日本語で初めて

毎年、日本語でブログを書くのを目標にしています。

おおむね「やればいいかも」程度ですが、真剣の時、目標までを設定しました。「1週間1回」あるいは「1ヶ月1回」みたいなアップ数を目標にしました。

ただ、このサイトを検索したら、日本語で書いたブログが1つもありません※2。そんなに真剣ではなかったですね。何が問題でした?

実は日本語でブログを書く以外、毎年、あるいは四半期ごとにいろんな目標を(出来るだけ)セットしています。目標を達成出来た事、それか、目標を達成出来なかった事は大体のパターンが分かりました。

そのパターンは目標を達成するために、「スケジューリング」をしましたかどうかです。

例えば、前朝朝食を食べる事の目標。達成出来た時は、寝る時間と起きる時間を決めて、調理、食べる時間までを計画しました。JLPT N2・N1漢字を覚える目標の時に、出勤電車で15分、9時から17時の間1時間毎に5分、漢字ドリルを実施しました。〇〇冊の本を読む事が、殆どスケジューリングしなかったので、今でも達成出来ていません。

今回は、アップ数はやはり難しいですので、とりあえず、決めた時間と頻度で「とにかく書く」という目標にしました。

日本語を上達したい。これで引き続くと、少しずつ、やればやるほど、書くスピードと品質がよくなります(っと希望しています)。

※1 間違いが多いと思います。恐れ入りますが、指摘いただければ幸いです。よろしくお願いします。

※2 検索したら、1〜2つありますね!

Google Translate

What makes a good salesperson?

Trying something new. Sometimes I will post about my thoughts about Japan, about the Philippines, about IT and Technology, about Business, etc.

I’ve been doing “sales” for exactly 6 years now. Stumbling along the way. And since I haven’t had any formal training, even now I still don’t know if I’m doing this sales thing right.

But I am learning, and enjoying all the complications (moving parts) that come together in doing business.

Recently I’ve been thinking about the qualities of a good salesperson. If ever I am going to write an ad for a job opening in my department, what requirements should I put down? What quality should I look for most during the interview?

I believe the most important quality of a good salesperson is that he/she genuinely cares for people.

Caveat: there are many other qualities, with many sales styles and strategies, talked about in length by experts in books and blogs. Some say it’s technical or domain expertise, or communication skill, or confidence, or grit and perseverance. But for me – what I would want for my department – it’s genuine care for people.

The caring salesperson wants to see their clients, as well as the people in their organization, succeed in their endeavors. They show they care by doing the hard, and many times tedious, work they believe needs to be done. They are far from perfect, but because they care they don’t remain stagnant, they improve their own skill and knowledge, as well as their product and/or service.

I believe “closing” comes naturally to the caring salesperson. And it comes with the great bonus of having a clear conscience knowing that the close will benefit both the client as well as the organization.

The downside is that caring takes a heavy toll on the salesperson (as it is with everyone), especially if people are unresponsive, unappreciative, or even downright malicious. It is also difficult to quantify genuine care so they’re harder to ‘manage’ using traditional management and metrics (number of customer smiles per day?)

At the end of the day, some people are just naturally happy to see other people happy.

And if that person is you (and you can speak/write Japanese, and you have a background in Software Development), please send me a message 🙂

My 2018 Prayer, Problem, and Prayer Request

The passage for the 1st day of #Intercede2018 (Booklet, PDF) is on Ephesians 3:14-19.  Here Paul shares his prayer for the Christians in Ephesus – for his ‘spiritual children’ :

  • to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being
  • that Christ may dwell in your hearts
  • be rooted and grounded in love
  • have strength to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth
  • and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge
  • that you may be filled with all the fullness of God

As I read (and re-read) this passage, I see in my mind my son, my daughter, my wife. This is my prayer for them as well! This was exactly what I was thinking about yesterday. It would be so awesome if this becomes a lifestyle for them.

But wait… this sounds like a sad case of “do as I say, but not as I do”…

The reality is, for my family to experience these things, I have to lead them. I have to model this life for them. Then let’s say I am able to live out this ‘filled’ life, it’s all meaningless if I’m not with them. How can I lead them, model to them, if they can’t see me? I need to be present – yes, physically  – in their lives.

I’ve known this at the back of my head for a while, but this time I’m calling it out. I have two very big problems:

  1. For my family to live abundant lives in Christ, I must lead by example
  2. For me to lead by example, I must be physically – and mentally, emotionally -present in their lives

Good thing it’s P&F week…

A Father’s Request

Is it alright that the (re)start point of my faith is because of my want for my family to have abundant lives? I want them to have joy-filled, purpose-filled, blessing-others, weather-the-storms kind of lives that I know for certain God – and only God – can give.

It just feels dishonest (to be honest), because I know – and God knows – that my motivation is not from a strong personal desire, like the rekindling of an old fire, or a personal spiritual revival of sorts. My motivation is, simply: I have something I want to ask of God.

Incidentally, that something is for my family to have in them a strong personal desire for God that will lead to said abundant lives. But seeking the gift over the Giver? For shame.

I am reminded of fathers in the New Testament who’ve made requests to Jesus in behalf of their children. By God’s grace, none in my family are sick now, so the seriousness of our requests may not be of the same caliber. But they did go to Jesus not for themselves, but because they had a request for their family… so is this… okay?

I hope so.. I think so.. Our approach has two elements that I know God desires in his people: Surrender (I cannot do this…) and Faith (…but I know You can).

Maybe the rekindling of the fire will come later on. My ask is not a one-time request: it’s day to day for as long as I am alive. So I will keep on seeking Jesus, I will keep on surrendering, listening and obeying His instructions, I will keep on believing. Then, as He keeps his promises, as He does all the great things he does, as He shows me and I begin to understand his love… maybe, maybe there’s hope for me too.

Mess to Message

To be honest, I haven't been consistently right with God for the past few days, weeks, and months. My life is a crazy mess. Which would be fine if my crazy mess of a life has no consequence to other people. Unfortunately and to my shame, until I get myself together I am messing up their lives as well.

It's the perfect word, "mess". It's really only by grace that we are surviving day by day, that my life is not falling apart, and that sometimes, there are even really really good days. These are all completely undeserved.

Now I am presented with a great opportunity: To experience, once again, the kind of changes that happen when I recommit and persevere in "seeking first God's kingdom and righteousness".

I feel ashamed that, after all this time, after all the times God has proven Himself faithful and powerful, I have come to this low point of my life again.

But at the same time, I feel excited. I know that things will turn out awesome. I know it.

But I have to do my part.