From: Soriano, Edwin S
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 11:57 AM
To: Bulos, Jun; Salcedo, Jhoanna
Subject: Checking in …

Hi Jun, Anna,

Just checking in to say hi. Kumusta kayo?

It’s my third day in Intel, doing our NEO.
Had lunch with Bimal on the first day when I sat-in sa presentation niya about TME and TMG.
Had lunch with Gelo and some of the TMGT guys kahapon sa anniv ni Gelo.

Things are going well. Hope all is well with you guys too.

See you when you get back.

Edwin

After three years …

From: Soriano, Edwin
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 3:53 PM
To: ‘Edwin S. Soriano’
Subject: FW: To the great adventures ahead!

Dear Friends,

Once upon a time, our paths crossed.

In my 3 years in Intel, I have learned much, achieved much, grown much, laughed much and dreamed much.

I am thankful for being part of Intel, a truly wonderful company.
And I thank you for being part of the awesome journey I had at Intel.

I wish you the best! Keep making great things happen!

Email me (edwin@edwinsoriano.com), read me (www.edwinsoriano.com) or link me up (www.linkedin.com/in/kaedong).
And when our paths cross again, let’s celebrate the greatness we create.

Mabuhay!
Edwin

Edwin “Ka Edong” Soriano
email: edwin@edwinsoriano.com
blog: www.edwinsoriano.com
network: www.linkedin.com/in/kaedong

“I don’t believe in circumstance. The people who get on in the world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can’t find them, make them”.
- George Bernard Shaw

I observed this the very strongly in 2006 when our group knew that some of us had to leave the company. During the time of ambiguity and uncertainty, I had made a decision that I will focus on work instead of search for other opportunities.

Edwin Leaps Ahead

I came to this decision for two reasons. First, I was just starting my career at Intel and I wanted to make the most of it. Second, I realized that if I was going to be asked to leave, I had a very generous offer to go along with me. I was confident enough that I could turn around and find good opportunities out there. And Intel was there to help me through the transition.

Back in 2006, I was asked to stay on, and I took the challenge head on.

It was an awesome three years.

Now, after three great years at Intel, I take leave.

In my exit interview a few days ago, I shared with Yen that I am proud to be part of Intel. I was especially proud about how Intel takes care of its employees, moreso in these times of difficulty. I know there are some who would not agree with me.

But in the big picture, you really have to give it to Intel. The way the transition is managed, the kind of support it gives its employees, the programs (career fair, skills trainings, finance workshops, migration seminar, alternative careers etc.), the career advancement, the timing, the parties, the perks.

Intel has been good to me.
I am proud to have been part of Intel.
Now Intel is part of me.

Edwin “ka edong” Soriano
Intel Inside!

Leap at Mansion

1.    Simple joys: Swimming, having a date on Valentine’s day with my swimming buddies Ruby and Jovie. Dinner with friends at King Bee. Boys night out. Teaching the Influence edge class, sharing the cashflow game with friends. Anniversary concert at CV1. Team building dinners. And a lot more simple but fun times with friends.

TMGT CV 2006

Jollibee Meets TMGT

Leap to the World

2.    Travel to Pudong and Chengdu – My trip to Pudong and Chengdu was extra special too. It was an opportunity for me to represent our department in a face-to-face meeting. The attendees fo the meeting were two levels above me. I loved it. And I learned a whole lot during that conference, especially from BK and JC. Lots of lessons learned inside the conference room and outside during the dinners.

Shanghai Moon

3.    Visiting Penang and KL – Twice I had the opportunity to visit Penang. It wasn’t exactly the work that was memorable. It was truly the time spent with friends that made the trip memorable. It was also great meeting Filipinos in foreign lands making a good name for themselves. Makes me proud to be Pinoy!

4.    Travel to San Francisco, Arizona and Canada – Ah, the supplier day in San Francisco. Exquisite. We had worked on the project for around 2 months. We went to San Francisco. It was my first time in the US. I found it to be … “normal”. I felt that because I had been so exposed to US culture through TV, movies and printed material, it wasn’t really such a new thing being in the US. I got to meet my relatives in SanFo.

San Francisco

Face to Virtual Face at Arizona

5.    Trip to Baguio – Baguio was memorable for me. I am from Baguio. But having my officemates over at Baguio was extra special for me. I got to take them around my hometown. But more than that, I spent special time with my friends in a night of stories and revelations. That evening, I understood my friends at a deeper level, and I understood myself more too.

Baguio

6.    Making girls cry – Mind you, it wasn’t fun. But it was memorable because it was very emotional. Those were times when I reflected about my relationships outside of work – made me think about how similarly I treated my loved ones the way I was treating my officemates. I realized that it’s not easy for the people I love to go with my flow, especially when my flow isn’t clear.

7.    Crying – One of my lowest points in my previous personal relationship manifested itself at work.

In a turn of events after a staff meeting. I found myself on the verge of crying. I walked quickly to the washroom and I couldn’t help it - the dam broke lose. It was terrible. My heart was pounding, I was short of breath, I couldn’t see how terribly I looked in the bathroom mirror. I just let it all out, this emptiness that only tears can express.

I was glad my friend and officemate, Babby, happened to come in the door after me. He consoled me. He didn’t know what was happening, but he was there for me. And that’s all I needed right that moment. Thanks Babby!

8.    Training for my marathon – Not yet sure why this is memorable for me. Perhaps its because the hours I spent training were more than just times of physical and mental triumph. Those training runs were times I had alone with my own thoughts.

9.    Discovering myself through PSI – “when the student is ready, a teacher will appear”. I felt this was the case for me. I was so much in need for better awareness and acceptance of myself. PSI helped me understand myself more. The greatness in me is here. I love it!

Edwin Leaps Ahead

10.    Meeting my honey – At Intel, during one of our team’s tocino lunch get togethers, I met the lady in a yellow blouse. She occupied the workstation next to mine. That day, I happened to wear a yellow shirt as well. Ah, bagay! And truly we were bagay, so much more bagay than just the clothes we were wearing. The lady in the yellow blouse would later become my honey . Ah – without any doubt at all, this is the best that I gained from working at Intel. I love you hon!

What does this list tell me? It’s not the meetings, the ROI, the recognitions, the AR’s, the indicators that we remember. It’s the relationships and the events that we remember. It’s friends being there, sharing our lives with friends. Building relationships. That’s all, that’s all.

What can I do so that my life memories and the work I do are the same one thing? Would be beautiful, don’t you agree?

More to reflect as I go from Leaping Ahead to being Me Na Me.

ka edong
in remembrance of an awesome time at Intel

It’s been almost three years I’ve been working with Intel. From the start, I deliberately chose to *not* blog about anything Intel mostly because I didn’t want to even get close to any confidentiality issues.

But in this phase, my crossroads, I find it timely to reflect upon my years in Intel. It was a wonderful phase in my life. I want to capture sketches of this chapter in my life through my blog.

Inside Intel

Tutal, data-driven tayo dito … Let’s start my sketching with some numbers.
How many days did I spend inside Intel? …

Calendar days employed at Intel: 1,441
Work-days: 721
Meetings attended: 1,833
Work emails: 78,996 sent, 119,625 received
Average work emails per day: 109 sent, 166 received

Laptops: 1 (Kupradia)
Hard disk space: 6.67GB Free, 67.8GB Used
Cellphones acquired: 8 (2 in Sanfo, 4 Suns, 1 Liway, 1 Yayo-man)

Trainings taken at Intel: 78
Trainings delivered at Intel: 1
Cashflow games facilitated: 4
PSI seminars attended: 2
PSI talks delivered: 4

Countries visited: 5
US (San Francisco, Arizona, Chicago, Seattle), Canada (Toronto), Malaysia (Penang, Kulim, Kuala Lumpur), China (Shanghai, Chengdu), Singapore
Towers climbed: 3
(Pearl Tower @ Shanghai, Space Needle @ Seattle, Sears Tower @ Chicago)

Houses purchased: 3
Houses lived in: 3
Refrigerators bought: 1
TV sets bought: zero

Marathons Marathon run: 1
Shots taken in the knee: 1
Surgeries underwent: 1 (going on two)

Audio books/clips listened to: 276
Books read: 53
(Steve Pavlina, T Harv Eker, Brian Tracy, David Allen, Raju Mandhyan, Jack Canfield, Bo Sanchez, Beth Kobliner, Tom Rath, Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki)

Times I had too much alcohol: 1 (Baguio 2007)
Times I sang in public: 2 (Dine&Jam 2006, Kaffe Klatch 2007)

Girls I made cry: 4 (that I know of)
Boys I made cry: 1 (that I know of)

That’s a lot in three years.
And there’s more to remember, more to share! …

ka edong
inside Intel, looking out

I took a leave from work yesterday. Because yesterday, I went through a surgery that knocked me out for a couple of hours.

I found out about my medical condition through a series of medical examinations in connection with my employment. Within two weeks of discovering the need for my surgery, I took the necessary tests and confirmed my surgical appointment for Oct 24.

Through these past three days, I am thankful for many things.

• I am thankful that I discovered the need for this corrective surgery.
• I am thankful for my current company for the medical benefit that covers a huge part of the medical expenses.
• I am thankful for my manager and friend, A, who challenges me to do better and supports and understands me when I need her help. I am thankful for my team mates and friends at work who said prayers and supported me in many other ways.
• I am thankful for my PSI family especially Tita Vickie for the prayers and white light as I was going through my surgery. Thank you Tita Vickie and Tito Sonny for visiting me at the hospital, I really appreciate it!
• I am thankful for my doctor, Doc Allen Reyes, for the very successful operation and the clarity and patience in helping me understand the surgery I went through. Thanks, friend! I thank the staff of St. Luke’s who have been very professional, very courteous and amiable. I’m glad their patient with the kulit patient they had named Edwin.
• I am thankful for Jorey and Noee, my bestfriends-couple for the always humorous conversations. Glad you were here, mga kapatid!
• I am thankful for my honey who stayed by my side through this whole experience. Huuuuug! Thanks for the lugaw and chocnut and for a whole lot more!
• I am thankful for my dad, mom and kuya eric who took time out from their normal days to be with me through this surgery. Dad and mom have always been there in the most important parts of our lives. I thank you for being there and I love you so much! Atchi and kelmer, thanks for the prayers and the moral support!
• And to the many relatives and friends who said their prayers for me and sent their warm wishes.

I am recovering well.

It was a unique experience what I went through. It was very pleasant getting my treatment at St. Luke’s. I feel like I’m in a hotel! Very clean place, very pleasant staff. I am blessed to have the medical coverage for St. Luke’s.

I remember being quite excited coming into the operating room. I was scanning the place as they rolled me into the operating room on my hospital bed. I remember they strapped me unto the bed and started connecting so many tubes and devices on my chest and arms. They put a hairnet on me and taped on a sterile cap on my head, telling me it was a “hair spa”. Hehehe!  I’m sure they were jolly partly because they saw I was jolly. I remember the oxygen mask and the smell pleasant smell. Ahhh, so this is what it’s like to inhale oxygen. Reminds me of the oxygen bars I’ve seen on TV or heard about through friends.

I remember my Anesthesiologist (aka “Anes”, sounds like “Honest”) positioning me on my side like in the fetus position. She warned me of the pain I would feel on my back as she put in something to make my lower body numb. It was a tingling feeling. That’s almost the last that I could remember.

I remember waking up in the middle of the surgery, I think, but dozing off quite quickly as well.

Next thing I remember I was at the recovery section of the OR. I couldn’t feel my feet, legs and butt. I remember the nurses coming and going, checking on my vital signs and the pain reliever they gave through my IV.

I remember waking and dozing off. While awake, I would test how much of my legs I could feel, and to what extent I could move my legs and toes. I remember hearing my name and replying like a schoolboy “Present!” .

I’m up and about now. Although I still have two bottles of vodka … este IV and a pain reliever pinned to me, I able to walk and move around enough to write this article on my laptop.

I am blessed. I thank our good Lord for all the blessings and all the love I have been showered with. Bless my body which You have healed, bless my heart that continues to love and love life!

ka edong
loves life!

If I were to sum up the chapter, I’d state in my own words that the more readily we accept the truth, the better and faster we will grow. It may not be easy accepting the truth, but it is always a step in the right direction.

I have had fights with truth in the past. Note: fight “with” truth not fight “for” truth.

Let me share these experiences with you.

I’ve been found!

I was taking a Masters in Development Management at AIM back in 2004. In the early part of the course, there was a battery of self-awareness exercises. The basis of it was that the more aware people are of themselves, the better for them to learn and grow.

One of the tests was the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. It was a personality test (Take the Jung Typology test ). As far as I could remember, it asked a set of more than 50 questions. The analysis of my answers pointed me to a personality type that had with it a description of that personality.

After answering the questions, making the analysis and finally zeroing in on my personality type, I felt a very unique emotion.

I was enraged! I remember distinctly how *mad* I was! I was taken aback at how accurately the personality test was able to describe to me my personality! It was as if the test knew me personally! The write-up described how I think, how I felt about things, how I felt about myself, how I made decisions, how I approached problems.

It described *me* so accurately. I felt I had been found! And I could not believe what I was reading because I felt I had, until then, successfully hidden from others and from myself some of the very deep truths about myself! And now here is a test created by some person far far away who is telling me the kind of person I am, both good and not so good.

And the “not so good” this test was revealing to me when I didn’t want it to be revealed to me!

I was in denial and this test was uncovering things that I was denying.
I was mad! Mad about this disrespectful revelation of the truth I had hidden from myself.

Who knew I was faking a bit?

I had another similarly powerful experience while taking the Starshooters program of PSI in late 2007. In one of the activities, our group of 16 was divided into 4 groups. The grouping was based on a very simple scoring system derived from what we had achieved from the goals that we had set for ourselves in the past month. I belonged to the second group.

The first group was described to have goals that they truly resonated with. The goals they had set for themselves were very real and sincere for them that they would have moved mountains to achieve their goals. That’s how truthful their goals were for the people in the first group.

The second group, where I belonged, had goals that were short of the real truth. Being in this group, I was described to have goals which were not truly aligned with what I truly wanted. A part of my goals were in fact goals that I did not *really* want. I was told that a part of my goals were false goals that I thought were *my* goals but were in fact goals that I felt other people wanted for me.

For the second time in my life, I was mad at a revelation of truth. Here I was in a second group whereas I felt I belonged to the first group. I was being told that my goals weren’t as sincere as can be. My golly, I was mad and I didn’t hide it!

My anger reveals resistance and denial

It isn’t often that I’m mad. Very few people have seen me mad. It’s sad that in my rage, it is the people I love who get hurt along the way.

I realized tonight that there are times this anger comes out when I am being forced to face a truth that I prefer to deny. Anger is one response I take when I insist on denying the truth.

This anger-response has helped me resist the truth and thus resist changing for the better.

“I am in denial”

Steve Pavlina describes, “Being completely honest with yourself is vastly superior to living in denial.”

When I say “I am in denial”, I consider this statement one step towards accepting the truth!

This is better than saying “I am true to myself” when deep inside it is not true.

At least by saying “I am in denial” there is an awareness that I am not being totally truthful to myself.

Hehehe … I know that there’s an oxymoron there. Although I am not trying to be funny here, I was amused at how truthful this oxymoron is.

By saying “I am in denial”, I take one step closer to accepting the truth.

Concrete action: catch myself

Here is a decision I am making right now. When I find myself bordering in anger, I will remind myself that I am resisting something. And my resistance is probably based on something in my mind or heart that is not completely true.

I will catch myself and ask myself: “Why am I mad? What am I resisting? Why am I resisting? What is the more truthful and loving way to respond to this situation?”

ka edong
for truth, for love

When I opened the package, I was like a little boy finding a toy robot in a birthday gift box. I couldn’t hide my delight, and I want to share it with you!

I received three copies of Steve Pavlina’s book “Personal Development for Smart People – The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth”

Steve Pavlina - Personal Development for Smart People

Wahoo! I was so excited to read the book, I started browsing through the pages and having a taste of what the book had in store for me.

I’m glad I have a renewed passion for books. Thanks mom and dad for showing me your good example of being well read.

For any Steve Pavlina fans in the Philippines, I have an extra copy of Steve’s book. I’m willing to send you the book to you if you’re willing to share costs of shipping (US-Phils). Email me ka_edong (at) edwinsoriano.com  and lets agree on a reasonable win-win price :-)  .

ka edong
bookworm

Neither could I nor anybody in the group. I just shared with him the struggle I went through. For two years I tried so hard to understand with my mind and my heart my twist in fate. But when I finally went beyond the need to understand, that was when the healing started and I began to truly acknowledge the many blessings I had instead of dwell in the pain of my loss.

Let go, and let God

Remember the bible verse? “Trust not in your own understanding…”

God has a purpose in all this. Look forward to the blessings amidst the seeming tragedies.

A gem in the rubble

The same day, I went to the nearby little mall. I dropped by a bookstore and found a book for myself. It was entitled “Triumphs of the Heart”. It’s a compilation of stories of ordinary (extra-ordinary, really!) people overcoming extreme adversity and creating success for themselves! It’s a great read, very inspirational! A gem!

While I was reading first few stories, I knew very clearly a higher purpose for buying that book. That book was meant to be passed on to J who had lost his kambal.

Make everybody a suspect. A suspect of goodness.

I hadn’t met J until just the previous day. And I knew I wanted to give the book anonymously. My teammate was wondering why and suggested: “Give credit to the person (Edwin) doing the good deed.”

I explained: “I want everybody to be a suspect of goodness.”

I placed the book on J’s desk. I put a note on it saying:

Brother J,

In His time, you will triumph!
Look forward to that time!

Your brother

A few hours later, the whole group of 10 men received an email from J who exclaimed: “Sa nagbigay ng libro, maraming salamat!”

Everybody was a suspect of goodness. Wasn’t that nice?

Later that day, J found out the book came from me. He thanked me via email. He thanked me again from his driver’s seat in his car while I was crossing the street in front of his car.

Was it coincidence that our paths met the day before and again that afternoon on that street?

There are no coincidences. There is purpose for everything.

ka edong
triumphant

But apart from this spiritual goal, I want parts of me to give life to others - in a very literal sense.

I speak of organ donation.

Organ Donor Card

Fifteen years ago, I signed up to donate my eyes, my liver, my pancreas, my kidneys and my heart in the event of my death. I still stand by this decision I’ve made during my adolescence. It’s a way of giving a gift of agape, a gift of life even upon my death.

I kept an organ donor card in my wallet since then. That card is always in my wallet. It fell into the waters with me one time I tried to help out stir a fishing boat (see Guro Sa Cuyo). Much of the card had shriveled up through the years, the writing fading away, the edges dilapidated.

Organ Donor Card - The gift of life

I was at a hospital one time, and I asked whether they had an organ donor card that I can use to replace this dilapidated card. They didn’t know where I could get one.

Organ Donor Card
(Keep this card with you at all times in a place where it will be found quickly)

I would like to help someone to live after my death

In the hope that I may help others, I wish to donate after my death my:

• Kidneys
• Eyes
• Liver
• Pancreas
• Heart
• Any needed parts or organs to be used for transplantation

Donor: Edwin S. Soriano
Birthdate: January 11, 1975
Date Signed: Aug 2, 1993
Address & Telephone number: (shown in original card, kept confidential online)
Next of Kin: Antonio D. Soriano

Here’s an idea for proponents of (legal) organ donation among Filipinos.
(This idea Inspired by Triumphs of the Heart, Book II by Chris Benguhe)

With all the Internet technologies available, why not create an online registry for people to sign-up for organ donation.

Upon online verification, give a digital badge to the the donors similar to the organ donor card. This badge can be placed by the donors on their blog the same way I did above.

If you believe in this idea, go ahead and make a similar declaration on your blog.
Link back to me so we could start a little organ donor registry on the net.

Here are a few links about organ donation in the Philippines.

• Organ donation FAQ
• Organ Donation Act
• National Kidney and Transplant Institute
• New AO on human organ donation, transplant to end trafficking -– DOH
• The Philippines and Organ Donation
• Philippines Ban Organ Transplant to Foreigners
• Philippine Bishops urge halt to organ trafficking
  

I’m surprised (half surprised) to find that there’s a bad case of organ trafficking in the Philippines. This article is my contribution to the positive kind of organ donation.

After a purposeful life and upon my death, let this post be a reminder to my family and loved ones that it is my will to give life after my death.

ka edong
part of me, part of you

He has no arms. He has no legs.

But he is brilliant!
He has achieved financial freedom.
He has written books!
He is an inspirational speaker!

Nick Vujicic - www.lifewithoutlimbs.com

Truly, Nick Vujicic is an inspiration! Visit: Life without Limbs - http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/

Reminds me that no matter what challenges we face in our lives, God has a plan for all of us.
We are designed by God to excel and have a wonderful life, and be a great gift to our loved ones and to the world !

ka edong
purposeful