Thought 01SEP2009

LIFE'S LESSONS (1 of 9)
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:"

(1) Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
(2) When in doubt, just take the next small step.
(3) Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
(4) Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
(5) Pay off your credit cards every month.
By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio. Got this from 'Alin TB' of AFFIN Bank Bangsar
Tetas de mujer tienen mucho poder / Beauty draws more than oxen - Spanish Proverb

Thought 28AUG2009

WHOOPS!
A man went to see a doctor after feeling out-of-sorts for a month. "Have you been treated by anyone else? asked the doc. "No sir," the man said, "but I did go see a pharmacist." The doctor scolded him for seeking a layperson's advice. "What kind of idiotic advice did he give you?"

The man thought for a minute. "He told me I should come and see you."
Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II' by Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994
Ragel jahlef u mara tibki temminhomx / Believe not a swearing man and a weeping woman - Maltese proverb

Thought 27AUG2009

I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING!
My sister was at her wit's end trying to stop my four-year-old nephew, Todd, from sucking his thumb. Finally, she told him if he didn't stop, his stomach would get very big and puffy.

The following Sunday in church, there happened to be a very pregnant lady sitting in the same pew. Todd kept staring at her. When the service was over, he pulled at her arm and whispered, "Your stomach is big and puffy...

I know what you’ve been doing!"
By Becky Walker - from Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother's Soul, Copyright 2000 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
Donde hay patron, no manda marinero / What the boss says goes - Spanish Proverb

Thought 26AUG2009

AN IDEALISTS, A CYNIC & A REALIST
An idealist believes the short run doesn't count. A cynic believes the long run doesn't matter. A realist believes that what was done or left undone in the short run determines the long run.
Sydney J Harris - Extracted from Bits & Pieces, The Economics Press, Inc., Fairfield, New Jersey, USA; From the Library of Puan Hajah Zaihani Abdul Hamid
Yag roz didi dost, degare roz didi bridar / The first day you meet, you are friends; the next day you meet, you are brothers - Afghan Proverb

Thought 25AUG2009

ACTS OF FAITH
"The one who ask questions doesn't lose his way" - Akan proverb.

Because we don't want to seem stupid, uninformed or feel belittled, we don't like to ask questions. For some reason, we think we are supposed to know everything. When we don't, we don't let anyone know. Questions are not a sign of ignorance. They are an indication that you are broadening your scope, sharpening your skills, improving your capabilities. Inquiries indicate humility, the willingness to serve, share and support. Questions keep you on track, define and broaden your boundaries and remove limitations. Questions put you in touch and keep you in touch. Questions create and build resources, both natural and human, which can be very useful when there is no one around to answer your questions. Your ego, the nasty little voice that is over concerned with what people think, will tell you not to ask questions. Tell ego to shut up and then ask what you need to know.
Iyanla Vanzant
A man is as wise as his head, not his years - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 24AUG2009

TO THE FUTURE
He who lives in the future lives in a featureless blank; he lives in impersonality; he lives in Nirvana. The past is democratic, because it is a people. The future is despotic, because it is a caprice. Every man is alone in his prediction, just as each man is alone in a dream.
G K Chesterton - Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994
No hay mas cera que la que arde / What you see is what you get - Spanish Proverb

Thought 21AUG2009

ON GREATNESS
Benjamin Franklin believed that the measure of a person's greatness was the person's goodness. He did not believe one could exist without the other. In 1729, in the "American Weekly Mercury," Franklin wrote: "

If we were as industrious to become good as to make ourselves great, we should become really great by being good, and the number of valuable people would be much increased. "But it is a grand mistake to think of being great without goodness; and I pronounce it as certain, that there was never yet a truly great person who was not at the same time truly virtuous."
Cited in More of ... The Best of BITS & PIECES
A kind word warms a man through three winters - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 20AUG2009

ON TIME
When I think of how quickly time flies, I am always sorry that I did not do better yesterday or last year, because that particular opportunity will never come again. But I comfort myself with thinking that the opportunity to do better next time lies before me.
Edward Chipman Guild (1831-1899) - Clergyman and lecturer, Cited in BITS & PIECES
A heart in love with beauty never grows old - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 19AUG2009

THE DARK
There are really valid reasons why it is unwise to shield children from all violence, terror, sorrow and death in their reading and viewing. The way to cure a child of a fear of the dark is not to deny the existence of the dark, but to walk with him in the dark and show him by example the restful quiet of it, and show him, too, how to avoid breaking his neck by stumbling over something he can't see.
Robert M. Good
Los genios pensamos igual / Great minds think alike - Spanish Proverb

Thought 18AUG2009

TAKE SOME TIME
Take some time to smell the flowers As you walk the paths of life. Take some time to ease the tensions From the challenges and the strife. Take some time to hear the birds sing As they usher in the dawn. Though the day be just emerging, Too soon it will be gone. Take some time to watch a sunrise, Now and then a sunset too. Just be sure that seeking pleasure Isn't all you ever do. Take some time to count your blessings, Though you feel they're not that great. You will find they're more abundant Than you thought, at any rate.

Take some time to banish hatred When and where you can. Just detest man's evil ways And not your fellow man. Take some time to love your children Every moment you are free. The benefits exceedeth A university degree. Take some time to love your neighbor And even more important still, Take some time to love yourself Or not many others will. And if you don't like that image Of yourself that others see, Take some time to make some changes, Be the best that you can be.

Take some time to help another Who you think might need a hand. You will find the satisfaction Leaves you feeling sort of grand. Take some time to live by virtue In the best way that is known, And respect the rights of others As equal to your own. Take some time to just appreciate The fact that you are here, And to know that Higher Power And to trust It without fear.

If you do these things with diligence You will eventually be glad. If you don't attempt to do them You may one day wish you had. Although this no doubt could impose Upon your time for seeking wealth, There should be little question That it could improve your health. And though you might not be as wealthy Nor drive so fine a car, You'll find you will be richer In other ways by far.
By Leon Hansen - from A 6th Bowl of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Copyright 1999 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
La plata llama la plata / Money goes where money is - Spanish Proverb

Thought 17AUG2009

TRAITS
Men and Women with good health, jobs they like and happy families are successes. That's what people who answered a Gallup poll believe are the real criteria or personal success. They ranked luxuries like expensive cars and houses at the bottom of the list. The significance of money and possessions in today's society indicates, most people can distinguish the great difference between what they have and what they are. Survey indicates that certain traits are common to most successful people. These people :

Have a purpose in life.
Take risks rather than place blame.
Care about quality.
Share their expertise and knowledge.
Extracted from Bits & Pieces, The Economics Press, Inc., Fairfield, New Jersey, USA. From the Library of Puan Hajah Zaihani Abdul Hamid
A good companion shortens the longest road - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 14AUG2009

NO ONE IS UNPLEASANT
There are many people who blight our lives by being ignorant. Insensitive, rude, shallow and superficial, they bruise everyone who displeases them, leaving behind a trail of broken spirits. They are unhappy people who need to look seriously at their state of mind. If you recognize yourself, do something about it - people will despise you for ever if you don't.

Moral of the story : Nobody is born unpleasant. It takes dedication - not something to be proud of.
Betty Shine - Free Your Mind
Kanen mu ava u kakamay mu / Do not eat your fingers (do not take advantage of your relatives) - Ivatan Proverb

Thought 13AUG2009

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING
Winners in life are willing to do the things losers refuse to do. This principle is ingrained in the employees who know what they are doing. Steve Allen suggests, "Nobody should think they can coast their way through life on the basis of gifts that they have nothing to do with in the first place. You have to pay your dues and do your homework." Winners prepare, study, train, apply themselves and work to become the best at what they do. Choose one part of your job. Apply your talents. Become the expert. Excel.

Some people approach their jobs like a mosquito in a nudist camp - they see lots of opportunity but can't decide where to start.
extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II, Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994
You must judge a man by the work of his hands - Chinese Proverb

Thought 12AUG2009

ON LOVE
Love is a moment and a lifetime. It is looking at him across a room and feeling that if I don't spend the rest of my life with him, I'll missed the boat. Love is working together, growing together. It is respect for each other and the people each cares about, however difficult it is sometimes to like his kinfolk or his friends. Love is wanting to shout from the rooftops the successes, little and big, of one another. Love is wanting to wipe away the tears when failure comes. Love is liking the feel of each other. It is wanting to have children together because they are the exclamation point of love. Love is laughter, especially in the middle of a quarrel.
Liz Carpenter, Getting Better All the Time - Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994
The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory - Chinese Proverb

Thought 11AUG2009

Matshushita's Philosophy # 5
Solving difficult problems requires, above all, an open mind and the willingness to learn."

Sunao is a Japanese word that usually denotes weakness or tractability in a person, an openhearted innocence and a willingness to be sincere. One could say that a sunao mind is an untrapped mind, free to adapt itself effectively to new circumstances. A person with this mind looks at things as they are at the moment and colors them with no special bias, emotionalism,or preconception. A biased persons sees everything through filters or a distorting lens. To him, white paper might look blue or a straight line crooked, The true quality of the substance remains unseen, and the decision maker will be led astray if his judgments are based on what his biased perceptions tell him rather than what is actually there."

The concept of the sunao mind is at the heart of Matsushita's thinking. Treat reality in a direct, straightforward, and honest way, he would tell people. Do not let neurotic impulses or political intrigue distract you. "When it rains," KM (Konusuke Matsushita) would say, "open your umbrella." He believed that this kind of mind could be cultivated by nearly everyone with effort. Schools could teach youngsters to think this way. Societies could help their citizens to see this way. The end result would be powerful. With a sunao mind, he reminded others, one can learn from any source, any encounter, anytime, and anyplace.
Matsushita Leadership by John P. Kotter
El que la sigue la consigue / If at first you don't succeed, try, try again - Spanish Proverb

Thought 10AUG2009

FAILING INTELLIGENTLY
The renowned inventor Charles Kettering suggested that we must learn to fail intelligently. He said, "We need to teach the highly educated person that it is not a disgrace to fail and the he must analyze every failure to find its cause. He must learn how to fail intelligently, for failing is one of the greatest arts in the world."Kettering gave these suggestions for turning failure into success :
@ Honestly face defeat; never fake success.
@ Exploit the failure; don't waste it. Learn all you can from it.
@ Never use a failure as an excuse for not trying again.

Kettering's practical advice reminds us that failure is a natural part of progressive living. Face it. Learn from it and don't make excuses for failure. It doesn't get much simpler than that.
Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994
Mal que no tiene cura, quererlo curar es locura / What can't be cured must be endured - Spanish Proverb

Thought 07AUG2009

MISCOMMUNICATION???
Walking through Chinatown, a tourist is fascinated with all the Chinese restaurants, shops, signs and banners. He turns a corner and sees a building with the sign, "Hans Olaffsen's Laundry." "Hans Olaffsen?", he muses. "How the heck does that fit in here?" So he walks into the shop and sees an old Chinese gentleman behind the counter. The tourist asks, "How did this place get a name like "Hans Olaffsen's Laundry?" The old man answers, "Is name of owner." The tourist asks, "Well, who and where is the owner?" "Me, is right here," replies the old man. "You? How did you ever get a name like Hans Olaffsen?" "Is simple," says the old man. "Many, many year ago when come to this country, was stand in line at Documentation Center. Man in front was big blonde Swede. Lady look at him and go, "What your name?" He say, "Hans Olaffsen." Then she look at me and go, 'What your name?'" "I say, Sem Ting."
Source Unknown
La salud es la mayor riqueza / Health is better than wealth - Spanish Proverb

Thought 06AUG2009

FAILURE IN A SENSE
Don't be discouraged by failure. Failure, in a sense, is the highway to success because every discovery of what is false leads us to seek what is true. And every fresh experience points out an error which we shall, afterwards, carefully avoid.
John Keats - extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994
He that digs up a grave for his enemy, may be digging it for himself - South Sotho Proverb

Thought 05AUG2009

ON BELIEF
Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four c's. They are curiosity, confidence, courage and constancy; and the greatest of these is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.
Walt Disney - Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994
Si te he visto / vi / vide, (ya) no me acuerdo / Long absent, soon forgotten - Spanish Proverb

Thought 04AUG2009

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU EAT THAT COUNTS
Summer is here and many of us are fighting to shed those five pounds we picked up over the winter. Fortunately, there is a sensible way to avoid those excess calories that wreak havoc on the Battle of the Bulge. Simply follow these rules which have been passed down by calorie counters through the generations :
>>> Anything eaten in a small increments has no calories, If someone in your office brings in a box of cookies and you only nibble each time you pass by, you do not have to count those calories.
>>> Anything eaten standing up, or off someone's plate, does not count.
>>> Gulp count, sips don't.
>>> Whatever you purchase from a street vendor has fewer calories than the same item consumed at home.
>>> The calories in hard candy or gum are too minuscule to bother with. Eat as much as you want.
>>> Whatever you eat that was prepared by your child (no matter how old) does not have calories.
>>> Neatness cancels calories. If you take an extra bit of cake to even off the slice, those calories do not exist. Ditton for leveling off a pint of ice cream.
>>> Anything you cook yourself has reduced calories because of the huge amount of energy you have expanded preparing it.
Judith H Dobrzynski in New York Times - extracted from 'Reader's Digest' July 1997
Cumpla yo y tiren ellos / Do what is right, come what may - Spanish Proverb

Thought 03AUG2009

LEADERSHIP
Leadership is probably the most misunderstood word in our vocabulary today.

Leadership is not personality. Leadership is not a position, nor is leadership endowed to a certain few. Leadership is that certain something that is "bought with a price." Bought with a price that can be paid by anyone, anytime, anywhere and YOU are as much a leader today as you are going to be, because the price you are paying today is determining the leader you will be tomorrow. Everyone has an obligation as well as the privilege of leading in something. Leadership begins with a simple decision to pay the price and ends the moment you cease to pay it.

The price: Loneliness; Weariness; Abandonment; Vision
Charlie 'Tremendous' Jones
No se sabe si algo es bueno hasta que se lo pone a prueba / The proof of the pudding is in the eating - Spanish Proverb