Experience Bank: Live Now, Secure Your Future

Live your life. Deposit the experiences to your Bank. Withdraw them any time you need to draw the lessons or feelings that can fuel your passion. Gain interest by making good use of your experiences.

Live!

Invest now.

Secure the future—not only yours, but even your descendants’.

Imagine yourself in a deathbed. Cruel idea? Not really. It might even save you from thousands of regrets. If you would look back on how you lived your life, would you smile or frown?

Now snap back to reality.

Establish your own bank! Your own bank of experiences, where you deposit your lessons learned, failures, your dreams, your successes, what have you.

 

In your own Experience Bank, be your own CEO. Be your own teller; your own ATM; and even your own security guard.

Start monitoring your activities, your life transactions. In this way you’ll be in auto-active mode. Because you don’t want to be zero or in the red, yourself will naturally make activities that will propel you to progress instead of getting stuck at where you are now.

Have you tried playing a game on your phone or on the internet and you just suddenly get hooked on it because you want to beat the best score? Same thing could work if you will consciously monitor your life transactions.

Closing your eyes and recall the week that was. Would you want to see a dark blank image or hear a story on repeat each week? Of course not!

Start by refreshing your heart and mind buttons. Just like in real banks, you also have to "know your customer" or the KYC policy. Ask yourself what you want to achieve in life (finish this course, invest in that business, travel to this continent, earn that much…name it!). Then plot your personalized map or timetable on how and when you will get them. Be realistic in setting your goals and timelines, and be deliberate with your actions—short-term, medium-term, and long-term action plans.

Go out of your nook! See the world. Learn from people from various walks of life. Visit places. Have a taste of different cultures and subcultures.

Your experiences and your observations will inspire you in ways you do not expect and many useful ideas will just pop out of nowhere. If you will constantly move and progress, all these fruitful activities—simple and complex alike—will snowball and incur interest that will make you a million-dollar worth person without spending even a tenth of it.

If you have no money to finance any activity, it’s okay! If you don't have a college degree, it’s alright! In your own Experience Bank, your own CEO doesn’t care. You can still become a client, an investor.

Even if you don’t have money or don’t have a diploma, the world is so big and limitless, it can offer you wide array of opportunities to fulfill your goal. You just have to be determined to achieve your goal and be purposeful with your actions. Look around you, do you know Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Henry Sy, Lucio Tan, or any drop out or rags-to-riches in your place? Learn from them.

You see, your imaginations, your experiences, and your generosity can grow your worth. By doing something, you only gain, you never lose any.

I cannot tell how you must live your life. You are your own boss, your own captain. You are your own CEO remember? But what I can tell you with certainty and confidence is, you can be victorious! You can be worth more than a million!

Just have a goal. Own it. Do something about it constantly.

Your experiences are priceless and cannot be stolen from you. They can even gain interest by putting them to good use and sharing them with your kids, who can learn from them, or even try or improve them, and pass them on to their kids to further improve them.

Live your life. Deposit your experiences to your Bank. Withdraw them any time you need to draw the lessons or the feelings you had that can fuel your passion. Gain interest by making good use of your experiences.

If you are the CEO, you have the say on how to grow your Experience Bank; remember, you are also the security guard who has the duty to control what may be deposited and at what given time; what may be withdrawn and when; and who may come with you in the bank.

To launch your bank, get your pen and paper.

       1. Make a Gratitude Notebook

Divide the page in halves lengthwise. On the left column, write the “Things I Am Thankful For” (at least 10 things that happened during that day). On the right column, write the “Things I Am Thankful For (yes, same time, but these are the things that you claim to happen and you feel that is happening already. Attract them, think of them, and your body will naturally respond to get them). Do this daily to reinforce them.

       2. Make a Timetable/Map to get to your goals

By writing down your goals or dreams, you have a clear picture of where you are now and you can devise ways on how to get to your goal on a specific date. There may be many ways in skinning a cat, but be specific about your goals and timings. This timetable/map will serve as your guide, as your compass, in knowing where you are as you progress towards your goals or dreams.

       3. Keep a mini notebook with you

This will serve as your bankbook. Whenever  you learn something, observe something, realize something, write it down. In time you will need them. This bankbook will keep a record of your experiences, so don’t hesitate to write down both the “ouch!” and the “wow!”, and the “no!” and the “yes!”.

After mapping out your investment schedule, just keep on moving whatever your mood is. Do not worry about your future… just live where you are, your future starts now. Invest there, grow from here.

“…your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” ~ Matthew 6:32-34

“Fortune favors the bold.” ~ Virgil

Accelerate: Go. Grow. Glow.

Accelerate your life. Constantly go to God and surely you will continuously grow in every area of your life and the people around you will see the glow in your heart.

Exhausted. Empty. Crushed. Confused. Broke. Insecure. Hopeless. Life is difficult!

.

Heavy words? Not anymore!

Now that we have encountered Jesus, we know that when we are being emptied it is because God wants to fill us with new and better blessings and when we are stretched, He just wants us to grow. So now, when life throws us dirt it’s okay. We simply shake it off, shake it off, and shake it off; and use it as a platform to step upon until we emerge victorious.

We are living in an era and area where almost everything is instant, where people are mobile, and where the demands and dynamics of daily life have evolved with time. At one point, we have become slaves of our work, unhealthy relationships, financial incapacity, family issues, personal insecurities, or other problems that dry our spirits.

We have become stray, hungry souls in the modern jungle of glass-and-steel skyscrapers of the present world.

Walking down the memory lane, our experiences a month, a year or years ago may bring pinch on our hearts, deep breaths, or tears in the corner of our eyes.

Thanks to our merciful and gracious Father Lord God, He called us in ways and times unexpected to give us new and better lives for us to do good and enjoy blessed lives. (He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. ~ Titus 3:5)

Through our transformation, the jungle turned into a mecca of love, care, and enlightenment that propelled us to do our best to become obedient to God’s word, to have better relationships at work and at home, and to be channels of God’s blessings wherever we go.

We now have new and better perspective about life and reinforced Christian values.

Breakfree! Move forward!

Whether by responding to a friend’s invitation, reconnecting with God due to necessity, or personally choosing to renew personal relationship with God, it is by no accident that we are transformed. We were all hand-picked by God and are now renewed in spirit and heart. It’s just up to us how we will remain in Him.

We are all works in progress!

Embrace your potential not your past. (But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ~ Philippians 3:13).

“Your past does not define you. God can take all your imperfections, so don’t stay there,” shared by Randy Borromeo.

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Remember the old days—what you were thinking of and how you were feeling.

Look at yourself now! People may know your transformation, but only you can truly tell how your life has changed. Perhaps, you have already moved forward and are now aware of your bigger and brighter life ahead.

When we listen to God’s word and make good use of our blessings—time, talent, and treasure—we feed our souls and nurture our life in general.

Accelerate your life. Constantly go to God and surely you will continuously grow in every area of your life and the people around you will see the glow in your heart.

Be Jesus’ torch-bearer. Listen to His voice. Respond to God’s call and reflect the light of Jesus’ wherever you go.

Accelerate your life! Move onward and upward.

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

Ready. Set. GROW!

Growth is vital for us to be able to enjoy to the fullest the various areas of our lives and utilize the gifts and blessings that God has provided us with so we become blessed and become His instruments to bless others.

You have to want to grow!

Growth is and must be intentional. It does not just happen in a split second or by saying it.

In order for one to grow, one must have the drive and purpose to grow. Growth for humans is much like growth for plants and animals. If we want to grow we have to “cathect” or invest time for our growth so we could enjoy what life has to offer; otherwise, we would just grow old wild and in survival fashion or timid and restrained.

Cathect in yourself. Sit down and talk to yourself---know what you want, you love, and you can do about them. Appreciate yourself and know the power inside you. Once you start the ball rolling, you would just be surprised one day how far you have gone and how much the ball has accumulated and how big it has become.

Be determined to grow. Start, no matter how small or big the step is. Just start, and consistently work out your improvement. Day by day by day by day.

Imagine lying on your deathbed and recapping the days you have lived. Would you want to see days that are empty or not spent with your loved ones or doing the things you wish you have done? Or would you want to see days that are filled with meaningful and joyful memories with your loved ones doing the things you love, visiting places together, fighting for the causes you believe in, having the means to help your loved ones and the underprivileged, eating your favorite food, and achieving your goals?

Growing old with time without developing in maturity is like walking aimlessly in the jungle. You don’t know the time and where you are. It is enough to just get by each day and handle anything that comes along. No drive. No plan. No goal. No direction. Just fate at work.

Anything-goes life could seem appealing. But let us not be selfish just thinking about ourselves surviving each day and taking pride on it. Let us also think about our loved ones who would be glad seeing us well and enjoying the gift of life with them. Think about your parents, your spouse, your children, and especially God who gave us all we need—which we just need to tap in order to utilize them.

Think about the life you wish to have!

Choose the area where you want to grow. Just one thing at a time, to surely get things right. Focus on it. Visualize it. Act upon it. Constantly make short-term plans and achieve them, and work them out on a daily basis.

Assess yourself. Put your evaluation in writing so you can keep track of your passion and effort and so you know where to press on each time trials try to dishearten you.

If the area you want to improve on months ago no longer thrills you nor develop into something bigger that tickles your imagination, it means you’re not doing much. If you feel that there’s something wrong or that your boat is sinking , it only says that you’re not done yet.

Use others’ lives as challenges and inspiration; but never compare yourself with them. Your competition is only yourself. Beat yourself daily!

Take heart! Pray. Stay in the boat and row slowly, but don’t stop. God has given us everything we need so we can overcome and grow.

Always remind yourself of your purpose why you decided or wanted to grow on the first day of the process. Your purpose is what keeps things together when they tend to fall apart.

In times of struggle, bow in God’s majesty and let God do things for you. Let God use you. Just trust in Him completely, do your best, and he will surely do the rest so you may bring glory and honor to His name.

Share your vision and have a mentor. Share your goal with the people who care most about you. They will help and guide you. They will be frank with you when you need a feedback or be proud of you when you deserve an appreciation.

Stay away from hushers. They will blur your vision and lose your focus.

Have the humility to accept that things will be easier when done with a helping hand, and acknowledge the fact that there are people who are better than us. Go to them, listen to them and learn from them.

When you have a person or set of persons who support you, there will always be people who will catch your back and cheer you on. You will have prayer warriors and willing ears to listen to your journey. Sometimes this people are so much into your improvement that you just have no other choice but to move forward and upwards.

Growth is vital for us to be able to enjoy to the fullest the various areas of our lives and utilize the gifts and blessings that God has provided us with so we become blessed and become His instruments to bless others.

Growth brings good physical health, emotional maturity, mental soundness, stable financial capacity, and more importantly sound and healthy spiritual life.

Why live in worries and deprivation when you can live in joy and overflow?

Discover and enjoy your blessings! Decide to GROW!

Shine! Be the light that inspires others.

Flash Fiction: Sinner and Saint

Healthy love is like cathecting a beautiful flower—watering just enough, basking in the sun and relaxing at night, and admiring one day at a time; otherwise, it drowns and dies or it withers and dies.

Too much of anything is bad.

Enduring things for the sake of love is martyrdom.

You are the apple of my eye. I accept everything about you, even your series of lies and goodbyes.

Yes I know you lied, and you keep on lying still.

“You sinner, you distorted saint!,” said the small voice inside me.

Your are the best gift I ever received. Our bond is the best thing that ever happened to me. I learn a lot from the emotions you bring—joy, pain, excitement, and sadness.

“You blind, you fool!,” said the small voice inside me.

“Remove your blindfold; let your honest eyes see. Take off your hat; let your mind soar the heights of heaven. Unchain your big heart; let your love reach out to the many deserving—your family, your friends, including yourself.”

I lay in bed perplexed and vexed. I hate you little voice for resurrecting the truth I daily ignored. Perhaps now is the time to face what is long overdue. I retrospect. I denied. I bargained. I accepted.

Too much of anything is bad.

Enduring things for the sake of love is martyrdom.

True love is none of the above. True love is just enough of everything and enjoying things because of love. Healthy love is like cathecting a beautiful flower—watering just enough, basking in the sun and relaxing at night, and admiring one day at a time; otherwise, it drowns and dies or it withers and dies.

Now I tear my blindfold—I can clearly see; I throw the cap—my mind at peace; I break the chains—my heart relaxed. Now I can boldly discern.

I was a sinner, I was a distorted saint.

I am a winner, I am a learned saint.