Monthly Archives: April 2008

Practice More to Know More

Posted on April 27, 2008 by lifejourneycoach| Leave a comment

“The more you practice what you know, the more shall you know what to practice.” – W. Jenkin

I watched from the sidelines as they raced each other to the other side. I was out of place. Don’t get me wrong. It was not because I was not sociable. I was very confident in public. I was used to facing crowds and speaking with passion at the age of 20.

But there were a few places that I was not very comfortable with. One of them was the swimming pool. You guessed it right. During those get together with friends all I could think of was, “I can’t swim!”

Since I believed that I can learn anything. I bought books on swimming. I learned a lot from the instructions especially those with pictures. I gained the knowledge. But I still did not know how to swim. The only way to really learn was to get into the pool and practice.

I had a little improvement – from dummy to know a little. Then a friend of mine invited me to swim. He knew that I was a poor swimmer so he was more than willing to teach me when I asked him to. The knowledge that I had, coupled with his on-the-job mentoring put the pieces together.

It took many visits to the pool before I got the hang of it. One day, I said to myself that I would stay as long as I can in the pool. It suddenly felt effortless. I could even meditate as I did the strokes. I completed 100 laps.

I am not a professional swimmer. I cannot consider myself to be really good at it but this I know: I can swim. Now, every time there is a get together by the pool, I no longer feel embarrassed. I know for sure, “I know how to swim!”

The principle applies in all areas of life. Put to practice your knowledge, you’ll realize that there is so much more to learn.

Do you want to start your own business? Learn about it then put it to practice. Do you want to start a business with no capital? Learn about it and practice it. Do you want to have a better marriage? Learn what makes it work then practice it.

Do you practice what you know?

© Ed Pilapil Jr – life coach, business coach, motivational speaker

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Your Thoughts Rule Your Life

Posted on April 17, 2008 by lifejourneycoach| 4 Comments

“Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger than material – that thoughts rule the world.” – Emerson

Examine carefully how you think. That is either who you are or who you will become – whether good or evil, positive or negative, excellent or poor. Your thoughts rule your life. It directly influences your feelings and your actions. Let me give both a warning and an encouragement. Beware how you think because it can break you; however, it can also make you the best person that you can ever be.

Your thoughts are the root of all that you are. You are what you are because of how you think. You may be poor and you will remain poor unless you start thinking how you can achieve more financially. Many of your relationships may be strained and it will remain that way unless you begin to value them.

You may be confused and you will remain that way unless you organize your thoughts. Your feelings may be haywire and it will remain that way unless you begin feeding your mind with the good and lovely thoughts.

You may be an achiever and you will continue to achieve if you continue to believe that you can do more. Your character may have improved and it will continue to improve if you continue to think positively of many. You may be rich because you wanted to be; your thoughts are occupied on how to increase your wealth.

Your relationship may be doing well because you speak out the positive things in your mind about others. Your life may be well organized because your thoughts are organized. You are probably happy most of the time because you fill your mind with happy thoughts.

You may have a strong spiritual assurance of your standing with your Maker because you fill your mind with spiritual thoughts and meditate on spiritual things. If you continue, you will develop a strong inner self that leads to better overall potential.

Do you examine how you think?

© Ed Pilapil Jr. – life coach, business coach, motivational speaker

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Avoid Envy, Focus on Your Journey

Posted on April 11, 2008 by lifejourneycoach| 6 Comments

“Envy, if surrounded on all sides by the brightness of another’s prosperity, like the scorpion confined within a circle of fire, will sting itself to death” – Colton

“Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship”
- Omar Bradley

Envy’s voice must be silenced. Its manipulative voice will divert your attention to matters not worthy of your attention. If you allow it to speak, you endanger yourself into falling into a deep pit of emotional turbulence that will lead to unhealthy competition or unfocused activities. Envy will initially increase your energy because of the drive to discredit others or the hatred that it gives birth to. But it will also sap your energy if you are continually possessed by it.

Envy should not be allowed to speak to your minds. But before that can be done, you must recognize its voice. Envy is there when you feel hurt because others are blessed and well. Envy is there when a voice in your mind says that it should have been you who deserved the credit instead of others. Envy is there when you hate someone for his/her good qualities. Envy is there if you lose focus on your personal journey and begin focusing on someone else’s journey. You want to follow another course because you are driven with an unhealthy desire to be like them.

Is there any good in envy? There is none. But I did hear of a godly envy. It is the opposite of envy. Godly envy has no negative emotions, only positive. You wish everyone well, there is no trace of ill feelings. You are inspired to do well and to stay on your course, instead of diverting your course.

To gain inner strength, you must overcome envy. Be happy when others are blessed and promoted in life. Praise someone else’s good qualities. But never feel insecure. If someone else achieved his or her fortune faster than you, do not fret. Do not compete either. You have your own course to follow.

Each of us has different types of happiness, we have different strengths and weaknesses, and we have different dreams. So we need not compare.

A real estate developer may have a different dream from a singer. A singer may have a different dream from a motivational speaker. A motivational speaker may have a different dream from a corporate executive. A corporate executive may have a different dream from a scientist. A scientist may have a different dream from a movie producer.

We also value different things. A man may value harmony in his family much more than a corporate promotion. Another may value recognition more than financial rewards. A man may value the chance to impart knowledge to others than becoming a millionaire.

Therefore, there is no need to compare and no need to envy others.

Know your course and know what you value. Do not focus on others’ journey. Focus on your own. Remember that you can never maximize your full potential if you do not overcome envy.

Have you silenced envy? Are you focused?

© Ed Pilapil Jr. – life coach, business coach, motivational speaker

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