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Sometimes we are afraid to do what must be done for the simple reason that we think we cannot do it, that there are limitations or barriers that stop us from the very start or along the way. Many people are stuck because of this mentality, for a day, or weeks, months, and even years. If we compute the lowest minimum earnings one can get per day and multiply that with the number of days on stuck mode, that is called opportunity cost -- the price one has to pay when he glues his back to the bed or thinks he is a tree that cannot move from where he stands. It happens to everyone that at a certain point in time he loses such a momentum. Opportunities do not wait. It takes some baby steps to know what to do. The advent of technology is a big help to people because within a few mouseclicks, with internet connection and gadgets we have a smart access to apps or platforms that will help us to know what to do. There are community fora, websites, infographics, and other online tool

In the past, a flatmate told me about a horrible experience of a man who almost lost his mind thinking that he was the subject of fun and bullying of others, then banged his head on the glass wall. It was a devastating experience for him that almost did cost him his life. She narrated how she got nervous when she saw the blood squirt. He survived it, by God's grace. It really happens. That hatred, big hatred, is a monster. How many untold stories are there because of cruel bullying? Where is compassion? That was that one-against-all feeling . If you are emotionally weak or if the bullying stress is too much to bear even if you are strong, you will reach your boundary line or do something that is not expected of you to do. There are cruel adult bullies who will not only make you feel that but will arrogantly tell you that you are alone, you are hated by the group, nobody likes you, and will attach with your name all the worst labels in the world. Many bullies have mast

Straight to the point we often ask or we are asked this way:  "What do you want?" This is to avoid lengthy pointless conversation and not to keep guessing on what the other person exactly wants from us, or the other way around. Sometimes when we contemplate on some things we talk to ourselves:  "What do you want?" A want is a desire for a thing or person, or for something to do or to be done. I want cashew nuts. I want an honest friend. I want to go home. I want this wristwatch to be fixed. As the world gets older -- and greedier than yesterday -- many people want this and that, without asking what the others who can help them have this and that, want. A person with a car who does not know how to drive it, wants the services of a driver. The driver needs to eat, to put fuel to the car, to earn money for driving services and to take a rest after his tour of duty. A business owner wants revenues for his company through his human resources. But they nee

It is National Heroes Day* in the Philippines and President Rodrigo Roa Duterge has a very timely and relevant message to all Filipinos:  to be everyday heroes to people in need. (Read more here .) True, indeed, that we commemorate our fallen heroes, but it is not enough, he said, that we erect statues to honor them. We must pay forward by doing something to those in need, which can be done not only by financial assistance but in other ways -- say, items, services, listening, moral support, and prayers, among others. There are many marginalized and poor people -- poor in worldly possession, and/or poor in spirit. Many people lose the spirit of valor or great courage to fight in their daily battles. Not everyone who lives in a good house and dressed in expensive clothes has that spirit of valor -- so the worse we can expect for those who lack the resources and freedom to move. Everybody is busy building or rebuilding their lives, without reaching their hands to those negle

There are many road signs that tell us to stop at a certain point, as crossing beyond that point can mean danger. Many years back, I was with my friend in the company vehicle near the biggest crossroad in the city when the traffic red light was switched on.  My driver seemed to be sleepy and thought it was a green light. It was a good thing that he had reflexes at his command and the other vehicles were still very far approaching us, so he made a very quick U-turn that saved our lives. I told him to park somewhere and take a rest he needed most, even for a few minutes. I gave him mineral water in a bottle. Sometimes in life, we start to do something and when we think we are having our momentum, suddenly it is put into a halt. Something or somebody stops it. We feel the pain and again we think that it is an impossible situation. Hatred begins to eat our system. Our brains are programmed to find person/s to blame or to be angry at, even if innocent or for no reason at all. We for

The are many online articles saying that the 'deep recession' is coming. We must prepare now on how to avoid it and how to deal with it. Wherever we are and whoever our roots are, we are all a part of the present inhabitants of the earth.  Whether we belong to this or that generation, we have the common denominator at the moment -- the 'here and now' thing. History leaves us many lessons. We learned from what happened and what is happening, directly or indirectly. But what must be unlearned to learn more about a recession? Not everyone affected by the Great Recession has recovered fully by now, and it has left many wounds to many individuals families, communities and countries. What have we learned from the past recession stories? We always see a gear symbol whenever there is something to be figured out. It symbolizes a process -- how do we start, what should be done, and what is the goal to achieve in the process. In a financial crisis, particularly in 'dee

This is Information Age and there is a Digital Revolution. Many countries want to be smart and to follow the wagon.  They want to have a cashless society as they see that this is the future. In India, as reported by Gulf News,  87 payment apps face an uphill battle to turn the country cashless . The key fin-tech players race against China in squeezing the use of cash.  "China has two (2) home-grown technology giants that dominate the market." Lifted from the same news online, India allows small and big players to take a part in the level playing field, with its multi-player or open platform business model.  There is the three-year old Unified Payments Interface that serves a single infrastructure linking all the country's banks to process digital payments in the shortest time possible and at affordable charges. It is managed by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI ), the overall institution for all retail payment systems in the country, that serves to c

If a cheque is issued without fund, it is marked NSF which means 'no sufficient fund'. Sometimes it happens when the issuer expects money inflow but he cannot collect his receivables, or if the cheque to fund it bounces, or there is a problem while the money is being carried or transferred to the right account. For whatever reason, the consideration is when it is presented to the bank within the validity date ( in the United Arab Emirates, it is three months after the date written ), it must be properly funded, otherwise, it will be returned and there are some charges. The drawer may request for another cheque and if there is still a problem that it is not honored, he may lodge a complaint against the issuer. MyMoneySouq.com wrote, "The law for cheque bounce is different in UAE  and Dubai. In Dubai, if the issuer is found guilty for a bounced cheque, he will be levied fine that would be around AED2K to AED10K. Whereas in other parts of the UAE, the charges for che

Watching Netflix's " Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now"    made me curious to watch "When They See Us" . I can fully relate to every single character in the story. I cannot remember how many times I cried. It is heavy to the heart as it features the true-to-life individual stories of young boys who were incarcerated for many years for the crimes they did not commit. Everything was because of some investigators and judicial persons' premature conclusions which were connected to something deeper than what many eyes can see. It took Ava DuVernay' s creativity, courage and vision to write and direct  "When You See Us" .   Per Wikipedia , it is an "American drama web television miniseries created, co-written, and directed by Ava DuVernay for Netflix, that premiered in four parts on May 31, 2019. It is based on events of the 1989 Central Park jogger case and explores the lives and families of the five male suspects who were pro

This is the first time I read a news article like this --  "Chase Bank is forgiving all outstanding debt owed by customers of its two Canadian credit cards as it exits the country’s market." Rare, indeed. I thought it was another fake news so I Google-searched for more related articles. It says that  "It confirmed on Thursday that it was forgiving all outstanding debts owed by customers of its two Canadian credit cards." Related videos: Chase Bank to forgive credit card debt owed by Canadian customers Chase Bank forgiving all debt owed by Canadian credit card customers Chase Bank forgives all credit card debt for customers in Canada This is indeed unbelievable to see their Canadian clients' debts wiped out clean. One (1) debtor even experienced a reimbursement of his last payment. I read many stories here in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) about prisoners who were jailed due to financial issues then freed by the rulers and some philanthropi

On 12 August 1851, 168 years ago , Isaac Merrit Singer patented the first practical and efficient sewing machine, although he did not invent it. Read more here . The Singer sewing machine is close to my heart. My mother's major source of earnings was sewing so I witnessed how she mastered her craft, from simple fashion design to fabric master-cutting and sewing. She never got tired putting her heart in everything that she did, so her customers loved her. You cannot see any loose thread in her finished works. Most of her customers gave her the excess fabrics which she turned into children clothes then we sold them. When she was young, she got sick and almost died. Her elder sister sent her to a vocational school to learn about the basic and advanced sewing, then she recommended her to her best friend, a popular dressmaker with a dress shop in town. Sewing somehow helped my mother to heal, as she was a very creative person, and she was the owner/manager's right hand not b

It was New Year's Eve a few years ago. Many people were shouting, screaming, dancing, throwing powders of different colors, banging casserole lids, and making loud noises to greet the coming year. Suddenly there was a police patrol car coming, and they were advised by the cops to 'control their noises'. Wikipedia defines 'noise control' or 'noise mitigation' as a 'set of strategies to reduce noise pollution or to reduce the impact of that noise, whether outdoors or indoors' .  Furthermore, it says that ' noise has been associated with important cardiovascular health problems particularly hypertension. Noise levels of 50 dB (A) at night may also increase the risk of myocardial infarction by chronically elevating cortisol production. ' (Read more here .) Many of us do not care at all if the noises we make disturb other people at rest or focusing on something. Many times I got disturbed by unwanted noises, which in the Year of Toleranc

'Lo and behold' is  'a phrase used to indicate something surprising or unexpected'. 'Lo' is a short word for 'look' or 'see' . When you use the phrase, there is a feeling of surprise as there is an unexpected appearance of someone or something. What are your 'lo and behold' moments? The last time I said it to myself was when I saw my youngest daughter in flesh again last June. I was whispering to myself as I was approaching her, "Look at you, baby! Lo and behold!"   It was really a huge feeling of amazement to see your baby transformed into a beautiful lady. Surprise , for some researchers, is a cognitive assessment on the probability of an event , while for others, it is an emotion , on par, unusual -- with happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, and fear. That particular reunion with my child was both for me -- I knew there was that probability as she already told me, though not yet sure until I saw her before my

I am deeply touched by an old woman's message to her children who are now having some business and personal conflicts. As a mother, I can tell that this really, really hurts. Sharing with you a copy of that message. I will just change the names here. --- I am deeply saddened that my son, Romeo, would counter all my statements in public rather than visit me at my house. It only shows how he regards me as his mother. I have invited you, Edna, Casey, and Rustom to my house to discuss this problem as a family but instead, you are lecturing me about matters discussed in the Family Constitution. My son, you don't have to remind me of those things. I am fully aware of what transpired in those meetings. You are so candid in telling your story to the public, giving credit only to your late father. Have you forgotten that I was a part of your father's achievements? That we hurdled all difficulties when we first started our business? Have you forgotten the contributions