Experiences, Memories and Life Lessons

Chase Sapphire Preferred (Points for Food and Travel*) Chase Freedom Flex (5% Categories) Discover It (5% Categories) Bank of America Customized Cash (Back-up Cash Back--3%) Amex Blue Cash Preferred (Main Cash Back--6% Groceries and Streaming, 3% Transit and Gas) - this one I still need to apply Amex Gold Card (Points for Food and Travel*) - this too I still need to apply BILT Card (Rent payments) - this I need to apply as well Reviewing my credit card strategies because I was distracted by trash cards that are mediocre at best. This disruption on my credit card strategy was triggered by one card: Amex Hilton Surpass Card. I thought this card was highly beneficial for me as a traveling RN especially during start of assignments. However, it turns out that the cents/point on Amex-Hilton is not only low but also it charges exceedingly high when you book with points on their properties. On top of that, I was not able to get the sign-up bonus I was expecting to have because of the terms on how they approved me--no credit pull. Later this year, I will have to downgrade this card to the no annual fee version. Moving forward, I will strategically apply on the last three cards on the list. The order of application for these card will be dependent on my situation this coming 3rd quarter.

Many of the people here in the US do not understand how fortunate they are to be in this country. My face flush with hate when I hear them complain about small inconveniences and pain. Let's talk about pain a little more. No one likes to be in pain, but our reaction towards pain is in our control. It's the 5th vital sign but it's the only parameter that is subjective among the five. Even if we put numbers to measure it, we get different levels on the same type of pain on different people. I noticed that people here in the US want the easiest possible life they can have. They expect and want everything to be painless and dandy and that otherwise is unacceptable and frowned upon. Like when they undergo for procedures that they chose to have or that saves their lives, they expect an immediate fix with the absence of pain. And when they experience the slightest pain, all the interventions that kept them alive and made their lives better goes out the window. I had a recent experience where a patient had a partial colectomy that was then anastomosed (attached). This was a preventive surgery that involves cutting off a part of her colon because it was showing signs of malignancy (cancer). I have cared for a lot of people who had abdominal surgeries and it's highly likely for them to develop Ileus (the inability of bowels to contract normally) due to bowel manipulation during…

The more efficient way to live life is to live it with intent, to live it the way you specifically wanted it. Acknowledge that people--especially those who are around you, your friends or loved-ones, may have their own opinions, but their opinions should not hinder you from standing for your own. By all means follow your way, it'll make you feel better. And if at some point you noticed that "yours" did not work, take full responsibility and learn from it. Experience pays better than trepidation. They may follow you if they want to, but for you, the easier path is to follow you first.

We tell ourselves stories. These stories, whatever they may be, are something we perceive as truth--our truth. And when someone tries to convince us otherwise--their truth, we see them as fools. This is the reason why presenting a change is hard, it creates tension, it disrupts our belief system. Rather than opposing against the original truth, present the change as a different truth. A story we can easily tell to ourselves.

Life is about stages. Having to experience some of these stage and read about them. I find that these are main stages the we, as humans, follow: Learning to Make Making to Earn Earning to Live Living to Die

Do not waste your time caring about the life other people expect you to have, care about the life you want to live for yourself.

The other night I thought about fear. A powerful emotion closely related to shame but actually more intense than anger. I was recollecting a conversation with a friend about driving and I thought of what I did before when I was having that same issue. I realized that more of us are actually fearful of something we have not experienced yet. And the only way to get through it is to go ahead and do it. The more we spend time worrying, the lesser we spend on doing. We create more and more excuses on not doing if we think too much. And hence, we never tried. We're constantly disturbed about the idea of failing. But what if success was an option and we never tried? "Don't go there", "No, that doesn't look good", "I don't think that's a good idea". I hate when I hear negativity right off the bat. These are excuses of people who never tried, who never left their comfortable situations, who did not take any risks, who never accepted failure because they think they are better when in fact they are afraid. I look up to people who execute, who try despite their limitations, who decides with only 20% of the information. I loath those who assume they can't, who limits themselves, who makes up excuses instead of finding a way. How would you know where you stand if you haven't actually done anything? Attack that wall of "doing" and let your results speak to…

Today marks my 6th year anniversary of passing the NCLEX and I felt the need to share something to help my fellow Filipino nurses who are aspiring to become a USRN and work here in the US. Think of this as the easy and budget-friendly version of the entire NCLEX process. I myself DIYed my NCLEX and you can do it too. I know, the entire process of being a USRN is overwhelmingly confusing (this was my initial impression too) but there is a simpler way to look at it. The less-intimidating approach it is to look at it as two (2) separate processes: 1. Evaluation of Credentials (via CGFNS) and 2. State-specific License Application (via state BON website). It's easier and less confusing if I show it in a diagram. I will leave out the specific details and only show the major steps, the specifics will handle itself once you are the main tasks. Here is the diagram: It looks easier and less confusing. We helped two friends process their NCLEX and they are already here in the US working as an RN. We only guided them on doing the main steps, provided them the direction they needed and the process just flowed answered their questions as they go. This diagram not only provides guidance but also saves you, the aspiring candidate, a lot of time and money by avoiding fees that processing agencies ask. It's basically the same if you process with an agency because it's still you…

We have a surplus of information. About 20-30 years ago, information was scarce and to the ones who had it, it meant power. Now, it is everywhere and we no longer consider it as an upper-hand. In fact, too much information can be a disadvantage, a distraction even. Not only that it creates doubts, it amplifies our weakness. An excess of information implies less concentration. Oftentimes, leads us to a path of nothing--easily falling for anything, without standing for something. The better way to information is to go against the crowd, to avoid what everybody knows. If more and more people know and do the same thing, the lower the value of that same thing gets. And the chances of it failing is higher as well. If access to information is a tap away, what becomes more difficult? Filtering them. Letting go of the junk and focusing on those that are actually relevant to us has become harder than ever because we have fooled ourselves that we are better off with more, when in most cases we function at our best with less.