So you want to learn more about me? Nothing too exciting! But I'll leave that for you to decide. =)
Brief Background
This Song by Seal, sums it up for me and how I see and live life. |
I am a
Catholic filipino family man, who operates a
virtual small business and is studying to be a
Marian Catechist. My family and I have recently relocated to the Hawaiian Islands and are enjoying the island living. Such a great blessing to be out here. Growing up in San Diego, moving to the Bay Area and then to Washington State, left me missing the beach life. I'm so glad that I am finally at the beach and able to share it with my family. There is something magical to this place and we try hard to retain that experience. As part of our decision to move here, we've had to really simplify our life and give up a few things, but it was well worth it.
Happily married and a father of six, you can expect that we have some very interesting, crazy and fun times. I enjoy every minute of it. I've come to learn the important things in life and being with my family is high priority. No time to hang out with friends, go out and party, or play endless hours of golf away from them. Being a husband and father means to make the family a priority. I try as best I can to live up to that. I'm not perfect but strive to make it so.
Am I really this happy? Sure. It involves work though, like most good things in life. My wife and I had to make choices that would help us make this lifestyle possible. With six kids, we knew one of us had to be home and we had to teach them to live Christian moral standards and avoid the hypocrasy we lived.
Briefly here is how we do it...
Live out our Catholic Faith and teach our kids the Faith.
I work from home and Annabel works a few days a week.
Teach the kids about the world and how to live in it.
Our emphasis is on health, finance, work, prayer, and community
Lots of prayer and reconciliation with each other and God
To take a real interest in people, God and the world
Set and live the high moral standards, overall love people
Spend as much quality time together while they are young
Be positive and yet realistic
Entpreneuralism and Small Business is a good way to earn a living
I could go on and on because it's that complex, but to put it simply, by studying our Catholic Faith and applying it to every aspect of our life, it usually takes care of what we are trying to accomplish. If you are intrigued then read on. You can expect these things to be discussed in my blog from time to time too. Or how we apply our standards and the results.
Back in the day
What we are today, wasn't always so. I was immersed in the American dream to get a corporate job, live a luxurious lifestyle and pursue a social life. It led me to a level of shallowness in character that left me ashamed. I mean what was it all for? This lacking substance in my life led me to poor decisions and almost caused me my marriage, friends, family, life and Eternal life. Someday, I'll share the details but for now a general overview will have to suffice. The Yuppie life wasn't worth it. Who cares for all the material things when it ended up in emptiness. Who cares for all the friends when all you did was party and not impact the community in any positive way? After we started having kids, I examined my lifestyle and as dark as it was, I couldn't get out. But I wanted more for my kids and wife, and I searched and longed for something different. There had to be a way out and something to aid me in my pursuit of a better life.
I was tired of it all. I knew people were getting hurt psycholigically, emotionally and probably physically. To some it may have seemed I didn't care but I did, but I didn't know how to make it all stop. Everything seemed to be impossible and somewhat hopeless. I think some people didn't give up on me and that's what helped me. My life was so deep in it that I couldn't get out alone. Something supernatural had to come and take me away.
My job was difficult for me because I wasn't used to operating with bureaucracy and hidden agendas from people. So much money was in the Bay Area, it seemed as if everyone was manipulating things to be a part of it all. Everyone wanted more than a piece of the pie, they wanted all of it. I'm not claiming that everyone was like this, because I've certainly met some incredible people along the way. This was my experience and perception in the hi-tech market of the Bay area. There had to be a better way to make an income than become a slave to the company.
The philosophy I lived was very selfish and ego-centric. I never realized how I was until I had my kids. I didn't like myself, my job, my social activities and the choices I was making. At this time, I had lost my Catholic Faith and lost any interest in spirituality. And when you do that, it really becomes a struggle. It was real easy in the beginning because it was rebellious and my relaxed attitude was attractive to most. Eventually though, being the center of the party ends up in loss of friendships and hurt people. A jerk was who I was and still work to get out of me today.
Was this all there was? Money, sex, drugs, alcohol, gambling, parties, work and more of the same? For some reason, there was really a faint recognition of hope in my heart. I hung on to the innocence I remembered as a child, when the world seemed so vast, interesting, promising and bright. Funny thing was, the world was always all those things, but I had stained my "looking glass" and all I saw was dirt. Some say the prayers of my family, friends and ancestors helped me. I think it did. There was a spot so clean that enabled me to see something was there calling me out and wanting me to reach out.
Stay tuned for more... How I got into the small business gig and My Return to the Catholic Faith.