9 Questions that can change your life

9 Questions That Can Change Your Life I’m fascinated by what makes for a significant life. As someone who wrote a book on happiness and fulfillment (although I don’t claim to know everything about these subjects!), these tend to be topics I think about a lot. I’ve had the privilege of interacting with many people who are leading lives of purpose, humility, courage and commitment. Based on these interactions, I’ve come up with a list of nine questions that these remarkable people ask themselves regularly. I’ve no doubt that the following nine questions have the potential to change your life. 1. "What do I want people to say about me at my funeral?" This might seem like a sad or morbid question, but it isn’t. We’re all going to die one day. Asking ourselves this question helps to frame our current life in terms of our eventual death. On the day I turned 22, I distinctly remember thinking to myself: “22 isn’t that young any more. There are so many people who die before the age of 22. I’m going to die one day. The question is: Am I going to really live?” That’s a question I continue to ask myself daily. Do you want people to remember you as a loving, kind and generous person? If so, then the time to start living as a loving, kind and generous person is right now, not when you’re on your deathbed. 2. "Do I truly value my closest relationships?" Most people would answer “yes” to this question. I’ve met some people, however, who claim that they value their family, but who spend almost all of their time at work or engaged in their hobbies—and spend hardly any time with their family. Their claim doesn’t appear to be true. If you want to know what a person truly values, just look at the way he spends his time and money. Words alone don’t count for much. The quality of our relationships largely determines the quality of our life, so let’s be intentional about building the relationships that mean the most to us. 3. "How can I add more value to other people?" People who lead remarkable lives understand that the world doesn’t revolve around them. The billions of other people on the planet represent billions of opportunities to serve and to make a difference. Remarkable people focus on contribution instead of achievement. 4. "Who can I encourage?" We’ve all come to a point in life—myself included, of course—where we realise that life is full of struggle, disappointment and pain. It’s at these times that we need someone to tell us that he or she believes in us and that we’ll get through the difficult situation. We can all be that encouraging person to someone else today. 5. "What do I have to be thankful for?" Just about every study on happiness shows that there’s a strong link between gratefulness and happiness. Why don’t more people express gratitude on a regular basis? I think it’s because it’s human nature to focus on the negative and to complain. But I’m certain that if we think of just one thing each day to be thankful for, we’ll be significantly happier! 6. "What do I need to let go of?" We all carry emotional baggage around with us: Frustrations, hurts, resentment, bitterness, hatred, insecurities. When we take the time to reflect and to become aware of what we need to let go of, we’ll be able to develop a plan to deal with these issues. This plan might involve having a heart-to-heart conversation with your parents, asking your friend to forgive you, or apologising to your sibling. Simple steps really can rid us of excess emotional baggage. 7. "What fears do I need to overcome?" Most of the time, we should interpret fear as a signal to advance, not to retreat. Four years ago, my biggest fear in life was public speaking. One day, I decided that I just couldn’t let this fear defeat me any longer. I promised myself that I’d take every opportunity I could to overcome this fear. I volunteered to give presentation after presentation and talk after talk. To my surprise, I eventually discovered that I enjoy public speaking. In many ways, it’s ironic that today I’m a professional speaker who absolutely loves his job, given that I used to be terrified of public speaking! I’ll be the first to admit that I still have plenty of fears to overcome, but I’m convinced that our lives become richer and more abundant when we consciously face our fears. 8. "What is one thing I can do right now to make the situation better?" This is an empowering question, which helps us to focus on the factors that are within our control. On the other hand, these are the kinds of questions we instinctively ask ourselves, but which aren’t usually helpful: •Who can I blame? •Why is life so unfair? •Why is no one sympathising with me? •Why am I such a failure? •Why are other people so much smarter than me? Remarkable people refuse to ask these questions, and instead concentrate on just one thing they can do right now to improve the situation. 9. "Who do I admire most?" Do you admire people who lead balanced lives, or people who have a laser focus on just one objective? Do you admire people who are task-oriented or people-oriented? Do you admire people who are wealthy, even if they’ve acquired that wealth through unethical—although not necessarily illegal—means? Who we admire will subconsciously influence who we become, so we should be careful about who we look up to as role models. In closing… These nine questions aren’t easy to answer. If they were, there would be many more remarkable people around. I know that I need to reflect on these questions daily, and that I have a long way to go if I want to become a person of character and commitment. Together, let’s build lives of meaning and significance. The world is counting on us. Daniel Wong is a learning and personal development expert, as well as a certified youth counselor. A sought-after speaker and coach, he is also the best-selling author of "The Happy Student: 5 Steps to Academic Fulfillment and Success". He offers programmes to help students become both happy and successful and to help parents to connect more effectively with their children. He writes regularly at www.daniel-wong.com. Download his FREE e-books, "The Unhappiness Manifesto: Do You Make These 150 Mistakes In The Pursuit Of Happiness?" and "Singapore Scholarship Guide: The $500,000 Decision".

Linked between Giving and Happiness

Giving and well-being are strongly linked, according to a study in Singapore by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). Conducted by NVPC with Singapore Management University (SMU) psychology professor David Chan, the study showed that people in Singapore who volunteer or donate are more likely to be satisfied and happy with their lives. The study found that among people who volunteered or donated or both, two-thirds (66 per cent) were satisfied and happy with their lives, NVPC said in a statement on Monday. In contrast, among non-givers, less than half (45 per cent) had high subjective well-being, the organisation said. The study also found that a higher proportion of those who served 12 or more volunteer hours in the past 12 months had high subjective well-being compared to those who served less (71 per cent vs 63 per cent). Also, a higher proportion of those who gave $100 or more in the past 12 months had high subjective well-being compared to those who gave less (72 per cent vs 59 per cent), according to the study. It found that the pattern of findings remained after taking income status into account. "Happy people are more likely to give, but people who give also tend to become happier. This is because the act of giving not only benefits the recipient but also leads to positive outcomes for the giver," said Chan, who is also director of SMU's Behavioural Sciences Institute. "When you give, you derive a sense of personal meaning from helping others. You also become more grateful for your own life conditions as you appreciate the situation of those who are less fortunate," he added. The study, using a nationally-representative sample, is part of NVPC’s Individual Giving Survey 2012. ..

The A to Z of being happy- 26 simple things you can do today to improve your life

Do you want to be happy? Of course you do. As someone who wrote a book about happiness, I spend a lot of time thinking about the subject. I’ve observed that being a happy person isn’t rocket science. Instead, it’s about making consistent, intentional, simple choices -- something that all of us can do. I’ve come up with an A to Z list of things you can do to find happiness and fulfillment. Here they are: A: Apologise when you’re wrong Humble people are happier people. We’re all human, so let’s say sorry when we've messed up. It’s better to save the relationship than to save “face” by refusing to apologise. B: Build strong relationships To a large extent, the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. Let’s invest in the relationships we value. C: Complain less We love to complain. But the more we complain -- especially without also offering a possible solution to the problem -- the unhappier we become. If we complain, let’s do it constructively. As the saying goes: When we’re whining, nobody’s winning. D: Dare to be different Trying to live up to the expectations of other people or of society puts you in the fast lane to unhappiness. Dare to think different, act different and be different. E: Encourage someone daily We all go through seasons in life where we feel discouraged or confused. Make an effort to encourage at least one person each day. F: Focus on what you can change, not on what you can’t Here’s an empowering question for us to ask ourselves throughout each day: What is one thing I can do right now to make the situation better? The answer to that question will guide you toward an action you can take immediately. G: Give others the benefit of the doubt We almost always give ourselves the benefit of the doubt, but we don’t often extend this grace to others. If we did, we’d save ourselves a lot of frustration, annoyance and anger. H: Help others with no strings attached Giving of our time and resources is sure to make us happier in the long run. I: Identify the toxic people in your life and stay away from them I’ve heard it said that you’re the average of the five people you spend most of your time with. I think that, by and large, this is true. Identify the toxic people in your life, and minimise contact with them -- before you become just like them. J: Join a community Human beings are designed to exist in community. Find one -- be it social, spiritual or activity-based -- and be an active member. K: Keep to an exercise and sleep schedule If we’re not leading a physically healthy life, it’s hard to grow in other areas. L: Laugh at yourself Take your work and your responsibilities seriously, but not yourself. M: Make an effort to be interested in others I haven’t met a single person who didn’t have an interesting life story. If we’re genuinely interested in other people, we’ll form a stronger connection with them. N: Never stop learning The older I get, the more things I realise I don’t know. Education should be lifelong, even if schooling isn’t. O: Obsess over the right things Our obsessions define our legacy. Will we be obsessed about loving people and adding value to their lives? Or will we be obsessed about watching TV and reading the latest celebrity gossip? The choice is ours. P: Praise others when praise is due When you see someone do a good job, give her a sincere compliment. You might just make her day! Q: Question your assumptions about life What assumptions do you have about life? That you need a university degree to succeed? That reading books is boring? That you don’t have what it takes to make your dreams come true? Challenge these assumptions in order to prepare yourself for future success. R: Reflect daily Take five minutes each day to reflect. In particular, think about the way you’re using your time and money, because every second and dollar you spend is a message to the world about what you truly value. S: Stop caring so much about what other people think You can’t please everyone all of the time, so don’t even bother trying. Live a life of character, commitment and courage -- and ignore the naysayers. T: Take a break Work is important, but we also need to make time to relax, especially in this stressful society we live in. U: Utilise your resources wisely As people who live in a developed country, we have many resources at our disposal, both online and offline. With the power of the Internet at our fingertips, “I don’t know” is now almost never an excuse. V: Vary your routine We’re creatures of habit, but changing up our routine can break the monotony and make life more interesting and exciting. W: Write down your goals and review them periodically Most of us are goal-oriented, but few of us put down our goals in writing. Writing down your goals -- and reviewing them regularly -- helps you to take stock of your life and to ensure that you’re making progress in the right areas. X: Express gratitude daily (I know, I know… “Express” doesn’t start with the letter “x”.) There’s plenty of research out there indicating that grateful people are happier. Every day, write down at least one thing you’re thankful for. I’ve tried it out for myself and it’s definitely helped me to appreciate life more fully! Y: Yearn for long-term (and not merely short-term) success First of all, it’s crucial that we define success for ourselves. If we simply accept society’s definition of success, we might rack up countless achievements, but fail to find the fulfillment we were looking for. It’s only when we've defined -- at a personal level -- what success means to us that we can focus on building enduring, rather than fleeting, success. Z: Zip your mouth when you don’t have anything helpful to say Lady Dorothy Nevill, who lived in London in the 1800s, wisely observed, “The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.” If all of us obeyed this rule, there would be far fewer hurt feelings and broken relationships in this world. In closing… We can’t give away what we don’t already have, so if we want to make the lives of others better and happier, we need to first take care of our own well-being and happiness. I hope these 26 tips will help you to do just that! dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">

25 Things I Want To Know

Me on my 25th birthday by Mary Schmidt I turned 25 this year and I had a bit of a quarter life crisis. I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing and I was looking for advice on how to navigate this crazy adventure that is my 20’s. So for my birthday I asked my family to write a letter to themselves at 25, imparting some kind of wisdom or advice to their former self that they wish they had known at my age. My family is pretty cool and they are all people who I look up to, so I was excited to see what they would have to say. I have loved reading the responses I have received (I actually might have used one or two of them). Reading their letters inspired me to write down things I want myself to know now, at 25. So I did. Without further ado, here is my list of 25: 1.Most of the time, you don’t know anything about anything. That was true when you were 15 and that will be true when you are 65. You do, however, know how to be a good person and you know how to follow your heart. Keep doing that and you’ll be just fine. 2.Don’t go on Facebook so much. Seriously, it’s a waste of time. 3.You’re 25. You’re not in college anymore. You know how to cook a healthy meal. STOP EATING TOP RAMEN, your body doesn’t like it. 4.Also, it’s time to start drinking a little more responsibly. You started too young and you’ve been in this game for over a decade. However, unlike when you were 15 no one is going to think you are any cooler for taking that extra tequila shot. Slow down on the booze. 5.Remember to always love your big strong legs, your bubble butt, the plumpness of your head, the way your eyes squint when you smile, and the petiteness of your lips. They are precious family heirlooms that have been handed down to you from generations of brilliantly beautiful people. 6.Be grateful for that moment when you decided to stop being such a sarcastic asshole and let your guard down long enough to fall in love and let someone fall in love with you. Even if it ends in heartbreak, it is still one of the greatest adventures you have been on. 7.Speaking of adventure, keep doing it. Travel the world as often as money and time will allow because you know how invaluable those experiences are but don’t forget about the smaller adventures. Those weekend getaways with your best friends, the 3 days spent caravanning around the state to help your brother and sister-in-law move into a new house, or the afternoons spent in a retirement community with your parents. Those experiences are just as invaluable and they fill your soul. 8.Always make time for your parents. They might live for another 67 years…but they probably won’t. Enjoy the time you spend with them. Don’t try to rush off the phone when they are telling you about their week. Enjoy getting to know them as their adult child and realize that they still have a lot to teach you. 9.In fact, make time for everyone in your life. You have a lot of people in your life who you love and who love you, be grateful. Don’t ever become one of those people who just gets too “busy.” Make time for the walk in the park, the cup of coffee, the glass of wine, the phone conversation. Make time. 10.Posture. Work on that. That curve in your back is going to be a lot more painful when you’re 70. 11.You’re kind of turning into a grouch. Stop that. Immediately. Yes, life has thrown you some pretty awful curve balls over the years. That will continue to happen until you die, it’s part of life. Let it make you grateful for all that you have. Let it make you stronger for having made it through. Let it make you compassionate for the 7 billion other people in the world who are dealing with their own struggles. Don’t let it make you bitter, don’t let it make you cynical, and DO NOT, whatever you do, let it take away your sunshine. 12.Stop comparing yourself to your peers. You do you. You’re good at that. 13.Stop worrying so much about what your job is going to be. It’s boring. Yes, you need to make money. But more importantly, you need to make a life for yourself. You need to make community. You need to make yourself and others happy. You need to make the world a better place. There are a lot of other things you need to make, don’t get so caught up in finding a job that you forget to make them. 14.Keep writing. Know that some of the things you write will be really bad. Write anyway. Write because it makes you happy. Write because it’s important to have hobbies. Write because sometimes, on very rare occasions, the things you write will be more powerful than you would have ever thought possible. 15.Keep going after the life that you want live. I am going to be really pissed if 65 year old Mary is sitting alone in a house in the suburbs with 10 cats. Unless of course somewhere along the way that is what I decided I want, in which case it’s totally fine. 16.It is good to have a plan but remember that it is OK to wander off the path a little and get lost. You have an amazing support system that will be there with you through it all. 17.Please don’t sell out. You’re better than that. 18.Be thankful that you are the youngest in your family and you have been able to learn from the mistakes of your siblings. But also be thankful that you are able to learn from their success and the wonderful people they have become. 19.Be fearless and be brave. You are no longer the two year old little girl who was scared to go in the sand and walk down stairs. You are the young woman who has traveled the world, worked for causes you believed in and taken on a multinational financial institution. You are brave and you are fearless. Don’t forget it. 20.Even though you really want a dog, wait. You can barely take care of a fish. 21.Same goes for kids. Just wait. I’m sure you’ll make a great mom one day but that day doesn’t have to be anytime soon. 22.Read more books. Blogs are great. Online media is great. But don’t forget to close your computer every once and awhile and pick up a real book or a newspaper. 23.Believe in something bigger than you. Something that you will never understand. Whether it’s God or the Universe just believe in something because when everything else fails, which is bound to happen, all you’ll have left is your faith that things will get better. 24.Always spend time in nature. Work in the garden and get dirt in your nails. Look up at the redwoods and know that you will never see the top. Stand at the edge of the ocean and wonder what’s beyond the horizon. Take it all in. 25.Lastly, I think you’re wonderful. You forget this sometimes so I just wanted to remind you.

10 Things Winner Do Differently

10 Things Winners Do Differently Anyone can give up, and lots of people do, because it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to keep going when everyone would understand if you stopped, that’s what winners do differently. In fact, this is the most significant principle of winning. Because without this kind of determination and persistence, the first nine points in this article wouldn’t matter. But when you combine determination and persistence, as described in point #10 below, with each of the other nine points below, that’s when the real magic happens. On their relentless road to victory, winners… 1.Take 100% responsibility. – Your life is your statement to the world, representing your values, beliefs, and dreams. It is yours to create, to enjoy or not enjoy, to fight or to be at peace. In the end, the very best years of your life will be the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your parents, society, or the economy. You realize that you control your own destiny. Read The Road Less Traveled. 2.Focus on the controllable. – Life is a balance between what we can and cannot control. You must learn to live comfortably between effort and surrender. Life does not owe you anything; it has already given you everything you need. Freedom is not overcoming what you think stands in your way; it is understanding that what is in your way is part of the way. 3.Eliminate the wrong things. – The true price of anything you do is the amount of time you exchange for it. If something you’re doing or thinking isn’t fixing or improving the situation, then it’s wasting your time. There comes a point when you have to choose between turning the page and closing the book. 4.Maintain control. – Start shaping your own days. Start walking your own walk. This journey is yours. You know you were born, and you know you will die. The in between is all up to you. Stop wishing, and start doing. Either you run your days, or your days will run you. 5.Keep good company. – It’s not always where you are in life, but who you have by your side that matters most. Some people drain you and others provide soul food. Be sure to get in the company of those who feed your spirit, and give the gift of your absence to those who do not appreciate your presence. 6.Think constructively. – Change your thoughts and you change your reality. Our thoughts are the makers of our moods, the inventors of our dreams, and the creators of our will. That is why you must sort through them carefully, and choose to respond only to those that will help you build the life you want, and the outlook you want to hold as you’re living it. Read Learned Optimism. 7.Conquer oneself. – Being yourself is the foundation of happiness. Knowing yourself is the foundation of wisdom. Pushing yourself is the foundation of success. It is better to conquer yourself is these ways, than to win a hundred battles elsewhere in life. 8.Practice self-love. – We need to fix ourselves first before we fix others. Caring for yourself is not an act of self-indulgence, it’s an act of self-respect. The day will finally come when you have to accept that you need to be your own caretaker. There will be times when you’ll have to work hard to mother yourself with the compassion and patience that any messed up kid would need. Doing so will prove to be a great challenge, but a happier life is your reward. 9.Work through the pain. – One day this pain will make sense to you. Sometimes it takes the worst pain to bring about the best change. The strongest people you know became strong because of the pain they once faced, and conquered. So in spite of all the put-downs and negativity you’ve heard from others in your life, stay focused on your goals, and remember that how you rise up is no one else’s business but your own. Read Man’s Search for Meaning. 10.Keep going. – No matter what you do, no matter how many times you screw up and think to yourself that there’s no point to carry on, and no matter how many people tell you that you can’t do it – keep going. Pick yourself back up. Don’t quit. Don’t quit, because a few months from now you will be so much closer to your goal than you are now. Focus on the road ahead. Do something today your future self will thank you for.

Happiness Is Not What We Truly Want

Happiness Is Not What We Truly Want Happiness isn't what we truly want in life, says our blogger. Rather, we seek long-term fulfillment. (Getty im … As a student, do you remember reciting the National Pledge every day in school? Do you remember that “happiness” is a key word in the Pledge? Just in case you’ve forgotten exactly how the Pledge goes, here it is for your reference: We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation. What we do in the pursuit of happiness When former Deputy Prime Minister S. Rajaratnam wrote the Pledge, I’m sure he intentionally chose the order in which the words “happiness”, “prosperity” and “progress” appear. It’s noteworthy that “happiness” comes first. As a nation, we prioritize happiness, and all of us want to achieve it. (Personally, I believe that happiness isn’t something you achieve; rather, it’s something you discover and embrace every day, but that’s the topic of another article.) In the pursuit of happiness, we… •Accumulate the 5 Cs •Go on vacations •Eat at nice restaurants •Buy a new house •Get married •Have children •Strive for career success •Buy a new phone Happiness vs. satisfaction vs. fulfillment Since we spend so much of our time and energy pursuing happiness, I think it’s vital that we examine the whole notion of happiness more carefully. I recently read this Forbes article, which gave me fresh insights into the differences between happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment. Level 1: Happiness Happiness is a temporary emotion that we associate with pleasurable experiences. Happiness is what you feel when you go on a roller coaster ride, eat durian (assuming you like durian), party all night, or go for drinks with your friends. “Shiok” (or “shiok-ness”, if you want to be grammatically correct) is usually a synonym for “happiness”. Level 2: Satisfaction The next level is satisfaction. This is the feeling you get when you realize your goals or rack up accomplishments. You feel satisfied when you get a job promotion, surpass your sales target, or overcome the odds to achieve your dream. Level 3: Fulfillment The highest level is fulfillment. You feel fulfilled when you have a sense of mission and purpose in whatever you’re doing. You might be performing a job as a cleaner or a road sweeper, but it’s still possible to find fulfillment, because you know deep down that your contributions are valuable. On the other hand, if you’re the CEO of a huge company, but you’re motivated solely by greed, you’re probably not going to find fulfillment. Fulfillment is about being purpose-driven, not performance-driven. It’s about the pursuit of excellence, not perfection. To paraphrase venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki, it’s how you feel when you seek to make meaning, not money. Your happiness and satisfaction aren't always in your control There’s no doubt that external factors can affect your levels of happiness and satisfaction. Can’t afford to buy a car? Don’t have enough money to go on vacation? Your boss chose to promote your colleague instead of you? Your children aren't well-behaved? These are circumstances that could certainly make you unhappy and dissatisfied. We want fulfillment more than we want happiness But I dare say that, at a deeper level, we don’t want happiness or satisfaction. We want long-lasting fulfillment. It takes an intentional effort to find purpose and meaning in whatever roles you have in life, whether it’s as a student, parent, employee or entrepreneur. It takes a willingness to reflect on who you are, who you want to become, and what values you want to live by. It most definitely takes commitment and courage to live a principles-centered life that will result in fulfillment. Fulfillment doesn't happen by luck But the good news is that finding fulfillment doesn't happen by chance. It happens by choice. We need to take full responsibility for our attitude and our decisions. When we choose to make the best of every situation, when we choose to show people that they matter, when we choose to embrace life—all of it, not just the joyous moments—that’s when we put ourselves in a position to find fulfillment. In closing There’s no doubt that happiness and satisfaction are important parts of life. There would be something missing in our lives if we didn't have any “shiok” experiences or if we didn't have the opportunity to attain our goals, right? But let’s not short-change ourselves and our country by focusing on happiness and satisfaction, when what we really want is fulfillment. Daniel Wong is a learning and personal development expert, as well as a certified youth counselor. A sought-after speaker and coach, he is also the best-selling author of "The Happy Student: 5 Steps to Academic Fulfillment and Success". He offers programmes to help students become both happy and successful and to help parents to connect more effectively with their children. He writes regularly at www.daniel-wong.com. Download his FREE e-book, "The Unhappiness Manifesto: Do You Make These 150 Mistakes In The Pursuit Of Happiness?", here.

7 “Tricks” to Improve Your Writing Overnight

Here are seven quick “tricks” that can improve the very next piece you write.


Know your reader.

This means more than knowing a few demographics (how old they are, their average income, etc.). To know your readers means you understand their fears, frustrations, and aspirations. Writing from the reader’s perspective will dramatically change the way you write.

Know your objective.

Every piece you write (blog post, press release, video script, or anything else) must have only one objective. I call this objective the Most Wanted Result, or “MWR.” Knowing your MWR forces you to write with crystal-clear focus.

Use short words.

To persuade, you must be easy to understand. Using short words is one of the best ways to do this. Don’t show off how many big words you know.

Use short sentences.

Your thoughts come across more clearly in compact sentences. An added bonus: short sentences prevent you from confusing your readers.

Use short paragraphs.

Imagine you come to a webpage filled with a large block of text. There are no paragraph breaks. Are you likely to read it? Most people would say no. Make your writing skimmable, scannable, and scrollable. Use short paragraphs.

Use active language.

Active language is vigorous and interesting. Passive language is boring. How do you know which is which? In an active sentence, the subject is doing the acting: “Bob fixes cars.” In a passive sentence, the target of the action becomes the subject of the sentence. For instance, instead of saying, “Bob fixes cars,” I might say, “The cars are fixed by Bob.”

Passive language presents your idea poorly. It feels “backwards.” It’s also more difficult for many readers to understand. Write with power. Use active language.

Write recklessly, re-write ruthlessly.

When you write your first draft, it’s okay if it’s awful. In other words, right recklessly. After you have your first draft on paper (or hard drive), filled with power and energy, you can clean up any “messes” you might’ve made. Be ruthless when you re-write.

3 “Bonus Tricks”

I know I only promised seven, but here are three more “tricks” that can make a big difference in the quality of your writing. Think of them as bonuses.

Have a writing routine.

You already have a “recipe” for writing. You may not be conscious of it, and it may not be very good, but you do have a general procedure you follow when it’s time to write. The elements of that recipe can include where you write, what time of day, with what tools, etc.

Why not consciously engineer your recipe, or routine, for writing? Here’s a link to a good writing routine you might use as a model.

Let your writing “age.”

I learned this technique from Stephen King’s book On Writing. After you’ve completed the first draft, put it away for a week or two. Let it “age.” When you come back to it with fresh eyes, potential improvements will practically leap off the page.

Finish writing before getting feedback.

Write the best first draft you’re capable of, let it “age” for a week or two, then revise it. Only then should you share your writing for feedback. Only get feedback from a “trusted reader.” Teach them how to give you good feedback.

I like using the “C.U.B. Formula” (from Michael Masterson and Mike Palmer’s book, Copy Logic). Tell your trusted readers to highlight anything they find Confusing, Unbelievable, or Boring. Then weigh their feedback and decide if you need to make changes.

Use these simple techniques, and I practically guarantee your writing will improve.

Question: what are some high-leverage techniques you have used successfully to improve your writing?

Stop (_____) and Start (____)

Are YOU Ready for the Ultimate Makeover?

Do you sense you are becoming a bit stagnant, perhaps slightly stale?  Do you feel it’s time to freshen your self up?  Are you ready for a ‘makeover’? Millions, if not billions, are spent every year by millions, if not billions of people, in pursuit of a new or improved self image.  For the vast majority it’s a surface exercise focused around appearances.  Facials, hairstyling, nails, eyebrows and skin all get the treatment.  The aim is to refresh ones physical image and hopefully ‘ramp up’ ones confidence to face whatever and whoever life brings our way!  Many will embark on some serious nipping and tucking, thinning and liposuction, scraping and exfoliating, on their way to the ultimate overhaul! Most people are aware that it’s a superficial approach which only temporarily fixes some surface issues.  There is a feel good factor that doesn’t just come out of a bottle!  But it’s short lived.  There may or may not be the realization that the whole makeover process is NOT ultimately about ones appearance.  The whole exercise is really a business deal! I attract and impress you with a new or improved appearance and you give me the energy of your attention and admiration which I can then convert into a sense of esteem and worth!  Deep down most are aware that time and money could be better spent. A few of the many who recognise that it’s often a fools errand don’t ‘turn away’ from the makeover philosophy, they ‘turn deeper’.  They realise that if ones sense of self worth, security and serenity, even ones attractiveness, are to be enhanced, then it has to come from within. It is unnecessary to make visible changes, but necessary to beautify ones personality, to ‘nip’ those negative thoughts in the bud and ‘tuck’ away those feelings of helplessness and depression, to ‘scrape’ out those layers of habitual neediness and ‘exfoliate’ those long dead beliefs and misperceptions. Just as the physical makeover can require an array of therapists, the ‘personality makeover’ usually entails the hunt for the personal development gurus, the experts on how realise and ‘unleash’ your full, unlimited, amazing and incredible potential as an all round human being!   There seems to be plenty of those around today! Some will head for the bookshop and then fill their shelves with the ‘how to’ self help manuals.  Others will book in for the ‘miracle changes in three days’ course, or the enlightenment in an afternoon workshop, or the transformation in a weekend retreat!  None will change your appearance, except perhaps to restore a spiritual twinkle to your eye. Each is more deeply intended to help you to do your own changing!  To help you find your own power to change what you think, how you feel and the way you act.  All are useful, all have a part to play, on the way to finding the ‘right way for me’. Eventually there is the ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ realization. It takes time and consciously focused effort to realise and apply the wisdom, insights, tools and inner treatments on the road to the ‘more enlightened, happier and kinder me’.  The ‘inner makeover’ is really a cleaning and scrubbing of the soul.  It requires the continuous input of insight and information in order to trigger and sustain an ongoing process of self-realization.   It requires the conscious translation of those realizations into action in order to replace the deeply entenched habits of self-sabotage!  Then it requires time to review, as the ‘results of practice’ are assessed, in order to discern what is working, what ‘feels’ right and what is still way short of a me being the new ‘inner me’!  Phew! It can all feel like hard work.  Which is probably why so few are able to turn away from the distracting stimulations of the glamorous surfaces of the world for long enough to allow themselves to work on the ‘deepest tissues’ of their mental and emotional issues. And so... in the context of this short article, for the sake of brevity in a busy world, here are seven inner makeover ‘markers’ that you can lay down every day without needing to sit at the feet of the guru or slope of on a ten day silence retreat.  They are all a bit ‘stop and start’!  That’s because each is a call to STOP and each has an invitation to START. Stop BLAMING and Start CREATING “Someone else is responsible”, is one of the deepest layers of our programming.  It stops us from realising the primary dynamic of human consciousness which is the creative process of life and living.  Any workshop worth it’s salt will facilitate your realisation that ‘I am responsible for the world’.  Not the world ‘out there’ but how we create the world out there ‘in here’!  But as long as we play the blame game, as long as we point the mental finger at anyone else for what we feel and where we are, it means we are killing our creativity.  So ...STOP IT! Then your energy is free to START thinking creatively.  Even if it’s just in retrospect to begin with.  Questions like, “How could I have responded differently or why did I react like that,” serve to interrupt the old ‘it’s them’ programming and allow you to start recovering the full spectrum of your creative abilities.  Be patient, it’s a little time. Stop WORRYING and Start LIVING Some people, often called ‘researchers’, spend their time measuring how much time in our lifetime we spend in front of a TV or at our computer screen or waiting in queues.  It’s usually years for each of such non-activities.  Or how much time we spend just sitting down.  That’s usually many years.  But how much time do we spend worrying in a lifetime of time?  Would it be days, months or years?  Could it be as much as a decade of our entire life?  Some seem to ‘worry so’!  It is probably our deepest habit.  All the while we will be the first to say that we know worry is a complete waste of time. It changes nothing.  We become absent from the present while we get lost in a fictitious future and make our self extremely unhappy in the process...now!  So...STOP IT! It’s easy to say START living.  But it somehow doesn’t compute.  Just saying it doesn’t renew our enthusiasm.  Probably because we cannot see that we are not really living.  We don’t easily notice that we are often just passing time before we die, occasionally interrupting our self with fleeting moments of excitement that we mistake for a happy life.  Occasionally, in between such moments, we might think, “Is this all there is”?   Then we worry if we will ever know authentic happiness before time runs out!  Life only begins when you realise you have no future!  Now there is a meditation! Stop REGRETTING and Start FORGETTING Sometimes we need to refer to a previous experience in order to deal with what’s in front of us now.  That’s when looking back is OK.   But wishing it could have been different, that we could have made a better choice, that things could/should have been avoided or defended better, is to lose your self in a fictional and speculative mental movie.  STOP it!  Forget the past.  The past, as they say, is past!  What keeps the past alive is our ‘idea’ of the future.  We keep using the future to create a better past!  It’s all about the ‘story of me’.  It’s the story we tell ourselves about ourselves.  We don’t realise ‘I am not a story’ of a future or a past, I am me, here and now!  If there is any desire for success and/or achievement in the future then the past will often be a heavy weight pulling us back into doubt and excuses, “I can’t succeed/achieve because I said this or did that or thought this and chose that”.  All references to what is long gone. To START forgetting requires the conscious practice of releasing our self from the story of our life.  That requires the realisation that, “I am not a story”!  That means forgetting what other people in my story have said and done, and what I have said and done in response, yesterday.  That means forgetting any sorrow and suffering that you felt throughout all your yesterdays.  It is possible.  We are capable of starting a new story every day.  But first we have to experiment and taste the difference it makes to the quality of our life, to our relationships in life, when we cease to regret and just forget. Stop RESISTING and Start ACCEPTING It’s seems that we are fated to live a life of resistance while not being aware that we do so.  Even when we seem to know that whatever we resist will persist, we still insist to resist!  Whether it’s someone else’s ideas, or their desires, or their opinion, or just ‘them’, we square up against them, even if it’s just in our own mind.  In such moments we are essentially killing our contentment and generating anxiety. So ...STOP IT!  Try starting to accept everything.  It doesn’t mean agreeing, but stop disagreeing.  It doesn’t mean condoning, but stop condemning.  As you do you will generate a very different quality of energy.  When you START to accept all and everything and everyone as they are you will start to feel calmer and much more positive about ...everything and everyone.  You will start to connect with others in a way that builds and nurtures the relationship.  The needle jumps out of the old groove and your life plays a new and delightful note.  Oh yes it will! Stop TAKING and Start GIVING Any impatience means we cannot wait to receive.  Wanting, having, keeping, holding, grasping, are all forms of taking.  It’s not wrong.  It’s just not very enlightened.  Notice there is always a tension, an anxiety, perhaps an intense fear, that sits behind each.  This is how to make your self stressed.  So ...STOP IT!  Start receiving.  START realising and knowing that you are always receiving what you need, at each and every moment.  That’s a revolutionary idea to most minds.  Don’t fight that idea.  Try not to resist it as an assault on logic.  Stop and reflect, look around, notice where you are.  Can you see what is happening around you at this moment is exactly what you need.  And if it seems or feels like nothing is happening, then know that ‘that nothingness’ is necessary in this moment.  It is probably there to help you to acknowledge and cure your addiction to the agitations that accompany the desire for something to happen all the time! START releasing, offering, sharing, giving and you’ll also notice you naturally start receiving.  There will likely be the feeling of a very different energy that comes not from others or from the world, but from your own heart!   Wise is the soul who lives to give.  Happy is the soul who cares and shares.  Clever is the soul who receives, but never takes, in order to give! Stop THINKING and Start FEELING We tend to leave our heart and live in our mind.  We live ‘in’ what’s ‘on’ our mind and this is where and why emotion is created.  We have an idea or we create an image in our mind.  That’s OK.  But it’s not so OK when we lose our ‘self’ in the image/idea.  Then, when something happens to what the image and/or idea represents in the world around us, it feels like it’s happening to us.  What we feel is a disturbance in our consciousness that we call ‘emotion’.  It’s not long before we start to believe that our emotions are all we can feel. We make this mistake so often it feels normal.  We then become addicted to our emotions and we forget how to feel.  Which really means we forget how to choose our feelings.  Which really means we forget how to ‘be undisturbed’ within our consciousness by anything that happens outside of our self. It’s easy to say STOP IT i.e. stop living in what’s on your mind.  But it’s probably the most ingrained habit of man and womankind!  In order to START feeling, which means start consciously choosing what you feel, you will have to leave your mind and return to your heart, the heart of your being.  When you live from the heart you then become the master of your mind. Sit quietly and make the journey of no distance in one second, from your mind to your heart, from thought to feeling, from noise to silence, and you may see for your self if that ‘feels’ right to you? Stop DOING and Start BEING  Its tough to stop being a compulsive doer! The speed of events is accelerating.  The imperative is to do more in less time.  The world is now filled with rushaholics! It’s not difficult to become and action addict, especially when there is the fear of being left behind.  From the day we arrive all we seem to hear is, “This is what you have to do...This is what they did....This is what needs to be done...”! We even feel we have to do something in order to relax and do nothing! ‘I’m busy’ is our mantra. Preoccupied is our attention.  Agitated is our state.  We believe we have to be seen by others to be always doing something, working on something, creating something.  So we chase feelings of importance, fulfillment and worth through action. So... STOP IT!  Stop being a ‘human doing’ and start doing a human who is just being!  Can you start just allowing whatever is happening to happen, to occur, to appear, as it will!  Can you just be with others without trying to advise them, find out about them, fix them, make them feel what you think they ‘should’ feel?  Can you just be with others and with the world and watch the variety forms and multilayered textures of life just...appear, and then disappear?  If you can you will notice the fictions that you have been creating, the illusions that you have been sustaining, through all your incessant ‘doings’.  You will feel the reality and the power of ‘the being’ that you are.  And you will know that that is all you are.  And that will be enough!  Quite enough! Question:  Which one of the above did you find most challenging and why? Reflection:  Take each one and ask your self, “Why is it not so easy for me to do this?”  Reflect slowly! Action:  Take one of the above each day for the coming week and experiment with it throughout the day and see what a difference it makes, or indeed how challenging it is to enact.  Then reflect on how you did at the end of the day. © Mike George 2013 The last two Clear Thinking e-articles were: Have YOU Restored Authentic Happiness to Your Life? Are YOU in Conflict with Anyone? Clear Thinking is Monthly at the moment. A Retreat in August in Somerset, UK

5 simple tips on using the little things you see etc as motivation

《 5 simple tips On using the little things you see, hear or read daily as a motivational push to help you excel in what you most desire to 》

Hi everyone, I have spent some of my free time the past week to write up something which I feel could help our friends out there. If you think this is good please help me share this post and also like my page to stay connected to my future postings.

PS: I am not a professional writer and therefore pardon me for any poor English. Everything I write here is purely based on my own personal experiences and any similarity to any persons are purely coincidental.

For me looking at facebook is an awesome source of inspiration and energy:
seeing a lot of my friends and even friends of friends on Facebook closing deals, going for holidays, collecting pay checks, spending quality time with family, helping clients fulfil their needs.. etc etc makes me feel motivated and happy that this world is full of opportunities and love.

______

Tip number 1:
BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

I make it my hobby to learn new things everyday and I always try to ask for honest opinions from friends and business partners/associates on how I am able to do better. Always being ready for comments from others is essential as we are always good at observing others but lack the skills of observing ourselves.

I understand that a lot of people actually spend their free time on reading comics, playing games, online chatting etc. For me i enjoy spending my free time on reading new articles of listening to tutorials on YouTube.
I also use my free time on motivation reading, writing and postings especially during breaks or personal leisure time, (eg: toilet breaks, coffee breaks) rather than do it as my core priority.


Tip number 2:
ALWAYS KEEP A NOTEPAD WITH THINGS YOU'VE WANTED TO EXPLORE

Always ask your questions.
Eg: if others can, why can't I, and how exactly can I?
Asking yourself such simple questions are forms or self reflections on what you are lacking or what areas have you been missing out.

How many times have you thought of going into a new venture, and for the next half year you've actually forgotten totally about it?
MAKE SURE you keep a small note pad in your phone on the various things which you've wanted to explore and the next time when you are free you can take your notes out and , work towards them.


Tip number 3:
DO NOT WAIT FOR HELP TO COME TO YOU

If you really cannot figure out how others managed to accomplish tasks, or you're impressed with their time time management skills which you've never believed you could.. Immediately call mentors or even your friends up, I am very sure they are more than ready and eager to give you their sincere advise.
(Honestly I feel that most of your mentors get pretty worried when you don't call them often enough..)

For me if I am unable to get my immediate help, I make it a point to send an SMS, Whatsapp or even emails to the person I want to contact. I believe if we wait for help to come and it doesn't, the problem lies with ourselves because we don't find it important enough for us to look for the answer. And most of the time, we eventually forget to ask...

Tip number 4:
SPEND MORE TIME ON RESEARCHING

DO NOT feel inferior, DO NOT feel jealous, DO NOT be defensive, and DO NOT feel offended.

Do not take things personally, there are people that I know whom thinks that the whole world is against them. Therefore whenever they hear people saying good things about others, they start to turn jittery and actually they themselves don't realise that.

A better way is to use this opportunity to find out more and keep these information and research on them during your free time. Whenever you see people getting awards and accolades, go and google their names and see what you can read up about them and learn as much.


Tip number 5:
MAKE FRIENDS , NOT FOES

Feeling happy when you see others do well is a healthy way of life, be generous
with your compliments and cut down on comments about others.
People don't like to share information with those who are defensive and critical against others. If you show people you're always kind with your words, they'll likely be more willing to share their experiences and ask for your comments.

Do not be angry by negative things you see, read or hear because those are usually lop-sided There are already enough of negative people who are always angry and frequently writing nasty stuff about others. So actually you can save your time on thinking how you could prevent getting yourself into bad situations like that.

Always remember, successful people do not get angry easily.
Be kind to people who treat you badly and LOVE those who treats you well.

_________

Thanks for reading and do remember to like and share if you think it's helpful, looking forward to connecting with you.

Should you have any comments please feel free to PM me. Thank you and God bless you and your family. 


Marcus Luah *ML*

Treasure Time

Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day.


Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course?

Each of us has such a bank. It's name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.

Every night it writes off as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to a good purpose.

... It carries over no balance. It allows no over draft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day.

If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no drawing against "tomorrow."

You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success!

The clock is running!! Make the most of today.

To realise the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.

To realise the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realise the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realise the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realise the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who just missed a train.

To realise the value of ONE SECOND, ask someone who just avoided an accident.

To realise the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal at the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with. And remember time waits for no one.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why its called the present.

Metta Practice and Recollection

It is good to meditate everyday. Here are the phrases to help us retain the effect of Metta meditation long after we start to get on with our normal routine.


Reflect, recollect and contemplate on the phrases below, whenever we noticed the arising and effect of greed, hatred, delusion, aversion, sloth, torpor, restlessness, worry and doubt.

Do it before we respond with unwholesome body language, action and speech!

May I be…

- Filled with loving – kindness

- Well in body & mind

- Free from troubles of the mind & body

- Safe from inner & outer dangers

- Free from hatred & enmity

- Free from hurtfulness

- Endowed with right speech & moral conduct

- May I be able to protect my own happiness

- May I be truly happy & free

Then spread the good wishes above to our teachers, elders, loved ones, friends, all other beings known & unknown, and adversaries.

May all of you be happy and blessed in your diligent practice.

With Metta, Chao Loy NB: Thanks to George Lim and Dr Henry Yeo.

Just For Laugh - 9 May 2013

Just For Laugh

It was another busy and hectic day at work. I received this an e-mail from a friend of mine. I found it quite funny, it helps to relief some of my stress.

There was this robbery in Guangzhou, the robber shouted to everyone: "All

don't move, money belongs to the state, life belongs to you".

Everyone in the bank laid down quietly. This is called "Mind Changing

Concept --> Changing the conventional way of thinking".

One lady lay on the table provocatively, the robber shouted at her

"Please be civilised! This is a robbery and not a rape!" This is called

"Being Professional --> Focus only on what you are trained to do!"

When the robbers got back, the younger robber (MBA trained) told the older

robber (who in only primary school educated), "Big bro, let's count how

much we got", the older robber rebutted and said, "You very stupid, so much

money, how to count, tonight TV will tell us how much we robbed from the

bank!" This is called Experience --> nowadays experience is more important than paper

qualifications!

After the robbers left, the bank manager told the bank supervisor to call

the police quickly. The supervisor says "Wait, wait wait, let's put the 5

million RMB we embezzled into the amount the robbers robbed".

Swim with the tide --> converting an unfavorable situation to your

advantage!

The supervisor says "It will be good if there is a robbery every month".

This is called "Killing Boredom --> Happiness is most important."

The next day, TV news reported that 100 million RMB was taken from the

bank. The robbers counted and counted and counted, but they could only

count 20 million RMB. The robbers were very angry and complained "We risked

our lives and only took 20 million RMB, the bank manager took 80

million RMB with a snap of his fingers. It looks like it is better to be

educated than to be a thief!" This is called "Knowledge is worth as much as

gold !"

The bank manager was smiling and happy because his loss in the CINOPEC

shares are now covered by this robbery.

This is called "Seizing the opportunity --> daring to take.

Trekking Poles

TREKKING POLES

I was looking for good trekking poles and came across the LEKI trekking poles from the internet. I went down to Haf Box Pte Ltd at Tanglin Shopping Centre on 13 Apr 13 and bought 2 pairs of LEKI Trekking Poles.
The address is 19 Tanglin Rd, #03-32, Tanglin Shopping Centre. Tel : +65 62354560.

The first pair is for beginner like me. The model is called Eagle and it cost S$139.90 per pair. Then I bought another pair which has anti-shock, the model is Makalu-UL AS. It cost S$299 per pair.

As they do not come with the rubber tip attachment for hard surface, I bought 4 of them for each pole. Each cost S$12.

I have used them at Bt Timah Hill from 20 Apr 13.

So far so good, no problem with my new poles.

4 Jun 2013

A Singapore Recalcitrant Blog that was taken down

"A Singapore Recalcitrant Blog that was taken down"

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2009

The Illustrious Minister Mentor


The Minister Mentor is indeed an illustrious personality. He is the father of the current prime minister, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, who has given the MM the greatest satisfaction in perpetuating the Lee dynasty, thus fulfilling the old man's life-long ambition. But the octogenerian Minister Mentor (MM) refuses to be consigned to obscurity and still considers himself a political heavyweight making his presence felt. He hovers politically more prominently in the foreground than in the background where an eminence grise should rightly be supposed to be. But is he an eminence grise?

What seems to be baffling most people is the nature of his contributions to the country whilst drawing an astronomical annual salary of more than three million dollars of the taxpayers' money. People are wondering, if not asking, if his jetting from place to place around the world making grandiloquent speeches is a fair charge on the taxpayers' money. People are asking why, with his colossal wealth, he could not offer his so-called sterling service to the country voluntarily forgoing his whopping salary or, better still, donating it to charity. That would be the most sublimable act of a statesman and one that would endear him to the people.

But would the MM be capable of doing such a noble deed? He is not only well-heeled but reckoned to be in the billionaire class. For some arcane reason Forbes has missed out the billionaire MM from its global superaffluence list. Some billionaires are keen to appear on Forbes' list while there are also some who are not for personal reasons. Forbes are not known to be unheeding to their wishes.

It is not a secret that the Lee family derives its fortunes mainly from the Lee & Lee law firm, which grew from a modest beginning in the fifties of the last century to its present mammoth organisation. The Lee law firm has a near monpoly of the conveyancing business of Housing & Development HDB) apartments. It is a bizarre phenomenon that HDB apartments purchasers and sellers gravitate towards Lee & Lee law firm for their conveyancing needs, as it seems the law firm has an uncanny knack of accomplishing its assignments with incredible

speed and ease. It is not surprising if the enormity of the fortunes from this source of income runs into the billion figure over all these years.

And so the million dollar question is whether the superaffluent MM will feel the pinch if he were to give up his whopping salary and opt to give voluntary public service. The answer is best given by the MM himself. It will not raise any eyebrow if the MM finds the proposition of relinguishing his whopping salary distasteful and unacceptable. When it comes to this, it no longer bothers him if it is a manifestation of a mercenary character.

Is the illustrious MM a narcissistic character by nature? Is he fond of self-aggrandizement and self -conceit? One thing is certain is that it is very hard to detect any quality of humility in his character. In fact the MM is not known to have given any apology of anyone he had aggrieved throughout his career. Unless he is a god, it is only human for one to make mistakes.

He considers himself a formidable and invincible speaker and does not take kindly to any adversary with similar or superior oratorical or debating skills. The late David Marshall was one, but the former solicitor-general Mr. Francis Seow was a perpetual thorn in his flesh. His caustic taunts were so irritable that they often left the MM fuming mad. A scintillating example was the televised inqusition of Mr. Francis Seow at the old Parliament House in October, 1986. It centred on the Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill which was aimed at discrediting Mr. Francis Seow and dislodging him from his position as president of the Law Society. MM appointed himself the inquisitor and started off confidently. In the course of the proceedings he was zugzwanged all the way by the superior debating skills of Mr. Seow.

He was so frustrated that he decided to call off the televised version halfway through but continued with the inquisition in Parliament House. He saw to it that Mr. Francis Seow was unceremoniously removed from his presidency of the Law Society.

Whether by design or otherwise there was no mention in the MM's memoirs about his stint as an interpreter for the infamous Japanese Kempeitai during the Japanese occupation. He and Mr. S.R. Nathan, the president, were two typical examples of so-called loyal Singapore patriots who worked for the Japanese Kempeitais as interpreters. The Kempeitais had shown that they had developed the tortures of patriotic anti-Japanese prisoners into a fine art. Their water treatment was especially inhuman. A water-hose was inserted into the mouth of the prisoner and his nose was pressed shut to prevent breathing. Water was then pumped into the mouth and the prisoner was forced to swallow the water until his stomach became bloated. Water was later forced out with the Japanese torturer stamping on the prisoner's stomach. The question is whether the scope of an interprepter's work was just interpreting.

In the book "Singapore's Political Economy" by a Chan Heng Kong, possibly an academic in Australia, the author asserted that the Singapore Special Branch made the Minister Mentor the prime minister of Singapore. Whether the MM finds this uncomfortable is one thing but he will find it hard not to agree. There is a Chinese saying that when a war is won then of thousands of skeletons will rot. The late Communist United Front leader Lim Chin Siong was one of the fallen warriors who started as a comrade-in-arm of the MM in their anti- colonial struggle. In fact it was the MM who latched on to the powerful sinews of Lim Chin Siong who had control of the mass base, which an aspiring political leader cannot do without.

History is always writtgen from the victor's point of view. How history views first the collaboration and later the confrontation between these two political leaders will be a stimulating exercise.

Posted by Singapore Recalcitrant at 6:05 AM

8 comments:

black feline said...

very good eulogy...hope we get to hear it publicly when the day comes!

February 23, 2009 7:00 PM

Poh Seng said...

One of the things that some people forget is that MM Lee opens door for Singapore to many leaderships of the world. He is much respected that when he visited USA, the top American Government leadership (President, Vice-President, Secretary of State, Treasury Secretary, Defence Secretary and the Head of the National Security Council) made time for him. Which foreign visitor of USA has been bestowed such honour and privilege??? Similarly when he visited Great Britain or France. Even in Russia, then President Putin had time for him. MM Lee is one of our country's greatest, if not the greatest, assets. My work exposed me to many foreigners, and virtually all had nothing but praise for MM Lee. So I am often dismayed to read such cynical comment on MM Lee.

February 25, 2009 2:49 AM

Singapore Recalcitrant said...

Dear Poh Seng, perhaps there is a side of the great MM that we do not know about. I too used to admire him a GREAT deal especially the troubled years of the 50s and 60s and I appreciate what he did to bring us to what we have today. But is he not staying on too long? And at such a sinful salary when he does not NEED it??? If he were to say now that because he loves this country and works for it for free I'll even go down on my knees to worship him as THE GREATEST!!!

February 26, 2009 12:14 AM

Poh Seng said...

Dear Singapore Recalcitrant,

I consider any person as staying too long when that person is no longer useful or relevant and still staying. MM Lee is still very useful, as he opens door for our country. His connections with world leaders are not restricted to those in the Western countries which I mentioned in my earlier comment; his connections are also with those in up-and-coming countries, like China and India (though China may be considered as having arrived). When he visited China, even though he is not the Head of State, or the Prime Minister, he had an audience with Chairman Hu and Premier Wen, besides being introduced to the next generation of leadership. When he visited India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and even Sonia Gandhi had time for him. Just on this point of his positive connections with these leaderships, he opens door for Singapore, and this type of relationship is invaluable, and this aspect of valuation should address your term of "sinful salary". While it would be a great gesture on his part to forgo his remuneration especially since he does not need it, there could be well reasons beyond our comprehension as to why he does not do that. Notwithstanding your labelled "sinful salary", it is still a discount to what he brings to our country. So how much is he paid ... S$2 million or S$3 million? Well, a retainer fee with Kissinger Inc would easily be S$500,000, and much more on specific projects or assistance, and yet, I doubt Henry Kissinger can deliver more than our MM Lee can in terms of our needs. Further, I am sure that, if he says he wishes to step down because the "sinful salary" is not "sinful" enough, there are a lot of Singaporeans willing to contribute to make his salary twice the sinfulness that you ascribe. Finally, if MM Lee is no longer useful or relevant, it is up to the voters to throw him out, and I doubt that Singaporeans will do that, certainly not me. What’s more, I wish he is immortal so that he can continue to contribute what he is contributing these days.

February 26, 2009 7:11 AM

Singapore Recalcitrant said...

Bravo!

MM Lee needs loyal and staunch supporters and admirers for his political career, otherwise he would fade into oblivion. There are any number of such people who are so mesmerized by his so-called charisma that they are unable or unwilling to see the less illustrious aspects of his character. To say his saalary is sinful if putting it mildly. More colourful epithets are used by people who are not necessarily inimical to MM Lee.

Enough has been said, so let true historians give the final verdict whether in MM Lee's lifetime or after.

Kissenger carries no historical baggage and enjoys a unique international prestige.

February 27, 2009 4:57 AM

Poh Seng said...

As I read your column one more time, I realise there is a schizophrenic streak in your comments, and I shall split the issues raised:

You wrote "If he were to say now that because he loves this country and works for it for free I'll even go down on my knees to worship him as THE GREATEST!!!" So, clearly your issue is not him staying too long, but the quantum of his remuneration which you consider “sinful”. Let’s focus on this “sinful salary” and not be distracted: While I have stated why his salary is not sinful on the basis of the contributions he is making, you have not demolished my point and/or made a case in support of your contention.

Secondly, you have maligned his character not on the basis of this “sinful salary”. Your main issue is something deeper and stronger: That is why when I mentioned that MM Lee is able to contribute more to Singapore’s needs than Kissinger can, you went off tangent to talk about historic baggage. What has historic baggage got to do with contribution to Singapore? I contend that you have some grudges against MM Lee: you admired him in the 50’s and 60’s and yet you brought up MM Lee’s supposedly past flaws which, if existed, were always there in the first place. Clearly somewhere along the way to the present, you split from MM Lee, and thus the so-called past flaws became relevant. This reminds me of a wise man telling me this: when two persons wish to get married, no obstacle is a problem, but when they wish to get a divorce, even a partner’s snoring is intolerable.

Finally, I have been brought up to value gratitude. Like you, I appreciate what MM Lee and his team did for Singapore. Unlike you, I am still grateful today. And for that, should I disagree with MM Lee, I will tell him so, objectively and privately; I will certainly not bring up his so-called past flaws, even if true, to taunt him let alone doing it in public.

March 1, 2009 1:15 AM

Singapore Recalcitrant said...

I think you are getting too personal and have descended to a level allowing yourself to steer dangerously close to personal denigration.

I am not against anyone blindly idolising MM Lee and in a democracy there must be respect for the wishes of the people who are not so enchanted.

It you are unable to remain unemotional in your comments, I strongly advise you to refrain from making them.

March 1, 2009 4:46 AM

Poh Seng said...

I normally do not read blogs, let alone particpate. Yours is probably the 4th or 5th blog I have read in past years. Your blog was sent to me by a friend, and after reading, I felt you were unfair to MM Lee, and therefore, while MM Lee may be too busy to respond, I am not. I shall be asking my friends to read our exchanges. Have a good day.

March 2, 2009 9:21 PM

Post Script (4 Apr 13):

1. One week or so after my last posting on 2 Mar 2009, the above set of exchanges was taken off. But I managed to keep a copy of it and reproduce hereof.

2. It was one or two years later, I found out that the Singapore Recalcitrant is Mr. Yoong Siew Wah. Mr. Yoong was the Director of the Internal Security Department (ISD) in 1971- 1974, reporting directly to the then Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.

3. In the 4th paragraph of the referred blog, Mr. Yoong wrote: “It is not a secret that the Lee family derives its fortunes mainly from the Lee & Lee law firm, which grew from a modest beginning in the fifties of the last century to its present mammoth organisation. The Lee law firm has a near monpoly of the conveyancing business of Housing & Development HDB) apartments. It is a bizarre phenomenon that HDB apartments purchasers and sellers gravitate towards Lee & Lee law firm for their conveyancing needs, as it seems the law firm has an uncanny knack of accomplishing its assignments with incredible speed and ease. It is not surprising if the enormity of the fortunes from this source of income runs into the billion figure over all these years.” Within a few days of this post, Mr. Yoong posted an apology to Lee & Lee law firm. (This apology posting was also taken off.) His explanation, to the best of my memory, was that his lawyer-friends told him that the conveyance business was not a profitable business and therefore most law firms shunted it. Now, I leave the readers this simple question: What could possibly be the motivation for Mr. Yoong, who is obviously not a stupid person or a frivolous one after all he was in an authoritative position of making decisions that affected lives of Singapore citizens, to write so irresponsibly to imply improprieties on the part of the Lee family and/or Lee and Lee law firm without checking out? (Remember when he was Director of ISD, he was also in charge of issuing the Suitability Certificate. At that time, a person had to apply for a Suitability Certificate to be allowed to attend the local universities.)

Poh Seng

4 Apr 2013

Is our money safe in Singapore ?

Is Our Money Safe in Singapore?

Our MRT is congested during the peak hours, and everyone complains (kpkb).

We had flooding in some parts of Singapore during one of those rare flash thunderstorms, people took note.

But nobody takes note that our money is safe in the banks and the CPF.

The current Cyprus crisis is instructive.

In the past few days, the banks in Cyprus were closed and the Cypriots could withdraw 100 Euro – 200 Euro (S$160 – S$320) per day from the ATM. (Good luck to all who did not keep some money in the old-fashion way, in their mattresses!)

Now, the one frightening aspect of the bailout term is that some of the customers’ deposit in the banks may be expropriated.

And the future for the country: a lowering of standard of living and probably a much higher rate of unemployment … >20%?? (Can you imagine we having unemployment rate of 10%, let alone >20 %?)

Cyprus was a financial haven for wealthy people who parked their money there, and I suppose, in this way, this is no different from Singapore. But there are many things that our Government has done right to prevent such banking crisis from ever happening here and of which we have taken for granted:

1. We made sure we have able and competent people in our financial regulatory institution.  Our financial regulatory institution is staffed by some of our brightest people, the scholars (what’s wrong with being a scholar? Full disclosure: I am not a scholar; I flunked my O-level). And we are able to retain these brightest people because we pay them well. Here is an extract of an interview with Hank Greenberg, the man who, most people credit, as having built AIG into the largest insurance company in the world. Mr. Greenberg retired as CEO and Chairman in 2005, way before the 08/09 Financial Crisis which melted AIG. The interview was reported on 14 Mar 2013 (source: www.fool.com, Hank Greenberg).
Hank Greenberg, when asked as to how the Financial Crisis started, said:“The SEC, where were they when the investment banks were leveraging the capital 40 to 1? Did you hear anybody say anything?
The blame is widespread. I think if you look at some other countries -- a city-state like Singapore -- a tiny state but very well run and the regulators are terrific. They get paid as much as they would if they were in the private sector, or maybe more. They're intelligent, smart.”
2. We are always aware when things go wrong, but rarely do we know of many instances of things that were prevented from going wrong. One good example is the case of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International. The Bank founded in 1972 with HQ in London and Karachi, applied to operate in Singapore, in 1973.
The application was rejected.  

It tried again in 1980 and 1982 by which time the bank was operating in 78 countries (including USA, UK and Hong Kong) with 400 branches.  

The application was again rejected. 

This was despite representation was made on behalf of the bank by high-powered intermediaries such as a former British Prime Minister (who was close to the then Senior Minister, Lee Kuan Yew) and a respected American banker who helped Singapore set up the Asian Currency Unit and to whom Singapore owed a certain obligation (source: The Straits Times, 12 Aug 1991, page 17).

In 1991, the bank collapsed. 

Depositors in USA, UK and Hong Kong, among many other countries, lost their money.  The Bank of England was lambasted as ‘grossly incompetent’ for allowing it to operate in UK.

Thanks to our smart and competent people (some of whom are scholars) at MAS, we did not have a banking/financial crisis on hand.

3. So, we have smart people (scholars) in charge of our MAS.  And we compensate them well to retain them. Now, do you want someone like me, a guy who flunked O-level, and barely made it at second try, to be the elected person or the Minister to take charge of these smart people? This is where many of us do not appreciate having top talents (scholars) to be in our Government, whether as a civil servant or as an elected MP/Minister. We need to pay well to attract the best and the brightest (pay peanut, you get monkey, or a guy who flunked O-level). And the right compensation has a positive side-effect: there is less incentive to be corrupted. Thus one of our greatest intangible assets is that our political leadership has a reputation of not only competent but also not corrupted. Charlie Munger, the Deputy Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway (most people know Warren Buffet as the Chairman) spoke openly on this. Reference: Google onto: Charlie Munger, Singapore.

Rupert Murdoch, a mover-and-shaker in mass communication in USA, UK and Australia, spoke positively on high salary of Ministers and non-corruption in Singapore. Reference: Google onto: Rupert Murdock on Singapore.

And years after years, probably in the last 20 years, Singapore has consistently been rated as one of the top 5 countries with the least corruption (the other four are usually, New Zealand and the 3 Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland and Sweden) by two international organisations: World Audit Organisation and Transparency International.

Not surprisingly, investors have confidence in us! In our competence and honesty!

No wonder, we survived the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997.

And now we survived the recent Financial Crisis of 2008/2009. During this period, our unemployment rate at its worst was no greater than 4%, whereas USA’s was 8% - 9% and is still at around 8%. Some developed countries in the EU had and still have >10% (Spain’s has been at >20 %!!!). 

Our sovereign rating remains secured at AAA, whereas that of USA, UK and France was downgraded. We are now in this extremely exclusive club of AAA with 10 other members only: Germany, Netherland, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

If it had not been for our Government’s prudent financial policies, we might have to limp from crisis to crisis, and perhaps to eventually beg for bailout, and one thing is for sure: there is no Germany to come to our aid.  So next time, when some political leadership request to spend more and more and more and more, please pause for a moment and think: We could end up like Cyprus except that there is no Germany or the EU to bail us out. 

And let’s consider the relatively high salary our scholar-civil-servants and scholar-Ministers get as a small insurance premium we are paying to ensure our savings and other assets are not wiped out.

Please feel free to share with your friends.

POH SENG

The Horse and The Pig

THE HORSE AND THE PIG

There was a farmer who had a horse and a pig.

One day, the horse became ill and he called the veterinarian, who said:
Well, your horse has a virus.
He must take this medicine for three days.
I'll come back on the 3rd day and if he's not better,
we're going to have to put him down.
Nearby, the pig listened closely to their conversation.
The next day, they gave him the medicine and left.
The pig approached the horse and said:
Be strong, my friend.
Get up or else they're going to put you to sleep!
On the second day, they gave him the medicine and left.
The pig came back and said:
Come on buddy, get up or else you're going to die!
Come on, I'll help you get up.
Let's go! One, two, three ...
On the third day, they came to give him the medicine
and the vet said:
Unfortunately, we're going to have to put him down tomorrow.
Otherwise, the virus might spread and infect the other horses.
After they left, the pig approached the horse and said:
Listen pal, it's now or never!
Get up, come on! Have courage!
Come on! Get up! Get up!
That's it, slowly! Great!
Come on, one, two, three ... Good, good.
Now faster, come on ... Fantastic! Run, run more!
Yes! Yay! Yes! You did it, you're a champion!
All of a sudden, the owner came back, saw the horse running in the
field and began shouting: It's a miracle! My horse is cured!
We must have a grand party. Let's kill the pig!!!!
The Lesson:
this often happens in the workplace.
Nobody truly knows which employee actually deserves
the merit of success, or who's actually contributing the necessary support
to make things happen.
Remember:
LEARNING TO LIVE WITHOUT RECOGNITION IS A SKILL!

If anyone ever tells you that your work is unprofessional, remember:
Amateurs built the Ark [which saved all the species]
and professionals built the Titanic [all died tragically]

DON'T LOOK TO BECOME A PERSON OF SUCCESS,

LOOK INSTEAD TO BECOME A PERSON WITH VALUES!

Reliable Plumber in Singapore

Reliable Plumber in Singapore

Sometimes our house/flat water pipe can get choke due to whatever things got stucked in the water pipe. If we have a water rubber pump, we can simply do it ourselves to clear the choke.

If it still choke, next thing to do is to pick up a phone and call.

Who to call ?

I ever refer to the Chinese newspaper commercial section and call from there.

My First Encounter in 2011

This plumber where I found him in the newspaper came one night in June 2011. After assessing the situation, he asked for S$280 if I want to let him clear the choke. It was already 9pm, so I let him do and pay him.

My 2nd Encounter on 26 Jan 2013

Yesterday, I was out in Pasir Ris in the afternoon, my mum called me and complained the shower water got choke again. I told her to look for a plumber in the newspaper and call him to come down. My mum did and a 2 plumbers came. After assessing the situation, I think they thought my mum is not experience in such repair, they asked for S$800 - S$1,200. They said need to remove the toilet bowl also in order to repair. My mum tried to called me but I was busy so I did not answer her call. Luckily, she called my elder brother and he said pay them the transport fee and he has a friend who knows a reliable plumber. My mum pay them S$30 and they left.
Today, the reliable plumber came, he use his pump and 2 pails from my house and helped to clear the choke. He only asked for S$40. I bought a new pump from him for S$15 and a filter for S$2.50.

Anyone need a plumber can contact this gentleman. He is the boss and a Singaporean.
Mr Lee Choon Kwee. Tel : 9679 7102, 6764 9497.
Jadde Renovation Contractor
21 Bukit Batok Crescent, #17-71, WCEGA Tower, Singapore658065.