Monday, May 28, 2012

Change your beliefs




"Don’t wait for opportunities to fall upon your lap. Don’t wait for chance to determine the fulfillment of your dreams. Take the first step and do not be afraid. I am with you." - God
Do not be afraid says the Lord. How many times have we tried to do something, something new, something different, like a business venture, or maybe apply for a new job, we carefully planned it to its smallest detail, but just when we are about to start, we suddenly stop. We think of a thousand reasons why it can’t be done.

If it’s a business venture, we think, what if it doesn’t work? What if my products won’t sell? What if my money I have invested does not comes back to me?

If it’s a new job, we say, what if I applied for work and nobody wants me?  What if I get hired and I won’t like the attitude of my boss? or what if it’s a job that has more responsibility?

What if? What if? What if?

Believe me, there are some people who are like that. Some people are afraid to try. Some people are afraid to take risks. They are afraid that in the end they might regret their own decision.  Let me tell you something. The only risks and regrets that you will have in your life are the things that you did not try.

Change your belief

It all starts in your beliefs. There is something called "belief system". Every product created in this world was molded by a production system. Have you ever tasted magnum ice cream? (I pity you if you haven’t) My wife loves it. She can eat it morning, noon, afternoon or night, yes even midnight.


Ever thought how that ice cream was produced? The company who sells it created a system so perfect that it produces a perfect product that everybody would crave to buy.

Another example is the iphone, nowadays almost everyone owns an iphone or at least dream of having one. But how was it that a gadget like an iphone became a worldwide phenom in terms of sales and popularity? It was because, the company Apple created a perfect world class system in designing a world class telephone.

So in other words, whatever the system is, then that is what the product would be. If you have a lousy belief system, then the product of your thoughts would also be lousy, if you have an abundant belief system, then you will have an abundant results in your life. This happens because thoughts are powerful. Thoughts become things.

If you tell yourself , “I believe I can do this!”,” it may be hard, it may be difficult but I can do this!” then you definitely can do it,  but if on the onset of a project you tell yourself, “no, im going to fail, I cant do it!” then you doomed yourself because most likely you will definitely fail.

Confucious said that the people who say he can and the people who says I can’t are absolutely right!

Live favor minded

A lot of people, because of the many hardships in life, dream no more. O yes maybe there are a few who still dream, but the problem is their dreams are so small. They do not expect great things to happen to them. Their motto in life is, “don’t expect too much, so that you won’t get hurt if you don’t get it.” I know a lot of people who thinks this way.

I remember a melody back in my high school days, I first heard it in a TV commercial then later on, I realized that it was indeed a song. It goes this way… “When I was just a little bonito, I asked my mama, what should I be? Would I be handsome? Would I be rich?...........Que sera sera, whatever will be will be, the future is not ours to see, que sera sera… what will be , will be”

What will be will be. Funny, I don’t think these words inspire you, in fact it discourages you. It let’s you know that you are not in control. Sometimes it even makes you lazy. Why? Because it subconsciously makes you not wanting to work? Why take action, what will be will be so why bother?  But you know what, most people  thinks this way. It may be a valid thinking specially if you have failed a lot in life, or if your life is just too hard. But remember God does not operate this way. God operates by faith .You have to believe first before you see.. There was a passage in the Bible that says, blessed are those who believe and have not yet seen.

Greatness exist in all of us

I’ve always been a great basketball fan, I always love watching basketball games. My favourite player growing up and until now is Michael Jordan. Of course everybody knows him, I mean who doesn’t right. He won 6 championships, 6 time MVP, voted as one of the 50 greatest players in the world. Up to this date, with all the great super stars in the NBA I don’t think anyone has topped what he has done in the game of basketball. He is said to be the greatest ever.

Many times in our lives, we think that greatness is only for people like Michael who is physically talented, many times we think that greatness is defined by the people we watch on TV or in the movies. We define greatness as someone who is beautiful, someone who is intelligent, someone who sings well like a Lea Salonga or maybe a Jessica Sanchez.

I believe that we too have greatness in stored within us. I truly believe that because, the God who created Jordan, Lea, or even a Manny Pacquiao etc etc are the same God who has created us.

It’s only a matter of belief. Belief in yourself. God wants us to be blessed, but before he bless us, we should be ready. We should think, act that we are ready to receive, because if the soul is ready, the blessing will appear.

Redefine Money

I have been involve in multi-level marketing business for so long and it amazes me when people are  asked in the beginning of the seminar, “sino ang gusting yumaman? Taas ang kamay!” (Who wants to be rich? Raise your hands!) , and then you will see that almost all of the audience raises their hands with smile on their faces, some of them even shouting , “ako!!!” (Me!!!) As I looked at some of them, I just thought to myself  , “weh, di nga?” (sorry i don't know how to translate this haha/ unbelievable?!)

You see a lot of us has misconception about money. Some people have a crazy definition that money equates to evil. Some people believe that a rich person is a bad person. They sometimes think that if you have too much pesos or dollars in your bank account, you’re a greedy person.

World renowned preacher and financial guru,Bo Sanchez said that we have this thing called “emotional attachments” for every object here on earth. We define money as evil. But I do not believe money is bad, do you know why? Because God says so.

It is God who gives you the power to create wealth. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

If money is evil, God will not give us the power to create it. In fact according to this verse, we have his permission. He allows us to create wealth. He wants us to be rich. So instead of us defining money as evil, let us redefine it as money is God’s power.

Its all about belief. The size of your dreams would depend on the size of your belief. If you have mango seed and you plant it in a small pot. Do you think the mango seed would grow to its own size and become a mango tree. No!! Of course not, if you plant a mango seed on a small pot, you might end up with a bonsai mango plant. The only solution to this is to transfer your seed to a much much bigger pot.

It works the same way with your belief, the pot represents your belief and the only way to grow your seed of abundance is to make your pot as humongous as it can be.

You maybe saying but Ludwig I came from a poor family, i wasn’t able to finish my studies, I’m only a high school graduate, I can’t do that. Friends remember this, your past does not define your future. Hollywood actor Will Smith said that, “Where you were doesn’t really matter, what matters is where your going to be.”

It doesn’t really matter. You may be small right now. You may be a seed. But remember this, inside this mango seed is a tree.

Inside you is a millionaire.

Inside you is the truly rich.

Inside you is success.

God is rooting for your truimph. God rejoices when He sees you start working on your dream.

Aim High, Live life, love God,

Ludwig Weigand

Monday, May 14, 2012

Invest for your future



Successful people always think long-term. And the longer their timeframe, the more successful they are. Successful people think about the next five years. Or the next 10 years. Or the next 20 years. How about you? -  Eternally Yours…God


Why is it important to invest? I’m sure you heard this word before. I did. I think I heard it from accounting 101, or maybe statistics during high school. But I never really gave importance to it, like it was a foreign word or something. I thought before that investing is only for people who have lots of money. I thought investing is only done by the rich, the affluent, the wealthy.


I was wrong.


I learned that investing is something that we have to do even if we are not rich yet. In fact, if you really want to be wealthy, you need to start investing. It is not something that you need to do when your old, it is something that you should do while your still young. This means you have to start now. As in now, ASAP.


There are two kinds of investor in this world:


1.  Short Term Investor


2. Long Term Investor



Short Term Investors


These are the people who doesn’t think of the future, they live like as if there is no tomorrow. They live within the philosophy of a line in the Lion King Movie ..  “Hakuna Matata”, which means no worry, live for today, eat drink and be merry for tomorrow you may die.


There was once a guy name Joe. He is a typical hardworking man, he has been working with his job for so many years now. One day he got a chance to speak to one of his wealthy classmate who is a businessman and financial advisor named Peter.


Peter was a bit alarmed and worried with his friend Joe. He learned that he doesn’t have any savings in his bank. So he told Joe that, I strongly advise you that you save and start investing your money for your future. Joe said, well Peter, “I don’t need to invest for my future.” Peter asked, “Why?”. Joe answered because I will die when I am 50 years old. Peter said, “Well I’m sorry to hear that Joe, but what if at 50, your still alive? Then what? While it is true that there is nothing wrong with the eating, drinking and being merry for the day, but what happens if tomorrow you don’t die. What if you live? And you live ‘til 90 years old. Did you know that the average lifespan of human beings are getting longer and longer every year?


Short Term investors can be likened to a farmer who plants a monggo seed. When you plant this seed, you can actually start harvesting it after a day or two. Then you have your own “togue”. There’s nothing  wrong with eating that. I eat “togue”. But the problem is when you run out of food, you start planting again, and you have to do this everyday for the rest of your life.


Long Term Investors

I firmly believe that if you want to be financially successful in life, you have to invest in the long-term. You can’t just be in a “live for the day” attitude. Success doesn’t come overnightt. Walt Disney said, “it takes 20 years of hardwork, determination and dedication to become an overnight success.


Long term investors are farmer too. But instead of planting monggo seeds, they plant mango seeds. It takes years before a mango seed turn into a mango tree.


My aunt, whom we call Tita Cielo, owns a farm in Bulacan, they have at least 4-5 acres of land filled with mango trees. Once I stood there in amazement on how big those trees are, they are all giants! Little did I know at that time that those trees have been standing there for at least 30-40 years. Even older than I am.


When I was young, I remember that our neighbor had this giant mango tree planted in their backyard It  had been there for as long as I can remember. One day, a powerful storm came, I don’t know I it was “rosing”, “during”, or “ning-ning”, there’s so many of them! The giant branches of that tree came swaying, I felt many times that this tree would come crashing into me, because my room was located very near that tree. Man, was I scared that time. I couldn’t sleep!


There was also a time when my dad noticed that the walls that divides our house from our neighbor’s are cracking. Ask me why? It is because the mango trees roots are destroying it. Yes, after all this years the tree is still growing.


This, my friend is what happens when you invest for the long term. You plant once, and take care of your seed, make it grow, tender it,  and soon like the mango tree, even if your old, or even when you die. It will still keep growing, it will keep bearing fruit, whether you like it or not.


In the following articles, I will share with you the secrets in having an abundant life in all areas. But for now, I would leave you with one question.


Did you know that Spiritual people are the most successful?


I’ll tell you why soon.


Aim High,Live life, Fear God


Ludwig Weigand