Kindness Is A Universal Language

Why is traveling important?

Traveling adds much to a person. In fact, I find that the most interesting people are those who are well-traveled.

Why?

First, you meet different kinds of people and these people leave a little piece of them with you—even if you have only met them once. Somehow and in some way, they become a part of your journey, be it through a lesson, a feeling, or a new way of thinking.

I could never take credit for the ideas I have. I feel I am the sum of everybody I have ever met. I have spun their way of thinking and accepted it, making me the person I am today.

Second, it keeps you humble. Being caught up in your own surroundings is the fastest way to be full of yourself. It is humbling to be reminded of the fact that there is a whole world out there bigger than our own, making our day to day problems look smaller in comparison.

Third, I have learned from experience that kindness is a universal language. Here are three among many instances I have encountered kindness during my travels:

#1. A grab driver once drove me back to a restaurant when I left something. What I found striking is how he did it with a large smile and without charging extra. All we used to communicate were hand gestures.

#2. When another grab driver noticed that all my bags were open and without a lock, he said it was unsafe to have these types of bags in Vietnam. The following day, he lent me two of his back packs. All we used to communicate was google translate.

#3. We had a massage at a beach resort town called Mui Ne. My friend who was having a massage next to me gave a comment on how the massage gowns were pretty. I turned to look and my friend Cassie looked beautiful wearing them. I asked the manager of the spa if she could give it to my friend for free. She said yes. All we spent was Php 350 for a great massage, free water bottles and a free night gown. 10/10

Nothing profound about this post, my only purpose was to reminisce the many times strangers in other countries have done me good.

I wish there was more I could say to strangers than a simple “thank you”, knowing I may never see them again.

I bet you’re now asking the question:“How do I get strangers to be that kind to me?”
Just smile, use body language, expect them to be good, and do the same in return.

A Young Gun In The 2016 Elections

For the first time in my generation,

Millennials are graced with an election with strong Presidentiables. In the next few hours, there will be an uprising of two more leaders worth voting. Believe me.

Therefore, I am decided on voting for the first time. As it turns out, we are in the last few days to register via #NoBioNoBoto. If you live in Pasig, tomorrow (on a Sunday! How convenient! I must underscore how dynamic COMELEC is becoming. Chairman Andres Bautista!) biometrics satellite registration on Garnet Road cor. Onyx near Asian Devt Bank! Last minute I’ll be making time to line up by 7am. Come with me!

I am in no way affiliated with comelec – I am also not running for office – but if you have known me since gradeschool you have heard me, even then, stress on my belief in the twin factors, our generation (sorry Gen X) and our nation.

The Chairman has always noted that out of the estimated 54 million voters in 2016, at least 20 million are the youth. By mere population alone, young people could possibly impact election results. The number is more than any other organization out there. Don’t we all notice the unfortunate incompetence among most elected officials? The magic was also in the people who voted for them. In the first place.

Day in and day out, it seems as though voters and non-voters are bigger factors than corrupt political ‘fixers’ and financial backers. It’s no secret that most candidates were and will still try to be elected via power, and bloc voting garnered by money. If YOU AND I actually vote – while being mindful and conscentious of our selected candidates – we are the majority, you are the majority, and your vote will count. We get to be the nation’s greatest political equalizer in history. We are then to have sound Philippine elections. No more non sense! Mukha yatang wala ng dayaan unless kabataan na din ang mang daya or technolohiya ang dayain. Still, we have to choose to vote first.

Believe me, for breakfast lunch and dinner I am aware of all the other political factors so no more debates ha, but now we deal with less factors than the usual. Let that sink in first. Progress! This is our chance to fight paid votes. This is our window. A slim chance to impact a long-standing phenomenon that dates back to the times of not only Gen X, but Gen Luna!

It’s your choice if you want to make time and vote! Millennials, the future has arrived; now the ball’s in our court

Frequently Asked… But Totally Random Questions:

Frequently Asked… But Totally Random Questions:

Q: Have you ever had a boyfriend?

Never.

Q: What time do you usually wake up?

7AM Mon – Sat. On Sundays, I wake up when I’m done sleeping.

Q: One book and song that you never thought could change your life?
Great question. Book: The Little Prince + The Alchemist, I thought they were bedtime stories. They were not. I was 9-11 years old, both books helped me understand the concept of thinking big. Song: Too many. Top of my head, I never thought SHM’s Save The World and Drake’s Dreams Money Can Buy could change my life because both songs came out in the same year, both were popular, catchy and mainstream. But when I started applying it to business: the lyrics made more sense, more relevant. I would then play both tracks when I used to be nervous before meetings and negotiations.

Q: Random things that remind you of your youth?

In a completely random manner: Rockwell and Promenade, driving fast with the windows down and music turned up, playstation, cereal, pool areas, good music, bacon.

Q: How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
I get about 2-5 hours of sleep and if I hang out with friends, I get zero sleep. (To me, alcohol is insomnia. I don’t get drunk and it does not let me sleep one bit. I usually end up thinking business until the next morning – and then meetings start, and I get zero sleep…) It has been this way for me since 2010. Four straight years now. I don’t recommend it. Lacking sleep is not for everybody.

Q: What’s your daily routine, please indicate step by step?
When I don’t have meetings out of town: on a regular day, I…
– Pour cold water on my hot black coffee (bec I’m too impatient to wait for it to warm up. Ha.),
– Hot shower while blasting the best songs
– Take my supplements on my way out the door while I check my schedule list.
– I have my breakfast on the drive or during my first meeting. And then I have another cup of coffee.
– Have minimum 10 meetings in a day. Maybe give a talk. If possible, pass by for my friends in UAP.
– Go to the office for errands, paperwork or training. Check which meetings I can move. My schedule list remains in my phone on the go.
– After office (5PM ish), I head to edsa shang for last minute meetings.
– Then I have a dinner on business or a dinner with friends.
– After dinner, I have more meetings or catch up with more friends. I usually go home by 12 midnight-3AM.
– Hot shower. Check and edit my schedule for the week. Resist social media so I can sleep early, wake up, and do all this again.

Q&A, Oct 2013

 

Q&A: I took the time to answer some questions tonight. These were the stuff emailed to darlene.ysabel@gmail.com.

 

@DannieBanez from Zamboanga, Philippines:
Where do you get your drive to do the things you’re doing?

For the most part, I get tired of mediocrity and problems (in and outside of my personal life) that never get solved.  It basically drives me to get tired of waiting so I decide to just do it myself. I wanted to see certain change in my life, my family, my industry or my country and knew I could do it myself. It drives me to get up and work really hard to make things happen.  If I don’t step up and actually do something, it’s possible things will never change. That bores me.

 

@annihilati0n from Manila:
How do you keep the inspiration and motivation in you alive, despite difficult times?

I inspire myself with things bigger than myself.  Whenever things get tough, it’s easier for me to leave my personal ego or insecurity at the door. I sort of become selfless.  Let me put it this way, 2013 was probably the 2nd most difficult time of my life. Difficulties came this year and I viewed things in a technical way instead of the emotional way. How it’s all part of some big exam or game where things are just technical, no emotions or insecurities, only mechanical obstacles necessary to move forward. I also make sure I’m motivated by the right things that are best for everybody. That way, I get to keep the inspiration alive by being excited about the bigger picture, instead of childlike/selfish excitement for the future. I get to move forward since the big picture goes beyond personal insecurities.

 

@exoeiraed, Zae from Singapore:
How can a graduate (be it university or poly) work their way to be a successful entrepreneur?

You can opt to get a job for two or three years. This is to gain discipline and enough funds necessary to start a business. Once you have learned all that you can, met the right people, gained enough experience, made your mistakes… you can observe problems in that industry and you can come up with a necessary business you think is missing in that industry.

 

How would one decide which career paths to follow?

It has to be something you deeply believe in.  On a lighter note, it’s connected to whatever it is you can still enjoy, even when your body’s dead tired.  You know how people talk about passion, doing what you love, hobby, etc? That stuff is true. We would normally be willing to put up with whatever laziness or obstacle if the experience is still enjoyable in some way. It has to have that element. If you’re uncertain of what you enjoy or if you’re a “Jack Of All Trades” like myself, you need to try everything and eventually one will stand out. There are also people who only find out which career to take only when they’re doing something they don’t like. Ultimately, it’s a process of tuning in to yourself and taking that extra effort to know yourself faster.  That’s how you decide.

 

How do I know which college to apply for to position myself for a higher chance at a successful career or to be able to work in a preferred field?

Choosing college is similar to choosing your career. It starts there already. You need to decide which you enjoy the most. If you still don’t know, choose a business course and create a business out of your passion someday. You can get into any field. Arts, fashion, technology, music, film, sports, medical, books or philanthropy. Whatever you end up liking the most after college. It’s flexible, all of those could have some sort of a business aspect to it. Sometimes not directly related but you can cook something up and generate profit. Everything is a business nowadays. That’s partly why I chose business. I decided I wanted to have businesses in all industries someday since I enjoyed everything.

 

What are some tips to motivate yourself when things go wrong, for example a series of complaints from customers, supplier scams or generally losing revenue?

Understand how worrying is a waste of time and energy, that’s my first tip. I’m not a regret kind of person. I don’t look back too much, I like doing my best in the present while excited about the future. That’s how I motivate myself: the future. Even when it feels like it isn’t coming, I know anything is possible.  Provided I learn my past mistakes, milk the present for all it’s worth and do better than I’ve ever done. There are times I move on from a terrible situation in a heartbeat. Although I decide I can grieve a little, learn my mistakes, but that’s only to process my emotions and prevent myself from growing cold like a robot. Haha. All that should be done in a few hours, the next day I should do better and make up for lost time.  I take things “technically” and motivate myself by knowing I have luck in my side since the intentions behind my achievements are for everybody else and almost not at all for me. Though sometimes I joke around and say: the worse it gets, the better the storyline my movie can be. I crave a good challenge.

 

Where could I seek help to start my own business?

That depends. Usually family or relatives. Work under people you’re familiar with. They know you best. When they know you’re ready, they can probably connect you to the right people. Be ready for times you won’t have anybody but your intuition and common sense.

 

How do you know if it is a winning idea that will sell before plunging in straight to starting business?

Great question. From a personal standpoint, I know it’s a win when it’s beneficial to others, an idea so compelling that you can’t even fall asleep since it could help or enrich so many lives, you just want tell the whole world about it. The kind that you know in your heart, someday, someone else will come up with it and so you have to do it before the other person does. A no-brainer. Innovation is obvious sometimes. A solution or demand so obvious you know the whole world waits for it but people just haven’t gotten around to it. Ideas like that. So yeah, it also has to have the potential to go global. It has to go beyond your community and comfort zone for it to be profitable and even intriguing enough to create buzz.

Everybody Is Ten Seconds Away From Being Rich – Cosmopolis

June 18, 2013 : 7AM

People want to make things happen. People want to change the world. And then they forget.

They forget to translate inspiration into action.

So when they meet me, quiet mouth with loud thoughts.. they often ask me; how did you do it? Here’s my answer — I didn’t. I didn’t do it. It wasn’t me. It was a series of circumstances. Believe me, if you were all in my position, you guys would have turned out the same way. It wasn’t me. Obedience, perseverance, challenges, awareness, mentoring. All these were God-given. Personally, I came to God. What I would advise others could do – ask God, the universe, your parents to give you challenging moments which would require perseverance. So you come out strong, then you come out with your purpose in life. Ask of this experience to show you where your strength and compassion lies. Your interests, your heart, your soul. And then you offer it to the world. Hone it from there, find a mentor. The moment you have this “purpose in life” epiphany; you are ten seconds away from being rich. Spiritually and mentally rich, and then riches from any venture.

Breakthroughs don’t come from sitting back and thinking about it a lot, they come when you get up and keep at it. When you do things you fear, when you take risks, when you are uncertain, when all you have left to give – is faith in something you cannot see.

If you want what you’ve never had before, you need to do what you’ve never done before. Persevere.

Then refresh yourself. Get inspired. Surround yourself with those who are better than you. Then, never forget to translate that inspiration into action. Each time you come across a quote, be reminded you need to do something about what you just felt. You need to translate that into action. You need to burn those inspiration calories so you would have abdominal success.

Keep moving in the right direction until your time comes.

So get moving. Give it everything.

Your ten seconds start now.

What You Are Looking For Is Not Out There; It Is In You

June 18, 2013 : 6AM

I have been getting too many queries on Instagram already and I have decided to answer everybody through blog posts – so I do not have to repeat myself.

Keep in mind, everything I say here from here on out, you already know. I am not better than you. I do not know more than you do. You simply need to be reminded of what you already know.

My only hope for these posts is that, as you read them, you enjoy – and you have epiphanies upon epiphanies as you read each sentence.

Cheers,

Dream good and do good

Darlene Torres