Thought 30JAN2009

POINTS TO PONDER
You don't really pay for things with money. You pay for them with time. "In five years, I'll have put enough away to buy that vacation house we want. Then I'll slow down." That means the house will cost you five years - one-twelfth of your adult life.

Translate the dollar value of the house, car or anything else into time and then see if it's still worth it. Sometimes you can't do what you want and have what you want at once because each requires a different expenditure of time. The phrase spending your time is not a metaphor. It's how life works.
by Charles Spezzano - What to Do Between Birth and Death, Extracted from Reader's Digest, July 1995

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He who teaches children learns more than they do - German Proverb

Thought 29JAN2009

FUNDAMENTALS
3 FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES IN HANDLING PEOPLE
1) Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
2) Give honest and sincere appreciation.
3) Arouse in the other person an eager want.
6 WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU
1) Smile.
2) Become genuinely interested in other people.
3) Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4) Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5) Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
6) Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
extracted from 'Management Thoughts' by Promod Batra, Golden Book Centre Sdn Bhd, reprinted 1995

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If you want the truth, ask a child - French Proverb

Thought 28JAN2009

GRANDMA MOSES AND ME
I'm too old and it's too late, played over and over in my mind. I was discouraged and exhausted after ending my marriage and my law career at the same time. Despite my intense desire to become a writer, I doubted my ability to succeed as one. Had I wasted years pursuing the wrong goals? I was a low point when the voice on the radio began telling the story of Grandma Roses. Ann Mary Moses left home at 13, bore 10 children and worked hard to raise the 5 who survives. Struggling to make a living on poor farms, she managed to provide a bit of beauty for herself by embroidering on canvas.

At 78, her fingers became too stiff to hold a needle. Rather than give in to debility, she went out to the barn and began to paint. On Masonite panels she created brilliantly coloured, precisely detailed scenes of country life. For the first two years, these were either given away or sold for a pittance. But at the age of 79, she was "discovered" by the art world - and the rest is history. She went on to produce more than 2,000 paintings and her book illustrations for 'Twas the Night Christmas' were completed in her 100th year! As I listened to the radio, my mood changed. If Grandma Moses could begin a new career and succeed after 80, my life still had hope after 30. Before the program ended, I charged to my computer to work on the novel I'd nearly abandoned. It was published eight months later.
Liah Kraft-Kristaine - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff, Health Communications, Inc; 1996.

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Honey is sweet but bees sting - French Proverb

QONG XI FA CHAI

"Kong Hee Fatt Choy"
To all my Chinese friends - Qong Xi Fa Chai - May the New Year bring prosperity, excellent health, good fortune, happiness, calmness, serenity, much money, less problems, good work, many good friends, less no good friends and may our life be very very good this coming year!
Be Good - Do Good - Think Good - Feel Good!

Thought 23JAN2009

SPARKY
For Sparky, school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He flunked physics in high school, getting a grade of zero. Sparky also flunked Latin, algebra and English. He didn't do much better in sports. Although he did manage to make the school's golf team, he promptly lost the only important match of the season. There was a consolation match; he lost that, too. Throughout his youth Sparky was awkward socially. He was not actually disliked by the other students; no one cared that much. He was astonished if a classmate ever said hello to him outside of school hours. There's no way to tell how he might have done at dating. Sparky never once asked a girl to go out in high school. He was too afraid of being turned down.

Sparky was a loser. He, his classmates ... everyone knew it. So he rolled with it. Sparky had made up his mind early in life that if things were meant to work out, they would. Otherwise he would content himself with what appeared to be his inevitable mediocrity. However, one thing was important - drawing. He was proud of his artwork. Of course, no one else appreciated it. In his senior year of high school, he submitted some cartoons to the editors of the yearbook. The cartoons were turned down. Despite this particular rejection, Sparky was so convinced of his ability that he decided to become a professional artist.

After completing high school, he wrote a letter to Walt Disney Studios. He was told to send some samples of his artwork and the subject for a cartoon was suggested. Sparky drew the proposed cartoon. He spent a great deal of time on it and on all other drawings he submitted. Finally, the reply came from Disney Studios. He had been rejected once again. Another loss for the loser. So Sparky decided to write his own autobiography in cartoons. He described his childhood self - a little boy loser and chronic underachiever. The cartoon character would soon become famous worldwide. For Sparky, the boy who had such lack of success in school and whose work was rejected again and again, was Charles Schultz. He created the "Peanuts" comic strip and the little cartoon character whose kite would never fly and who never succeeded in kicking a football, Charlie Brown.
Bit & Pieces - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Kimberly Kirberger, Health Communications, Inc., 1997

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If the young only knew; if the old only could - French Proverb

Thought 22JAN2009

DO A LITTLE MORE
Many people with a B.Sc., M.A., or even PhD haven't yet learned what it means to believe in their J.O.B. Now they wonder what they went to school for. Education won't do it! Experience won't do it! A raise won't do it and neither will a promotion. The self-esteem, satisfaction and fulfillment you experience at work depends on you. The philosophy of Art Linkletter summarizes what it takes to turn good into better, boredom into stimulating activity and discontent into commitment :

Do a little more than you're paid to;
Give a little more than you have to;
Try a little harder than you want to;
Aim a little higher than you think possible;
And give a lot of thanks to God for health, family and friends.

To transform your daily "have-to's" into a lifestyle of "want-to's," consider these two questions :
What do I want out of my life's work?
What am I willing to do to make it happen?
Therein rests the self-fulfilling information you need to love your job and never have to work another day in your life. Take your job and love it ... one of life's seldom experienced pleasures.
Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II' by Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994

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He that seeks trouble never misses - French Proverb

Apai at Stonehenge, England

Stonehenge revisited

About 20 years later

Thought 21JAN2009

POSITIVE THINKING PAYS
A blind person once said : "I thought when I lost my sight I would be doomed to unhappiness. Now I have discovered that I am happier without my sight. Most of my unhappy thoughts came in through my eyes - I saw handsome faces of other people and was dissatisfied with my own looks. Most joy producing thoughts come into people's minds in the dark anyway. Don't you close your eyes when your pray?"

This blind person has learned to paint without eyesight. You are not handicapped until you think you are.
extracted from 'Management Thoughts' by Promod Batra, Golden Book Centre Sdn Bhd, reprinted 1995

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From word to deed is a great space - French Proverb

Thought 20JAN2009

BUILDING BLOCKS TO MENTAL TOUGHNESS
(1) Learn from your experiences, both positive and negative.
(2) Take ownership of your mistakes. It’s not always easy, but it’s fair.
(3) Never make the same mistake twice.
(4) Don’t be afraid to turn a negative into a positive.
(5) Never beat yourself up because there are plenty of people who will do it for you.
(6) You have to be tough mentally to handle all potential distractions.
Tiger Woods - “How I Play Golf”

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Use soft words and hard arguments - English Proverb

Thought 19JAN2009

BANKING AT ITS BEST
When my son was a young teenager, he and his friend set out on a bus across town to purchase skateboard axles. They each had $20. When they arrived downtown, they discovered they needed more money to cover bus fare and sales tax. They were short $3.75.

A branch of our bank was nearby, so they decided to go in and take out a loan. The teller told them that was not possible, but that they could get a cash advance on their parent's credit card. So they called home, but got no answer. They tried the teller again to see if anything more could be done. She referred them to the desk of the vice president. When he asked why the bank should give them a loan, they answered. "Because we're boy scouts and good students, and very trustworthy." He said that since they had no collateral, they would have to write out and sign an IOU. They did, and he in turn gave them the money they needed to complete their mission.

We found out later that this wonderful man lent the boys his own money. (My husband called him the next day asking for the same terms on a home loan!). In talking with the man, we learned that he had made many such loans, including a large one to a Navy wife whose allotment was delayed. He said he's been repaid almost 100 percent of the time and that the opportunity to help others in this way was one of the most rewarding parts of his job. My son and his friend hopped on the bus the very next morning. They paid off their loan and received their IOU signed by the vice president. It was banking at its best..
Sharon Borjesson - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss, Health Communications, Inc., 1996.

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The absent are always in the wrong - English Proverb

Thought 16JAN2009

HOW TO KILL GOOD IDEAS
Here are 10 tried and trusted ways to kill good ideas and enthusiasm of your co-workers.
(1) It's against company policy.
(2) It doesn't fit the system.
(3) It will never be approved.
(4) The timing just isn't right.
(5) It didn't work before.
(6) It's too wild.
(7) We're not ready for that.
(8) I will think about it.
(9) Put something in writing and get back to me.
(10) Let's form a committee.
When you kill somebody's good idea, you kill a little of that person too!
extracted from 'Management Thoughts' by Promod Batra, Golden Book Centre Sdn Bhd, reprinted 1995

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Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it - English Proverb

Thought 15JAN2009

ART 101
When I was 34 years old and the mother of three children, I took Art 101 at Motlow State Community College in Tennessee. One day our instructor announced that the project we had done on the first day of class was to be included in the notebook that would be a major part of our grade. "May I do another project?" I asked somewhat anxiously. "I just don't have the first one anymore."

The instructor asked what had happened to it. Somewhat embarrassed, I replied, "It's on my mother's fridge."
Author Unknown - Submitted by Jana Barrett, extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff, Health Communications, Inc; 1997.

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He is most cheated who cheats himself - Danish Proverb

Thought 14JAN2009

OUT OF A JAM
It was 1933. I had been laid off from my part-time job and could no longer make my contribution to the family larder. Our only income was what mother could make by doing dressmaking for others. Then mother was sick for a few weeks and unable to work. The electric company came out and cut off the power when we couldn't pay the bill. The gas company cut off the gas. Then the water company. But the Health Department made them turn the water back on for sanitation reasons. The cupboard got very bare. We had a vegetable garden and were able to cook some of its produce on a campfire in the back yard.

Then one day my younger sister came skipping home from school saying, "We're supposed to bring something to school tomorrow to give to the poor." Mother started to blurt out, "I don't know of anyone who is any poorer that we are," when her mother, who was living with us at the time, shushed her with a hand on her arm and a frown.

"Eva," she said, "if you give that child the idea that she is 'poor folks' at her age, she will be 'poor folks' for the rest of her life. There is one jar of that home-made jelly left. She can take that." Grandmother found some tissue paper and a little bit of pink ribbon with which she wrapped our last jar of jelly and sis tripped off to school the next day proudly carrying her "gift to the poor." After that, if there ever was a problem in the community, she just naturally assumed that she was supposed to be part of the solution.
Edgar Bledsoe - extracted from 'A cup of chicken soup for the soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Barry Spilchuk, Health Communications, Inc., 1996

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Never mistake motion for action - Ernest Hemingway

Thought 13JAN2009

YOUR WORK IS RECOGNIZED
It all began in Everett, Washington, where my project team was in the process of implementing one of our business system. One morning, as I walked through the parking lot with one of my employees, I found a penny and picked it up. Playfully, I presented the penny to the employee and said, "This is a discretionary award for your efforts." He put the penny in his pocket. "Thank you," he said. About six months later, I was walking with the same employee, this time in Los Altimos, California, when I again found a penny and gave it to him. Later, I had an occasion to go to his office and there, taped on a piece of paper, were the two pennies. He said he was displaying them as his recognition for a job well done. Other employees noticed the pennies proudly displayed and began asking why they hadn't received any.

So I started handing out pennies, explaining that they were for recognition, not for reward. Soon, so many people wanted them that I designed a penny holder. The front features a penny and beside it the phrase, "Your work is recognised!" The back has slots for 30 more pennies and the phrase, "Your achievements count!" One time, I spotted an employee doing something right and wanted to recognise her, but didn't have a penny, so I gave her a quarter. Later that same day she stopped by and returned 24 cents. That's how the "Prestigious Penny Award" was born. It's become a significant source of recognition in our organisation.
Gary Hruska - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work' by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss, Health Communications, Inc., 1996.

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Do not always expect good to happen, but do not let evil take you by surprise - Czech Proverb

Thought 12JAN2009

JUST BECAUSE
Just because no one has been fortunate enough to realize what a gold mine you are, doesn't mean you shine any less.
Just because no one has been smart enough to figure out that you can't be topped, doesn't stop you from being the best.
Just because no one has come along to share your life, doesn't mean that day isn't coming.
Just because no one has made this race worth while, doesn't give you permission to stop running.
Just because no one has realized how much of a woman you are, doesn't mean they can affect your femininity.
Just because no one has come to take the loneliness away, doesn't mean you have to settle for a lower quality.
Just because no one has shown up who can love you on your level, doesn't mean you have to sink to theirs.
Just because you deserve the very best there is, doesn't mean that life is always fair.
Just because God is still preparing your king, doesn't mean that you're not already a queen.
Just because your situation doesn't seem to be progressing right now, doesn't mean you need to change a thing.
Keep shining - Keep running - Keep hoping - Keep praying
Keep being exactly what you are already - COMPLETE!
Author Unknown. Received from Yvylyn Shaan-Lu Susiapan, former Branch Secretary AFFIN Bank- Kulim Hi-Tech Park Branch

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Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. That's what I have to say. The second is only a part of the first - Anna Quindlen, A Short Guide to a Happy Life, 2000

Thought 09JAN2009

MANAGING EFFECTIVELY
Managing effectively is difficult enough when a company is doing well, but it gets a lot tougher when business is off or when the company is in the midst of downsizing. The trap : letting your concern for employees who are understandably nervous about their future interfere with your ability to lead. Here are four suggestions on how to avoid this trap and how to motivate employees when they need it the most.
Communicate Openly. Avoid the tendency in tough times to withhold information, even if the information is unpleasant. The rationale : the less you communicate, the more you fuel the rumour mill, which is actually the case.
Create added job satisfaction with more responsibility. Instead of playing the roles of "cheerleader" or "psychiatrist", neither of which will work very well anyway, give employees an opportunity to prove their mettle by increasing their responsibility (assuming, of course, the employees are capable of shouldering the responsibility).
Stay visible. One of the most reassuring sights for employees nervous about their company's future is to see their managers carrying on their normal tasks. The message : don't allow the situation to force you into a shell. Make yourself available and be prepared for constant questions about what's going on in the company.
Stay in control. People worried about their situation tend to thrive on firm leadership.
Extracted from Bits & Pieces, The Economics Press, Inc., Fairfield, New Jersey, USA. From the Library of Puan Hajah Zaihani Abdul Hamid

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A liar should have a good memory - Quintilian, De Institutione Oratoria

Thought 08JAN2009

ADAM
While recuperating from her second open heart surgery at Children's Hospital of Western Ontario, my six-year-old daughter Kelly was moved from the intensive care unit to the floor with the other children. Because a section of the floor was closed, Kelly was put in the wing reserved for cancer patients. In the adjacent room, a six-year-old boy named Adam was fighting a battle with leukemia. Adam stayed at the hospital from a portion of each month while receiving chemotherapy treatments. Every day Adam sauntered into Kelly's room to visit, pushing the pole that held his chemotherapy bag. Despite the discomfort of the treatments, Adam was always smiling and cheerful. Adam had a way of finding the positive and the humour in any situation, however difficult.

One particular day, I was feeling tired and anxious for Kelley's release from the hospital. The gray, gloomy day outside only fueled my poor mood. While I stood at the window looking at the rainy sky, Adam came in for his daily visit. I commented to him on what a depressing day it was. With his ever-present smile, Adam turned to me and cheerily replied, "Every day is beautiful for me." From that day on I have never had a gloomy day. Even the grayest days bring a feeling of joy as I remember with gratitude the words of wisdom spoken by a very brave six-year-old boy named Adam.
Patty Merritt - Reprinted by Permission of Patty Merritt - 1995 Patty Merritt, extracted from 'A 2nd helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul' Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Health Communication, Inc., 1995

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The future is much like the present, only longer - Dan Quisenberry

Thought 07JAN2009

ON GIVING BIRTH
There is something to be said about leaving a piece of yourself behind in the form of children. Twenty-seven years ago I looked upon my daughter for the first time as she was laid upon my belly, her umbilical cord still attached to me. Her little eyes seemed endless as she looked at me. I witnessed a piece of myself lying there and yet she was so curiously and wondrously unique. Today I stand next to her, wiping her face and reminding her to focus on the birthing movements of her own body instead of on pain and fear. She has always been utterly terrified of pain. Yet there she is ... refusing all drugs ... living her determination to birth her baby as nature would have it, as did the endless stream of her great-grandmothers before her.

Centuries of pushing, preparing, sighing - and then my daughters daughter is placed across her mother's breast, staring into her mother's eyes. The Great Mystery is blessing me again, letting me see my granddaughter, the piece of myself who will step into the future and in turn mold her own child, my great grandchild.
Kay Cordell Whitaker, extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff, Health Communications, Inc; 1996.

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Son, always tell the truth. Then you'll never have to remember what you said the last time - Sam Rayburn, quoted Washingtonian, November 1978

Thought 06JAN2009

STATE OF MIND
If you think you are beaten, you are; if you think you dare not, you don't. If you like to win, but think you can't, it's almost a cinch you won't. If you think you'll lose, you're lost; for out in the world we find success begins with a fellow's will; it's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are; you've got to think high to rise, you've got to be sure of yourself before you can win the prize. Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man; but sooner or later the man who win is the man who thinks he can.
Author Unknown - submitted by Wayne Duncan, extracted from "A 4th course of Chicken Soup for the Soul", Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Hanoch McCarty and Meladee McCarty; Health Communications, Inc., 1997.

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Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope - a slight change, and all patterns alter - Sharon Salzberg

Thought 05JAN2009

HOW YOU CAN BE SOMEBODY
Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet. Make all your friends feel there is something special in them. Look at the sunny side of everything. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give everyone a smile. Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others. Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.
Christian D. Larsen

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Promote yourself, but do not demote another - Israel Salanter

Proverbs 02JAN2009

It's the whole, not the detail, that matters - German Proverb

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Everyone is the age of their heart - Guatemalan Proverb

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Grief shared is half grief; Joy shared is double joy - Honduran Proverb