Efren “Bata” Reyes. The only man who can bring uncontrollable testicular trembling to all pool players just by posing this smile.

In the game of Pool, he is famously dubbed as The Magician, which I assume is given by a commentator who just had his weirdest orgasm while commentating for a game. So you ask, why is he called The Magician? I have the same question. For a man who can bring testicular earthquakes and can give instant orgasm, Magician is not appropriate. Hmm. Well I think there’s no alias that can fit a man who is made from a combination of Chuck Norris’ monstrous testosterone and Sasha Grey’s uhm…

Never mind. Putting Sasha aside, Efren Reyes is called The Magician because of his ability to do almost impossible feats using his incomparable knowledge of the game. He can bring excitement to the game like no one else. I know it is hard to believe that Pool/Billiard, a game that brings boredom to everyone, will be a loud and thrilling sports. It’s like saying that Chess can be a sport for highly energized human beings.

“GO KASPAROV!! Kill that f*cking Queen!”
“CHECKMATE! WOOOOOOOO!!!”

But trust me. You will never be bored watching pool with this man playing. I’ve crawled the whole internet to watch and read every piece of media available about this legendary man. That journey taught me a lot better than reading those creepy Cosmopolitan sex advises. And the surprising thing about it is that it’s not just billiards that I’ve learned but also a bunch of success lessons.

1. If You Can’t Find The Solution, Then Change Your Perspective

This is unconfirmed, but I solemnly believe that his opponent committed Harakiri after that shot and Efren was instantly declared as the winner.

The direct path to 1 ball, the ball that he must hit, is blocked by the scumbag 9 ball. It seems that there is no way anyone can pocket that ball. But Efren checked all the possibilities before making a decision. It seems impossible but he knew somewhere in that table there is another path to solve the problem. It may not be easy, but there is a solution.

We have the tendency to panic and lose hope every time we are faced with impossible situations. But what we forget is to look at the other angles of our problems. Maybe there is a solution if we change our point of view. Maybe the right solution can only be seen in a certain side that you haven’t tried looking at yet. It may be hard to find, but it is there. It may be hard to do, but it is possible.

2. Challenge the Conventional

Eh? What the hell is he going to do? Is he aiming directly to the pocket? Is he stupi… OHHHHH SHIIIIT!!

When he aims directly at the pocket, I guess almost all of us are left dumbfounded. That’s one of the reasons this man is great. He always challenge the conventional thinking and do something crazy right in your face. That’s what the majority of us lack. As we grow old, we began to be afraid of being creative. We are afraid to look different and dumb. That’s why we follow the conventions, the standard imposed by the society. Don’t be afraid to be different. Do something crazy. Experiment. Don’t let anyone dictate you on how to live your life.

They don’t like Cosplays? So what?!
They hate Metal songs? So what?!
They said Justin Bieber is gay? Uhm. Sometimes you still need to listen bro…

3. Know When To Play Safe

Maybe you were bored while watching the video.

What are they doing?! Why are they not pocketing the ball?! Where’s the amazing stuff here?!

So you think every shot Efren makes is magic? No. You cannot always do amazing stuff. You cannot always challenge the conventions. Sometimes you need to relax and play it safe even if you are feeling so energized. It is not a sign of cowardice, rather a sign of intelligence and self-control. Try not to be so aggressive and attack every time you see an opportunity. Do not rush your journey towards success. Remember the old saying, “Slowly but Surely”. Take a moment to think about the situation and wait for the right time to step forward. Don’t let your emotion control your actions.

I do solemnly swear that I will control my temper and overflowing adrenaline and will think carefully before deciding to slap the face of my boss again.

4. Plan Ahead

If you are unsure why one of the commentator just crap his pants at about 0:27 of the clip, let me explain it to you.

This is one of the videos that tells us that Efren Reyes can control the ball with great precision. As you have seen, the current ball that he must pocket, the 2 ball, is just sitting near the pocket. He can just shoot it effortlessly. But he didn’t just attack. He considers the position of the next ball (3 ball, the red ball) and plan ahead on how will he have a good position to pocket it. See how he aligns his cue stick at 0:09?! He’s like telling everybody that he wanted the ball to travel that line so that he can have a good position for the 3 ball. And that’s what really happened!

Life is like the game of Pool. You cannot just attack without thinking on what to do next. Plan ahead. If you do not plan, you will most likely fall in the wrong place. What is your career plan? Will you still be a payslip-driven employee for the next 20 years? What is your life-long plan? What will you do tomorrow?

It is fun to be an Easy-Go-Lucky person, but how long will that fun last? Plan and make sure that just like Efren execute that plan flawlessly. Remember, plans are useless without the execution.

5. Love What You Do

Okay. Honestly. I don’t have any idea what the f*ck is that weird zebra-ball. But surely that made Efren so much happy. Actually, other than his mind-blowing shots, Mr. Reyes is also known because of his toothless smile. There is really something on that smile that tells you that he really loves what he’s doing. When he commits a mistake he just smiles. When he got lucky he smiles. Not like Mr. Earl Strickland, who once broke his cue stick when he missed a shot.

“Find a job you love” — the most difficult advice of all. The advice that we all knew but can’t follow. It seems that “Job” and “Love” don’t mix well on a sentence. Those words are like fart and a dinner with guests, they don’t mix well. But that’s the reality. You need to love your job, or else you will never find the true meaning of success. You may have gazillion amount of money but if you don’t love what you do, you will never feel complete.

Bonus Lesson: Stay Humble

Now we all knew that he has the skills. But what makes him a legend and an idol is his humility. Even though he already reached the top, he still has that down-to-earth attitude. That smile never changed. His aura never changed. He never changed.

Your success story never ends, it will continue until your last breath. So don’t change into some scumbag rotten soul when you’ve reached your success. Stay humble and be the next legend.

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