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.

A Persian Story of the Jumping Frogs

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out.

This frog, though, was deaf, unable to hear the others plea. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story teaches us two lessons:

There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.

Something2Share:

How true it is that at time we need to turn our deaf ears to what others say. Don’t listen to them. They are not your true friends but enemies in disguise. When they speak negative words to you, you can sense it that they are taking the opportunity of your bad situation to discourage you, to pinch you down, to make you more depressed, and to destroy you in the end. (They are just like the group of frogs telling the 2 poor frogs fell into a deep pit to give up hope and die.)

There are also people who like to gossip, spread rumor and carry tales about you in the company. Do not be one of them. Always believe the principle of “Do right fear no man but fear God.” In the end, you will be blessed and you will be a blessing to others.

The worst that you could have encountered is one of your colleagues who had told unfounded lies to your boss so that you are no longer stand in his way for his promotion in the company. That’s the evil intention in him. In Chinese, such person is known as 小人 (xiao ren : wicked man). He is 狼披羊皮（lang pi yang pi : a “wolf” putting on the “sheep’s skin”). Beware of this kind of person and keep a distance from him. Don’t ever associate with him.

God wants us to be good and not to be wicked. He wants us to be righteous gentlemen showing tender care to others with love. When we can speak words of encouragement, we are able to help others and lift them up. Unlike the wicked men, they speak words of condemn to drag people down.

Positively speaking, by constant sharing and keep on motivating others, we are able to turn "give up" into "take up", "misery" into "hope", "loss" into "win", "failure" into "success" and "unhappiness" into "joy"!

The Friend We Want To Be - Evaluating Our Relationships

There comes a time in all our lives when we may need to evaluate our relationships, making sure that they are having a positive effect on us, rather than dragging us down. Without realizing it, we may be spending precious time and energy engaging in friendships that let us down, rather than cultivating ones that support and nourish us along our path. Life, with its many twists, turns, and challenges, is difficult enough without us entertaining people in our inner circle who drain our energy. We can do so much more in this world when we are surrounded by people who understand what we're trying to do and who positively support our efforts to walk our path.

We can begin this evaluation process by simply noticing how we feel in the context of each one of our close relationships. We may begin to see that an old friend is still carrying negative attitudes or ideas that we ourselves need to let go of in order to move forward. Or we may find that we have a long-term relationship with someone who has a habit of letting us down, or not showing up for us when we need support. There are many ways to go about changing the status quo in situations like this, having a heart to heart with our friend showing through example. This process isn't so much about abandoning old friends as it is about shifting our relationships so that they support us on our journey rather than holding us back.

An important part of this process is looking at ourselves and noticing what kind of friend we are to the people in our lives. We might find that as we adjust our own approach to a relationship, challenging ourselves to be more supportive and positive, our friends make adjustments as well and the whole world benefits.

Something to share:

Friendship is very valuable for “he who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare.” It’s true that at time we have to evaluate our relationships with our friends. We should make every effort to maintain friendship instead of breaking relationship with friends due to misunderstanding, disagreement or conflict. We have to learn how to value and restore the relationship with friends.

Be frank when we come to evaluating/restoring relationship with friends. Never talk bad or point finger from the back. Be open and transparent. As friends, we must learn to get along with one another. Any disagreement, conflict and misunderstanding among friends will have to be resolved in order to maintain the valuable friendship.

It’s better for you to take the initiative step and make the first move if you want a heart-to-heart talk with any friend, whether you feel being let down or you have let your friend down. Go to the friend the sooner the better and make things right in a face–to–face meeting. Any delay is undesirable as it may deepen the misunderstanding and sour the relationship further. Of course the meeting should be well timed and at the right place to meet. How to talk is as important as what to say. The right approach by you and your friend will build up a better supportive friendship in the end.

THE BETTER WAY TO UNDERSTAND SOMEONE IS TO SHARE THE SAME VIEW !

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It’s a dog’s life after all

A butcher watching over his shop is really surprised when he saw a dog coming inside the shop. He shoos him away. But later, the dog is back again. So, he goes over to the dog and notices he has a note in his mouth.

He takes the note and it reads "Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please. The dog has money in his mouth, as well".

The butcher looks inside and, behold, a ten dollar note. So he takes the money and puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog's mouth.

The butcher is so impressed, and since it's about closing time, he decides to shut up shop and follow the dog. So off he goes.

The dog is walking down the street when he comes to a level crossing. The dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the button.

Then he waits patiently, bag in mouth, for the lights to turn. They do, and he walks across the road, with the butcher following him all the way.

The dog then comes to a bus stop, and starts looking at the timetable. The butcher is in awe at this stage. The dog checks out the times, and then sits on one of the seats provided.

Along comes a bus. The dog walks around to the front, looks at the number, and goes back to his seat. Another bus comes. Again the dog goes and looks at the number, notices it's the right bus, and climbs on.

The butcher, by now, open-mouthed, follows him onto the bus. The bus travels through the town and out into the suburbs, the dog looking at the scenery.

Eventually he gets up, and moves to the front of the bus. He stands on 2 back paws and pushes the button to stop the bus. Then he gets off, his groceries still in his mouth.

Well, dog and butcher are walking along the road, and then the dog turns into a house.

He walks up the path, and drops the groceries on the step. Then he walks back down the path, takes a big run, and throws himself against the door.

He goes back down the path, runs up to the door and again, it throws himself against it.

There's no answer at the house, so the dog goes back down the path, jumps up on a narrow wall, and walks along the perimeter of the garden. He gets to the window, and beats his head against it several times, walks back, jumps off, and waits at the door.

The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door, and starts abusing the dog, kicking him and punching him, and swearing at him.

The butcher runs up, and stops the guy. "What in heaven's name are you doing? The dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for the life of me!" to which the guy responds:

"You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this stupid dog's forgotten his key."

Something2share:

The message is clear: DON’T REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKE

When I was Plantation Manager many years ago, I used to remind my Assistants, “You are good, but if you repeat the same mistakes, you are good-for-nothing!”

For those who had accepted my statement positively, they were extra careful not to repeat the same mistakes again as they didn’t want to be good-for-nothing. I had also told them, "Don’t be just good. Try to be better. Aim for the best.”

I feel proud of those who have climbed up the ladder of success and now holding higher position than just a Plantation Manager. They are not only good for not repeating the same mistakes, but they have taken my advice and have been motivated to be better and are aiming for the best in their career path.

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.