Elvin Peria

The 50 New Rules of Work

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:21:26 PST

Photo courtesy of Budzlife.

I was researching on how can I improve the websites I created when I stumbled upon Robin Sharma's blog. He has written the "50 New Rules of Work". He encourages us to share, discuss and debate with our team throughout our organization. Let's try them over the next thirty days and let's see the results.

The 50 New Rules of Work by Robin Sharma

You are not just paid to work. You are paid to be uncomfortable – and to pursue projects that scare you.
Take care of your relationships and the money will take care of itself.
Lead you first. You can’t help others reach for their highest potential until you’re in the process of reaching for yours.
To double your income, triple your rate of learning.
While victims condemn change, leaders grow inspired by change.
Small daily improvements over time create stunning results.
Surround yourself with people courageous enough to speak truthfully about what’s best for your organization and the customers you serve.
Don’t fall in love with your press releases.
Every moment in front of a customer is a moment of truth (to either show you live by the values you profess – or you don’t).
Copying what your competition is doing just leads to being second best.
Become obsessed with the user experience such that every touchpoint of doing business with you leaves people speechless. No, breathless.
If you’re in business, you’re in show business. The moment you get to work, you’re on stage. Give us the performance of your life.
Be a Master of Your Craft. And practice + practice + practice.
Get fit like Madonna.
Read magazines you don’t usually read. Talk to people who you don’t usually speak to. Go to places you don’t commonly visit. Disrupt your thinking so it stays fresh + hungry + brilliant.
Remember that what makes a great business – in part – are the seemingly insignificant details. Obsess over them.
Good enough just isn’t good enough.
Brilliant things happen when you go the extra mile for every single customer.
An addiction to distraction is the death of creative production. Enough said.
If you’re not failing regularly, you’re definitely not making much progress.
Lift your teammates up versus tear your teammates down. Anyone can be a critic. What takes guts is to see the best in people.
Remember that a critic is a dreamer gone scared.
Leadership’s no longer about position. Now, it’s about passion. And having an impact through the genius-level work that you do.
The bigger the dream, the more important the team.
If you’re not thinking for yourself, you’re following – not leading.
Work hard. But build an exceptional family life. What’s the point of reaching the mountaintop but getting there alone.
The job of the leader is to develop more leaders.
The antidote to deep change is daily learning. Investing in your professional and personal development is the smartest investment you can make. Period.
Smile. It makes a difference.
Say “please” and “thank you”. It makes a difference.
Shift from doing mindless toil to doing valuable work.
Remember that a job is only just a job if all you see it as is a job.
Don’t do your best work for the applause it generates but for the personal pride it delivers.
The only standard worth reaching for is BIW (Best in World).
In the new world of business, everyone works in Human Resources.
In the new world of business, everyone’s part of the leadership team.
Words can inspire. And words can destroy. Choose yours well.
You become your excuses.
You’ll get your game-changing ideas away from the office versus in the middle of work. Make time for solitude. Creativity needs the space to present itself.
The people who gossip about others when they are not around are the people who will gossip about you when you’re not around.
It could take you 30 years to build a great reputation and 30 seconds of bad judgment to lose it.
The client is always watching.
The way you do one thing defines the way you’ll do everything. Every act matters.
To be radically optimistic isn’t soft. It’s hard. Crankiness is easy.
People want to be inspired to pursue a vision. It’s your job to give it to them.
Every visionary was initially called crazy.
The purpose of work is to help people. The other rewards are inevitable by-products of this singular focus.
Remember that the things that get scheduled are the things that get done.
Keep promises and be impeccable with your word. People buy more than just your products and services. They invest in your credibility.
Lead Without a Title.

I encourage to share this post to your team. :)

Until my next post,

Elvin

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I Love My Job

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:24:20 PST

I was searching for an email in my archive when I found this facebook note from Francis Kong. I believe that this is worth sharing.

Dr. Seuss came up with a poem entitled “I Love My Job” and it is so funny in its attempt to reflect reality. Now listen to this:

I love my job, I love the pay, I love it more and more each day.
I love my boss and he's the best. I love HIS boss and all the rest.
I love my office and it's location. I hate to have to take vacation.
I love my desk, drab and gray, and love those paper piles each day.
I love my chair in my padded cell; there's nothing else I love so well.
I love to work among my peers. I love their leers 'n jeers 'n sneers.
I love my computer and all its ware; I hug it often to show I care.
I love each program and every file; I even try using it once in a while.
I'm happy to be here, I am, I am...I'm the happiest slave to my Uncle Sam.
I love this work; I love these chores; I love the meetings with deadly bores.
I love my job AND I'll say it again, I even love these friendly men:

These men who've come to visit today, in lovely white coats to take me away!

So what is he saying here? That those who really love their jobs are truly insane?

This is funny and it actually reflects the attitude of many people in the work place.

What about you? Do you share the same sentiment?

If you think your job is awful allow me to give you a list of the world’s most terrible jobs. And here is the list:

1. Nuclear Warhead Sensistivity Technician
2. Circus Elephant Clean Up Specialist
3. Rotten Sardine Taste Detector
4. Executive Assistant To The Boss's Nephew
5. Shark Baiter
6. Russian Cartographer
7. Vice President, Screen Door Sales, North Pole Division
8. Hurricane Photographer
9. Director Of Public Relations, Chernobyl Nuclear Facility
10. The Person Responsible For Replacing Urinal Deodorizers
11. Prison Glee Club President
12. MGB Electrical Specialist
13. Road Kill Removal Crew

A lot of people complain all the time about the kind of jobs they are involved in yet when news travel through the grapevine that a re-engineering is about to take place, layoffs will happen, that will be the only time they begin to value their jobs.
No one can make you happy and neither can anyone make you unhappy in your job. It is your choice you make and no one can make that choice for you. There are people out there who would be happy to take over your job if you are willing to hand it over.

Work is a blessing. It is not a curse. It becomes a curse when you make it so.

Only productive people can be happy and only the happy people can be productive. This has been the secret of winners and now this secret is yours to keep.

Stop focusing on your boss as the monster and start focusing on God as your Provider and Employer and do everything you can to make the most out of your job. Learn new things. Improve your craft. And then suddenly, a mysterious thing begins to happen. You begin to be excited with your job.

Just a parting thought:
Live every day as if it were your last. Do every job as if you were the boss. Drive as if all other vehicles were police cars. Treat everybody else as if he were you.

Love God serve Him and men and enjoy your day.

Hope you find this helpful. Have a great day!

Elvin

PS. My wife wrote an ebook about Job Hopping, two years ago. If you haven't read it yet. You may download a copy on this link: Stop Jobhopping Now!

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The Donkey Story : Shake It Off and Step Up

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 06:49:00 PST

I was doing a project for my wife when I stumbled upon Bo Sanchez' Easter Sunday article. He shared a story of a donkey.

One day, a donkey fell in an old well.

The donkey’s owner looked down and realized the old well was too deep to pull out his donkey. It was hopeless to rescue his beloved animal.

It was heartbreaking, but he knew there was only one thing to do—to bury his donkey.

And his neighbors came to shovel dirt in the well.

When the dirt fell on his back, the donkey became hysterical. How dare they bury him alive! But in a flash, a bright idea struck him. The next time dirt fell on his back, he said to himself—“All I have to do is shake it off and step up”—and that’s what he did. And it worked!

Every time dirt fell on his back, he’d say, “Shake it off and step up… Shake it off and step up… Shake it off and step up…”

The dirt that was meant to bury him was the same dirt that saved him.

In life, we experience failures. We experience falling into a deep well.

We failed in our board exams for the second time. We failed in our businesses. We failed in our love life. We failed in handling our finances. We failed in our work. We failed in almost all aspect of our lives.

The good thing is that our failure does not mean the end of everything. The fact that we survived the fall means that there's still hope. There's still something that we can do. We have a choice. We can choose to do nothing and be trapped in the well until we die or we can just shake it off (accepting our failures) and step up (use our failures to move on to the next level) just like what the donkey did in the story. The choice is ours.

The next time you fail, remember this donkey story.

Until my next post,

Elvin

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Mobile Internet Options in the Philippines

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:31:45 PST

Recently, Edel told me that she was having problems with her thumb. She was constantly having a thumb ache because of her more-than-two-year old mobile phone. The phone's keypad started to show signs of aging which requires huge amount of pressure in pressing certain buttons.

Also, she raised the issue that she wants to read articles online while going to school. Every time she goes to school, she spends 2 to 3 hours of her time on the road. That time is enough for her to read one 20-page article.

Her quick solution was to bring our pocket Wi-Fi together with her iPod Touch. However, every time she brings the pocket Wi-Fi with her, it disables me from doing my online research at home. In short, I also need the pocket Wi-Fi at home.

In order to end our problem, I took the time to visit mobile network stores available in SM Calamba. Good thing, SM has Globe, Smart and Sun stores in it.

I took all their brochures and did the unthinkable. I researched and created what ifs scenarios.

I came up with five options which consider the following criteria:

1. Cost

2. Internet 24/7 with any Wi-Fi gadget available (laptops and iPod Touch)

3. Lock in Period

Let's discuss the criteria one by one.

Cost.

Currently we're spending roughly P2000 a month for our plans: Globe's Unli Call and Unli text promo for the both of us and Sun's Easy Broadband for P799 with Pocket Wi-Fi. If we need to select a new plan, we need to stay within that price range.

In addition, as much as possible, we wanted to balance the initial payout cost. I learned that if we terminate our current Globe Plans, we need to pay 3.5K each.

Internet Connection 24/7.

This answers my wife's concern. If I can find an option where in both of us can enjoy internet connection anywhere we go 24/7, the better. Currently, we enjoy this if we're together because of our pocket Wi-Fi. The pocket Wi-Fi provides internet connection up to 1.5Mbps and it can connect multiple gadgets simultaneously. However, if we’re not together, the pocket Wi-Fi can only be useful to the person bringing it.

Lock in Period.

If we decide to get another plan, we need to consider the lock in period. We need to have a phone that is durable enough to last for two years (common lock in period of postpaid plans). What if at the middle of the lock in plan, one of the phones breaks up?

Based on the brochure I obtained from the shops, I have the following options:

1. Unli Surf Sun using ZTE tablet. (Cost: 4, Internet Connection: 4, Lock in Period: 3,Overall Rating: 11)

2. Unli Surf Sun using Nokia C5-03 Plan 799. (Cost: 5, Internet Connection: 3, Lock in Period: 4,Overall Rating: 12)

3. Globe's iPhone 8GB Super Surf Plan 999. (Cost: 1, Internet Connection: 3, Lock in Period: 4,Overall Rating: 9)

4. Smart's All in Plan 1.2K. (Cost: 2, Internet Connection: 5, Lock in Period: 4,Overall Rating: 11)

5. Globe's Super Surf Plan 999 using their free phone either LG Optimus ME or Sony Ericsson W8 or Samsung Galaxy Mini. (Cost: 4, Internet Connection: 5, Lock in Period: 4,Overall Rating: 13)

Mobile Internet Options

Maximizing Google + for Business

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 04:54:40 PST

Truly Rich Club's Retirement Fund Calculator

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:45:16 PST

Here's a simple Calculator to find out how much you'll have if you invest each month in various "investment vehicles".

Today's Growth Rates:

	Bank Savings Account	= 1% a year
	Bank Time Deposit	= 3% a year
	Retail Treasury Bond	= 5% a year
	Stock Market and Equity Funds	= 12% or more a year*

* Stock Market and Equity Funds are long-term investment. Unlike the other three vehicles where interests are guaranteed every year, this growth rate in the Stock Market and Equity Funds are made only if you keep investing for many years. For more information about how to invest in the Stock Market and Equity Funds, click here.

Inputs

Starting Cash:

₱

Monthly Addition:

₱

Years to grow:

Interest Rate:

Results

Retirement Fund:

₱

To know how to invest in the Stock Market using Bo's Strategic Averaging Method, join his TrulyRichClub. Bo Sanchez will teach you how to invest, change your financial mindset, and grow in abundance. For details, click here.

Hope you find this tool useful. Feel free to share this to your friends.

Elvin

I Salute Truly Rich Billionaires

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:40:39 PST

This morning, I read a news article from Yahoo Philippines about an 80 year old billionaire named Han Chang-Woo. He wants to give away all his money before he die in order to improve the relations of Japan and Korea.

"I'm no longer interested in making money but in how to spend it," Han said. "These days I'm thinking about social responsibility activities all the time."

I believe that truly rich millionaires are really thinking not just about themselves but also how can they help in improving lives of other people.

I salute Han Chang-Woo for being a truly rich millionaire.

By the way, here are some facts about Han Chang-Woo. Han Chang-Woo is the founder of Maruhan Corp., Japan's largest operator of pachinko parlors. He generates 30 trillion won ($27 billion) in annual revenue.

Let's aim to be millionaires (or billionaires) so that we can help others.

Until my next post,

Elvin

PS. Be a truly rich millionaire! Join Bo Sanchez' Truly Rich Club and learn how to conquer the common external obstacles that always prevented you from moving forward on your road to becoming a truly rich millionaire. Click here to join Truly Rich Club.

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First International Trip: The Super Excited Duo

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:38:13 PST

Last October 27, we embarked on a new journey to explore a new land. We've conquered some of the Philippines' beautiful spots before, like Palawan, Baguio, Cebu, Hundred Islands, Majayjay, Tagaytay, Villa Escudero in San Pablo Laguna, Laiya Batangas, Pagsanjan and Boracay. This time, we decided to venture outside the country together to meet the world of Mickey, the Great Buddha and the lazy Panda.

Our day started out early. We were excited to wake up at 6:30AM even though our flight was scheduled at 7:15PM. We agreed that it is better early.

According to our source, it will be a three hour drive from Manila to Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark (traffic included). We don't want to risk getting late and missing our flight. Since we'll be coming from Laguna, thirty to one hour drive going to Manila, we decided to leave at 10:30AM from Jessiline's house. We expected to be at the terminal two hours before our flight.

So we fixed ourselves, ate breakfast, bid our farewells to our parents and went straight to Jessiline's house.

Minutes later, we hit the road.

11AM. We were entering EDSA already. I never expected that there was no traffic jam in SLEX.

12PM. We were in NLEX already. I was starting to worry because we were too early.

12:30PM. We were getting hungry and decided to stop in the next gasoline station. We ended up in Razon's somewhere in Mexico, Pampanga, few kilometers from our exit. Edel and I ate Sisig with rice. Ninang Lilian bought us Razon's special Halo halo.

At around 1:00PM. We went back on the road.

At 1:30PM. We were already in Subic! We were really early!

I realized that I miscalculated our travel time. Adding four hours to 10:30AM means being at the Clark at around 2:30PM. That was 3 hours early! My mind was set to catch the 11:30AM or 1PM bus in Philtranco. Oh, well.

Nayong Pilipino sa Clark (aka Expo Pilipino): Abandoned?

Good thing along the way to the airport, we saw Nayong Pilipino sa Clark (aka Expo Pilipino). We decided to visit it first before going to the airport to make the best out of our time. By the way, Ninang Lilian paid for our entrance fees which is P50 each.

Upon entering Nayong Pilipino sa Clark, I had high expectations. I have never been to Nayong Pilipino even in Manila, so I was excited to be there. However, my expectations were not met. Nayong Pilipino sa Clark does not look good anymore. There were only few visitors, lots of closed stalls, cracked paint walls, etc. I felt I was entering a ghost town. Edel felt the same thing. While walking, we kept on discussing about the place's history and my previous visit when I was still in high school.

Anyway, the list of our frustrations about the place grew. To add more, the scorching heat of the sun immobilized us from exploring the place. We just sat down at one spot and decided to play Monopoly.

Seven houses and almost hundred dice throws later (2:15PM), we decided to go to the airport since Ninang Lilian needed to go back to Manila before 7PM.

At about 3PM, we arrived at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport. We learned that we cannot check in yet because it was still early. I also learned that Tiger Airways is under the umbrella of SEAIR. So our plane has the SEAIR logo on it and not Tiger Airways.

First Panoramic shot of Diosdado Macapagal International Airport

At 5PM, we started to fall in line at the check in counter. I noticed that our flight was the only one scheduled that night. The next one was scheduled at 12 midnight. It is safe to say that DMIA is a not-so-busy international airport.

After depositing our baggage, I was surprised that we needed to pay travel tax amounting to P1,620 each on top of the P200 terminal fee. Oh, well.

We waited for one and a half hour more before our plane left the country.

.. to be continued...

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First International Trip Together: The Preparation

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:38:13 PST

I am excited for tomorrow because it will be our first international trip! I will be going to Hong Kong together with my wife and her best friend. Definitely, it will be a blast!

Actually, this trip was initially scheduled on December. In fact, we already paid for our airfare tickets from Cebu Pacific months before our wedding. We got the tickets priced at P3000 for the both of us; sadly it was a one way ticket. It took us months to look for super affordable plane tickets back to Philippines but there were none. We attended a travel and tour convention and the people we have talked to advised us that based on their experience, the fares which are priced less than P3000 from Hong Kong (for two) was impossible. We almost lost hope. And there was a time that we decided not to pursue the trip anymore. Good thing, an angel came our way. On one fateful day, my wife, Edel was seeking advice from Atty. Tina (our friend from IMG). During that meeting, Edel blurted out that we planned to go to Hong Kong this year (December). Atty. Tina suggested that we join her this October. That night, when I got home, Edel told me this and we agreed.

Finding our way there.

The next day, we looked for the cheapest flight possible (that's where we're good at). We found one via Tiger Airways. However there was a challenge. Tiger Airways is stationed in Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark Pampanga. We didn't know how to get there via public transportation. In fact, we haven't been there but we thought that it will be an exciting adventure and Google surely helped us find our way.

After a few minutes of Googling, we found a possible option. We can go to Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) via Philtranco bus line. They have a direct line from Pasay to DMIA daily. From that point, we already have our plane tickets (round trip) and we already knew how to get to the airport.

Excited to take a photo of this view

Next, we planned for our itinerary. We planned to visit the Great Buddha in Ngong Ping 360 on the first day and Hong Kong Disneyland, the next day. After a couple of hours researching (Google again), we learned how to get there either from Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) or from Kowloon.

We discussed our planned itinerary with Atty Tina and she suggested that we go to Ocean Park instead of Hong Kong Disneyland. Her reason? The rides in Ocean Park are a lot more exciting as compared to Disneyland. We looked and compared their websites and we found out that Atty. Tina was right.

Letting go of a dream?

Since I was a child, it was my dream to go to Disneyland. I wanted to see Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and the rest of the gang in real life. Of course, Edel wanted this too. In fact, Edel and I once dreamt of having our wedding there.

With this dream in mind, Edel and I discussed the implications of going to Ocean Park instead of Disneyland.

After researching, reflecting and sharing our thoughts, we decided that we should visit both attractions. We decided to go to Ocean Park to witness what it has to offer and visit Hong Kong Disneyland to fulfill our dream. We agreed to compress our day 1 itinerary to include Hong Kong Disneyland in the afternoon.

More Blessings!

I forgot to mention that Edel's best friend (Jess) was also part of the thinking process. We met her, texted her and called her up regularly to update her regarding our trip. Two weeks ago, we finalized everything. We researched and visualized everything starting from our place to Hong Kong and back. Aside from visualizing, we also thought of the things that we should bring. We were surprised to know how Jess packed her things during her previous trips which prompted us to rethink the things we ought to bring.

Sidetrack: Just this morning, Edel found out a website about the universal packing list online. We'll be using this on our future trips.

Back to Jess, we received a phone call from her telling us that her parents will accompany us to Diosdado Macapagal International Airport. Wow! That was good news! Imagine we will not commute from Laguna to Clark anymore. She also shared that we can have discounted tickets in Ocean Park courtesy of her aunt. Yehey!

… to be continued..

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Experts Not Needed

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:38:13 PST

Top 200 Secrets of Success

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:24:05 PST

Planning Day on the Last Day of a Long Vacation

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:38:13 PST

Our long vacation started out not according to plan. We said that we’ll spend the long weekend at Canossa Retreat House in Tagaytay but it did not materialize because of some unforeseen events. Oh well, that’s life, I guess. Some things happen NOT according to plan. Good thing, the retreat was replaced with some awesome nature tripping and entertaining activites in Villa Escudero, Quezon.

Thank God, on the very last day, we managed to sit down, talk and write our goals down (actually not write because we found a great Google Chrome App online named Cozi). We started out at around 2:30 and after two and a half hours of typing our to-do list on the cool site we’re all set.

The next step is of course to make things happen.

Wish us luck!

Elvin

PS. By the way, yesterday I wrote an article regarding my most fun experience during the long vacation. You can read it by clicking on this link : Do Nothing Days. I'm still singing Jason Mraz' Sleep All Day and Bruno Mars' Lazy Song.

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Do nothing days!

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:38:14 PST

The Carpenter's Final House

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:47:22 PST

I got this article from Bo Sanchez' Soulfood newsletter and I felt that this is worth sharing. This story is about a old carpenter tasked to do build his last project. Enjoy reading.

One day, an elderly carpenter was about to retire.

When he told the owner of the company that he was finally leaving, the man said, “I hate to let go such a great carpenter. Before you retire, can I ask a favor? Can you make one last house for me?”

The carpenter agreed, but he did so with a heavy heart. So when he was building the house, the passion was no longer there. It was shoddy workmanship. The people around him noticed, and they were sad to see him end such a sterling career in this way.

When the carpenter finished building the house, his Boss came over to inspect it. The man then faced the carpenter, took his hand, and placed the key of the house in his palm. “This house is yours,” the man said. “It’s our parting gift to you for all the years of service you gave the company.”

The carpenter was shocked. And then his heart was filled with painful regret. Oh, if he only knew he was building his own house, he would have done a better job!

Moral Lesson of the Story

We are the carpenter of our own life. Everyday we're building our character using our thoughts, our words and our deeds. We need to be the best and excellent all the time.This way, you'll live life without regrets.

Until my next post,

eLviN

PS. Photo is taken from this site: http://jplerit.tumblr.com/

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First Manifestation : I Am Enough

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 07:11:22 PDT

Four Ways to Make Your Team Effective

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:24:05 PST

1. Set quiet hours. Think about the times when you've found it easiest to concentrate. You probably aren't thinking of times when your phone was ringing, or when your neighbors were conversing loudly, or when your boss was visiting your desk bi-hourly with demands for "status updates." Distractions matter. Distractions kill good work. So try this: Set aside a 4-hour block, one day a week, to be "quiet hours." No talking; ringers off; no IMs; no desk visits. Just good old-fashioned silence.

2. Stand up during meetings. Nobody schedules a "lunch hour" and then eats nonstop for the full hour, dropping his fork at the 60th minute, with no regard whatsoever to the amount of food consumed. Yet this is the way every meeting works. By default, a meeting consumes the time allotted to it. That's crazy. Meetings should last as long as they need to last, and not a moment longer. Yet there is no force pushing for that outcome! So add a force: Make people stand up during your meetings. Now you've given your team a powerful incentive to be efficient. The military and software developers have already embraced this approach. Be next.

3. Bake in bright spots. We know from psychology that people focus instinctively on problems. Meetings are often dominated by problem-solving (or, less charitably, frustration-airing). By indulging that instinct to dwell on problems, we miss a chance to analyze what IS working. (That's a philosophy we call "finding the bright spots.") To correct this bias, some groups are now starting their meetings with a discussion of bright spots. To try it, start your next meeting with this question: "Since the last time we met, what has worked well, and how can we do more of it?" Not only will you harvest lots of great ideas, you'll create a more positive tone for the meeting.

4. Change the way you brainstorm. In most brainstorming session, the "talkers" in the group will share a few ideas, and then others will chime in with refinements of those initial ideas (rather than introducing a radically different point of departure). The effect is that, within 10 minutes, the group has shut down 99% of the potential conversation paths. One easy way to correct for this is to have every member of the team brainstorm privately and record their thoughts prior to the meeting. Then, start the meeting by asking people to share their ideas before the group discussion begins. That way, you can be more confident that you've charted more of the "landscape of ideas," rather than simply building on the (possibly misguided) ideas of the group's loudest members.

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I got these very useful tips from Heath Brothers newsletter. In case you didn't know them, they are the authors behind the books entitled Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die and Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.

Out of these four tips, I am excited to try the third one. How about you, what do you want to try first?

Until my next post,

eLviN

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Guidelines in Creating Affirmations

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:24:05 PST

Edel shared her insights about our retreat that happened last Holy Week. That retreat made us realize how blessed we are because of the talents, treasures and time that we have. It made us focus even more on the dreams and aspirations we want to achieve for our life as we discover our life's purpose.

One valuable takeaway I've had was how to create powerful affirmations. And I'm going to share with you guidelines in creating affirmations as suggested by Jack Canfield.

It should be positive.
It should start with "I am"
It should be in present tense
It should be specific
It should contain a -ing verb form
It should contain a feeling word such as happily, gratefully, etc.
It should be brief
It should be personal

Until my next post,

eLviN

By the way, here's an example of an affirmation by Bo Sanchez called the Feast Declaration of Abundance.

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How Bo Sanchez Changed My Life

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:43:33 PST

It all started in high school. I’ve been hearing a lot Bo Sanchez, most of the time from my high school friends, couple coordinators and friends in Youth for Christ. I read some of his articles but it’s his book entitled 8

Secrets of the Truly Rich that made a mark in my heart.

Here’s how I got my 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich book.

It was the last day of our Chemical Engineering Board Exam in Manuel L. Quezon University in Manila. My friends and I (classmates in engineering) went out just to unwind in the busy streets of Rizal Avenue. We went to National Bookstore to look for Rubix cube (I learned to solve a Rubix Cube during our stay in Manila for the Board Exam). I saw one but I was not expecting the price so I just looked around the National Bookstore and noticed 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich.

I bought one copy for me and my future wife, Edel.

Edel and I read the book and it blessed us. The book opened our eyes to a lot of learning opportunities that continuously transformed us into a God-fearing, financial literate, a cheerful giver, and a loving individual.

We attended Truly Rich Seminar. We watched Bo Sanchez preaching through the preacherinbluejeans website every week (Thank God the PICC feast is also available online). We subscribed to Kerygma family. We subscribed to Bo Sanchez blog. We attended Kerygma Conference for the first time (Awaken the Spirit in You) in Ultra. We subscribed to Truly Rich Club. We bought Bo Sanchez’ book after book (I can’t count how many of Bo’s books we have bought because we have given away some of them to friends). In short, we’ve developed an open mind to experience everything the world has to offer.

I met a lot of friends. I met a lot of mentors. I saw a lot of business opportunities (internet marketing, blogging, investing in stocks, investing in real estate, franchising name it we have it). We became bookworms and we read a lot of books.

I wonder what would happen if I didn’t buy the book…

I suggest, you read 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich as well.

Until my next post,
eLviN

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Our Photoshoot

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:38:13 PST

This is quite overdue. It has been more than a month since we had our prenuptial photo taken by four generous gentlemen together with their partners. It was an awesome experience because it was our first photo shoot and we got to meet great photographers. And what made the experience unforgettable? The prenuptial photo coverage was for free! Yes. You've read it right. It was for free.

How did we meet them?

The story started years before we were born. There was a young girl and a young boy who fell in love during their high school years. It was their first “puppy love” experience. However, before the guy officially courted the young girl, he suddenly disappeared. The girl asked herself what went wrong.

Years have passed and the young boy and the young girl reconnect through Facebook. Both of them now have their own family. Both of them have a well-established career outside the country.

One fateful afternoon, they've decided to meet together with the girl’s younger brother and sister. They went to bowling to have a game and after that they ate at a restaurant in the Philippines, the country where they first met.

During that discussion, the guy learned that the girl’s younger sibling is getting married. So he offered his services for free. The rest was history.

How did we prepare?

Initially, the plan was to make the prenuptial photos very unique. We wanted our families to be part of that photo shoot. Can you think of anything more unique than that? However, Kuya Edmond (the guy who offered his services for free) told us that he will consult first his partners.

Due to time constraint and complexity of our idea they told us that it is not feasible. Since their services are free we agreed not to include our families in the photo shoot. We just hoped that sooner or later the idea we have in mind will materialize. (This will be included on another story - foreshadowing)

He instructed us to prepare at least two to three sets of clothing. So we searched our wardrobes for the perfect match. Actually, I was the limiting factor here because I had a limited number of clothes to wear. So I bought some clothes in SM while Edel searched for the perfect match in their wardrobe.

Here's our planned outfits. We actually prepared five matching outfits but I'll just share our top three picks (honestly I forgot the other two outfits).

Outfit 1 : Angels

Outfit # 1:

Elvin – White longs sleeves with bowtie + Black pants + Black shoes + small pink wings
Edel – White ¾ sleeved blouse + knee-length leggings + favorite sandals + pink wings

This outfit symbolizes our intention to be pure, holy and heavenly Also it is a reminder to ourselves that our relationship should be God-centered. In fact, most of the things used on this outfit (like the wings, bowtie, blouse and long sleeves) were recycled from our costume during Halo-win Sunday in Feast Laguna. By the way, I proposed in Feast Laguna two weeks after that event (11/21/2010).

Outfit # 2:

Outfit # 2 : Red Theme

Elvin – Red Polo + Dark colored Jeans + Black shoes
Edel – One floral red dress + Swarovski necklace pendant + Brown sandals

The second outfit symbolizes the fun and the explorer side in us. These set of outfit made us feel that we’re fun, happy, vibrant and most importantly in love. To be honest, the Swarovski pendant is the result of our frequent trips to Divisoria before. The red polo is the first polo I bought without looking at the tag price (just for experience).

Outfit # 3 : Serious Look

Outfit # 3:

Elvin – Long sleeved with black vest-illusion polo + Black pants + Black shoes + Bruno Mars style hat
Edel – One piece long-sleeved with black vest-illusion dress + favorite sandals

Outfit number 3 represents the serious part of us. These outfit made us feel that we can be serious in making things happen most especially in fulfilling our dreams as partners in life. The formal look represents our seriousness in life. The matching pattern and color represents that we are partners in everything we do. And lastly, the comfort these clothes bring (though looks formal) symbolizes that we’re happy and joyful inside even if we look serious on the outside.

These are just sample photos. More photos on our facebook profile pages.

Until my next post,

eLviN

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Edel gave me a surprise that I didn’t notice

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:38:13 PST

Here’s the story.

Valentines Day. I got home from work tired and exhausted. Even though I’m tired and exhausted I decided to give Edel a visit (which I always do – please take note that Edel is a good source of positive energy. One smile or hug or kiss from her can really expel the exhaustion from me).

Most of the time Edel is doing some school tasks on her laptop upon my arrival. However, that day she’s using her niece’s laptop. I wonder why.

So I asked her, “where’s your laptop?”

She responded, “Upstairs”. Then she requested me to get her laptop. I agreed.

I didn’t know that she did that on purpose. I didn’t know that there’s a surprise waiting for me upstairs. However, I failed to recognize that.

Here’s what happened.

I went in her room. I was surprised that the lights were lit. That scene was very unusual but I didn’t mind. I saw her laptop sitting on her bed. I grabbed it then went out of the room. While walking, I noticed that there were pieces of paper posted on her mirror that says:

When you look to me I can see the GREATEST story LOVE has ever told!

I thought that those were affirmations. I thought the word “you” refers to the one looking at the mirror (which is Edel most of the time) and the word “me” refers to the mirror. I got confused, so I went downstairs to give Edel her laptop.

Then I asked her, “what’s about those paper posted upstairs on the mirror?”

She smiled.

And then I told her that I didn’t get it.

We went upstairs then as we open the room; I realized that there were a lot of papers hanging on the curtain. There’s also a paper posted on her TV saying “Happy Heart’s Day Ming.”

Gosh!

What happened to me? Why I didn’t notice this?

Photos from Edel's Valentines Day Surprise

I failed to see the surprise Edel gave me. I asked for forgiveness and gave Edel a hug. I also greeted her and said that I love the surprise she gave me.

I realized that I failed to see the blessings for being focused on the things that needed to be done.

With this incident, I realized that blessings are really everywhere. Most of the time, we fail to notice them because of our busyness. We fail to notice because we’re looking on other things.

Bo Sanchez is right in his previous article. He said there that most of us are problem experts. We see problems as they are going to happen. By putting our attention on our problems we fail to see God’s blessings appearing in front of us.

I’m not saying that we don’t mind our problems. What I’m saying is that let’s be aware of the blessings coming our way. This way, we will not miss any magical moments like this.

For sure God is giving us a lot of surprises from the moment we wake up each morning. But because we’re too much focused on the tasks that we need to accomplish within the day, we oftentimes fail to give Him thanks. We fail to see the blessings He is constantly giving us.

Appreciate the beauty of God’s surprises. He’s surprising us everyday.

Until my next post!

eLviN

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Something Good

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:24:05 PST

Gratefulness

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:38:13 PST

I consistently write on my thank you journal the following statements:

Thank you for the generous people who are willing to share their treasures, their talents and their time to me now and always.

Thank you for the people appreciating the things I’m doing now and always.

I was surprised that these things unfold right before my eyes.

I don't know if you've seen our prenuptial photos posted this morning. They’re awesome! And here’s one more thing that made that photos awesome – they’re free! Can you imagine that? These great photographers are really giving away their talents and their time just to make other people happy.

Not only that today, I got two slices of cake, a free ride on my way home, and a sexy fiancé waiting to give me a sweet hug and a kiss.

Haaay. I'm really blessed.

For the second statement, just this morning, I got a lot of phone calls and interruptions from my office mates needing my help to solve their Excel and automation problems - from SUMIF functions, to generating report using a batch file, to generating an automated excel based tool and a lot more. They were calling me because they appreciate the things I did for them and they wanted me to help them even more.

And I love that feeling!

I love the feeling of being interrupted.
I love the feeling of being wanted.

I love the feeling of being appreciated.

I love the feeling of sharing the things I know that can really help other people.

I love the feeling of helping other people in solving their problems.

This is my dream. And it is happening already.

Law of attraction really works.

Until my next post,

Elvin

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Food for Thought : Blessings are Everywhere

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:38:13 PST

From my last post, I shared with you that I'm sending daily food for thought to my mobile contacts. Quotes that I believe can help brighten up their day.

However something unexpected happen. I received a text message that contains these words: "Stop texting me". I was shocked! I was really, really shocked because this was the first time that I received such message. Other people in my contacts are thanking me for the messages I'm sending them daily. There's a friend that even created a folder for me because he's loving my daily food for thought messages.

So I told her that I will not send her daily food for thought messages anymore. In short, I removed her number from my phone so that I will not commit the same mistake of sending her inspiring words ever again. In this way, a win-win situation for the both of us. Win for me because I will save a couple of minutes just to send her the message and a win situation for her because she will not be irritated by the inspiring words I'm sending everyday.

Good thing she's the only one out of all my friends who does not want the food for thought.

Upon reflection I remembered the talk given by our preacher, Jon Escoto, in Feast Laguna last week. It was about seeing the blessings God is giving us. He shared that God's blessings are given to each and everyone of us. No exception. Whether you are rich or you are poor.

Everyday God is giving us an avalanche of blessings. However, most of us are not seeing those blessings. We don't realize that the blessings are just right there in front of us.

It is true that the size of our expectations for these blessings would be the size of the blessings that we can receive. And we cannot receive anything bigger than that.

Friends, I want you to increase your expectations to see God's blessings.

Until my next post!

eLviN

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Food for Thought: Discovering Your Passion

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:38:13 PST

Everyday I'm sharing my friends in the mobile world inspiring quotations I got to read from books and blogs. It is called Food for thought. Before, it started out as a text message from my fiance Edel Ramilo, however, since I'm the one reading books nowadays, it is my time to share daily messages to my friends. My friends are loving it! Since they are loving it, I want to share Food for thoughts here in my blog as well.

So here it goes.

"Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only temporary, because there's nothing to make it last."

I got this nice quote from Nicholas Spark's Dear John.

This quote is telling us that we need to do our passion and at the same time be satisfied with the results we are getting. In that way, we can have total satisfaction.

But most of the time, we are stuck in determining our passion.

I would like to focus my thoughts on finding your passion on this post.

HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR PASSION?

Photo from Hugh Mcleod's blog GapingVoid.com.

I remember a facebook wall comment from my mentor Jomar Hilario. He is suggesting that to know our passion, we write down hundred things we love doing. Then try it out one by one. From that list, we can determine that thing we are very passionate about. The thing that enables you to enjoy waking up in the morning even though there are a lot of resistance to do that certain task (cold weather, lack of sleep, etc) is your passion.

By the way, in doing this exercise don't limit yourselves with what is real and what is not. You'll be surprised that anything is really possible.

I remember last year, Edel and I realized one of our passions. We realized that we love to travel. We are passionate to conquer the world by visiting beautiful places, meeting new people and experiencing different cultures.

We had no budget for travel by that time but I told her that "don't worry, before this year ends we will go to Cebu". Do you know what happened? Days after that, we received a text message from our friend looking for ten volunteers who will facilitate and lead delegates all over the country on their historical field trip to Intramuros and Cebu. We immediately said yes!

It was an amazing experience. And by the way, that's my first trip to Cebu and it was for free.

Until my next post!
eLviN

Merry Christmas!

elvinperia@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:24:05 PST

Merry Christmas to you and your family! :)

Enjoy a short greeting from Edel Ramilo and me using animoto.com

I may not be able to post regularly for the past couple of weeks but thank you for reading and subscribing to my blog!

Again, Merry Christmas! :)

Elvin Peria