I attended one of Jomar Hilario’s Masterclass. My usual route going home is by bus. But I bought something in Glorietta so I decided to ride a van at Ayala Terminal. I paid P65.00 (Huh? P65.00? I thought fare’s only P50.00?) and waited for the van to arrive.

The van arrived and I sat at the passenger’s seat. I expected an ordinary route: EDSA, Mall of Asia, Macapagal Boulevard, and Coastal Road. Instead, the van turned right by the Skyway area going to C5.

On my mind I was like, “Ooohhhkkaaayyy. Am I sure I am on the RIGHT vehicle?”

By the Villamor Airbase Golf Course area, the van turned right. If my GPS is right, we left Skyway and went to another highway in the sky (I’m bad at names and locations).

This must be the NAIA Expressway, I thought. I realized: I am charting a new route going to Cavite.

What could have been another ordinary travel going home became a lesson-filled ride, especially on investing in yourself.

Here are the four things I learned on “investing in yourself” while passing through NAIA Expressway:

1. You should have a mentor.

I am conscious of the road that I pass by every time I travel. If I see an unusual landmark or place, my brains start freaking out. “Am I lost?” is the first question the pops into my mind. Second question is “Will I be able to get to my destination?” On my NAIA Expressway experience, the driver drove the vehicle from the Ayala Terminal to Cavite. He has the wheels. I (along with the other sleepy passengers) trust the driver.

In investing in yourself, you need to find mentors (we’re talking of speakers, authors, or any influential person in your life that you want to learn from). Allow them to teach you. They share their experiences (good or bad). Their strategies tried and tested. Trust them to bring you to where you want to go.

Jomar, you are one of my exceptional mentors. Thank you!

2. You see a different perspective.

My suspicion that I was passing through NAIA Expressway became clearer when I saw Marriot Hotel from afar. Moreover, it seemed that the said building wasn’t that tall. Eventually, I saw other buildings in the Resorts World Manila area — and wait, was that NAIA Terminal 3’s second level?!

Investing on yourself gives you a different perspective because you are standing on the shoulders of the giants. Mentors share what they know because they want us to prevent, if not eliminate, mistakes. They want us to become better. As you invest on yourself, you become a better version of yourself. If you are ready to unlearn and relearn, you’ll see the world in a different view.

Investing in yourself gives you a different perspective because you are standing on the shoulders of the giants.

3. It brings you where you want to go — faster.

A typical weekend travel time from Ayala, Makati to my home is one and a half hours by bus via EDSA. With NAIA Expressway, the travel from Ayala Terminal to Coastal Mall: 20 minutes. My total travel time: 45 minutes. I left Makati at 8:45 PM yet I saw myself in bed at 10:00 PM. That was mind-blowing!

Investing in yourself means you want to get to another situation — a better situation. If you are a student of learning, it’s possible that you’d get to your ideal situation faster.

4. Sometimes, you need to pay.

While passing through NAIA Expressway, I think we stopped at two toll gates. It was then I realized why I paid P65.00 for the fare: cut travel time from one and a half hours to 45 minutes and the road was smooth (no traffic!).

Sometimes, in investing yourself, you need to pay to learn.

Does this mean that you shouldn’t go for free learnings? I don’t think so. Some people start learning by borrowing books or going to YouTube to watch videos. Mentors everywhere provide valuable free content. This era is everything digital; learning is at the tip of your hands.

But there’s magic when you pay for investing in yourself. You have more responsibility to learn and feel more motivated (for some obligated, but I don’t mind that) to finish what you started.

Sometimes, in investing yourself, you need to pay to learn.

Here’s a reply that I shared on one of the Facebook groups I belong to, when investing in yourself was discussed:

QUESTION: I want your help. My client wanted me to learn these stuff that I know nothing about: Google Ad, Keyword Search and SEO! I know there are tutorials on YouTube but do you guys know if may free course online na pang beginners at tsaka very easy to understand?

MY REPLY: Check out Udemy or Shaw Academy for courses. Huwag pong matakot kung feeling mo expensive. Kasi pwede mong sabihin sa client eto: “I found this course [link] and I am excited to learn it so I could help your business. However, I could not afford it for now. Would you be kind enough to buy the course for me?”

Huwag din pong matakot na mag-ask sa client. Una sa lahat: hindi nakamamatay ang pagtatanong. (ang pagtawid sa expressway, yes)

For me, it is better to look for high end seminars kasi magiging malaki ang balik income (and skills) wise later on.

What you could consider later on is to start selling these new skills so you can charge higher rates. Google Ads? You don’t know how many doors will open for you. (Hint: if you know Google Ads, you can do Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn ads. They command higher rates.).

 

I thought the lessons were over once I stepped out of Jomar’s Masterclass that day. Discovering a new route made me recognize that I am still in for more lessons.

How has investing in yourself benefited you? Share it on the comments.