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 Years of a Futile Life…(Part 1) May 29, 2009

I’ve been writing on this blog for 2+ years now…and sometimes I too struggle to put pen-to-paper…or shall I say type-to-blogspace. Funny how over the years, we have gone from having the need for something like pen and paper to a possible close to zero dependency of it…apart from leaving a note or two…or a couple of greeting cards for Christmas.

I don’t really know who reads this blog…but I guess this is my way of expressing my thoughts and heart…(for my own enjoyment) but I guess this might just be for someone out there who wanted (so coincidentally) to hear about this…who knows??!

I was sharing with my students at class (I lecture on business part-time apart from Coaching)…on how we have progressed so much as a modern society…even the need of a ‘Secretary’ has been drastically reduced and in many instances replaced with an answering message on our phone, a laptop, a wi-fi printer and the frequent Coffee (Latte from the express Coffee joint) below our office. Short-hand writing is now an ancient writing called ’scribbles’ on the wall of a caveman or on my kids bedroom wall… ; )

A famous saying goes “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow”…wow! it is profound yet simple and true.

Today’s blog (or shall I say this month’s blog due to my infrequent entry) is about our ‘futile’ life on this little blimp in space called Earth. Yes…good old life on this Blue Planet. Yup the whole cycle of life is just so surreal that all of us face it day by day and yet no one actually stops to think (I think – pun intended)…why the bloody h#%@ are we here for? Is there truly a bigger purpose than just my dad and mum deciding to have unprotected sex?

And so the story enfolds…

We get born, we drink milk, we poo in our diapers, we crawl, we eat gooey food, we drool, we get changed, we cry, we begin to stand up, we fall, we begin to walk, we fall again, we shout, we begin to teeth, we grow and grow…and experience all this in a more mature way, we learn how to ride a bike, we go to school, we make friends, we sit exams, we aspire to be someone our parents dreamt about, we are pushed to follow what society (and every other important institution) says,  we mature (or so we think), we rebel, we get laid for the first time, we get our car license, we drink and binge drink, we fall for each other (in more ways than just sexual), we wake up early for work, we earn money, we buy the things that we want more so than we need, we aspire to make more money, we eat out all the time, we sleep late, we go clubbing, we make/meet  ‘artificial’ friends, we stress, we twitter/facebook each other, we go for holidays and eat exotic foods, we work our butt out, we fail, we learn, we get married, we have kids of our own, we stress a whole lot more and if by now we don’t drop dead and die early (due to our hectic lifestyle)…we would want to live to see our kids get married, have kids of their own (in this sense making us grandparents God forbid!), then we loose our hair, teeth, grow a big belly due to processed food and the unprocessed food from our microwave diets, we loose respect, dignity when we begin to forget, talk and look dumb, dress strangely, lose our spouse and we fall down (physically), get confined on a wheelchair, wear diapers again and dentures, and hmmm even lose our sight (not completely) and get a heart-attack from watching our favourite football club win the League / Cup and say our last good-byes and kick the bucket!

Crazy isn’t it, to state it all so plainly…well at least some parts of the above are and could come true for most of us! Is that what we all aspire to make our life to be? Well for some (depending in what stage of life you are at)…perhaps MONEY is all that you desire! Or maybe…just HAVING FUN with your mates is the High of your life! Whatever it is…Life is still very very very short and extremely futile (or is it?).

We live…and in a few years we die. I heard someone say…why worry just “enjoy life”! I must admit…I too love that phrase and sometimes wished I could have a special time clock that could go back in time (like Back to the Future) or just stop time for that particular season of my life!

I also hear many younger people saying…when I get older I’m going to do this and that…whilst other older ones saying just the opposite…I wished I did this and that…bummer! Life is one BIG Irony. When we were younger…we desired to be older and now being older we wished the opposite. Some say, 40 is the beginning of the end but others say, 40 and beyond are the ages to be…where we have tasted and seen the world and can now truly enjoy life!

But seriously think about it…WHERE ARE YOU AT TODAY…AND WHAT IS LIFE REALLY ABOUT…FOR YOU?

Are you living just because…?

Are you living the life you wanted?

Are you living for others?

Are you living a lie?

Are you living the life as ‘your’ world depicts of you?

Are you living with regrets?

Are you living without loving?

Are you living or barely surviving?

Are you living and celebrating life?

I don’t know how you fared on the above questions…but I guess it is worth questioning. Hmmm but then again in 50+ years time…no one actually cares…we’d all be dead and gone by then! And so…Are your years of life here on earth FUTILE? (till next month…)

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!

Explore, Dream, Discover…Today January 28, 2009

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”- Mark Twain

Ever wondered how it would be twenty years from now? Well, twenty years on…will take us to 2029!! How will the world be?…What would you be doing then?…Will we ever see the “Delorian Fly”? (from “Back to the Future”)

Will you be looking back and wondering…hmmm…I wished I did this (and that), I wished I took more risks…If only I made up my mind…What would happen if I had taken the other job or married the other woman?…and the list could go on.

Well it is good to plan and fantasize about the future…and well it is also good to step back and learn from the past (mistakes especially) but the most important key to unlocking your potential and dream is to Live in the NOW! Living in the Present is what you can do, control and bring a positive change for the future…your future!

Someone once said to “live each day as if it were your last”…I believe it was said in the context of living your life with Gusto, Drive, Passion and to the Max. Doing the things that you enjoy (to be at your best), celebrate little successes along the way and looking at life issues with the perspective of “the cup is half full not half empty”. Daily you can also be a blessing to people around you (your children, family, friends), affirming  and encouraging them for what they are doing (and haven’t done) and simply have an attitude to be a “giver rather than a taker”. You can also choose to Smile more, Laugh more and Worry less. ; )

I believe that if we all did the above…the world would definitely be a better place to live in…and come what may, we would have given our all; our mind, our heart and strength…allowing us to live in the peace and with the reassurance that “we have lived”. The choice is yours…how will you live your life?

Yesterday is gone, tomorrow will never come…

all we can do is to make life count and “Live” today!