Growing up in American Samoa, my dad has never really found the need to be employed after having served in the USAF as part of the flight crew on Air Force One for the Special Air Missions called SAM FOX. After all, I didn't understand why he didn't want to work a job like everyone else insisted he do. But as I grew into my entrepreneurial endeavors, I am actually quite appreciative that he didn't do what everyone expected he do and find a regular job, and I understand fully why he chose to do so.
Oh! Don't get me wrong, my dad didn't just sit on his ass. He became a taro farmer who planted over thousands of Samoan taro on a whole mountainside in a day, approximately 2acres or more, by himself and assistance when he could get. On his spare time he would go fishing, and by far is the best shoreline fisherman I know of, I haven't seen anyone drag in an 87lbs ulua from the shoreline, or a 50lbs red snapper (true story), or even different species of coral reef shark, with his white long fishing pole. But you know there were some downside aspects of his endeavors that I have personally experienced and learned. First was the orchid business that his friend had him do and had my mom's side do effortlessly with time that was a major fall out because I don't know what happened to the partnership. Probably bad business. Then there was his other business endeavors that didn't fall through. There was a lot of disappointment and drama. But my mom stood by him regardless, spill after spill, crazy endeavor after the next. But that instilled in me that business mind set, that itch for entrepreneurial adventure. When I was in college I was already at war with myself about everything because I was sitting there thinking to myself, why the hell do I have to learn this to work for THAT guy who is making money off of me?!
I had the drive but not enough knowledge to understand actual business concepts and wealth. I didn't even know what true mentorship was. All I knew was that I had a dream and I didn't want to work for anyone for the rest of my life. I kept the dream to myself in fears that people will laugh at me and what not. I shared the dream with my folks after my graduation... Or was it after Andrew graduated?... I forget, but I had it and held on to it. Still am, and moving towards it today. I used to sell bananas in front of my grandmas house, and I was a damned good sells person, always sold the most. My brother Andrew was the only person who topped me that day by selling a bunch banana more than I did, the result, I made him cry. Chee hee! Good ol days when I could actually beat my not so little brother up.
First real entrepreneurial endeavor, Pre Paid Legal, now respectively called Legal Shield. This is how I have my own attorneys who answer to my beckoning call. No joke, protect yourself legally. I give a lot of credit to having joined this, they have started me off on the "personal development" journey. Thank you to the Agnacin's, Mr. Danny Katoa, Mr. Maitinarra, Mr. Setu, and all who were a part of legal shield for the life lessons, wealth principals, and the support. My mind expanded and though life hit me along the way I just couldn't think the same after having started personal development. You know I was the most shiest person ever? If someone talked to me, I felt like I would shrink and die. But thanks to my college buddies, I was already a closet partier, just not comfortable with my new surroundings, they broke those closet doors, I mean literally! And out came the party monster! Haha! Tadah!
Anyhow, next endeavor, Xanga Juice, didn't work out, then Nerium, awesome stuff just didn't have time. You know every time my family would be like. "Oh! Now what is it that you're doing?!" Before I would get mad slam doors, not talk to them, silent treatment, the works I tell you. Now it doesn't bother me at all. All thanks to Klemmers and Associates, Personal Mastery. You know I believe that God does work quietly and mysteriously in our lives. I would have never met Shelly and Kapa Cafe if I hadn't seen my dad fail at his endeavors and keep trying, if I hadn't sold bananas in the front of my grandmas house, if I hadn't joined legal shield to have met awesome people and dragged my brothers, and parents into it, to have done Xanga and quit, to have landed in Nerium out of wanting to get somewhere, and Nerium meeting at Kapa Cafe because 99 cent ranch didn't allow for meetings to be hosted there, then I would have NEVER met Shelly Seleni and Lainee Fagafa who are and have become the biggest inspiration in my life. Shelly has changed my life completely by welcoming me to Klemmers and Associates to change myself and reconnect with God! I am loyal to her cause to the end because she is a woman of vision! She has taught me the meaning of perseverance through her actions and the way she carries herself throughout the trying times and the opposition. Things happen for a reason.
Failing is just a part of life. You will never know if you do not fail. I have written about the Compassionate Samurai by Brian Klemmer in my blog called coffee talk months before attending the Personal Mastery Seminar that Shelly Seleni had introduced me too. I was a major fail, and I am good at it! The only difference is that I learn from them. Some of them costly, and some of them funny, some of them just make me want to bang my head on the wall, and the others well, I just learned to shrug my shoulders and say "ok"... You know on the day I graduated from Chaminade in 2004, I fell asleep in the ceremony until we had to stand up and turn our thingy to the other side? Yeah, and my dad said on that day that he was going down to the bar to get drunk because I graduated. LOL! It was funny to me because my dad doesn't drink, but it was his way of saying, OH MY GOSH! MY DAUGHTER GRADUATED! Anyhow, I then continued school to find a job that I thought I wanted only to quit school entirely when the professor said, "this is what makes the best employees!" Like really man! It hit me then, I just threw away $10,000 in student loans because of that one phrase. Yes it is a little arrogant but hey, I didn't go to school to be an employee, I went to school because my parents wanted me to graduate with a degree. I went because I am obedient to them because they gave me life. They deserve that happiness. I am grateful that I did because I met amazing friends that I hold dear to my life to this day!
Anyways, my endeavors continue and trust it is not easy. But I am working on myself a lot harder than anything and will continue on to Advanced Personal Mastery and then on wards. I am pursuing a new endeavor that I am going to ROCK OUT! Body by vi. And our event with Shelly and Lainee called KAVA SPEAKS will see itself in newer endeavors and deeper waters reconnecting our history and our identity to our modern society. And I have promised that this is my commitment to God that I will do YOUTH MINISTRIES for his glory. And I will do it unlike any other the Catholic Church has ever seen! I dare to say these things because I will do them. And fail I must until I get it right. As Vincent Molina has said in one of his workshop trainings, "PLANS ARE FLAWED, IDEAS ARE PERFECT".
Like one time not too long ago I was standing under a tree at Kapa Cafe and a bird pooped on me, landed on my shoulder (whew thank goodness). This is what I would have done had I not worked on me, I would've looked up and started swearing with my fists in the air at the bird. Turn around and look for rocks to throw the bird with, or probably take off my shoe and throw it at the bird. Get all huffy puffy and the whole day is ruined. Instead, I looked up, thought to myself "Ha! I got shit on! Oh well shit happens." Shrugged my shoulder and continued to smoke my cigarette, posted it on face book and then after I was done ran into the shop and washed it off. No harm done, no bird was hurt, and no high blood pressure. All thanks to personal development.
So fail and fail and fail and fail, laugh at it, and fail and fail, and learn to get it right, and fail and fail and fail and don't be afraid to fail! The meaning of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome. The definition of crazy is doing the unthinkable and getting an outcome that you probably never expected and doing it all over again just ten times more bigger than the last one! That is why my family nicknames me CRAZY. It's the reason my brother put that as his license plate "UCRAZY". Because the story is, I would do things that completely baffles people and makes them scratch their po'o's (head) and my brother consistently saying while shaking his head "Man! You so CRAZY! Just CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY!" and all I have to say to him is, "SO! At least I know I'm doing something huh?! How about you? I rather be crazy and do something. Punch yo face!" (that's an inside joke, I really didn't say it to punch his face. It's a way Samoan siblings thank each other. LOL in sarcasm.)
And so my dear friends I end my story here with failure. That I know, a lot of people will just like this on my facebook when I post it and not read it... But that's ok.
