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!

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!

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!

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!

Who would have thought? April 16, 2008

Have you ever felt that the life we live, is just so “normal” and somewhat predictable…

“go to school, next to Uni (hopefully a good one), then find a great paying job (in a top notch company), get married, own a house, have kids, go travelling, enjoy life, then hit mid-life crisis, get tangled up in debts, enjoy the grandkids…and then…die”

And my question to you; “Is this the Life you are seeking…or is this the Life worth living for?”

Where is the Challenge? Where is the Passion?

When I read about the lives of many before us…I am encouraged and amazed that they did not live a “normal” life (so to speak). Each of them lived a life Out-of-the-Ordinary, and who would have thought…that of all people, they would make such an impact in the world and in the lives of others!

• Genghis Khan went from being a Slave to a Conqueror, ruling ½ of the World including Russia
• Nelson Mandela went from being a Prisoner to the President of South Africa
• Bill Gates went from a Geek in a Garage to a Billionaire with a Philanthropic Focus
• Jesus Christ was born into a Jewish Carpenter’s family to become the Saviour of All Mankind

What is your purpose in life? What legacy will you leave behind? As for me, I choose to live this life SPENT…on doing something that will count…a life without regrets and a life lived by simply waking up each morning…ready and eager to seize the day…the hour…the moment.

How will you make your life count today?

Choose Life February 16, 2008

I don’t know if you remember, when WHAM (the Duo from England) smashed into the Music Scene with “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, George Michael was seen on the Music Video with a White T-Shirt with Black Copy reading “Choose Life”. I certainly remember it…as it was a great HIT to dance and sing along to (it still is today).

But coming back to the words “Choose Life”. What does this mean? To some, nothing much but to simply live the life they have been given; and yet to some others, it is an invitation to abandon the monotony of life and to begin an Adventure.

By definition, an Adventure is “an undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature”…WOW…does it really say that? I guess the question is…”Are we willing?

• to start something that we have been putting off
• to move from where we are to a new place of being
• to endeavour something new and different
• to live with a new focus and passion

For me, the day I CHOSE to become a Coach…was the day I started a Brand New Adventure, that would take me to places and people that I would not have imagined.

Are you at a crossroad today? Are you tired of (your) life as it is? Are you constantly thinking how the “grass looks greener” on the other side? Are you thinking of throwing in the towel over a situation/person?

If you feel any of the above…may I challenge you to take a moment to rest, reflect and rally you to CHOOSE LIFE. You have all it takes…YES…I believe you have what it takes to begin a Great Adventure!!!

Are you willing to take that Step…

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?

35… October 1, 2007

In a few days time I turn 35. WOW…it just seemed not too long ago that I graduated from Uni (that was back in 1993). How time flies…It’s becoming more daunting to me as the day rolls by and it’s definitely something we ALL cannot run away from. 

How has time gone by for you? Have you enjoyed your journey thus far? Or are you filled with regrets of wrong decisions made in the past? Whatever the case, there is STILL time…

Even though we cannot change the fact that we are “losing” time…we CAN affect the way we live by the choices we make and how we utilize, (maximize) time. When we decide…we can actually “own” back our time, we take the First Step in living the life we were destined for.

We need to view our life in a New Perspective…For me; I’ve recently realized that I have another SHOT at life with at least 35 more years ahead of me. And the choice is mine to decide, “What am I going to do differently with this New Lease of Life?”

If you believe you can change the world, you can…and YOU WILL…if you begin to drive towards that with all your heart and might.

“Wake up…smell the flowers and live life again with renewed zest and a revived spirit!”  – LCM

Be Passionate April 6, 2007

It’s funny how I’ve always been attracted to look at things differently. And eventhough I’ve never considered myself creative in any way or form, years later I know realize that all the ”so-called-training” (over 3 decades) has led me to be the person I am today. Who am I? I’m a Marketer, I’m a Life Coach and I’m a person with Great Passion.

I am so Passionate when it comes to thinking Out-of-the-Box…in fact, I’m constantly challenging the notion…with the saying “WHAT BOX?”. I also find myself pushing the barrier on how I can live my life better…with more Zeal, more Zest. After all, we have but one life to live…why not live it FULL, live it without Regrets, without Reservation.

When I Coach my Clients, I do ask the question “what are you Passionate about? or what Drives you?” You might have not thought about it, but as Living Beings we are constantly motivated by Passions…for the Right or the Wrong.

Take for example, a person who has just lost his house and all his belongings to a Fire. He might just say, “My life is over”…or if he was motivated by different Passions, he could have said the following; “Let’s begin again” or “It’s ok, it’s just a house, thank God my family is all safe and well”. What would you say in a similar situation?

The idea of being Passionate is not something we all can’t strive for…it’s not the Holy Grail of sorts. It’s possible, we can all do it. It just takes a little courage, faith and drive. Perhaps, you were once Passionate about life or had good hopes about something that just fell flat; take heart…it’s never too late.

Let me help you, allow me to empower you to Be Passionate (once again). It’s like riding a bike, you never forget how to…all you need is to Get On and Start Pedalling Again…

 I believe in You.