The Most Important Question

I have always wondered about what moves people to start a spa, massage clinic or wellness center business? or to enter the profession as a massage therapist or a spa therapist? The Most Important Question to Ask Yourself before Entering or Starting Any Project or Endeavor is the Question of Why will I do this? Why will I start this business? Why will I enter this field? Because our why will determine our how’s. If your why is not enough for you to act, then no amount of how can make you move or take action. Kahit na simpleng simple lang ang mga dapat gawin para makamit mo ang iyong mga pangarap kung wala ka talagang “deep desire” na tinatawag, walang mangyayari. Hindi ka kikilos at hindi ka gagawa. We have a saying that goes “Kung gusto, may paraan, kung ayaw may dahilan” (If there is deep desire, there is a way if there is no desire, there are excuses” or “if there is a will, there is a way”). The Philippine culture is full of stories of the chivalry of men who loved deep enough that they are willing to cut woods, sing “harana” or give their lives, just to prove that his love is worthy of his beloved’s attention. “Malayo man, malapit din, pilit ka ring mararating, wag lamang masabi mong di kita ginigiliw.” Ika nga, Love will find a way. Because it really will. Because no matter how difficult a task is, if it is done with love, it seemingly is easy. Consider a young man carrying bamboo and bricks to bring to the house of his beloved as a gift to her parents or a woman having to wait for years for her beloved to return to her because of a promise- those are just examples of sacrifices that are difficult to bear if you do not love the person to whom you dedicate your efforts, but if you love the person enough, you will bear these sacrifices just to show how much you really care and will do it with passion and enthusiasm. But if you really don’t love that person, you will not lift a finger and will just find excuse after an excuse. You will not run out of excuses. Ganun din sa trabaho o sa negosyo, kung hindi mo talaga mahal ang trabaho at negosyo mo hindi ka gagawa ng mga bagay na mahirap at makakapag-pahirap sa iyo kahit pa madali yung gawin para sa iba.

There was this woman who was trapped in a burning three story-house. Below her, were two men who were shouting at her to jump and they will catch her. The first man was very muscular, athletic built and physically able to catch her but the other person, was thin, “lampayatot” (seemingly sickly) and was shouting out her name to jump. When the woman finally decided to jump, she jumped right through the arms of the second man, the one who was thin and considered “lampayatot”…why? Because he is her husband. She knows that whatever happens, her husband would not let her go and would save her even if he seems he does not look quite like it. She trusts her completely to know that deep inside her heart, she would whatever it takes to see her safe. That is how we should also see our God who is in Heaven. God found a way for us to be saved from all our transgressions.

That is also how we should view our decisions in life, it should be answered with your heart into it not just for love of profit or money that will come. The basic question to really answer is “why” am I doing what I am doing? Why will I do what I want to do? Why am I not doing what I am supposed to do? Why? Then after you have found your why’s- find a way or find ways to make your dream a reality. But first, answer your why…

And only you can answer.


Passion without action is not good enough -yunesa

The Principle of Multiplication in Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness

The Principle of Multiplication in Spa, Massage Therapy and Wellness
by Eunice
yunesa@yahoo.com

The principle of multiplication is seen everyday, even in the field of spa, massage therapy, beauty and wellness. Sometimes, we Filipinos tend to look at business and earning money as something that is less honorable than other fields. We tend to shy away from asking what we rightfully deserve because of this mentality. So how do we apply the principle of multiplication in the spa, massage therapy and wellness profession or business?
1. We ought to give more than what our spa and massage therapy clients gives us in monetary value. We get paid, but we give more of what they paid us both in quality and in service.
2. We enter the spa, massage therapy and wellness field or industry with an open heart and mind because this will be a platform for more learning and mulitiplication of lessons learned from your experiences and the experience of others.
3. We advertise truthfully, when we say 60 minutes of Swedish massage, it should be 60 minutes or 70 minutes not 50 minutes, not 45 minutes. We give more than what is expected of us not because we are paid for our services but because it's the right thing to do. By doing this, we multiply the number of persons who would like to be our clients and increase client loyalty.
4. We register and comply with state, city and our country's laws and regulations regarding spa, massage therapy and wellness practices even if it's difficult and sometimes expensive to do so. We have to give what is due to "Ceasar" so our country will benefit from our profession and from our business. By this, we multiply the number of people who are law abiding rather than law breakers.
5. We do not fight unfairly with our competitors. We are not copy cats nor do we wage price wars and destroy the quality of our services. We promote and refer competitors if we do not offer the services and multiply the number of goodwill clients coming our way.
6. We are not cheapskates, we give fair compensation and remuneration to our spa and massage therapists so they can live decent lives and will not be pushed to doing something illegal and immoral. In the same way, we multiply the number of people who are willing to give and share to other staff as well.
7. We invest in businesses that promotes health and wellbeing instead of stripping it away. We patronize businesses that will not only give us what we need but will do something good for others, the community and the environment. This creates goodwill and multiply the number of socially responsible business people.

There are thousands of ways in multiplying what God has given us. The parable of the talents gives us an example that it is very Godly to profit.

Matthew 24: 14-30 (and Luke 19:12-28)

14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.


We are the soil, we all bear fruits. Our fruits might be monetary, time we give to others, kindness and gratitude na sinusukli natin sa ating kapwa at marami pang iba. Just last Tuesday, we had a church feeding program for the homeless in Luneta (photos below) and I realized that we are not only on the giving end but we are always on the receiving end. Life is a life of balance: we inhale and we exhale, we give and we take, there is a left and a right, up and down- ano ang puwede nating ibigay sa hindi puwedeng magbigay? We have to multiply whatever good (seed) planted in us, helping and assisting others. So what returns do we give back to others who has done something good to us? or to those who needs our help? ano ang ating sinusukli or itinatanim?

Tukneneng Brain

Tukneneng Brain
by Eunice Estipona
yunesa@yahoo.com

Tukneneng Brain says I am not in the mood to write my spa business plan
Wisdom says I will do whatever it takes even if I am not in the mood
Tukneneng Brain says I am sick and tired of working in the massage clinic
Wisdom says I am committed to constantly learning and growing
Tukneneng Brain says I do not like to go to the Meetup
Wisdom says go out, have fun, bless others and enjoy life to the fullest
Tukneneng Brain says "he is not good, she is bad and they are not good enough"- so who cares?
Wisdom says bless those whom you hate
Tukneneng brain says tomorrow, tomorrow...tomorrow.
Wisdom says cease the moment, you only have today to look forward to
Tukneneng brain spreads gossips, rumors and is resentful of the success of others
Wisdom says cursing others is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die.
Tukneneng brain thinks like a crab
Wisdom brain thinks like an eagle

So whom are we going to follow? The tukneneng brain or the wisdom that sets in?
Everyday, we are faced with choices. Choices that can either have a positive effect or a negative effect on ourselves and others. Yesterday, I was with a bunch of energetic and talented group of youth (I love being with younger generations as I can so much learn from them as they learn from me) whose common ground is the love of music, as their event speaker, I imparted how our very own words, our thinking and attitude affects our lives- and the lives of others. Our thinking pattern influences our brain and thus, our actions. Our attitude either empowers us or disempowers us.

It all starts with either the tukneneng brain or the wisdom brain. It's your choice.

To live a healthier life: bless those whom you want to become, those whom you want to help and those who hate you -yunesa