I once read 'Sophie's World' by Jostein Gaarder. Basically, this is a wonderful little book that really makes you start to think about the world and yourself. This fiction like book is like a introduction to philosophy handbook, a summary of the philosophical theories by all the great philosophers of the era. It is a good read that makes a normally dry subject like this comes alive! If you want to open up your mind, you have to read this!
'Who are you? Where does the world come from?' These are two questions Sophie (the character in the book), a fifteen year-old Norwegian girl, receives in her mailbox one day from an unknown stranger. Thus begins a mysterious adventure for Sophie, and an adventure for any person of any age who reads her story.
I remembered this part where sophie asked 'Why don't people asked themselves about this question? I have never thought of it before?', so her 'teacher' replied 'That's because most people are buried deep inside the rabbit's fur and are too comfortable for them to move out. Everytime they get to the tip of the fur, they start to feel uncomfortable about the unknown and that drives them back into the fur again where they are most familar and comfortable with.'
Sounds like complacency plays a big part here in our quest for the ultimate 'truth' about the world and the human race. If you link this with the article 'Heros' in the previous post, they both give the same message - only those who constantly challenge themselves and always moving out of the comfort zone will find the truth to who they are and why they are here.
Think of it this way, we are like living in the matrix, getting by like everyone else everyday and treating these questions as a big waste of time. Only people like Neo can get out of this system, setting themselves free. The best thing is, they even come back to 'save' everyone, just like what Neo did! You get what I mean? :)
Saturday, June 05, 2004
Unsung Heros
Heroes
By Blair Singer
It seems that in these days of war, conflict, and challenge there are those that emerge as heroes. They give or risk their careers, their families and even their lives in the service of others.
It is humbling and inspiring - all in the same moment. We eulogize them and honor them, but at the same time they leave questions in our own minds. 'Would I be as brave?' 'Would I sacrifice myself in the heat of battle to save others or would I be looking to cover my own behind?'
The thing about heroes is that they set high standards for the rest of us. Do they do it consciously? I don't know. But I do know that each person responds, in the heat of pressure, based upon how they have been conditioned, drilled, and disciplined. I maintain that every single person reading this has a hero inside them. A hero to your team, to your community, to your kids... a hero to yourself. If and when it ever shows up is a giant question mark.
In the Line of Fire
Do you have to give your life in order to exercise that strength? No!
But you do have to position yourself to be in the line of fire in whatever your endeavors are. It could be driving your business to a bigger game. It could be making a presentation that has more on the line than ever before. It could be intervening with the school in order to protect and maximize the education of your kids. It is NOT about 'getting by' or striving for comfort.
There are two parts to being a hero. The first is putting yourself in the line of fire. The second is conditioning yourself for that day when you will be called upon to step up to the plate. You have been spending your whole life training for something! What is it? In my work over the years, I have found that the challenge and moment of greatness sometimes shows up when you least expect it. Whether or not you seize that moment depends upon what you have done up to that point.
Can You Seize the Moment?
Have you practiced your presentations, drilled the tough objections, worked out at the gym? Have you diligently driven your standards higher and demanded better team players along the way...or have you been "nice" to yourself and those around you and allowed what was "okay" before to be "okay" now - and in the future?
I work with so many people who have great aspirations. But they don't realize them for a couple reasons. The usual reasons are what I call the "Three Cs": No credibility, no cash, and no confidence. The real issue is the third "C" - Confidence. And that is really simple. Confidence comes from tons of repetition.
You can try to kid yourself... and try to pump yourself up, but that will fade quickly in the eye of the storm. It is truly the repetition of the critical skills and disciplines that will allow you to automatically step up to the plate when your opportunity calls.
Believe in Yourself
At some point in your career you must believe that there IS a hero inside of you. You would not be inspired by others if they didn't tickle a place inside of you that vibrates to the same vibration as they do. In the last two-day program that we did, I literally watched as the hero inside of each person ultimately mustered the courage to step up and actually experience the greatness inside them if even for a few moments. The good news is that they will never go back. To command bigger checks, it requires greater confidence and courage.
Most of those folks have already experienced bigger checks, greater receptivity, bigger games, and - most of all - the incredible power inside them.
Born to Be Great
Heroes touch us because they remind us of who we could be. We are inspired by them because they pose questions to all of us. "Who could I be?" You were born to be great. It's not about being splashed on the front page of the paper. It's about what you do in your very next breathing moment. It's either preparing like you have never prepared before or it's about stepping into the line of fire. Mostly, it's about doing it for the betterment of others: your family, your business, your market, and in some way for humanity. At the minimum it sets an example for others to follow.
Nearly every evening for the last couple of years, before my eight year-old goes to bed I tell him a story about a "hero." Each night the tale is different. Each night he asks me the name of the hero. I always tell him that when I tell the last story, I will tell him. He begs for those stories every night. They are stories of valor, overcoming unbelievable challenge, supporting others selflessly, respect and mostly how those feats are accomplished through great practice and preparation. Some are based on real stories of real people and tons of them are made up.
But when I leave the house before he wakes up and leave him a note to be a great "hero" today... he knows exactly what I mean. Do you?
It's in you...it's your choice, Right now!
Live In The Present. Live With Purpose.
By Blair Singer
It seems that in these days of war, conflict, and challenge there are those that emerge as heroes. They give or risk their careers, their families and even their lives in the service of others.
It is humbling and inspiring - all in the same moment. We eulogize them and honor them, but at the same time they leave questions in our own minds. 'Would I be as brave?' 'Would I sacrifice myself in the heat of battle to save others or would I be looking to cover my own behind?'
The thing about heroes is that they set high standards for the rest of us. Do they do it consciously? I don't know. But I do know that each person responds, in the heat of pressure, based upon how they have been conditioned, drilled, and disciplined. I maintain that every single person reading this has a hero inside them. A hero to your team, to your community, to your kids... a hero to yourself. If and when it ever shows up is a giant question mark.
In the Line of Fire
Do you have to give your life in order to exercise that strength? No!
But you do have to position yourself to be in the line of fire in whatever your endeavors are. It could be driving your business to a bigger game. It could be making a presentation that has more on the line than ever before. It could be intervening with the school in order to protect and maximize the education of your kids. It is NOT about 'getting by' or striving for comfort.
There are two parts to being a hero. The first is putting yourself in the line of fire. The second is conditioning yourself for that day when you will be called upon to step up to the plate. You have been spending your whole life training for something! What is it? In my work over the years, I have found that the challenge and moment of greatness sometimes shows up when you least expect it. Whether or not you seize that moment depends upon what you have done up to that point.
Can You Seize the Moment?
Have you practiced your presentations, drilled the tough objections, worked out at the gym? Have you diligently driven your standards higher and demanded better team players along the way...or have you been "nice" to yourself and those around you and allowed what was "okay" before to be "okay" now - and in the future?
I work with so many people who have great aspirations. But they don't realize them for a couple reasons. The usual reasons are what I call the "Three Cs": No credibility, no cash, and no confidence. The real issue is the third "C" - Confidence. And that is really simple. Confidence comes from tons of repetition.
You can try to kid yourself... and try to pump yourself up, but that will fade quickly in the eye of the storm. It is truly the repetition of the critical skills and disciplines that will allow you to automatically step up to the plate when your opportunity calls.
Believe in Yourself
At some point in your career you must believe that there IS a hero inside of you. You would not be inspired by others if they didn't tickle a place inside of you that vibrates to the same vibration as they do. In the last two-day program that we did, I literally watched as the hero inside of each person ultimately mustered the courage to step up and actually experience the greatness inside them if even for a few moments. The good news is that they will never go back. To command bigger checks, it requires greater confidence and courage.
Most of those folks have already experienced bigger checks, greater receptivity, bigger games, and - most of all - the incredible power inside them.
Born to Be Great
Heroes touch us because they remind us of who we could be. We are inspired by them because they pose questions to all of us. "Who could I be?" You were born to be great. It's not about being splashed on the front page of the paper. It's about what you do in your very next breathing moment. It's either preparing like you have never prepared before or it's about stepping into the line of fire. Mostly, it's about doing it for the betterment of others: your family, your business, your market, and in some way for humanity. At the minimum it sets an example for others to follow.
Nearly every evening for the last couple of years, before my eight year-old goes to bed I tell him a story about a "hero." Each night the tale is different. Each night he asks me the name of the hero. I always tell him that when I tell the last story, I will tell him. He begs for those stories every night. They are stories of valor, overcoming unbelievable challenge, supporting others selflessly, respect and mostly how those feats are accomplished through great practice and preparation. Some are based on real stories of real people and tons of them are made up.
But when I leave the house before he wakes up and leave him a note to be a great "hero" today... he knows exactly what I mean. Do you?
It's in you...it's your choice, Right now!
Live In The Present. Live With Purpose.
Friday, June 04, 2004
BITCH
Song at Spin now: Meredith Brooks - Bitch
I remembered when this song was a hit back in 1997, everytime I tell people my name is Meredith, they will go 'Oh! Meredith Brooks!' or 'Oh! You sing Bitch?' & the worst one i heard..'You're the Bitch!'..absolutely a vulgar word!
In fact, this Bit** word was soo vulgar that it did not get through the Singapore board of censors. Everytime this song was played on radio, it went 'I'm a (1 sec silence),I'm lover, I'm a child...', so now you know how vulgarity is being defined in Singapore.
Well hah..that's how people know my name, if they have heard of Meredith Brooks. Too bad she did not have any hit songs here again, which means no publicity for my name! Pretty nice & unique name you might think, well not so in the West, but I can tell you it gets me into a hell lot of trouble here in Singapore.
What do I get when I introduce myself? Well..I get irritating people who keep saying 'WHAT?' for 3 times, I also get a lot of people pronouncing my name in awful & horrendous tones like Melody/Meh-le-dick/Mary-dith/Mary-Leaf/and a few more that I don't even know how to spell! One even asked if I'm a Malay (Duh~~), most will ask for the spelling and I always have to make it clear that the M is for Malaysia and D is for denmark, especially over the phone coz it sounds like N and T! I had received letters/emails addressed to me as Neredith, Meretith & Neretith! Sighz..I don't get this in Aussie..really missed my days there..
This is the reason why I burst in delight whenever someone can pronounce my name accurately at the first shot! If you don't knwo how to pronounce, please log on to http://www.m-w.com and key in my name to get an exact idea ya?
Meredith is a name I have adopted since 1995, but only start to use it for good from 1997 onwards. You may wonder what it means and where do I get it from. Well according to http://www.behindthename.com, my name has a glorious meaning! Here it goes:
MEREDITH (m,f)
Usage: English
Pronounced: MER-e-dith
From the Welsh name Maredudd, possibly meaning "great lord" or "sea lord". A famous bearer of this name as surname was George Meredith, novelist and poet from England.
Sounds like a sea warrior! :D I actually came across this name in my aunt's Chinese to English electronic dictionary. There were about a thousand female names but this was the sweetest & most unique sounding one that I could find. In fact, I had a younger cousin who came up to me 2 years later with the same dictionary, pointing eagerly at the screen while claiming that she wanna be addressed as 'Meredith', so I go 'NO WAY!!!' in the loudest shriek that my mum came to see what's wrong. I felt sorry to disappoint her then but that's the truth - you win if you come in first. How can two people in the same family have the same name anyway?
Well back to the song, below are the lyrics to this song. Not too bad, at least Meredith Brooks and Meredith Chai share smiliar trait - We both believe in 'What you see is what you get!' Nope this song is not about 'bitchiness' literally, its actually quite noble - female power! If you know what I mean.. ;)
Meredith Brooks - Bitch
I hate the world today
You're so good to me
I know but I can't change
tried to tell you but you look at me like maybe I'm an angel underneath
innocent and sweet
Yesterday I cried
You must have been relieved to see the softer side
I can understand how you'd be so confused
I don't envy you
I'm a little bit of everything
all rolled into one
Chorus:
I'm a bitch, I'm a lover
I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell, I'm your dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way
So take me as I am
This may mean you'll have to be a stronger man
Rest assured that when I start to make you nervous
and I'm going to extremes
tomorrow I will change
and today won't mean a thing
Just when you think you've got me figured out
the season's already changing
I think it's cool you do what you do
and don't try to save me
I'm a bitch, I'm a tease
I'm a goddess on my knees
when you hurt, when you suffer
I'm your angel undercover
I've been dumped, I'm revived
can't say I'm not alive
You know I wouldn't want it any other way
I remembered when this song was a hit back in 1997, everytime I tell people my name is Meredith, they will go 'Oh! Meredith Brooks!' or 'Oh! You sing Bitch?' & the worst one i heard..'You're the Bitch!'..absolutely a vulgar word!
In fact, this Bit** word was soo vulgar that it did not get through the Singapore board of censors. Everytime this song was played on radio, it went 'I'm a (1 sec silence),I'm lover, I'm a child...', so now you know how vulgarity is being defined in Singapore.
Well hah..that's how people know my name, if they have heard of Meredith Brooks. Too bad she did not have any hit songs here again, which means no publicity for my name! Pretty nice & unique name you might think, well not so in the West, but I can tell you it gets me into a hell lot of trouble here in Singapore.
What do I get when I introduce myself? Well..I get irritating people who keep saying 'WHAT?' for 3 times, I also get a lot of people pronouncing my name in awful & horrendous tones like Melody/Meh-le-dick/Mary-dith/Mary-Leaf/and a few more that I don't even know how to spell! One even asked if I'm a Malay (Duh~~), most will ask for the spelling and I always have to make it clear that the M is for Malaysia and D is for denmark, especially over the phone coz it sounds like N and T! I had received letters/emails addressed to me as Neredith, Meretith & Neretith! Sighz..I don't get this in Aussie..really missed my days there..
This is the reason why I burst in delight whenever someone can pronounce my name accurately at the first shot! If you don't knwo how to pronounce, please log on to http://www.m-w.com and key in my name to get an exact idea ya?
Meredith is a name I have adopted since 1995, but only start to use it for good from 1997 onwards. You may wonder what it means and where do I get it from. Well according to http://www.behindthename.com, my name has a glorious meaning! Here it goes:
MEREDITH (m,f)
Usage: English
Pronounced: MER-e-dith
From the Welsh name Maredudd, possibly meaning "great lord" or "sea lord". A famous bearer of this name as surname was George Meredith, novelist and poet from England.
Sounds like a sea warrior! :D I actually came across this name in my aunt's Chinese to English electronic dictionary. There were about a thousand female names but this was the sweetest & most unique sounding one that I could find. In fact, I had a younger cousin who came up to me 2 years later with the same dictionary, pointing eagerly at the screen while claiming that she wanna be addressed as 'Meredith', so I go 'NO WAY!!!' in the loudest shriek that my mum came to see what's wrong. I felt sorry to disappoint her then but that's the truth - you win if you come in first. How can two people in the same family have the same name anyway?
Well back to the song, below are the lyrics to this song. Not too bad, at least Meredith Brooks and Meredith Chai share smiliar trait - We both believe in 'What you see is what you get!' Nope this song is not about 'bitchiness' literally, its actually quite noble - female power! If you know what I mean.. ;)
Meredith Brooks - Bitch
I hate the world today
You're so good to me
I know but I can't change
tried to tell you but you look at me like maybe I'm an angel underneath
innocent and sweet
Yesterday I cried
You must have been relieved to see the softer side
I can understand how you'd be so confused
I don't envy you
I'm a little bit of everything
all rolled into one
Chorus:
I'm a bitch, I'm a lover
I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell, I'm your dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way
So take me as I am
This may mean you'll have to be a stronger man
Rest assured that when I start to make you nervous
and I'm going to extremes
tomorrow I will change
and today won't mean a thing
Just when you think you've got me figured out
the season's already changing
I think it's cool you do what you do
and don't try to save me
I'm a bitch, I'm a tease
I'm a goddess on my knees
when you hurt, when you suffer
I'm your angel undercover
I've been dumped, I'm revived
can't say I'm not alive
You know I wouldn't want it any other way
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Its in your kiss...
You are a child's kiss. Completely sweet and
innocent and pure. You mean no harm and only
love in your sweet kisses.
What kind of kiss are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Well..makes me sound like an angel! :)
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