A Tribute to Michael Jackson… June 26, 2009

What a shocker of a day…I’ve decided to dedicate this space to MJ…Farah Fawcett…and I’ve just heard Jeff Goldblum (now confirmed a hoax) has passed away as well!

In the entertainment industry…no one has truly come close to the King of Pop Michael. From his early days as a child singing sensation with the Jackson 5…to his debut solo career (that went Off the Wall)…to the  launch to the world with the “Moon Walk” at Motown’s 25th Year Celebration to his all time bestselling album of all time “Thriller”…to his chameleon changing face re-construction (which he denies)…to his court cases…to his almost bankruptcy…to his second or third “HIStoric” comeback …selling 50 Concerts in London!

MJ’s life has created so much buzz and fascination…that we all felt like “we were part of his big circus act” being the spectators looking in to a sad, confused (wacko), eccentric, secluded life of a Mega-Celebrity. But his death will now be the BIGGER buzz…I predict that in days, months, years to come…his death will create such a ripple and renewal of love and adoration to this “elephant-man” (a picture of his emotional state…a simple man behind the mask). He and his franchise will eclipse the likes of great music deads – Jimmy Hendrix, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Freddy Mercury, Michael Hutchence and many more. Perhaps even a bigger story over Princess Di!?

Michael was my Iconic figure before I knew U2. His songs changed my life…I remember we did a dance performed at a 12th PJ Scouts Campfire with the song “The Way You Make Me Feel”…and yes, I was Michael in the Electric Blue Shirt! That song gave me instant fame with the Girl Guides there…I can’t imagine how Michael feels being this HUGE…bigger than life entertainer that made us laugh, cry, dance, sing and young (forever).

There is much we can learn from these sad events…for me there’s 5;

1. Life is short (What are we doing with our seconds, minutes, hours, days?) – Gone Too Soon…
2. Life is a story (What legacy are we leaving behind?) – Thriller, Bad, Dangerous…
3. Life is a gift (What is our “gift” to our family, friends and larger community?) – Heal the World…
4. Life is special (We are given this ONE chance to make a difference…to make a Change!) – Man in the Mirror…
5. Life is now to be Celebrated (We must LIVE today…and do what we have been “destined to do” and it don’t matter if you are Black or White!)
   

They say DEATH is the Final Frontier (how true)…but I add on to say that Life is that Journey to the Final Frontier. Hence it is more important how we choose to LIVE…are we PASSIONATE about something/anything? I suggest that you simply GO for it! Let go of all chains that are tying you down to your Dreams…make it into a Reality!

I have Coached many people to help them Envision their Dreams…and all I can say is, it has been AMAZING!!! Just seeing their lives get empowered as they uncover their Potential…to all they could be…

LIFE is truly worth the Living!

No Time to… June 18, 2009

Do you think we are actually progressing in our modern life here on earth? Well…in my opinion…it’s a mixed yes and no…for me.

We can fly around world in a few days, buy something from e-bay and get that sent to your doorstep in X-press mail, communicate to a person with an sms in a few seconds (that includes twitter/facebook)…but then again we don’t have time to write long “hand-written” letter anymore, we can multi-task eating dinner/talking to our partner/watching t.v/feeding your child and reading a mag all at once!

We are also prone to having short-term relationships, short conversations, short answers to questions, short emails/sms (using acronyms), short memories, short tempers, short patience at the fast food joint, short church services and a whole lot more!

I came across this wonderful email and I laughed my head off…it’s a scenario if sms was available in Moses’ time…then the 10 Commandments would look something like this;

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.

2. dnt wrshp pix/idols

3. no omg’s

4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)

5. pos ok – ur m&d r cool

6. dnt kill ppl

7. :-X only w/ m8

8. dnt steal

9. dnt lie re: bf

10. dnt ogle ur bf’s m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.

Did you get that? If you didn’t then perhaps you are still a Backward-techy Baby Boomer trying to understand what sms-es are all about. But seriously, apart from the good Christian message about the Laws (above)…we are all kinda stuck doing life in this very individualistic, self-absorbing, no-time-for-anything-more-than-3-minutes-world!

Imagine if God were to treat us like that…and if we wanted to ask him for a Blessing or Prayer request…He would say, “hmmm…why don’t you please take a number and queue up!”

- Selah (Rest)

Just got back from watching the new movie YEAR ONE (Jack Black)…and it was hilarious. Amidst the story and wacky comedy…was a message, “we’ve gotta find our true self in the midst of all the busyness and to make a real difference”.

As I coach people of all ages and nationalities, I begin to realize that under all the make-up and pretense (that we sometimes have to put up to protect who we really are)…there is that fragile, confused, sensitive, plain-old man and woman! Every single one “almost” identical to each other to the point we are all warm-blooded, courteous/kind, with the ability to smile and laugh…and just wanting/needing some direction, attention, love and affection.

My advice to you today…is to STOP…to take time…to make time…and live your time here on earth to the “Best” of your ability…sharing, laughing, adoring, singing, giving, affirming, forgiving, dancing, dreaming, living and loving!

No time??? Think again…please use it wisely, before it runs out.

The Years Of A Futile Life…(Part 2) June 6, 2009

Welcome back to Part 2 of the “Futile Life”…heck…if all is just wasting away, is it worth it to continue this blog? Why not…let’s continue after all I believe it might just give you an indication of what your life is all about and what you should be looking out for. So…let’s begin.

We live to say…an average of 70+ years on earth and then we leave…hmmm, where do we go? Well firstly not many have traveled back and forth to “live 2 tell”…but if there is some truth in life after death…then one should start seeking and asking some questions;

• What happens after our so called “life”?
• Where do we go or don’t go?
• Do we have a choice on where we go?
• Who actually has come back from the dead (as they said they would)?
• Anyone conquered death, grave and even hell…in history?
• And does anyone currently hold the key to eternal life?

As this point…I will just leave these questions for you to ponder and reflect…and I would seriously suggest that you spend part of your time on earth…searching for the answers and truly finding it then believing it with all of your heart…before the end of this futile life.

Now back to our time spent here on earth…the 70+ years as mentioned…

I have lived 36 of them already (yeah…yeah…I am revealing my age) and WOW that means I have at least another 36 years of life to go! Some might say…having another crack at it or a second chance. Would you like a second chance at life? Have you ever thought of going back in time to amend something you said or did or vice versa? Well you have it folks…each one of us (no matter how old we are) can have a second chance…you hold that in your hands. All you have to do is to say YES to whatever it is that might have held you back and you can BEGIN!

But…but…I’m not qualified, not good enough, not young anymore, not that good at speaking/sharing my heart and thoughts, don’t have enough money, don’t have the opportunity, don’t have the skills nor ability, don’t have the desire or heart…and I have a handicap, I have failed, I have been let down, I have been demoralized, I have been shamed, I have not achieved much in life…and the list of disappointments can go on…and on…and on.

If all you are feeling and saying is like what we highlighted above…you are truly living a Futile Life!

I watched Oprah the other day and she was sharing about the “BIG GIVE” (a Seed $ Idea for Volunteers who want to Make a Difference Growing that $ Exponentially for the under privileged) and learn 2 Key lessons from it;

1. People are the same…all over the world…we are in built with a Heart of Compassion and Purpose
2. The Human Spirit knows NO BOUNDS when there is a VISION Driving them Forward

Where is your “heart-beating-for” at this moment? What is your heart saying for you to do? Is there a Vision for your Future (lost somewhere deep within) that is just waiting and yearning to come out?

What or Who is stopping you then? The probable answers could be well…”Others…my Parents…my Wife…my Friends…my Colleagues…my Closest Buddy…my Pastor…my Siblings… STOP! What about YOU? Are YOU stopping yourself from Living the Life you ought to and think you should be?

You might have read of these stats before…but let me vividly take you through them and you can decide where you stand in the midst of all these;

• More than 3.7 billion people in the world live on less than $2 per day
• More than 2.6 billion people—over 40 per cent of the world’s population—do not have basic water sanitation
• 800+ million people go to bed hungry every day…(300 million are children)
• 584 million women are illiterate
• 114 million children do not get even a basic education
• Every year 11 million children die—most under the age of 5…(6 million due to completely preventable causes like malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia)
• Every minute, a woman somewhere dies in pregnancy or childbirth
• Every 3.6 seconds another person dies of starvation and the large majority are children under the age of 5

Now if I were one of these…my life would really look Futile don’t you think?

So what do you have…that makes your life futile? An Education, Safe Drinking Water, Medicine, Food (3-5 times a day), Two Hands and Two Legs (and all parts of your body functioning properly), Parents and Family that Love you, Money in your bank account (for a Holiday, Investment, Rainy Day), a Car, possibly own a Property, a Job, Shoes, Clothing, Gadgets and the list goes on and on…plus Internet that is how you are reading this Blog ; )

You have a choice…what will be yours today? To live this life the same…OR for the next X number of years ahead, to choose to begin afresh, anew…TODAY! Truly forgetting what’s behind you…the mistakes, the trials, the issues, the failures…look ahead. Go out…”Smell the flowers while you can”…and get excited on the many Possibilities of your Extraordinary short existence…and to live your life again! Learn to smile and be thankful for the many fortunate blessings you ‘already’ have in your life.

I challenge you to make a pact (with yourself)…to write your “own History”…the Pen is in Your Hands! Live your Dreams with Passion…and use the years ahead of you to leave a Legacy for the next generation to aspire towards.

I believe in YOU…so start believing in yourself!

The Best and the Beast April 16, 2009

It’s April and we are in the midst of Autumn…it is simply beautiful to watch Nature takes it course. The economic scenario bears similar resemblance…as the Southern Hemisphere gets ready for Winter, the scenario according to economists will be looking much worst.

Boosting Confidence and Throwing Government Stimulus to the Public (as in Australia) can only have a short-term effect but the longer trend will prevail. Just as Nature must take it’s course…so must the economy. Companies that have been prudent making wise, long-term decisions in good times will stand a better chance at making it to the end of this gloomy cycle. But what else can be done?

I believe a Downturn or a Personal Crisis in Life will only bring out the Best and the Beast in people! What holds true to the end is not just the accumulated wealth, skills/knowledge base or structured processes (even though I believe they do play a part)…the Key is the Strength of the Core Values that Leads to a Way of Life!

What is driving a Company? I used to work for Johnson and Johnson (ASEAN) and I remember the Strong Internal CREDO that each J&J staff must hold true at work and with all external parties. One Key Value was the Strong Appreciation of People/Staff and their Overall Growth/Welfare. I believe companies like a J&J will continue to grow and as a pivotal company way into the 21st Century. Why? They are bound by Strong Values and more importantly Live by them!

Companies that crack under pressure during this Great Recession (we’ve just seen a few with many MORE coming…like the Car Companies, Consulting Firms, Banks, etc)…have only themselves to blame! I believe their Values got “screwed-up” along the way and they forgot their real reason for existence (besides just making lotsa money).

As a Certified Professional Coach, I hold true to the Code of Ethics with the International Coach Federation (ICF). As a Born Again Christian, I hold true to all Truth from the Living Word of GOD for my life! That’s me…what about you?

What are your Values, your Credo? What do you think makes “YOU”? When things don’t seem to go the way it should be for your life and the world around you…how will you act, react, respond?

The decisions you make today according or against your true Values will make OR break your future! It’s high time to re-evaluate our lives and Values and then persevere with Passion to Live our Dream…(not others). And don’t wait till the Recession is over or when the next Bright and Sunny season comes…Begin today!

90 years…and still going strong January 2, 2009

Rolihlahla was Nelson Mandela’s first name which meant, “pulling down the branch of a tree” or “trouble maker”…what a powerful name for a powerful trouble maker. I say that with much respect and admiration, for without his trouble making ways…we might not have experienced a liberated South Africa!

Now at a graceful age of 90 years, Mandela is considered a living legend and is a man that has seen many things in his long, hard fought life. He has taught us many lessons in life…Perseverance/Hope (27 years in jail), Forgiveness (still seeing the Good in others) and Living a Dream (Seeing his people set free!). Prison teaches many things to a person and for Mandela it changed his life…from a young emotional, headstrong, easily stung person to a calm, balanced and disciplined man.

And…if I were to ever live to 90, I would want to see these few things come to pass;

• China, India, Brazil leading the economy as the next superpowers (why not?)
• Communism completely eradicated (YES, YES, YES) and perhaps…
• A One World government (sharing and equalizing wealth across all people groups)

As for “my own world”…

• Australia (my chosen country to live in) become truly liberated – embracing of all cultures without prejudice
• Coaching (Life, Business, etc) be accepted and practiced across the globe and in all sectors
• The Gospel of Jesus Christ being preached to every tongue and tribe

What would be your vision…if you lived to 90?

Anyway, the story does not end with Mandela…this portion comes from a recent Time Magazine feature on his life and he shared his 8 Lessons of Leadership which I want to leave with you;

1. Courage is not the absence of fear – it’s inspiring others to move beyond it!
2. Lead from the front – but don’t leave your base behind
3. Lead from the back – and let others believe they are in front
4. Know your enemy – and learn about their favorite sport
5. Keep your friends close – and your rivals even closer
6. Appearances matter – and remember to smile
7. Nothing is Black or White*
8. Quitting is leading too

Truly, nothing is Black or White*…today we have a Newly elected Black President in the White House in the United States of America. That is groundbreaking/fantastic news and sends a truckload of positive vibes that the world is changing and “anything is possible”. We always need to challenge the norm and ask the question “why not”?

In Coaching…it is the same, with the quiver of Affirmation that Obama (and I’m sure Mandela) would ask us all to resound…it is not a No…but a Big “YES WE CAN!”

2009 will be a year of change…and 2009 will be your year to Shine if you passionately believe it with all your heart!

I Dare You To… June 30, 2008

Have you heard this line before? Incidently this brings me to remember the scene where Michael J Fox’s character in “Back to the Future” (BTTF) was challenged to a fight…what motivated him was to prove that he wasn’t a Chicken! (as a sideline: I truly love the BTTF 1-3 series, so much fun!!!)

There was once a similar situation I faced in Year 10 (many moons ago…) where a boy challenged me to a fight at the “Old Block” – a routine after school fight location. I was so pumped with adrenaline and I said YES!!! Thank God nothing serious happened as the boy refused to throw the first punch after much taunting from me. But what would have followed if I threw the first punch?

To DARE or NOT to DARE?

But seriously, we are all faced with little dares and challenges daily…and it does come in different forms and sizes. And let me tell you not all DARES are negative or bad. They can actually be GOOD for you…

We all love to live in a world of Order and (if possible) wanting little Change, as all these gives us a form of security leading to a tender/warm feeling of complacency = being happy at everything around us. Hence, we sometimes reject the need for Good Changes in our life.

So back to the DARE…it is actually good to take a little “Dare” from yourself or your mates time and again. This actually rocks our little honeycomb and allows us to Step Outside the Bee Hive (Outside the Ordinary)…into the Real World and perhaps magically step into a Defining Moment of our Life!

I coined this up recently D.A.R.E = Determined Action -> Results Extraordinary. Isn’t it so true…a DARE allows us to achieve Extraordinary Results and brings us to a New Place/Experience like never before. But it does require Determined Action!

If you are reading this and living a life that is feeling simply too ordinary, its not too late to take up a DARE and live life Full…As life is pretty fragile, here today gone tomorrow…I Dare you to Live your DREAM!

I’ll close with this, who in the world would have dreamt of an African American President-To-Be (Barrack Obama) say 5/10/20/30 years ago! But one man had that DREAM (Martin Luther King Jr)…and that may just come to past very soon! ; )

Don’t…Just Dream January 1, 2008

As the New Year arrives…and amidst all the Celebration and Merry Making…It is always good to take time to reflect…on things achieved and not achieved, to desire to make amends (if things have gone more wrong than right over the year) and to “hope” for a better tomorrow.

All is well and good with the above…but the New Year will always be the same as the year before if all we do is dream for the best. As the song goes…”D-r-e-a-m…Dream,Dream,Dream”. Sometimes we get caught up with the sentimental value of a dream, as it holds so much goodness…so much potential…so much electricity. But it can ALL sizzle out…when the rubber hits the road and we get back to the mundane nature of our very life…and then we suddenly forget the dream, to begin with…

Don’t get me wrong I love to dream and I for one, am sold that everyone of us need to dream and to hold dreams within our hearts. But I am challenged…(and hence…I throw you a challenge) to make 2008 a year that Dreams truly become a Reality!!! Let us ask the tough questions (just a sample below);

• Am I happy where I am and what I have been doing?

• Are there things I want to see happen this year?

• Are there things I want to see changed?

• Am I ready to do things differently this year?

• What do I want to achieve this coming year?

• Are there little action steps I need to take?

• Where do I want to be at the end of the year?

I know IF you choose to do this with me…the new year will definitely be an exciting and robust one…

Are you ready to begin your New Journey?

Spring is in the Air… September 1, 2007

Today is the first day of Spring…Yippeee!!! (yes, for us living in the Southern Hemisphere / Australia). I just love Spring…its my favourite time of the year. It is just bubbling with Colour and Splendour…like a Beautiful Oasis and a Promise of a Great Adventure!

The first thing that comes to mind though, is the need for some Spring Cleaning. I must agree it is a good time to clean up our homes and lives; by removing all the unnecessary things / mess that we might have accumulated over the many months (throw away the garbage & skeletons in the closet).

Spring also signifies “Births”, like the flowers and leaves that are starting to bloom with “New Life” once again. The dormant cold winter period is over; it is time to Move Forward and live-out the Dreams, Goals & Ambitions (that was held back for whatever reason). 

There is also a chance for a New Beginning. Ever felt the need to give yourself a new start in an area of life? Or maybe even giving someone else a second chance? You can do it today…and do not have to wait for the New Year either…cause after all, it is a New Season!

Spring is just a wonderful time to ENJOY the “Gifts” that have been bestowed upon us, as we too are a part of the Universal Cycle of Life. Just take in a big breath of fresh spring air…and be awed by the wonder of it all!

Dream??? February 13, 2007

Do you have a Dream? Perhaps of something you wanna achieve…or an ideal you wanna experience in your life…Where are you currently with that Dream? Has it gone into the-not-so-important-closet or as we say it, in the back burner.

Dreams are Important…Dreams are Essential…Dreams are Powerful…but Dreams are just Dreams if they remain…”Just a Dream”. I remember the great slain voice from the past…

“I have a Dream…” – Martin Luther King

Sometimes I think about what Martin Luther mentioned and what-if…he did NOT stand up to believe in that Dream…what would America be like today?

At Dream Vision, we are passionate to believe YOU can make a difference…all you have to do is to take the bold step forward and start to…DREAM.

“Dream…and begin a New Adventure…a New Chapter of Life…” - LCM