Unusual bottle!

This bottle found in a junk yard has a rather unusual neck to body proportion. Just wondering what it was used for.

Is it a dinoSAW or a dinoSAUR?

One day, during my Secondary One Arts lesson, my Arts teacher asked the class Monitor to go to the Arts Storeroom and get him a dinosaur. Without any hesitation, he dashed out of the classroom towards the storeroom and all of us in the class were waiting eagerly to see the dinosaur.

After a long wait, he came back to class panting away but empty-handed, he stared at the teacher blankly and said, "Teacher, I could not find any SAW in the storeroom!" Some of the classmates simply could not control but burst into laughters. Apparently, he did not know what a dinosaur was and he felt so embarrassed when the class was laughing at him. But, the teacher just smiled at him and went to pick it up himself.

I think this is just part and parcel of lifelong learning. Who would dare to claim that he knows everything in this entire universe? I can be dead sure that even the classmates who knew what a dinosaur was might not know everything about dinosaurs. Knowledge must be acquired with humility.

Get the NAME right or ...

Once my family and I were invited to a birthday celebration in our neighbourhood. As the celebration was about to start, many guests were already seated and suddenly, a woman in her sixties was wallking in with her husband and the host just greeted her rather loudly, "Hey, Lau Char Bor!"

Oh mine! I was totally stunned at the way the woman was greeted because it was very rude and most disrespectful to call an elderly woman "Old Woman" even if she was truly elderly. By the way, "Lau Char Bor" means old woman in Hokkien or Teochew dialect. Being curious, I asked the host why he called her such name and he said, "This is her name, or you may like to ask her." He then asked the woman to show me her identity card to satisfy my curosity. It was true that her name was printed "Lau Char Bor". I was in great disbelief!

Then, I was told the story behind the name. When she was born and the father went to register her birth, the registration officer asked "what is the surname?", the father replied, "Lau". When asked about the given name, the father mistook it for sex of the child, and so he replied, "Char Bor" which means "girl or female" . So, the name was written as "Lau Char Bor" which literally means "Old Woman". Well, it is funny, but at least she would be one one day.

I shudder to think about the consequences if her surname were "Seow" and with a similar mistake, the girl would have been named "Seow Char Bor" which means "Crazy Woman". I think she would feel deeply embarrassed each time her name is called out especially in school or at public places and you can be sure all eyes would be staring at her upon hearing her name or some might even make fun of her especially in school.

So, for parents who need to register their child's birth, be extra careful with the name to be printed in the Birth Certificate for the sake of your child who is going to live with the given name throughout his or her lifetime. Make no mistake about it.

It is all about PASSION...

I bought these Star Wars key chains back in 1997 after a lunch meeting with one of my clients who was in his late twenties and he is an avid collector of anything that is Star Wars. I would say it is all about passion that keeps him going with the collection tiredlessly.

Of the three Star Wars emblems, the one in the centre was uniquely special as it commemorated the 20th anniversary of Star Wars since the film was released on May 25, 1977 by 20th Century Fox and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, spawning two immediate sequels released in three-year intervals. Star Wars was later given the subtitle Episode IV.

A note of appreciation from a student...

As I was tidying up my book shelves, I discovered this note of appreciation from a primary school student whom I coached for four sessions a few years ago. Frankly, it might not be a perfect piece of writing but considering her young age, it was a great effort on her part and the note certainly revealed her nice thoughts and deep appreciation. At least, I am glad that the mind mapping technique I introduced to her helped her in her studies. She had since been succesfully promoted to secondary school.



Those who are interested in mind mapping, read my other blog HERE.

Who is taking examinations, parents or children?

When asked when he was having his examinations, the boy would just reply without even a second thought, "Ask mummy!". Does that sound familiar?

It is common to find parents, in particular the mother, getting more anxious and stressed when their children are having their examinations. The children do not seem to be too bothered by them at all. Is that desirable and does it really help the children?

I think there is something unhealthy that has crept into the education culture in Singapore. Since the children were young, the parents have been trying to spoon-feed them too much without paying much attention to training the children to be independent and self-motivated in studies and learning. The children, therefore, have been conditioned to just take instructions and be told what to do. They would not even take initiatives to do things on their own. I think parents should allow children to learn to take personal responsibilities in their studies. This takes time and progressive effort on the parts of the parents and the children.

Parents! Take heart. There are many successful students whose parents are not highly educated, let alone teach the children school subjects. I feel that parents should teach the children learn how to learn and guide them to stay on the right path. Encourage children to find one or two study buddies in school. Perhaps, after school, they can come together, do homework, discuss the lessons taught and learn from each other what they have missed out in class. Should there be anything that both of them are still not sure, ask the teacher in class in the next lesson. If the children are able to do this, frankly, there is no compelling need to send the children for tuition even.

Gradually, the children would become more disciplined and take personal responsibility for their studies and school work. Isn't this what parents and schools are hoping to achieve? But, I think many parents are simply thrown off-tangent by the competitive nature of education here in Singapore. Parents, take it easy! Give your children an opportunity to change for the better. There is a book that has changed the attitude of many students, you may like to purchase a copy at the local bookstores or click HERE to order.

Put Kiasu-ism to good use...

As a matter of fact, Singaporeans are generally known to be kia-su, a nationally-accepted phrase commonly used amongst the Teochew- or Hokkien-speaking groups to refer to people who are "fearful of lagging behind" in their material pursuits.

"Kia" means being fearful or afraid of, while "su" means losing or lagging behind. It is usually used with negative connotations. Kiasuism is seldom being positively perceived or accepted.

Culturally, it refers to the typical behaviour of Singaporeans when it comes to acquiring or possessing material things. Just look out for sudden long queues in shopping malls or some public places, you can't be far too wrong to assume there must be some freebies being dished out right at the front of the queue. Once I was in a shopping mall and there was a long queue, and being curious, I went to the front of the queue to find out what was going on, and true enough, a certain organiser was giving away one free packet of peanuts. Another incident took place at Raffles Place just outside the MRT station, many from the working class were queuing up for a free bottle of washing detergent. Both these incidents happened at least two years ago when the economy was still good.

Thinking aloud, Kiasuism may not be a bad trait afterall, if we could apply it not just to material things but also to the acquiring of positive and good values or virtues. Why not Singaporeans be more kiasu and competitive when it comes to good values such as courtesy, graciousness and kindness? Why not we start having this feeling of not wanting to lag behind when it comes to practising courtesy, graciousness and kindness? We should aim to be better than our neighbours, friends, and colleagues in all these areas of values which are at the moment still pretty lacking in the society as a whole.

So, my fellow Singaporeans, it is alright to be kiasu, but let's be more balanced in the areas we apply it.

Good news for those with JOINT problems...

Click on the image for an enlarged view.



This is a good and natural product for those with joint problems, manufactured in Singapore by a GMP manufacturer. Some of my relatives are taking it. The price is S$30.50 per bottle. Currently, there is a buy-one-get-one free promotion and a free gift (while stocks last) if you call the hotline (65) 61006898 to order.

DIY Saba fish meal - economical and good!

I bought two packets of deep frozen Saba Fillets from FairPrice Supermarket at S$9.75 (usual price is about S$12)) and that works out to be about S$4.90 per packet and there are five halves in one packet, good for five persons.

The following picture shows the five servings for dinner, each served with rice topped with broccoli, carrot and the fried Saba fish. The entire dinner for five cost less than S$7 (US$4.50). The same servings at a typical food court cost at least S$27.50 (typically S$5.50 per person). Isn't it a great way to save money during good and bad times while still enjoying a good balanced meal without compromising on nutritional values?

It is good to clean up the colon everyday!

There is a saying, "Death begins at the colon". It shows how important it is to maintain a healthy colon because that is actually a very "dirty" place in the body. Furthermore, most of us, city dwellers, being busy with our daily hectic schedule and rush lunch hours, might not even take enough vegetables or diet rich in fibre. I personally find Colon Health a very good and natural supplement to take care of this particular health needs. Personally, I have no constipation problem neither do I encounter any bowel disorder, but taking Colon Health makes my bowel movement even smoother and makes me feel healthy. Even if we are healthy, it is alright to take the Colon Health everyday for health maintenance.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.


It comes in sachet and capsule form but I personally prefer the sachet form. Every morning, just pour one sachet into a cup of normal water (don't use hot water, it will become gel), stir well and drink it immediately. Within one or two days, you can feel the difference. One box or one bottle costs S$30.50, there is a buy-one-get-one-free promotion now and a free gift if you call the consumer hotline at (65) 61006898.

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20 years or 20X1 year of EXPERIENCE?

Several years ago, one guy, a couple of days after attending one of my talks, called me to see if I could help him with his situation. He told me he was very depressed and helpless, he was retrenched after having worked in a company for almost 20 years and he was then already 50 over years old. So, I met up with him.

First thing I advised him to do was to put the past behind him, even if he were the President or CEO of the company. Now, it's become history. It does not help in any way to keep thinking of the past glamour, glory or any sweet success. It is time to forget the past and move on.

So, I sat down with him and literally helped him analyse and identify his core skills and strengths he had acquired over the last 20 years, so as to chart his next career direction. But, I realised that he did not learn much in his 20 years at work. This is common amongst employees who work at the same job for too long unless they are being empowered to be multi-functional.

Twenty years of experience could mean two things: twenty years of yearly accumulated experience, or one year of experience repeated for twenty years.

STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame on food labels!

I got this advice from one of the emails forwarded to me...

"STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame on food labels! Many products are fortified with it! This is a serious problem. Dr. Esparto remarked that so many people seem to be symptomatic for multiple sclerosis and during his recent visit to a hospice, a nurse stated that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke addicts, had all been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This is beyond coincidence! Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered, multiple SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you crave carbohydrates. It is far more likely to make you GAIN weight! These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs. Formaldehyde is an absolute toxin and is used primarily to preserve 'tissue specimens.' Many products we use every day contain this chemical but we SHOULD NOT store it IN our body!"....

You can search for "Artificial Sweetener" in Google and learn more...

Frogs for consumption

The frogs you see in the picture above belong to one of the frog farms in Singapore and they are sold for consumption. Frog legs fried with ginger and onion, are one of the common dishes in Chinese dinner menus in restaurants.

Miraculous Healing Food - Agaricus Blazei Murill

It is not unusual to find people, cut away from modern society, living quite primitively in remote forests or mountain ranges or even desert zones, to be able to live healthier and longer lives than those of us in today’s civilised societies with easy access to the latest medical facilities and advanced medicines. Scientists and other experts have studied these people and offered various explanation for this difference.

One such civilisation hidden for long is the inhabitants of a highland called Piedade, located some 200 km from Sao Paulo, capital of Brazil. These people enjoy long lives and great health and rarely suffer from the common illnesses and degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, asthma, eczema, ulcers, etc.

A Japanese living in Brazil visited Piedade, about 40 years ago, found that the people there ate a special kind of mushroom called Agaricus Blazei Murill, not found anywhere else in Brazil or the rest of the world. Mushroom samples were sent to Japan for study and cultivation. To read more, click HERE.

About Hearing and Obeying

I found the following passage meaningful and practical for our daily living. It is extracted from the Contemporary English Version of the Holy Bible, James Chapter 1. However, if you are from a different faith and find the passage unsuitable for you, please feel free to skip reading it.

"My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done. You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message that is planted in you to save you. Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it. If you hear the message and don't obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget. If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and everything you do is useless. Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil."

Just mind your own business!

I got this story from my brother's forwarded email. Have you ever been in this situation before? Here is how the story goes...

I was barely sitting down when I heard a voice from the other stall saying, "Hi, how are you?". I'm not the type to start a conversation in the men's restroom but I don't know what got into me, so I answered, somewhat embarrassed, "Doin' just fine!".

And the other guy says, "So, what are you up to?" What kind of question is that? At that point, I'm thinking this is too bizarre so I say, "Uhhh, I'm like you, just travelling!"

At this point, I am just trying to get out as fast as I can when I hear another question. "Can I come over?". Ok, this question is just too weird for me but I figured I could be polite and end the conversation, I tell him, "No....I'm a little busy right now!!!"

Then, I hear the guy said nervously... "Listen, I'll have to call you back. There is an idiot in the other stall who keeps answering all my questions!!!"

The moral of the story : Mind Your Own Business!

What is SADISM?

Sadism is a type of behaviour in which a person obtains pleasure from hurting other people and making them suffer physically and mentally.

Psychiatrist tend to regard both sadism and masochism as arising from childhood deprivation. A sadist usually would torture animals and or people. Those who are or have the tendency to be sadistic should seek the help of psychiatrist.

A creative and romantic piece for Valentine's Day.

We discovered with pleasant surprise the "I Love U" wordings on the pavement in the mini-park just below our residence, created with burning candles, but just that we didn't have a chance to see the romantic person in action. Anyway, this is the first time in 18 years someone is getting creative and romantic despite the economic crisis.

Happy Valentine's Day! - A bit of its history

Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is an occasion celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery.

The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine. Until 1969, the Catholic Church formally recognised eleven Valentine's Days. The Valentines honoured on February 14 are Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni.

Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland. Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna about AD 197 and is said to have been killed during the persecution of Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni.

While Valentine's Day is a day of expressing love, but it is important to realise that love is not just about romance, but giving and sacrifice.

Happy Valentines to you!

Friday the 13th... so you believe?

Friday the 13th is a superstition about a day of good or bad luck and is the most feared day of the year to some people.

But, according to folklorists, there is no written evidence for a "Friday the 13th" superstition before the 19th century. The earliest known documented reference in English occurs in an 1869 biography of Gioachino Rossini. It somehow has caused many people to believe that it brings bad luck. I have come across some people who are so superstitious that whenever anything bad, undesirable or unexptected happens to them, they will somehow "creatively" find something or somebody to blame on. Such people would never find themselves in the wrong and as such would never learn from their own mistakes. Talking about superstitions, by the way, the ancient Chinese even believed that an expectant mother should not paint because if she does, the baby would be born blind. Don't you find it ridiculous?

According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed.

Come on, don't you think many accidents happen everyday, whether it is Friday the 13th or not? Actually, on all the Fridays the 13th, many good things also have happened! It is just that people do not even allow themselves to realise such happenings because their mnds are so conditioned and overwhelmed by the superstition.

So, you see, how the human mind works is really amazing, we can condition it to think and believe the way we want it to be. If we are not rational or careful enough, we can end up believing in many things without even giving it a second thought! In future, think twice before we believe any of these passed-down superstitions.

Positively CRITICAL or hypoCRITICAL?

I am sure we have come across some people around us who are simply critical about anything and everything that happens, whether it affects them or not. Amongst this group of people, some are outrightly hypocritical because while they critise others, they are not able to do any better than those they critise. I think such people should keep their mouths shut.

It is alright to be critical if we have a better idea or a better way of doing things. This is healthy and should be encouraged. But, it would be most helpful if these people would come forward genuinely in the open and not hiding behind some walls or masks only to be heard but not seen. They should provide positive and constructive feedback and help make things better for others. It is easy to destroy but hard to construct.

So, in future, before we critise, ask if we have a better idea, if we can do it better and whether we are prepared to come forward and offer our constructive suggestions.

An interview with God : Put down your burdens

My good friend, Lynn sent me this from the Canary Islands in Spain. I reproduced it here with appreciation to the author for writing this story...

"A professor was giving a lecture to his students on stress management. He raised a glass of water and asked the audience, "How heavy do you think this glass of water is?"

The students’ answers ranged from 20g to 500gm.

"It does not matter on the absolute weight. It depends on how long you hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it is OK. If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance. It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be able to carry on, the burden becoming increasingly heavier." "What you have to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while before holding it up again."

We have to put down the burden periodically, so that we can be refreshed and are able to carry on. So before you return home from work tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it back home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you are having now on your shoulders, let it down for a moment if you can. Pick it up again later when you have rested…

Rest and relax. Life is short, enjoy it!

The TEN Commandments

There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country. "Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk. "Only the Ten Commandments." answered the lady.

A RATIONAL approach to Quality...

Over the last two decades, many business organisations have been increasingly aware of the importance of quality in the products and services they provide, and hence have implemented many quality improvement programmes and obtained various quality certifications for their companies. My early career put in a strategic position to be involved in companywide quality management activities.

As different people have different views, perceptions and understanding of quality, there is a need to standardise the understanding so that everybody in the company speaks a common langugage of quaility. Nothing has impressed me more than the concept of quality advocated by one of the quality gurus named Philip Crosby. He put forth the concepts of quality in what he called The Four Absolutes and underlying these Four Absolutes is the principle of "Doing It Right the First Time (DIRFT)".

The Four Absolutes are:

1. The definition of quality is conformance to requirements
2. The system of quality is prevention
3. The performance standard of quality is zero defects
4. The measurement of quality is the price of nonconformance

I think they make good sense and help people understand quality in a rational way so that there is no ambiguity. Many firms have adopted his companywide programmes as well.

Another way of looking at SUCCESS...

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Apply What We Have Learnt - A classic example

There was a written examination on the subject of Psychology in a university and one of the questions asked was, "What is gut?".

Many candidates who were examination-smart wrote paragraph after paragraph to define "gut" and explain what it is and when it is to be applied etc. It was understood that the one who got full mark for this particular question was the one who wrote within the A4-sized answer sheet these three words, "This is gut." That's all.

The three-word answer obviously tells the examiner that this candidate has learnt and understood the true meaning of gut and applied it right on. This is the difference between being theoretical and being practical about things we learn.

My question to students, have you learnt from what you have studied and have you applied what you have learnt? You might have studied and obtained an A for the subject, Home Economics in Secondary One and Two, but have you practically cooked a meal at home for your family, by applying what you have learnt in school?

It has come of age to tell our age without fear.

Age for women has always been a piece of information that could be so secretly guarded to the extent that in one particular case, a lady has kept secret her age from her boyfriend, so much as that the boyfriend left this world without even knowing her age.

This lady's look and voice have always been deceiving. Nobody has ever guessed her age correctly and teachers who called up to look for the son's mother, at the instant of hearing her voice would ask to speak to her mother instead when she is actually the one.

Each time she goes out with her niece, people would always make remarks that make her day and put her on top of the world. Her look has naturally attracted many men and lately, a man wanted to woo her and she told the man she is 45, the man seriously refused to believe that and literally took it as a joke.

With this recent experience, she begins to realise that when she tells the truth about her age, people wouldn't even believe her. So, she told me she would now tell people her real age without fear because people would not believe it anyway. She no longer needs to feel anxious when people ask about her age.

Anyway, for the newer generations, age is no longer a secret for Singaporeans because the first two digits of the Singapore NRIC number would reveal the year of birth of the person. So, next time, be more tactful to ask for NRIC number when you actually wanted to know the age. For Malaysians, the Malaysian NRIC number reveals the entire birthdate, if I am not wrong.

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Energy-saving bulbs that look like "Burning Flames"!

Creatively designed energy-saving light bulbs that resemble "burning flames".

A creative design !

A wine bottle opener that has the look and the size of a pen.

All LEADERS are READERS!

Many people stop reading after leaving school and some have not even laid their hands on any book after that. They probably got sick of books , in particular textbooks that got them so much stress or they simply thought that they have learnt enough.

But, over time, many of them have somehow assumed some leadership positions at their workplace and associations, clubs or groups they are affiliated to. It is important that these people continue to read because it is said that all leaders are readers, for if one does not read and read enough to be upgraded, he or she might not be able to lead effectively as the nation as a whole is getting more and better educated.

Simplicity is beauty.

The picture above shows one of the HDB blocks at Hougang Ave 1. The few random and simple flowing strokes of paint on the exterior of the white vertical lift shaft make the artwork rather unique and unconventional. Simplicity is beauty.

A brother who really cares...

A promising young man who is working in a publishing company and has the opportunity of knowing many book titles, told me that the book entitled "15 Forgotten Secrets That Will Make You A Better Student" was what he has been looking for, for a long time, for her younger sister currently studying in Primary 4.

He browsed the book and found that the contents were very suitable for her sister who apparently needs motivation and encouragement in her studies. He bought a copy for her. I was impressed with his concern for his younger sister's education and has been actively looking for a book that could help motivate her. I hope the sister would get motivated to do well in her studies and would not disappoint her brother.

What is Singtel trying to do?

It has been almost a year since I collected these three vouchers from Singtel for my wife for retaining her mobile number with Singtel. We still have not used them so far. This voucher exercise has puzzled me much as to what Singtel is trying to achieve. Here are my questions:

• Why would Singtel issue Takashimaya vouchers? Why not FairPrice Vouchers or other vouchers that could be more easily used at heartlands rather than at Orchard Road?
• Why must Singtel incur extra Registered Mail postages (at least S$2) to send out a Registered Mail to each of the subscribers, which contains just a letter that tells the subscribers to collect their vouchers from the Post Office? Is there a need in the first place to send this letter via Registered Mail? Why doesn't Singtel send their monthly bills by Registered Mail?
• Why does Singtel want to make it so inconvenient for the subscribers to go all the way to Post Office to collect the three vouchers worth only S$30? Why is Singtel wasting their time as well as that of the subscribers?
• Why can't Singtel use the S$30 to offset the subscription fees in the following month?
• Doesn't it make subscribers feel that the vouchers are issued in a very unwilling and reluctant manner though it was originally intended to be a way of appreciation?

This series of questions, I am sure, have crossed many people's minds. I can't help thinking that it is a case of operational inefficiency. I am not sure if the entire voucher exercise has been carefully thought through and planned with subscribers in mind and the cost managed.

In an economic crisis like what we are in now, business organisations should focus on improving their operational efficiency in order to cut operational costs.

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Students should learn mind mapping skills...

Mind mapping is a very powerful technique for notes-taking, originated by Tony Buzan. It forces students or users to extract keywords from the texts and put them into a logical mind map. Reading a map is like reading a picture and we know that a picture speaks a thousand words. That is why it is an effective way of notes-taking. It certainly makes preparation for examinations a more pleasant and enjoyable task. In fact, I think all students should learn mind mapping skills. I have used it for personal brain-storming and even for minutes-taking for meetings.

Too much of decision-making when too young is bad for the children...

In business, salespeople usually like to transact with decision maker. It is more direct and more effective. The decision maker is vested with certain authority to make decisions based on his or her level of seniority and experience, both of which usually take time to build up. It is hard to make good decisions without sufficent experience.

Let's take this scenario into a parenting scene. I have observed that many parents often allow their children to make decisions on what to wear, what to read, what to eat, what to do, what to buy and so on and so forth, from a very young and tender age when they don't even have any experience to start with in the first place. Such decisions may seem trivial and insignificant, but when done repeatedly over time, they would be significant enough to condition the children's minds in a way that leads to parents losing control over the children in later years. In reality, without experience, how can children make good decisions for themselves? Sometimes, they may not even know what they are getting into.

But, there are certain things such as brushing of teeth, somehow most parents would leave no choice to the children, but to even "force" them to brush their teeth from young. Seriously, when the children are young, they probably do not even realise the benefits of brushing teeth. But, because they are "forced" to do it, so they do it mechanically, until when they are much older, when they begin to understand the benefits of brushing teeth, then they do it with understanding.

Many parents may not realise that, once children get carried away making too many decisions, too often, too young, they somehow develop an assumed sense of control and they simply feel that they are in control. This sense of control is exactly what is being felt when the children are on gaming and it makes them feel good when they take control of the game and get promoted from one level to the next higher level. That explains why most children get addicted to gaming so easily.

Because of this and a host of other reasons, many parents nowadays, find it hard to control their children in their growing-up years. The children have already been conditioned since young to feel that they have the right to decide on many things and hence they feel that they need not listen to their parents anymore. In fact, many parents have been listening to their children and even taking instructions from them for reasons most parents know best. As a result, many parents have lost their authority to control their children but that does not discharge the parents of their responsiblilty towards controlling the children. In any situation, it is hard to discharge responsibility without the authority.

Therefore, I think parents should just make decisions for their children when they are young, teach them about why certain decisions are made certain ways, and most important of all, let the children know that the parents are in control. As the children grow up and gain more experience, release the control gradually and monitor their performance. Release more when they reach a higher level of maturity. This should relieve the parents of many unnecessary problems and struggles in parenting.

Learning to live simply is the secret to a happy life.

Learning to live simply is the secret to a happy life. Here is Apostle Paul's experience. He wrote the following words (extracted from Philippians Chapter 4:11-13 of the Contemporary English Version of the Holy Bible) when he was in prison.

11. I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have.
12. I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little.
13. Christ gives me the strength to face anything.

What Teachers Make...

The source of the following story is unknown. Nevertheless, appreciation goes to the author of this article. Here is the story...

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, 'What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?' He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: 'Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.' To stress his point he said to another guest; 'You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?'

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, 'You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)

'Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental. You want to know what I make?' (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)

''I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math. They use their God-given brain, not the man-made calculator. I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America. Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.' (Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

'Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant... You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE . What do you make Mr. CEO?'

His jaw dropped, he went silent.