WHO'S YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Former prisoner James Knapp confessed to police that he'd robbed two stores in Oklahoma (USA), because he missed his old cell mates. Police said they'd see if James could be reunited with his buddies.

But I think Mr. Knapp might have said something worth listening to. We need friends, no matter where we find them.

And do you know who your best friend is? Automaker Henry Ford was having lunch with a man, when he suddenly asked the man that very question. "Who is your best friend?" Ford asked.

The man hesitated and Ford went on. "I'll tell you who your best friend is," he said. Then he wrote this sentence for the man to read: "Your best friend is he who brings out the best that is within you." Our best friends are those who do more than simply like us. They also believe in us. They support us but, occasionally, they nudge us as well.

Someone put it well: "A friend is someone who knows you as you are, understands where you've been, accepts who you've become, and still, and gently invites you to grow."

Now...who is your best friend?

Something to share:

In life, we have had many childhood friends as we went through schooling in primary and secondary schools. But as we grew up, many of us had left our hometowns to attend higher education in other big towns or cities or even went abroad to study overseas. Others had gone to seek employment else where. Later we could have settled down in other places and have our families there. Some could have migrated overseas to other countries. Thus as time went by, we might have lost contact with most of them. But if we are still keeping in touch with few of them, we can consider them as our lifelong friends.

For those who were fortunate to have the opportunity furthering their studies, they also made friends in colleges and universities. Then they met new acquaintances in their workplaces, in club houses and places they used to hang around after work. They also have neighbours in where they stay. They happened to know some of them if not all and whenever they met they said “hello” to each other or just waved hand to show their friendliness but they did not have close relationship. Over a period, somehow there bond to be few of them who later became friends once relationship had been established gradually and eventually. They will most likely meet up everyday in kopitiam (their favourite coffee shop) and keep talking on all sorts of topics especially the current affairs in town and in the country.

Nevertheless, no matter where we are, we do need friends although only a limited number of them with whom we can have and maintain a close and intimate friendship. These are the friends who have the same interests, hobbies and philosophy like ours. We have the same kind of character, same direction, same dream and same goal. Thus we are able to communicate and to understand each other very well that we share joys and sorrows together. We will encourage, motivate and support each other in time of need. Obviously, we have become buddies.

Yes. I do agree that “a best friend is the one who brings out the best that is within you”. Remember, a best friend is also a true friend. Someone says,"A true friend is one who holds your hand and thus touches your heart.” When you hear “I’ll be there for you” from a friend, he is, undoubtedly, your true friend and your best friend!.

Actively Participating Showing Up For Life

The way we walk into a room says a lot about the way we live our lives. When we walk into a room curious about what's happening, willing to engage, and perceiving ourselves as an active participant with something to offer, then we have really shown up to the party. When we walk into a room with our eyes down, or nervously smiling, we are holding ourselves back for one reason or another. We may be hurting inside and in need of healing, or we may lack the confidence required to really be present in the room. Still, just noticing that we're not really showing up, and having a vision of what it will look and feel like when we do, can give us the inspiration we need to recover ourselves.

Even if we are suffering, we can show up to that experience ready to fully engage in it and learn what it has to offer. When we show up for our life, we are actively participating in being a happy person, achieving our goals, and generally living the life our soul really wants. If we need healing, we begin the process of seeking out those who can help us heal. If we need experience, we find the places and opportunities that can give us the experience we need in order to do the work we want to do in the world. Whatever we need, we look for it, and when we find it, we engage in the process of letting ourselves have it. When we do this kind of work, we become lively, confident, and passionate individuals.

There is almost nothing better in the world than the feeling of showing up for our own lives. When we can do this, we become people that are more alive and who have the ability to make things happen in our lives and the lives of the people around us. We walk through the world with the knowledge that we have a lot to offer and the desire to share it.

Something to share:

Life is more meaningful when we are willing to share our ideas, our thoughts, our knowledge, our experiences with other people, whether they are our family members and relatives, our colleagues and coworkers, our friends and newly acquaintances. Exchanging views and learning from each other will certainly enrich our lives and broadening the way we think and the way we see things in life. When we are able to look at things more openly with real understanding, then we can agree to disagree with other people for it's just a matter of different opinions.

At times when arguement arises, do not loss our heads and start to blame and criticize with finger pointing. It becomes worst when you try to play the role of a judge. This will not improve the already sour situation. I am sure no one likes to be victim of blame and target of critiicism. On the other hands, why do we allow ourselves get into unnecessary heated arguement? I think the best way to avoid an arguement is to humble ourselves so as to continue the discussion in a much friendly manner. There is nothing wrong to say,"Correct me if I am wrong" rather than to say "No, you're wrong".

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." How true it is that when we show a little respect for other people, they will in return show a bigger respect for us. When in contact with people, uttering words such as "Good morning", "Excuse me" and "Thank you" will brighten our everyday life as they'll respond well in return with smiles. How come? Well, when our words make them feel so good, it's natural that they want us to feel good too. Be nice to other people and we are able to get along with them easily. That's make us "a happy person" in life!

THINK LITERALLY TO FIND WAY OUT

I have also shared with my colleagues and friends the story of a moneylender and a young girl. It’s about the girl’s father, a poor farmer, who could not pay back the money he borrowed from the moneylender and could be thrown into jail. The moneylender proposed a deal to the young girl. He would forgo her father’s debt if she would accept the deal. However, if there was no deal, then her father would be sent to jail for not able to pay back the money.

The girl accepted the deal to save her father but she was asked to pick a river pebble from a moneybag. If she picked a black pebble, she would become the young wife of the moneylender but her father’s debt would be forgiven. If the pebble she picked was a white one, she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.

The moneylender was cunning as the girl saw him putting 2 black river pebbles into the moneybag. She could not expose the moneylender as a cheat for the deal would be called off. She knew that whichever pebble she picked, it would be a black one anyway and she had to marry to the old man. The picking would be witnessed in front of other farmers and village elders.

It seemed to be a very fair deal to the young girl but in actual fact it was not. She would be the end looser the moment she accepted the deal as the end result had already been fixed by the moneylender. Nevertheless, she would have no choice as she wanted to save her father from going to jail.

Now how will you suggest a way to help the girl to jump out from the moneylender’s trap and free herself from becoming the young wife of the moneylender and save her father from his debt and imprisonment?

Someone suggested that the girl took a white pebble hidden in her hand and then putting her hand into the bag and pulling it out quickly, thus showing the white pebble in her hand. But the cunning moneylender would have checked the girl’s hand before allowing her putting it into the bag to pick a pebble.

Do you think there was no choice for the girl but she had to pick one of the black pebbles to save her father and married to the old ugly moneylender?

There were other suggestions from my colleagues and friends as well but the correct one was a little trick played by the smart young girl. She had to show her hand before she put it into the bag to pick the pebble. The moment she pulled her hand out from it, she deliberately fell down and dropped the pebble on the ground full of other river pebbles.

What if she chose to throw away the pebble?

Surely someone in the crowd could have possibly seen the black color of the river pebble, right?

Well, she apologized for her clumsiness and asked the village head to examine the color of the remaining pebble in the bag. Since it was a black pebble, then the pebble she picked and dropped on the ground must be a white one. The moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty and the girl changed what seemed to be an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

I shared this story with the purpose to motivate my colleagues and friends and put confidence in them. First of all, we must be bold enough to accept all challenges even though the circumstances may not be in favor of us. In this story, if the young girl chose to disclose the cheating of the moneylender, the deal will be called off and her poor father will be sent into the jail.

For every problem, there is a solution. However, if we choose to focus on the problem, in this story both pebbles were black, and then we may not able to find the answer. We know that whichever pebble she picked would be a black one.

However, when we keep focusing on finding the way out and think literally, we can rule out all wrong possibilities and find the right one. The young girl put on her thinking cap not to expose the moneylender as a cheat by putting 2 black river pebbles into the moneybag, but by just playing a small trick, she got what she wanted for not becoming the young wife of the moneylender and her father was pardoned of his debt and need not go to jail.

In other words, when we are given a mission we must strike for a DEAL. With that in mind, then we can all put in our best efforts to get the DEAL without making any silly move that may jeopardize it. Once the DEAL is on, only then we'll focus on our vision. That is to see that the DEAL gets through. Eventually, we can achieve what we aim for.

What Really Makes a True Winner?

Lately I asked my colleagues and subordinate this question, "If you are in a 100m race, and after overtaking the 2nd runner, you are now in what position?” Most of them answered, without thinking, “In position one.” Then I asked them another question, “How about you overtaking the last runner? What position you are in now?” Again without thinking, they answered,"2nd last.”

I told them both answers were wrong. To the 2nd question, it’s not logical as you should be running in front of the last runner. When you overtake the 2nd runner, the 1st runner is still ahead of you, so you are only taking over the 2nd position.

My purpose of asking is not meant to test their wisdom but rather to motivate them not to waste time thinking of the last runner, but focus on reaching the finish line not just to beat the 2nd runner but also the 1st runner in order to be in position No. 1.

To be a winner, you have to have a vision to become a winner. First of all, you must realize that you were born to be a winner and you need to believe in yourself that you will become a winner. Always get up as a winner. In other words, you must see yourself as a winner in the mirror every morning. With such a strong self-confidence, then you must possess pleasant character and good qualities to become a winner.

1. Winners are focused. They have a sense of mission and work with a purpose. They know how to get to the finish line ahead of the other runners.

2. Winners are fully committed. It has to be a total commitment! Somehow, they will have to put in the extra courage going all out to win.

3. Winners are well disciplined. They follow rules. There is no partial obedience to instructions. It must be whole-hearted obedience to their trainers and it is done joyfully with enthusiasm!

4. Winners never make excuses. They will not give lame excuses for temporary set back but rather they remain cool, analyze thoroughly, plan again and take fast action to overcome all mistakes and errors in order to win.

5. Winners are dedicated. They find strong reasons to win. They make things happen.

6. Winners are determined. When a job has to be done, it can be done and has to be done. They will not leave their jobs half-done or half-undone.

7. Winners never point finger. They accept responsibilities and not to put the blame on their subordinates or finding “scapegoats” on the others to get themselves out of the troubled waters.
8. Winners value time management. They manage their time better than the others. They realize that “早起的鳥兒有虫吃 early birds catch the worms.” They ensure that they are at the workplace much earlier than their subordinates. They are no latecomers to office (or muster ground for planters) as they are good leaders.

9. Winners stand tall. They never bow down to adverse environment and difficult situation. They never quit. They take their earlier defeats as valuable lessons. They don’t give up but get up and start over again to fight like a champion until they win.

10. Winners are optimists. They don’t cry over spilled milk. They brush aside worries and fears. Just as illustrated in the above picture, as written in Chinese, “笑到最後后的人才是真正的贏家 a person who laughs till the end is a true winner!”

All in all, God wants winners to be “more than conquerors”! (Roman 8:37)

HEALTH OR WEALTH?

If it's got to be one or the other, health is the obvious choice, right? Then why do so many of us sacrifice it for wealth? Mainly because we believe we can get away with it. And we can for a while.

But as the days and years go by and we are preoccupied with our daily routines, we don't think of our health - as long as it doesn't come to the fore. And even then, there are always pills to help us get by: pills for headaches, pills for high blood pressure, and pills for sleeplessness.

Out of shape? Overweight? Fatigued? Let's take care of it later.

Not just now - time is money!

"So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.” - A.J. Reb Materi

”The first wealth is health.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

But there won't always be time. When a heart attack, a chronic disease, or a loss of physical capacity reminds us of our mortality, our priorities will change. Gaining more influence and wealth will be toppled from their lofty rankings. If we choose wealth over health, we may end up spending our wealth trying to regain our health. It would be a lot easier and wiser to change our routines now, while there is still time.

What about today? Why not walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator?

Something to share ….

“恭喜發財GONG XI FA CAI!” That’s what the Chinese greet one another when they meet on the 1st day of Lunar New Year. They wish their friends, relatives, colleagues and business associates a prosperous new year to get richer and gather more wealth. I prefer to greet everyone “恭喜健康 GONG XI JIAN KANG” to wish them good health and stay healthy.

A Chinese saying puts it very clearly,” 健康才是財富 Health is wealth. 無病才是幸福 No sickness is happiness.” But most Chinese ask for wealth from 財神爺 God of Fortune, not for health!

To stay healthy, we have to take the doctor’s advice:

Have regular exercise. Walk instead of ride. Cycle instead of drive.
(For planters, we are paid to walk the fields. How nice!)

Drink 8 glasses of pure water instead of 8 cans of soft drinks.
(Most planters drink more than 8 glasses of water a day, since we sweat a lot while walking in the fields.)

Have adequate sleep of 8 hours for proper rest after a hard day’s work.
(Most planters used to go to bed earlier and wake up early in the following morning to conduct the muster call.)

Eat 5-7 portions of green vegetables and fruits a day. Go for white meats such as fishes and chicken rather than red meats such as beef, mutton and pork.
(Growing own organic vegetables and fruits such as papaya, bananas, pineapples, guava, star fruit, avocado, etc using bunch ash, empty bunches and biosolids and rearing kampong chicken are good hobbies for planters. For planters who like fishing, there are plentiful of fresh water fishes in ponds, drains, streams and rivers.)

Don’t try to save some money on your health! Have regular medical checkups. Prevention is better than cure.

WORDS

Emily and her millionaire husband visited their construction site. A worker who wore a helmet saw her and shouted, "Hi, Emily! Remember me? We used to date in the secondary school."

On the way home, her millionaire husband teased her, "Luckily you married me. Otherwise you will be the wife of a construction worker."

Emily answered,” You should appreciate that you married me. Otherwise, he will be the millionaire and not you."

When we always forget mutual respect and courtesy, we may say anything without considering if it would hurt the other party. Many relationships break off because of wrong speech. Frequently exchanging teasing remarks plants the seed for a bad relationship. It's like a broken egg - cannot be reversed.

Something to share…

Words can heal and words can hurt. Using the right words improves good relationship. On the other hand, using the wrong words hurts the other person’s feeling and as a result the relationship sours. It becomes worst if the other person is having a “kiasu” attitude. When he or she does not want to be teased, it is a natural response that he or she will give it back to you, very badly.

A Chinese saying puts it this way, “病從口入, 楇從口出 Sickness enters into our mouths, and trouble comes out from our mouths.” When we have eaten unclean foods, we fall sick and may get food poisoning. When we have spoken unclean words, we get into big troubles.

If we speak bad words that hurt, obviously these words of lies, gossip, rumor and carry tales will damage our relationship with other people. On the other hands, if we speak good words that heal, surely these words of encouragement and motivation will improve our relationship with other people.

When married couples always speak words of care and concern, words of understanding and appreciation, words of kindness and love, they will eventually enjoy more and more of their companionship and live on much happier together.

How true it is that “a good word makes it glad” as written in Proverbs 12:25 and ”pleasant words are like a honeycomb; sweetness to the soul and health to the bones” in Proverbs 16:24.

BE FIRM ON YOUR ACTION!

A couple bought a donkey from the market. On the way home, a boy commented,” Very stupid. Why neither of them rides on the donkey?” Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on the donkey. He walked besides them.

Later, an old man saw it and commented, "The husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride on the donkey while the husband is on foot?" Hearing this, the wife quickly got down and let the husband ride on the donkey.

Further on the way home, they met an old lady.

She commented, "How can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no gentleman." The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey.

Then, they met a young man. He commented, "Poor donkey, how can you hold up the weight of two persons. They are cruel to you." Hearing that, the husband and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey and carried it on their shoulders. It seems to be the only choice left. Later, on a narrow bridge, the donkey was frightened and struggled. They lost their balance and fell into the river.

You can never have everyone praise you, nor will everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will be in the future. Thus, do not be too bothered by others words if our conscience is clear.

Something to share….

“Do right and fear no man.” That’s what my xifu, Mr. Tony Chew, had taught me. Since then, I had shared this with many planters who had worked with me and under my guidance. Doing right is that you know your conscience is clear as you are well guided by honesty and integrity. Thus, you do not fear your boss! You have established a strong bond of TRUST between you and your boss.

On management aspect, as long as we know what we are doing is on the right track, then we do not need to bother of what others had said and commented even if they might be out of good intention. Don’t be indecisive! If you can’t make up your mind and keep changing the way you are doing while listening to wrong advice, then you will loss your directions and end up doing wrong things.

Just like you are playing a game of chess, those onlookers who stand behind you are fond of making comments to influence your next move. Don’t listen to them and don’t get distracted. Just focus and concentrate on the game in order to study and analyze your opponent’s last move. Then you know that the next move you make is a right move. When it’s game over, you are pretty sure that you have just won the game!

TRUST

A telephone operator told me that one day she received a phone call.

She answered, "Public Utilities Board." There was silence.

She repeated, "PUB." There was still no answer.

When she was going to cut off the line, she heard a lady's voice, "Oh, so this is PUB. Sorry, I got the number from my Husband's pocket but I do not know whose number it is." Without mutual trust, just imagine what will happen to the couple if the telephone operator answered with just "hello" instead of "PUB".

TRUST is a very important factor for all relationships. When trust is broken, it is the end of the relationship. Lack of trust leads to suspicion, suspicion generates anger, anger causes enmity and enmity may result in separation.

Something to share ...

In plantation management, the manager is entrusted to spend in millions Ringgit Malaysia or miliars Rupiah Indonesia once the annual budget has been finalized and approved. Thus, the trust in him to spend wisely and honestly is the main concern of the boss. He will put “eyes and ears” all over the places to cross-check and monitor just to make sure that the manager he engaged is a trusted person of honesty and integrity. Any bosses, for that matter, do not want his managers to cheat, to take bribe from contractors and to accept commission from suppliers.

However, some bosses are very light-eared. They will believe whatever information they received. It’s a pity that in some cases, the TRUST has been destroyed by gossips, rumors, hearsays, carry tales, lies, and cock-and-bull stories about the managers. There is a Chinese saying, “用人不疑, 疑人不用 When engage people do not suspect him. If there is suspicion do not engage him.”

A person of honesty knows that when integrity is lost, all is lost! He is aware of doing right and fears no man but fears God. In other words, a person who fears God will have to do right and do no wrongs according to God’s will, thus he needs not fear his boss as long as he is honest with integrity. After all, integrity and respect come to those who can do good jobs!

I'm the BOSS!

The boss was complaining in our staff meeting the other day that he wasn't getting any respect.

The next day, he brought a small sign that read: "I'm the Boss!"

He then taped it to his office door.

Later that day when he returned from lunch, he found that someone had taped a note to the sign that said:

"Your wife called, she wants her sign back!"

Something to share:

This joke reminds me of what my colleague, SS, once told us,”Hey! Is our company ruled by the BRA?” Well, well, well, I am sure there are such instances that you might have come across whereby some wives do show their “bossiness” in workplace or office of their husbands for reasons best known to them.

It has been well said that “behind a successful man, it’s his woman”. Sorry ladies, it’s behind, not in front!

In the Bible as written in Colossians 4:18 & Ephesians 5:25, God says,” Wives, submit to your own husbands as is fitting in the Lord.” &”For the husband is head of the wife.” But God also says in Colossians 4:19,”Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.”

To all husbands, this is what I want to share,” Love your wives as much as they love you.” And, of course, to all wives, “Respect your husbands as much as you are respected.”

Planters are always grateful to their wives for their understanding and supportive attitude towards their so called “occupational hazard” working environment in remote plantations. When their children reach schooling age, most planters move their families to nearby towns and become weekend husbands and fathers.

I remember that my previous company when giving out long service rewards to its executive staff during the annual dinner, my ex-boss had been very generous to give “special reward” to the wives as a token of appreciation. The wise old man knew that without the support of the wives, his long serving executives wouldn’t have stay on for 10, 20 or even 30 years with the company!

THE SOUND OF ECHO & THE ECHO OF LIFE

A man and his son were walking in the forest. Suddenly, the boy tripped and feeling a sharp pain, he screamed, “Ahhhh!” Surprised, he heard a voice coming from the mountain, “Ahhhh!”

Filled with curiosity, he screamed, “Who are you?”, but the only answer he received was, “Who are you?”

This made him angry, so he screamed again, “You are a coward!”, and the voice answered: “You are a coward!”

He looked at his father, asking, “Dad, what is going on?”

“Son,” the man replied, “Pay attention!”
Then he screamed, “I admire you!”
The voice answered: “I admire you!”

The father shouted, “You are wonderful!”, and the voice answered, “You are wonderful!”

Then the father explained, “People call this ECHO, but truly it is LIFE!
Life always gives you back what you give out.
Life is a mirror of your actions.
If you want more love, give more love!
If you want more kindness, give more kindness!
If you want understanding and respect, give understanding and respect!
If you want people to be patient and respectful to you, give patience and respect!
This rule of nature applies to every aspect of our lives.”

Life always gives you back what you give out.

Your life is not a coincidence, but a mirror of your own doings.

Something to share…..

How truly it was spoken that “the echo of life” relates to what we get in life depends on what we have given out.

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” That’s God words in the Bible. It means that the more you give, the more you will receive. That’s God’s blessings on cheerful givers!

There is no short cut to success.

We have to put in all our skills and efforts to score goals.

To finish the race in number one position, the champion has trained harder than the other runners have and he runs the race faster than the number two runner does.

For a job well done, we have to give our best and do our best.

When we think positively, talk positively, listen positively, discuss positively, plan positively, and act positively, we get positive results.

When we see ourselves as “winners,” we become “winners.”
When we see ourselves as “champions,” we shall be the “champions.”

Yes. When you have decided to be successful, there is always a great price that you are willing to pay and you have to do whatever it takes to become a winner or a champion

That’s what we call “THE ECHO OF LIFE.”

OLD DOGS RULE

A wealthy old Gentleman decides to go on a hunting safari in Africa, taking his faithful, elderly Jack Russell terrier named Killer, along for the company.

One day the old Jack Russell starts chasing rabbits and before long,

discovers that he's lost. Wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch.

The old Jack Russell thinks, 'Oh, oh! I'm in deep doo-doo now!' Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat.

Just as the leopard is about to leap, the old Jack Russell exclaims loudly, 'Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder if there are any more around here?'

Hearing this, the young leopard halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away into the trees.

'Whew!’ says the leopard, 'That was close! That old Jack Russell nearly had me!'

Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So off he goes, but the old Jack Russell sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must be up.

The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The young leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, 'Here, monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine!

Now, the old Jack Russell sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks, 'What am I going to do now?', but instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the old Jack Russell says...

'Where's that damn monkey? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!'

Moral of this story:

Don't mess with the old dogs -- Age and Skill will always overcome Youth! And Treachery!

Bullshit and Brilliance only come with age and experience.

Something to share……..

I bet you have a good laugh. Do share with your friends so that there will be more people laughing after reading this joke.

Don’t try to test the wisdom of old people. Remember that “Wisdom comes from experience and experience comes with age.”

Old men are wise. That’s why they are called “wise old men”. Some preferred to be called “young old men” because they like to be “youthfully challenged.”

A Plantation Manager was asked, “Why there are still some left over rubber seedlings left growing in the ex-nursery?” “I purposed left there to see whether the Assistant takes initiate to remove them,” he answered calmly.

During a slide presentation, one Manager pointed out a spelling error.
“Very good. That proves my point that you guys are listening and one of you can spot the purposely spelt error.” Is it not a wise answer from the Planting Adviser to avoid an embarrassment?

ARE YOU GOOD LISTENERS?

We all do it. It’s as common as flies around a horse. While someone else is talking, we’re thinking about what we’re going to say next instead of about what is being said to us. We know others are worth more care and attention. But the habit is hard to break.

- THE NIV QUIET TIME BIBLE (1525)

Something to share ….

Undoubtedly, a good leader talks with a voice of authority and shouts with a voice of command. It’s nothing unusual that a leader is a good talker and has the habit of keep talking all the time. He expects his team members to be followers and listen to his talking most of the time. However, at time a leader must himself be humble to stop talking but listening to his team members.

I must admit that I had not been a good listener all these years. At times I would like to cut in when the other person was still talking to me. I gave my excuse that at my current age I had a tendency to forget if I did not speak out immediately especially when I needed to respond to him. Nevertheless, I did excuse myself for stopping him from talking and allowing me to cut in. With that understanding, there was little hard feeling from the person I spoke to.

Somehow the successful leaders are good listeners, as they have discovered the value of listening. It is essential and necessary for anyone who wishes to communicate well with others. Dale Carnegie put it rightly,” The secret of influencing people lies not so much in being a good talker as in being a good listener.”

Unless we are willing to break the hard habit of keep on talking and learn to listen to others, we are not able to get good feed back and reliable information from our subordinates, colleagues and coworkers. “Why should I tell him if he’s not listening to me?” That’s normal human attitude.

Always remember: BEFORE YOU SPEAK …. LISTEN.

In James 1:19, God reminds us,” Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…”

Become a better listener and doer of his Word.

Offer Your Hand

Little girl and her father were crossing a bridge.

The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river."

The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand."

"What's the difference?" the puzzled father asked.

"There's a big difference," replied the little girl.

"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond. So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold yours...

Something to share …..

Yes. A caring father is the one who holds his child's hand because under no circumstances he will let go the hand.

A true friend is the one who offers you help when he/she knows you are in difficulty and not the one who say,” Come to me if you need help.”

A good leader is the one who shows you the way and not the one who tells you, “Ask if you don’t know.”

Surely you have something to share and add on…..

BE OBSERVANT AND LEARN TO PAY ATTENTION

First-year students at Medical School were receiving their first Anatomy class with a real dead human body. They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet.

The professor started the class by telling them: "In medicine, it is necessary to have 2 important qualities as a doctor. The first is that you not be disgusted by anything involving the human body."

For an example, the Professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his finger in the butt of the corpse, withdrew it and stuck his finger in his mouth.

“Go ahead and do the same thing," he told his students. The students freaked out, hesitated for several minutes, but eventually took turns sticking a finger in the butt of the dead body and sucking on it. Each one tried his best not to puke.

When everyone had finished, the Professor looked at them and told them,"The second most important quality is OBSERVATION. I stuck in my Middle finger and sucked on my Index finger. Now learn to pay attention."

Something to share…..

Well, I am sure we have a good laugh after reading this joke.

In the course of learning, being just beginners, we obviously had a tendency to be naive and ignorant. We were easily tricked and made “a laughing stock” as we were raw and fresh without any experience. We were lack of observation and had not learned to pay attention.

A planter is trained to be very observant in the fields. As he walks the fields, he is able to see and detect things not right in plantation he managed. His eye sight should be as sharp as an eagle.

Paying attention through observation, he is able to act accordingly to put things in order by enforcing strict discipline on his field staff and taking remedy action to get things done and corrected in the fields without any hesitation and delay. Supervisory staff and mandores are trained to be observant as well in carrying out check and control duties in the fields. Any slack in supervision may be due to poor observation and not paying full attention to workers who are supposed to get work done.

A planter will not compromise on work standard and quality. There will be no excuses for work half done or half undone. Works for today need to be done will have to be done. It’s a matter of DEDICATION and COMMITMENT, involving planning, organizing, implementing, delegating, follow up and monitoring.

As long as a planter pays attention to the principle of “plan your work” and practice “work your plan”, eventually it’s a job “well done”.

That’s what we call “job satisfaction”!

MONKEY IN THE PLANE

Once in Brazil a plane crashed, only a monkey who was travelling in the plane left alive. Fortunately the monkey was intelligent enough to understand our language and reply in actions.

The officials went to see the monkey in the hospital and had a talk with the monkey.

Officer: "When the plane took off what were the travelers doing?"
Monkey: "Tying their belts."
Officer: "What were the air hostesses doing?"

Monkey: "Saying Hello! Good morning!"

Officer: "What were the pilots doing?"

Monkey: "Checking the system."

Officer: "What were you doing?"

Monkey: "Looking for my people."

Office:"After 10 minutes what were the travellers doing?"
Monkey: "Having beverages and snacks."

Officer: "What were the air hostesses doing?"

Monkey: "Serving the travellers."

Officer: "What were the Pilots doing?"

Monkey: "Handling the steering."

Officer: "What were you doing?"

Monkey: "Eating & throwing."

Officer: "After 30 minutes what were the travellers doing?

Monkey: "Some were sleeping and some were reading."

Officer: "What were the air hostesses doing?"

Monkey: "Make up."

Officer: "What were the pilots doing?"

Monkey: "Handling the steering."

Officer: "What were you doing?"

Monkey: "Nothing."

Officer: "Just before plane crash what were the travellers doing?"

Monkey: "All were sleeping."

Officer: "What were the pilots doing?"

Monkey: "Handling the air hostess."

Officer: "What were you doing?"

Monkey: "Handling the steering!"

Something to share…..

From the management aspect, the problem usually starts when you are not in control and divert your attention to other issues (Not doing the things you are supposed to do but doing things that you are not supposed to do). You are asking for big trouble when you let go your job function to someone who plays “monkey” and has no knowledge of doing your job. A “plane crash” means you are finished, i.e. loosing your job since you are solely responsible and accountable.

A Plantation Manager is entrusted to manage the whole plantation, thus he must be disciplined, determined and dedicated to his job responsibility as he is overall in-charge of all operations, as well as the management, administration and accounting of the plantation. Delegation must be followed up and at times followed through. Do not delegate to the wrong hands! Do not expect a Trainee Assistant who is still on the job training or a Junior Assistant who is still lack of experience to in-charge of a division and able to deliver. They are still in need of much guidance and coaching. Normally the Senior Assistant is the 2nd man whom the Manager relies on to organize and carry out most operations in the plantation. However, if he just let go without follow up and closely monitoring, he may end up in big trouble.

When come to decision making, the manager must insist that he is to be consulted for making the final decision.

The principle is basic and simple.

The Manager must be in TOTAL CONTROL.

LOVE YOUR JOB

Extract of Mr. Narayana Murthy's Speech during Mentor Session:

I know people who work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, or more. Some people do so because of a work emergency where the long hours are only temporary. Other people I know have put in these hours for years. I do not know if they are working all these hours, but I do know they are in the office this long. Others put in long office hours because they are addicted to the workplace.

Whatever the reason for putting in overtime, working long hours over the long term is harmful to the person and to the organization.There are things managers can do to change this for everyone's benefit. Being in the office long hours, over long periods of time, makes way for potential errors.

My colleagues who are in the office long hours frequently make mistakes caused by fatigue. Correcting these mistakes requires their time as well as the time and energy of others. I have seen people work Tuesday through Friday to correct mistakes made after 5 PM on Monday.

Another problem is that people who are in the office long hours are not pleasant company.They often complain about other people (who are not working as hard); they are irritable, or cranky, or even angry. Other people avoid them. Such behaviour poses problems, where work goes much better when people work together instead of avoiding one another.

As Managers, there are things we can do to help people leave the office. First and foremost is to set the example and go home ourselves. I work with a manager who chides people for working long hours. His words quickly lose their meaning when he sends these chiding group e-mails with a time-stamp of 2am, Sunday.

Second is to encourage people to put some balance in their lives. For instance, here is a guideline I find helpful:

1) Wake up, eat a good breakfast, and go to work.
2) Work hard and smart for eight or nine hours.
3) Go home.
4) Read the books/comics, watch a funny movie, dig in the dirt, play with your kids, etc.
5) Eat well and sleep well.

This is called recreating.
Doing steps 1, 3, 4, and 5 enable step 2.
Working regular hours and recreating daily are simple concepts.
They are hard for some of us because that requires ‘personal change’.
They are possible since we all have the power to choose to do them.

In considering the issue of overtime, I am reminded of my oldest son. When he was a toddler, if people were visiting the apartment, he would not fall asleep no matter how long the visit was, and no matter what time of day it was. He would fight off sleep until the visitors left. It was as if he was afraid that he would miss some thing. Once our visitors' left, he would go to sleep. By this time, however, he was over tired and would scream through half the night with nightmares. He, my wife, and I, all paid the price for his fear of missing out.

Perhaps some people put in such long hours because they do not want to miss anything when they leave the office. The trouble with this is that events will never stop happening. That is life! Things happen 24 hours a day. Allowing for little rest is not ultimately practical. So, take a nap. Things will happen while you are asleep, but you will have the energy to catch up when you wake.

Hence,

"LOVE YOUR JOB, BUT NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR COMPANY BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE COMPANY STOPS LOVING YOU" - Narayana Murthy

Something to share….

As employees, I am sure we all love our jobs. Question is should we work like a workaholic and expecting our subordinates and staff to be the same?

There is a time to work. There is also time for proper rest and relax to release stress; to play and do regular exercise after work so as to stay healthy.

Working hard is different from working long hours as if can’t stop working. The principle of success is “work hard and work smart”. It is not how much a person works, but it is how he or she works that makes the difference.

Well, we are always reminded of “sense of belonging” when working for any company. Irrespective of our title and position, obviously being employees to any company we are accountable and responsible to our jobs. We have to give in our best efforts to work skillfully, enthusiastically and efficiently to achieve company’s goals and objectives. All in all, we want to contribute and be valued as assets to our companies. We do not wish to become liabilities to our companies!

To me, it’s not a question of falling in love with the company, but rather any employee will feel much secure if being recognized as a team player in the organization. Surely an employee wants to be appreciated, honored and respected by his or her employer and enjoys the rewards in term of salary increment and annual bonus. When there is such a strong bond between employer-employees relationships, then the employees have something to look forward and happy to stay on.

When things turn out otherwise, may be Mr. N Murthy is absolutely right; the company has stopped loving you. You are no more treated as a member of the family, so to speak. That’s the time you better decide to leave the company and call it a day. Go and find another company where you can work and find happiness in your job.

In Colossians 3:23-24, we are taught that we should do our job with all our heart, meaning love our job, as if we are serving our Lord, Jesus Christ.

“Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”

To Err Is Human (My Stupid Mistakes)

Life doesn't always go in a straight line. Making mistakes is part of the game. Some are inevitable and we just have to accept them and make the best of them. But some could have been prevented, which only proves that we didn't learn from our earlier mistakes.

A friend told me about a very special list, a personal accounting of every mistake he made."To make mistakes is normal," he said, "but to make the same mistake twice is inexcusable."

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.- George Santayana

Mistakes are painful when they happen, but years later a collection of mistakes is what is called experience.- Denis Whitley

I liked the idea and immediately adapted his system. That was many years ago and my list has grown to a respectable size! It contains documents and jottings about all the mistakes, the misjudgments, and the stupid decisions I have made.

Being reminded of past mistakes is unpleasant, but I do go through the folder periodically in order to prevent myself from repeating them. It’s a difficult but very effective way to learn. Have you ever thought of making a list of your mistakes? Try it!

Something to share …..

What’s a great idea! Keep a list of our mistakes as days go by for periodical review as we move on in life. To me, “a collection of mistakes” should be known as bitter experiences.

We have been taught, “To err is human.” It’s normal to make mistakes. Otherwise, we will never learn. But it’s just stupid of us to repeat the same mistakes. That’s what team members always being reminded by their team leader.

Inexcusable. Why not?

Well, there is still a tendency of making the same mistakes again if we do not keep a list of our mistakes reminding us not to repeat them. Question is whether we are able to excuse ourselves for such stupidity?

Don’t blame others. Don’t blame your superior. Blame your ownself if you have never learned but appear stupid of committing the same mistakes over and over gain.

On the other hand, we should have learned from our past mistakes and bitter experiences as we move on our career path. We become much wiser in making good judgments and right decisions. The end results are always sweet out of job satisfaction.

Don’t you think so?

To Forgive Is Devine

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:
TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"

The other friend replied "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

Something to share….

In life, many times when we were embarrassed, insulted or humiliated, we felt hurt and began emotionally upset. Anger started boiling in us and hatred began to grip into our heart. We swore that we would take revenge one day. Worst if we were slapped on the face. Evil thought straightaway flashed across our mind, “Yeah. It must be a tooth to a tooth, an eye to an eye!” That’s human’s wickedness in nature. Too resentful!

Learn to write your emotional wounds in sand. Why? That’s because it will never heal unless you are willing to forgive. If you don’t, do you know that you are the one who really suffers? The pain will dominate your whole life! Make a wise decision. Let the “winds of forgiveness erase it away.”

On the other hand, always be grateful to someone who has been good to you. Be thankful that you have a best friend who is always there to encourage you, to motivate you, and to lift you up when you are down. Bury your gratefulness and thankfulness in your heart as if you “engrave it in a stone where no wind can ever erase it”.

FINISH THE RACE

Have you seen pictures of marathon runners? CONCENTRATION and DETERMINATION seem to ooze from every pore. These people set their hearts and minds on one thing – finish the race. They focus on the next step, the next checkpoint, until the race is complete.

They shed pounds, unnecessary clothing or anything else that might slow them down. Attach their official number and they are ready to run.

Marathon runners not only shed anything that might slow them down, they also dress carefully. They choose the best running shoes and the most comfortable shorts and shirt possible.

We are to live like marathon runners. We are to take off anything that slows us down and set our hearts and minds on the finish line.

- THE NIV QUIET TIME BIBLE (Pg 1466 & 1467)

Something to share …..

When we have acquired the positive attitude and the correct mindset of a marathon runner, then there will not be any excuses that a work is half done or half undone. A work half done or half undone is no better than a work not done. The result is the same at the end of the day. You have not delivered! Can any excuses given can reverse the situation and make the work done? Obviously, the answer is “No”. After all, a work not done is not done, irrespective of any excuses given.

DETERMINATION is the main key to get work done. Once you are determined to get work done, you will find ways and means to complete it at the end of the day. Any obstacles along the way will not stop you from accomplishment because you are so focused and concentrated on the job that you have probably made up your mind not only to get it done, but you also want to do the best out of it. Once you have made up your mind, you have already pictured yourself on the finish line.

Many have been touched by the real story of a marathon runner finishing the race in the last place 40 years ago. John Steven Akhwari was from Tanzania. He participated in the Mexico City Olympics in 1968. Unluckily, he fell badly during the race and he was bruised with blood on his injured leg. It seemed that he was the only runner left on the track as he entered the stadium that evening. It was reported that, just about an hour ago, the winner of the marathon race had been declared over the official announcement.

Apparently, John Steven Akhwari, being a DISCIPLINED marathon runner full of DEDICATION and DETERMINATION, did not give up with a bandaged leg but pressed on as he hobbled in pain to reach the finish line. The remaining crowd of spectators roared out their appreciation with cheer and applauds just as he crossed the finish line. For the very first time, an athlete finished in the last place was given a standing ovation! Obviously, this act of PERSISTENCE, PERSEVERANCE and DETERMINATION had won him the due respect from all over the world.

When asked why he continued running, he simply answered, "My country did not send me 7,000 miles to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me here to finish it.” His words had indeed inspired many people and motivated them.

Do Your Job Well

“If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well!” I would like to have a dollar for every time I heard that growing up. I don’t think I understood the saying nearly as well as I do after years of working on it. INTEGRITY and RESPECT come to those who do a good job. We recognize excellence when we see it, and we are offended by a job half-done.

- The NIV Quiet Time Bible (552)

Something to share ....

Never leave a job half-done or half undone! We must hold on to our promises and fulfill our commitments as we are dutiful and responsible to finish our everyday jobs.

A job “well done” is not only just a compliment but it’s also praise and an admiring comment on how much we honor our profession. It’s truly a whole-heartedly commitment for any employee to do his job well as a real Professional.

To do our best is to do what needs to be done regardless of how difficult or impossible the situation may seem to be. For a job “well done”, we just do it without any reservation or hesitation and concentrate on doing what is best with all our hearts.

In Colossians 3:23 the Bible says,” Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”

Thank the Lord for giving you a job (in his kingdom), and recommit yourself to be faithful in your tasks.