Mind Your Own Business?

One day, a little mouse living on a farm, spied the farmer and his wife opening a package. He was aghast to discover that the package contained, not food, but a mouse trap. The mouse ran to the farmyard warning everyone. "There is a mouse trap in the house; there is a mouse trap in the house!"

The chicken raises his head and exclaimed. "Mr. Mouse, I can tell you this trap is a grave concern to you, but it has no consequence to me and I cannot be bothered with it."

The mouse turned to the pig. "I am so very sorry Mr. Mouse, but the trap is no concern of mine either."

The mouse then turned to the bull. "Sounds like you have a problem Mr. Mouse, but not one that concerns me."

The mouse returned to the house dejected that no one would help him or was concerned about his dilemma. He knew he had to face the trap on his own. That night the sound of a trap catching its prey was heard throughout the house.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness she could see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The wife caught a bad fever and the farmer knew the best way to treat a fever was with chicken soup. He took his hatchet to the farmyard to get the soup's main ingredient.

The wife got sicker, and friends visited her round the clock. The farmer had to feed them, so he butchered the pig. The farmer's wife got worse and died. So many friends and family came to her funeral that the farmer had to slaughter the bull to feed them all.

So the next time we hear that one of our team-mates is facing a problem and think it does not concern or affect us, let us remember this:

When anyone of our team members is in trouble, we are all at risk.

Something to share:

Mind your own business? That’s too bad and it’s definitely a wrong attitude. You just can’t mind your own business when your friend or your team member is in trouble.

You will get “slaughtered” too in the end if you refused to mind the business right from the beginning. If you are not concerned and refuse to help, thinking that it’s none of your business to intervene and you can get away with it, then you are wrong! Always remember that the fire in your neighbour’s house may spread to your house in the same row. That’s the moral of the story.

Well, in the context of teamwork, it’s no more a matter of whether it’s your business (your problem) or my business (my problem) but rather it’s our business (our problem). Whenever a team member gets into trouble (having problem), we have to show our concern and start minding each other’s business (solving the problem collectively). Every team member will have to accept each other and offer help when needed. No matter what the differences, all team members must stay beside each other and support each other. We will either swim or die with our team members in the river of trouble, but there is always a WAY OUT when we stick together.

That’s the true spirit of teamwork!

INFLUENTIAL FRIENDS

Life in a foreign country can be difficult. There are new foods, unexpected customs, new ways of speaking or even a new language, different ways of dressing and much more. Something that helps a great deal in such a situation is a friend from the new culture who can help you make the adjustment and introduce around.

- The NIV Quiet Time Bible (Pg 526)

Sharing experiences:

A Chinese proverb says, 在家靠父母，岀門靠朋友 (zai jia kao fu mu, chu men kao peng you) It means: “It is your parents that you can rely on at home, but it is your friends that you can count on when out in the society.”

How true it is that when we come to a new country to work as an expatriate, surely a local friend who is quite influential in the local society is of great help to show us around the places where to eat and where to shop; what rules and what laws and orders we should observe and what things we should try to avoid. In fact, I feel that the sooner the better for us to get acquainted with more local friends but must be helpful, trustworthy and reliable. Better still if we have some old friends who came before us to guide us with useful tips and to share their experiences with us. Then even though we may be naïve and fresh to the new country, we won’t have to make the wrong move and get into unnecessary troubles.

There are many Malaysian planters working in various places in different provinces in Indonesia, from Sumatra to Kalimantan, and now some even in Sulawesi, Papua and Irian Jaya. I think most of us have gone through the language shock when we find out that the Bahasa Malaysia we speak at home is so much different from Bahasa Indonesia. I believe learning the cross-cultural knowledge and customs in Indonesia is very essential for any expatriate to maintain good and harmony working relationships with the local staff and workers. We certainly need our Indonesian friends and the old timers here to help us make the adjustment and quicken our adaptability in the new working environments here.

In another Chinese proverb, it is known as 入乡随俗 (rù xiāng suí sú ) :“Follow the local custom when you go to a foreign place” or “In Rome do as the Romans do.” As expatriates working abroad, we need our local friends to point out to us that it is in the best interest to learn how to be tolerant and observe the culture of the home country with respect and with some degree of sensibility. Undoubtedly, it takes time and effort to develop cross-culture communication when we first come into interacting with local managers, executives, colleagues and co-workers, bearing in mind that the most effective communication should be two-way. We need to learn from our local friends how to value and enjoy our differences in backgrounds, races, religions, languages, tradition, customs and culture, and then we are able to focus on what we have in common in the context of teamwork and good management practices.

Poetry In Motion - Moving Your Body

Our bodies love movement. When we stretch or dance, our bodies adjust, realign and start to become fluid with the rhythm of life. Our mood lifts and we feel more connected with the world around us. If you are feeling stuck, ready to release old energy or eager to feel more alive, try moving your body. By giving your muscles a chance to do what they were created for, you may find that all areas of your body and your life benefit as well.

Many times we can be so busy that we forget moving our body is even an option. Some of us remain seated at our computer for hours every day or rush from task to task with robotic precision. When we are caught up in crossing items off our to-do lists, we tend to neglect all the opportunities there are to enjoy our bodies in the process of living. If this is true for you, begin looking for opportunities to move. You might try dancing or moving about freely as you clean your home, tend your garden or care for your children. If you are able to devote a set amount of time to self-care, practices such as yoga, dance, tai chi and walking are all great ways to keep your body in motion.

Imagine how freeing it would feel to trust your body's movements completely; knowing it has a perfect strength and rhythm of its own. See if you can sense your bones providing graceful support, your muscles and tendons expanding and contracting in just the right measure, your lungs changing pace to fill deeply with fresh air. Movement is a vital celebration of life. It is a way to proclaim your own existence and relish in the joy of being alive. Today, and into the future, give yourself the gift of your body in motion.

Something to share:

How lucky we are working as planters that our job practically requires us to walk the fields. Planters are paid to walk everyday. That was the remarks of a senior planter to me in 1985 when I was transferred to Makassar Estate, Keratong, Pahang, in 1985. He was the Manager of Merchong Estate and we were neighbors.

In fact the basic work’s ethics for planters is none other than walking in the fields. No wonder someone had commented, “THE BEST PLANTATION PRACTICE IS THE PLANTER’S BOOTS AND NOTHING BEATS WALKING THROUGH THE FIELDS”

By the way, walking is an excellent exercise. It is a gentle, low-impact and safe exercise; just moving our bodies in motion as we swing our hands. But when planters walk in the fields, they also turn their heads left and right as they are trained to be observant and sharp in vision.

The normal advice from our doctors is to take a minimum of 30 minutes brisk walking for at least five days a week. For planters, walking in the fields for hours is not a problem. Don’t be surprised that there are still many senior planters way pass the age of 60 and are still walking in plantations all over the world. Well, thank God that it’s just because of their daily walking life that has been keeping them in good health.

Swimming is also another great exercise to keep our bodies in motion, beside golfing, walking, dancing, yoga and tai chi.

I would like to suggest to you to put on your MP3 or walkman and listen to Johnny Tillotson singing “Poetry In Motion” while you are brisk walking. The song’s lyrics may lighten you to swing and move your whole body in motion.

When I see my baby

What do I see?

Poetry

Poetry in motion...

How nice !!!

Broken Connection?

Something happened in the past and it wasn't pleasant. Heavy words were exchanged, a friendship broke up, and we lost contact with people we are now missing. Broken connections are a tragic fact of our fast-moving life. But whatever the reason for the breakup, these connections can be repaired. Maybe not all of them, but we should notresign; we should give it a try. Don't forget that time is a healer. And modern technology makes it easier than ever for us to reconnect.

“Keep your friendships in repair.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Don't be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.”- Richard Bach

A friendly e-mail that communicates that you would like to reconnect is just one idea. Or you could send an unexpected birthday card to the other party. Or depending on the situation, you could even make a phone call addressing the issue in positive, conciliatory words, or use friends in common to convey a message. I am sure you can think of many other ways, once you've made the decision to try. But what if it doesn't work? Then you can pat yourself on the back and be proud that you tried. And then just let go.

Wouldn't it be nice to reconnect with someone? Have the courage to try.

Something to share:

As illustrated in the Chinese Proverb: 海内存知已，天涯若比邻 (hai nei cun zhi ji, tianya ruo bi lin). The world is but a little place, after all.

A broke up 友情(you qing) friendship does not mean that your friend had become your enemy and that the friendship between you and him or her had been totally ruined. Whatever reasons that caused the break up; don’t you think it’s time to forgive and forget and to reconcile the broken relationship?

You may feel that it’s easier to forgive than to forget. You may be ready to forgive someone who had hurt you deeply, but somehow you still have a hard time trusting that person again. Why? What if that someone is having the same feeling as yours?

Make an attempt to meet up and reconnect again. Make up your mind to forgive and forget. Let be friends again. The world is but a little place, after all.

UNLIMITED ENTHUSIASM

When a group of two hundred executives were asked what makes a person successful, eighty percent (80%) listed enthusiasm as the most important quality. More important than skill. More important than training. Even more important than experience.

Before water will produce enough steam to power an engine, it must boil. The steam engine won't move a train an inch until the steam gauge registers 212 degrees. Likewise, the person without enthusiasm is trying to move the machinery of life with lukewarm water. Only one thing will happen: that person will stall.

A. B. Zu Tavern asserts that enthusiasm is electricity in the battery. It's the vigor in the air. It's the warmth in the fire. It's the breath in all things alive. Successful people are enthusiastic about what they do. "Good work is never done in cold blood," he says, "heat is needed to forge any­thing. Every great achievement is the story of a flaming heart."

You may have all of the skill, training and experience you've ever need. Add enthusiasm to those assets and you will be truly unstoppable!

Something2share:

How true it is that enthusiasm does make a big difference between you and others. When you are interested in your job and feel enthusiastic in doing it, you can perform better than others who are still lack in enthusiasm. Why? That’s because with enthusiasm, you are more certain and sure of your skill, potential and experience, thus you are in a better position to excel in performance than others.

With enthusiasm, there is accomplishment and you can become a good leader. With unlimited enthusiasm, you will become a great leader. Not only you can influence other persons but also you will have a high command over them to accomplish what you want them to do as you have earned their respect. A great leader is always there to teach, to train, to coach, to guide, to motivate, to encourage, and to lift up team members so as to make them leaders too.

In Beijing Olympics 2008, Michael Phelps of USA, at 6ft 4ins tall with unlimited enthusiasm in swimming, became “The Impossible” winning 8 gold medals in the 400m medley, 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 4x100m free relay, 4x200m free relay, 200m medley, 100m butterfly and the 4x100m medley and set world records in all the eight finals. Usain Bolt of Jamaica, at 6 ft 5ins tall with unlimited enthusiasm in running, became “The Incredible” and the new fastest man on earth breaking both men’s 100m and 200m world records. He also won another gold medal together with his teammates in men’s 4 x 400m relay event, breaking the world record too. Both of them are great sportsmen indeed!

Don’t be just a good planter. Show your unlimited enthusiasm in whatever you do in plantation management, and “you will be truly unstoppable” to become a great planter.

THE RUNNER'S DISCIPLINE

We often wonder why thousand of marathoners seem to enjoy themselves in grueling races. Certainly, for most, it’s not the hope of winning. What is it then? Explaining it to his readers, writer Art Carey said,” The real joy of the Boston Marathon is just finishing, just winning the contest with yourself – doing what you have set out to do.” That’s the attitude the Hebrews were supposed to have. Stay in the faith-race to the end.

THE NIV QUIET TIME BIBLE (Hebrews 12: Page 1518)

Something2Share:

I believe we can learn something out of the discipline of the marathon runners. It was rightly said that the marathon runners who had trained hard for the race, went all out to finish the race with endurance and perseverance, even if not in a position to win the race.

We have heard of John Steven Akhwari, the marathon runner from Tanzania, in 1968 Mexico City Olympics. We read about him, being a disciplined athlete, hobbled in pain to reach the finish line with a bandaged leg. Although he finished in the last place but he had accomplished the mission that he was supposed to do. He was well aware that his country sent him there to finish the race.

Just as written in Hebrews 12:1, ”Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” and in Hebrews 12:11, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Likewise, we have to discipline ourselves in our workplace, to do “what we have set out to do.” Each time we finish our task, no matter how tough it is, we know that we can do it with discipline, dedication and determination, and then full of diligence, persistence and perseverance. That’s what we call job satisfaction ("real joy") and we all feel proud of it!

WINNING THE RACE

Coaches tell us that what distinguishes average from superior athletes is the will to win. Endowed with equal physical strengths, one reaches the height of stardom while the other slips into obscurity. One succeeded and the other failed. What made the difference? THE WILL TO WIN.

Something2share:

The 29th Summer Olympic Games held in Beijing 2008 was just over on 24 August with a total of 10,500 athletes competed in 302 events and in 28 sports. The open ceremony was held on 8 August (i.e. 08.08.08). There were 43 new world records and 132 new Olympic records set during the Games. Great and marvelous results that had been achieved by gold medalists in Beijing Olympics!

The remarkable and amazing ones are none other than Michael Phelps of USA winning 8 gold medals in swimming events and broke the record of most golds in one Olympics. We had also witnessed Usain Bolt of Jamaica breaking men’s 100m world record at “9.69 seconds” and also setting men’s 200m world record at “19.30 seconds”. Both of them had “the will to win” and they had won!

Likewise, we must also have “the will to excel” in our performance and “the will to succeed” so as to be successful in our professions.