The way pros work

Professionals understand that composure is a skill.

Lawyers don’t win cases by shouting in the courtroom. They listen and argue with finesse.

Surgeons don’t panic in the operating room. They focus and act with precision.

Pilots don’t raise their voice during turbulence. They communicate and assure.

Best decisions are made with a level head, not a raised one.

Somewhere along the way, some learned to confuse noise with importance.

In some many workplaces, emotion has become a substitute for urgency. Whoever shouts the loudest, types in all caps, or escalates first often gets attention.

But the loudest person in the room is not always the most urgent. Sometimes, they are simply the least in control.

Shouting doesn’t create impact, it only fills silence.

Composure doesn’t mean you care less. It means you care enough to stay centered when everyone else loses balance.

Know your no

Every day, you are asked for a piece of yourself.

Your time, your attention, your effort, your energy.

And every yes you give has a cost.

That is why “no” is not a weakness. It is a boundary that protects your focus and your values.

Say no when the work does not make you proud.
Say no when quality is not possible.
Say no when it steals time from what truly matters.
Say no when integrity requires it.
Say no when you are simply following the crowd.
Say no when it does not move you forward.

Life constantly invites you to rush. To say yes quickly, to move without intention.

But wisdom grows in stillness, in the quiet space between impulse and decision, where you choose what aligns instead of what appeases.

Then, when the moment to say yes arrives, you can give it fully, with energy, conviction, and pride.

Open up about giving up

You’ll benefit when you tell people your “give up” goals.

Tell your friends when you want to give up overeating, overspending, or overreacting.

 Tell them when you want to give up gossip, impatience, or cynicism.

The more people who know, the harder it becomes to slip back quietly.

Accountability keeps you honest.

There is strength in vulnerability.

Declaring what you want to outgrow invites support, not shame. It reminds you that change is not meant to be done in isolation.

Progress begins the moment you stop pretending you’ve got it all under control.

Your “go up” goals, however, are different. That’s for another entry. ;-)

Go first

Before you're asked, volunteer. Offer.

Before your partner hints that they need support.
Before your parent reaches out for help.
Before your colleague struggles in silence.
Before your client asks for the update.

Anticipate. Imagine what the other person needs, an exercise in empathy that, when practiced, becomes a habit.

This is how you add value. 

People we trust most are those who sense needs before they are spoken. They send a message before someone feels forgotten. They refill the glass before it is empty. They notice, and they act.

Same principle applies to growth. Seek out the challenging path, the part that others avoid. The more valuable and rare a skill is, the more indispensable you become.

If it feels too easy, it probably is.
If it stretches you, it shapes you.

Growth begins when you stop waiting for instruction and start moving with intention.

Take the initiative. Go.

Service ace

In tennis, a service ace wins the point before the opponent can even react. It is a clean strike. Confident, deliberate, and precise.

Life works the same way.

Success depends not only on the quality of what you offer, but on the quality of how you make others feel.

Service is one of the few things that costs nothing yet can cost you everything when neglected. A smile and a frown take the same effort, but only one builds connection.

In this age of instant communication, experiences, good or bad, travel fast. Every interaction shapes how people remember you, whether they are clients, colleagues, or friends.

True excellence is built on attention and empathy. People may forget what you said or what you sold, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

Serve with intention.
Listen before you speak.
Take accountability.
Respond without defensiveness.
Have integrity.
Follow through on your word.
And when others reach out, respond with respect and sincerity.

Service is not a job description. It is a way of living.

It is a mindset, a discipline that turns ordinary exchanges into extraordinary experiences.

Title you can't afford to lose

When life forces you to choose, your priorities reveal who you truly live for.

It was supposed to be a career-defining day. My colleague had a critical presentation lined up, one that could have determined his promotion. But that morning, he did not show up at the office. He was at the hospital instead, rushing his father who had suddenly fallen ill.

Was it the right thing to do?

Life forces you to choose. And when you do, the choice often reveals which title weighs the most for you:
Son/daughter
Father/mother
Husband/wife
Employee
Professional
Entrepreneur
Investor

Ask yourself: Who do you really live for? Is it your boss, or your loved ones?

Many fall into the trap of placing work above everything else. They sacrifice rare family gatherings for yet another “regular” meeting. They forget the truth: the reason we work is to provide for the people who matter most.

Because while some bosses only value your contributions to the company, your family will stand by you unconditionally. They will carry you through the hardest seasons.

No paycheck can buy back lost time. No salary can purchase a time machine.

Every title carries weight. But in the end, the real question is this: which one deserves to be your priority?

Half-million dollar lesson

An employee at International Business Machines (IBM) once committed an error that cost the company half a million dollars.

Was he dismissed? Not at all.

IBM’s founder, Thomas John Watson, chose to retain him, reasoning that the company had already spent half a million dollars on that employee’s education through experience.

Where others might have seen a liability, Watson saw an investment. He understood that failure, when examined rather than feared, becomes the most valuable form of learning.

Failure, in itself, is not the enemy. Complacency is.

Every fall contains a lesson, and every lesson has a cost.

The wise do not waste either.

Failure isn’t the end. It’s tuition for success.

Lesson from a less fortunate

My girlfriend had just received her very first paycheck. To celebrate, she decided to treat herself at her favorite fast food joint.

On the way, a street child tugged at her sleeve asking for alms. Instead of brushing him off, she invited him to dine with her.

He thanked her, admitting it was his first meal in three days. But halfway through, she noticed something unusual. He stopped eating and carefully set aside the rest. Curious, she asked why.

In a soft voice, he explained that he was saving it for his younger sister who was waiting outside. 

My girlfriend was stunned. Here was a child with almost nothing, yet his first instinct was still to share.

She urged him to finish his food and ordered another meal for his sister.

Most people would have ignored the street child. She gave because she was celebrating. But he gave because that was simply who he was.

That is the essence of generosity. It is not reserved for milestones or special occasions. True giving happens on ordinary days, in quiet ways, without expectation.

The irony? Those who have less often give more freely, while those who have plenty tend to hold back.

You only pass through this world once. None of your wealth will come with you. But the way you touch lives is what remains.

Afterall, the true measure of life is not in its duration, but in its donation (Corrie Ten Boom).

Most underrated superpower

We all know someone who seems difficult to approach, that person whose serious demeanor creates distance without meaning to.

The demands of life can etch tension onto our faces until we begin to project the very stress we are trying to manage.

Awareness is key. The energy you carry becomes the message you send. Yes, even before you speak.

A smile, when sincere, shifts that energy. It signals confidence and composure. It tells others you are present and in control. It lowers walls and invites connection.

In business, a smile is not mere charm. It is strategy. It breaks tension, builds trust, and turns presence into influence.

So before your next engagement, remember this: you are never fully dressed until you wear a smile that reaches your eyes.

Because wherever you go, everyone smiles in the same language.

Life, after all, reflects what you project.

Give up to go up

Becoming a licensed doctor takes a decade of relentless study.
Building a Schwarzenegger physique demands discipline at the table and grit in the gym.
Conquering Mount Everest means facing 29,000 feet of treacherous terrain.

The truth? You need to give up something to go up.

If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.

Keep doing the same things, and you’ll keep getting the same results (John Maxwell).

And here’s the kicker: you don’t grow stronger lifting feathers. You don’t sharpen your mind repeating what you already know. You don’t rise to new levels by staying where it’s safe.

Growth happens when you step into resistance. Studies show that deliberate discomfort, whether in fitness, learning, or leadership, rewires your brain and forces adaptation. You grow because you must. And in that adaptation lies the upgrade.

That is why mastery is not about resting on your skills. It is about stretching them. If you are already good at your craft, keep leveling up by adapting to change. Stay conversant with innovations. Sign up for seminars. Devour books. Sharpen the edge that sets you apart.

Growth is not optional. Plateaus belong to geography, not to your personal journey.

Remember: restlessness fuels progress. Discontent, when channeled right, becomes the spark for reinvention.

Show me a thoroughly satisfied person, and I will show you someone who stopped moving forward (Thomas Edison).

So if you are serious about reaching the next level, trade comfort for challenge. Seek the friction that forges you. Lean into the resistance.

Because the view is only worth it if you have paid the price to rise.

Maroon chapter

If La Salle taught me how the world works,

UP (Diliman) teaches who it should work for.

The transition is jarring.

Physically, the school itself can fit four colleges inside it.
You even need to ride a jeep just to transfer from one building to another.

From air-conditioned classrooms to open halls.
From suits and heels to slippers and conviction.
Form cordon bleu meal to busog meal A (if you know, you know).
From “what’s your org?” to “what’s your stand?”

In Diliman, no one cares who your parents are.
They care about what you believe in. And if you can defend it.

It’s a different kind of elite.

I remember my professor jokingly saying on Day 1: Where did you graduate from?
A classmate said, “Ateneo.”
And the professor replied, “What’s that? There are only two schools in the Philippines. UP Diliman and the Others.”

Everyone laughed.
But beneath the humor was a truth.

This place carries its own kind of pride.
Not of wealth, but of wisdom.
An elite mentality not of privilege, but of excellence.

“Your term paper in Adamson? That’s just a short quiz.”
They weren’t joking.

Your school’s cum laudes?
Your student council president?
They’re just mortals IF placed in UP.
IF. As chances are, they didn't clear the UPCAT.

The level difference is huge.
Valedictorians are everywhere.
The average IQ? Way above average.

This school produced senators and presidents.
Masters of craft.
National artists and scientists.
Subject matter experts.
Scholastic giants who changed the way the country thinks.

Here, brilliance isn’t loud.
It’s built on rigor.

UP is teaching me that intelligence isn’t a trophy.
It’s a tool. And it’s meant to serve.

The people beside me aren’t just classmates.
They’re future lawmakers, journalists, scientists, and public servants.
Holders of prestigious offices in national government you’ll read about years from now.

They remind me that knowledge has weight.
Every opportunity carries an obligation to give back.

UP is teaching me to speak truth.
More importantly, to listen to it, even when it hurts.

As I continue this journey, I’m learning that while Taft trained me to excel, Diliman is teaching me to exist for something bigger than myself.

UP Fight.

Green chapter

Reputed as the school of the elite.

And in many ways, they were right.
La Salle (Taft campus) carried a certain reputation.
Your classmates were children of celebrities, politicians, tycoons, or models themselves. Head turners everywhere.

No place for mediocre representation.
At first, it felt intimidating.

But over time, being surrounded by social elites teaches you something no textbook ever could: how to navigate networks.

Not for clout, but for connection.
Not to impress, but to understand.

La Salle taught me confidence in rooms where status was currency.

It made me comfortable speaking with people from very different worlds. 
Rarely did you hear someone speak pure Tagalog in class.
Then you'll just realize, you speak the same way. You absorb excellence by proximity.

It showed me that influence isn’t always loud, and that the real skill is learning how to belong without losing yourself.

Inside its air-conditioned classrooms and polished hallways, you learn a certain polish too.
How to build your personal brand.
How to manage perception.
How to behave like a La Sallian.

Beyond the grades and deadlines, what La Salle really teaches is standard. The Rektikano.

To show up prepared.
To dress the part.
To finish what you start.
To speak with clarity, and act with class.

And then there are the connections.
Classmates whose names you might not think much of now but one day, you’ll read about them.
Leading Forbes top 10 global companies.
Heading major conglomerates.
Building industries that shape the country’s economy.

That’s when it hits you.
The real value of being part of La Salle isn’t just who you knew,
but what kind of leader that environment expected you to become.

Because long after graduation,
I realized that the real advantage wasn’t just the network. it was being conditioned to expect more from yourself.

Animo La Salle.

Grateful to my parents for this.