8 Secrets of Truly Rich by Bo Sanchez: A Personal Reflection

Tick. “What a waste!”
Tock. “YES! I got it!”
Tick. “I am useless.”
Tock. “Thank you Lord”
Tick. Baby laughs.
Tock. “I hate being here.”
Tick. “I entrust all to Your will.”
Tock. “How I wish I was not born at all.”
Tick. “My life should not be like this until you came!”
Tock. “My life became light when you came...”
Tick. “I better end my life.”
Tock. “Thank you for saving my life.”

The clock is running. Time flies so fast. How I wish time stops. Some may ask me why and some will not even bother themselves in asking me why. But why? Why would I want to stop the time even just for once in my life? Did you ever wonder why would somebody ask the time to stop? I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who desires in break just for a single second or a single minute the most. The answer is just simple. We can not see it. We cannot touch it. It is not tangible. It is merely a sense of feeling. It is a sense of understanding that life changes. We can feel it based from our own experiences. Everybody knows it. Even a three-year-old child knows the answer when he asked something and failed to have his or her candy, how much more for an adult. Think about it.

The sound of the second hand clock implies different situation. Every ‘tick’ and every ‘tock’ has diverse conditions. It either signifies undying words of vitality or implicates unending words of lethargy. People believe according to what they would like to believe in. Such discrepancies of beliefs tangle the world of fulfillment.

Every single second, every minute, every hour comprise different thoughts of individuals. In one tick of the clock defines different events of one’s life. There will be seventy times seven times of actions dealing with situations. There are no unsolvable problems. Even crimes have justice. Millions of people drain themselves in brain-washing events. Demoralizing standards and poverty rule their heart and life causing them to live in weariness. Do you know the worst part? It is when a person gave up life because of problems. These persons are coward and pitiful. They chose to end up their life thinking that they will escape from it but they will never be. My pities are to those people who have a family member that commits it. They face to take all the blame, all the hurts and all the trials alone. How many more tick-tocks will there be?

There are also happenings that deprive one’s weariness. Happiness also comes in many ways. It moves mysteriously that one can just notice it on the present act. Cheerfulness comes out of the blue. It suddenly appears in front of us. We are to coerce every opportunity that life brings us to the top. Physical and mental skills greatly impact one’s success. So I would like to repeat the question and this time in a smiling manner: How many more tick-tocks will there be?

Wealth is a matter of right decisions. It is subjected to one’s behaviors and actions. These actions equate consequences that bring a person with two directions which are the path of happiness and the path of apathy. We all have the freedom to choose what is best for us. We are liable for our life. We are in charge for our own success. Bo’s writing on his first of the eight secrets of truly rich people is to be held responsible of one’s success. It is unforgivable to blame others for our mistakes. It is such a cruel idea and a thing to do. Once we failed, we take the blame out and disregard it as one of the options that we can do to succeed. Only the person can dictate himself and not to be dictated by others. We have the will. Wisdom is a gift given by God and we must use it wisely. Every move we take corresponds to a particular result. Hence, we must be careful in using our own free will.

I hate blaming others but I can not avoid it. I am not perfect. I sometimes commit mistakes and blame my mistakes to others. I abused my own freedom and I am sorry to realize about it just now. When will I learn to take these blames out of my life? I will learn it some day in some way. I can not promise but I will strive hard to throw it away as soon as possible. The family’s financial needs are out of hand. We are poor but we are not poor in heart. I said to myself once that I will do my best to graduate from college and as of now, this will be my short-term goal. Only my studies and nothing else follows. I don’t like to become like my parents who overrule heart above the mind. I will be strong and as much as possible maintain good grades in my studies. I can not blame my parents for the family’s financial crisis. I am over eighteen years of age and I, by some means, realized that I can help myself by starting to live independently and be money-independent to them. I even don’t ask for an allowance every school day except when needed like the projects and school’s fee activities and I started saving even just a little bill for future use. Honestly speaking, I am not a spendthrift. I am thrifty regarding with my own money. I live in a simple life and wear clothes in simple types. I am not choosy and materialistic. And I am proud to say about it that I am simple. I know I can help my parents in that easy way. I am still grateful that my parents are there to support me morally and spiritually.

My mind was instilled with poverty even at that moment that I can pump my heart on my own while I was still inside the womb of my mother. The concept of financial instability has filled my mind since I was a young girl. As I have read the summary of the second secret, I then on realized that I was wrong. I manage to think things. I am not really financially unstable in order for me to dream big. The second secret is to enlarge the psychological wallet. Being a computer science student will greatly demand on financial matters. The codes mostly deal with numbers, banking situations and business matters. Therefore, I am obliged to increase my knowledge touching on financial issues.

The third secret in Bo’s writing is not to believe in myths of the religious idolatry. The famous expression of the Filipinos is ‘Bahala Na’ is well-known nationwide. The ‘Bahala Na’ character depicts laziness in determined pursuance of the dreams. The desire to become rich through good ways becomes hopeless if one entrust everything in conducive to idleness. The dreams are left hanging in the air. I do not practice this type of behavior. I hate it when somebody says it in front of me. I just smile slightly hiding my pity to the one who said it. My teacher once told the class in artwork that ‘Ang pwede na ay hindi pa pwede!”. She even wrote it in the blackboard so that the whole class can read and meditate on it. When we work on something, why would we just pour out the best we have? Filipinos are real hard-workers. I believe it and I will value it in pursuing my dreams. Nothing else can stop me. There is none.

The rest of the secrets are as follows: Be completely committed to your dreams. Raise our financial I.Q. Ride something to wealth. Have a Bias for Action. Win in All Areas. To sum them, it all depends on our actions. Whatever we do generates corresponding results. We can choose our actions because we have the free will. We are responsible for ourselves and not others. We dream so we should let the dream to come true without giving it all up. We are the doers and the writers of our ambitions.

Rich people are not only wealthy by means of finances but also rich in spiritual devotion to the Lord. Bo wrote a book that would enhance our relationship with God while valuing money. He showed us a balanced life through his writing. The book helps me visualize a clearer context regarding with money matters rapport with God. All else are held equal.

Ticktock!