Inspiration for Success
About inspiration, motivation and success
Well, today the e-mail of Marc and Angel brought me to this page: 12 Rules for Being Beatifully Human.
And often this self help stuff, these self help sites trying to sell books or other stuff are too much for me, but today I’ll just share the link and would recommend to open it.
I am very angry and most of my anger goes back to one thing: big companies people depend on implementing policies that affect them in a very negative way.
I recently found out that Smartbro has implemented a data limit on their unlimited plan that we have been using for around six years. And they did that without even informing their existing customers. Worse is that they don’t call this limit on the data traffic a limit, no they call it Fair Usage Policy. But this Fair Usage Policy has nothing to do with any fair use of whatever resource that is limited as internet is about bandwidth and not about any monthly limit, unless of course their data carrier has a limit on total data traffic.
Smartbro plan overview January 1, 2014
Unlimited means limited?
The worst thing is that I depend on this internet connection and that my normal total data traffic exceeds the limit as implemented by Smartbro. And my work, my income depends on a reliable connection, but with the implementation of this so called Fair Usages Policy around halfway the month my internet connection is affected in a very bad way, often even that I can’t even browse properly.
But this is not about Smart only, this is about policies implemented by big corporations, somehow supported by governments where you have nowhere to go. Airlines are another example for this, but also electricity companies.
And that makes me very angry. I thought companies and other organizations were invented to serve people, to serve customers, but apparently it’s not always like that. And again, that’s exactly what I want to change in the world, why I created Inspiration for Success. To improve the world, to make the world humane again, to make the world for people again.
Help the poorI bumped into the initiative of the Kalinga foundation a few days ago. And I sent them an e-mail as I still want to do something for the poor people in The Philippines. And I saw their focus is on helping children living on a garbage dump in Manila. And of course it’s a very good cause to help ‘poor children on a garbage dump’, but I think the economic problems in The Philippines go much deeper than just ‘people being poor’. The longer I am here, the more I realize there is a reason, there are reasons why The Philippines is poor, or at least why many people in The Philippines are poor. And those reasons go very deep, they go back to culture and upbringing and the resulting attitudes from that. And without changing that you can’t achieve any result in the reduction of poverty, as it’s the system, the culture that makes The Philippines, makes many people in The Philippines poor, even including me at the moment, but that’s just incidental, I’m just a sample. And maybe the statements I am making now are just the reason why I’m here, why I am in this situation I am right now, this situation also of poverty which I don’t like, even though I don’t really lead a life in poverty as I still have enough to eat and to drink and still have a decent house to live in and still take my daily hot shower. But yes, I feel poor and basically I am poor, as I still have some capital left in the form of the capital invested in the house, but related to day-to-day living I am poor as I don’t earn enough to sustain myself and my partner and I ended up in quite some substantial debts, even though those debts are smaller than the capital still present in the form of the value of the house.
So related to all those poor people I see all around me and all over The Philippines I am thinking more and more in terms of what I would tell myself to get myself going again, to get out of poverty. And I still didn’t find the answer to that as I basically lost hope to find a decent income, to find customers or even to find a job.
So maybe let’s go from there. What would I need to get me moving again, moving in a direction that would lead me to a higher income. Or what circumstances would need to change in order to give me hope again, make me move again. And don’t get me wrong, I’m still moving somehow, but somehow I also lost all hope of finding customers again, a sufficient number of customers to work forty hours a week or so and at least go back to a financial level where I can sustain myself and my partner and start paying back my financial debts.
So what would make me move again right now? Well, just customers finding me I guess. Customers wanting and needing my services, wanting and needing the stuff that I have built over time and use that to build websites and web applications. And no, not the other way around, because I have no clue on how to find customers. I tried many things and it just doesn’t seem to be my thing. And following from that I would also be inspired by someone believing in my skills, in the services and products I can offer, believing that much that he or she would sell my services and products to customers.
Alternative would be people enjoying to stay in The Malasag House and paying for it. Paying guests, although I might have trouble with my partner in that, but if people would be really interested staying here, staying with me, enjoying the house, enjoying my company, yes, that would also give me hope, inspire me.
And next step would be to find people who I can rebuild the company with, rebuild Active Discovery Designs with. People who want to be part of a professional ‘anything internet’ company. People who would enjoy learning from me and at the same time enjoying producing quality products for customers or doing other office work in a nice, efficient way.
And then, yes then, I would be able to think further again. Enjoy my own life again with a nice car and some holiday and indeed giving to the poor, giving back to the world. So sound simple, isn’t it? I just need other people needing me, needing my services, needing what I have to offer.
Ah, but I forget something here, something that came into my mind earlier. There are some things in the system, in the culture that are really annoying and are really blocking progress in The Philippines. Recent sample is that I found out that one of our internet providers is limiting our connection to something like half the speed with service interruptions for every second half of the month. And compared to other countries internet speed is already very slow. And internet is already very expensive. And that’s where somehow the culture, the government, isn’t able to make sure that systems, that companies work efficiently, at least not compared to at least the Western countries, the Western world. And those type of things are everywhere and they are very annoying and are taking away huge amounts of initiative and energy of people and of companies. So yes, if anything is to change, also something needs to change in the government, as somehow these things go back to how the country is government. But I’m not sure. It might as well be the culture, the system, the way how things work here, the way how things are done.
So where to start when looking at ‘the poor people’, the people on the other side of the road (yes, on the other side of the road of where my house is there is a very poor community). Or indeed the children on the garbage dump that the Kalinga foundation is trying to help. Maybe the first thing they would need is indeed something like food and other daily needs, the things I still have, the things I don’t worry too much about. But I guess the next thing they would need would also be something like the feeling to be needed, the feeling of doing something useful. So maybe the first thing would be to just ask them what are their dreams, ask them what they want in life. Do they want to be a truck driver or a Jeepney driver? Or maybe an artist? Or a sailor or a ships captain? Or a pilot? Or a government employee, president of The Philippines of president of the United States?
Well, maybe just discuss this with the people of the Kalinga foundation. Maybe we can find some answers there and maybe those answers would lead to solutions, for The Philippines and/or for the people in The Philippines. Or maybe even solutions for the world and all people in the world.
Because in the end I guess we all want the same: be needed, feel needed. Of course after our basic needs are met.
One of my wishes is The Malasag House coming alive again.
And luckily recently, also this Christmas, Christmas 2013, my wish has become reality already. But the coming alive of The Malasag House is more than receiving family and some friends. Coming alive also means to me that we can share the place with visitors, tourists in the way I have experienced Bed and Breakfasts mainly in South Africa when I was on holiday there. And somehow until now the people I have in mind, people like me and my partner at that time have not found us. And I can imagine they have not found us, as maybe we, and the house, were not ready for it yet.
But I am starting to feel, starting to believe that this may be the time that sharing my house, our house, with paying guests may come true. Meaning that tourists or people staying over in Cagayan de Oro City for one or a few nights who are looking for some kind of ‘home stay’ experience on a very beautiful location with a stunning view and in a stunning venue would find us and enjoy the place like I did and still do. And ‘paying’ because I and my partner need to live and ‘paying’ because we want to renovate the house as the house and its inhabitants and its visitors deserve being taken care of better than we have been able to take care the last few years.
But I still believe the state of maintenance of the house and the furniture and stuff is not an absolute necessity for visitors, guests, enjoying the place, its owners and especially the view. As the venue and the location are very special, not because I live here and own the place together with my partner, but because I have seen many places and never really found a similar place with a similar view and where the venue and garden match the view in such a perfect way.
And yes, the house looks simple, just three boxes. But if you look a bit further you see all the little details that makes the house so special, all the details that the architect has put in the design. And if you look not so far you will surely see the house was just built for the view. And again, if you look a bit further, you may see that there is a reason there are three boxes and three levels, even though there are basically only two floors. As all those angles and levels make that there is not only one view, but there are something like nine or more views, each with a different angle.
And yes, I want to improve this post, put photos and more text, as I really want The Malasag House to come alive again, this time for real. And with ‘for real’ I mean that we will accommodate visitors in a way that people accommodated me and Nico on our travels around the world. Sharing their house and sharing themselves if applicable. Or not sharing themselves, but still sharing the house. Or just share the room and the breakfast and/or dinner. Just as it goes, just naturally, just as it feels good for both parties, for host or hosts, for guest or guests.
And I feel like begging friends and strangers who read this post to pass it on, to pass on that it can be done, share The Malasag House in a way that benefits all people involved, that benefits all people present at any time, whether only the owners, one of the owners, guests, one of the guests or all. Having privacy or not when required or wished for. Or sharing themselves, when required or wished for.
But of course for you or your friends The Malasag House could and should be just pure joy and/or relaxation, so better pass on come and enjoy.
Of course we will include breakfast and if you tell us ahead what you like most of course we will find a way to provide you with the breakfast you like.
If yo are lucky though, Lee may be convinced to show his cooking skills,which are really outstanding. And you will never believe how he gets the ideas to make his famous around the world meals that are always different and surprising.
And yes, he has to be convinced, but when convinced you will never forget that meal.
Anything is possible.
Please pass it on, so the house comes alive again, alive like never before. And this time for the good!
I woke up very late with a terrible mood and I couldn’t really figure out why as I drank only one drink with alcohol last night and had water and some coke after only. And it meant that I might not be able to fetch our motorcycle that had been in the shop again for a week as I did not find the time to pick it up as it might not have been repaired. Or actually I was just scared going there, as last time they didn’t want to help me anymore because they don’t know what to do as this motorcycle has some weird quirks and actually just needs to be replaced.
So while walking down many, mostly negative, thoughts entered my mind, worries about my debts, worries about not having enough work, and related to that not having enough money and all those bad things that might happen when I would face my motorcycle troubles and the staff in the motorcycle shop.
And suddenly I realized that I was walking down this beautiful road in a beautiful environment with trees all around me, an environment that I always imagined, but would be impossible in The Netherlands as that type of forest does not really exist anymore. And I realize just now that I always imagined a house in the forest and that I have that now, something impossible before. So again, be careful what you wish for, because mostly you’ll get it. Of course I didn’t imagine the troubles and the debts I am experiencing lately, but still, while writing this I realize that I indeed often am not grateful for the things that came to me, the things I wanted and that appeared to be impossible.
And also someone told me a few days ago how beautiful this location is and said she would miss it a lot and yes, I often forget that as I’m mostly think of the troubles and the hassle it is as of the moment to keep the place. But as I often tell myself also lately, I’m still here, and that’s still something, no matter the way how I do it or the price I and maybe some other people are paying. And maybe that’s also the thing Napoleon Hill mentions: there is no such thing as having something for nothing. So yes, I should be and can be very grateful for where I am and that I’m still living a very luxury life even though it is not as luxury as I was used to and I think I deserve and am worth of.
So while walking down with thinking a lot of worry type thoughts I suddenly realized (again) that I was walking down this beautiful road with a lot of trees and beautiful nature around and that most people, maybe even 99.99% or more of all people in the world would be really jealous being able to be where I was and what I could experience. And also now, I’m working at one of the most beautiful locations in the world with a view that is so stunning that most people would never even see that in a lifetime. And I’m just here and often don’t even see it, let alone enjoy it.
And I’m trying to make some kind of comprehensive post out of this, but my mind keeps on wandering to all kinds of related things, like recently I decided to spend the money for new contact lenses, which according to all common rules I grew up with actually can’t afford. But they make the world so much clearer, like right now I can see the view clearly and it is so beautiful and peaceful and yes, it’s all there for me now, for me alone, as no one else can experience this view right now as our house is in a very special location where the view is just different from any other location I know, even nearby locations.
And that’s also what bothers me, as I like to share the view, share the house, but somehow until now that never happened as I had in mind, at least not in recent years. And yes, this Christmas was fantastic with the family of my partner visiting and some friends visiting, all of course enjoying the house and the view. But the house is kind of falling apart and until now I didn’t find any way how to stop that, as we just can’t afford the repairs, basically no repairs at all. And it’s also sad to see we don’t have enough beds and stuff, and I realized this Christmas also not enough plates and other kitchenware to receive people in a decent, worthy way. But the other side is that as far as I know nobody has been paying anything in money, meaning that most of the food and the coffee and the drinks were paid by us, paid by money we have borrowed. And that doesn’t make it easy, to know that you are more in trouble next week as your debt has increased again, where you know you can’t even pay the principal amount, let alone all the interest that is building up and building up. So I have been trying to focus on the ‘giving’ on trying to not let the people know too much hat’s going on, not let the people know in how deep shit I am. But it’s not easy and somehow it’s eating me from the inside, as I don’t know where to go, don’t know where to find the money, don’t know where to find a job or jobs. And yes, this is still about ‘living in the now’, the title I started this post with. Because for the last one and half year or so I have been living from day to day, something like ‘living in the now’, even though I know that’s not exactly the same.
And that is also what I was thinking while walking down, like living in the now, living from day to day sounds nice, but somehow there is also more, there is also ‘future’, where ‘future’ is partly or fully defined by decisions I am making right now.
And I also know I wrote about this same subject recently, living in the now. And I don’t remember what I wrote there, but it may have been similar to what I’m writing right now. But yes, right now, there is nothing but writing here, enjoying the view, enjoying where and who I am and there is no use in thinking about money or debt or getting (more) money or getting out of debt or having a car or having my holiday to Bali that is one of my dreams right now. And that is something I experienced earlier and I think I also wrote about that. That right now, NOW, I don’t need anything. Right now there is plenty of everything I could want or need, even more, much more than I need right now and the rest of the day and even tomorrow and probably next week or even next month. As I don’t plan to go anywhere today or tomorrow, so I don’t need a car or any other transportation. There is food in the house, and drinks. Even junk food and ‘junk’ drinks. So more than a human would ever need. And there is this beautiful view and the equipment I’m using to write this post. There is electricity and internet, even more, much more than I need right now. And yes, there are also many things NOT here right now, many things I want and maybe even need. But right, now, there is nothing not available that I would need, today or tomorrow. There is even much more than I would ever need today or tomorrow.
So yes, that’s living in the now and of course that makes me very happy.