Month: April 2019

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The Change We Don’t Want To Keep

Climate change. Who cares? I know Greta Thunberg does. Who is she? The 16 year old Swedish school girl, a climate activist, a Ted Talks speaker, now a nominees for The Nobel Peace Prize 2019, made world headlines for her “school strike for climate” protest. Started out as one person herself in August 2018, it’s since attracted more than a million of students around the globe to do just that. How could the power of one grow to a gigantic size and become a world phenomenon in such a short space of time?

Not surprisingly, the news coverage and social media all played a part. They helped spread her word but did people buy it? It’s interesting to see how the event unfolded. In the very beginning, she was literally an unknown teenager. When she first learned about climate change, she was appalled by a lack of action from the government. Her frustration got to the point where she decided to skip classes and stand outside the Swedish Parliament protesting. On day one, she was there alone with the sign saying “Skolstrejk för klimatet”. The next day, more people noticed her and started to join in. Her movement captured the worldwide attention. Teens from over a hundred countries were so inspired by her, they went following in her footsteps. In that, we’ve seen groups of young students around the globe carry the same message demanding their government to act against climate change.

What does this tell us? To be honest, at first, I thought she was just a kid hating school. Protesting was a convenient excuse for not turning up classes. Am I the only person thought that way? Surely not. But my wrong assumption of her highly publicized motive quickly dissipated as I learned more about her. I began to see her larger than life character in 2 ways.

  • She turned her belief in “doing the right thing” for our planet into action even it meant going on her own.
  • She’s the epitome of the power of one.

What about you? What quality have you got in you that can make people want to stop and listen to you or follow you? If you’ve got what it takes, bring it out! Risk it! We can all start small, can’t we? We can all start alone, can’t we? Are you willing to embark on a solo journey, be an unsung hero in your own right, even when no one knows you exist?

When it comes to the environment, everyone can do something about it no matter how insignificant it may sound. My recent experiences related to this subject were a mixed bag. A few months ago while I was bush walking with my dog in a local reserve, I happened to see something annoying – a big re-usable plastic bag dumped on the shore. Because it was right near where my favourite spot was, I took it very personally. Seeing the area being littered like this, my immediate reaction was: Who’s the bastard? I kept mumbling why would anyone do such a thing to trash our environment. It bothered me so much that I decided to walk all the way back and put it in the nearest bin roughly some 800 metres away, not to mention I had to put up with the bad smell/rotten seafood coming out of the bag. Two weeks later, when I returned, I saw an envio bag hanging up on a tree with a few words written in block letters “IF YOU CARE PLEASE TAKE A BAG HELP CLEAN UP THANK YOU” (pictured). This time I was moved by it. Someone out there who was also caring and smart enough to know that if one day our Earth is too sick to survive, we’re all going to suffer. No amount of success or money can compensate for it. Agree?

Finally, before this post draws to a close, I thought I’d mention the common real estate mantra location location location. We say it repeatedly to highlight the importance of the location and how it can dictate the value of a home. But the location itself only reveals half of the truth. It’s the environment that makes or breaks business at the end. If the environment can shape who we are as a person, it certainly has the same capability to determine our destiny. The good news is it’s in our hands. The bad news is it’s also in our hands…

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Five Life Lessons I’ve Learned From My Dog

The common phrase dogs are man’s best friend is probably an understatement. To me, they’re also man’s best teacher. In some circumstances, they’re even man’s life saver. Imagine a world without dogs, how sad and lonely would that be?

Of course, our furry kids don’t come for free. They have needs too. In fact, they need us more than we need them. But ironically, they understand us more than we understand them. Dogs aren’t cheap. Arguably, there’s a high cost associated with having a dog. For example, dog food, dog treats, dog medicine, dog grooming and dog health care etc. They’re all much dearer than human’s. Surprised? Money aside, dogs are also famous/infamous for being high maintenance animals. They require someone to do the clean-up, play with them and give them enough attention. It’s a lifelong commitment and a huge responsibility to bear. But in spite of all these, many dog owners never regret having a dog. Why? Because the trust and unconditional love we receive from them is unmatched by any other kinds of creatures including humans.

I’ve had my dog Jamie since he was only a 3 month old puppy. Time flies! He’s now a 12 year old senior dog. I admit sometimes I get tired of looking after him. I’m juggling and struggling with a work-life balance at the same time. I wish I had more time for myself: To rest, to read, to write, to do all those creativity projects, to go out night-clubbing and to  have a vibrant social life. But every time I spend time with my dog, by that I mean going out and about on the beach or around the bush as opposed to doing a retail therapy or having a nightlife, he has this magic power to make me see what I don’t always see – wants aren’t necessarily needs. My need to seek external validation is one of misconceptions I have about what makes me happy. He’s helped me step back and stay away from that. This fellow has changed my life completely and unreservedly… for better. He’s taught me to appreciate the moment, to live in the present I’m in. Most of all, he’s shown me love is a verb, not a noun. In that, these are 5 life lessons I’ve learned from him.

1. Chase toys, not troubles: Do we forget that sometimes life is a bit fun and games? Fair enough, we don’t always win but we don’t have to lose our sense of humour as a result. Have we taken life too seriously? If we can’t see the bright side, can we at least try to see the light side? Yes, life is hard, but instead of echoing the sentiment, can we approach it and do the opposite – laugh at it? My dog doesn’t temp fate, he deals with practicality, what’s in front of him. When life throws him a lemon, he chases it, plays with it and perhaps even chews it. If he doesn’t like it, he spits it out. He’s inspired me to be a comedian, not a complete drama queen in the life stages. You either laugh or cry, which role would you choose to play?

2. There’s a such thing as a free meal if you are good to your parent(s): My dog totally relies on me. I’m fine with it. He knows who’s boss in this household. All he has to do is be a good son. He’s enough. He doesn’t need to kiss my ass or try to be a different breed to get all freebies in the house. He’s a constant reminder that there’s always a breadwinner/boss above us, whether it’s in life or in career. No matter what position we’re in, none of us got to where we are alone. Be thankful and respectful to people who helped us along the way.

3. Forgive (and forget sometimes): This is by far the biggest lesson. Somehow I think all major wars and conflicts still happening in the world today is because we human beings haven’t learnt one thing – forgiveness. Dogs forgive. Period. They even forget sometimes. It’s not because they have a shorter memory, it’s because they know life goes on and it’s shown in their capability to move on. To me, that’s the true spirit of forgiveness. Are you (still) waiting for someone to show some remorse so that you’ll consider forgiving him? What if he never does, are you going to sit there and wait forever? Who’s really being punished here? As a matter of fact, we define what forgiveness is, not the offender or the enemy.

4. Love without an asterisk. If we want to know what love is, just go and watch how a dog shows affection to his/her owner. If we treat love like an investment, expect a bigger return later, most of us will go bankrupt very quickly. Some say Love is blind. I disagree. I think only people are too blind to see what love is. Can we love someone without terms and conditions? The fine print? Love is love, full stop.

5. Certain things aren’t for human consumption…: What the heck is this? Well, I deliberately won’t elaborate it. Use some imagination! Bring out your creativity! Give me your short and sweet answer.

So, where do we go from here? or should I say what has Jamie done today? He’s slept in his bed, daydreamed a bit, checked me out a few times, eaten dinner, gone to toilet. It’s a good life, isn’t it? Now he’s lying on the floor behind my chair as I write this. If I could just add another point to make the 6th life lesson I’ve learnt from him, it’d be Let sleeping dogs lie…

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Freedom Of Speech Leaves Some Of Us Speechless

You can never know who is on the other side reading your on-line comments.

Social media has created a giant cyber space that allows us to speak or write as freely as we like while at the same time remain anonymous if we choose to. Its raising popularity continues to threaten the longevity of traditional media like newspaper and TV. We’ve seen some media companies suffer a major blow, land in deep water and lose ground in recent years. Some reacted quickly and transformed themselves into more digital-friendly entities. Some unfortunately were too slow to respond and went out of business.

Nowadays, social media platforms are readily available at our fingertips. With a few clicks we can set one up in minutes and get the ball rolling in no time. Anyone who broadcasts or publishes their work on internet can pretty much call themselves the media. In there, the old debate over Freedom of Speech seems to have re-surfaced. The line between acceptable language and unacceptable language couldn’t be more blurred.

The old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me” isn’t child’s play. Behind a brave face, is a fragile heart we don’t always get to see. The thing is we’re all prone to negative remarks. One bad comment circulating on the face of social media, can be seen by many people, friends, family and strangers. It’s enough to ruin someone’s day. What about some fake news we’ve heard time and time again? It’s going around, spreading like wildfire everywhere in the world.

Has Freedom of Speech gone too far? Living in a democratic society, we’re entitled to exercise our rights of freedom of speech. “The deal” is we’re free to express our opinions openly but only in a non-violent way. Yet, we can take it all for granted. Some use it and abuse it. To put things in perspective, in some parts of the world, Freedom of Speech is an unattainable commodity. Their fights continue while we sleep…

To dive in to the notion of Freedom of Speech, it’s all about the freedom to make our voices heard. One way to do that is through election. If you’re an overseas reader, in case you didn’t know, voting in Australia is mandatory. By law every eligible citizen is required to cast their vote during election or they’ll face a fine. Here on the election day, outside each polling station you’ll likely see an army of supporters and an array of volunteers for their candidates. They smile at you, hand out the how-to-vote sheets and if you don’t mind stopping for a minute or two, they’ll explain to you why you should vote for their favourite politicians. Generally, I don’t classify myself as a swing voter, my mind is pretty much made up before I do the ballot papers thing.

In the state of NSW, we just finished State Election 2 weeks ago. The night before the election was held, my commuter train got delayed. As a result, I was stuck inside a compartment for over half of an hour on Friday evening. This incident left a bad taste in my mouth that I vowed not to support my sitting member for the first time. Next day, when I went to vote, just 30 minutes before it closed, I met this interesting lady outside the polling place. She was there to support an independent candidate. I asked her why she’s doing it, she said in a strong tone: We need a different voice in this community, someone who can focus on the local issues…etc. I guess I was a bit swayed by her. Anyway, when I was done with the voting, I went out and still saw her there till the end. I was impressed by her dedication. I stopped again for a chat. This time I got to know her a little better. I learned she was a flight attendant working for Qantas. The next day she was due to fly to that city in that country. I commented how lucky she’s living the jet set lifestyle. She smiled and said: After a while, the novelty does wear off… Then she rolled her eyes and lamented in a joking way: Once I land in there tomorrow, I’ll be shut off from the outside world because I won’t have access to Facebook and Google… I laughed in agreement. Right at that moment, I also realized how lucky we are to live in a free country with unrestricted access to the Web. Our Freedom of Speech is assured and given to us “free of charge”. Importantly, the same goes for respect for the rights of others.

The fact that I can write pages and pages of posts expressing my opinions without fears, I’m thankful for it. But when do we go from here? When all is said and done, sometimes we still can’t shut up the noises and bigotry out there. When respect is not being respected, when someone still pushes our buttons, remember: The power is in your hands. Stay calm and keep your grace. Just push one of these buttons back – OFF or DELETE.

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You Will Not Get The Business Unless You Ask For It

What does it take to utter those words, to say what you want? What gets in your way? Do you sometimes expect others to read your mind or reciprocate your feelings? Are you playing a waiting game or just sitting there to see what happens? Are you hoping that one day someone will discover that special gift in you and take your career or business to the next level? And? If none of your old tricks has worked, are you open to new tricks even though they may make you uncomfortable at first?

Back in the March 2014 conference, when our MD was presenting, he was talking about what he’s learnt during his time with the company which he created 2 decades ago. Out of 10 points he raised, one struck me like an electricity shock. He said it point-blank: “You will not get the business unless you ask for it”. This message was so profound that has stuck with me since. To find truth in it, I didn’t have to look too far. My sister is a classic example. The steps she took to get a promotion to the position of Financial Controller in a well-known recruitment firm, Japan, were astonishing. It wasn’t just one-shot thing but multiple attempts for 2 years to get where she is today. The hurdles she overcame, the office politics she endured, at the end she got it. Undeniably it was an amazing achievement for a foreigner, a woman and a minority living in such a homogeneous society. I can visualise the glass ceiling being smashed, leaving shards of glass all over the floor! The notion of the sky is the limit no longer applies to today’s world. It is a cliché but the only limit we have is the limits we set for ourselves.

Contrary to my sister, I’ve been this old-school guy. I prefer to work hard, earn my credit, get noticed and wait for people to promote me, one day. Yes, one day… It sounds like a good virtue but deep down it’s driven by fears. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of losing face. That said, in a do-or-die situation, we often become bigger than fears for the sake of survival.

During my job seeking days, those rules I had about getting ahead were thrown out the window. Why? Because I knew when stakes are high, when competition is fierce, there’s no place for humbleness. Best save all the humanity for the winner speech later. Through trial and error, I learned to adopt a self-promotion approach to get myself shortlisted way before I could even get a foot in the door.

Now back to basics. If I want people to read my mind, I need to be an open-book myself. If I want people to reciprocate my feelings, I need to let my guard down, articulate and express my feelings clearly. If I want more readership, I need to give readers ideas they can relate to or useful to them. If I want more business, I need to show up and tell them what I can offer first. Self-promotion is not about bragging about yourself or promoting your own self-interest, it’s about bringing out the best in you. It’s not a big ask, is it?