Moving onFriends at work surprised me yesterday… they asked me to go to one of our rooms in the office and as I entered it, there were some food in the table and people I work with were waiting for me. I was honored that my friends at work wanted to send me off properly by having some small gathering.
 I’m on my last 3 days at my work with Generali Pilipinas. By Friday, I’ll be surrendering my I.D. and I will cease to be their employee… it coincidentally marks my 4th year anniversary with my employer. I can still remember how my former boss recruited me… he was probably becoming impatient with me as it took him a month for me to finally say yes to his offer. Moving to Generali was one of the best professional decisions I ever made.
It is not just the company that I am leaving… I am also leaving an industry that I have served for over 15 years. It was in 1993 when I was invited to join Sun Life as an agent. I’ve had a eventful career in the financial services sector. My first job was an Account Officer Assistant with PCIBank (now BDO) … a total of almost 21 years of hard work with this sector. I jumped from being an employee to an agent and back to an employee in my professional career with the financial services sector.
By Friday, I would be saying my goodbyes and enter a new chapter in my life. I am not really retiring as I definitely can’t afford to retire yet. I am just changing the nature of my work. I will now focus as being a Personal Finance Coach and Educator, running my own affairs through a company I run with a partner (Efren Cruz), Personal Finance Advisors Phils. Corp.
I am overwhelmed because I am saying goodbye to something I have been doing for a long time. Yet, I am excited as I embark on a new endeavor.
The question many have asked me is “why”. Why changed when you are okay? Why change now when we are facing a financial crisis? Why do you want to expose yourself and your family to the risk of something that is not stable? Another question I am being asked is if I am so unhappy with what I am doing now that I need to leave it.
Let me answer the last question first. I am very happy with what I am doing in Generali. I love my job and I love the people I work with more. For the other questions, my answer is obedience. I know the Lord is telling me to do something else. He is telling me to trust in Him fully that He knows what’s best for me. I am a planner and I try to be deliberate in my plans – but more than being a planner, I want to be an obedient follower. I have prayed hard about this decision. Does the Lord really want me to go after the desire He has placed in my heart? I believe so. When my wife gave me the blessing to leave my job, I knew that it was the right thing to do.
Being the ‘segurista’ that I am, I went through a very long process of making a decision. I needed to ensure that it is the will of God for me to go. I am so grateful that I have mentors in the faith and they patiently sat down with me and gave me counsel. The very first one who I spoke to was my the one responsible for my getting to establish a personal relationship with Christ, Pastor Chinkee Tan. Chinkee was so patient with me. He was patient when he was engaging me, establishing me, equipping me and empowering me. Although he is just a little older than me, he is like a father to me. One of the advices Chinkee gave me aside from praying and reading the Bible was to read the book “The Best Question Ever” by Andy Stanley. The next person I approached is my second father in the faith, our Pastor Dennis Sy (VCF Greenhills). My pastor is so much younger than me but he is so much wiser. Through Dennis, I learned that when you are with the Lord, wisdom does not have anything to do with age. Like Chinkee, Dennis was likewise patient with me… giving me wise counsel and praying for me. I did not stop with just talking to 2 wise men, I also got counsel from Pastor Larry Uy. Larry was like an Uncle to me in my walk with the Lord and became one of my closest friends in my new family in VCF. Larry would always have a listening ear for me and despite his busy schedule, he will always stop and listen to me. Like Dennis, Larry was younger than me but it didn’t matter as he was also very wise because he is with the Lord. Sometime last year, Larry gave up a comfortable profession as a businessman to dedicate himself to the church. While I am not going into ministry yet, I was encourage by Larry’s act of faith… sacrificing tremendously for his love for the Lord. By circumstances orchestrated by God, I found myself having dinner with a couple named KC and April Lee, Malaysian nationals but brothers and sisters in the faith. KC is a pastor too while April is one of our dear volunteers in VCF Greenhills. Out of the blue, the couple invited me and Mia for dinner after service… I immediately knew that the Lord wanted me to seek counsel from them. KC is an expat, he and I share something common – the corporate world.
Chinkee, Dennis, Larry, KC and of course my wife Mia were critical in my final decision… a decision that took me over a year to make. There are other friends and family that helped me, encouraged me and prayed for me… Des Chua (another Uncle in the faith); my sisters Malu and Lysa; sister-in-law Lynne; my children; Francis Kong; my business partners Efren Cruz, Wiley Tan, Edwin Ngo, Justin Chu and Raymond Caliva; my Generali colleagues Melvin Esteban and Bob Crisologo; my friend Henry Ong; my colleagues in Generali Bancassurance Don Ama, Doms Soliven; Noe Asignacion… and many more. Most of the time, my friends were really excited for me and were really looking forward for my change – something that encouraged me further.
I really appreciated the advices and encouragements I was receiving left and right but being the ‘planner’ that I am, I still felt a lot of discomfort and felt fear for the uncertain. Their advices were wise and probably right yet I can’t shake the anxiety over the decision I am making.
How did I finally decide?
Firstly, it was my life long partner and best friend’s support that mattered a lot – the support and love of my wife Mia. When Mia said that she’ll be with me through all of this and that she will stand by me no matter what happens, that’s what I really needed to hear to go on. I got the best wife even if I don’t deserve her … I thank the Lord for giving me someone to spend my life with and someone who literally completes me. I can never do anything without my wife’s consent and support and she has been such a trooper in the almost 18 years of our marriage. I made a lot of foolish decisions through the years but Mia was always there beside me.. always supporting me, always thinking about my benefit first and always loving me. Being married to a bull headed guy like me is not easy but my wife sticks with me through everything. I am so happy that I got a great marriage but when we both placed the Lord in the center of our marriage, it became perfect. Paul said Jesus was the great ‘perfecter’ (Hebrews 12:2) – he perfected our marriage.
Secondly, and even more importantly, it was the assurance from the Lord that really mattered the most. There must be a reason why I had the ‘desire’ in the first place … for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13). I used to be a very proud person and all my decisions before were based on my strengths, yet it is different now… But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. (Philippians 3:7). Knowing that I can’t rely on my own wits but depend on His grace is enough encouragement for me to press on. I fear because I am reliant on my own capacity but if I rely on Him, why should I fear? The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1).
I can’t be a hypocrite and profess that I do not worry anymore -- I do, everyday. However, I have the Lord’s grace to comfort me and assure me. Every time my anxiety builds up, the Lord will tell me ... "Be still, and know that I am God; (Psalm 46:10)." He will talk to me through other people and He would reassure me through His words. As this chapter of my life ends on Friday, my emotions are overwhelming – a medley of hope and of fear. The feeling of hope is the Lord’s doing while the emotion of fear is the enemy’s. However, I can’t let fear cripple me and thwart my efforts of obedience and a life of victory anymore. The Lord will take care of everything, I just have to remind myself all the time.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” – (Matthew 6:25-27)
Further, I already have a good plan… I just need to stick to it and not waver in my faith in Him.
Here’s my plan: "... seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)."
Time to move on… We Only Have One Life To Live!
 | Yes I know, it's a looooong blog.. hehe! |
 | God bless you in this next season of your endeavor! Be blessed and be fruitful :) |
 | caths wrote on Feb 4, '09 wow, it's nice to hear the entire story. we will be praying for u randell. i know God has much in store. |
 | RANDELL, great things are in store for you, remember Thammie's word to you. Basta huwag mo kami kalimutan kung may talk show ka na or sikat na! |
 | bongonnali wrote on Feb 4, '09, edited on Feb 4, '09 Deflation (that's year 2008), inflation, hyperinflation - whatever it is, let's trust Him who provides all things! Just remember the two uncommon investments I wrote about. May plugging pa. Ha ha.
May God bless your plans, as always!
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 | God works in wondrous ways man....=) His ways much higher than ours... To your great landing to higher heights... Gods best!
exciting.
lizette
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 | this is the longest blog i read but it was sure worth it god bless |
 | Wish i could write like you......i know the LORD will surely guide you as you face a new chapter in your life. We are all here praying and supporting you. Love ya! |
 | "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." Psalms 111:10
You got it down to the last dot. God Bless you, bro!
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ang galing I am inspired by your decision sana maka retire rin ako ng maagha.. para retire young retire rich.. of course with God's guidance and mercy
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 | Uncle, basta supurtahan taka, alam natin lahat na ke Lord lang talaga tayo kelangan magtiwala....
daghang salamat sa imu sa ka-da-ko mong tulong at advices sa akin.....
lab kita, no Mater wat! |
 | bless you bro. proverbs says that victory is assured when you have the counsel of many. you are blessed to have wise and godly men around you. |
 | Bro, we pray that the peace of God surround you always. . . Be anxious of nothing, your Father is watching over you. . . |
| Wow! Thanks so much for the support, encouragement and prayers. I really have a wonderful family in VCF. Let's go Honor God and Make Disciples! |
 | Thanks for your sharing.. This is truly inspiring... God bless you.... |
 | hi randell, talagang inspiring your blog. Thank you for your advice (and mia's too!) Talagang minsan God's wisdom comes from the most unexpected sources...And I am thankful sa kanya alvin and I met you guys... Looking forward to reading more from you |
 | Inspiring! God bless you and your family. I'm sure God will work in all things for your good and for His glory. |
 | i need a mentor like you bro, how i wish na magkakwentuhan pa tayo ng mas malalim.. |
 | hello randell, thank you for sharing this.ngayon ko lang nabasa... Truly things will never be the same once you decide to surrender your life to God. the old has gone and the new and better randell has emerged. God bless you and your family always. |
| malou cabatuando pala toh... |
| Thanks Malou.. i wrote this on my last few days at Generali, seems to be eons ago. |
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Firstly, it was my life long partner and best friend’s support that mattered a lot – the support and love of my wife Mia. When Mia said that she’ll be with me through all of this and that she will stand by me no matter what happens, that’s what I really needed to hear to go on. 