How Far Can You Go When it Comes to Your Dreams?

Happy Tuesday! :)

I'm so excited to send you this letter!

So excited for our TuesDate!

Last Saturday, we had the book launch of 12 of the graduates of?The 90-Day Book Writing Challenge?(BWC).

It was such a beautiful, heartwarming, and joyful event.

Our youngest author was 17 years old! Wow!

A month ago, the youngest graduate of BWC who launched her book was 11 years old!

We also had an author who launched at age 76. So inspiring! As they say, age is just a number :)

But just a few hours prior to the book launch, I felt like I joined an Amazing Race!

Context. Pre-pandemic, I used to go for Confession once or twice a month.

I call it the "bathing" of my soul. If I take a bath twice a day to be physically clean, why not take a soul bath once a month, right?

Since the situation is better now pandemic-wise, I decided to resume the habit of going for Confession once a month!

I went to Greenbelt Chapel in Makati, but it was already full.

So I rushed to University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) in Ortigas.

It was like an Amazing Race because I also needed to be home in time for the 3:00 PM book launch.

Thank God I made it!

And it was all worth it. I'm so glad I took that extra step to cleanse my soul so I could fully enjoy Christmas!

(In case you want to schedule your confession in UA&P, you can book an appointment here:?https://uap-chaplaincy.appointlet.com/)

Whether you're a Catholic like me or a Buddhist or a Muslim or spiritual or non-denominational, or whatever your faith is, it's always a good idea to cleanse our hearts and souls so we can fully enjoy the blessings God readily gives us.

Today, let's ponder on the question,?"How far can you go when it comes to your dreams?"

When I wanted to learn money management, I invested in books, seminars, and mentors.

When I was writing my first book while working full time for a bank, I decided to forego playing my favorite sport badminton once a week so I can have more time to write.

I also studied how to write a book by reading my favorite books and deducing how the books were written, how was the tone of voice, how thick or thin the books were, etc.

In March 2019, I flew to the U.S. to meet Jack Canfield and personally learn from him aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise.

One of the craziest things I did was to fly to Singapore just to attend a dinner get-together for global speakers.

The one one-on-one one hour mentoring session with my mentor the next day was a huge bonus!

In my personal life, pre-pandemic, I used to fly home to our province once a month so I can spend time with my family. That was the first thing I plot on my monthly calendar. It was my non-negotiable, top priority.

Looking back, I am so glad I went (and I continue to go) for what's important in my life -- relationship with God, myself, my family, my friends. Pursuing my purpose. Sharing my gifts.

The journey is not easy. It can be challenging. It can mean making sacrifices and delaying gratification. But it's all worth it.

Just a side story.

Last Sunday, I had a date with God. I heard Mass in person in the morning.

Then I went to my favorite hotel lobby for lunch.

After lunch, I met my friends for afternoon high tea.

We enjoyed great conversations.

My friend invited us to hear the evening Mass in Santuario de San Jose in Greenhills.

Although I already heard Mass in the morning, I went with them again! Haha!

It meant I heard Mass twice last Sunday! Lol.

After that, we had dinner.

More fun, life-giving, vulnerable conversations followed.

I'm so grateful for these friends I met on Sunday and for my friends in general.

True friendship is such a gift.

Before we arrived at this level of healthy friendship, we poured our time, hearts, and prayers into our friendship.

It also helped that our values are aligned.

If having true friends is one of your heart's desires, you can make that happen.

I'm sharing that from the perspective of someone who once struggled to belong. In my younger years, I felt like an outcast.

But now, I have no problems making friends.

For some reason, even people I met for the first time were comfortable accommodating me in their homes.

This happened in India, Singapore, and the U.S.

One thing that helped is to be genuinely interested in them and their concerns and to genuinely want what's best for them.

I'm also so grateful for my relationship with my family.

My brother March is my guy best friend.

I can confide in him and vice versa.

Before we arrived at this kind of relationship and friendship, we did those difficult, ugly, painful conversations, we made time for each other, and we prayed for each other. We also continue to do our best to communicate honestly and with vulnerability.

Recently, we scheduled our weekly group date -- me, Papa, and my brother.

Such a sweet gift!

What are your dreams?

How far can you go when it comes to your dreams?

What are you willing to sacrifice now so you can enjoy lasting and true happiness?

Maybe it's having a beautiful family relationship.

Maybe it's having real friends.

Maybe it's having a healthy love for yourself.

Maybe it's writing a book.

Maybe it's getting promoted at work.

Maybe it's putting up a business.

Whatever that dream is, ask yourself,

"How far can I go when it comes to my dreams? What am I willing to do?"

If writing a book is one of your dreams, I can help you thru The 90-Day Book Writing Challenge.

Enrollment ends on December 17.

You can get all the details here:?https://shanacino.com/write

Speaking of dreams, I have a gift for you.

My latest music video?A Million Dreams?is now out on YouTube.

You can watch it here:

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Sha

#TuesDatewithSha

P.S.1?I have so much JOY creating music videos. I love to sing and share. I love to work with musicians, videographers, and video editors. I love to write the story board and direct these music videos.

Music video is a way for me to let the child in me play. It's a playground for my creativity and out-of-the box, crazy, "anything goes" ideas!

I don't earn from creating music videos. On the contrary, I spend a lot of money to produce these videos. Hahaha! And it's okay. Because years ago, I've been hustling and working so hard. Now, I am enjoying the fruits of my labor and the joy is multiplied because I get to share it with you! :)

Enjoy this music video! If you liked it, please hit the like button on YouTube and let me know what you love about it in the comments section.

P.S.2 If you wish to be part of our #TuesDatewithSha email community, simply go to www.shanacino.com/dreams?

It’s free as well! ??

P.S.3.?We'd love to journey with you thru The 90-Day Book Writing Challenge.

We've made the registration affordable to accommodate more aspiring authors like you realize your dreams of writing a book.

All the details are here:?https://shanacino.com/write

Enrollment closes on December 17!

If you're already a BWC student, congratulations! :)