An Owl's Life

I was once called an Owl, why? ‘coz they say I have big eyes, especially when I’m surprised or trying to intimidate someone. But for two years now, I’ve been living a life of an owl. Well, setting aside the big eyes issue, it’s coz I’m working graveyard or better known as “night shift”.

Here are some of the analyses I’ve compiled while working as an Owl:

1. Night differential. Talk about the money.

2. No traffic. Coz you’d always do the opposite of what the normal human beings do. (You go to work – Normal people go home, vice versa).

3. Happy bank account. Coz you save more. So many reason why:
a) No gimmicks on Friday night.
b) Too tired to go out on Saturday, better sleep.
c) You do not need to buy prepaid credits since you wouldn’t have that much textmates, not unless your sweetheart is a guard, taxi driver or an owl like you.
d) No after-work shopping, coz malls don’t open at 6am and you’d be too tired to wait for the 11am opening.
e) No weekend shopping. Coz you’d rather sleep. In short, the mall will be missing you so badly.
f) No dates/gimmicks. Coz your sweetheart or even friends live a normal life.(Not unless they'll have a midnight lunch date with you or their an owl too).
g) Lastly, lesser medical bills, coz you’d be too scared to visit your doctors. What you don’t know won’t hurt you, not unless it’s hurting you already.

Most pinoys of my generation is living the same life. Either their working in a bpo (business process outsourcing) and/or call centers. And where are all these owls nest came from? It’s none other than jobs from the west that were transferred to developing (aka poor) countries like PI, for lesser salary expense and cut cost.That’s one of the advantages and disadvantages of the information age for it became so easy to communicate and transfer data and information globally, at any time and place. The advantage is yours if you know how to play it for it has a high earning potential.

However, there’s also disadvantage of this global move and I’ll share to you two instances:

* THE VICTIMS
The financial crisis experienced by the west countries 'coz most jobs were outsourced. Such resulted the increase in the unemployment rate that chained effect the problem of normal Joe’s inability to sustain his/her high lifestyle, for his usual JOB SECURITY ceased existence. Like a rubber at night, it left him pennyless 'coz they weren’t prepared. Their most treasured high-paid job can already be done abroad, for a lesser cost that they couldn’t compete at.

* THE BENEFICIARY or is it?
For developing countries, such is seen as an advantage for available jobs increased. BPO firms occupies more than 50% of the job employers today that's why most of my generation who are staying in PI are working in these firms. The only good news I see with this is it helped the economy of PI by providing temporary job to pinoys. When I say temporary is because of the mobility of the job plus for health reasons. Such jobs cannot provide job security for its mobility can cause a BPO to close down anytime and be transferred somewhere else cheaper with same quality. We clearly see it by the number of retrenchments that’s happening nowadays. While for health reason, imagining yourself working at night for 10years, will surely make you think otherwise.

Our beloved country belongs to the group 2, the beneficiary, and I’m one of those. But what will I do about it knowing these things?

As for me, I’m planning my way out by educating myself to learn ways on how to be free. Such financial freedom is what motivates me to move forward in learning as much as I can. But as they say, learning is nothing without action, so I choose to take actions too. And sooner or later, I know I’d be free from this owl’s life, to live a more normal, healthy and financially free life. :)

What about you, are you doing something?

A Journey of an Autistic Accountant

One of the most unforgettable moments in my life is when one quoted me “Autistic”. It was the officemate beside my desk who’ve called me such. Amazed and insulted I’ve asked why, “I’m living in my own world” is what I’ve got. Unsatisfied with her answer, I typed the word autism in google and I found this:

A brain disorder that results in communication, socialization and development problems for the individual that is suffering from it.

I would want to hate my seatmate for calling me such but instead I felt happy for it opened my eyes to see where I was.

I’m not really an autistic type of person but more of a proactive-introvert-superwoman employee (aka certified rat racer). In this environment, requires professional to do more and more work, less and less talk and building relationship.

I was one of those babies who were born with a super-rat racer family. Both my parents are accountant that’s why I pursued Accountancy and strived to get my license to work for a top Accounting firm and eventually end up as a private accountant in a multinational firm. Nice achievement if life is all about titles. And as if this is my resume, I want to add that in a year of service and at 23 I was offered the position of our teams Control Accountant, a leadership position. I am very blessed for I have acquired a great deal of emotional and professional experience in a short time however it also resulted for me to live in a world of Autism.

Reflective as I am, after thorough thinking, I realized why I was living in such world, for with all the paper works in my desk, I did lived in my own world. I was working myself out 16 hours a day sitting and facing my desktop, including Sundays. Why? Will be explained by these two: 1) Ignorance on Leverage, and 2) Self-employed mentality.As such, socializing and building relationship was prejudiced, which resulted for me to lose my true self in the process.

Recognizing where I lacked at, I started searching and learning till I found my answer. I’ve mentioned in my blog, “A piece Called CA2020”, that being part of the core was like a piece of a missing puzzle.

Being a core team showed the real passion and shine of my true self. It guided me out of the autism world thru facing out of my comfort zones. It empowered me to enhance the skills I needed to be effective not only in business but as a person. Such skills included business, people, communication and leadership. These I’ve learned thru exposure to the real world, to people. In here, the more I talk the more I grow while the more I listen the more I learn. The longer I stay the more I realize that the true happiness and fulfillment in life isn’t about titles and how high you climb that ladder. I’ve discovered my happiness and fulfillment in simple things such as talking and listening but creating a big difference in someone else’s life. Such couldn’t be matched by any title or prestige that the corporate can offer me. And the most important lesson I’ve learned in the community is the power of leverage. You are not alone. You don’t have to do everything on your own. And with a team around you, there is a greater abundance you’d achieve.

So why live an autism world? :)

Living life to fullest is like a piece of puzzle that you have to continually searched on to reveal your real shine and passion. It’s not an end but a journey that you have to live along the way. :)

A Simple Life

Oh Philippines!

I duno how many times I’ve said these two words, whether I’m happy saying it or not. And I know a lot have already listed things they’d like and hate about it. Some tag it as “PI”, which I thought then as “P***** Ina”, later on I knew that it means “Philippine Island”. But other than the endless comments I hear about PI, I wonder what more can I say. I’ve already lived in PI long enough to know that it is one of the best paradise in this planet. And honestly, I’ve always believed that it is ‘til I was exposed to the lifestyle of other countries. And what’s with them that PI doesn’t have? “SIMPLE LIFE”

I’ve once watched “Simple Life” starring Paris Hilton. And whenever I watch it, I’m not sure of what I’ll feel. Sometimes I’m mesmerized by Paris classiness, but half of me wants to laugh and cry with what they call, “A Simple Life”. I’ll repeat that word in my head then sigh, “Oh Philippines”. And why? Geez… their simple life, is the life I’ve always dream to have.

What’s that simple life anyways? Just a two-storey house enough for regular family and one to three “regular” cars. Plain and simple. Is it?? Errrr…

For some of the “blessed” pinoys out there, it is simple, but for MAJORITY of “will be blessed” like me (*wink*), it’s something I have to work hard for. And what’s dreadful sometimes is I’m thinking how long before I’d have it? Accountant as I do, I’ve calculated it. And the burden of years, I’ll keep it to myself. Such burden however, is only applicable if I’d rely ONLY thru EMPLOYMENT.

Simple Life is a LIFESTYLE, a way people wants to live. At that day I’ve think of having such “simple life” plus realizing nthe burden of years I have to take, started my quest to BUSINESS and INVESTING.

The more I knew about it, the eager I was to KNOW MORE. For not only the money interests me but the LIFESTYLE, that simple life. Abundant life of money and time.

Then I realized why majority of Pinoy in PI do not live a simple life in our own paradise? That’s cause Pinoys focus too much on EMPLOYMENT. Then who does live abundantly here in PI? Aren’t they mostly CHINESE? Do you still wonder why? What does Chinese focus on? Now, do you see the difference???