Time to UNSTRESS =)

I don't know about you guys, but there are a lot of times in my life depending on what is going on, I can get a bit stressed. 

I know that there is a such thing as "good" stress, but what I'm talking about doesn't feel good at all =) 

For a lot of people, including some of my friends and family, we are always looking for ways to cope with stress in our lives. Unfortunately, some people turn to unhealthy habits such as smoking, drugs and consuming alcohol, which are all temporary solutions which most of us know can make matters even worse. I know this from experience because I used to drink all the time when things weren't going good in my life which led me to becoming a borderline alcoholic. Thank goodness I was able to get away from all of that with the help of close friends and living a healthier lifestyle. But it wasn't easy. 

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Even though I was able to get out of that unhealthy lifestyle, I..even till this day, I can still endure stress in my life. These days, most of my stress comes from not making goal achievements set out for myself, finances that go up and down, the Covid-19 Pandemic, not being able to travel like before, the stress of being the man of the house (the protector), Dad stress =), and just everyday things that can slowly build up. 

I am always looking for other ways to cope without going back to my unhealthy habits, and it has been quite the struggle. 

When the company that I work with came out with a new meditation program, I thought to myself, I should give this a try. In the past, meditation was always hard for me because it is difficult for me to stand still. My mind is ALWAYS going a million miles a minute, and I can get easily distracted. 

As I am getting older, I am understanding more and more about keeping things simple in my life, and resting my mind and body when it needs it. So with this newfound mentality, I think that it may be easier for me now to give meditation a try once again. 

For me, meditation is really just about making time for yourself without any distractions. But it really goes even deeper than that as I am founding out. I am learning about controlled breathing, and really leaving reality. I think it takes me a lot longer for me to meditate as sometimes I just keep thinking about what I need to do =). I have to really fight to get away and forget about everything that is going on, and eventually I do. 

Meditation for me is a challenge like some of my workouts. For example, yoga is very difficult for me, but I do it anyways. This is no different. I think that the more I do it on a daily basis, it will eventually get easier, and one day I can finally be relaxed. I am really looking forward to that. 

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The idea of being totally relaxed and not stressed is something that I need in my life. 

And that is why I chose to get UNSTRESS. =) Do you need to unstress? 

Let's UNSTRESS together!

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Chat soon! 

TAKING YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE - Should you do it?

Take Your Business Online

By 2040, 95% of purchases will be made online. What does this mean to you?

If you are thinking about owning your own business, then this means that having an online presence is imperative to succeeding in the business world. With the recent pandemic making a strong negative impact all over the world, it just makes even more sense to learn how to take your business to the future. 

Does this mean that your business will be recession proof? 

I don't think that there really is a 100% recession proof business model. When the Covid-19 Pandemic hit us on all corners of the globe, I believe everyone was affected in one way or the other. I can attest to this because although I had a business that did fairly well during the outbreak, my other business went non-existent. So in my opinion, it is very important to create multiple sources of income, and if you only have once source from the start, I would recommend creating multiple stream within that source. Here's an example:

If you own a restaurant, I suggest having a delivery service where you can present your menu online, or try even selling retail merchandise via social media or a website. Another way to create another stream with a restaurant is to start a youtube channel, and provide cooking tip, advice and recipes. These are just a few ways to turn one source of income to multiple sources, so if anything happens, you will have another way to produce and help your bottom line. 

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Why I took my business online. 

Many years ago, I visiting Europe and backpacked 5 countries in 30 days. It was such an eye-opening experience that I ventured to try to find a way to create an income that would allow me to travel and work at the same time. It took me almost 10 years to finally build something that was sustainable and consistent to where I could travel anywhere and still earn income. 

Working in my Airbnb in Malaysia

I currently have several online businesses that I enjoy. From affiliate marketing, direct selling, youtube, digital services, and videography, I surely keep myself busy. Whatever you do, my biggest advice is to enjoy what you are doing. Be passionate, and don't be afraid to take breaks. =) 

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So what is your goal? 

Are you thinking about starting a new business, or taking an existing business online? Are you already an entrepreneur and looking for a way to create a digital product to sell to potential clients? If any of these resonate with you, then I encourage you to go for it. It will be a long, but fruitful journey if you are committed and passionate enough. 

Taking your business online is probably the best decision that I ever made. And I hope that you find your path. If you have any questions for me, feel free to shoot me a message, I'd be happy to connect and lead you in the right direction. 

My recommendation:

I suggest taking a look at this online course called "Take Your Business Online". You will learn a ton of stuff, here's some examples:

- Learning how to build your own website

- Getting traffic to your online business

- Branding

- Targeting your audience

- Social media marketing

- Keeping track of your success

You will be taught by some of the top leaders in the industry with proven track records. But don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself! =) 

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Anyways, to answer the question about taking your business online, I would say, ABSOLUTELY! 

Stay safe my friends, and best of luck with your new ventures!!! =) 

Looking forward to your success! 

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What Running Means to Me

To be honest my friends, I don't know where to start. 

How do I create a post that really explains what running means to me without writing a book? I shall try. 

It all started when I just finished a workout program what was given to me by my brother back in 2010. Prior to that, I was in the nightclub business for over 8 years or so, which led me to a life of drinking, late night partying, and eating tons of junk food. My brother saved my life by sharing his fitness journey with me, I knew I had to do something, so I eventually committed to a healthy lifestyle for 90 days. With that, I was able to get my fit back, so fit that I think I was in better shape than when I was in high school, and I was in my 40's. 

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Living the healthy lifestyle is like an addiction as well. Most people I know, including myself were always looking for something to do to stay active, and not to get bored with the same workout routine. And yet again, my brother comes to the rescue and introduces a sport to me called "obstacle course racing". That was my formal introduction to running. Before that, the only running that I did was back in high school during P.E. I hated running with a passion! 

Long story short, I started incorporating runs into my workouts and started having even better results. I even won some podiums in running events of all distances, as well as obstacle course racing! This newfound interest led me to a project that I started called OCRTUBE. With this venture, I was able to travel around the world and film the fastest obstacle course racing athletes on the planet. It wasn't that easy. In order for me to create these videos, I had to also stay in shape, and do a lot of running and hiking. My quest for running led me to covering some of the most prestigious events around the world. 

On top of that, running and working out kept me sane. I say this because life isn't perfect, we all know this. Real life challenges, ups and downs always tend to show up and try to kill our mojo, and it has for me, so many times that it is quite impossible to count. You always hear about the "runners high", and I'll be straight up with you, because I'm not sure if I ever had that. What I did have was the feeling after the run that made me feel so good like after a workout that took hours to commit too! It was just that sense of accomplishment, like crossing the finish line at a running event, it just felt amazing....and addicting! 

And for the truth....=) I'm an average human being. I get lazy, and I don't always set goals. I know what I have to do, but don't always pursue them. But one thing is for sure, I eventually get off my ass with the help of the right people who I surround myself with. If there is one thing I can say about commitment.....it is this: find the right people who will support you no matter what. When I didn't feel like running or working out, I always had my friends text messaging me, or annoying me on some facebook support group telling me that I need to get my ass in gear, but it worked!  

With Ultra Marathon Man Dean Karnazes

Running isn't at all glamorous. Running isn't easy, but it's easier when you have a good support team keeping you accountable. Running isn't the magic pill to happiness, it's your mindset. 

For me, running is a great way to set yourself free from whatever is going on in your life. It will always be there for you if you want and need it. It doesn't judge you, or make you feel like crap (well it depends ha ha). Running isn't a way to run away from your problems, it's a way to help you conquer them. And I've conquered a ton since I started running in my life. 

Yes, so in a nutshell, this is what running has done for me, and what it means to me. If you're a runner, please share with me what it has done for you, I'd love to hear your story. 

WANNA RUN WITH ME?

I will be starting a FREE online group for people who would like to start running, or running again, you know who you are =). Whether you would like to train for a 5K, or you just want to run, this group will be for you. Heck it's really for everyone! =) 

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If you would like to join me, please feel free to contact me (fb connect here). Spots are always limited so don't wait, it will be fun. And don't worry, if you have any questions, I will help you with any questions that you may have. Stay safe, and see you all soon!

   

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Healthy Mango Ice Cream - Quick and Easy!

Hey guys, I just wanted to share this Healthy Mango Ice Cream recipe from my fiancé. We made this the other day and it came out perfect. You only need 3 ingredients, and a blender and you're good to go!

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Here's a simple video to watch, and you can get the FULL RECIPE in her video description. Please let me know how you liked it, see you all soon! =) 

Healthy Mango Ice Cream from home!

If you would like more recipes like this including some really good filipino food videos, feel free to subscribe to Arlene's channel here! =)

FAQ'S - New Updates for 2020!

Hi everyone, hope all of you have been doing well! 

I am posting this quick blog because I have had some questions lately asking me about what I've been up to, so I decided to make a quick post about some updates =) As with most of you, this pandemic has brought on challenges and has delayed many projects for me. The most important thing is that I am healthy and alive, not sick and able to stay strong for my family. Thank you all for always staying in touch and checking up on me, I am grateful to have friends like all of you!

So without further ado, let the FAQ's begin =)

1.  Where are you currently living? 

I am currently still in the Philippines. My original plan was to bring my family from here to the USA by the end of the year, but this has come to a halt due to the pandemic.

2. What are your plans for the rest of 2020? 

Most of my video projects have all been cancelled, and most international borders are closed for foreign travel, so the plan is to stay in the Philippines and just continue my work online as a freelancer. I have started a couple projects since the pandemic to help cover the loss of work from cancelled video projects. Fortunately, I have online work which helps produce income for me and my family on a weekly basis, but working on multiple streams is what I am focused on as a safety net. 

3.  Are you still a Beachbody Coach?

Absolutely! This year marks almost 10 years being an online Beachbody Coach. I still help people with their health and fitness, mostly providing online options that can help them live more active lifestyles. My recommendations are based on my past experiences, so I never encourage anyone to do anything that I have never done before. 

Being an online Beachbody Coach also helps me stay sane during this pandemic. If anything, being more active at home is what I've been doing, and it's definitely much more fun with all of you. Feel free to message me if you would like some health and fitness options with no requirements to purchase anything. It's never been a good time to start a fitness journey, so let's do this together! 

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4. What's going on with OCRTUBE.com? 

For those of you who are not familiar with OCRTUBE, it basically is a video project where I travel the world and spread the love about obstacle course racing through video media. This project has come to a halt as I am not able to travel. The goal is to resume sometime in 2021, and help these companies get back on their feet. I am definitely looking forward to filming all over the world again, but for now, safety first with my family. 

5.  When will you be back in the USA?

That is something that I am really not sure about at this time. It would have to be whenever the international borders open up, and I am free to travel, and come back to the Philippines. I am still in the process of doing paperwork to bring my family from here to the USA, but with the US Embassy and other offices here closed due to "in and out" lockdowns, it has been quite a challenge. So a very short answer would be "I don't know" =). Once borders open, maybe early 2021, and then hopefully bring my family to the USA with me at the end of 2021, or early 2022. We shall see! 

6.  What projects are you working on now?

Aside from my affiliate marketing and online freelancing business, I have started a couple new youtube channels, and have also been active with Cryptocurrency and Blockchain. The goal is to not spread myself out too thin, so I have been investing my time with things that I am more familiar with as to not take away from the channels that are producing income for my family. Creating multiple sources of income have always been in my blood, but at the same time, only dabbling in things that I know can and will produce. Feel free to message me about partnering with me on some upcoming projects! You can always connect with me on facebook here! 

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7.  Once the borders open up, what are you looking forward to the most? 

Well, there are a number of things, but the most important thing right now is to complete the paperwork in order for me to bring my family to the USA, and then I am very excited to see my daughter in Florida, it's been way too long. A big dream of mine is to unite my fiancé and my daughter here in the Philippines with my daughter in Florida, for me...that is the ultimate goal right now. 

I think that's about it guys! If i missed anything, I can and will most likely do another update blog. Until then, stay safe everyone and hope to see you all soon! 

Arnel

TRUE STORY

Today, like the many days leading up to this, I just wasn't feeling my workout. But when I came to a realization that I'm about to turn 50 this year, I said to myself, "I am not getting any younger!!!", and then I looked at my daughter like I have done many times with my first daughter Lauren as she was growing up, and then again I said, "I need to be healthy for her", and shortly after that, in 22 minutes, my workout was done! 

Too many days, we make countless excuses to not get healthy when we know that it should be the #1 thing to do. It's just way too easy to walk away from it, and pretend that we have more important things to do, and trust me, I am very guilty of this. 

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The real truth is that nothing will be of importance if we are non-existent. Our health is the biggest investment that we can ever make in ourselves, and sometimes it just takes a little reminder like looking at your kids, and not forgetting the real reason for why we are all here. 

Today I was inspired by not only my daughters, but by my fiancé, because she just flat out called me out, but not in a way that was deemed as forceful or mean, she just smiled and said, "we need to do this, so I'll go first". She is definitely a keeper! 

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Another wonderful day breathing and living in the moment. I am truly blessed to be here, and I am very thankful for that. =) TRUE STORY. 

Filipino American Expat Living in the Philippines

Hi everyone, I've been wanting to share this post for awhile now, and although most of you know that I've been living in the Philippines for a little over a year now, I have really never talked about the topic of me being a Filipino American Expat (filipino born in the USA) and how I got here, so this is what this post is all about =) I'll be making a video about this soon!

NOT ANYTHING NEW

Being an expat in the Philippines is nothing new. Just google or youtube "expat living in the Philippines" and you will see countless people from the USA and Europe living and finding love in the Philippines. Just like most of these expats, they came here because the cost of living is super cheap, and for some of them, they came here to find a partner because a lot of them could not find true love at home, or unfortunately lost a loved one and just wanted to find a place to start all over, and the Philippines is among one of the best places to retire, get lost, and get more bang for your buck. Yes, the Philippines is more expat-friendly then Thailand! 

WHAT'S SO DIFFERENT ABOUT ME?

Nothing really, I think the main difference between me and the other expats that you read or follow is the fact that I am actually a filipino. Both of my parents are from the Philippines, but I was born and raised in the USA, so I really never learned about my true culture, and didn't even learn the tagalog language. I can probably understand about 80% of the tagalog language on a good day.

If you look at me, I look just like a typical filipino, but once I open my mouth, the locals know that I am a foreigner, and they sometimes ask me why I'm speaking english, and so I have to tell them that I was born in the USA blah blah blah. You see, there is not much difference between me and the other expats. 

I DID NOT COME TO THE PHILIPPINES TO FIND SOMEONE

Not all expats including myself come here to find someone, in fact, that was the last thing on my mind. When I arrived in the Philippines as an adult for the first time in 2015, I came here to explore my roots, as well as backpack other parts of Southeast Asia. I came back a few years later to work on some video projects, and as I was traveling around Asia and going back and forth to the Philippines, that's when I ran into my now fiancé. 

We have now been together for over 2 1/2 years and are raising a little girl here in the Philippines. Did I intend to live here? Nope, not at all, but that is how my life has been the past few years, nothing planned and just going with the flow, and by doing that, I now have an amazing and simple life here in the Philippines. 

THE STRUGGLES OF BEING A FILIPINO AMERICAN EXPAT

Living in the Philippines has many benefits, but that doesn't mean sh%t does not happen. Being an American, I am accustomed to certain things, and so there are things that I have had to get used to while living here. For example, the driving etiquette can get a little crazy, and if you're an expat living here, you know what Im talking about =). I mean, shouldn't the slow drivers be on the right and the fast drivers lon the left? At least that is how it is where I'm from =). Food temperatures, restrooms, customer service, and how long I have to stay in line to use the ATM are among many challenges and differences. I'll get more on this on a video soon, but as an expat, we all have to understand that we are all guests here. This is not our country, so we have to respect the people, the culture, the differences (no matter how difficult if can be) and understand that this is not the USA or the home that we came from. It is a privilege to be here, so I try my very best to remember that =) 

HOW I EARN INCOME

Like most expats, some are living off of their retirement. Some are actually working with a company from back home, some work online and have their own projects going on. I myself work online, providing digital services to clients, and also do internet/affiliate marketing. I also make videos too, and still working on monetizing this venture. People don't come to the Philippines to look for work, most expats come here and spend their income made from where they came from. 

The average income for a Filipino is about 500 php, that's only $10 USD per day, and with this pandemic going on, the amount of days they can work are cut in half or less. Most expats that come here are living off of their retirement (repeat ha ha), work for a company that is based from where they are from, or like I mentioned before, work online and get paid in US/Euros. I am not technically retired here, but you can actually retire here with a retirement visa as early as 35 years of age. With this visa, you can be a permanent resident, own a condo, and even start a business. 

BEING FILIPINO AMERICAN

I wanted to bring this back up again because like I mentioned before, I do have a little bit of an advantage in the fact that I look just like a local. I can understand about 80% of the language because I grew up hearing my parents talk. It is those two things that give me the advantage to not get ripped off as an expat or tourist here in the Philippines =) Yes, there is a local price and a tourist price =). 

But the reality is that, I am still an expat and not a local. I cannot speak the language which can be a struggle sometimes when I need to get something done, or go somewhere and my fiancé is not with me. The good thing is that most of the country is English speaking, but this is only in most metropolitan cities. If you go to many places away from the city and into the province, things can get challenging, but still doable. The one thing that you can come to expect is that the filipino people are the nicest people on earth. If they know that you are a foreigner, more than likely they will be very kind and help you. This brings me to my side of the coin, because I do not look like a foreigner, sometimes I get treated like dirt because they think that I am just like one of them, which is sad sometimes to see how the locals treat each other, I feel it as a filipino. I do see how some of the filipinos treat the foreigners as opposed to a local (it is rare, but I do see it). So in many circumstances, I sometimes expose my voice so that they can see that I am not from here. This is one small challenge as a Filipino American Expat. 

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The one thing that I would like to see more is people like me (Filipino American Expats) coming here and learning their own culture, and giving back to the people. It's great to see the everyday expat doing these things, and it's great for the country, but I'd like to see more filipinos helping filipinos. 

There is a huge income gap in the Philippines, for the most part, you are either rich or poor. There really isn't a middle ground. I mean there is, but not much. So when expats come to the Philippines and help the economy, it is a good thing. (Most filipinos think that if you are a foreigner that you have money, because in their eyes, if you have more than them, you must be rich). 

You rarely hear or see Filipino Americans coming here to live and help the community like the other expats, or it's just not as known, or glamorized on youtube. My goal isn't really to change this, but I would like to hopefully encourage more filipinos and filipino americans/filipino europeans to join the goodness that these other expats are doing in the Philippines. I am definitely proud to be a Filipino, and also very proud to be an American, but the bottom line is that I am rooted as a Filipino, and I feel that this is where I belong, and I would love to see more Filipino American Expats here. 

The funny thing is that the western expats want to come to the east, but the people in the east prefer to go to the west. We as humans always want something different. This isn't always the case, but this is what I have seen and heard from the locals here. Everyone just wants to have a better life, and the expats coming here are seen as an opportunity for a better future. We as expats come here for a different life than our own western culture, and so this is the amazing thing about the Philippines, the country as a whole are very welcoming to foreigners. 

I will say that I am lucky to find a partner who loves her own country, and doesn't see me as a way out, and that was my main thing. I knew that this was going on in the Philippines where women are on the constant prowl to find a foreigner, and I didn't want to be seen as an OPPORTUNITY. Luckily, my partner and I prefer living in the Philippines. 

LAST WORDS

The Philippines is currently my new home, and although I cannot foretell the future, I only see this place as where I need and want to be. Although I am a world traveler (and love to see places) and American born, the Philippines will always be my fortress. Stay tuned for more Filipino American Expat Life videos to come =)