Teenage dream

my teenage dream

You're 14. What do you know about love? Okay, that's rhetoric. I'm almost twice that age and i still don't know what I know about love. Ask your parents, or grandparents. What do we know about love? Socrates may have the answer, because he said "all I know is I know nothing."

So kiddo, you're 14 and you "fell in love" with a girl in your school. She used to be your seat mate back in second grade and you once lent her your pencil. You teased her a lot--about her weight, her bad breath, her ridiculous accent, her sticky skin, her crappy hello kitty notebooks and most of all her big bulky curly hair. 

But after six years of growing pains and boyhood you realized the opposite sex is called the "opposite sex" for something. That somehow your being a tool's got to change fast. What was that feeling? Every time you see the girl you used to beat the crap out of back in grade school is growing to become a fine woman, there was an adrenaline rush... something came up (no pun intended) and it's called a teenage dream. Smitten by her long black hair, white teeth without braces, sparkling eyes, suddenly she smells great... she's now taller than you, growing in all sort of places you used to puke about.  

My oh my how she's grown to be someone you never thought you would like. And that feeling is priceless. Savor it. It's not first love. Might be puppy love. But what it really is... is your only fond memory of your innocence on attraction. Naivete. What do you know about love? Let me guess, it's the longing for someone's attention, for some connection, for something you and the other can share. The feeling that you should spend 24/7 with that person. The only one who matters. The world stops and your heart skips a beat. You've never felt this way before. And you'll die tomorrow if you can't let this all out today. You had to try and say it. Nothing is more important.

My friend, you are dead wrong. Like you were wrong about the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus. Like you were wrong about wrestling and Superman. It gets complicated. Talk to me after 10 years and tell me what you think love is. Talk to me after 20, 30, 40 years and tell me something about love. You will never look at love the same way you look at that girl who caught your eye in high school like living will never be the same again. 

I just wish it is as simple as that. Back in high school you just have a crush, and for all you know she's already the one. We've all been there. I get it that Katy Perry sang about living a teenage dream. It's when life is so simple that you don't have to worry about getting married, having kids, paying the bills and amortizing your house. It's the only time you don't have to worry about not getting along, compromising, and breaking each other's neck for all you care. The only thing you care about is the two of you... the world can end.

10 years later, you're 24 (obviously I can add). At this day and age it's hard to find a teenage dreamy feeling. The world's not as simple as it was back in high school. Besides, the girl in your teenage dreams might have ended up looking like an elephant 10 years later. Kidding aside, ignorance is really sometimes better. Innocence is better. Because the world is not as great as advertised. You would want to be a 14-year old loser all your life because the world is a bigger bully than all the jocks in high school combined. 

And if you're looking for the girl of your dreams.... sure there are plenty of fishes in the sea. The perfect woman is maybe out there. But love is hard to find. It's okay to feel teeny dreamy every now and then but it shouldn't rock your world like when you were 14. Be mature. Enjoy. In the end we all know nothing about love. About relationships and how it's going to turn out. We just don't. It's a good feeling. But a teenage dream is still just a dream. You will have to wake up sooner or later.

So be sure to choose the right one. Take your time. Don't rush it like a teenage dream. Because remember... there's always a bigger fish. Make sure you won't regret eating a catfish when a caviar comes along. 

If you're 14 and having a teenage dream, enjoy. If you're my age and having the same dream, wake up. It's probably a bad one. But if you can't help it, I just hope you have a dreamcatcher. It might be worth the try. 

Pipe dream

I will never be this guy

I always talk about dreaming big. After all, I am the Dream Economist. For me, all you need is a pair of hope, a cup of will, an ounce of determination, and a tablespoon of looking at the brightside. And there you have it, the recipe for success. For reaching that big dream. It works. Look at the Forbes Magazine-worthy life-stories of tycoons and you'll hear them say the same thing. 

But what if those are not enough? Is there such a thing as hard luck? Unfortunately, there is.

Better be lucky than great. No matter how much effort or time you put into it, sometimes those are not good enough. Sometimes, luck is what separates billionaires from the poor, haves from the have-nots, and kingpins from the slaves. Luck is the kicker, the thing that not everyone has. Luck essentially catapults an individual from nothingness to awesomeness. 

I mean look at Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. I am sure there are other people who are capable of coming up with personal computers in the 70s, but these two pulled it off with a combination of right timing and opportunities presented. Maybe right timing is everything. Maybe. But what if that time doesn't come? Mr. Gates and Mr. Jobs both had the right time on their teams. 

Look at Charice Pempengco. She didn't win a local contest in the Philippines but was lucky enough to be discovered by the likes of David Foster and Oprah Winfrey. I am sure, there are thousands of talents that are much better than her without a record label or any opportunity to showcase their talents. AT ALL. (not that I am not impressed with her, but I know there are a lot of people waiting to be given a chance)

Look at Manny Pacquaio. Look at the winners of reality TV shows who are now famous for who-knows-what. Look at lottery winners who became instant millionaires.

Reality is harsh. Because not every one has the same share of the pie. Big slices are allocated for a selected few--no matter how we feel we are more deserving than those few people. While economics deal with the allocation of scarce resources, sometimes economics is a b*tch because that allocation is skewed towards the lucky few. The spread of luck is uneven. (and now the more reason to hate life?)

I am not saying lucky people aren't deserving to have luck on their sides. I am not saying they didn't work hard to be in that position (I am sure they did). But luck is a breakthrough everyone should have and not just a select few. At least that's how I feel about it. 

Oh well that's life. And most people end up by saying "I make my own luck." That's true. Create opportunities. Work around the system. Hard luck doesn't have to stop us from accomplishing that dream. What's the cliche "try and try until you succeed" is for anyway? 

For me, yes. Pipe dreams do exist. I know for sure that I won't be a billionaire by the time I am 40 (which means I am still hoping to be a billionaire when I'm fifty haha). I know for sure that I won't grow any taller than I already am (which is just sad but I've accepted that God compensated my physical limitations with something else...). I know for sure that I won't be like John Mayer or Jason Mraz (although I somehow think my music is worth listening to). I needed luck to have all of those. But LUCK didn't go so well for me in those aspirations. 

But we all have to look past those luck issues and start making up for it in other ways. I always say it could have been worse. Yeah, it could have been worse. Look at this video. In the end we are all lucky to be here. To be where we are now, no matter how much we feel deprived of the things we want and the things we need.

Luck may be what separates us from our pipe dreams, wants, and what-have-yous. We can all have the recipes for success and it may not be enough still. We may consider luck as the secret ingredient. But it shouldn't stop us from living life to the fullest. Luck may be a shortcut and your ticket to whatever. But when the dust settles, the important thing to remember is to make the best use of what we have, and not what we can/should/could have. Life ain't measured by the end result--because we all have the same ending anyways--but by the means, effort and journeys we took. We can always take a jab at dreams and successes everyday. 

And luck is just there to make things a little more interesting. 

The Perfect Woman

she's right up there

No boys, it's not Anne Curtis Smith. Although in my list she might be right up there.  It's not Ximena Navarette. Although the title she represents puts her in that position easily. It's not Miranda effin' Kerr. Although everybody envies Orlando Bloom for snagging that one (really good job Mr. Bloom). 

It's certainly not Pokwang (at least according to Mo Twister). Not even Queen Latifah, Hilary Swank or Julia Roberts. Certainly not Vice Ganda (although the category might not fit him/her in the first place). And no "although" in this paragraph.

The bottom line is, we men are superficial at first. We know a good one when we see it. We appreciate physical beauty. But that's just the surface. Because in the end, looks account for nothing if you don't bring in the substance. 

And the criteria's not the same for everyone. Some like it hot, some like it simple. Some guys like the smile, some like the dimples. Some like big bold eyes, some are into Chinitas. Some like girls with short boyish hair, some people prefer long black hair. Some guys prefer fair complexions, while others are into morenas. 

Judging physical beauty is complicated. It really is in the eye of the beholder. But what makes a difference is the way she handles herself. If she reveals her true aura. Because girls--no matter how pretty--are still insecure. But if girls could just move past those insecurities and reveal who they really are, then it's a whole new ballgame. Men (well at least I speak for my not-so-superficial self, who can be found every now and then) also like character. Not just legs, fronts and be-hinds although those would be nice. Okay that's a little hard to accept, but if you're looking for smart-straight-eligible guys, prolonged affection should be supported by character.

Sad part is, guys only find a girl's real character after several dates, several months... several years. or even more. In economics, this problem is called Asymmetric Information. A guy may know something that the girl doesn't and vice-versa (and it's easy to take advantage of the situation because of this). There's no such thing as perfect information. If there is, then the market is operating under a perfect condition. We are always correct, and we always get what we paid for. So guys (like girls) have criteria for defining a perfect woman and it may include a lot of fronts, backs, aboves and belows, but it's incomplete. Girl may be all those, but she's keeping something that will be discovered after a long period of time. Guys are like that too. 

Girls are famous for their usually high standards for guys, e.g. tall dark and handsome (which is I consider poetic since I don't have any of those... haha). Then they have the smart, independent and rich criteria. But in the end they end up with bad boys with tattoos and a killer instinct. But this is another story. Girls are famous for their standards, and guys have their own. But really, what are standards for? 

I'd gladly have a girl who's 5'7" tall, fair-skinned, with long black hair and killer smile, eyes worth a million bucks and a pair of legs to die for. But that doesn't stop there. The list goes on and on. And the irony of it all is you throw it all away just for anyone. For someone you met at the bar, or for some childhood friend in your teenage dreams. Standards are just there to confuse us guys from defining what we want from what we need. Substance should make or break a budding relationship. Substance prolongs attraction. Substance REPLACES attraction. 

The perfect woman may be someone who will take care of us like our mothers. Someone who will accept us for who we effin' are and not just who we can be. Someone who will give us independence and room to grow. (alright I turned out to be a girl after all). In the end it can be anyone's guess. I'm no expert and your guess is as good as mine. 

But seriously, the perfect woman exists... in our dreams. And looking for her is like betting in the lottery--where the probability of winning is essentially the same whether you placed a bet or not. The problem is we still look for them because someone actually wins. Someone's lucky enough to rake it big time. 

The perfect woman may be perfect. But the real thing may even be better. So Anne Curtis you, if you are out there, don't be shy to give me a holler. A chance at reality is all we can ever get. In the end I don't want the perfect woman, I just want the right one. 

Mr. Brightside

you're amazing just the way you are

One of the things I always remember in evaluating my life, planning the next move and diagnosing the future is everything is self-fulfilling. If you think you're going to screw it up, then you are screwed. But if you think tomorrow is going to be a bright day, then make sure to pack your sunglasses because sunshine is exactly what you are going to get. 

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, this is the usual mantra. Hope that everything will be alright. But it's not that easy to be optimistic when inefficiencies and hangups surround us. It's so easy to be insecure. 

Exhibit A: girl weaves through dozens of wardrobes to look for the perfect (for the lack of better word) get-up, takes a few hours, looks in the mirror and puts on different shades of make-ups, can't decide what to use, takes another hour. And then she becomes upset that her closet isn't big enough, the mirror's making her look fat, and every dress she wears reminds her of her asshole ex boyfriend. Don't even get me started with shoes and bags...

What is this phenomenon? It's called "analysis-paralysis." We analyze too much. We all do, not just girls. 

Exhibit B: Guy's in his car, parked in front of his date's house, waiting nervously for the girl (introduced by his colleagues), thinking about appropriate things to say, trying to smell like a million bucks, cleaning up his trunk and leather seats, playing the third song from his custom-made playlist. With the i-never-been-on-a-date-for-a-year attitude painted on his forehead, he rehearses his "you look amazing" speech, thinking he's in big trouble. 

Yes you are. You are in big trouble because of your insecurities and analysis paralysis. We are all guilty of this in one way or another. But you know what, it doesn't help and we know it. We're so paralyzed by our own thinking that we can't move forward. In the end, you will get what you don't want to get and exactly the opposite of what you ordered. 

But the other way around works. Works like magic. Make a call, like saying "this night is going to be awesome" and don't pretend. You know you are awesome. You should be. And no one's going to steal your thunder tonight. Then walla, we hear music and magic. 

Why is it hard to be optimistic? Because society teaches us to be cynics. Bad experiences. Inexperience. Personal incapacity. Social class. Money. But if we just move past those, if we could just expand our horizons, we'll be a lot better. 

I am Mr. Brightside. I know (we all do) the future is uncertain and there will always be bumps and stopovers along the way.  We know it's not perfect, but it doesn't help if we raise our eyebrows every time we are uncertain about what's going to happen. The bright side is it could have been worse, everything is going to be fine. 

You want an example that's not relationship-based? Look at the stock market. It's full of self-fulfilling prophecies based on calculated risks and analysis-backed valuation. But in the end you have to make a call yourself. And if you believe in it enough that everyone also believes in you, you might just be right. Right now the market is optimistic, bullish, because of PNoy and the economy. Everyone joined the bandwagon. And walla, all-time highs almost everyday for the stock market index (PSEi). 

So choose your pill: Red or blue. Positive or negative. Because there's no turning back. You yourself predict your future, and it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Forget your weight, forget your smell, forget all the number-crunching statistics. In the end, we make our own fate. And if you believe in it with all your heart, you might just get lucky. 

Money never sleeps

I am at the point of my life where I want to work hard, not because I have to but I really want to. I feel like I am in a position where I can say, "I was born to do this." I think know that working hard your arse out is the price to pay to have a decent living. It doesn't have to be perfect. But just enough.

About three weeks ago, I was visiting my 75-year old lola (Inay Feling) and telling her about how I wake up early and work everyday for about 10-12 hours from 7am. That at first I was really adjusting to how to work really hard and dedicate myself to that goal of success. I was telling her that I was happy about it and I enjoy working in those hours. When I talked to her, it may have sounded that I was bragging (and complaining at the same time) about how I work hard everyday because she blurted out and said, "ako nga, binubuksan ko na yung tindahan ala-sais (6am) pa lang hanggang 6pm na rin." And then I really felt humbled.

Inay works really hard and you have to be amazed how she lives her life while making a decent living selling tricycle parts, hardware and other merchandise near our local town public market (she's probably the Ace Hardware of our small palengke). She will never be a big time entrepreneur (although I honestly think she can if she wanted to) but she does have a knock for hard work. I mean, who works 12hours a day without an aircon, dealing with tricycle and jeepney drivers, carpenters and electricians, and what-have-yous at 75 years of age? It's ridiculous. And that's probably why she's happy, contented, and having the time of her life every second.

Money never sleeps. "Bawal ang tutulog tulog sa pansitan." That's probably why my mom also works until 2am almost everyday while waking up at 6am to work work work. I admire my lola and my mom for having that kind of skill and dedication that I have yet to learn and master. I want to. I will. Because in the end, success is not just around the corner. Not an easy turn or a straight line.

To be successful, you have to work hard. And it means hitting that curveball. It's insanely difficult. Unless you practice and anticipate. Unless you walk the walk. Unless you step up and be someone you read about in Forbes Magazine. Unless you stick your balls out and just do it with all your will and all your heart.

We all say and remember that it's not easy to become a CEO of a big company or a dynamic entrepreneur. But what we all forget is that we all have what it takes. We all forget that we are what dreams are really made of. It's just up to us to do the clockwork.

At this time and age, bawal talaga ang tutulog tulog sa pansitan. You don't have to be the next Henry Sy (or any other self-made billionaires whose names are probably mentioned in the definition of hardwork in the dictionary). But you don't have to be the ordinary Juan de la Cruz also. The problem with many of us is we dream...but we stop there and do nothing about it.

There is no such thing as free lunch, so pay the price.

I want to work hard. Do my best in everything. Do all things well. We all do (I hope). No one should stop you, not even yourself!!! We have no time to waste. Money never sleeps, so why would I right? And at times when I feel like ranting, complaining, and just wanted to blow myself up... I'll just look up and say, what would inay do?

Waiting in Vain

"Waiting in Vain" From Flickriver (MarcoShenone)

I've been rereading my blogposts from my defunct multiply account and just thought this will be a good repost. Posted three years ago (July 2007). My excuse to post without writing anything new. 

An average person spends roughly around 5 years of his life just waiting. By waiting I mean like waiting for a cab, waiting for food to be served, waiting for your name to be called on the pay counter, or waiting for your yaya to fetch you from school. Small things, really. Things that makes us idle for a while. Naghihintay lang. And with the fast-pace lifestyle we are used to, 5 years is a lot of time. For one, an average lifespan is only 60 years; this makes our waiting time about 8.3% of our lives. For every twelve minutes of our lives, we spend one minute waiting. And this waiting is not even useful, not something you deliberately want to do. Not waiting for big things. Mga mabababaw na bagay lang.

If you’ll think about it, waiting is not that bad at all. Waiting for your coffee to be served for one is not bad at all, but what if you can spend those 5 precious years of waiting for small things for something greater, something fabulous, something legendary, and something you know will be the defining moment of your existence? If that’s the case, then I honestly despise waiting. Iisipin mo na pwede mo pang mabago ang buhay mo with that 5 years. You can make your life better; you can spend more time with the things and persons you truly love. 


Or, you can even destroy your life.

But the point is, nakakapaghintay tayu para sa mga walang kwentang bagay, mga bagay na kaya mo lang hinihintay ay no choice ka… 5 years of our lives dedicated to be transaction costs for small things… Sana lang, wag na natin dagdagan. Don’t waste your life waiting for something nice to happen, waiting for the opportune time, waiting for a miracle. Make a move and do it yourself. Make your own miracle. Carpe Diem! Otherwise, 5 becomes 10 becomes 20 becomes 40 years and you’ll end up watching your own life pass you by.

This applies to everything: your career, your love life, your spiritual formation, your interests, your passion. It is really hard not to wait because it is more comfortable. Sasabihin natin na bukas nalang, or saka na lang, or wag na lang. Iniiwasan natin kasi di natin alam kung kaya ba natin harapin. Or tinatamad lang talaga tayo. It is very comfortable to wait, especially if you know you have time to spare. If you think you can give up about 20 years of your life for waiting, then good for you. But there is no going back. Wala nang what ifs.

When you’re old and cranky, disabled and worn off, how would you like to describe your life? Full of waiting or one heck of a ride? I’d gladly take the second one. I’m sure you’ll pick that too. We don’t want to have regrets, and we sure don’t have time to waste. There is only one road to take for our journey in life. Make sure to choose the right stopovers along the way. Walang reverse eh. So wag na natin dagdagan pa ang paghihintay, 5 years waiting for nonsense is enough. Gawin mo na…

Now the question really is: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

"Incepted"

Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange. -Cobb

I just saw one of the best films in recent memory over the weekend. And it’s about dreams. Poetic justice. Great for this blog. Great for any blog. Just great. This will be my first movie review post for this blog. Rightfully so. Inception is wicked. And we’ve never seen anything like it.

Christopher Nolan has done it again. He has done it big time.. The man behind titles like Insomnia, The Prestige, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight clearly lived up to his name, leaving critics and movie enthusiasts delighted. Inception is well written—well thought of—and the very concept in which Nolan creates this masterpiece is timeless. It’s a constant interplay of dreams and realities that stretches our imagination.  It’s a depiction of how our brains work on an idea. Brains can work exponentially fast that a second can mean a lifetime; brains are more powerful than we can ever imagine. Inception infers that a dream is not just random things, but every dream embodies how we think and, ultimately, who we really are.

The plot is deep, and it clearly is not for everyone to appreciate, nay, understand. My take on this may be a whole lot different from yours. Maybe that’s the point. It's a debate.

For me, the fact that an idea transcends from a dream makes a lot of sense. We can never change, even when we are asleep. What we think about while we are sleeping may also reflect who we really are. It’s not a choice… it is our nature. And to even consider that we can invade someone else’s mind (and identity) and change it to something we want him to be (without coercion, meaning effectively it’s his own idea, his own thoughts and free will) is a very powerful thought. It’s like an advanced hypnotism.  It is genius.

The cinematography is very Nolan-like. You can see his signature from all over the place; to name a few: the dark-yellow-red-black-gray hue, the semi-stable camera pan, and the constant music filler backdrop—these can be seen in his works in the past. Speaking of music and original score, award-winning Hans Zimmer delivered once again (Zimmer’s resume includes: Sherlock Holmes, Angels & Demons, The Dark Knight, King Arthur, The Last Samurai, Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor, Gladiator, even Madagascar, The Prince of Egypt and Lion King). Nolan’s choice of camera angles is phenomenal, and I think the editors did a good job of putting it all up together. The set looked great, and the effects very down-to-earth (ok, not literally, but I think all of it looked very believable). The split-second shots (especially the one in the van) were a thing of beauty. My favorite part was when Joseph Gordon-Levitt et al were doing “space-shuttle-like” maneuvers. Jaw-dropping scenes. The set/locations are fantastic. It felt like a classic.

And then there is the Nolan twist. He did it in The Prestige (Christian Bale’s character had a twin) and The Dark Knight (game theory-esque social experiment by the Joker and the irony of Batman being a dark knight). Inception is possible because Cobb (Leo DiCaprio) did it before. And Nolan used advanced technology in all three movies as well. In The Prestige, the Tesla Coil; in The Dark Knight, the sonar visuals, and in Inception, the “dream machine.” He knows how to stretch imaginations and successfully create subplots.

I also concede that the cast is phenomenal. It’s given that Leo DiCaprio is classic. As always, every new role is a nice addition to his repertoire. Joseph Gordon-Levitt widens his acting perspective. And I tell you, he’s still rising—probably to replicate “10 Things” co-star Heath Ledger’s success (looks like a thinner version of him too).  Ellen Page acted like a veteran, reminiscent of her role in the wildly successful Juno. The Last Samurai Ken Watanabe is also a natural. The supporting cast also delivered: the Katy Perry-look-alike Marion Cottilard (my friend pointed out that Joseph Gordon-Levitt paired up with 2 Katy Perrys already, the first in 500 Days of Summer); Michael Caine’s role wasn’t big, but he’s Michael Caine nonetheless; Cillian Murphy’s look is still mysterious and I could see why he fits his role in this; the others are also great.

The only trouble for me in this movie is you have to see it at least three times to understand all the meanings, the little subplots and symbolisms that surround every act. It’s a lot to swallow for a relaxing Sunday night. Inception is not for those looking for a quick fix. This movie puts everything into question; while at the same time it pushes your mind’s limits. You really have to think; think hard and over and over. And because we have to do that for 145 minutes, some may tap out. This is not for everyone.

I’ve never written a biased movie review before. I always had to say something strange, something incomplete—something about the movie that disappointed me. Maybe I should watch again to see it. But like most people, I was blown away by this masterpiece. I think Christopher Nolan did a really good job, and he’s becoming one of the few directors who can pull off a constant string of near-perfect movies. And you don’t have to understand it to appreciate it (I think I need to watch it at least four times :))

For me, the one true selling point in Inception lies in its theme: that dreams make you who you are; that thoughts are part of reality; that there is a chance, no matter how small, that you might just transcend that thought into reality.  I may not get all of meanings at this point (and maybe I am wrong) but I think it’s very inspiring.  Five stars definitely.

The Economics Behind LeBron James’ Decision

I woke up this morning. Did my thing and browsed through news channels—CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg. NYSE is already closed, but there are plenty of talks about the European economy, British Petroleum, China’s currency peg, inflation rates and the rather bleak US employment data—all bound to affect the stock market and economies all over the world. But none of those have such effect on emotional investors than the LEBRON JAMES DECISION. LBJ pollutes the Bloomberg news as if he's the newly elected President of the United States; as if he brings the news that the stock market is about to crash big time.

For those who don’t know a thing about basketball, LeBron James is one of the best ballers (probably the best in the world currently, arguably the most solid and most sought after athlete in the NBA) who ever existed.  He was drafted in 2003 by the Cleveland Cavaliers and for seven years, LeBron tried hard to win a championship. His contract expired this year, and together with top NBA “free-agents” Dwanye Wade and Chris Bosh, LeBron wanted to go to a team with nothing less than a title in mind. He announced today that he is joining Wade and Bosh in Miami. And suddenly, NBA teams felt the Goosebumps.  Three of the best basketball athletes in the NBA today all in one team. Talk about your worst nightmare.  It’s like having an all-star game every night.

And Cleveland will not be very happy about it. Cleveland’s economy was non-existent, up until LeBron stole the show as a local who would finally change the course of Cleveland’s sports history (Cleveland is title-less in all the 4 major sports in the US). To put things into perspective, let me ask, what was Cleveland Cavaliers worth without LeBron? LeBron is worth so much to Cleveland that Forbes magazine estimates that the franchise’s overall value will drop $100 million if James bolts for greener pastures. That’s a 21% drop in team’s current net worth of $476 million.

People in Ohio are now burning LeBron’s jerseys. Disgusted. Depressed. Bitter. They should be. The golden boy, the “King” of NBA just left for greener pastures. And by greener pastures I mean not the money. LeBron will likely make the most bucks in New York or Cleveland, but he chose Miami because with Wade and Bosh, the NBA title is most likely to land in Miami. All roads point to Miami as NBA experts pick them as the early favorites to win the title in 2011. Probably in 2012 also. 2013. Why not?

I just hate it. But it doesn’t matter. LeBron pursued his dream to cement his legacy in the NBA. To be an NBA champ finally. He is probably on his way to do that. This is his first move. And it makes economic sense (at least for him, not the Miami Heat because now the team will have around $45-50 million in salaries committed to Wade-Bosh-James, and only less than $10 million for the remaining 12 rosters). Miami is his better alternative because of Wade and Bosh. New York, Chicago, New Jersey, Los Angeles and Cleveland made their pitches. But in the end, for LeBron, it’s all about the championship title.

This will be an interesting era in the NBA. Three of the best players in the NBA in one team. And these players are in their prime (mid-20s) unlike the “Big Three” in the Boston Celtics team (Allen-Pierce-Garnett are in their 30s when they came together). LeBron’s decision will surely have an impact on the future of the NBA, and the economies of the cities involved. Miami got the biggest share of the pie. But imagine if LeBron chose to join NY instead. I’m willing to bet the NASDAQ and the S&P will hit green in seconds.

I may think (feel) LeBron is gay for joining Miami. But it’s his decision. His $15-20 million. It's his life. His shot at the title. I could have even done the same if given a chance. Geeeezzz. Anything for legacy huh? Giving up his big ego for a bigger EGO. That’s the economics of his decision. Good luck to the other teams in the NBA.

Plan B

About eight months ago, I decided that I wanted to get an MBA. I want to get it fast. I felt the window of opportunity was going to be open for this year only. Why? I was at the crossroads of my career--planning to either continue doing what I did for the past two years or finally switch to a new industry. I would want to settle down in a couple of years, start a family and be financially independent. So it's got to be now...

But what pressed me the most to do the MBA was my genuine desire to improve my career through business education.  I mean look at the CEOs and directors of big companies. Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Columbia. Ivy League. Stone-brick walls and hollow halls. On the other side of the Atlantic, London Business School, INSEAD, IESE, IMD. I want those. It became an instant dream, a dream that I honestly think I can actually go for.

I did. And I had only one school in mind. IESE Business School - University of Navarre in Barcelona, Spain. Arguably one of the top B-schools in the world (at least according to The Economist, Financial Times, and the BusinessWeek). Story short, I got ACCEPTED and have been OFFERED a slot in this year's MBA class (more on this on later posts). 

But I'm not going. 

Instead, in a sudden twist of fate, I am opting for Plan B. A career shift. Giving up my current job for another. Only this time, it's ten times harder, a hundred times more challenging, and a thousand times more stressful. This is great. Giving up a life in a fishbowl with Flounder and Nemo for a (non)life in a shark tank. Well, not really. At least that's what I think this is. 

So what really happened here? I gave up one dream to reach another. And now I realize there are too many dreams to choose from. This is typical. WE ALL WANT IT ALL don't we? This is our nature. But in reality we can only have one dream at a time. You have to choose which ones to reach first. We all have to choose which one. I'm not saying I can't do the MBA in IESE anymore, but I right now I have chosen this dream. A dream of finding a career that is just right, something that will challenge me to new heights, something that will maximize my talents, my potential, my gifts from God. A dream of fulfillment that's beyond monetary needs...

(Okay, not really. Who am I kidding. Money is and has always been part of it. But I'd like to think it isn't so.)

So Plan B happened. And it was a difficult decision. I've invested so much money and emotion into getting the MBA this year. But I have a strong feeling I won't regret this. My gut feel says I'm going to be fine. It's going to be fabulous. It's going to be legend--wait for it--ary (borrowed from Barney Stinson). And I can't wait to start my new career in a few weeks. I am excited! And I felt vindicated when I saw the look on my Boss's face when I told him I'm packing. He smiled as if saying "you did the right thing and I wish you the best of luck." (at least I'm hopeful he really felt this way) I was so relieved. 

In economics, there is such a thing as the "second best choice." When the best choice is not available, the second best choice is of course your best bet. But it doesn't mean you're settling. It just means under the current circumstances you are in, the second best fits the bill. 

For me, both choices--MBA or a career change (in a field I have been in the past few years hopeful to be in)--are great. I guess you can call it a win-win situation since it's not really that bad if I turned out to be successful in this upcoming career; or if I turned out to be ok after the MBA. But it is what it is, I have made my decision although I still (day)dream about Barcelona and the best B-school in the world... I came so close to reaching that dream. 

You see? This crossroads of dreams I encountered over the first six months of this year posted economic problems for me. How do I choose what's right for me? How do I know if this is the right choice? How do I know what will benefit me the most--short term and long term? What do I have to pay to achieve those dreams?

It seems to me that the most glaring price to pay for reaching one dream is to give up the other... at least for now. Then there comes effort, prudence, patience, and what-have-you's. In a few weeks I will start a new career. In a few months I will find out just how much I will have to give more. In a few years I will definitely find out if all of this is worth it. But no regrets. 

Now I'm here, where soon I will be swimming in unfamiliar (and possibly treacherous) waters. I will try to stay afloat. I will try to outswim those sea monsters. And something tells me I'm going to pull off a Michael Phelps.

UBUNTU: Success in the NBA

Measuring SUCCESS is very relative. For some it’s being able to afford Hermés bags, Chopard watches, or a sporty BMW M3 (guilty here). For some, it’s being at the helm of a multinational company; for some it’s simply educating and helping people (hats tip to Efren Peñaflorida); for some (like Philippine president-elect Homer Simpson Noynoy Aquino) it’s winning a presidential election… although this I strongly oppose… who, in his right mind would want to head a country like the Philippines—facing trillions of dollars in foreign debt, PhP300 Billion budget deficit, at least 20 million Filipinos starving, while basically earning a measly PhP60,000 a month in direct salary. Well, unless you count access to more than USD20 Billion of tax revenue each year as a measurement of success. But that’s another story.

For my NBA team—Boston Celtics—it’s nothing less than winning a title. For Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, it was a dream three years ago. But as part of the Celtics team they became champions in 2008, not because they were athletic but they worked as a team. The price of living that elusive dream to be NBA champs is giving up statistics, individualism, stardom—in other words, giving up individual EGOs to establish a COLLECTIVE EGO. The price of being called “champs,” is working as a team. In the 2010 NBA season, that’s what they tried to be. (Flashback: In 2009, Kevin Garnett, the team’s defensive pillar injured himself in the second half of the season, so go figure what happened to their campaign that year)

Coach Doc Rivers called the Celtics to be a TEAM. He adopted the African philosophy of UBUNTU—which focuses on people’s allegiances and relations to each other, emphasizing compassion and humanity. The Boston Celtics became the UBUNTU team with only one common goal: to win. Feared, envied, and most of the time hated by other teams in the NBA. The team’s mantra that was posted in the locker rooms read, “Individuals win games; Teams win titles.” It was an inspiring quote, something MBA schools can use to teach aspiring tycoons, or something generals can shout about as battle cry to their troops in war.

So what happened?

Unless you’re not into the NBA like my Scottish colleague who thinks basketball is boring, you know that the L.A. Lakers won the 2010 NBA Title. The NBA’s most storied franchises—Celtics and Lakers—make up one of the most famous (arch) rivalries in sports and they have 33 NBA championships between them. The Lakers won in 2009 and they still have Kobe Bryant who is by far the best baller in the world. Of course they were expected to win again this year. They did. But the story is not about them. It’s about a mediocre team (4th seed in the East) whom most people predicted to be out in the early rounds of the playoffs. It’s about that UBUNTU Celtics team who faced none other than the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

The Cinderella story didn’t end with a parade celebration in downtown Boston for the Celtics’ unprecedented 18th NBA title. But it was UBUNTU that brought them six minutes or five points away from that. Boston knocked out three heavyweights on its way to face the Lakers in the Finals. Three of NBA’s best players—Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and Dwight Howard—and their teams all went down against the Celtics. How? Teamwork. It was beautiful to watch.

LeBron (King) James cannot carry his team alone, and this is the lesson these Celtics taught the world. Success, no matter how impossible, can be achieved with the proper mindset. For basketball, it is teamwork. Kobe Bryant scored 38 points in Game 5 of the Finals but they lost. Boston’s team had six players scoring at least 10 points in that game. That, my friends, is called teamwork. This is why other NBA teams are jealous of the UBUNTU: no other team is even close to resembling the level where these Boston Celtics compete when they are at their best. This philosophy was so strong that despite all the difficulties they faced all season, they remained resilient against the best teams in the NBA. It all paid off.

A lot of things went wrong in the last 15 minutes of the do-or-die Game 7 of the NBA Finals when the Celtics played poorly and the Lakers played like champs. But these Celtics already proved their point all along. No one picked them as the eastern conference champs; no one believed they could give the Lakers a challenge; no one expected them to live past Lebron and Dwight. UBUNTU did it. That’s what it really takes to win. That is the price of winning in the NBA.

In November, we might see a very different Celtics team, with some of its pieces new, and some old pieces replaced. But I believe their mindset will again take them to places no one expected them to reach. They will try to be champs again; most likely they will fail again. But I’m not betting against their chances. Because they have what it takes to win a title.

Success is relative… and with UBUNTU, to me this team succeeded.

Caveat: The author is obviously a Celtics fan.

The Dream Economist

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“Blank” is how one can describe this blog for the past 12 months. I planned to write about lots of things but I never really had enough will to start. So when did I find the time to write this first entry? Well, now I’m in front of my office desk, trying to finish a dreaded presentation for a convention that I am invited to talk to in three days. And all I can think about is my future which is getting brighter or gloomier by the second, depending on what angle you are looking from.

I am a 25-year old typical guy who works for a typical company with a typical salary, typical (semi-non-existent) benefits. And out of a sheer dream to gradually succeed in the corporate world, I want my way out. You know, to try new things… learn new things… earn and buy new things… things that typical young professionals drool about at this point of their careers, well at least if they’re serious about it. If they are inspired, driven, competitive; if they dream…

But that’s only one variable to the equation…

They say dreams are free. But why keep dreaming if you can actually reach for it? Why bother (day) dreaming when you can actually do something about it? All you need is to pay the price. That, my friends, is ECONOMICS. Plain and simple. And now I coin the term DREAM ECONOMICS, where I constantly ask the question: what do you have to pay to live your dreams? I am telling you right now, it’s not free.

The famous economics quote “there’s no such thing as free lunch” says it all.

Join me as I share with you my thoughts on careers, sports, economics, movies, relationships, politics, society, gadgets, cars, problems growing up, being successful in life, et cetera. Dig into the realms of dreaming big, aiming high, falling hard, and the learning curve we all face every day. I am your Dream Economist. Let’s all get a better life for ourselves. Who’s with me?