Change Begins with Choice

by
Jim Rohn

Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life? If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life? and it all begins with your very own power of choice.

- Posted by Lou Rose

Still Best for Babies (up to two years and beyond)!!

I am Tatiana M. Gorayeb-Dulalia, 33 years old. I am married and have a two-year old boy. I know that makes you think I belong to a different world altogether. Sometimes it feels that way, especially when I imagine how much time all of you guys can devote to MBA schoolwork. Becuase for me, it's a huge struggle, but I am not making any excuses.
And since I am indirectly touching on the topic of motherhood (since I'm talking about my difficult schedule -- they go hand-in-hand, you know..), I'd like to talk about a favorite topic that a good number of people have been buzzing about lately--breastfeeding.
I like to talk about this because the benefits of breastfeeding are now slowly coming out of the dark, after being imprisoned there by numerous infant-formula commercials and the doctors that are sponsored to prescribe them. Don't get me wrong, though, I have nothing against these pediatricians who do not directly make an effort to encourage new mothers to breastfeed. I just wish they would present a balanced picture.
The argument is simple -- human milk it fit for humans. Human babies are meant to take human milk. All the mammals show us that.
Secondly, human milk contains colostrum (present in the milk within ten days after delivery) and this strengthens the newborn's immune system.
Thirdly, breastmilk is readily available. It's very sanitary, too!
Fourthly, it increases the bond between the mother and her baby.
Lastly, breastmilk is known to be important for human brain development. It contains AHA and DHA, two enzymes that aid brain development and help eyesight development. (These two components are now present in infant formula milk). Numerous published literature also say that breastmilk contributes to the acceleration of a child's IQ. To back this claim, a study was conducted where college students were made to take IQ tests. A hundred percent of those with high IQ scores were breasfed by their mothers as infants. And the longer the duration of breastfeeding was, the higher the score.
However, I am fully aware of the different reasons some mothers are not able to breastfeed.
One possible reason is finances. For a mother who is given only a two-month maternal leave, what choice is she left with but just to give formula through a caregiver? However, breastpumps are now available, and mothers can pump every six hours and store the milk in the refrigerator for 24 hours. But what about offices where no refrigerators exist?
Another reason is extreme willpower. Yes, extreme. In my case, at least. You have to keep trying for the milk to come out. Not all female breasts are created for an easy start at breastfeeding. Determination and prayer are important.
Other reasons may exist, but for now those are the only ones I know.
I just wish more information will be made available to Filipino mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding. There is currently a ban on infant formula commercials because statistics are surpising. For a third world country like ours, even the minimum wage earners buy infant formula, easily a thousand pesos or more for a large can.
Recently, we broke the world record for public breastfeeding in an event held in Manila.
I hope more such events take place, and campaigns be sustained so that breastmilk and breastfeeding be every mother's first choice.
How do I know this?
I'm still breastrfeeding my 2-year old! It sounds crazy, but I'm not thinking of quitting. I'll wait for him to stop.
So my dieting plans have been put on hold for two years now...

Posted by: Taty

NUTRI Facts!

Hi! I’d like to share with you some of the common misconceptions about dieting and exercising. I encountered these during the consultations I had when I worked for Slimmers World International. I hope you also will find these meaningful.


Myth 1: Carbs make you fat
Fact: Too many calories can make you fat. Carbohydrates are essential for energy, especially the brain. We all need a good balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat. A low carbohydrate diet is an unbalanced diet which can lead to diseases of the kidney, liver and heart.

Myth 2: Salads are always a healthy choice
Fact: The ingredients in salad may be healthy but the addition of excess salad dressing can make the salad high in fats and fairly unhealthy.

Myth 3: Fat is bad for you. A no fat diet is the best for all
Fact: Fat is absolutely essential for the body to function normally and well. A moderate amount of fat will keep the cells intact, and keep hormones functioning properly.

Myth 4: Diet colas have no calories, so it’s OK to rink much as desired.
Fact: Colas, with or without sugar, contain phosphoric acid. Too much phosphoric acid can draw out the calcium and weaken the bones resulting to osteoporosis later in life. Limit your intake per day.

Myth 5: When you stop exercising, your muscles turn to fat
Fact: Lack of exercise does make the muscles shrink, reducing the body's calorie-burning rate. The lack of activity itself further reduces the number of calories you burn. So people who stop working out are indeed in danger of getting flabby. But that doesn't mean that muscle actually turns to fat - they're totally different types of tissue.

Myth 6: Strength training tends to give women a bulky, masculine physique.
Fact: It's very difficult for most women to build large muscles. That's because women have relatively low levels of the hormone testosterone, which influences muscle growth. Both men and women can build firmer rather than bulkier muscles by working against lighter resistance more than 25 times rather than heavier resistance fewer times.


Love life!

Maria Christina Gonzales, RND

Click here to know more about Nutrition Guidelines for Filipinos
http://www.fnri.dost.gov.ph/ngfiles/ng10.htm
http://www.nscb.gov.ph/headlines/nutrition/ngf.htm

What's in a Name?

A lot of people would associate my name with the showbiz actress Cristina Gonzalez. She used to be called “Kring-kring” back then. Questions like “How are you related to the actress?”, and even “Are you an actress?”(hahaha.. :-P) are not new to me. In fact, I am quite expecting those questions to be blurted out once I reveal my full name.

Do you know that I once hated my name? Cristina Gonzalez, the actress, had been once tagged as S.T. Queen. During my childhood years, I was teased by my classmates for having such name. I felt hurt and discriminated. Then I would cry really, really, REALLY hard in a place where no one can find me. I know that thing was really petty. But for a young kid who felt that she didn’t belong, that thing sucked. As years passed, I learned to get over with it and soon enough the teasing stopped. I don’t know how it happened. Maybe those bunch of bully kids grew up or maybe, I just came to love the idea that my name is linked to the actress.

Maybe that’s how we should face our own battles. Like me, I guess you also have those i-wish-i-was-not-me moments. But come to think of it, every single detail in you is created because of a purpose. We may not understand it right away but just continue to have faith. Believe in something. Believe in yourself. Learn to appreciate what you have.

When I look back, I couldn’t help but to just laugh at it all. The good part of my childhood story is that my name helped me, in a way, to be noticed in a group of people which eventually leads me to be more sociable and win friends. For me, that’s more than enough return for all the pains that I went through with it.

A message to my Boss

I guess you're surprise to read this... you've always known me to be open and honest with you about anything...and here I am, using this blog to indirectly tell you how I feel. I'm sorry if I cannot be as confident as I am when I'm presenting business proposals as I am presenting to you how I feel.

Two weeks ago, I sent you a letter expressing how I feel about my work. I'm really really stressed about handling two people's job now, not because of the workload but because of the personalities and office politics that I have to deal with. However, you managed to talk me out from my intention to leave one of my post. So how come I decided not to let go? Simple, its because I don't want to disappoint you. You mentioned that you have already told the Executive Committee (who is doubting my capacity to juggle two positions due to my age) that you strongly believe I can pull this one through. I didn't want you to get back to them saying that "I made a mistake, she decided to quit", because I really don't want to quit. You mentioned that my emotion is my strongest and in the same time weakest trait, and yes it is...I am passionate about work which make it my strength and yet I strong get affected whenever there is something wrong in the system that I can't fix and whatever people has to say to me. This is who I am, results matter to me and my mom raised me not to be content with second bests.

Last night while I was driving home, a realized that I have become extremely unhappy... my time is no longer mine, but its already the company's. Now I suddenly cannot make any plans for my family, my friends or even for myself because I always end up being late for the event or being too tired to attend something...thus causing disappointments because I want to make sure that I don't disappoint anyone in the office. My life is now a part of my career instead of my career being part of my life. I don't know how much longer can I keep my life running like this. My house is no longer my home, but its just a house where I live...I no longer belong there.

Regardless if I decide to stay here, quit one of my post or totally quit everything, I want you to know that I am grateful for the opportunity that you have given me. I have learned so much here, in terms of enriching my technical skills but also about life. I have learned that sucess is not directly proportional to happiness, as there are things that can be taken for granted in pursuit of success.

- Lou Rose

Me, Myself and Christine

Hi everyone! Bloggin’ here is 3x+y’s most adorable member (hahaha… right groupmates?). My full name is Maria Christina S. Gonzales. I am 23 years old and I live in Calamba City, Laguna.

I am a big fan of my bed and pillows. In other words, I love to sleep! I sleep with lights on or lights off. I sleep whenever I find a chance, be it for more than10 hours straight or 10-minute break. I just love doing it.

I am also fond of black coffees. No sugar, please. It is best with any plain bread that I could break into small pieces and dunk in the hot cup. This combination is great especially when I want to resist the unwanted temptation that my bed and pillows give me.

I have a weakness for siomai. I am addicted to it since I was in college. For me, siomai provides a therapeutic effect. Whenever I am sad or sick, all I could think of is to find a siomai house. My friends usually give me siomai as a peace offering. I must admit that with it, I feel better.

Guys, I also have to add the following to my list of favorites: shopping, surfing the internet, watching movies, the word “SALE”, TV game shows, jokes, Friendster, my hyperactive dog, my first nephew, the world map (because I dream of traveling the world), my dad, my mom, my bebe, my INFOTE classmates and professor, and my team mates 3x+y.

What else? Hmm… I am a licensed nutritionist-dietitian. I got my degree from the University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna, the land of irresistible Buko pies and espasol. I spent my elementary and high school years in Colegio de San Juan de Letran (Arriba!). These places carry a lot of stories about memories of yester-years. Some of them are good and some are just not-so good.

Actually as a kid, I already knew the value of hard work and money. At the age of 11, I had a job in our Municipal Health Center for the summer. The following year, I became a tour guide staff in the historical house of Jose Rizal (pretty exciting). During high school, I sold my teacher's baked goodies to my classmates during break time. I was her favorite student. Then in college, I was an assistant teacher for the university’s after school care program for the employees’ children.

My first real job came in after I graduated in college. It It was with Slimmers World International. The company is a pioneer in the wellness industry. Basically, I handle clients’ diet program then eventually, I became part of the management committee. On the side, I accepted a consultancy work for a hospital in Batangas. After a year, the project is already finished so I let go already.

Getting an MBA education never occurred to me until the day that I realized the need for something better than what I already have. I wanted to accomplish more and to explore other possibilities. On my first year, I was able to balance my time for school and work at Slimmers. But at the start of this school year, I finally decided to resign. I feel that I need to invest more time to my studies so I can grasp as much learning as I can since I do not have a concrete background in some business management subjects.

Right now, I am living my life one day at a time. Slow and easy. I like to keep it this way for a couple of months more. Just me, myself and I.

I still have so many things to share about myself but I guess I should reserve it for my next entry. So til my next blog!

House

My weekend was a total mess, all I can think about was how unhappy I am. Last Friday, it was the first time that I had a fight with my boss. What's the catch? Well everyone fights with him, but not me...then all of a sudden we had to argue...and then eventually had to raise our voices. It was so terrible!

To relieve my anxiety, I decided to have a "House" marathon. My first encounter with the said drama series was when I spent my Christmas vacation in Baguio with my Auntie's in-laws. I only watched a couple of episodes, but the Dr. House-Dr. Cameron thingy really caught my attention.

Last week, I asked my boyfriend to buy me the complete 1st and 2nd season... and the marathon begun last Saturday night. As each episode passed by, I begun having this crush on Dr. House. I have always been attracted to the intelligent ones. I admire him to his cool yet genius looking type. I admire him for his honesty, especially his capacity to make really good arguements with his boss...his capacity to bring out the best from his team. I admire him for not being able for feel the emptiness. I wish I had those qualities so I will not get hurt anymore. I say that Dr. Cameron and I have the same taste when I comes to men, and I really hope that in whatever season it is, they will end up together!

I can't wait for this coming weekend when I will be able to see the second season. It is my official stress reliever nowadays. I hope for either of the two: I hope tto find another stress reliever after I watch the second season or I hope that I will become less stress (the first wish is more reliastic than the latter)

- Lou Rose

Money! Money! Money!

Duh! Money!!!! Who in the world is not interested with money? Everybody does, from the wealthiest businessman on earth, to the humble young farmer planting seedlings in a faraway land...

Whatever purpose we may have, we do and will find ways to make more money. We spend it daily, some earn it easily, while a whole lot of beings seem to spend without earning 'em. We need to ensure that we earn more than we spend, or spend less than we earn, or else we get cash-trapped.

Throughout the years, we have seen how money has been invested, earned, and transformed creatively, in a dramatic and infinite number of ways. We previously had our piggy banks where we stored our coins. Then we had the passbook where we monitored our cash position in a bank. Money later on became plastic, with the emergence of the credit and ATM cards. Cards that were previously imprinted manually on receipts soon adapted electronic means of transacting, with the introduction of POS systems. In the onslaught of the electronic digital age, money is now stored in virtual banks. In the form of bonds, securities, and other instruments. And what could even be more innovative? Commodities are now being traded in the exchange. Your money is turned into virtual gold, oil, and even orange juice? Hmmm... getting juicier every minute huh!

Money is now a global commodity, available in various forms. It is a necessity, extremely valuable for what it brings to our lives. With the continuous rise in our cost of living, we must continually find ways to generate better returns for our money. It is for our future, it is what we ought to enjoy when we reach the retirement years.

Unfortunately though, with the emergency of online technologies, scams and other questionable investment vehicles also abound in cyberspace. It is necessary for us to investigate and dig deeper into each of these investment activities before jumping on board the easy way to getting richer.

Education and research on emerging opportunities are indeed big steps to achieving success in investing. Being well-informed in anticipation of future market undertakings gives us an edge over the others in achieving financial freedom.

Now, let's say you've achieved the wealth that you've dreamed about. Are you happy? Are you satisfied? Will you ever be satisfied with all that you have? All material things may be worthless afterall, if you do not live a happy life. So in starting any undertaking, just make sure that you have a goal in mind, a purpose for why you think of getting rich.

-by Dexter

It's me... Dexter! and I'm bloggin!

Hello my friends! I’m Dexter Lim, 27 years of age, from Quezon City, Philippines. My hobbies include eating and sleeping, hehe… Well, you could also include surfing the net, taking candid pictures, reading and watching the news, malling, chatting online, investing in crazy stuff, and again, my favourites, (though I seldom find time to do them)… eating and sleeping!!!!

I am an Industrial Engineer, who got my bachelor’s degree from the University of Santo Tomas. I spent my younger years studying in St. Jude Catholic School, near the Malacanang Palace (and the lovely Pasig River of course), from preschool all the way to high school.

Right after college, I worked for Paperlink, Inc. as Production Planning and Quality Control Supervisor. Later on, I became Production Manager for the said company. Paperlink is a manufacturer of quality paper products, such as notebooks, folders, bond paper, pads, envelopes, gift wrappers and the like, and carried brand names such as Vision, Victory, Scribbles, Standard, and Mica.

I had a fulfilling and enjoyable work, but I felt I wanted to have more. I reflected and found out that I was searching for more knowledge and was not fully satisfied with what I was learning and achieving at work. So in June of 2005, I enrolled in the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in Rockwell Center, Makati, and found what I’ve been longing for. I stayed on with my work, and balanced my time to concentrate too on my studies for the MBA Program.

School became tougher and tougher, though enjoyable, and there came a time when I needed to choose between school and work. I had to make a very important decision, and I chose to give up my career in April 2006, and just concentrate on my studies. This allowed me to fully absorb all that I gain from school, and spend some time for myself and my loved ones.

Philippine economy was not getting better, and so I accepted a new job come July 2006. I entered an entirely different world...

Here I am now, with my other groupmates—the hotbabes of 3x+y—Christine, Lou Rose and Taty, doing our own blogs.

I first heard of blogs in Friendster, like we all did. I found that blogs were such a useless thing on the internet, mostly done by girls on their teens, talking about their crushes, their favourite sweet romantic pocketbooks, their first time to bring their dog to the pet salon... Duh!!! What a waste of time! Such an unproductive way of eating up space on the internet!

But now, I found that blogs are such a great source of news and information. Iraqi and Lebanese residents shared stories, pictures and videos that CNN or BBC were not able to cover. Citizens freely talked about corruption in their respective governments. Voters aired their opinion on presidential candidates and influenced others on making important decisions for their country. Businessmen extensively marketed their products and services, virtually free from advertising expenses.

Truly, blogs have shaped the new internet, with a whole bunch of features that everyone can use for their own purpose. Count a few more months and we would probably see the blogosphere evolving into another dimension, probably as a new portal, alternating as the new cyberspace with loads of information and functions that cater to all our needs online.

- by Dexter

Devil wears Prada

Synopsis:
New grad Andy Sachs takes her college drab fashion sense to be an assistant at Runway Magazine, run by Miranda Priestly, only the most powerful name in fashion. Soon Andy realizes that in an office full of very slim women in haute couture, she may be a little out of place. But she knows that many girls would kill to get a foot in Runway's door and answer to Miranda's beck and call. Not one to give up that easily, she gets a makeover and soon acts like she's been in the industry forever. But the more she is with Miranda, the more she sees that a fabulous life isn't always a happy one. How much sacrifice does great success require?

Reaction:
I was so happy that I decided to watch this movie during its advance screening. I can relate to Andy since I have difficulties at work also, difficuties with office politics and managing my not-so-easy-to-please boss. There was one scene that I love, it was when Andy was complaining to the fashion editor about her boss saying that all the good things that she has done is not appreciated and one wrong move is totally a big deal. The fashion editor told her to quit her job, and Andy said that it's unfair, and the fashion editor told her, then she should not complain. Ouch!!! I have been complaining about my work since what January 2006??? And there were so many times that I wanted to give up. I wish it was so easy to just resign, but someone there are a lot of things that makes me think twice. I don't want to give up, but I'm afraid that I will just collapse one day. "How much sacrifice does great success require?", my answer, I don't know but I hope its not worth my happiness!

-Lou Rose

Little Loulou

Hello guys! I'm Lou Rose Elaine Franco, one of the member of the 3x+y group.

I have a really long name huh? Well, there's actually a story to why my parents gave named me as such. It's a combination of my dad, mom and grandmother's name. My dad is Luisito (Lou) Victor Franco and he is currently working as a Production Director for the Public Relations Department of Saudi Aramco. My mom is Rosemarie (Rose) Fong Franco and she is an elementary teacher at an international school in Saudi Arabia. As you noticed, both my parents are working abroad, thus the one who served as my guardian is my grandmonther, Elen (Elaine) Fong. Makes sense right?

I consider myself as a home buddy, I prefer to stay at home to rest than going out during weekends. My past time is going around supermarkets and department stores, I like to see how prices of different items change as well as to see if there are new items in the market. I love trying things, especially when the TV ads or the description of the item is something that interest me. I love Divisoria, you can buy almost anything there at a very reasonable price. When my mood is not so good, I find comfort in Kowloon Pork Pao, Meiji Black Chocolate or any Dimsum! I'm very addicted to Taiwanese/Korean series that I can finish a whole series in just 2 days.

I'm half chinese half filipino, but since I grew up with my grandmother, I was more exposed with the Chinese culture thus enrolled in a Chinese school from nursery to high school. I studied in Grace Christian High School for around 12 years, which earned me a loyalty award. After high school, I went to De La Salle University and took up Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering.

After graduation, I worked for the Industrial Engineering department of DLSU as an Assistant Lecturer. I taught subjects like Cost Accounting, Statistics and Operation Management to sophomore engineering students. During that time, I also worked as a Research Assistant for their Center of Operations Research and Management Science of DLSU, primarly doing mathematical programming.

My first corporate job was being a Buyer for the Jollibe Foods Corporation. I handled the purchasing and supply management of chicken products (ChickenJoy) and other commodities such as oils, dressings, flour and dairy products. After 4 months, I moved to Mead Johnson Philippines as a Supply Planner. I consider my employement with MJ as one of the best things that ever happened to my life. I was able to meet real friends, had a good mentor and was exposed to the multinational way of operations (relying heavily on technology, especially ERP). MJ has a good working environment since employees work together as a team. Now, I am with McKenzie Distribution as a Supply Chain Manager for Procurement and Planning. Yes, I move a lot...but its not because of the compensation but more on the learnings and experience that I would be able to get, i have been into the academe, food industry, manufacturing industry and distribution industry...who know's what lies ahead.

My goal in life is simple, to finish MBA and to excel in the field of Supply Chain Management. I work very hard and see to it that I deliver based on my commitments.

Welcome to the blogosphere!!!

Welcome to 3x + y ! ! ! We are a group of students from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in Rockwell Center, Makati City, Philippines, and we would like to spread the good news... We are here to share with you our lives, our values, our dreams...

We are composed of the 3X ladies--Christine, Tati, and Lou Rose, and the only male (Y)--Dexter. We are reserving this space for ourselves, as we believe that we all have our place in this cyber world.

So just sit back, relax and keep coming back on our blog for more updates in the coming days. Thank you very much for blogging with us!!!

- Dexter, Lou Rose, Christine, and Taty