and to spend wisely. It is also not about earning MORE but knowing what to do with your earnings without sacrificing life's little pleasure and being a good steward.

Now, I am almost debt free and little by little I know I am becoming a good steward of God's Blessings. My goal is to be totally DEBT FREE by the end of the year and to be a good steward of God's Blessings.

The Most Important Lesson

I just want to share again with you a nice thought from Rich Dad's Retire Young Retire Rich "What you think is real is your reality." I kinda agree with this one. I know for a fact that we were not rich but it never occurred to me that we were poor. I know we lack a lot of material things when I was growing up but it didnt feel like it. I am always positive about things. I remembered going to school without anything on my stomach but it didnt stop from studying and enjoying going to school.

I agree really that what we think is real is our reality. We may think we lack so many things in my life but it shouldn't stop us from making our own reality. Reaching for higher goals and dreaming big. Thats why every morning I always remind myself that I am healthier, younger and richer. And thats my REALITY.

A Brother Like That

Tonight, I read one of the books that I bought last Thursday Chicken Soup for the Soul. I was able to read Chicken Soup before but I didnt buy a copy. Its really worth reading for. I wanna share with you one of the stories that really touches me the title is "A Brother Like That."

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his borther as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a streeet urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.

Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated.

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a borther like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.

"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."

Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he nodded, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"

"Oh yes, I'd love that."

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?"

Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.

He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

"There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it... then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."

Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of the bean a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said: "It is more blessed to give..."

Retire Young , Retire Rich

Today, I wanted my blog to take a different direction. Let me tell you why.

I've been working for almost 12 years now and I can say I'm really enjoying it. My job is want I want to do until my retirement. I've been through a lot of interviews and the one question that I answered consistently is how do you see yourself in the future? I always answered "I want to retire at age 40!".

Last Thursday, March 13, 2008, I ordered three (3) books from Amazon.co.uk namely :

1. Rich Dad's Retire Young Retire Rich
2. Rich Dad's Guide to Becoming Rich Without Cutting Up Your Credit Cards
3. Chicken Soup for the Soul

I am no book lover at all. If I can avoid reading I will. I learned my way in my job copying somebody else's code and from there create my own rules and interpretation of how things should work. Its only when I'm so desperate and can't seem to solve my problems at work that I seek out the help of books. So, what I did last Thursday was I huge leap of faith for me. Why? I wanted to get serious about achieveing my life long dreams of retiring at age 40 and not just retiring but RETIRING RICH.

March 15, 2008 I received my orders from amazon.co.uk Wow! thats quick! I got really excited knowing that this has been the most number of books that I ever bought in my entire life. I read first book "RETIRE YOUNG, RETIRE RICH" and I was so pleased with what I've read so far. I know now that my dream of retiring at the age of 40 can become a reality. wow!

Let me just share with you some of the thoughts that I find very interesting and worth living for :

1. So whatever state your life is in at present, take a moment to appreciate it...because tomorrow it will just be a memory.

2. "Why not retire rich and retire early?", "Whats wrong with that?"

3. "Without the Why, the How would have been impossible."