"The Early Evening Rush: In every difficulty, lies an opportunity"

Rephrasing a famous adage, "If you can't join it, don't beat it either!" So, here I am, while all the wheels are beating each other to rush home, I had decided to just rush to the nearest cafe. I was the 45th in the line of passengers waiting for the next shuttle going to Marikina and boy it had been 10 minutes and no shuttle had come. So, I'd rather spend the waiting period updating my "left-out" blog with stories that had already been piling up.

First, I'd like to thank Yolynne Medina for mentioning my blog in "The Filipina Images (Reshaping the Filipina Image Online)" and other blogs. I'm so glad to discover other wholesome and informative sites about Filipinas or Pinays over the internet. You are a rich woman in your own way. And as I was browsing along, I found a set of advises about "Handling Financial Stress" by a very industrious lady in a blog entitled "The Life of a Breadwinner (a proud Filipina's continued quest in providing for her family...). I know everyone passes through that stage of being "broke" once or more in life. Even Donald Trump, Larry Gamboa and Trace Trajano passed through that stage too. But that is just a phase. If we keep on aiming to be financially free, it eventually happens. Hearing advises and stories about it give us a tap in our shoulder, "Hey you are not alone. Keep moving forward."



Speaking of being "broke", how do I deal with that too? So, here are additions to what Edelweiza had mentioned in that blog...

1. Of course, find a solution, a source of income to solve the money problem (if you don't have one). Right now, I am full time in buying and selling Real Estate properties and sometimes, acquiring great deals turn out slow... so I accepted a Real Estate marketing job to receive something fixed monthly + commissions, as I continue doing my business.

2. Discipline myself on spending. Stretch the peso, as they say.

3. Invest to multiply cash on hand. Money for investment must be set aside at once, just like savings, upon receiving the income. Then, live on the remaining amount. Easier said than done? Yes, but that's how it must be. I am in the same process of learning to discipline myself.

4. One of my mentors, Mr. Rodolfo Torres, said, "Don't just budget because no matter how you budget, if the income is so small to fit the basic needs, nothing remains. Learn how to increase your income." That's the challenging part but it's very possible. What we can reach is as big as what we can imagine.

5. Last, but as important, open it up to God. "Ask and you shall receive. Act and you shall achieve". He is a great buddy! Be up close and personal with him. :D

It's hard to go with being "broke" but if you have a friend/s and a God to share it to, you learn to discover that in every difficulty there actually lies an opportunity... We learn to cry. We learn to ask. We are stretched beyond our comfort zone. We discover more of ourself... And we learn to appreciate "little things" that bring happiness, most especially the "free stuff" like friendships and intimate relationships. :)

"Think Rich, Pinays! Think Rich, Pinoys!"

Rich Pinay
P.S. Looking for ways to make your money multiply? Join the Think Rich Pinoy's Investors' Luncheon on December 13, 2008, Saturday. E-mail: richpinay@gmail.com