To hell with your excuses.

Hello, .HEP, HEP HEP! COMMERCIAL MUNA: I'm cleaning my e-mail list to ensure the best deliverability. We all have too much going on and I don't want to add to your inbox clutter if you're not opening my email.

If you think you don't find value on my e-mails for the next 3 weeks, I'm removing you from my list. Sounds like an awesome agreement?

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Last week, I was in a spiritual formation for The Feast Bay Area servants (more on this later). Aside from a very few co-servants and two virtual professionals (who are also servants), I thought nobody would know me on that place.

Until a lady came up to me during lunch.

"Excuse me. Pasensya na sa istorbo. Pero kilala kita. Ikaw ba 'yung nasa webinar ni Jomar Hilario?"

Holy Jesus. Somebody knew me! Geesh, I think I should get myself a publicist.

I wanted to cover my head with my hoodie jacket and… I don't know - disapparate? (Check the Harry Potter dictionary for this.)

"Pwede bang magtanong sa 'yo? Ang sabi ng kasama ko huwag na pero sinabi ko lalapitan kita."

Feeling ko nag-break ang guardian angel ko noong mga oras na 'yun kaya nakalapit ang babaeng ito. But in all fairness, such was this lady's courage. I told the lady to sit down.

"I would like to know if you're happy with what you're doing. Kasi I have been…"

As expected, she said many things that I have also heard from many others (and perhaps you're still saying now):

• She's been attending Jomar's Monday webinars (which is good)

• She wants to buy one of Jomar's courses but she doesn't know which to buy

• She doesn't know what do to start her online career

• She gets dizzy on terms and finds apps and tools complicated

• She wants to know which among the online skills is easy to do

In case you're wondering what I told her, here they are (I hope you would find them valuable):

• List down the skills that she thinks she is good that. No editing. Just list it down.

• Filter the list by asking yourself, "Among all these, which skills would I love to do for others to the point that I'd do it for free?"

• Even if I tell you which online skill is easy, you won't buy it. What if you don't like that skill?

• It is recommended that you know which skill you want to focus on - which skill you'd like to serve to others - before you buy any course - whether kay Jomar or hindi. Or run the risk of buying a lot but not studying them.

• You don't need to be techie to have an online career. One of my good friends, Jones Mancilla, also gets dizzy on terms, apps and tools. But she knew her superpower. She's good at managing people. She is a wonderful Project Manager to her clients.

I remembered saying these things twice each during the conversation. Kasi palagi n'yang sinasabi sa pagu-usap namin na nahihirapan daw s'yang mag-focus. Ang dami n'yang ginagawa at feeling n'ya ang daming kailangang gawin. Yet every time she feels she couldn't do it, she still finds herself still knowing more about online careers.

Gusto ko sanang sabihin, "O eh di uwian na. May sagot na pala kayo sa mga tanong n'yo."

But for the love of God, I was on a formation. I was supposed to be silent during that time yet this lady took the courage to ask me. (Next time, my angel should tell me if she's going to go on a break.) Kaya hindi ko 'yun sinabi.

Instead, here's what I told the lady:

"Your first question to me was 'am I happy with what I am doing?'. I am telling you, YES, I love what I do. Life will always find a way. The question is: how badly do you want this?"

Pero eto talaga ang gusto kong sabihin sa kanya kung may mas mahabang oras:

"Your first question to me was 'am I happy with what I am doing?'. I am telling you, YES, I love what I do. I am in this position because I badly wanted it before.

Yet, when I said YES to this, it wasn't heaven.

• Gumawa ako ng total ng 17 step-by-step tutorials. 10 of them have more than 100 slides.

• Hindi ako natutulog during lunch break sa government work ko noon kasi nagi-screenshot ako ng tools and apps para sa mga tutorials. Pag-uwi ko sa bahay, nire-review ko ang screenshots. Aabutin ako hanggang alas-dose ng hatinggabi para gumawa ng step-by-step tutorial.

• Nakakuha ako ng sangkatutak na rejections from client. Sobrang sakit sa first few rejections at nakama-manhid kapag umabot ng hundreds. Believe me, sa sobrang dami ng rejections ko, I had to re-read my first job offer more than 10 times just to make sure na malinaw pa ang eyeglasses ko.

• Tinawanan ng isang team member ko ang output ko kasi ang pangit.

• Nag-away kami ng Mama ko noong sinabi ko na magpu-full time na ako sa online career ko.

• Nawalan ako ng online work during Valentine's Day. Nawala din ang full-time online job ko ng hindi ko inaaasahan at wala akong ibang client.

• Alam n'yo po, life will always find a way. The question is: how badly do you want this?"

LIFE IS GOING TO GET TO YOU. You decide if you want to go with the flow or swim against it.

TO HELL WITH YOUR EXCUSES.

Stay Exceptional,

Ann Kristine