KUROT PRINCIPLE

Ano ‘yung Kurot Principle? Ay, ang ganda nitong Kurot Principle na ito.

To better understand this, I will tell you a story of a person na balak bumili ng cellphone worth P1,000. Nagkataong mayroon siyang P100,000 na savings. Puwede ba siyang bumili ng cellphone? Puwede, kasi yung P1,000, kurot lang ‘yon sa kanyang savings.

May pangalawang taong balak bumili ng cellphone. Ang bibilhin niya ay worth P1,000 din. Mayroon siyang savings sa bangko na P1,000. Bumili siya ng cellphone. Anong tawag dun? Dakot na ‘yun! Dinakot lahat ang pera niya!

May pangatlong tao, balak bumili ng cellphone, pero walang savings. P1,000 lang naman ‘yung bibilhin niya. Bumili siya. Anong tawag ‘dun? Utang na ‘yun!

Ang tanong: ano’ng prinsipyo ang ginagamit mo sa buhay mo? Kurot, dakot, o utang?

Magtataka pa ba tayo kung bakit tayo naghihirap o baon sa utang? Ang gagaling nating dumakot! Ang gagaling nating umutang! Gusto mong yumaman? Starting today, matutong kumurot. Kapag may bibilhin, dapat kinukurot lang! Nagkakaintindihan ba tayo? Kapag ginawa mo ito, pangako, yayaman ka.

Pag-aralan nating muli ang mga pinakamayayaman sa Pilipinas, ang Chinoy. Again, bakit sila mayayaman? Ang gagaling nilang… kumurot! Tayo ang gagaling nating… dumakot! Sasampolan kita…

Pinoy vs. Chinoy Businessman

May dalawang negosyanteng nagsimula ng kanilang negosyo, isang Pinoy at isang Chinoy. Ang capital nila pareho ay P100,000.

Sa unang buwan, si Pinoy, kumita ng P10,000. Ano ang iniisip bilhin? Cellphone. Si Chinoy, kumita rin ng P10,000. Ano ang gagawin niya? Idadagdag niya sa puhunan.

So magkano na ngayon ang puhunan ni Chinoy? P110,000! Si Pinoy, P100,000 pa rin, pero may bago siyang cellphone. Ang ganda!

Ituloy natin. After a few months, maganda ang takbo ng negosyo. Si Pinoy kumita ng P50,000. Ang Pilipinong may P50,000, ano ang balak bilhin? Bibili siya ng home theater, DVD, at LCD TV! Si Chinoy, kumita rin ng P50,000. Anong gagawin niya? Idadagdag uli sa puhunan niya. Magkano na ang puhunan niya? P160,000 na!

A few months later pa, ang Pinoy kumita ng P150,000! Ang Pilipinong mayroong P150,000, ano ang balak bilhin? Second-hand na kotse o pang-downpayment sa bagong kotse. Ang Chinoy, may P150,000. Ano’ng gagawin niya? Idadagdag sa puhunan! Magkano na ang puhunan niya? P310,000!

Buwan-buwan, si Pinoy kumikita. Dagdag siya ng dagdag ng gamit. Magkano ang puhunan niya? P100,000! Si Chinoy, buwan-buwan kumikita. Ano ang ginagawa niya? Dagdag ng dagdag sa puhunan niya. One day, Chinoy was able to save P1 million! So ginawa niya, he approached one supplier and said, “Supplier, kung bibili ako sa‘yo ng worth P1 million, bibigyan mo ba ako ng discount?” Hulaan mo kung ano ang sasabihin ng supplier. “Of course, ang dami mong bibilhin, kaya bibigyan kita ng additional 5% discount!”

Ngunit naisip ni Chinoy, “Hindi naman yata maganda na sa akin lahat ang 5%. Ang gagawin ko, bibigyan ko ang customers ko ng 3% discount at sa akin na lang ‘yung 2%.” Ibig sabihin, bababa ang presyo ng kanyang mga ibinebentang produkto.

It just so happened na magkatabi ang tindahan ni Chinoy at ni Pinoy. Pareho sila ng mga produktong ibinebenta. Given the situation, kanino kayo bibili? Kay Chinoy, because it’s cheaper. Ano ang mangyayari sa negosyo ni Pinoy? Malulugi na. Kasi mas mahal ang kaniyang produkto. Ano ang gagawin niya? Ibebenta niya ‘yung kotseng nabili niya ng P150,000. Sino ang bibili? Siyempre, ang maraming pera, si Chinoy. Tatawaran pa ni Chinoy ang kotse ng P80,000. Dahil gipit na si Pinoy, kahit palugi ay ibebenta na rin niya. Si Chinoy ngayon ay nagkaroon ng kotse na murang-mura lang!

After a few months, mauubos din ang P80,000 ni Pinoy. Ano ang susunod na gagawin ni Pinoy? Ang home entertainment niya ay ibebenta na rin. Magkano? P20,000 na lang. Sino ang bibili? Si Chinoy. Darating ang araw na pati ang cellphone ni Pinoy ay ibebenta na niya. Magkano niya ibebenta? P2,000 na lang! Isang araw, magsasara na ang negosyo ni Pinoy. Ano ang gagawin niya? Malamang, magtatrabaho na lang siya kay Chinoy. Ito ang kuwento ng bansang Pilipinas!

Naalala mo pa ba noong araw, mas mayayaman ang mga Pinoy kaysa sa mga Chinese. Bakit nagbago? Ano ba ang problema natin? Dakot kasi tayo ng dakot! Sila, kurot lang ng kurot!

Mayroon kaming naging participant before na nagsabi, “Sir, hindi naman totoo ‘yan! I know a Chinoy, he drives a BMW. That’s a P5 million car! Kurot ba ‘yun?” Malamang kurot ‘yun! Noong binili niya ‘yun, mayroon na siyang P100 million na savings! So kurot lang ‘yun! Nandiyan ka pa ba?

Isang Kahig, Isang Tuka

Saan ka makakakita ng mga taong isang kahig, isang tuka? Saan? Sa squatters area? Magtigil ka! Gusto mo’ng makakita ng mga taong isang kahig, isang-tuka? Sa Ortigas, sa Makati, may makikita ka.

What do I mean? Kapag hindi ka sumuweldo ng isang buwan, mabubuhay ba ang pamilya mo? Kung wala kang credit card, kung mawalan ka ng trabaho ngayon, ilang araw ang aabutin para mabuhay ng matino ang pamilya mo? Kapag nawalan ka ng suweldo, patay ka!

Ang mga Chinoy, kahit hindi muna kumita o magnegosyo, mabubuhay ng maganda. Bakit po? Kasi many years ago, kumahig sila ng kumahig at tumuka lang konti. Kaya marami sa kanila ngayon, tuka na lang ng tuka. Maraming Pinoy, kapag hindi tayo kumahig, wala tayong tutukain.

Ito ang masakit–sometimes, kahit matanda na tayo, kahig pa rin tayo ng kahig. Gaano karaming Pilipino ang 60 years old na ay trabaho pa rin ng trabaho? Puwede ba, simula ngayon, kumahig ka nang kumahig at iwasan munang tumuka. I-deprive ang sarili ng kaunti.

Ang pinakamasakit sa lahat ay ito–one day, you want to work, but you cannot work. You are already old. Why? Nagpakasasa ka kasi noong bata ka pa. Inubos mo na lahat ng lakas at kalusugan mo sa bisyo.

Tanong: Masama ba’ng bumili ng mahal? Sagot: Hindi! Basta kinukurot lang! Kapag nakakita ka ng kasamahan mong naka-Nike shoes, huwag mong husgahan kaagad iyong tao! Malay mo, kinurot lang niya iyon. At the end of the day, what is happening to other people is not important. What’s more important is what is happening to you.

The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:11, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you.”

Learn more about investing in the Philippines.

(Excerpted from Vic and Avelynn Garcia’s book entitled Kontento Ka Na Ba Sa KaPERAhan Mo?)

Follow www.fb.com/pinyFA for more saving and investing tips.

My Preggy Diary: Last Hurrah

I am excited to reach our finish line but at the same time feeling tired already with all my daily/weekly/monthly medication routine.

This journey surely wasn't the most pleasurable and momentous of all but I am still grateful that I have a little angel princess named Sky wriggling inside my tummy despite the bruises and bumps resulting from our never ending nightly and daily injections.

My elephant-looking hands and feet caused by Edema are all nothing compared to the reassuring fact that our Sky is finally picking her weight up before D-day approaches.

And even though I see all the changes in my body - pimples, pigments and all - knowing she is healthy, well and complete still gives smile to my now different skin.

I know this journey will soon come to an end but I want us to reach the end at the time most perfect for my baby. 

I love you my Selah Khloe Ysabel. You are my most precious gift. 

Love,

Mama

My Preggy Diary: My Rainbow Baby's Coming Soon!

It's just recently that I came across the term 'Rainbow Baby'.

A “rainbow baby” is a baby that is born following a miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or infant loss. In the real world, a beautiful and bright rainbow follows a storm and gives hope of things getting better. The rainbow is more appreciated having just experienced the storm in comparison.

This is what our baby is to us - a rainbow baby. A miracle that happened in the midst of the storm.

After three pregnancy losses, which all reached 2 months only, our baby's growing inside my tummy and is now six months!

True that there are challenges physically, emotionally and financially, but, I am honestly enjoying the journey because I know God is with us through out this pregnancy. Until we reach full term.

Will also write about the treatments I am currently undergoing and other treatments I was advised to go through on a different post.

For now, I just want to show you a 5 month ultrasound of my Rainbow Baby. <3

My Preggy Diary: Living with APAS and Auto-immuno Disorders

My whole world stopped when I got pregnant the fourth time. Literally stopped, because I was on bed rest most of the time and I had to refrain myself from doing anything.

In 2013, which was my third pregnancy, I discovered that I have auto repro-immuno disorders falling under low lymphocyte antibody test score (LAT) (Category 1), anti phospholipid antibody syndrome (APAS or Category 2) and Natural Killer (NK) cells (Category 5). And it was the first time that we had workup and treatment for our unborn baby. 

To address Cat 1, we had Lymphocyte Immunization Therapy (LIT), wherein I will be injected with my husband's white blood cells taken from 14 vials of his blood. We had three sessions for this. It was meant to introduce husband's DNA to my body, which is how my repro-immuno doctor explained, so that my immune system will recognize, supply nutrients and not attack our baby. I also took baby aspirin daily to avoid clotting and to address Cat 2. 

During one of my checkups, my high-risk OB or Perinatologist OB advised me to go back on my 14th week for my next ultrasound since everything's normal because I already have LIT and aspirin. But I insisted on having my utz that day since my last one was a week ago already. So she gave us an advice slip because she understands that it will give me peace of mind if I will have another utz before our one month break from checkup. In short, we had our utz outside her office inmediately after that. 

The emotion I had that day was still unforgettable because I thought we were doing it right, with the time and amount of money we spend to keep the baby. But even with LIT and aspirin, we saw our lifeless baby floating and nearly sliding down my cervix with only 9 weeks age of gestation (AOG). Pretty small for her age. I had a lot of questions that day and emotions that I had to burst out but we were still commuting back then, that's why I had to hold my tears and keep myself from breaking down until we get home. This was my third miscarriage and the most heartbreaking one.

Fast forward to 2016, we find ourselves not yet planning to have a baby, afraid to experience the same heartbreak, afraid to lose our baby once again. We thought in ourselves that for us to bear and give birth to a child successfully, we have to be financially and emotionally prepared to take more tests and treatments next time, even months ahead before we try to get pregnant. That's why even after three years, we didn't plan or pray for one.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”

Ephesians 2:4-5 NKJV

We were faithless, I would admit. We were looking all throughout those years in what we can do and cannot do. But God is still merciful. He is gracious. Even in the midst of our incapability, our faithlessness, His saving grace once again saved us. Saved us from ourselves, saved our marriage. Because last April 2016, I found out that I was pregnant again.

“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Colossians 1:27 NKJV

The feeling I had when I saw the two lines was mixed emotions. Excitement mixed with worries and fears. At one end, I was afraid because I haven't underwent any treatments yet which was supposed to be done before pregnancy and on the other end, I was believing that God will make a miracle out of this. Even so, with the guidance of our leaders and prayer partners at church, we went and see another OB Perinatologist to handle my high-risk pregnancy while believing that God's miracle is still inside me. Christ in us is our only hope of glory.

““So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.”

Exodus 23:25-26 NKJV

One of the verses I hold on to during this journey is God's promise that He will fulfill the number of our baby's days until he or she reaches full term. Exodus 23:25-26 was shared to us by the pastor who've discipled me and my husband and I've treasured this word of promise ever since.

And true enough, even without prenatal workup or treatment, result of series of tests done on my 7th week AOG improved a lot compared to my 2013 tests! This is a miracle already because repro-immuno disorders, if not treated regularly, will worsen or for some, mutates to another category. We had our last treatment wayback in 2013 and for that to still work, we have to get pregnant again or have booster shots every 6 months. In our case, we did neither! Truly, all glory belongs to Jesus!

2013 vs 2016 results

• Cat 1 - From negative in 2013 to positive tissue crossmatch in 2016

• Cat 2 - no retest. Medication started at 7 weeks.

• Cat 5 - From 15.02 NK cells in 2013 to 12.22 NK cells level in 2016

* these results were all prior any medications or treatments!

...This same God, who delivered me from the paws of the lion and bear, will also deliver me from this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:34–37)

Exerpt from Pastor Prince's Daly Grace Inspiration: "David was conscious of what God had done for him. He knew that God was for him, loved him, favored him and would give him victory again. My friend, you can also remind yourself that the same God, who did tremendous things for you in the past, will do the same for you again."

The same God who let us pass through our first trimester with abundance of grace and favor, even with SCH at 8 weeks and spotting at 10 weeks, we are now healthily going 5 months or 20 weeks in a few days! A big miraculous leap from our past pregnancies who only reached 2 months! Truly, God is good! If you ask me how we paid for everything, starting from our daily heparin injection, fortnightly ultrasound & checkup, 5 times a day progesterone supplement, monthly intralipid infusion, prenatal milk & vitamins and at times, hospitalization - we actually don't know! But God supplied for all our needs even up to now.

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19 NKJV

http://bible.com/114/php.4.19.nkjv

“For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.”

Psalms 5:12 NKJV

“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)”

Romans 5:17 NKJV

We truly are excited to meet this little, after a very long time of waiting!


Yours Truly,

Kikay Morena