___________
Uploaded my 2nd soul guidance video on Ruble.com under Compassion Oracle.
https://rumble.com/vxwzdf-my-outer-experiences-are-a-reflection-of-my-internal-condition.html
Saturday, March 19, 2022
My outer experiences are a reflection of my internal condition
Friday, March 18, 2022
Rumble videos uploaded effective March 21
Soul guidance for March 21-27, 2022
For a good week ahead, give special importance to stability, faithfulness and dependability. Give notice to good alternatives instead of romanticizing bad choices. Give time for self-love and strengthening relationships.
https://rumble.com/vxtt3t-am-i-on-the-right-path-.html?mref=110in5&mc=b2zm4
Bagging success in paper bags
The question I gave her was my usual query to entrepreneurs whose business managed to survive the health crisis last year. But her response caught me completely off guard.
She replied “God is the business owner and I am merely the manager so I know the commercial enterprise will succeed because in God nothing is impossible.”
I never thought that God and business could mix together. But when Teresa Mar Siega of Paper Bags and More mentioned it, I thought that is one unique way of looking at her company because it takes a huge chunk of the emotional burden of managing a business off her shoulders.
One advantage Teresa has over other entrepreneurs is that her products will always be in demand even in the midst of a pandemic. Packaging products will always be of use to anyone selling small items whether it be offline or online .
For centuries, paper bags have been part of trade and commerce.
Proverbs 16:3
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
While cloth bags or crates are used to pack goods in larger quantities during its transfer from manufacturer or farms to retailers, paper bags are used to distribute smaller quantity goods to customers.
Because of paper bag’s structural firmness and surface feature, it is ideal to print high-quality images, logo, designs. In fact, making paper bags is a hit for fashion, luxury and premium gift packaging industry.
While most entrepreneurs look at paper bags as mere packaging for the more important product it encases, Teresa found them to be highly saleable.
I got this information during my Zoom conversation with her while promoting the coaching program Kapatid Mentor Micro Enterprises.
Just like any typical breadwinner, Teresa started earning money as an employee in order to meet her family’s daily needs. She was then working for a shipping box manufacturing company based in Cebu as business development officer.
One day, Teresa decided to take a closer look at the process of crafting paper bags. Her years of working inside the company made it easy for her to figure out the manufacturing process of producing the packaging material.
When Teresa finally decided to set up her own company, she chose paper bag bulk supply arrangement as her core business. She made this possible armed only with training from her previous job, a small capital and a dose of confidence.
The first thing she did as an entrepreneur was to submit a proposal to supply paper bags to a famous hotel-chain in Cebu. As luck would have it, she bagged her first order of 3 sets of 5000 pieces with the said hotel-chain. Together with her husband, they were able to comply with the order as well as bag supply contracts from other hotels and hospital establishments locally for ten years.
When the COVID 19 pandemic pummeled the hospitality industry, Teresa shifted to online platforms catering local bulk orders on demand. With her earnings, she was able to purchase equipment such as printers.
Teresa mentioned that she reports regularly on the financial state of business to who she considers her only Boss, God, at the end of each day. She tells Him the challenges and problems she encountered during the day.
Like a good manager, She has never sacrificed employee welfare in order for her company to profit; nor did she let go of any of her staff for the company to survive during the COVID19 pandemic. She always seeks God’s approval on her proposed plans for the company to move forward and grow.
Teresa is currently introducing to customers shipping boxes for products of local sellers, as well as other packaging materials such as cloth.
With her strong faith in Divine Grace, Teresa hopes to survive more trials that will come her way and continue to expand the business.
For orders, you may reach them through their Facebook page: Paper Bags and More – Cebu.
For as low as Php 5.80/pc, you can have a paper bag that has your company logo printed on either side.
For more information on local products that are proudly made in Central Visayas, visit DTI Region 7 Facebook page.
A day in the life of a speech writer
Its a holiday. I wake up at 3:36 in the morning as usual and look at my cellphone for any updates from the office.
A text message pops up. Its from the secretary of the regional director of my agency.
I usually expect the same request every other week : Can I draft an opening or closing message for this seminar or that conference ? Or can I write a speech or presentation for a certain official ?
But this text message seemed to be different. The secretary told me to wait for a phone call. A few hours later, I receive a call from the director instructing me to cobble together a speech on the launching of three national initiatives enabled by the partnership between two governments. The speech is for the department head.
“I know that this particular task is not suppose to be your responsibility but they want something quick and need it 2 days from now. And, by the way, I want to see the draft tomorrow.” And she proceeds to inform me that she already emailed to me the program and briefer on the initiatives.
UNTANGLING THE SPEECH PUZZLE
Contrary to what most people think, speech writing is not a straightforward process. Sometimes I wish it was as simple as making my favorite beverage. Unfortunately, it is more complicated than that.
Speech writing to me is more like detective work. Most of the time, they only provide me with the title of the speech and the activity program. I have to dig through mounds of information on the internet to find pieces of information that I can place in the speech. That is why search engine Google is a very useful tool to me.
Not only do I have to work under time constraint, I need to have a good grasp of the subject matter in the short period of time given me, and also make sure to arrange ideas logically in a torrent of words.
There is also the corporate image that needs to be maintained. The whole speech has to have the illusion of having been well thought by a responsible and methodical person.
NIRVANA OF WORDS
The whole writing process has a sort of hypnotic effect on me, so I don’t mind not having coffee (not good for my nerves) or snacks (distracts me) to keep me going.
I write what comes to my mind while sitting, standing, leaning on the wall, lying on the bed, eating, walking. Most of the time, I prefer writing while lying in bed. I guess the bed is the most comfortable place for my brain.
I may not have been given enough time to do the job, but that’s fine by me. Surprisingly, that sort of thing doesn’t wear me out. What exhausts me is when everyone around me gets emotional about anything. Emotion short circuits my brain. I only welcome emotions in situations where I don’t need to think.
I like writing because of the good feeling of ‘getting into the flow’ wherein I am unaware of the passage of time. This is what the Wikipedia describes as the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.
Everytime I am given a writing task under time pressure, I enter that “bliss zone” or meditative state. This is one of the reasons why I like the C3 Challenge. It is familiar territory.
A PATH LESS TRAVELED
I dabbled in speechwriting during a point in my life when I was willing to try something new. I was unconcerned whether I’d be successful at it or not. I wasn’t emotionally invested in it. Besides, somebody paid me to give it a go.
This nonchalant attitude I have towards how people take the way I write probably stem from the fact that I never asked to be anyone’s speech writer. I also didn’t train to become one; nor aspired to be one.
At that time, I was undecided about what I wanted in life and just cruised through every job given me; not really giving it my all. Until, one day, as I was tinkering with my cellphone after office hours, the new director’s secretary sidled up to me and gave me a copy of an invitation for the director to give a speech on a particular topic. Since the topic wasn’t that difficult nor controversial, he instructed me to draft a speech for him to see what I could do. That is what he usually does to all new employees who can write. I made one for the boss, gave it to him and mentioned names of officemates who I believed could do the job in case I didn’t pass his standards.
I figured that if people find value in what I can offer, they will keep coming to me. I have learned early on that a speechwriter doesn’t need to have perfect grammar or very good command of the English language. What officials basically look for in those they hire include writing style, logical thinking and ability to move people with words.
I just happen to be lucky , I guess . Out of hundreds within the bureaucracy, why would they get me to write speeches for high profile personalities unless I can deliver?
This means that when a superior says to me they can’t find anyone else who can produce the speech they want, it is not to stroke my ego, they actually mean it. These people are too busy to have time for flattery; especially in an unpredictable situation where the stakes are high. It’s either you can do the job or they get someone else.
From my experience working in this department, speed in writing a speech or press release is also an asset especially in an emergency situation like the pandemic in 2020 where people demand quick answers.
There are few in the bureaucracy who can write speeches and rare at the speed that I can deliver. I am not talking about producing the perfect speech. It doesn’t exist.
(description below of the photo above)
“I forgot their names, nor do I recall what I wrote. But what stuck in my memory was the experience. I remember the early morning walks by the beach, lunch at the resort balcony, candlit dinner beside the sea shore with guitar music in the background (last day) . We were a bunch of writers tasked to produce in 3 days the agency’s transition report for the next administration. If an agency is willing to pay for my roundtrip plane fare, pick me up at the Makati office to bring me to a beach resort in Batangas, pay for the food and accommodation, this convinces me that I am trusted in accomplishing the writing assignment. No amount of flattery can top that.”
In real life, there is no proper time nor the ideal situation to be in the mood to write. Neither can you expect all the support you need; not even from the same people who requested your service. Obviously, I am not a literary artist. I am not in love with words. I use words to sell an idea, convince you to take action or prevent conflict. It happens to be this same kind of thinking that most influential people look for in a speechwriter. Add to that is consistency in delivery of the requested material at the agreed schedule.
I attribute this speed of delivery and consistency to my previous boss. Her expectations on work deliverables may be unrealistic or unsustainable but it made me more resourceful and creative in problem solving. Her tantrums, emotional outbursts and disinterest in my well-being made me sharpen my focus on accomplishing the job at hand.
I believe in the saying that sometimes one individual’s imperfections can polish another person’s latent talents.
As my boss would say, if it were all left to me, I would be happily tapping on my laptop keys in my small nook at the far end of the office oblivious to the world outside. I could have been just another anonymous employee writing the customary press releases and corporate communications; being the stereotypical office nerd with the thick eyeglasses who would rather blend in the background rather than socialize.
CHAMELEON
Yes, I am painfully shy. I have to psyche myself up to interact with people. Everyday is a theatrical performance for me. I have to keep telling myself that i am someone who is confident, charming, eloquent, friendly to get through the day. My play acting must have been convincing because aside from speechwriting, my boss is giving me the job of hosting business seminars and conferences.
However, the character shift from speechwriter to host and back to writer can be a bit of shock for most people. An officemate describes it like someone being possessed by another entity. I can understand why she looks at it that way. After talking a lot on stage or onscreen for webinars, I no longer have the energy for chit-chat and revert back to introversion.
My work day usually ends at around 6:00 in the evening. By this time, I already have a draft or flow for the whole speech. I just need to tighten things here and there; add or delete a few words.
I sleep early with or without a work deadline. That means before 8:00 in the evening. I don’t believe in burning the midnight oil to finish a speech. Besides, I get my best ideas early in the morning between 3:30 -5:30 AM. To save time, I write it down on my cellphone app Samsung Notes.
Come to think of it, I have written all the posts for my blog, this one included, on my Samsung Notes.
TIPS FOR SPEECH WRITERS
For aspiring speech writers, here are a few tips:
*Writing for the spoken word is written to be heard, not read.
*Speeches are better cast in simple, direct, and often short sentences that can be easily understood by listeners.
*It is important for speechwriters to analyze audiences according to factors such as age; gender; culture; profession; size of audience; and purpose of the speech.
*After researching a topic, they should strive to maintain a clear theme throughout the speech.
*The general accepted style of public address is natural and conversational. This puts listeners at ease.
Balai Cacao’s Sweet Success
The year 2020 certainly hadn’t been easy for small businesses.
Many had to shut their doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. But others managed to stay afloat and weathered the crisis.
One good example of business resilience is Balai Cacao , a company owned and managed by Marie Frances Macabenta.
Macabenta used to make tableya ( tablet of raw chocolates) as a hobby and sell them to friends However, Macabenta soon realized that she could transform her hobby into an enterprise and provide jobs to the community.
In 2017, after retiring from teaching at a University in Bohol, Macabenta embarked on a new phase in her life as an entrepreneur.
Her business enterprise derived inspiration from the cacao community families in her area, thus the name BALAI CACAO.
PANDEMIC PROOF PRODUCT
Macabenta entered the industry at a good time when the global demand for raw cacao was high. At a recent Philippine cacao industry forum, it was revealed that the Philippines alone consumes 50,000 Metric Tons (MT) annually while the local supply is said to be somewhere between 10,000-15,000 MT.
Numbers like these are a clear indicator of the demand for cacao in both domestic and export markets.
One main reason for its high demand is that it is the main ingredient in chocolate production and there is no other crop or product that
can substitute it in as far as chocolate production is concerned. There are six (6)
intermediate products that can be derived from cacao beans: cocoa nibs, cocoa liquor
(tablea), cocoa cake, cocoa butter, cocoa powder and chocolate confectionary blocks. Its
diversified use, both for food and non-food, provides broader market opportunities. As a
health food, cacao is a natural multivitamin.
Raw cacao has been linked to numerous health benefits, including reduced inflammation, better blood flow, lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol and lower blood sugar levels.
So taking into consideration the product’s health benefits and the public’s consumption of cacao, the industry is not heavily affected by the pandemic unless the production value chain is disrupted.
In the case of Macabenta, the tableya value chain starts from growing cacao trees and ends up with the tableya landing on a customer’s cupboard.
For the most part, Macabenta has control of her business’ value chain because she grows cacao trees and markets them on her own, and also supports local bean producers.
Building her business on a sustainable value chain means less supply chain disruption and lesser production delays.
SUCCESS IN COLLECTIVE EFFORT
Macabenta though admits that supply for cacao beans in Bohol are insufficient to meet production requirement, so she sources out some of her beans from other suppliers across the country.
Balai Cacao is part of the Association of Bohol Cacao Producers (ABCaP), an organization of cacao growers and tableya makers in Bohol.
Macabenta recalled that when she needed cacao beans but cannot purchase the set minimum order of a Davao-based supplier, she pooled the orders from other tableya makers within the association to be able to source out the beans in time.
To be able to weather the pandemic, Macabenta believes in collective efforts. This is the reason why she cooperates with enablers of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) to be able to contribute to the development of the cacao industry in the province. Her passion to assist other entrepreneurs is a way of paying forward, as she too is a beneficiary of the Gender Responsive Economic Actions for the Transformation of Women (GREAT-Women) Project of PCW and DTI.
Also, Macabenta was able to set-up Balai Cacao in digital selling platforms. She believes that market reach, especially during this time of the pandemic, lies on online sales. While she continues to supply her physical stores, she has also diversified her revenue streams. Recently, Balai Cacao opened a website with Global Linker, a digital marketing platform facilitated by DTI and Union Bank to provide marketing support to MSMEs.
Despite the pandemic in 2020, Balai Cacao was able to maintain stable revenue figures after an initial slump.
And recently , her online store at Shopee has been performing better than expected.
SWEET INSPIRATION
Let me leave you with a tableya inspired recipe I created during the lockdown last year. This has all natural ingredients, no cooking required and can be stored in the freezer.
Ingredients for 12 energy bars include:
3 cups chopped, pitted raisins
2 cups chopped raw peanuts
6-9 chopped unsweetened cacao tablets (depending on your taste)
6-9 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut or dessicated coconut
3 tbsp sesame or chia seeds
2 tsps vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 tsp salt (if not using salted peanuts)
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
Use a food processor to chop ingredients (there is cheap portable food processor found in Shopee or Lazada).
You can manually mix ingredients. Taste the snack before storing it in a plastic zipper bag inside the freezer. If you want it sweeter, add more raisins or a tablespoon of honey. If you want something less sweet, add more unsweetened tableya.
After one hour in the freezer, the food hardens because of the coconut oil. You can take it out and cut a piece to chew. It’ll taste like crunchy, chewy, dark chocolate. I usually eat it with ginger tea, fruit smoothie or squash soup during my scheduled work from home.
The roadtrip to self realization
Everyone probably has a best friend or at least a favorite confidant.
As many surveys would agree with me, you probably found your best buddy in school or at work.
According to studies, these lasting friendships are forged at a time when you are at your authentic self and are freely expressing your thoughts and feelings.
I believe lasting friendships are not something you plan or work too hard. I certainly didn’t have any expectations when I met Loi at work. I was too self absorbed.
DISCOVERING A FRIEND
The first time I had her acquaintance, I was slogging away in a cramped room, chasing deadlines while keeping my demanding boss happy. She was a newly promoted field staff reassigned to our unit.
For many full-time workers like me, it can feel like life revolves around our job. We wake up, we go to work, we go home, we eat, we sleep and then repeat. But friends can make the drudgery of work bearable and at times enjoyable. Loi’s reassuring, caring personality was a contrast to my apathetic character.
Nevertheless, our contrasting personality traits were not a hindrance to finding rapport. Because of our physical proximity at work, we soon found things in common such as love for travel, interest in health and financial management.
Loi’s old wooden desk was situated near mine. Her job was on research and statistics. While I assisted her in the narrative interpretation of data. Since we usually arrived at the office way before the official call time, it afforded us a few minutes of friendly conversation. It wasn’t long before the casual talk turned to more serious discussions on esoteric matters, advice on health and how to deal with a project we were implementing.
Although Loi may appear reserved and delicate, she was always ready for new travel experiences.
CALL TO ADVENTURE
One morning, while reading the local newspaper, she chanced upon an article on the launching of the new Cebu-Leyte-Samar- Bicol- Quezon-Laguna-Pasay route of the Philtranco
Bus Transport Services. She excitedly invited me and one other officemate to take the trip with her saying that it would be a good vacation/ adventure for us.
Long roadtrips were relatively new to me, so at first I was apprehensive. But I trusted Loi since she’s a veteran traveler who regularly goes home to Bohol from Cebu every weekend.
So we agreed to pack our essentials in one small bag and to meet at the bus terminal across SM City Cebu. It turned out that Loi and I were the only ones who showed up at the designated place and time.
Long distance roadtrips are not for everyone but its an experience I can share with friends and family for years.
Long drives took us to some pretty awesome places in the Philippines. We got to see interesting things along the Philtranco route. For 3 days we relished the sites, listened to people speaking in different dialects and took several pictures of iconic places.
But the problem with sitting in the bus for 9 hours or more was that it quickly became uncomfortable. And for 3 days straight, we didn’t have the luxury of taking a shower or sleep comfortably. I think it’s obvious from the photos that we haven’t had a decent bath or proper change of clothes in that roadtrip but we felt like we were in travel heaven.
ROADTRIP LEARNINGS
That trip made me realize a few things in life:
We can always find humor in any awkward situation. Like when Loi and I got lost in Pasay City after dinner at Kenny Rogers. We had to ask a tricycle driver the way back to the Philtranco terminal. Now our Tagalog vocabulary is far from extensive. But we wanted to tell him that we were confused with the street directions and used the word “libog”.
We couldn’t understand why he had this strange look on his face until we reached the terminal. According to one of the bus dispatchers , “libog” in Tagalog means lust. That revelation brought an eruption of laughter from Loi and became a source of mirth for me whenever I mentioned it to her during the trip back home.
Regardless of the circumstances, we can always find enjoyment and satisfaction out of the present moment. Despite 3 days of not taking a bath, not eating properly, not getting enough sleep, Loi and I were happy that we got to experience the places we don’t normally visit. That was enough compensation for all our inconveniences.
I also realized that age isn’t really a good gauge for emotional maturity. Loi is years younger than me yet she has a higher emotional quotient. Unlike me, she feels empathy and concern for others who are outside her family circle.
I can remember her sitting at the edge of my bed during a rough boat ride. She ‘d rather forgo sleep so she could immediately wake me up in case of an emergency. That was an admirable show of compassion.
I am well aware that I have the sort of personality that is difficult for other people to comprehend. Loi was exactly the friend I needed at that time. Her enormous amount of compassion, understanding, and ability to maintain friendships over a long period of time made me lose my cyncism and made me believe in the healing power of human goodness.
Years have passed since that roadtrip and our circumstances have changed. Loi now works in Canada, but she still checks up on me from time to time and never fails to greet me during special occasions.
Without meaning to, Loi has set a high bar for my friend prospects.
What about you? Do you also curate your social circle?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)