Saturday, February 17, 2007

Balance your LIFE!




We often get too busy and enter into the timeless zone where we could even forget about fulfilling our basic needs and the reason behind why we entered the busy zone.


In this digital and wireless world, we often fall into the “busy zone” always. The common factor for most us is due to our job. We often get carried away with our tasks given to us by the organization. However in order to prosper and secure the future well, most of us tend to go for the “extra mile” in our job scope.


The attitude of giving more than what our job scope requires is something to be praised. However when we do this constantly for a long period, we will lose the “balance” in our life and it is certainly deceiving the purpose.


There are people who work extra 6-8 hours daily than the required hours. It is true that in order to achieve certain goals, we must sacrifice our time and energy but when sacrifice becomes too frequent and rigid, we might achieve our materialistic goals but at the same time we could lose most of the important elements in our life.


This unbalanced life could lead to so many negative outcomes. Mainly we might be leading to an unhealthy lifestyle because we do not have the time for exercise since most of the time is spent on job. Secondly we will lose our valuable friends, family and our loved ones because again we do not have the time to spend with them.


Besides that, our growth in the aspect of learning and development outside our field of work may get diminished due to insufficient time. This insufficiency of time occurs because most of the time is spent on our job till some of us do not even have the time to read newspaper. The above mentioned issues are the some of the contributing factors that is leading most of our life to an unbalanced life.


Most of us have the “mentality” saying that “we must work hard to the maximum now but relax and have a good happy time with our family, friends and loved ones one day probably in five or ten years time when we have the all the money, time and status. At this juncture I have recalled a true story of a businessman who attended a business seminar organized by a local psychologist cum business trainer. During the seminar, the psychologist requested all the participants to point down techniques and methods they would take to become a multi-millionaire in ten years time. As requested all the participant wrote down their methods but the methods brought down by one particular businessman at that time caught the attention of the psychologist. This particular participant said that “In order for me to become a multi-millionaire, I would work hard day and night for the next ten years. In this period I would not spend time with my family, friends and relatives. I would not go for any vacation or get indulged in any type of entertainment. Basically I will only work, work and work in order for me to become a multi-millionaire.


After ten years of hard work, I will become a multi millionaire. Therefore I will spend all the time with my family, friends and I will take my time off just to happily enjoy my life.”


After listening to the businessman, the psychologist only asked him one question. ”Sir, can you give me a guarantee letter saying that you will be alive when you wake every morning for the next ten years and I would also like to follow your plan.” The question triggered the participant to realise so many things. Later the psychologist explained to him that if he is just going to work without a stop for the next ten years, first he would lose his family, friends and relatives. Second he might get ill both mentally and physically. What is the point if you have all the money status, success and time but there is no value for it? In fact, it will be a failure because the reason which is to attain happiness through the ten years of non- stop hard work will be impossible.


The truth is not many have realised that there is no guarantee for even the next minute of our life. Our life in this world may end at anytime and this is an inevitable issue.


Therefore work hard in any job you might be working at but always remember to balance up your life because overtime spent on any aspect of our life will lead to deterioration in the balance cycle. Lastly, we should keep in our mind that “happiness is a journey, not destination” and cherish every second of your life.GOT IT!


Monday, February 12, 2007

Boss ohh......BOSS!


In a recent spate of problems shrouding a municipality, we need to re-check the position of the boss of the organization.
As a boss, you are the head of an organization. You have the power and the position to make decisions that will make or break the organization. And because you have that power, it comes with great responsibility. You shoulder the burden of being accountable of anything your subordinates do. Not only that, you have to be aware of everything that your employees do or don’t do. Even though you have departments who run their designated operations, you have a duty to monitor not one, but all of them. You shouldn’t expect everything to be at your fingertips delivered by the mole every morning; instead you should go to the ground and get the hidden information yourself.
There is no reason why a boss doesn’t know the dealings of the subordinates with a third party which concerns the organization. In the corporate world, this could be defined as a breach of trust and when the employee is caught, he would be terminated. There is no such thing as leniency as to just suspend or transfer him to another department. Once this issue is raised, the employee’s loyalty is in question. There should be no difference between a corporate organization and a government. Transparency is paramount and it is the essence of a successful corporation. Bosses have to be tough on this. Bosses should emulate the leadership skills of Donald Trump and others great leaders. Trump has no hesitations in making the final say to everything he does. He is definite and he knows everything that happens in every property and businesses he owns. In a government body, you are too hired and paid accordingly. You have a job to do and you should do it to the best of your abilities. If you are innocent in any allegedly dubious activities, defend yourself outright with proof. Do not keep quiet as this is a window of opportunity for your opponents to spark your downfall. A good boss is a verbal and action oriented intellectual, not a quiet person who waits for things to fall into his lap and pass by. So, to every boss out there, be the boss you are supposed to be and not a dumb ass.GOT IT!

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Better person





Everyone is different and demand high level of satisfaction in certain circumstances. However, it is really crucial for us to have higher demand on ourselves so that we can improve gradually if not tremendously.Working while studying in terms has opened up a lot of oppoturnities for us to work with various kind of people in a group. While excellent team work spirit is the crux for splendid products, in my opinion, moving in the same pace to pursue the same target is important too.I have encountered various situations when I was not moving in the same pace as the others. I'm not a perfectionist, but I always demand something better. In my opinion, if someone tells you that he had done his 100%, I firmly believe that he can actually provide me with 150%.I faced no problem when I was the leader of the team. However, it is another story when other becomes the leader. Conflicts are just inevitable when you have a leader whom is being easily contented and group members whom think they can achieve something better.The secret why a person can improve himself or herself continuously is the everlasting urge to become a better person. Some people will choose to stay in their comfort zone and be very satisfied with what they are blessed with whilst some people are chasing for something better.My predecessor had always advised us to keep improving ourselves as to stay competitive in the globalization trend. I just couldn't see the point for people around me to feel satisfied when they actually can perform better. No matter what they choose, I'll always prefer to move forward and become a better human being.GOT IT!

Monday, February 5, 2007

What went wrong?




Filial piety used to be one of the main virtues upheld in our Asian culture. However, it is sad to say that in our modern society, respect & love for our elderly parents is slowly decreasing. I 've have heard of countless incidences where an ailing parent is left by his or her children to suffer alone in a government hospital. And what about the old folks who stand by the entrances of nursing homes, waiting for their children to come take them home. How is it possible that any child can be as ungrateful & inhumane as to leave his or her parent to fate, without having second thoughts? Has materialism & immorality become such a dominant part of our lives till we have forsakened every bit of our conscience?In this era, not only are the elderly abandoned, young children are as well. Numerous reports of the discovery of a baby amongst heaps of rubbish or stuffed in a duffel bag & left on a bench makes me shake my head in sadness. To a lesser extent, I hear of young parents who leave their children to the care of babysitters for several days & only visit their children on weekends, They are ready to devote their lives to work & ambition while their family's welfare takes a back seat. With morality headed downhill, more & more family units are breaking up with divorce rates soaring not just in the West but in the Asian society as well. The sacredness of marriage has been tarnished & the vow 'till death do us part' carries no more weight. Lust has replaced love in these days where people seek only to satisfy their selfish desires & are unwilling to work towards building strong & stable relationships. What kind of madness has taken over the society of today? Have we been blinded by our own selfish wants & needs that we readily abandon our parents who have raised us & forsake our own children? Let there not be a day when family love ceases to exist. Worse still, I hope we will never live to see the day when the word 'family' becomes obsolete. Where joy & happiness in a household becomes a distant dream. Let us not live to see that day come to being.GOT IT!

Friday, February 2, 2007

Is there really a life?

Why do we need to study? – To earn us a place in the working industry.
Why do we need to work? – So that we’ll get paid handsomely.
Why do we need money? – So that we can survive this life
Why do we need to survive this life? …

Some people may answer ‘because God gave us life’. But many didn’t have to answer to this question.

If studying up to degree level can ‘book’ us a good position in the working world, why are there so many unemployed graduates? And in many cases, Masters Graduates had to lie in their resumes that they only had a degree in hand, simply because ‘their qualification is too high for the position’. So is it true that the higher your education level, the better job you’ll get?

And who said that we’ll get paid handsomely if we work smart and hard enough? Everything seemed to have an increase in price, except for salaries. This issue had been brought up many times, especially when times are hard to maintain. Are we really getting what we are worth?

No money no talk. True enough, without money, we are unlikely to survive well in this world. But what’s really the true meaning of survival? Sitting there, reading the newspaper, knowing how some countries are badly hit by disasters, how the society had changed for the worse… Is this what we are living for? Is this the reason why we want to survive this life? To see all sorts of negativity happening every day?
Do we want to live this life just because we are given life, or is there more to it? What’s the purpose of life? It’s something I’m always in search for the answer. Perhaps, somebody can enlighten me?GOT IT!

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Gift of Humanity

The death of a love one can be a very traumatic experience for some of us. Especially if their demise was sudden or unexpected. Many of us would be haunted by memories of our dearly departed love ones. Articles in our home & just about any little thing triggers flash backs of happy moments we shared with them while they were yet alive.It is therefore very inspiring when we read about family members who are strong enough to rise above their sorrow & actually contribute to the needs of society despite their loss. Several instances which were reported in the news where the parents of children who had been declared clinically brain-dead making organ donations to the medical field. Their selflessness has thus resulted in lives being saved as the organs are transplanted into the bodies of severely ill patients. Their courage & sheer determination to rise above their sorrow has given many ailing patients a new breath of life.Even in the face of death, these admirable citizens have managed to make a priceless difference in the lives of others. Their generous gift has renewed our faith in the goodness of humanity. Even though they may no longer walk among us who are alive, they leave an enduring memory in the lives of those that they have saved & touched, in so many ways.Hey,i'm proud to say that i'm one of them that donated every single body parts of mine.My dad did the same humanity gift. A friend of mine once said that it is not the dead who suffer, but those who live to moan their death who do. However, I am certain, that even in these darkest hours, the comfort of knowing that their deaths have not been in vain will lessen the pain endured by those who survive them.GOT IT!