Sowing Or Harvesting?
April 15, 2011
Sowing with a view to Harvesting
Is summer peeping already where you are? Or maybe winter is just beginning if you in the Southern Hemisphere. Where I am, it is summer all year long. Not the best time to plan and sow, yet that’s how I would start my day – by planting and sowig.
How do you plan your day? Most will start with a “To-Do” or what I call a “Must-Do” list. It usually outlines what needs to get done before you wrap up for the day.
It’s about planting the seeds of creation and establishing a presence that makes a difference. It’s about cultivating and nurturing relationships, learning new skills as well as honing in and expanding on existing expertise.
If that sounds like hard work then you’ve got the picture right. Let no one tells you differently. There are no magic bullets that will allow you to sit back and relax in the sun while the money falls off trees. Much much work has gone into that venture before any money start falling off the tree.
At the end of the day, I would review what I have done and what is outstanding. There are sometimes “whirl wind kind of productive days” while other days are pretty much “waste of time, waiting for red taps around inefficient systems”.
Whatever the case Robert Louis Stevenson says, ‘Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.’
As long as you have put in the effort, that is a good day.
We can control how much or how frequently we sow and how we nurture the plants, but we cannot control the weather nor the harvest. Not that you do not look forward to a fruitful harvest, but when you focus on sowing and nurturing, the harvest will come naturally. But if you only want to harvest then you are going to be disappointed no matter what strategy or tool you use. So go easy and keep sowing.
Jim Rohm reminds us that, “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.” Some pain bear fruits of joy and freedom while others bear fruits that are dry and tasteless. Which one will you choose?
Girl Guiding For Young Women
June 6, 2010
I will be speaking to this year's soon-to-be-awarded Queens Guides tomorrow. 44 young ladies from all over Malaysia have worked hard at challenging and building themselves, championing a cause they choose, raising awareness on the need to care for community and the environment.
There is so much I want to share and I want it to be something that will help them here and now. These are budding young ladies with capabilities and talents and ready to make a difference to the community.
After my nth version, I came to terms with keeping it very fundamental and practical. It is not going to be overwhelming or something they have not heard of. But it will help them avoid the mistakes I made as a young, energetic and idealistic youth; ready to take on the world and change it without considering the principles of sustaining and holistic success.
The Girl Guides today are fortunate to have an organization that trains and builds them up in an all rounded way outside of academic knowledge. Some other young girls may not have been exposed to Girl Guiding and not gotten the support they need. In either case, I want to share just one burning point with here.
When you are young and invincible, it is easy to think that you know it all and have it all. You have proven your capabilities, talents and skills and you are ready to commit to your cause and ideals. It is easy to think that you have the answers to life's complex questions.
Extra curricular training and the internet has given today's youth have access to much updated information and they may have more exposure than their parents in certain areas. And it is that much more urgent that they keep an open channel of communication and invite view points from peers, elders and guiding mentors as they make their own decisions.
While every experience can provide learning, some experiences cost much heart aches, time and resources. In recent conversations I have with family and friends, the topic of certain organizations wanting to "target" youth and college kids came up quite a bit. Youth are most energetic and idealistic and therefore most vulnerable to influence or "brain conditioning".
Young ladies, guard your mind, share your thoughts with your leaders and commissioners, your mentors, coaches if you do not feel comfortable sharing with your parents. They will help you see with objective minds and fresh perspectives before you take drastic moves.
What you see is from your perspective. Sometimes your eyes play tricks; especially if you are wearing scratched glasses or tainted ones. Also your interpretation of events and ideas is based on your experience. So it does not hurt to be open to more points of view. Have a second or third opinion especially when you are making important decisions.
Keep an open mind and not isolate yourself, not base your thinking, beliefs and hopes any one source. Do your due diligence, check your sources, ask for opinions from more than one source before you make your decisions. Have a peer partner, consult your leader, mentor, coach that you can discuss things with openly.
"For as we think, we shall act and be". It all starts with the mind. And the mind is most eager to learn and absorb when you are eager to grow. Check the books you read, the videos you watch, the conversations you have, the words you use and the friends you keep.
"Our lives are changed by the people we associate with and the books we read"
The The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is a dynamic and effective organization for young girls and adult women. It provides young women with methods and principles of holistic personal growth, helping them become responsible leaders of tomorrow. The Association purposes to "educate, train and develop the potential of its members to become citizens who are sensitive, competent, skilled and disciplined". We are thankful for the Guiding Movement which gives our youth a firm foundation for their growth.
My heart goes out to these young women with great potential and aspirations. If only we can influence more youth to go onto the right path … By the way you can always support the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia. You can give of your time, your talents or your resources or sign up as a member or a volunteer. The girls will appreciate it very much.
It’s The Lunar New Year!
February 10, 2010
What does Chinese New Year Mean To You?
Good question huh? And this is not a festivity celebrated by all. Yet Verizon Wireless actually opened a Lunar New Year Essay Contest with this topic to kickoff the Year of the Tiger for those in California and Seattle.
The Lunar New Year is a time of great festivity and celebration. Everything loud and colourful is associated with it. The red packet, red clothing, red banners, red paper cuttings on doors, the fireworks and fire crackers and yes the lion dances too.
When I think of the Lunar New Year I associate it with 3 things, the first of which is Spring.
The Lunar New Year is sometimes referred to as the Spring Festival. While the first day of spring in the U.S. is considered to be around March 20 or 21, the official first day of Spring according to the Chinese lunar calendar fell on February 4th (立春). With that, the Year of the Tiger has taken over from the Year of the Ox.
Spring time is when flowers begin to bloom and animals come out of hibernation. It signifies life and vitality. The Chinese have a saying too that "A day’s planning is done in the morning while a year’s planning is done in spring" (一日之计在于晨, 一年之计在于春).
It is the time to make plans for the entire year. If you had made your New Year resolutions on 1st January, this is a good time to review how far you have come. If you had not managed to make any plans yet, this is another opportunity for you to do so.
Spring spells freshness and life, and with it, hope and power. Time to welcome the dawn of a new life!
Second thing I associate with the Lunar New Year is the massive and thorough Spring cleaning before the New Year. Traditionally, we work to get rid of the old and make way for the new. Everything used for the new year period “should” be new or at least cleaned out thoroughly. One would use new utensils, new curtains, new coat of paint, new clothing and of course new shoes.
From the kitchen to the closets, from the living room to the store room. Every corner is to be scrubbed and cleaned out thoroughly. This is a great practice and it does wonders to me physically, mentally and emotionally.
There’s something very liberating about tidying, organizing, de-cluttering and cleaning. I can do with some spring cleaning now and then. The cleaning is then followed by decorations, stocking up of food supplies and preparation of the day long feasts!
Third thing I associate with the Lunar New Year is the priority given to Friends and Family. Chines New Year is the time for family reunions and gatherings. This is the peak time for migration of people back to the suburban areas. Do not go near train or bus stations unless you need to go home to your family living outside of town.
Days before the eve of the New Year, work begins to wind down, traffic builds up and the festive mood grows in anticipation of celebration, fun and joy. This is the time where everyone makes conscious effort to leave work temporarily aside and give priority to family, kins and friends. In China, there is a week-long public holiday. In Malaysia, most Chinese entrepreneurs take a break of at least a week.
This is the time to be with the family. Once a year, everything stops; family and relationships are consciously placed before work or business.
What does the Lunar New Year mean to me?
Amidst the busy-ness, the hustle and bustle, I look forward to the Lunar Near Year as a time of hope, a fresh start and a time to cherish the ones beside me. A time for New Year Visits (拜年). Come celebrate with me. You too can enjoy this Spring Festival! 祝大家 新年进步，新年快了
Oh and feel free to press the "share this" button below or retweet it and spread the joy of the Lunar New Year! Your friends will thank you for the digital (online) new year wishes and visit (拜年).
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