When I was in high school, one of my friends told me that one of our classmates said she hated the way I laughed. According to my friend, the classmate finds my laugh annoying.

Well, such is high school. It’s the stage of your life when you’re trying to know your place in the world because you’re no longer a child yet you’re not a full-blown adult.

You also struggle with zits from every corner of your face. And neck. And God have mercy, back.

You don’t have any idea if what you’re studying would make sense in life later on. (Hey, Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry and Trigonometry – I am talking to you.)

And then somebody tells you that she hates your laugh.

High school is already decades away for me. I could no longer remembered the way I laughed. So I don’t know if it sounded like a witch shrieking as she prepares her potion (or getting ready to cook Hansel and Gretel).

I am not going to lie to you: it hurt me when I heard that. I almost had to ask all my classmates if my laugh was indeed annoying. I also tried to changed the way I laughed! Believe me, if there’s a store where I could buy a different way to laugh, maybe I would have.

Yet during that time, I never considered NOT laughing.

I still laughed with my family and friends.

I still dropped a punch line or two.

Aaannddd I still hated the Math and Science subjects (no laughing matter).

Two things that got me through the “hate remark”:

1. I never hung out with that classmate most of the time. Sure, there were times when I spent recess and lunch breaks with the classmate, but not for the whole school year. The moment I found the people who accepted me as a friend, I stayed out of that classmate’s zone.
2. I was blessed to finally found the best high school buds (and yes, we still do keep in touch). Did you know what they told me when I discussed the “hate remark” to them? One of them said, “Nothing is wrong with the way you laugh. She’s insecure with many things. Feeling n’ya maganda s’ya.” Woah. That blew me away.

You may say that I found my #squadgoals. But for me, I got more than that.

I found gold by hanging around with the best people.

The last time I heard, my high school best buds were happy for me when I released my first e-book.

Fast forward to today, I receive nothing but “love remarks” from my smile and laughter.

From offline to online interactions, many say that I got a vibrant personality, a hyper-Energizer-Bunny-like energy, and an infectious smile.

In fact, one of my clients say she is amused with my laugh because it is just full of happiness. She misses my laugh every time we don’t get to talk!

Because I continue to hang out with awesome friends and colleagues, I finally embraced the truth: Yes, people, I am the Energizer Bunny.

Well, not really because I am counted as a homo sapien, but you know the drift.

It was when I sent out a “What is my superpower?” question on Internet space that solidified – or should I say documented – that truth.

I got the idea of asking for my superpower from Pat Flynn, podcaster and author of “Will It Fly?”. It’s one of the best things I read so far (and I am still trying to finish).

A snapshot of the Passion Planner page where I gathered the “What is my superpower?” data. Blown away with the results.

I know I have embraced the fact that I am a happy pill. But because of the consistent answers that I got from friends, I, therefore, conclude that one of my superpowers is CONTAGIOUS ENERGY.

I am a nuclear power plant of happiness!

Niña Mendoza and I will open the Success Squad mastermind group for the third time since 2017. In the mastermind, we aim to find and help 10 people who can make up a dream team that could:

• Help you be clear on your goals;
• Become your accountability team;
• Shorten your way to reaching your goals (so you won’t have to commit the mistakes that others did); and
• Harness your superpowers – and even more!

We always tell our webinar participants to ask “What is my superpower?” to 10 of their closest friends. People who know them inside and out. People who they trust not to sugarcoat their answers. I am always excited to find out their own superpower results!

Those who have joined us in the Success Squad bring their own superpower. It’s like we’re building our own version of the Avengers! Niña and I couldn’t wait to guide our new batch every month, as well as learn from them, too!

And dare I forget to say that Niña is one of the many people who harnesses my superpower! She’s just amazing. (And a true friend, too!)

Niña Mendoza is one of the many friends who help me harness and unleash my superpowers. (Photo by Ryan Mendoza)

If you’re a potential exceptional online professional or a business owner who want to level up, I invite you to the Success Squad. If you want to get support and at the same time give support, we welcome you to join us. Slots are filling out super fast so better decide now.

You might be wondering: whatever happened to my classmate who found my laugh annoying?

Well, we both survived the awkward phase called high school. We smiled and said “Hi” to each other every time we met in the school hallways. I never saw her after graduation.

But just in case my classmate would stumble upon my website and this blog, this is for her.

Sorry, I can’t help but be amused every time I find out that my camera phone is in selfie mode. Naka-set kasi sa Beautification mode.

The Power of Mastermind Group webinar happens on August 21, 2018. Sign up here.

Blog cover photo courtesy of Ryan Mendoza.