Thriving Entrepreneurial Mindset #1

Recently, I attended two events (one as a panel on the BPI Sinag Roadshow and the other was a meeting with a mentor from PQA) where I was asked about mindset. 

“What can be our mindset as an entrepreneur during this pandemic? How do we cope or thrive in the midst of it?”

It was one of those days when I had to think about what I think about.  In order to answer, I analyzed how my brain responded to various circumstances even when they do not directly affect me.

A few nights ago, while we were having dinner, I heard on the news that Cebu might not be accepting international flights anymore and all flights would be rerouted to NAIA.  Not sure how news like this affected other people.  Let me ask you, if you heard this news what would be the first thoughts running in your mind?

Although this news does not directly affect me because I do not go out, certain questions are asked automatically within me. I realize, maybe this is one mindset. Let me share with you a snapshot of what was going on inside my brain: 

“What would be the implication of this?”

“What would these people need?”

“What products would they require?”

“What businesses would thrive with this change?”

I find it fun to do this kind of mental exercise.  Spotting changes and brainstorming on opportunities can turn whatever circumstance into something positive and productive.  This mindset may help us thrive wherever we are.  

There are still other mindsets which I can share next time. But for now, can you please identify the trends or changes you see within your circle, community or globally, online or offline?

The Story of the Little Girl

Let me share with you a true story.  Once upon a time, there was a 12 year old girl who was very sick in a land faraway.  Her father, named Jairus, had given her different medicines and herbs but nothing seemed to work.  He had also called in the village doctors but they were of no help too.  They could not provide an accurate diagnosis, so sadly, the girl was getting worse by the day. Then, he heard news going around town about a certain doctor who could cure the most extreme sicknesses.  People said this doctor was unlike any other healer.   He was not a medically trained professional but He was able to open the eyes of a totally blind man which was unheard of.  

Jairus was desparate.  He hurriedly took off and looked for this man named Jesus in Galilee, even on a Sabbath (which was their rest day).  He saw a great crowd gathered across the lake.  He rowed and pushed his way through and saw a man, filled with kindness and compassion, in the middle trying to heal a paralyzed man.  

“Jesus, Jesus!” Jairus called out to the healer.  “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”  

Despite other people vying for the same attention, Jesus agreed.  Jesus’ friends, who were his disciples, sensed the urgency of the matter and ran towards the synagogue leader’s house.  Jesus, however, did not run and keep up.  There were just so many people that needed healing — one of which was an old lady who experienced years of bleeding.  The old lady simply touched Jesus’ clothes and she was healed instantly.

You may be wondering what happened to the little girl.  Jesus was not able to arrive on time, and the little girl passed away.  

I’m sure a lot of us can understand what the father must have felt.  How disappointing it was for him that the greatest Healer was not able to heal his child.  Like Jairus, we expect that this great Healer should already be doing something by now, with this pandemic situation.  Where is Jesus when we need him?  He seems to be late.

The neighbors of the little girl cried out to Jairus, “You’re too late.   What’s the point of bringing Jesus here?  The little girl is dead.”  

But guess what Jesus said when he overheard them.   

“Do not be afraid.  Just believe.”

And you know what happened next?  He went up to the little girl’s room together with three of his friends (Peter, James and John).   

Jesus took the little girl’s hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”  Immediately, life returned to the little girl, she got up and walked around.

From this story, I realized that Jesus can seem late for normal people, but in reality, He is not really late at all.  He still gets the job done.  Now, why was He not in a rush to arrive before the girl died or “slept”? Why does He allow us to experience moments of extreme stress and hopelessness before He finally intervenes? Perhaps…

The more hopeless the situation is, the greater His glory will be.  To raise someone from the dead is way more difficult than to heal the sick, isn’t it?  As Angus Buchan (from Faith Like Potatoes) said, “The condition for a miracle is difficulty, however the condition for a great miracle is impossibility.”  

Perhaps, He seems late (though we know His timing is always perfect) because of His compassion.  There were other people that needed healing along the way. 

Perhaps, God is willing to delay something good because of His patience. God might be allowing us more time in this situation of helplessness to cause us to anchor ourselves in the certain hope He alone can provide.  The Bible says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Another thing that I got from the story is that His assessment of the situation is often different from our own understanding of it.  This makes His timing much less hurried than that of our frantic hearts.  For Jesus, there was no need to hurry, to worry, and to wail, as the girl was just “sleeping”.

There are so much that we do not understand about the current COVID-19 situation — why the death toll continues to rise, why the mutations are becoming endless, and why God does not seem to intervene.  This is the perfect opportunity to hold onto these words as we wait for him to come and heal our COVID-19 infested land: “Do not be afraid.  Just believe.”

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Believe that His that wisdom is better, and is beyond our understanding.

Believe that His plan is good, and pleasing, and perfect.  Believe also that a big part of His plan cannot be seen with the naked eye.  For example, He has prepared a beautiful place where we can frolick freely (after our short life here), because this world is not our home.  (Note: All plans cannot be seen until they actually come to pass. But some plans a.k.a. prophesies were revealed in the past and have already been implemented by God to a T.)

Believe that His power is more intense and magnanimous than all the COVID-19 mutations and all the influential politicians combined.

Believe that His timing is never late.

Believe that His character is faithful — He always keeps His word.  When He says, He will never leave us nor forsake us, He means, wherever we go in this world (whether we be in the deepest trenches in the sea, or at the highest mountain peak, in the bedroom, or in the hospital bed), we can never escape Him.

Believe that His actions are done in love.  He does not want anyone in this world to perish to the point that Jesus Himself had to perish for our sake.

Lessons from a Mini-Traumatic Pandemic Experience

One recent afternoon, I had a meal in a mall with my churchmate. We tried to be as safe as possible so we made sure we were socially distanced from other restaurant guests. We excitedly shared our lockdown stories, laughed over cooking mishaps, and discussed about a potential project. We wore our masks the whole time, except for the 20-minute bit when we had to eat. While eating, we still talked. After lunch, we put on our masks again. It was a new normal lunch date. Then we parted ways.


When I woke up the next morning, I grabbed my phone from the bedside table, checked text messages, and scrolled through my Facebook feed. I saw the photo of this friend of mine pop up. A lot of people were commenting on her page, which got me curious, was it her birthday and I failed to greet her?  But then, it wasn’t her birthday.  Then I read the comments:


“Gone too soon”

“Condolences”

“Our deepest sympathy”

“Praying for you and your family”

Is this a joke? I thought.  There were new comments —of condolences— coming in.  I felt sudden cold sweat all over me, too cold that I thought I would faint. We were just together yesterday. She looked very healthy. And then, now she is gone. I learned from the comments that she passed away due to stroke triggered by Covid. That same day, I started to feel an itch in my throat.


Then I woke up from my dream. What a mini-traumatic experience!


Apparently, it was all a dream (or nightmare). Thank God! It was like God was teaching me lessons but in a make-believe scenario, in a dream. Have you ever experienced dreams that teach you lessons too? Here are some things I learned:

1.  If ever you really have to meet anybody, don’t eat with them so you won’t have to take off your mask. 😅 I think it is just as lovely (and much safer) to eat together while on  video call.  Just set a nice ambience.

2. Facebook has become a bearer of good news, fake news, and most recently, bad news. During this pandemic era, most of us must have learned about the death of at least one friend through Facebook. I have learned about 6 friends’ deaths on Facebook in a span of less than 1 year. It sends shiver down the spine like a mini-traumatic experience each time. Do you feel that too?

3. Sudden death does not spare the young, the wealthy, and the healthy. It can happen to a friend like mine in the dream, or to the 29yo Jan Sy (daughter of Henry Sy Jr.), or even to you. When God says it’s our time, it’s our time.  What can you do today to make it count?  How can end this day with no regrets? Check out the top regrets of people from a study done by Pillemer, who interviewed 1,500 people.

4.  Create freedom pockets.  Although the pandemic may seem to trap us at home or in our much simpler routine of work-from-home/grocery/rest-at-home, we can create pockets of freedom. What different or interesting thing can you do within your sphere today? What 1 thing did you enjoy doing before that you can recreate today? We can analyze what had brought us energy during the pre-pandemic days and perhaps try to recreate those. You see, as an extrovert, I enjoy meeting, hanging out, and brainstorming with people. It just gives me energy. But ever since the lockdown, I suddenly had little to no experience of that. So this week, for the first time in a long time, I scheduled an online movie hangout with friends.

5. The transition from earth to heaven (or hell) is more seamless and normal than it can ever be. It is an invisible spiritual road where a lot of people pass through everyday. And we will all pass by that road. Some of us are just ahead in the journey, but we will see each other somewhere. It makes us look forward to heaven, our new home, a bit more knowing that we will get to see our loved ones who passed on ahead of us. By the way, while we who are alive feel sorry for those who passed away, I have a feeling that those who died and now have glorified body in heaven, are feeling sorry for us because we are the ones who are stuck at home with all sorts of fears.

6. Learn about other people’s problems too.  Having to stay put at home, we don’t get to see much of how other people are struggling.  We do not see the pains of the others, we only see ours.  (As we know social media paints a more colorful and beautiful life of people.) This gives us more time to focus on our own problems day in and day out. Because of this, a lot of us may feel alone, lonely, and depressed during this time. I hope that we can reach out to others more and pray for one another.

 

7. Keep a thanksgiving journal. This is actually a very simple refreshing item that you may add to your daily routine.  Having a thanksgiving journal can help create in us a perspective of thankfulness and joyfulness. Your lens would determine what your soul consumes and creates.  Will people see the fruit of joy and peace from you, or will people hear complaints?

8. Rest in God's presence. A lot of our dreams have somehow been shattered by this pandemic. With a different type of normal today, our dreams seem to be out of place and impossible to reach. (My dream back then for Mori Notes was to be visible in all leading retail channels. But now, with everything online, original dream is cancelled.) Because of the anxieties and so much uncertainties, we tend to add more things onto our plate, work more, and tire ourselves as a result. Let me remind you that it is okay to rest. It is actually good to rest. Rest, because God is at work even while you rest. Rest, because everything out of your control is within God's control. Rest, because only when we are rested in God can we find the meaningful work we ought to do.

How are you all coping during this time? If you would like to share your prayer request, feel free to email me at mitziuy@gmail.com.