An insignificant red draw-string bag

Just an insignificant red draw-string bag bought from Ko Sam Mui years ago. Signature bag of a frenz but an eye-sore to another. Doesn't this just remind us that each of us have our taste, value, preference, uniqueness and quirk? Question is when we should impose our own standard and expectation on others or learn to accept it. We need to be aware, otherwise we will end up being disappointed by everything and everyone.

Prayer...one

It there is to be peace in the world, the nations must live in peace.
If there is to be peace among nations, the cities must not rise up against each other.
If there is to be peace in the cities, neighbours must understand each other.
If there is to be peace among neighours, there must be harmony in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home, we must each find our own heart.

Lao Tsu

Traffic light

Go, ready to stop and stop. Isn't this what comes to our mind when we mention traffic light? The role of traffic light is to moderate traffic so as to ensure a smoother ride for all.

Someone just told me this evening that traffic light is symbolic of our different racial groups. Red, Orange and Green happened to be the auspicious colour of these different racial groups. See the connection???

One more minute

Life has a strange sequence or order that we've absolutely no control over it. Very interesting.

"If I set my goals only one minute at a time, I could go longer before I reached exhaustion."

This appeared in a bestseller novel but it left no impression at all when I read it. I was more concerned whether the heroine is able to have her revenge. This is not one of those lines that make me paused and wondered.

But, this morning at the gym, this line comes alive, leaves it mark and becomes a powerful inspiration for me to spend one more minute...just one more minute...and one more minute on that machine. I've managed to manipulate my thinking. Question is have I been deceiving my brain all along... have I been telling myself to bear with one more minute of crap...one more minute...one more minute???

Do you know what you're fighting for?

How often have we paused and thought about the things we're fighting for? Do we understand what we're fighting for? What is the sigificance of this thing we're fighting for?

A moment of "I am better than you" or "See, I told you so" does give us satisfaction. A very short-term one that could only last nano seconds. But, is it worth all that we've given up in the process?

The moment of dawn

A Rabbi gathered together his students and asked them:

"How do you know the exact moment when night ends and day begins?"

"When it's light enough to tell a sheep from a dog," said one boy.

Another student said: "No, when it's light enough to tell an olive tree from a fig tree."

"No, that's not a good definition either." the Rabbi responded.

"Well, what's the right answer?" asked the boys.

And the Rabbi said:

"When a stranger approaches, and we think he is our brother, and all conflicts disappear, that is the moment when night ends and day begins."

My confession. I've not experiened many moments of dawn but I'm trying.

Road less travelled...repost

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference....Robert Frost


Saw this in a book that I'm reading. It strikes a chord. A very very deep one in me. It could be due to my current state. Should I carry on the path that is socially-acceptable, logical, conventional, popular and natural? Do I dare to take the risk and venture into the one less travelled? I wondered whether progression necessarily means upwards movement along the ladder. Or, could progression be a step towards the inner peace within us? Its crunch time.

Story of the Pencil

(a) A pencil is capable of filling a page but it needs to be guided.

(b) We have to stop writing and use a sharpener once in a while. The pencil will suffer a little, but afterwards, it is much sharper.

(c) Pencil allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes made.

(d) What really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside.

(e) Pencil always leaves a mark.

(f) Pencil can be used in the zero-gravity outer space.

Left Hand Column

Everyone of us has a Left Hand Column (LHC) which is what we truly wanted to say but not what we finally uttered. We are concerned how our conversation partners would react if we were to tell them what is in our LHC. We are worried that our converstation partners would decide that this is one friend that they could do without. We are unsure whether we have the confidence and guts to say what is in our LHC. What will happen in the end is that we'll try to sweeten our message, hint at it or beat round the bush and praying that our conversation partners would catch on it on their own.

Trigger...

Saw this in newspaper today "Leadership is specific to a particular situation". How true and apt is this statement. I'm a believer that we need to be a autocratic and visionary leader for creative destruction and, understanding and democratic leader for steady growth. These are not dichotomy and I'm confident that we can translate from one to another style; ableit with some effort.

Debut Blog...20 October 2006

Decided to own a blog after visiting MH's. Had difficulty choosing name and decided to use the silly conventional way that one uses to name something. Took my magazine on the table and decided to use the last unusual and uncommon word on the page that I flipped to. This whole process just reinforces my personal belief that I'm not that creative after all.

Had a sinful and rich lunch with sisters today. Felt that S2T is working too hard and I am worried for both her mental state and physical health. She appears to be very high strung and work is away top of the list. She is also pushing both herself and others too hard. Looking at her, wonder is this how a leader should be? The price is too high and I am not ready and willing to part with my "money" for it.