"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do." - Confucius
When your baby learns to take her first step, she will most likely fall initially. As a parent, you will very likely encourage her to try again. You will lend her a hand to hold on to and gradually let it go, until she can stand on her own. When she is ready, she will lift her foot again. A fall on the bum, or sometimes a knock on the head, is common. But you can observe that she will get up and keep on trying again and again. Then, finally, when you do not have your video camera ready to shoot that prized moment, she manages her first step.
Everyone of us has that quality to never give up since birth. After learning to crawl, we learn to walk, then climb, kick, run, swim, cycle, etc. No matter how many times we fall when we learn to ride the bicycle, we will pick it up and carry on even when our legs have scratches here and there. Why do we keep trying? Because we have a strong desire to be able to do something well. Because we believe in ourselves, that we can do it.
Each time we fall, we learn something new. It is the things that we learn that help us improve to overcome the challenges that we face. With the lessons learned, it not only builds up our knowledge but also our character. We become stronger mentally. When we face our fears again, it becomes easier to manage them.
If you have fallen, whether in business, career or relationships, think of the baby in you. Think of how you managed to take that first step into the world. A baby never gives up, why should you? Get up and keep on trying. Your first step is not far away.
How To Have More?
"To have more, become more." - Jim Rohn
Two good friends grew up in the same neighbourhood, went to the same school and graduated with flying colours. They found jobs without much problem but realised that they would had to go separate ways. Kenneth was posted to work overseas in a multinational company, while Duncan got a software engineering position in a local startup. As excited as they were with their future, they had a hard time bidding farewell to each other.
Eight years later, Duncan spotted Kenneth sipping latte at a Starbucks cafe in Sydney airport. They were overjoyed to see each other and spent the next couple of hours catching up on old times. Duncan is now the R&D Manager in his first job. He flew to Sydney to attend an exhibition on communication technologies and source for new ideas. He is happily married, with two kids. Kenneth, meanwhile, was into his fifth job working as a technical support staff in an insurance company. He shared his stories with Duncan on his retrenchment from his first job, to his firing of his boss in the last job. His stories could almost fit into a "101 reasons for finding another job" bestseller.
While Kenneth spent the last few years blaming other people, the boss, the company, the government and the environment for his failure, Duncan used his time to beef up his skills. Knowing that he needs to stay up-to-date with technology to progress in his career, he constantly attended seminars and conferences to acquire new knowledge and network with his peers in the industry. He even took up a part-time course and is certified in key skills that are highly valued.
The answer to be more successful in life is to become more. More skillful, more knowledgeable, more caring, more jovial, more thoughtful and the list goes on. Develop a habit of always wanting to improve yourself. Smile more, be cheerful. It helps, whether you are working as a cashier or a salesman. Stand tall, do not hunch. Speak out, not mumble. It shows you have self-confidence. Spend more time on your personal development. It will help you to have more.
Two good friends grew up in the same neighbourhood, went to the same school and graduated with flying colours. They found jobs without much problem but realised that they would had to go separate ways. Kenneth was posted to work overseas in a multinational company, while Duncan got a software engineering position in a local startup. As excited as they were with their future, they had a hard time bidding farewell to each other.
Eight years later, Duncan spotted Kenneth sipping latte at a Starbucks cafe in Sydney airport. They were overjoyed to see each other and spent the next couple of hours catching up on old times. Duncan is now the R&D Manager in his first job. He flew to Sydney to attend an exhibition on communication technologies and source for new ideas. He is happily married, with two kids. Kenneth, meanwhile, was into his fifth job working as a technical support staff in an insurance company. He shared his stories with Duncan on his retrenchment from his first job, to his firing of his boss in the last job. His stories could almost fit into a "101 reasons for finding another job" bestseller.
While Kenneth spent the last few years blaming other people, the boss, the company, the government and the environment for his failure, Duncan used his time to beef up his skills. Knowing that he needs to stay up-to-date with technology to progress in his career, he constantly attended seminars and conferences to acquire new knowledge and network with his peers in the industry. He even took up a part-time course and is certified in key skills that are highly valued.
The answer to be more successful in life is to become more. More skillful, more knowledgeable, more caring, more jovial, more thoughtful and the list goes on. Develop a habit of always wanting to improve yourself. Smile more, be cheerful. It helps, whether you are working as a cashier or a salesman. Stand tall, do not hunch. Speak out, not mumble. It shows you have self-confidence. Spend more time on your personal development. It will help you to have more.
Ask Quality Questions
"Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers." - Anthony Robbins
When my doctor informed me that I had cancer at the end of last year, I was surprised. I paused to gather my thoughts. What is going on here? What does this mean? How will this affect me? What are the treatments available? Will I be able to continue doing what I like? How will my family and friends take this piece of news? What kind of support is available to me? Will my insurance be able to cover most of the cost of my medical bills? Questions after questions kept flowing from my mind. There were just too many questions I had to ask but I did not had the answers there and then. In fact, I looked for additional questions to ask by researching websites, like the US National Cancer Institute. I gathered and posed those questions to my oncologist the next time I went for my appointment. And I received the answers that I wanted to guide me through my decision making and what to expect as I went through my treatment.
Had I asked poor questions, I believe the outcome for me would have been different. What if I had asked, "Why me?" or "Why now?". My mind would have then raced to look for answers on why I am the victim of this dreaded disease. I would be finding answers on why the world seems to be unfair. Perhaps, it would lead me to think that only old people should be getting sick, not me. Or I would think that this will severely affect the current lifestyle that I am enjoying.
Why do we make poor decisions? Because we have poor answers. And the reason for getting answers that do not help us at all, is due to the questions that we ask ourselves. If you phrase your questions with the aim of getting positive outcome, then you will be rewarded with wisdoms that will point you to the right direction. Avoid asking questions that seek reasons for situations that have happenened, at least not when you are looking for solutions. Those questions can be reserved until later, when you are doing a post-mortem to understand what mistakes you made in the past and learn from your mistakes.
When my doctor informed me that I had cancer at the end of last year, I was surprised. I paused to gather my thoughts. What is going on here? What does this mean? How will this affect me? What are the treatments available? Will I be able to continue doing what I like? How will my family and friends take this piece of news? What kind of support is available to me? Will my insurance be able to cover most of the cost of my medical bills? Questions after questions kept flowing from my mind. There were just too many questions I had to ask but I did not had the answers there and then. In fact, I looked for additional questions to ask by researching websites, like the US National Cancer Institute. I gathered and posed those questions to my oncologist the next time I went for my appointment. And I received the answers that I wanted to guide me through my decision making and what to expect as I went through my treatment.Had I asked poor questions, I believe the outcome for me would have been different. What if I had asked, "Why me?" or "Why now?". My mind would have then raced to look for answers on why I am the victim of this dreaded disease. I would be finding answers on why the world seems to be unfair. Perhaps, it would lead me to think that only old people should be getting sick, not me. Or I would think that this will severely affect the current lifestyle that I am enjoying.
Why do we make poor decisions? Because we have poor answers. And the reason for getting answers that do not help us at all, is due to the questions that we ask ourselves. If you phrase your questions with the aim of getting positive outcome, then you will be rewarded with wisdoms that will point you to the right direction. Avoid asking questions that seek reasons for situations that have happenened, at least not when you are looking for solutions. Those questions can be reserved until later, when you are doing a post-mortem to understand what mistakes you made in the past and learn from your mistakes.
Achieving Greatness
"Greatness is only achieved in the absence of fear" - Author unknown
I often ponder on how Neil Armstrong
managed to walk on the moon. Can you imagine that was done 40 years ago from today? What was the level of technology like then? I guess even a basic laptop computer that you use now will have better performance than whatever they used on board Apollo 11. So, how did they (Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong) get to the moon? And what drove them to do it?
Before 1969, no one has landed on the moon, although they were flights that orbited it. If you look at the history of space exploration, you will realise that it is not a ride on a train and there were plenty of risks. Failures that resulted in loss of communication with the crafts were common, failed launches, landings and many others. With all the known and unknown risks, why did the 3 astronauts still attempted to reach the moon?
President Barack Obama called the astronauts "Genuine Heroes".
"It is because of the heroism, the calm under pressure, the grace with which these three gentlemen operated, but also the entire NASA family that was able to, at great risk oftentimes and with great danger, was somehow able to lift our sights - not just here in the United States, but around the world," said Mr. Obama.
They calculated the risks that they had to take and overcame their fear to achieve a historic feat. You do not have to reach the moon or Mars to achieve greatness. But whenever you want to achieve more than what you have now, the first step is to remove all fear from your heart. Whether it is starting a new business, venturing into a new industry, conquering the highest peak, saving the world from global warming, it all starts with courage. You can have the perfect plan and strategies, but if you do not possess the courage to act, all your planning will be of no use.
I often ponder on how Neil Armstrong
managed to walk on the moon. Can you imagine that was done 40 years ago from today? What was the level of technology like then? I guess even a basic laptop computer that you use now will have better performance than whatever they used on board Apollo 11. So, how did they (Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong) get to the moon? And what drove them to do it?Before 1969, no one has landed on the moon, although they were flights that orbited it. If you look at the history of space exploration, you will realise that it is not a ride on a train and there were plenty of risks. Failures that resulted in loss of communication with the crafts were common, failed launches, landings and many others. With all the known and unknown risks, why did the 3 astronauts still attempted to reach the moon?
President Barack Obama called the astronauts "Genuine Heroes".
"It is because of the heroism, the calm under pressure, the grace with which these three gentlemen operated, but also the entire NASA family that was able to, at great risk oftentimes and with great danger, was somehow able to lift our sights - not just here in the United States, but around the world," said Mr. Obama.
They calculated the risks that they had to take and overcame their fear to achieve a historic feat. You do not have to reach the moon or Mars to achieve greatness. But whenever you want to achieve more than what you have now, the first step is to remove all fear from your heart. Whether it is starting a new business, venturing into a new industry, conquering the highest peak, saving the world from global warming, it all starts with courage. You can have the perfect plan and strategies, but if you do not possess the courage to act, all your planning will be of no use.
Be Happy
"Be happy about what you have, instead of being sad about what you don't have." - Author unknown
I have a nice home, a beautiful wife, lovely kids and a decent job.
I am thankful that ...
I have a nice home, a beautiful wife, lovely kids and a decent job.
I am thankful that ...
- we are a close-knit family
- they are all healthy
- we have the time to play and mingle together
- we live in a safe environment
- I can see their smiles and hear their laughter
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments