Am I Where I Am Suppose To Be?

Do you have any idea what you want in life? When I was young, my idol was always my Tiya Helen. She is a very great Aunt. She has funded the studies of my cousins, my siblings and also give us money for birthdays and emergencies. I have always looked up to her and always thought that I am going to be like her someday and I will be going to the place where she is one day. My mind had been set to be a nurse when I grow up and work in the USA.

For some twisted reason, when I went to college, I did a lot of battling in my mind between  following her footsteps and following my dreams. Part of me wanted to be a nurse and part of wanted to just play badminton. It took a lot of thinking to do and following my dreams won. I took up BS Psychology so I could remain a varsity player and play badminton. It's a have fun and travel free pass for me. I did good in school. I made sure I pass all my subjects and graduate on time. I also did good in badminton. We won a lot of tournaments and in my last tournament as a student, I became national champion in doubles with the help of my double partner. I can say I did totally great in college and I have not regretted passing the opportunity to become a nurse and follow my Aunt's footsteps. I had a lot of fun, I made a lot of friends and I have traveled from different parts of the Philippines. It was a great experience.

After college, I have not really thought of what I was going to do next. I did not apply for Psych related jobs even. I tried applying in call centers instead. I applied because my friends did it. I got accepted in Stream Global Services and this is where I think I found my true calling. I got into a program that services Dell Computers and I learned everything about computer troubleshooting. I did not know how much I was going to love it. I liked the idea of working and I had a good pay so I did not complain much. But as days passed, I came to love the job. Computer troubleshooting is great. I have come to love computers as much I have loved badminton before. This is where I realized that computer related jobs or a career is where I belong (at least I thought so).

Then an opportunity came to me. My good friends from my badminton life sent me a message and asked if I know someone who would like to apply for their company. They work in a bank. I thought to myself, if I apply for this job, I might be able to work regular days and regular hours. So I presented my self and they have agreed to have me interviewed. I went there after my night shift, all groggy and sleepy. But I composed myself and faced their boss with confidence. Just a little confident. I got interviewed and their boss actually liked me and so they scheduled an exam for me and I got in. I quit my computer technician job and went to become an electronic banking and implementation officer. If you want to know what my job is, you are going to have to ask me personally because it is a little complicated to put on paper. Well maybe I can give you a little idea. My job does not include troubleshooting computers anymore. I now am a software installer of our bank products like check writers and stuff. I train the clients on how to use them and if they need assistance in the future, they call us for help. We troubleshoot problems with the products as well. That's basically what I do now.

So from being a nurse to a badminton professional, then to a Psychology grad, and to a computer technician, and finally to become a banker. I have traveled so far huh? Truth is, I don't actually know what I want anymore. Don't get me wrong, I love my job right now. There are also times that I regret leaving badminton, I regret not doing good in Psychology or not working in a Psych-related job. Sometimes I also want to study again and get a certificate that I am a computer technician (because I never got one from my previous job). Then now? I don't know. My dad is sick and I have to do something. I have to generate more income to help buy his medicines and get ready for what's to come in the future as well. So I actually am planning to transfer to a different company. Not here, It's going to be in Abu Dhabi. I am going there probably in April and apply for jobs there. I think I am going to have a different career there. What it is, I don't know...

How to Lose Weight All Day Long

By The Editors of Prevention | Vitality – Mon, Jan 9, 2012 3:14 PM EST

 Understanding and working with your body's natural hunger and sleep rhythms will vanquish cravings, increase energy, and help you lose more weight.

It's not just what you eat or how much you exercise that matters; it's the timing of each component that is the true secret to weight loss success. Research shows that our bodies' inner eat-and-sleep clocks have been thrown completely out of whack, thanks to all-day food cues and too much nighttime artificial light. The result: You're caught in a "fat cycle": a constant flow of hunger hormones that makes you prone to cravings. By tuning in to your body's natural eat/sleep schedule, you can finally say good-bye to your belly.

Drop Around The Clock! Follow this hour-by-hour slim-down schedule to control hunger hormones, banish cravings, and get trim and toned--fast!  

6 TO 8 AM: GET MOVING.
Within a half hour of rising and before you eat breakfast, do 20 minutes of cardio. Research has found that exercising before breakfast may help you burn fat more efficiently. If you can get outside, even better. Early morning sunlight helps your body naturally reset itself to a healthier sleep/wake cycle (regular indoor lights don't have the same effect). 

6:55 TO 8:55 AM: DRINK UP.
Before every meal, drink two 8-ounce glasses of water. Research shows that people who drank this amount lost 5 pounds more than nonguzzlers.  

7 TO 9 AM: EAT BREAKFAST.
The alarm clock also wakes up ghrelin, the "feed me" hormone made in your stomach. Ignore ghrelin and your body will produce even more, eventually making you ravenous. To suppress ghrelin's effect, eat a mix of complex carbs and protein, such as eggs and whole grain toast, within an hour of waking. 

10 TO 11 AM: MUNCH MIDMORNING.
Ghrelin begins to rise again a couple of hours before lunch. It turns off when you chow down, particularly on carbs and protein, so have a small combo snack, like blueberries and Greek-style yogurt.  

12 TO 1 PM: HAVE YOUR MIDDAY MEAL.

Galanin, another hunger hormone that makes you crave fat, rises around lunchtime. However, dietary fat causes you to produce more galanin, which then tells you to eat more fat. Instead, fill up with complex carbs and protein, such as chicken-vegetable soup or black bean chili. 

2 TO 3 PM: TAKE A NAP.
Instead of hitting the vending machines, find a quiet place to grab a few Zzzs. (Hint: Your parked car is the perfect impromptu sleep pod!) Just set an alarm--15 to 20 minutes will energize your body without affecting your ability to sleep at night.  

3:30 PM: GET BUZZED.
Need a boost? This is your last chance to have a cup of joe. Drinking coffee after 4 PM disturbs circadian rhythms and can keep you from falling asleep at night. 

4 TO 8 PM: TRIM AND TONE.
Now's the time to do your strength training, plus any additional cardio. This is when your body temperature is highest, so you're primed for peak performance. In one study, subjects who worked out in the late afternoon or early evening built 22% more muscle than morning exercisers.  

5 TO 7 PM: TIME TO DINE.
To ensure you don't wake up hungry in the middle of the night, add a serving of healthy fats, such as flaxseed or fish oil, to your meal. If you're a wine drinker, pour a glass now. Drinking later can delay dream (REM) sleep, waking you frequently during the night. 

9 TO PM: HAVE A PRESLEEP SNACK.
Enjoy a carb-based bedtime snack, such as a serving of low-fat frozen yogurt. Nighttime carbs create tryptophan, which helps your brain produce serotonin. This feel-good chemical triggers your body to make melatonin, the sleep hormone.  

9 TO 10:30 PM: POWER DOWN.
Step away from digital devices, including the TV. They emit a blue spectrum of light that's even more disruptive to sleep than regular bulbs. Do something calming--read, take a bath--in dim light so you're ready to nod off when you hit the sheets. 

9:30 TO 11 PM: GO TO SLEEP.
Crawl under the covers at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, even on weekends. Having a regular sleep-and-wake schedule helps you fall asleep faster over time.  

TELL US: What time of day do you find the hardest to stick to your diet?

--By the editors of Prevention

The Body Clock Reset Diet is adapted from The Belly Melt Diet, by the editors of Prevention. To find out more, go to thebellymeltdiet.com.

Recovering from a Heap of Financial Problems

To be honest, I am not that wise in handling money. I have been deprived of a lot of things when I was younger and now I think I am in the process of self-satisfying because of that. Also, working in a call center has added to this very impulsive behavior. Maybe I did not think that I will leave my call center job for a day job and a less paying job so before, I tend to buy stuff without thinking twice about buying stuff. I tend to like gadgets and new stuff a lot. This made me very drowned with credit card debts and other debts I am too shy to admit. Plus I have to make sure I give a part of my salary to my parents because my dad is sick and they don't have that much income at home. So I am really in a heap of financial problems right now. But I am slowly recovering though. Slowly, but surely (I hope).

So with all these problems I have tried so hard to search for possible extra incomes. I have tried to search in the internet and tried to read some reviews. I checked out some products and I could say I have probably joined some sites that are just scheming others. I have tried it all I think. I have tried joining networking businesses locally as well like UNO. It is hard to their products though so I quit that. I can't say I lost some money on that because I think I have sold enough products to get all my investment back. But I just could not give more of my time for that networking business. So I quit. Then I tried to try article writing for some people who pay around PHP 20.00 for a 150 word-article. That was so hard on me as well for I am working and I sometimes run out of words and stories to write about. So I quit that too. I did not get much out of it anyway. Now the only thing that I think I could guarantee that gives you back some income is this new business that I have right now. It's not a quick get-rich business. This is business is selling cellphone loads and all other telecommunication products. The profit is small but is permanent. It's only a sideline anyway. But there is more profit that you can get aside from selling load. Read on.

The business that I am into right now has a little networking included in the side. But it's not a networking business where you have to sell beauty products, supplements and the like. Those are really hard to sell and you also have a lot of competition in the market. This one is different. You probably are already familiar with this company. It's owned by PentaCapital. The name of the company is VMobile or VMobile technologies. Yes we sell loads from all networks to internet games to phone cards to cable TV loads, etc. But like I said earlier, there is more to this. On the networking part, you get to become a dealer and recruit other dealers to join and also recruit retailers. You get commissions for a new dealer sign up and then a bonus for each pair on your down lines. Plus you get some override income from all the loads consumed by the retailers. This is just one business that I am in right now. I will tell you more about Vmobile in a separate post. If you are already interested, you may contact me through here, just leave your contact info.

Another possible source of income that I have right now is with Google Adsense. I admit, I don't have an Adsense account but a friend of mine allowed me to use his links in my blogs and we will just talk about splitting the income when time comes. This is what got me so motivated in making posts in my blog. We post some Google ads in my blogs and if people click them or buy something from those ads, I get a part of the profit somehow. It will be credited to my friend's Adsense account. You can do this too. Just start your blog and apply to Adsense and start making some extra income. I can say I don't have that much yet. But you can try. Making money online is never easy you know.

Have you also heard about solving captchas and making some money out of it too? It's a data entry job and it's a little hard. But this is something that I only do when I am not busy. It will give me something one day I hope. It found this site where I could solve captchas and I earn points. Once I reach 10000 points, I could convert it to a dollar and withdraw it to my Paypal account if I reach $2.50. If you are interested in this kind of extra job, just visit this link: http://captchatrader.com/users/refer/miyat28/.

 Are you also familiar with PTC sites or pay per click? I have tried this when I was a student by I quit because I decided to just have fun instead of trying to find some income online. Now that I am really in deep need of cash, I have decided to give it a try again. I have joined two PTC websites. One pays so little, the other one pays so high. The first site is Clixsense, it only pays about $0.001 per click but you only get so spend little time in it per day and so far I now have $1.3. You may sign up for it through my affiliate link here: http://www.clixsense.com/?3743541. The other one is called twodollarclick. From the name itself, the price is two dollars per click. Minimum withdrawal or cash out is $1000. So far I am at $300 because I quit for a couple of months. I have this friend of mine who has reached $1000 and is waiting to get paid. It's been about a week now. We are just waiting for the money to be credited to her Paypal account. Processing though is 60 days so we are kind of waiting and if this is a legit PTC site, I will be promoting this site to everyone. So far I have started clicking again and I hope to reach $1000. I also hope my friend will get paid now so I can really tell you this is legit. I will post an update on that soon. If you want to get started on it though, you may visit the site here: http://www.twodollarclick.org/index.php?ref=miyat28.

So those are what's keeping me busy right now aside from my regular work of course. There is something I am currently studying though. It is promising to give me a lot of money if I do it, but I can't tell just yet. I am still trying to study it and learning the craft of internet marketing is a lot harder than I thought I would be. So I guess you just have to check out my site again at a later time. Watch out for my updates.

Take care folks!

Philippine Footbal Excitement

Another great event for the Philippine football history is gonna happen this Saturday. Our Philippine Azkals will be playing against International de Madrid for a friendly charity match in Manila. All the proceeds of the event will go to the victims of the typhoon Sendong. This is a really important match since it's gonna be for charity. I hope many people will come so many will also benefit from it.

Thanks Philippines Azkals. I am not a victim of the typhoon but I am so  happy for all the help.

What Your Starbucks Habit Really Costs You

(From: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/what-your-starbucks-habit-really-costs-you.html)

It's getting a little more expensive to have a Starbucks habit.

The Seattle-based coffee company (SBUX) said Tuesday that it would hike prices by an average of 1% in the Northeast and Sunbelt regions, where prices haven't been raised in roughly five years.

Starbucks is following the lead of other food companies, including McDonald's and Chipotle, which have hiked prices in the past year to cope with rising commodity costs.

The company said the average price of a "tall" -- the smallest drink -- brewed beverage will rise by 10 cents in New York. This morning the price hike was already in effect, as caffeine cravers shelled out $2.01 for a cup of coffee, up from $1.91. The coffee house allows for some regional pricing, so the actual cost of your morning habit could vary. But that could easily bump the price of a large -- "venti" -- latte over $4 a cup, not including tip.

If one of your resolutions is to cut costs this year, it might be worth noting what your coffee habit is going to cost you over time.

If you buy one $4 latte each day, that coffee habit will set you back $28 a week, about $120 a month and $1,460 per year. Keep that up for five years, and you've slurped away $7,300, not including any money you might have earned by investing your cash instead. If you account for missed investment returns, the loss amounts to roughly $9,300 (assuming a 9% average return).

After 10 years, your Starbucks habit costs you a car. After 30 years, the $239,891 that you drank away (including investment returns), could have bought a house. Over 40 years, the Starbucks habit could reduce your retirement nest-egg by an astounding $634,428 -- enough to generate an income of more than $2,600 a month.

No one is suggesting that you give up your daily jolt of joe. (This would be a particularly unlikely suggestion from me -- the person whose caffeine addiction built that impressive tower of latte cups.) But you might want to consider a cheaper way to go at it.

Costco, for example, sells a 2.5 pound bag of Starbucks French roast for $22; A couple gallons of milk will run another $7. For that $29 -- roughly the cost of a week of barista-made lattes -- you can have a pot of lattes every day for at least a month. Net savings: $91.

Invest that in a diversified basket of stocks and you could have your jolt and your retirement plan too. Based on these numbers -- and investment returns of 9% annually (about the historic average) -- the amount you save by brewing your own Starbucks coffee could be worth $481,108 at retirement 40 years from now.

Just something to think about.

Working Mothers Are Healthier (STUDY)

(from: http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/working-mothers-healthier-study-220400211.html)

Moms who work at least part time are healthier and happier than those who decide to stay home with their babies, a new study suggests.

Why being a work-at-home mother isn't easy

According to the study, "Mothers' part-time employment: Associations with mother and family well-being" (which was published recently in the American Psychological Association's "Journal of Family Psychology"), being employed has multiple benefits for moms -- and for their families. After interviewing hundreds of mothers repeatedly over the course of a decade, the researchers found that those who worked 32 hours per week or less were more sensitive to their kids' needs, less likely to have symptoms of depression, and more likely to split household duties with their spouses than mothers who were not employed. And, the researchers found, even going to full-time status didn't adversely affect working moms' well-being.

"In all cases with significant differences in maternal well-being, such as conflict between work and family or parenting, the comparison favored part-time work over full-time or not working," the study's lead author, Cheryl Buehler, professor of human development and family studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, said in a statement. "However, in many cases the well-being of moms working part time was no different from moms working full time."

The researchers interviewed 1,364 moms with 1-month-old infants in 1991, and then observed the women and their kids for the next 10 years, checking in on them when the children were 6 months old, 15 months old, 3 years old, 4 and a half years old, and in first, third, and fifth grades. The families -- from Arkansas, California, Kansas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, North Carolina, and Wisconsin -- were from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds and included single parents, college graduates, and high-school drop-outs.

Buehler and her UNC-Greensboro colleague, Marion O'Brien, were surprised to find that the working mothers experienced better work-life balance and fewer incidents of depression when their kids were infants and pre-schoolers. "It also may be that mothers who are home with children all day experience greater child-related stress which is relieved to some extent once children are in school," they theorized. "Additionally, mothers with higher levels of depressive symptoms may have more difficulty seeking employment or keeping a job."

The benefit was evident even when mothers worked just a few hours per week. "For whatever reason, part-time employment during children's early years appears to be a positive factor in mothers' individual well-being," the researchers found. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 26.6 percent of women held part-time jobs in 2010.

Buehler and O'Brien also found that moms who work part-time were just as involved in their child's school activities as stay-at-home moms and offered their toddlers more learning opportunities at home than both stay-at-home moms and moms who work full-time.

"Theoretically, an ecological framework suggests that a mother's participation in employment provides her with support and resources that a mother who spends full time at home does not receive," Buehler and O'Brien wrote in their study. "These external resources then contribute to mothers' personal well-being."

The study did not look at how having more than one child could affect a woman's stress levels or work opportunities, and while the researchers focused on the number of hours a woman worked, they did not take into account other issues working moms typically face, like commutes, type of career, how many hours they'd prefer to work, or scheduling issues.

But while work-life balance did get worse when mothers worked full-time, "the higher levels of conflict between work and family reported by mothers employed full-time were not reflected in higher levels of depressive symptoms in this group," the researchers concluded. "It may be employment in general rather than the number of work hours that protects against depressed mood when children are young."