What a generosity with humility!

Yesterday, I met a wonderful and superb mother of three young children, who has experienced hardship during her own childhood days, and has been in recent years, experiencing tough challenges when parenting one of her children who is a special child. She has learnt to live life differently and see things from a much enlightened perspective.

She was candid in sharing her stories and the journey she has been and is still going through. Despite many adversities, she is optimistic, positive, confident and is on top of her situations. She has been involved with voluntary work and likes helping people. At the end of a long chat, she bought a copy of my book for her children.

Later in the evening, I was surprised that she called me and asked for a price quote for 38 copies. She placed an order immediately and wanted the books to be delivered to her eldest son's school to be given to each of her son's classmates, and one copy for the Form Teacher. She wanted those children in Primary 5 to learn the good core values from the book. And, she wanted to remain anonymous. What a generosity with humility!

I wish her well as she continues to walk her life's journey with her children and their father. I believe she would emerge victorious and a champion at the end of the day. And all these stories should eventually be compiled into a book of her very own, that would inspire many others who are in similar situations.

Do you know what you pay for every month?

As I was looking at the SP Services October 08 bill on the wall, I began to examine the list of charges, and these were my thoughts....

For the residents in Singapore, do you realise that you are paying 37% of taxes for the amount of water you consume? If you look at your monthly bill from SP Services, you would notice an item called "Water Conservation Tax". Who knows what it entails? Water conservation? We are charged from the first dollar!!! Why do they deserve 30% on top of the 7% GST (Goods and Services Tax). There is an additional "Waterborne Fee". What is that?

Another item called "Refuse Removal by SembWaste Pte Ltd". That costs $5.43 per month. Is this a duplication of the Service and Conservancy Charges collected by the Town Councils? I always see Town Council workers clearing the refuse. Is there such a service provided by the SembWaste Pte Ltd? I am not sure where they are working and why am I paying for it? Please take a look at your bill again.

Has anyone ever questioned all these items presented in the monthly bills? Perhaps, when the pocket was full, no one bothers; but when the economy is turning bad, and retrenchment and unemployment is around the corner, people may be more conscious of what they pay for.

Just do it!

Do you have a list of things that you have always been wanting to do, but never get down to doing it? Why not try sorting them out according to their level of priority? When you have sorted them out by priority, just start doing it.

If the activity is huge in terms of magnitude and involvement, break it down into manageable steps, and then work on each step one at a time.

I think the whole thing about getting things done is to JUST DO IT! Don't think too much. Don't plan too long. Along the way, there will always be rooms for improvement. Leave that till the end when you evaluate the results of the activity. Incorporate the areas of improvement when you next run that activity again.

How do you use your 24 hours?

We are all given 24 hours a day regardless of age, sex and location. It is fair, isn't it? At times, I say "No, it isn't fair!" Why?

When I see people who simply allow their time to drift and slip away doing nothing or doing something that is meaningless, I can't help but feel that they should not be given so much time because they are not making the best use of it. Why not give it to someone who needs it more?

Time flies and never comes back. It is important that we learn to make the best use of our time doing things that are meaningful and purposeful. To better manage our time, keep a time log for at least two weeks and see how and where we have spent most of our time, and by doing this, we can identify the time wasters. Then, cut down the time wasters and fill up those time slots with meaningful activities. I understand many successful business people manage their time by 15-minute slots. Try do it!

Do you MBA or MBO?

In my management training programme, I trained the management students about MBA and MBO. The former stands for Management By Activity and the latter Management By Objectives.

Typically, Japanese companies practise more of MBA but the American counterparts MBO. At the workplace, if the boss is very particular about his staff being at the desk physically 8.8 hours a day and always keeping an eye on their movement, but not so concerned about whether objectives are being met in an efficient manner, then this boss is practising MBA. On the other hand, if the boss tells you, "John, get this report done by 4pm and have it circulated to all the members of the Management Committee before 5pm today, and then you can call it a day!". This boss most likely is a result-oriented person. He is practising MBO.

In MBA situations, many staff would adjust and adapt to the management style of the boss, and hence would usually play along with the boss by taking things easy, doing their own things and when the boss is around, would pretend to keep themselves very busy with non-essential activities that do not yield positive results. This inevitably encourages inefficiency at work.

In MBO scenarios, the staff would be managed and measured by the results of their work, whether or not they complete their work within the stipulated requirements and deadline. So, the staff would be very much encouraged to perform quality work at the shortest possible time. Any excess time available as a result of their work efficiency would be at their own disposal. This would obviously motivate the staff to be more efficient at work. The boss is concerned about the end result and whether the objectives have been achieved. MBO promotes self-motivation and self-discipline of the staff.

One idea saves S$30 per month on electricity

For a family of five, we have been using the storage-tank type of water heater for showers for the last 18 years until lately, when I realised that it could be the water heater that was chalking up a big chunk of my electricity bills. We decided to change the water heater into an instantaneous type, Joven Model EC757 - a cool design.

And true enough! The following month, the electricity bill was reduced by more than S$30 and the water consumption was reduced by about 20% at the same time, because the shower head that comes with the new instantaneous heater is more water-efficient.

Excluding the amount of water saved, for the last 18 years, taking an average of $30 savings per month on the electricity, I could have actually saved at least S$6,480 on the electricity consumption.

Are the stakeholders focussing on the wrong thing?

I spoke to a mother yesterday and she told me she has two daugthers aged 15 and 11. The elder has quit school and has been idling at home doing nothing, while the younger often says she does not like to study. The mother appeared and sounded helpless. From my experience in interacting with many parents in the community, this is a common problem faced by many parents. In fact, there are many other problems besides not wanting to study!

The problem, I think, is multi-faceted. Home, school, community and the government each has contributed a fair share to the problem the students are facing today. There were reported and unreported incidents of students committing suicide, known and unknown cases of students having mental depression, shoplifting, gang fight, bullying, teen sex, gaming addiction and an unending list of undesirable and socially-unacceptable behaviours!

There was an incident, the father told the daughter, "If you don't get band one for your Higher Chinese, you will know." That has put a tremendous pressure on the child, and she told the classmates if she didn't get band one for her Higher Chinese, she would die. True enough, she did not get band one. So, during recess one day, she went up to a nearby housing flat and from 12th floor, she plunged to her death. Who caused this? Father? School? Ministry of Education? Student herself? Government? It is for us to ponder.

An ex-colleague of mine whose daughter when in primary 4 was seeking psychiatric treatment at the Institute of Mental Health. She was suffering from depression and was afraid to face the books. So, the father had to take it easy, not to pressurise her, bring her out every weekend to unwind. Poor girl! Who caused this? Father? School? Ministry of Education? Student herself? Government? Each party should reflect on this.

One day, I was in a double-decker bus seated right at the third last row at the upper deck. There were three girls in school uniform from a certain school but I won't mention the name of the school here, chatting away very loudly with vulgarity in every sentence. Goodness me! I thought those days, vulgarity was only proprietary to the rough guys, but girls have acquired the skills, too. And on a separate occasion, I saw another three girls from the same school, sitting on the parapet wall outside one of the shopping malls crossing their legs as if they were meditating, but were puffing their cigarettes instead. I did call up and inform the school about the two incidents. Who caused this? Parents? School? Ministry of Education? Students themselves? Government? It is time to do something before the values get shifted and eroded further.

As I stare at MOE's latest initiative, "Teach Less, Learn More", I think to prevent further erosion of values, it might be more appropriate to "Teach Right, Learn Right". It is not a question of more or less, but an issue of right or wrong.

A bank in need is NOT a friend indeed!

You might be aware, for those who operate a bank account with one of the local banks, should the average monthly balance fall below S$500, a service charge of S$2 will be imposed per month. This works out to be S$24 per year. Do you realise how much that is? It is so easy for the bank to earn money. What loss does the bank incur when the balance falls below S$500? Why do they deserve to deduct the S$2 service charge? What service has been rendered that they need to charge the bank account holder? It sucks, doesn't it?

On the other hand, for you to earn S$24 of interest from the bank with your savings, you need to keep S$4,800 with the bank for 12 months at 0.5% p.a interest rate. How minute is the interest amount! But, when you take a loan from the bank, you will be charged at a hefty 4-5% interest rate per annum. But, they get away with it!

Recently, it was reported that quite a good number of people were turned away by the banks when they were trying to apply for a housing loan. The reason is: "due to global economic situation". Banks like to befriend you when you have money; but when you are broke, you are not their friends. They don't welcome you. When the weather is good, banks give you an umbrella; but when it rains, they take it away.

So, be wiser the next time when you deal with banks. Do you remember our foreparents used to keep their cold hard cash in Milo cans under their bed? If you can no longer stand the high-handedness of the banks, try this!

Viral Networks for Social Networking

I have just been introduced to a site that I have been hoping someone would make. A Web 2.0 site designed for Internet Marketers, this site really does have everything needed to build the perfect platform for online success. The features are awesome, not only can you network with other contacts in the same industry, which is VITAL for success, we can also build a Hyper Viral messageboard list through the addition of an awesome list builder.

The site allows you to build a downline down 5 levels and contact them via messageboard. It also rewards you with 10% of the credits earned from everyone in your downline! Credits are used to determine how much you get in the revenue sharing pool which means, just from being an active user, ViralNetworks share their revenue with you! How good that is!

The site has taken around 18 months to build from the ground up and these guys are serious about making it so much easier for you to succeed! There is no space in this blog for more, but rush over to the site now:
http://viralnetworks.com/a/9501

Working At Home for 21st Century Moms

It is not easy to juggle work with family and hence many singles choose not to get married, and many married couples choose not to have babies, and even if they do, it would be just one or two at the most. This has contributed to the declining birth rate and has caused a concern in Singapore and the government is encouraging singles to get married and the married couple to have babies and this time, the more the merrier, unlike previously "stop at two" and "three or more if you can afford it."

As most families in Singapore are dual-income families, most children are taken care of by grandparents or domestic workers. Given a choice, most mothers would desire to take care of the children personally but the family's financial priority overwrites such a desire. I am sure many working mothers would wish that they could work at home or from home. But, many employers might not be so enlightened as yet. So, what could mothers do?

Actually, they are not without options frankly, it is just a matter of exploring and finding out the options available. Those who are keen to explore may like to check out this link "Working At Home for 21st Century Moms".

Healthy PANCREAS prevents diabetes

I have read an educational and informative article on the root cause of diabetes and the natural remedy for it. Please check it out at this link http://www.lifeplus.com.sg/NHI/PancreasHealthbrochure.jpg

The terrapins have grown up...

The two terrapins mentioned in the blog on 14 February 2006 have grown to quite a substantial size now. They are no longer housed in the small plastic wash basin, but in a little enclosed drain outside the house. Have a look...

A common confusion between "its" and "it's" in English

There is a general confusion between the usage of "its" and "it's" and such a mistake often appears in presentation slides and written notes.

For example, when we write, "The dog is playing with its master", this is CORRECT!; But, when we write, "The dog is playing with it's master", this is WRONG!

When we say, "It's raining heavily!", it actually means, "It is raining heavily!". Or, we say, "It's been a long time since we last met." What it means is, "It has been a long time since we last met." So, it's = it is or it has. But, "it's" is not the same as "its".

"Its" is similar to his or her in terms of usage.

Mind or Matter?

Click on the picture to enlarge it.

This is the meaning of Wear and Tear!

This pair of Nike shoes has faithfully served its owner for many years. As you can see, the soles really tear as a result of long term wear. This was perhaps the condition where the phrase "wear and tear" was derived.

Make big money in a small way. Does it sound good to you?

If you believe that every drop makes an ocean, there is something for you. You could make big money in a small cumulative way by simple word-of-mouth marketing strategy.

Word-of-mouth marketing has been very powerful and effective and is widely used in marketing products and services, by many large multinational corporations (MNCs) and business conglomerates. Network marketing companies are also using word-of-mouth to do their marketing. It has been proven and tested to be very effective.

If you are someone who likes to share good things with your relatives, friends, colleagues and business associates, then you may like to explore this referral scheme which allows you to earn SGD$30 for every person you refer to use the service. Check it out by clicking on the weblink above.

A DIY alternative to Screen Protective Cover!

Instead of buying a screen protective cover for the screen of my Pocket PC, which generally costs between S$5 and S$1o per piece, I have been using my own DIY idea, i.e. cut out from a piece of Overhead Projector transparency a size slightly bigger than the screen size and slide it into the four sides of the screen. That's it. It saves money and works equally well. For four years, I have just replaced the transparency once or twice. By the way, one piece of A4-sized transparency costs just around 3o cents.

Make money from the comfort of your home...

Money is not everything, but everything is somehow linked to money. Money cannot buy happiness, but it does make life a lot easier.

Many people are struggling in their job or business trying very hard to make enough money to stay afloat. But, the fact remains that MONEY IS STILL NOT ENOUGH. With the looming economy, risk of unemployment and rising inflation, it certainly makes sense for those who are more forward-looking to explore better and easier ways to make more money especially in the internet world.

Have you heard about Ewen Chia, a Singaporean and a world-renowned internet guru? He has created online programmes to help people work from home and make money using the power of internet. All his programmes carry absolutely NO RISK because there is an 8-Week-Money-Back Guarantee with NO questions asked. Check out the weblink above.

Confused usage of American English and British English

To learn a language and learn it well, one should use a good dictionary. For the learning of English Language, by the way, in Singapore, we are using British English and I have found Collins Cobuild English Dictionary a good one. Incidentally, I have always noticed the confused usage of American English and British English. Should it be centre or center, colour or color, practise or practice (as verb), advise or advice (as verb), metre or meter, favour or favor, organise or organize, synchronise or synchronize etc. Are you confused? Check it out in the dictionary yourself.

Don't repeat the same mistake....

We all make mistakes, don't we? Afterall, to err is human. Some mistakes are insignificant, but some are damaging and may even be fatal. Perhaps, the single most important reason for learning History in school is for us to learn from history and not to repeat the same mistake.

Have we frequently been doing the wrong thing and saying the wrong words and hence straining and even jeopardising our relationships with our family members, friends and colleagues? I think it is important to be aware of the mistakes we have made through self-reflection and self-examination at the close of the each day. Once we are aware of the mistakes, we have to make a conscious and conscientious effort to ensure that we don't repeat the same mistake.

Frankly, as we start our soul-searching, we might just realise that there is a long list of things that we have repeatedly done wrong, and the list might include things like how often we are late for our appointments, how much we have overspent every month, how many items we have at home that have become white elephants, how many times we have made the same typographical errors in the monthly report we submit to our superior, how often we have missed out certain important sections of our study notes and ended up not being able to answer questions in examinations? More often than not, these same mistakes keep recurring. Obviously, we have not learnt from our mistakes time and again.

So, let's start doing something positive about it, catch the mistake in time, learn from it and make sure we don't repeat the same mistake. Sometimes, we might be fortunate enough to be given a second chance, but sometimes, we might not. We certainly don't expect the dentist to extract the wrong tooth. The consequence of the mistake is simply irreversible. Think about it.

Superiority- and Inferiority-Complex

As far as self-perception goes, there tend to be two extreme groups of people: one group always think that they are far more superior than others; while the other group think that they are always much more inferior than others. The former is suffering from superiority-complex while the latter inferiority-complex.

As we know, when things are carried to the extremes, they usually bring about undesirable outcomes. Some would always think that they are better than others in terms of look, ability, knowledge, experience etc and they may even think that they are the best. That may sound like self-confidence on the surface, but it is actually self-confidence lacking in humility. Of course, some would always think that they are failures in life and they are always not up to expectations or standards in many things. This, on the other hand, may sound like humility, but in actual fact, it is humility lacking in self-confidence. So, we need to strike a balance.

It is really about balance. It would be desirable to have a balanced perception of ourselves and of things. When looking at something, never over-estimate or under-estimate it. That would be the best guiding principle.

Today is Rebecca's Birthday!

Today is Rebecca's Birthday! Simple celebration at home with the family.

Are we IN CONTROL or BEING CONTROLLED?

Are we in control or are we being controlled? When a person could resist the temptation of a cigarette, and says, "I am not going to smoke!", he is in control. However, if he could not resist the temptation and he starts smoking, then he is being controlled by the cigarette. Being in control of something is being able to take charge and be the master of instead of becoming a slave to it.

A boy would be considered being controlled by and addicted to gaming if once he gets on the keyboard, he simply could not get off. But, if he is able to discipline himself and says, "I am going to play for just 45 minutes!" and when 45 minutes is up, he would just save and quit the game, then he is the master of his game. He is in control.

Being in control is to be able to do something when it has to be done, and to stop doing something when it is not to be done anymore.

I believe everyone likes to be in control and no one likes to be controlled. So, let's start taking charge of and be in control of our lives. Afterall, we are to be responsible for the actions we take and decisions we make in our lives.

A MEANINGFUL Gift for nephews, nieces and friends...

http://15fsbook.pinurl.com/

A RIGHT MLM vehicle driven WRONGLY, hence "Makes Life Miserable (MLM)" for some

It looks like the MLM industry is suffering a backlash again recently as a certain company in Singapore was being investigated for allegedly being involved in some investment schemes or money games.

I agree with Mr Seah Seng Choon, executive director of Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), that the MLM Act should be extended to investment schemes sold via MLM, and clearly draw the line between consumable products and investments. In such investments, usually a substantial amount is involved and CASE is concerned that some companies have turned the sale of consumable products into investment schemes.

In my book entitled "I Don't Like MLM!", I have mentioned that MLM, commonly known as Network Marketing, is simply about building a network of consumers who in turn would help to market the products via word-of-mouth especially after they have used the products and experienced their benefits. Hence, the name Network Marketing, or simply expressed as Marketing via a Network of consumers. But, unfortunately, since memorial times, this concept has been misused and abused as a pyramid scheme, investment scam or money game, to the extent that it was deemed illegal and banned in Singapore from 1973 till 2000.

MLM as it is, by itself, is not wrong; but it has been wrongfully used and hence badly misunderstood.

To have a balanced perspective of MLM, you may like to buy a copy of my book by calling the distributor at (65) 6100 6898. You can click on the weblink above to read more about the book. For those in the MLM industry, you may like to purchase the book in bulk and distribute them to your friends to help them understand MLM better.

Have you heard of Sky Fruit?

Have you heard of Sky Fruit? A friend of mine who had elevated cholesterol level went for a medical check-up recently and the doctor was surprised that her cholesterol level has dropped drastically to the normal level. When asked what she did, she told the doctor that she had been taking Sky Fruit three times a day. Isn't it incredible?

As you can see from the picture, the fruit actually defies the gravity, stands up and points to the sky, hence given the name, Sky Fruit. Perhaps, that is also the reason why it is being taken by men with impotence or medically termed Erectile Dysfunction. But, it tastes awfully bitter, much more bitter than the bitter gourds.

Sky Fruits contain two active ingredients, namely Flavonoids and Saponins. Flavonoid promotes blood circulation, acts as an anti-oxidant and is a free radical scavenger; and Saponin enhances immune system and improves vitality. In addition, the Sky Fruit contains various natural proteins, vitamins, enzymes, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and other body essential nutrients. It is easily absorbed by the body. It has been traditionally used to promote blood circulation and general health.

The Sky Fruits are commercially available in the form of XKLCare Sky Fruit Concentrate. XKLCare Sky Fruit Concentrate is made from 100% natural Sky Fruit that is being processed and prepared with advanced bio-technology. The quality of the product has earned worldwide recognition.

Many people with health challenges such as Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Allergies, Stroke and Erectile Dysfunction, just to name a few, have benefitted from taking the Sky Fruit products. For those who are generally healthy, the Sky Fruit products have helped them maintain their health.

If you are interested to purchase the XKLCare Sky Fruit Concentrate, you may call the Authorised Dealer at (65) 61006898.

A Singapore GMP Company with GOOD and NATURAL Food Supplements

Yesterday, I met up with the General Manager of Naturo Health International and was introduced to a range of good and natural products.

Naturo Health International is established in Singapore to market health supplements made of only high quality, safe and effective natural ingredients that have no harmful chemical side-effects. The company believes in delivering effective, noticeable health benefits by tackling the root cause of ill health as well as assisting in the prevention of sickness, thus promoting good health naturally.

All their products are manufactured in Singapore under GMP ( Good Manufacturing Practices ) manufacturing plant and come under the stringent monitoring of HSA ( Health Sciences Authority ) in Singapore.

For more information on the range of the natural products offered by Naturo Health International, click on the weblink above.