The Dailies

Most of the married employees under my team are saddled with mortgages. During my pep talks with each one of them, they tell me their struggle to make both ends meet and at the same time to pay their obligations. But they are happy, even with the hardship of everyday life, because they can see where their paychecks are going to.

Truth is, those kind of pep talks probably inspire me more than I inspire or motivate them. Hardworking people are truly an inspiration to everyone.

One of the lady bosses in the office would often tell us about her collection of certified diamonds. It was the product of her years of hard work. She is single and has been independent of her parents since she turned 18. Her diamonds are her only indulgence in life, according to her. It is the testament to all the hard work she did over the years to climb up the corporate ladder.

In my case, my condo unit is the product of my hard work. I plan to acquire another property within the year. That’s where my savings will go.

I envy one of my agents’ mind. Very enterprising. She checks out outlets where she can get clearance savings and then would resell the items that she got. She gets a tidy profit out of this endeavor of hers.

I am not as business-minded as other people. Some of my cousins have businesses of their own. My mom and my sister are both business-minded, too. I wish I can be like them but I guess we all have our own areas where we are good at. I can say that I am good with anything IT-related.

I gave my little niece a ps3 last Christmas. My sister told me off because she feels like she might get hooked to it. But I didn’t want to get the gift back so I made a deal with my niece… she can only use the ps3 on weekends. And only when I am there.

Good thing my niece is a smart kid. She understood the condition attached to my gift and her priority is her books. She is now in pre-K so I got my sister’s point in diverting her attention from her studies.

My dad called me up the other day to ask for my help in picking out floor tiles for the pool area. That’s his new project now. My dad has this attitude that he doesn’t want to be idle. He is still working but he wants something to do on weekends when he’s not playing golf or spending time with us.

My sister and I got that trait from him. We also hate being idle. In my case, when I have free time, I indulge in my favorite activity right now: playing with my niece and nephew!

I just read an old BusinessWeek article entitled CEOs Without College Degrees. Of course, Bill Gates is one of those people on the list. Everyone knows he’s a Harvard dropout. But I was surprised to find out that the man behind the DELL brand is also an undergraduate. Michael Dell didn’t finish his college degree at the University of Texas.

Of course, this must not be taken as a reason to drop out of college. These people on the list are geniuses to begin with. A college degree is something we common folks still need to make a living.

One of the bosses in the company I am working for underwent a weight loss surgery Mexico procedure. We were shocked when she came back from her supposed vacation. She is now looking way too hot! Every one in the office is complimenting her about her new look and she’s basking in the limelight, I can tell.

As I’ve said in the past, I find nothing wrong with enhancing one’s look. If you feel like losing weight the fast way is the ticket to your happiness, then so be it! As long as you are not hurting anyone in the process, right?

John Mayer is a favorite of mine. I have all his albums and would listen to him when I feel like chilling out. Below is a video of his song Dreaming with a broken heart.

Happy listening!

I saw an agent of mine the other day doing a New York job search while on board. Normally, I will just remind someone from my team to focus and stop doing things not related to our work. But this time around, I pulled the agent off the floor and talked to him one-on-one.

He admitted to me that he’s going to New York soon and when he’s there already, he plans to find a job before submitting his resignation. I told him to do everything by the letter to avoid repercussions he might live to regret. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to leave a company amicably. Don’t burn bridges. Because who knows, you might end up working with the same people again.