The list of how to do it is endless. 

Will you go through lypo? Will you take diet pills? (I don’t recommend it, but that’s what people do.) Will you go to the Gym? Will you decrease your Carb intake? Will you stop eating meat? Will you do an after six diet?  (My friend uses this diet. Every time he wants to eat, no matter what the time is, he simply adjusts his watch to 5:45pm…)

Friend, do you want to overhaul an area in your life?

Here’s what I realized: Changing your life doesn’t depend so much on your method as on your motive.

If you want to change anything in your life, the most important question isn’t “How” but “Why”. If you want to overhaul your life, you’ve got to find your burning, powerful, explosive  “Why”.

In other words, you change not so much by the greatness of your program but by the greatness of your purpose.

For your life to change you, the purpose has to have two qualities: (1) It’s got to be Emotional and (2) it’s got to be Enormous…

1. Emotional

       Psychology will tell us that we make most of our decisions based on emotional reasons. But once we make them, we look for logical reasons to justify our decisions.

       This fact corresponds to our brain anatomy.

       The newest part of our brain is called the neocortex. It’s responsible for analytical and rational thought.

       The deeper part of your brain is called the limbic brain. That’s where all your feelings reside—happiness, sadness, love, fear, trust… Guess what: This part of your brain is responsible for most of your human behavior. And most of your decision-making.

       Problem: It has no capacity for language. Because the limbic brain can’t explain itself, it will rely on your neocortex to explain why you did what you did.

       Let me give you an example…

This Doctor Didn’t Lose Weight Until…

       Danny was overweight by 55 pounds.

For the longest time, he wanted to start an exercise program. Specifically, he wanted to take a walk every morning. Danny had all the logic in the world—because Danny was a Doctor. Danny’s neocortex was brimming with the right information. He knew all the facts. He read all the books. He knew all the statistics. He knew the lectures.   But no matter how “logical” his reason was to lose weight, he never kept his exercise program. Because his pillow was soft. And the blanket was warm. And the bed was so inviting…

But one day, something happened.

One afternoon, Danny was at home, sipping his coffee while reading the newspaper.  

That was when his little 8-year old girl, wearing a pretty princess dress, complete with a shiny crown on her curly hair and pink high heels on her feet, walked up to him and said, “Daddy!”

“What?” Danny asked, while still reading the paper.

“Daddy!” she shouted louder.

“What is it?” he asked again, still reading.

That was when his little princess pushed his newspaper down, stared straight at her father’s shocked face, and said, “Daddy, will you still be alive when I get married?”

Suddenly, everything stopped for Danny. The walls, the ceilings, all the furniture at home became a giant blur—except for his girl in front of him, asking him this terrifying question.

When she said those words, he felt intense pain. It was so real, it was like someone planted a sharp dagger on his chest.

Slowly, a very vivid picture grew in his mind. He saw himself walking down a Church aisle, beside his daughter, now a beautiful young woman, and giving her away to a well-dressed monster waiting at the altar…

He also realized how he needed to live a long life. Because who will protect his little girl from unscrupulous suitors? In his mind, he devised a plan: The moment a suitor—any suitor–knocked on the door, he’d open it, and without any warning, simply punch the punk on the solar plexus. As the punk crumples on the ground, curling in pain, he’d say in a low growling voice, “You haven’t done anything wrong yet. Wait till you do…”

The next morning, Danny went out to walk. And the next day, he walked again. And the day after. And two years later, he still runs every morning. So far, he’s lost 30 pounds.

Logic didn’t change him. But he found an emotional reason big enough to make him change.

2. Enormous

You’ve got to find a big enough “Why”.

The reason why people don’t change—even if they want to change—is because their “Why’s” are small. 

Here’s a clue: It can’t just be about you. It’s got to be bigger than you. When you do it for someone you love, it gets bigger. 

Danny always wanted to run because he was concerned about his health. But when he was doing it just for himself, it wasn’t big enough. The moment he decided it was no longer about him, but about his daughter, the reason became gigantic in his mind.

But to make it even bigger, don’t just do it for your family. Do it for people for your bigger family—your city, your church, your country. 

TV Had To Go

       When I was kid, I loved TV. I was a walking TV Guide. My sister would ask me, “What’s showing on Tuesdays, 8:30pm, at channel 7?” and without batting an eyelash, I’d say, “Charlie’s Angels”.

       But when I was 13 years old, I felt God wanted me to replace TV with reading. Why? So I could learn more and have something to say as a Preacher. So I gave TV up. I stopped cold turkey. 

       For a 13-year-old kid, that’s almost impossible. But my “why” was gigantic: God wanted to use me to bless the world.

       Let me share with you another story from my life…

I Wanted To Finance The Kingdom

Once upon a time, I was a poor missionary earning P800 a month. And I was very happy. I loved my life.

But my pain came whenever I met a needy person who I wanted to help—but couldn’t. It was utterly frustrating.

I also felt that inner pain when I wanted to launch a new ministry, but I couldn’t, because we lacked funds.   My favorite fantasy? To pull out my wallet and start the new ministry with my own money.

That emotional reason was enough for me to cause drastic changes in my life. I took a crash course on learning how money worked. I launched my businesses, failed, launched again, failed again, launched again… I persevered amidst many failures, until I succeeded.  Today, I run many businesses and manage my ever-growing investments in the Stock Market.

 My desire to change my financial life—from poverty to abundance—came from a desire to bless the world. I didn’t do it just so I could drive a sleek car. The force that woke me up in the morning to work on my businesses and investments was a desire to finance the Kingdom.

What dream can be bigger than that?

Here’s the truth: If you find a big enough reason to change something in your life, you can change absolutely anything.

I urge you to dig deep and find that big-enough reason.

For example, in our spiritual family called Light of Jesus, we have a big vision. We want to build 1000 Feasts in the world. We want to build Feasts even in China, Africa, Eastern Europe… This enormous vision is the reason why I want to be a better husband, a better father, a better friend, a better preacher, a better writer, a better leader, a better person…

To overhaul your life, find your emotional and enormous reason… Talk, walk, eat, and sleep with that dream everyday.

When the “Why” is clear, the “How” will come to you.

And your life will change.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

PS. It’s A Date. Join me in my 2-day Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program on February 24 and 25, and learn how to build Passive Income. My mentors and I will teach you how to build your investments and explore businesses with you. Warning: Sign up now before you run out of seats. For more information, click the link below:

Yes Bo, I Don’t Want To Depend On My Job Alone;

Teach Me How To Create Passive Income

Many years ago, I drove Dad’s car.

It was a sixteen-year old Mitsubishi Galant. I loved that car. But pretty soon, it was showing its age.   Soon, it was conking out on me. (I noticed that it would conk out on me whenever I thought of replacing it. When I told this to my friend, he said, “When you’re inside your car, never think about replacing it. Because your car can read your thoughts. Magtatampo yan. It will feel hurt—and malfunction more.” What can I say? God has blessed me with very strange friends.)

Each time I’d bring the car to the repair shop, the mechanic would fiddle under its hood, and after a day or two, I’d drive it off again. But after a week or so, something else will break down. (Yes, even if I tried shooing away thoughts of replacing the car.)

One day, I brought it back to the shop. This time, the mechanic opened the hood, shook his head, and said, “Bo, your car needs an overhaul.”

When I heard the word “Overhaul”, I wanted to faint. My entire life flashed in front of me. Because I knew that meant a gigantic amount of money.

He took out a piece of paper and wrote down a list of parts that needed to be replaced. He said, “Your engine is leaking. We need to replace the core of your engine.”

I closed my eyes, said a quick prayer for provision, and told him to do it.

One month later, when I picked up the car, it was like brand new. And I drove it for a few more years and thousands of miles.

Friend, is there an area of your life you want to overhaul?

Is there an area of your life you want fixed? Repaired?

This 2012, I’m praying that God will do a massive overhaul in your lives. I’m praying that God will make you brand new!

To experience a spiritual overhaul, you need four important elements: Purpose, Plan, Practice, and Produce. In the next four weeks, we’ll discuss each of these crucial elements.

And we’ll do something very special during this time…

Take The 30-Day Challenge!

In our 4-part teaching series entitled Overhaul, you’ll receive one of the most potent tools that you can use to change any habit or behavior in your life. The tool is called the 30-Day Challenge.

Perhaps you want to be a more affectionate spouse.

Or you want to remove complaining from your life.

Or you want to wake up earlier each day—so you can exercise, or pray, or write your journal.

Or you want to get rid of smoking.

Whatever change or new habit you want to acquire, the 30-Day Challenge can make it happen for you.

It’s All About Patterns

Haven’t you noticed?

Some people are always making money, while some people are always broke.

Some people are always on time, while some people are always late.

Some people always create happiness wherever they go, while some people create conflict wherever they go.

Some people always achieve their dreams, while some people never achieve their dreams.

Why?

It’s habits. Success and failure aren’t actions. They’re habits.

By the way, here are 7 Rules of the 30-Day Challenge.

Rule 1: Select One Habit

       Don’t try to change 19 things in your life.

       Just choose one habit.

       Choose something simple.

       Because it’s the simple things that will cause a massive difference in your life.

       Perhaps you want to complement your spouse every day for the next 30 days.

Or spend 15 minutes with your child daily for the next 30 days.

Or eat more veggies each day for the next 30 days.

I repeat: Pick one habit only!

       Whatever you pick, make a commitment to do it for 30 Days.

       Here’s the magic of this program: If you can make one change in January, you can change another habit in February, and then another one in March… Do you get the picture? That way, you could make 12 fantastic changes in 2012.

       Isn’t that awesome?

2. Aim For 30 Days

It’s got to be for 30 days.

If you miss one day, promise to go back to Day 1 and start over.

Why 30 Days? 

Two reasons.

First, because that’s what it takes to learn a new habit. According to psychologists, it takes 21 days to create a new pattern in your life. It takes 21 days to create a mental pathway in your brain, so that it becomes easier for you to do it.

So why not call it the 21-Day Challenge instead of a 30-Day Challenge? I don’t want to take chances. 21-Days is the passing mark. 30-Days is the honor mark!

Here’s the second reason why 30 Days only: It’s more doable.

 If someone tells you, “Can you read one hour a day for the rest of your life?”, that can be overwhelming. But if someone tells you, “Can you read one hour a day for the next 30 days?”

All of a sudden, it seems more doable. 

3. Do It Daily

Developing a new habit requires that you do it daily.

I repeat: You have to do it daily. Not 3 or 4 times a week. This is crucial. If it’s an activity that can’t be done daily, then try to choose an “alternate” activity that you can do at the same time. 

For example, if you hit the gym every 5pm to 6pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays—why not take a walk around your village at that same time on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday? That way, it’s still a daily experience.

4. Schedule It

Don’t just say, “I’m going to walk daily.”

Say instead, “I’m going to walk at 6AM daily.” That’ll be more powerful.

Don’t just say, “I’m going to make 20 sales calls a day.” 

Say instead, “I’m going to make 20 sales calls a day from 10am to 12noon.”

Doing this little tweak will quadruple your chances of sticking to the habit.

5. Replace It

Empty space doesn’t remain empty for long.

If you remove a bad habit, there’ll be an empty space in your life. If you don’t fill that empty space, the bad habit will come back.

So don’t just try quitting a bad habit. Be sure to replace it with a good habit. 

For example, if you want to quit watching telenovelas, what will you do during those three hours in the evening? Read a book? Learn a musical instrument? Start a business?

6. Study It

Study about the new habit you want to acquire.

Let’s say you want to be more grateful in the next 30 days. Then Google about gratitude. Read articles about it. Look for books on the topic. Talk to friends about the power of gratitude.

And finally…

7. Find Support

Surround yourself with people who already are doing your new habit.

If you want to exercise daily, get your friend or spouse who will do it with you. If you can afford it, get a Physical Trainer.

My friend used to smoke 3 packs a day. Her addiction was so bad, she’d wake up at 3AM just to smoke two sticks—and then she’ll fall back to sleep. Talk about an addiction!

But one day, she really felt it was time to cut the habit. She told me. She told her best friends. She told her Caring Group. (That’s what we call our small groups at the Feast, our spiritual gathering.) And we prayed for her. 

Recently, she texted me, telling me she’s been “smokeless” for 3 years now.

       Friend, go ahead. 

It’s your turn to make revolutionary changes in your life.

Next week, I’ll start talking about the first of the four ingredients of overhauling your life… “Purpose”

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

PS. Gain Financial Abundance This 2012.  Join me in my 2-day Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program on February 24 to 25. My Financial Mentors and I will teach you how to build your Passive Income: To teach you how to build your investments (in the form of Stocks and Mutual Funds) and explore businesses with you. These mentors are the same guys who helped me create my Passive Income. My Passive Income has become so large, I don’t need to work anymore. But I work so I can serve more. It’s incredibly liberating and I want to help you experience what I’m experiencing too. (Warning: The seminar usually runs out of seats and my office staff always has the difficult task of turning people away. Sign up now before you run out of seats.) To get more information, click here.

        I’ve realized that preaching is never enough.

The Word has to become flesh.

       After preaching for 30+ years, here’s what I noticed: At first, people will listen to the message of a messenger.   But after awhile, people will want the messenger to be message itself. The life of the messenger must be the 3D movie of the message.

People don’t really listen to words anymore. People want to see the words becoming flesh in front of them.

It’s useless to talk about Jesus if you don’t become Jesus. 

Unless you do that, all preaching is a noisy gong and clanging cymbal.

The Most Delicious Pizza In The Universe

Imagine that there’s this brilliant chef who owns the secret recipe of the most delicious pizza in the universe. He opens only one restaurant in Makati. No other branches anywhere else.

The restaurant’s name? Forget-Your-Name. 

Why? When you sit down in the restaurant, the waiter will give you a piece of paper, instruct you to write your name on that paper, and ask you to slip it into your pocket. Because the moment you bite into the most delicious pizza in the universe, you’ll forget your name. When that happens, you have to pull out that piece of paper from your pocket to remind yourself who you are.

It’s such a delicious pizza that it would seem like a crime if you didn’t tell your family about it. So people would go home and tell their family, “You’ve got to go to the Forget-Your-Name restaurant. They have the most delicious pizza in the universe!”  

And so the restaurant was always overflowing with patrons; in fact, the lines were so long, you needed to wait for 3 hours just to get in.

But one day, something weird happens.

Because the Owner of the Forget-Your-Name restaurant was a weird guy. It turns out he was immensely wealthy. And he wasn’t doing the restaurant business for the money. He just loved seeing people eat his pizza. 

So he did something crazy: He posted the secret recipe of the most delicious pizza in the universe on his website. Anyone can now download the recipe. The exact ingredients. The exact measurements. The exact temperature. Every single detail.

Not only that, he also uploaded on youtube the step-by-step video instruction of how to make hispizza. 

Now, you don’t have to go to the restaurant. If you wanted your family to eat the most delicious pizza in the universe, you cook it right in your home.

This, my friend, is exactly what God did…

The Secret Recipe Is Out!

God is the Owner of the restaurant. The Church is the restaurant. Jesus is the pizza. Because the main product of the Church is Jesus.

Let me shock you: I believe God doesn’t want you to bring people to Jesus. God wants you to bring Jesus to people. How? By being Jesus to somebody. The secret recipe is out! 

This is God’s battle-plan to conquer the hearts of humanity. People will get to know who God is not by going to Church. People will get to know who God is by you becoming Church wherever you are. 

This isn’t semantics. This is deep theology.

This in fact is the difference between Christianity and other religions. In other religions, you search for God. In Christianity, God searches for you. And even if you run away from Him, God will chase after you. 

In other religions, God is only King. But in Christianity, God is King, yes, but a King who lays down His crown, leaves His throne, and becomes a servant who washes the feet of his disciples. He’s a King who is madly-in-love, head-over-heels, hopelessly smitten, die-hard Suitor who will not stop at anything until he gets you. 

So let me say it again: Your mission isn’t to bring people to Jesus. Your mission is to bring Jesus to people. And you do that by being Jesus to somebody.

You Can Go Where I Can’t Go

Do you want to change the world? It won’t happen by a proliferation of Priests, Pastors, or Preachers. It will only happen by a proliferation of ordinary people (like you!) who become Jesus to somebody.

Preachers like me can’t be in your kitchen table, talking with your kids, listening to their dreams, affirming their worth, encouraging them to risk, accepting their wounds, correcting them in love, awakening their values… 

I can’t be there. But you can.

Oh, there are some parents who think I can do that for them. They come to me distraught, asking me to talk to their rebellious, stubborn, misbehaving teenagers. They want me to be their miracle man. They ask me, “Brother Bo, can you talk some sense to my teenage son? Even just for 10 minutes. You see, he doesn’t listen to me. He’s taking drugs. He’s not in school. He’s wasting away his life.” They hope that a 10-minute conversation with me will erase 17 years of bad parenting. It won’t work. Yes, I can pray for him. Yes, I can listen to him. Yes, I can be Jesus to that boy for 10 minutes.  But only the parent can be Jesus to him everyday.

Preachers like me can’t be in your office, supermarket, classroom, mall, farm, factory, ship. Only you can be Jesus to those people everyday.

This is God’s ultimate masterplan. This is how the Kingdom will be built: You becoming Jesus.

Yes you!

How?

By your words. By your work. By your presence. By your service. As a secretary, cashier, clerk, teacher, doctor, lawyer, engineer, businessperson… More importantly, as husband, wife, father, mother, aunt, uncle, daughter, son—Your mission is to be Jesus to somebody.

       It’s Not About High Standards

I can hear you now. “But Bo, I’m not holy enough!”

That’s okay. You don’t have to be perfect to be Jesus to somebody.

You don’t have to have it all together.

Once upon a time, I didn’t know that. I was brought up to believe that to be Jesus to somebody, I shouldn’t smoke, or drink, or gamble, or go clubbing, or listen to secular music… I was brought up to believe that to be Jesus to somebody, I should memorize Bible verses and talk about God the whole day…

Later on, I realized that these high standards weren’t attracting unchurched people to God. They were doing the very opposite. They were turning them off.

Hey, don’t get me wrong. Personally, I don’t smoke or drink or gamble. But these aren’t the definition of a God-follower. I believe that the only high standard that unchurched people are attracted to is the high standard of love.

What does it mean to be Jesus for somebody? Only one thing. Do you die to yourself so that others may live? 

That’s what it means to be Jesus to somebody.

What’s The Main Thing?

Jesus said it eloquently. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35)

He didn’t say, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you pray everyday”. Or “if you read the Bible”. Or “if you go to Mass.”

The proof that you’re a God-follower isn’t in your religion but in your relationships.

In other words, if you want to know if I’m a God follower, don’t ask me how many hours I pray. Don’t ask me how many Bible verses I memorize. Don’t ask me if I know the right doctrines. In fact, don’t ask me at all. Because my answers will be biased. 

Instead, ask my wife, “Is your husband Jesus to you?” 

Ask my kids, “Is your Daddy Jesus to you?” 

Ask my mother, “Is your son Jesus to you?” 

And ask my employees, “Is your boss Jesus to you?”

John Maxwell said, “Be disturbed if the people who love you the most are the people who know you the least.”

I repeat: The proof that you’re a God-follower isn’t in your religion but in your relationships.

The opposite is dangerous. When religion, and not relationship, becomes the main thing, two not-so-good things happen.

·        We become prone to spiritual arrogance.

·        We make a church for religious people only.

We Become Prone To Spiritual Arrogance

If religion, not relationship, becomes the main thing, we become proud of our religiosity. 

Our religiosity becomes a barrier.

We look down at others who don’t pray, or who don’t read the Bible, or who don’t attend Mass, or who don’t sing our songs, or who don’t wear our clothes…

Because of this, the unchurched person asks a very penetrating question: “Do I really want to become like you—arrogant and condescending?” 

And so they reject Christianity.

Something else happens when we make religion, not relationships, the main thing of Christianity…

We Make The Church

For Religious People Only

In other words, we become a church for insiders.

To be accepted in church, you have to behave in a particular way. You have to act in a particular decorum, speak in a particular language, dress in a particular style—or you’ll always feel like an outsider.

But if we make loving one another the main thing of Christianity, the Church will be a safest place on earth for the wounded, the lost, the messed up, the struggling, the sinner. 

I think we need to put a big sign on every church door: No perfect people allowed inside! 

What is the truth? We’re in church not because we’re perfect but because we’re forgiven.

Two Ways Of Becoming Jesus to Somebody

I love this passage. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:12)

Good deeds, not good debates, will open people’s hearts to God. I believe it’s service, not sanctity, that will touch lives.

Don’t misunderstand me. I use the word “sanctity” the way it’s commonly understood—someone who is pious. But in my mind, “sanctity” has a more robust meaning: Someone who serves.

       I love that story when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. In Biblical times, there were four ranks of slaves. Only the lowest-ranking slave washes feet. Jesus took that role and said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” 

       Jesus didn’t just teach a way of life and said, “Do this.” Jesus served us, and then said, “Follow me.”

       How do you serve?

       Two ways of becoming Jesus to somebody: The heart and the hand.

       The heart is the personal side of relationship.

       The hand is the practical side of relationship.

       You need both to be Jesus to somebody.

1. The Heart

One day, in a busy airport, a little boy was running to his mother holding a completed jigsaw puzzle in his hands. He was shouting, “I finished it, Mommy! I finished it!”

       But at that precise moment, a businessman was also running, trying to catch his flight.

And the two crossed each other’s path. Wham! And the jigsaw puzzle flew into the air and hit the floor, scattering its tiny pieces in different directions.

The businessman said to the boy, “I’m so sorry…” He went on his knees and picked up the small jigsaw pieces. 

And patiently, he put it back together again.

After 15 minutes, the puzzle was done. It was obvious now that the businessman missed his flight. And he should have been angry and frustrated. But he didn’t know why, but he wasn’t. In fact, he felt happy that he “wasted” his time with a kid doing a jigsaw puzzle.

When the man stood up, the little boy stood up as well. He looked at the towering figure for a brief moment, and asked a question that blew the man away.

The boy asked him, “Are you…Jesus?”

Somehow the boy knew that when he met compassion, kindness, dying-to-oneself-for-the-sake-of-others, he was in the presence of Jesus.

To be Jesus to somebody, you need to give heart. The heart is the personal side of relationship. Affection. Warmth. Touch.

But you also need to give the “Hand”…

2. The Hand

       I’m a father of a family. And I need to spend time with my wife and my kids. That’s a non-negotiable thing I have to do.

       But imagine this scene….

One morning, my wife tells me, “Bo, we have no food in the house anymore; I need to buy groceries but we don’t have money…” and I tell her, “What are you complaining about, Sweetheart? I’m always here at home, spending time with you and the kids 24 hours a day, 7 days a week…”

There’s something wrong with the picture.

       To be a Jesus to somebody, you need to give the hand too.  The hand is the practical side of the relationship. Excellence. Development. Achievement. 

Are you a doctor? An engineer? A Teacher? A businessman?

In your job, God calls you to be Jesus to somebody.

How? Give heart and give hand.

Be excellent in all that you do. That’s the hand. But give your heart too. Do it with warmth, compassion, acceptance, and openness.

Last Word: Who Was Jesus To You?

       Look back into your life.

       Someone became Jesus to you.

       You came to know God’s Love because somebody loved you without condition. 

       I think of my Dad. He was far from perfect. He never expressed his love for me by hugging me or saying, “I love you.” But boy, did he spend time with me when I was a kid.

       He was Jesus to me.

       I think of my Mom. Again, she’s got many weaknesses. But Mom loves me. At 86, she prays for me before the Blessed Sacrament every single day.   (When she has extra time, she prays for my sisters.) When I’m preaching somewhere, I know that Mom is praying for me, and that gives me strength.

Mom is Jesus to me.

I think of my wife. She too has many weaknesses. (And if you think I’ll enumerate them to you now, think again.  I’d rather be thrown to a pool of hungry piranha than face my angry wife asking me what I wrote about her.) 

But she does something that astounds me no end. When I tell her my preposterous, out-of-this-world, “big, hairy, audacious” dreams, she doesn’t laugh. She doesn’t guffaw and roll on the floor. She smiles, looks at me, grips my hand, and says, “They’ll come true.”

My wife is Jesus to me.

I think of my professor in my Masters in Theology. I wasn’t even supposed to be there. I had failing grades in Grade School, High School, and College. I didn’t even finish College. I was just taking the Masters course because I wanted to study about God.

But my professor, a priest, called me in his office. He said he saw brilliance in me. (Huh?) He said, “After your Masters in Theology, go back to college and get your Diploma. And then we’ll send you to Europe to finish your Doctorate in Theology. There’s this great School there. We’ll pay for everything…”

I wanted to tell him, “Are you sure you’re talking to the right person? I’m not a good student. I’m a dunce. Pull out my transcript of records. It’s all there displayed in flaming red glory…”

But he saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.

That professor’s perspective of me changed my life forever. After taking up my Masters, I went back to college with vengeance. I got straight A’s there from then on.

That professor was Jesus to me.

       Let me ask you: Who was Jesus to you?

       Thank God for each one of them.

       And everyday, resolve to be Jesus to somebody.

       You don’t have to be perfect.

You just have to love them in your imperfect way.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

PS. Get Financial Abundance This Year.  Join me in my 2-day Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program on February 24 to 25. My Financial Mentors and I will teach you how to build your Passive Income: To teach you how to build your investments (in the form of Stocks and Mutual Funds) and explore businesses with you. These Mentors are the same guys who helped me create my Passive Income. My Passive Income has become so large, I don’t need to work anymore. But I work so I can serve more. It’s incredibly liberating and I want to help you experience what I’m experiencing too. (Warning: The seminar usually runs out of seats and my office staff always has the difficult task of turning people away. Sign up now before you run out of seats.) To get more information, click here.

TrulyRichClub Members who joined me 2 years ago—and who invested in the Stock Market with my guidance—have enjoyed wonderful profits. Here are the Top 10 Stock Recommendations we made in 2010 and 2011…

What does this show you?

That quiet, boring, monotonous investing small amounts of money each month in carefully chosen stockscan build your wealth!

(By the way, we no longer recommend some of these companies for next year…)

What Will Happen In 2012

Since May of 2011, I’ve been telling TrulyRichClub Members to “accumulate” our stock recommendations at very cheap prices. Out of our 6 stock picks, 5 are still negative. That means we’ve not earned anything in the past 8 months.

And we like it that way. (This is one of the crazy views we hold: We love it when our Stocks are down for a long time!)

Why? So we can buy our companies at very cheap prices every month.  Because we’re long-term investors.

I foresee that prices will still be low at the first few months of 2012. But I don’t know for how long. (No one knows, really.)

The important thing is that you start investing right now.

Stop postponing! You’re missing out on these earnings. Most importantly, you’re missing out on gaining financial freedom.

Change your financial life in 2012. Learn how to invest in the Stock Market today.

How? Join my TrulyRichClub and change your financial future this 2012.

To join, click the link below:

Yes Bo, I’d like to change my finances in 2012;
Tell me more about the TrulyRichClub.

May your dreams come true,

 Bo Sanchez

PS. Start this new year right! To gain financial freedom for your future and join the TrulyRichClub, click the link below:

Yes Bo, I’d like to change my finances in 2012;
Tell me more about the TrulyRichClub

This lovely tree had long branches with leaves too many to count.

       It was a happy tree. It liked looking at the green plains below and the blue sea surrounding the island.

       But one day, the tree noticed that one of its leaves was turning brown. What was going on? This was the first time it happened. It never experienced it before. The tree began to panic.

Soon, more leaves became brown.

And then the impossible happened: One brown leaf snapped off its twig and fell to the ground.

The horrors!

Soon, more leaves fell. He counted them. Gasp! He couldn’t believe it. In one day, 6 leaves fell off from his branches. The next day, another 9 fell. The day after that, 12 more fell. On and on they kept falling.

He was losing so many leaves each day, he blurted out, “I’m dying!”   Everyday, with great anxiety, he stared on the growing mound of brown leaves gathering around His roots. 

He began to lose hope and wanted to end his life.

       That was when a bird flew by…

Three Messages From The Bird

The feathered creature perched onto one of the tree’s branches. The bird asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you so sad?”

       The tree said, “I’m dying.”

“Why do you say that?” the bird asked.

“I’m losing all my leaves! I’ve lost 94 already…”

        The bird was taken aback. “You don’t know do you?” He looked around and realized why. “You haven’t seen another tree in your life. You’re all alone here. My dear friend, what you’re experiencing is something that every other tree in the world experiences.”

“Huh?”

The bird smiled and said, “ I want to give you three messages today.”

“I’m listening,” the tree answered.

1) More Blessings Than Problems

“First, you say you’ve already lost 94 leaves. You count the number of leaves that you’ve lost. Count now the number of leaves that are still on your branches…”

The tree went about counting. “1, 2, 3, 4….” When he reached 300, he said, “I can’t count them. I have too many leaves!” The tree wasn’t crying anymore.

“Then you’re learning a very important truth. Remember that you’ll always have more blessings than problems. Problems seem more because you count them, you measure them, and you analyze them everyday. But when you count your blessings, you’ll realize that your blessings will outnumber your problems. Always!”

May I interrupt this story by another story?

I was reading about Roger Crawford. When he was born, he had a genetic defect. He was born without two hands and without a left leg. 

But despite his disability, he became a professional Tennis player in America. He became a champion?

How could he play Tennis without two hands and a left leg? I don’t know. But he did.

You see, Roger never complained, “Lord, why don’t I have hands and a left leg?” Instead, he said, “Lord, thank you for what I have. I have arms and I have one leg. What will you do with what I have?”

Roger didn’t bother counting the leaves that fell off his branches. He celebrated the many leaves that remained in his branches.

Let’s go back to my story…

2) More Space For New Blessings

The bird said, “Here’s my second message. I want you to look at your branches. Specifically, at the empty space where your leaves fell from. Do you see them?”

“Yes.”

“Are they really empty.”

“Yes, they’re empty. A leaf was there before…”

“Look closer,” said the bird, “because it’s not really empty…”

That was when the tree said, “Well, I see tiny leaves sprouting in the same place where my old leaves fell from.”

The bird nodded, “If your old leaves didn’t fall, there wouldn’t have been space for new leaves to sprout in your branches. If you want better things to happen in your life, some older things will have to go first.”

“I now understand,” the tree smiled.

Let me interrupt this story again and tell you that this is how life works.

Thank God for empty spaces in your life.

Perhaps a relationship ended this year. Perhaps a boyfriend left you. Thank God and believe that someone new, someone better, will be walking into your life.

Perhaps you lost your job this year. Perhaps your company folded up. Perhaps you were retrenched. Thank God and believe that you’ll get a better job and company very soon!

I remember two women whose husbands left them. Both of their husbands found another woman and walked out of their lives.

       Both were devastated.

       But both had a very different attitude. One followed the grumbling path and the other followed the grateful path.

       One woman cried, “My husband left me. My life is now over.”

       But the other woman said, “My husband left me. My life is just beginning…”

       Like this woman, don’t ever give up. Don’t say, “My life is over.” Say instead, “My life is about to begin.” Because new growth happens only if there are empty spaces in your life.

3) More Nourishment From Your Growth

The bird chirped, “And now for my last message. Do you notice what happens to your brown leaves?” the bird asked.

“They rot,” the tree shrugged, looking at the mound of brown leaves around its roots.

“Yes they do, but for a purpose,” said the bird, “because in due time, these rotting leaves will become part of the soil. These leaves will enrich you. Your roots will drink their nourishment. Causing you to grow and sprout more leaves…”

You Need Trouble To Grow

“Bo, I can’t be grateful for 2011. This was the year my husband left me.”

Or “This was the year our house burned down.”

Or “This was the year I learned I had cancer.”

Or “This was the year my father died.”

I understand. But the Bible says, Give thanks in all circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Yesterday, I was looking back at the year that passed.

I realized something very important. I realized that I grew the most not during the times when everything was smooth. Or the times when everything was going my way. I realized that I grew the most during the times when there was intense trouble. Intense pain. I grew the most when I was attacked from all directions and I couldn’t breathe anymore.

That’s when God stretched me.

I have one word for you about trouble: Get used to it.

Because trouble is the birthplace for your greatest growth.

       Be grateful for the blessings behind your trials.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

PS. I believe that a shift in your understanding will cause a major shift in your financial life.  That’s what will happen when you attend my How To Be Truly Rich Seminar on February 4 in Mandaluyong. To change your financial life, click the link below:

Yes Bo, I Want To Know More About The Seminar on February 4

       Let me ask you a few questions.

       Did you have food on your table last year? Thank God. (From the way I see you, you had too much food.)

       Did you have clothes to wear last year? Thank God.

       Did you sleep well at night last year? Thank God.

       Did you have work last year? Thank God.

       Did you earn money last year? Thank God.

Did you have friends last year? Thank God.

Did you serve God last year? Thank God.

       Open your eyes to see that you were swimming in an ocean of blessings last year.

       I looked back at last year and couldn’t help but say, “Wow.” 

I can’t say anything else. Because when I think of the year, I feel overwhelmed at what God has done in my life.

Choose: 2 Weeks Or 40 Years?

       There are two ways of living on earth:

       You can grumble or you can be grateful.

       Both habits are powerful. (I’ll explain in awhile.)

       Do you know how long the Israelites travelled from Egypt to the Promised Land? The Bible says it took them 40 Years. I find that weird. Do you know how quickly it should have been?

       The distance from Cairo to Jerusalem is only 391 kilometers. That should have only taken the Israelites 14 days to travel from Egypt to Israel. But why did they take 40 years?

       Let me tell you one major reason: They followed the grumbling path instead of the grateful path.

       And the grumbling path is much longer than the grateful path. 

40 years longer…

       Think about it. They were rescued from 400 years of slavery. But they weren’t grateful. They saw 10 mind-boggling miracles, from water turning into blood, and a staff turning into a snake, and frogs leaping out of the lake… But they weren’t grateful. They crossed the red sea on dry land. But they weren’t grateful. A pillar of fire accompanied them by night and a pillar of smoke accompanied them by day. But they weren’t grateful.

       I don’t know about you, but I want to enter the promised land quickly. And the way to do that is to learn to be grateful.

What do you have that you did not receive? … Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! (1 Corinthians 4:7-8)

Marriages Can’t Be Strong Without Gratitude

Do you know why married people have affairs? It’s not because of sex. It’s because they grumble instead of being grateful.

Your spouse has 90% of what you need.

But because you’re not grateful for that 90%, you search for that missing 10% in a mistress. Someone fresh. Someone prettier. Someone more affectionate. Someone who smells nice.

But when you go home, your wife smells of paksiw. 

She isn’t affectionate because she’s tired, taking care of the kids the entire day.

So you have an affair. At first, it’s exciting. It makes you feel wonderful.

But one day, you’ll wake up and realize you’re holding Miss 10% in your arms. You’ve lost your Miss 90% to get Miss 10%. 

Gratitude Attracts Blessings

I know some people who can’t be grateful today.

They’re waiting for something big to happen for them to be grateful.

Some people say, “I’ll be grateful if I win the Lotto…” Or “I’ll be grateful if I get promoted…” Or “I’ll be very grateful if I have a baby…” Or “I’ll be grateful if I marry someone like Brad Pitt, or John Lloyd, or Bo Sanchez…” (I apologize for my hallucinations.)

Don’t wait to be grateful. Be grateful now!

Why? Because both grumbling and gratitude are a magnet.

Grateful people get more of what they’re grateful for.

If they’re grateful for happiness and love and friendships, they’ll have more happiness and love and friendships. If they’re grateful for financial blessings, they’ll have more financial blessings.

In the same way, grumbling people get more of what they grumble about.

If you grumble about your problems, you’ll have more problems. If you grumble about lack, you have more lack in your life.

Be grateful.

And receive more blessings this 2012.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

PS. Get The Blessing For Your New Year!  This Sunday, at the Feast, I’ll be praying for your 2012. Join me at the Feast in PICC, Roxas Boulevard. I preach in the two morning sessions (8am-10am and 10:45am-12:45pm). My friend and fellow-Preacher Alvin Barcelona preaches in the afternoon at 4pm-6pm, also at PICC. (Or join the other Feasts nearest you. For more details, contact Annie at Tel. 7259999 or email her feastsecretariat@yahoo.com.) Start the year right. Get your blessing for 2012!

       I don’t have a 12-page article for you today.

       Just a few lines to greet you.

I heard Darren Hardy, publisher of Success magazine, give this wonderful illustration.

He said when an accident happens on the road, traffic builds up. Not because of the accident. But because motorists like to look at the accident. We like gazing at the car wreck. 

Why? Human beings have this tendency to look at what went wrong. We like to look at the mess.

       But if there’s a magnificent sunrise on the other side of the road, so utterly majestic and beautiful, with shafts of sunlight piercing the clouds… a masterpiece by the Divine Master… do we look?

       Nah. We don’t even notice. 

So we speed through. Zoom! Missing out on magnificence.

       Something in us likes looking at what’s wrong, not what’s right. We’re drawn to messes, not magnificence.

       Today, God wants you to focus on your magnificence. Sure, you’ve got car wrecks in your life. You’ve got parts of your life that are so terrible, you want to hide them from everybody.

But there’s also a sunrise within you. Something so beautiful, it’ll take your breath away. 

Focus on your sunrise!

       That’s what God does.

       That’s why there’s Christmas.

       2000 years ago, God left His celestial throne, unrobed Heaven’s glory, and became a helpless, hungry, crying baby in Bethlehem. Why?  To tell you, “You’re worth it. You’re worth the trouble. You’re worth this visit to earth. This manger. This cross. Because to me, you’re as magnificent as the sunrise.”

       Merry Christmas!

By the way, just want you to know that I agree with God.

You’re as magnificent as the sunrise!

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

PS. Grow in your spiritual life this 2012! Get powerful and inspiring Bible reflections in your inbox every single day. It’s absolutely free. How? Join the KerygmaFamily, an international, borderless, virtual, non-physical community. To join, click here now.

Instead of saying, “I have some failures,” say, “I have some lessons.” 

Instead of saying, “I have some problems,” say, “I have some hidden blessings.” 

Instead of saying, “I’m going through a crisis,” say, “I’m going through a transformational experience.” 

Instead of saying, “I don’t have money,” say, “I’m temporarily broke but the blessings are on the way.”

If you want to change your life, you need to change your talk.

Everyday, a tidal wave of words flow out of your mouth.

Studies say that men speak 20,000 words a day. And women speak 30,000.   (I didn’t invent that. Just reporting the facts.  But I’m sure you know of some exceptions. There are men who speak 50,000 words a day, like Preachers like me.)

Don’t be shocked. If you live until 90, a typical person would have spoken 730 million words. If someone just recorded all that you said, and put them in book form, you would have written 14,600 books.

Pretty amazing, right?

But it’s not the quantity of words that’s important. It’s the quality of the words that’s important. The quality of your words will determine the quality of your life—including the life of the people around you.

Do your words bless or curse?

Do your words heal or cause disease?

Do your words give life or give death?

Do your words nourish or poison?

Do your words lift up or lower down?

Do your words encourage or discourage?

Be careful with your words…

3 Kinds Of Bread

You know this already—God’s Word is like bread. It always nourishes. (Matthew 4:4)

But here’s something you may not know: God designed your words to also become nourishing bread.

But in reality, our words aren’t always nourishing. 

In fact, I compare our words to three kinds of bread: wheat bread, white bread, and waste bread.

Wheat Bread has all the nourishment intact. It has vitamin B6, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, folic acid… And fiber. (That’s why it’s chewy.) Fiber prevents heart attacks and sweeps your intestines clean.

White Bread tastes nice and soft and delicious. But it doesn’t nourish. It doesn’t make you healthy. Because white bread is made of white flour, and it’s stripped from all vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Waste Bread is bread that is stale. It’s already covered with mold and bacteria. It can actually poison you and make you sick.

Our words can be like one of these three kinds of bread.

Let me explain…

1. Wheat Bread

 God wants your words to be like Wheat Bread. They nourish you and they nourish others. 

The bible says that what we say should be good and helpful and encouraging (Ephesians 4:29). If it’s not good and helpful and encourage, don’t say it. 

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. (Proverbs 16:24)

One day, I was going through a crisis. Correction. I was going through “a transformational experience”.

It was a time when both my ministries and businesses were going through a tough time. I felt beaten. Defeated. Worn out. I exhausted physically and emotionally.

Right after the Feast, a woman came up to me. And she said, “Bo, you don’t know how you changed my life. Spiritually. Emotionally. Financially. Thank you so much…”

I’ve heard those lines before. Many times. But at that particular time, when I felt discouraged, those words healed me.

But let’s admit it.

Many times, our words don’t encourage at all…

2. White Bread

Many of our words are like White Bread. We speak without purpose. We speak without love.   They don’t discourage, but they don’t encourage too. We speak uselessly.

Jesus says, You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you will have to give account of every useless word you have ever spoken. (Matthew 12:36)

What is the Bible saying? Don’t waste your words.

If you have an opportunity to encourage, to inspire, to lift up, and to coach someone—do so. Because people are hungry for nourishment, wisdom, and love. Don’t waste your time by speaking empty words.

And what’s the worst kind of bread of all?

 3. Waste Bread

Like Waste Bread, your words can poison.

Your mouth is a deadly weapon.

Your words can destroy your children and their future. Your words can destroy your families and your friendships. Your words can destroy your world.

One day, I was talking to a young man who was messed up. He didn’t finish school, he didn’t have a job, he was taking drugs…. In other words, he was really lost. 

And then we began talking about his father.

That was when his face began to grimace in pain. 

He said, “Brother Bo, I’m 23 years old. In all those years, I’ve never heard my father say nice things to me. Not once did he say he was happy with me. Everytime he talked to me, it was always to tell me I was wrong. And he kept telling me, ‘I’m ashamed that you’re my son! You’ll never amount to anything!’”

Words killed his future.

Because words can be poisonous.

Everytime you open your mouth, you can choose: You can cure or you can curse. It’s up to you. 

Let me tell you a true story.

There were two altar boys who lived in two different cities serving in two different churches, but both of them wanted to become priests. 

And both of them had the exact same experience.

One altar boy was late for Mass. Because he was in a hurry to do everything he needed to do, he accidentally hit the chalice that contained the wine.

After the Mass, the priest called the boy and shouted, “Get out of here! You’ll never serve as an altar boy!”

At another church, the other altar boy was also late for Mass. And he too hit the chalice that contained the wine, pouring it onto the red carpet. After the Mass, the priest—who happened to be a Bishop—called the altar boy and said, “Hey, everybody makes mistakes. I’m clumsy too. So you know what? Maybe you’ll become a priest too…” and he chuckled.

30 years later, that altar boys became Archbishop Fulton Sheen, one of the most loved religious leaders in America.

The other altar boy? He became Joseph Tito, the ruthless dictator of Yugoslavia, and an atheist. 

Words are powerful. They can heal. They can bless. They can encourage. Or they can also curse. They can destroy.

Let me give you four examples.

Complement Or Complain

Admit it. Every child is part monster and part angel.

What part will win?

It depends on what part you pour attention to…

Behavior is the plant. Attention is the water.

If you tell your son a thousand times, “You’re a monster! You’re so disobedient!” you’re pouring attention into the monster part. And that monster part will grow, pushing out the angel part—until your child becomes all monster.

Instead of complaining, do the opposite: Complement!

It sounds nuts. But try it out.

For many parents, their preoccupation is to catch their kids doing wrong. Change that. Be preoccupied catching your kids doing good.

If he cares for his baby brother, “Son, I love the way you take care of your younger brother; I’m so proud you’re my son…”;

If you find him happy in your family meals, then tell him, “Thanks for enjoying our time together as a family; it warms my heart that you’ve grown up to be a loving boy.”;

Words like these will change your son.

Remember, your words can bring out the best or the worst in others.

It depends on what words you choose.

Why? People will treat you the way you treat them.

If you keep complaining about their bad behavior, you’ll get more of that bad behavior. If you complement them about their good behavior, you’ll get more of that good behavior.

That’s just how life works. 

Here’s the principle: Your words create your world. 

Which brings me to my second example…

Correct Or Criticize

Don’t get me wrong. You should correct. That’s part of love. You just need to know how to do it.

You can correct to love or you can criticize to shame. Love is both the motive and manner of your correction. 

And always correct within the context of a deep relationship of trust. Don’t correct someone when the relationship isn’t strong.

But sometimes, we go to the other extreme. Even within a close relationship, we don’t correct.  Because we want to be popular instead of loving.  It’s true: Like Wheat Bread, correction is difficult to chew. It’s not as easy to eat as Wheat Bread. But that’s why you have to do it, because it’s nutritious.

Here’s a third example…

Refresh Or Ridicule

When I was a kid, I was never good in Sports.

So I dreaded Physical Education. Whenever I had P.E. class in the afternoon, I’d already be wishing I’d get sick that day. So that I’d have an excuse not to attend P.E. 

Because almost every class, kids would ridicule me.

It didn’t matter if it was basketball or volleyball or soccer.

I was a klutz.

I couldn’t seem to hit or catch the ball. I couldn’t understand why I was so uncoordinated.

When I was 9-years old, my P.E. was baseball. And I was even more terrified.

True enough, at practice, I couldn’t catch the ball—even if I had that oversized glove.

I was so bad at catching, the Teacher assigned me to the farthest spot in the field. And with his booming voice, he told everyone, “Try to hit your ball towards that kid over there,” pointing to me. “Because he won’t catch the ball, and you’ll get a home run!” He laughed loudly, slapping his knee many times. And all the kids laughed with him.

I pretended to laugh too. 

But my little heart was crying inside.

       For the next 15 years, I never joined any sport.

When my teacher ridiculed me, something broke within me. Because my Teacher was a person of authority. In my mind, I told myself, “He must know what he’s talking about. He’s my teacher. He says I’m worthless. I’m the most worthless kid in the universe.”

Be careful with ridicule. Be careful with negative humor. Here’s my realization: Nothing hurts more than words.  The Bible says, The words of the reckless pierce like swords. (Proverbs 12:18)

If you punch someone really hard on the jaw, the swelling subsides after some days. If you cut someone with a knife, the cut heals after some weeks. But if you say something deeply hurting, the damage can remain for the rest of your life.

Society values humor so much, for the sake of making people laugh, we ridicule other people. (I believe negative humor and poking fun at others has a place—between very close friends.)

But I realize that nothing can be more hurting than humiliation. I wish kids would come with a big sign that says, “Fragile—Handle With Care”. So that we won’t be careless with our words.

Don’t ridicule. Don’t shame people.

Use your words instead to refresh others.

Last example…

Gossip

When you want to gossip, bite your tongue. It will hurt you, but it won’t hurt your friends.

Someone asked me, “But I’m not spreading gossip. I’m spreading truth. She really is selfish and rude!”

       But even if you’re right, don’t do it.

People are cruelest when they know they are right. 

       There are people who enjoy pointing out the mistakes of others. It’s almost a hobby. It has become second nature. They love sitting down in judgment and telling the world about people’s weaknesses.

       “He’s a good speaker, but he’s full of air.”

       “Shay’s pretty but not very bright.”

       “My boss is a total jerk.”

       “Barry looks like a retard.”

Are you going to say something nasty?

       Just stop.

       And if someone is about to tell you something nasty about someone else, excuse yourself.

       You can say, “I don’t want to color my opinion towards that person.”

If you have no choice but to listen, tell yourself, “I’m not going to believe this one-sided story. I’ll suspend judgment and give the other the benefit of the doubt.”

Instead of gossiping about the garbage, gossip about the good. Spread the good qualities of the people around you!

Gossip Is Difficult To Undo

One day, a young woman spread gossip about an old woman living beside her house. And the old woman’s reputation was tainted forever. After a few months, the young woman had pangs of guilt for what she did.   With much courage, she knocked on the door of the old woman. 

When the old woman saw her, the young woman said, “I’ve done you wrong. I’ve come to ask for forgiveness. I’m sorry…”

The old woman said, “Come in.”

Sitting on the couch, she told her younger neighbor, “I forgive you. But can you do something for me? It’s a special ritual…” She stood up and entered the room and the kitchen. She came back, bringing with her a pillow and a knife. She handed them to the young woman and said, “Please go up to the roof of my house and stab this pillow and rip it.”

The young woman was perplexed. But she did what she was told to do. She went up the roof, plunged the knife into the pillow, and instantly, feathers flew far and wide, carried by the wind.

When she went down, she returned the torn pillow and knife to the old woman.

The old woman said, “I have one last thing I want you to do for me. Go out now into the street and collect all the feathers…”

A tear escaped the young woman’s eye.  She knew her neighbor was trying to tell her something. “I’m so sorry, but that can’t be done,” she said. “They’ve scattered into different directions.”

The old woman nodded. “I’m not angry with you. I’m just giving you a correction in love. From now on, please only speak good words. If you have nothing good to say, don’t say it anymore. Because your words will be carried by the wind in every direction—and you won’t be able to take them back.”

And the young woman softly wept.

Friend, you can still gossip. But only gossip about the good in others. Broadcast the wonderful qualities of others to the world.

Conclusion: What’s Your Order?

So far, I’ve been talking about your conversations with others.

But remember, the most important conversation you’ll ever have in your life is the conversation you have with yourself.

What you say to yourself matters, because your words are prophetic.

Because life is like a restaurant. 

And the universe is like a waiter, with pen and paper in hand, waiting for your order. What you constantly say, that waiter will deliver to you on a silver platter.

I know many people who curse themselves with their words.

I know people who put themselves down. They belittle themselves. They shame themselves.

I’ve heard people say, “I can’t do it,” and “I’m no good,” and “I’ll never be successful.” They don’t understand that they’re words are prophetic. They’re creating their world by their words.

I’ve heard poor people say, “I’m poor,” and “I have no money,” many times a day. Their words make their experience permanent.

Make a decision today to bless yourself with your words.

Complement yourself. Say good things about yourself!

Many times a day, announce to the world, “I’m blessed. I’m anointed. I’m favored. I’m a champion. I’m amazing. I’m a wonderful person. I’m rich in every possible way. I’m the beloved of God…”

This truth applies when you speak to others too.

Because you’re the first listener.

If you speak encouraging words to somebody, before you encourage that person, you’re actually encouraging yourself. But if you speak discouraging words to somebody, before you discourage that person, you’re actually discouraging yourself.

Speaking is like holding a knife without a handle. If the knife is sharp, it wounds you first before it wounds others.

Let me repeat: The quality of your words will change the quality of your life.

Speak God’s words and change your world!

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

PS. Do you want to start your own business?  My friend, Dean Pax Lapid, Professor of A.I.M. and Dean of the Entrepreneur School of Asia, is giving a 2-Day Entrepreneurship Workshop. No doubt about it, it’s the best Workshop I’ve ever experienced. If you want to start a business—or improve the business that you have now—this is it. Warning: It’s not inexpensive. But it’s worth every peso you invest for your training. Because you’ll save yourself from a lot of failures and business mistakes.   For details on how to join Dean Pax’ Entrepreneurship Workshop, click here now.

It all starts with thinking God’s thoughts.  

       Transformation starts with the renewing of your mind. (See Romans 12:2)

I believe God has a great plan for your life. He wants to pour greatness in you. But God cannot put great things into a small mind.

When your mind is small, you cannot think great things. You need to enlarge your mind. Enlarge your thinking. You need to think God’s thoughts for you to experience God’s things.

       Your thinking is so important, because whoever wins in the battlefield of your mind will win in the battlefield of your life…

The Bible says, For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…

Thoughts Are Things

Quantum Physics says everything is energy. 

The ground that you’re standing on, the chair you’re sitting on, the sky above, even your human body—all these are really bundles of vibrating energy. A solid brick wall—in its subatomic level—isn’t solid at all, but largely empty space filled with energy. 

And here’s the shocking part. Quantum physics says thoughts are also energy. Scientists say there’s really no big difference between a thing and a thought. In one very real sense, thoughts are things.

That’s why thoughts are powerful. 

Today, I’ll talk about how your thoughts create your reality; How your thoughts create your destiny.

       Here’s the truth: You’re a product of your thoughts.  You are who you are because of the thoughts you’ve allowed to fill your mind.

If you transform your thoughts, you transform your life.

A Shocking Story

Let me tell you a true story.

       Many years ago, after giving a talk, a Filipina and an American walked up to me.   I’ll call them David and Bathsheba. (In a minute, you’ll know why I chose these fictional names.) They acted like they were a couple.  But there was something odd about them.

Not only because David was American and Bathsheba was Filipina.

It was also because David was tall, handsome, and young.  (More or less like a writer I know. Ahem.)

But Bathsheba was not so tall, not so young, and not so beautiful.   And believe me, I’m being very kind when I describe her in this way. If I wasn’t kind, then I’d describe her as really short, really old, and really ugly.  But I won’t say that. 

(Although I already did. But imagine I didn’t.)

As I looked at them, I was guessing the guy was 26, at most 28, and the woman was 42.

Bathsheba was the first to speak. She said, “Brother Bo, I love your talk on God’s Love. I can identify. Can I share our story with you?”

You can imagine I was all ears. 

We sat down and she started talking. 

Bathsheeba said, “I was a prostitute in Olongapo. I was a prostitute for 20 years. I have two kids from two different fathers. Prostitution was the only way I knew to feed my children. But I was so tired of what I was doing, one day, while I was at home, I knelt down. I prayed, ‘Lord, I’m going to ask something that seems impossible. I’m ugly. I’m a prostitute. I’ve got two kids from two different fathers. But I need you to rescue me. Please give me a husband. And if possible, give me an American…’”

I wanted to tell her, “Lady, you’ve got guts.”

“Can I continue the story, Sweetheart?” David interrupted.

“Of course, Darling,” Bathsheba smiled.

“At that exact time,” David said, “I was walking on the street when I noticed a house with an open door. I looked through the doorway, and I saw this woman kneeling down, crying. As I looked at her, I began to cry too. I didn’t know why I was crying.  I walked through the door.  And I noticed, Brother Bo, that the woman was very beautiful…”

I wanted to say, “Are we talking of… uh, her? Or did your tears, uh you know, block your vision?”

Obviously, I didn’t say that. I just nodded my head, realizing once again there are certain mysteries in the world that we cannot solve. The Bermuda Triangle. The Prophecies of Nostradamus. And why David calls this woman beautiful.

David went on. “I introduced myself. We started talking, we started dating, and 6 months later, we got married!”

“Miracles happen,” I said.

“Tomorrow,” Bathsheba said, “we’re all going to the States. He’ll be introducing me to his parents.”

I wanted to say, “God have mercy on you.” My goodness, those parents will need extra-strength grace!

Why I Tell You The Story

Even if this happened many years ago, I’ll never been able to forget this story.

I share with you this story not to teach single women to pray with their door open, in the hope that a potential husband will pass by. That’s not the point and what happened to Bathsheba was absolutely strange.

I share you this story to tell you about the power of thoughts.

Let me ask you. Was Bathsheba ugly or beautiful?

To everyone else, she was ugly.   People called her ugly. People mocked her on the street. Being a prostitute was bad enough. What was worse than a prostitute was an old prostitute selling her old body at 85% discount.

Even to herself, she was ugly.

But one day, someone walks into her life and says, “You’re beautiful.”

What is reality? Reality is essentially a product of our thoughts. 

Imagine if you think God’s thoughts?

Right now, you may be like Bathsheeba. You feel ugly. You don’t like yourself. And other people don’t like you too.

But I’m here to tell you that God thinks you’re amazing. God thinks you’re beautiful. And that “shift of thought” will transform your life forever.

When you think God’s thoughts, three huge things will happen.

The first thing that will change will be…

1. How You Think About Yourself

It reminds me of another David…

When God was looking for the next King of Israel, God asked Samuel the priest, “I’m choosing a King from the sons of Jessie of Bethlehem.” 

So Samuel visited the house of Jesse. “Where are your sons?” the priest asked Jesse. And so the old man called his sons to line up in front of the Prophet. The eldest was Eliab. The Bible describes Eliab was tall, with the body of a body-builder, and good-looking. In other words, he looked like a king.

But God told Samuel, “Not this one.”

I’m sure Jesse was a little bit disappointed. He called his next son to stand in front of Samuel.

And God told the priest, “Not this one either.”

Jesse called the next one. And the next one. And the next one. For every single one of them, Samuel heard God tell him, “Not this one.”

Samuel was confused. So he asked Jesse, “You’ve shown me your seven sons?”

“Yes,” Jesse said, “my seven sons are in front of you now.”

Samuel asked him, “Don’t you have any other sons?”

Jesse said, “I do have one more son. But he’s just a boy. He’s out with the sheep…”

In other words, David was the runt. The youngest. The gofer. The errand boy.  Uneducated. Untrained. Rough. Filthy. Smelly. With calluses on his hands, mud on his feet, and sand on his hair. And he doesn’t wear the right clothes. What Jesse really wanted to say was, “Why bother looking at him? You wouldn’t like him.”

But Samuel said, “Call him anyway.”

He was called. The boy stood in front of Samuel. And God told Samuel, “This is the guy I’m choosing to be King.”

Think about it.

David’s father didn’t admire him. His brothers thought he was a pest. But that’s because they were looking at him thinking their thoughts. They weren’t thinking God’s thoughts.

Today, people around you may overlook you. People around you may take you for granted. And if people notice you, they only notice if you’ve done wrong. How you’ve failed. How you’ve messed up. How you fell flat on your face.

But God thinks about you differently.

He doesn’t major in your mess. He majors in your magnificence. He doesn’t focus on your fumbles, He focuses on your fabulousness. 

Read the Bible and you see this exact thing happening again and again.

God called Gideon a mighty man of valor when he was a coward hiding from his enemies.  God called Peter the “Rock” at a time when Peter was a stumbling, lying, denying fisherman. And God called David “King” when he was but a boy smelling of sheep poop. 

Why? Because while you’re still wrestling with your history, God is already talking about your destiny. While your thoughts are still mired in the quicksand of your past, God’s thoughts are already constructing your future.

The Power Of Labels

When you think God’s thoughts about yourself, people won’t understand you. People want you to remain the same. People want you to be consistent with the poor image that they have of you in their minds.

 You see, people look at you, and they’ve made already a prediction of what will happen to you in your future. And they want that prediction to be fulfilled. 

People have already labeled you “loser” and “failure” and “mediocre” and “hopeless”.  And they want you to be consistent with these negative labels they have given you. They don’t want you to shake up their picture of reality.

I want you to stand up and announce to the world, “I’m not the labels you’ve given me. If God says I’m a champion, then I’m a champion.”

Your Existence Means You Won

By the mere fact that you’re alive, you’re already a champion.

Why do I say that?

Think about it. God pre-selected your sperm cell. Your sperm cell out-swam the millions of other sperm cells to connect to the egg cell. At the very moment of your conception, you already won. You’re a champion!

This ordination, this Divine pre-selection isn’t based on the good that you’ve done, on whether you’ve been faithful in your prayer time, or whether you’ve been doing your Bible reading, or whether you’ve been going to Mass, or whether you’ve been a good boy or a good girl. Because before you were in the womb of your mother, you weren’t praying yet. You weren’t doing any good yet. And yet God already saw something good in you.

The Bible says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God spoke that to Jeremiah but I believe He says the same words to you.

Today, God will re-introduce you to who you really are.

He will lift the curtain, the veil that separates you and who you really are deep in your soul.

People around you will say, “That’s not you. I’ve seen you before. You’re weak. You’re a failure. You’re a nobody. You’re a wimp. You’re a jerk. You’re a coward. You’re a liar.  You’re a hot head…”

You’ve got to tell them, “Yes, that was me. But let me introduce you to the new me. Your definition of me is based on past information. My definition of me is based on God’s thoughts about who I really am…”

And if you think God’s thoughts, something else will change…

2. How You Think Of Your Problems

One day, I was facing a huge problem. I felt so troubled, I didn’t know what to do. I was already having sleepless nights. My wife would wake up at 3am and she’d find me still awake, tossing and turning in bed.

So finally I called up one of my Mentors. I described the problem. Every detail I could remember, I shared to him

My Mentor was very patient listening to my story. 

And then he said something that I’ll never forget. He said, “Is that all? Bo, that’s nothing! That problem is so small, you’re bigger than this. You’re so big, that problem is like dust in your shirt. Like lint in your clothes. Like mud on your shoes. You’re so much bigger! And Bo, you’ll have more of those tiny problems. They’re so small, just flick them…”

This wasn’t a nice friendly counseling session. He was my Mentor and he had my permission to be brutal with me.

His words changed me. That night, I slept like a babe.

Because he made me realize I was a giant! Why be bothered by tiny problems?

And soon enough, those problems that I thought were gigantic blew away like mist. I troubled myself for nothing.

Here’s what I learned. The reason why we think our problems are big is because we think we’re small. But when we change the way we think about ourselves, we change how we think about our problems too.

And remember: To God, all your problems are small.

       The Bible says, Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning…

       And finally, when you think God’s thoughts, you also change one last thing…

3. How You Think Of Your Future

I love this message because this is my story.

Who would have thought that a victim of sexual abuse would be writing this to you now?   Who would have thought a porn addict of 20 years would write 25 bestselling books, publish 8 magazines, and preach around the world? 

This can only be God’s doing.

God doesn’t define you by what you’ve done. He defines you by what He has done in you.

When God talks about you, He prophecies of things yet to come.

Friend, you’re future is out-of-this-world beautiful.

Perhaps you’re like Bathsheeba. Perhaps you feel this is a dead-end for you right now. That all hope is gone.

But believe that each day, God walks into the open door of your life and says you’re future is beautiful. He will change everything. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen. Just keep that door open. Just never give up.

Think God’s thoughts.

And you’ll never be the same again.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

PS. Get more of God’s thoughts, emailed to you twice a week, called GodWhispers.  Over time, it will change the way you think about yourself. To change your thoughts and life, click here.

 Jan 14 and 28, 2012

            Do you want more money for your family and God’s work?

       Do you want to create many income streams—and not just depend on your job?

       Do you want to “fire” your company and own your time?

       Do you want to start your own business?

       This may be the answer to your prayers…

My Desire For You: Financial Freedom

I’ve been blessed.

       After 12 years of being an entrepreneur, my small businesses are very successful.

       Oh believe me, it wasn’t like that when I started.

       In fact, I failed in 8 businesses—and I lost lots of money, lots of time, and lots of pride.  I was a big failure!

       But after all those hard lessons, I’m now a successful entrepreneur.  I’ve run 12 businesses.  I’m now able to finance many of the ministries that I run.  Oh, the joy of doing that!

       Here’s Good News for you: You don’t have to go through 8 business failures to learn what I learned and become a successful entrepreneur.  (I’ve learned that the best lessons come from other people’s failures—because they’re less painful and less expensive!)

       Today, you could shortcut the process by learning from other successful entrepreneurs who can walk beside you and tell you where the landmines are.

       Deep in my heart, I’ve always had this burden that Filipinos embrace entrepreneurship—and become truly rich.

I asked myself: Can I guide budding entrepreneurs so that they don’t make the same mistakes I made?

That was my goal.

But I had a problem…

I Searched A Teacher Wiser Than Me

Let me be very honest with you: I canteach a lot of things about entrepreneurship.  But not everything.

I know my limits.

I felt I needed someone who can teach EVERYTHINGthere is to know about entrepreneurship.

So I prayed to God for a wise teacher for you.

That was when I bumped into “The Dean” Pax Lapid.

We were speaking at the same event.  (We spoke to 10,000 people.)  We met up, asked each other to sign our own books, and talked like old friends.

From here on end, I’ll refer to him as “The Dean”.  (When I look back into my life, God’s greatest blessings to me are always the great people who walk into my life.)

His credentials are sterling.  He is a successful entrepreneur, a Dean in Entrepreneurs School of Asia, and a Professor of Asian Institute of Management (AIM).  And for years now, he’s supported Joey Concepcion in making the GoNegosyo movement grow all over the country and the world.

And immediately, I knew I found my teacher.

       As the months went by, I discussed with The Dean if he could give a unique Workshop for people who are thinking of starting their own businesses.

I repeat: That’s my dream for you.

To help you start your own business.

To become your own boss.

To create your own income.

So far, I’ve helped thousands of Filipinos become Investors. 

But I want to go one step higher: I want to help YOU become a successful Entrepreneur.

You’re Not Going To Just Get A Seminar

Seminars with a lot of talk are good but not enough. 

Instead, The Dean will give a hands-on, nitty-gritty, feet-on-the-ground, roll-up-your-sleeves, “actionable” powerful Entrepreneurs Workshop.

Here’s what’s different: It’ll be all about YOU.

You’ll come in the Workshop with 3 of your best business ideas—and we’ll test them.  What will work?  What idea will fly?  What product will meet a need and create wealth for you?

Next: You’ll learn how to create a plan and have a model for your business within the next 7 days!

Yes, that FAST.

Why does it have to be fast? 

Here’s a fact.  The biggest problem of would-be entrepreneurs is not the lack of ideas.  They’ve got great ideas.  Their problem is that they don’t have a bias for action.  They like tinkering, thinking, planning—but they don’t launch.

Through this Workshop, you can avoid that.

Here’s what will happen to you when you get into the Truly Rich Entrepreneurs Workshop…

10 Things You’ll Gain From

The Truly RichEntrepreneurs Workshop

       Let me explain this point again.

       The Dean will ask you to bring with you 3 of your brightest business ideas into the Workshop.  And from there, he’ll help you test it and see if it’s something that can fly and survive the real world.  Some business ideas are born duds.  Some business ideas are born winners.  The Dean will help you see the difference.

       And throughout the first day, he’ll guide you on how to put “flesh” to your winning business idea…

1.       You’ll learn strategies how to test your business opportunities—to see if they’re a winner or not.

2.       You’ll learn how to spot problems of your potential business—and save yourself lost money and lost time.

3.       You’ll define the “promise” behind your product.  (A lot of entrepreneurs never define this and thus never grow their business.)

4.       You’ll create a clear and focused execution of how to deliver that promise. This plan will give you direction.

5.       You’ll get guidance on how to call your product in a way that customers can grasp in a snap, giving your product automatic recognition.

6.       You’ll spot the possible markets that you can serve with your product.

7.       You’ll learn how to solve customer problems and meet their needs better than your competitors.

8.       You’ll learn how to calculate profit vis-à-vis your product costs and market sales.

9.       You’ll learn how to create a simple business plan—not just for “show”—but a real honest-to-goodness plan that will guide you in your day-to-day business journey.

10.   And now the best part: After 7 Days, applying all that you have learned, you can “launch” a “model” of your business (or product) before a panel of judges. (Note: Only if you’re ready.  Obviously, we won’t force you to do this if you’re not ready.)

Only Serious Students Please!

       Sorry, but The Dean doesn’t want to waste his time.

The Dean will only accept very serious people who really, truly, passionately, want to start a business.  No tire-kickers.  No dreamers-without-action.

       In fact, he’s putting 3 obstacles—so you’ll prove to him if you really are worthy to be one of the students of the Truly Rich Entrepreneurs Workshop.

1.The Workshop will involve Hard Work.

You’ll be with The Dean for two Saturdays.  But between those two Saturdays, you’ll be thinking about your product or service.  That week will involve a lot of frenzied planning that may mean a few sleepless nights.  But that’s the only way to start a new business.

2.The Workshop Costs Money

Other business seminars cost P50,000.  (Google to find out.)  And worse, you go home with lots of notes in your notebook.  (Notes you’ll forget after 2 days.)  And nothing else! 

But in the Truly Rich Entrepreneurs Workshop, you’ll go home with a real plan with a real product that YOU created. 

Good news: Dean’s Workshop won’t cost you P50,000.  Yes, it will still cost you, but not that much.  Why?  We won’t hold it in a classy hotel.  (You don’t need a chandelier above your head to start a business.)

3.The Workshop Is For A Limited Group Only

The Dean will only accept 49 students for the Entrepreneurs Workshop.  So he and his team of coaches can give their full attention to you.  When we reach 49, we close the doors.

As I said, similar seminars like this cost P50,000 per person. But because we want to help a lot of people start their businesses, your learning investment is P12,975 only.

But because you’re a TrulyRichClub Member, your learning investment is P9975 only (You save P3000.00!).   Why this deep discount? Because I want TrulyRichClub Members like you to avail of this very powerful Entrepreneurship Workshop.

 “Big Smile On Your Face”

Or Your Money-Back Guarantee

Plus P1000 For Your Lost Time

       I don’t know of anyone else who does this.

       No one is as crazy as I am.

       Here’s my Guarantee: Even 12 months after the Workshop, you realized you didn’t gain anything from it, all you have to do is call or email—and we’ll give back every peso you paid for the Workshop.  Not only that, we’ll even add P1000 as an “apology” for your lost time.  No questions asked.

       Why do I do this? 

Because I believe in The Dean.

       I know that every student will go home with a big smile on their faces, because they’ve got a business dream in their hands.

See you there! Truly Rich Entrepreneurs Workshop, Jan 14 & 28 (Saturdays), 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Pasig City (beside ULTRA).

To sign up, email beaconlightevents+seminar@gmail.com now.  Just say, “I want to join the Entrepreneurs Workshop.”  We’ll send you an application form and a few instructions on what to do next…

May your dreams come true,

          Bo Sanchez

PS. To sign up for the Entrepreneurs Workshop, email beaconlightevents+seminar@gmail.com