Tuesdays with Morrie...talk about Marriage

Tuesdays with Morrie This is quite a good book, which i found on Jet's blog. That's why i decided to read a few chapters. A book mostly read by Christians, i was simply interested in a few chapters,

"We talk about Marriage"...
Morrie: "It's so important to find a loving relationship with someone because so much of the culture does not give you that. But the poor kids today, either they're too selfish to take part in a real loving relationship, or they rush into marriage and then six months later, they get divorced. They don't know what they want in a partner. They don't know who they are themselves - so how can they know who they're marrying?"

Morrie had counseled so many unhappy lovers in his years as a professor. "It's sad, because a loved one is so important. You realize that, especially when you're in a time like i am(Morrie had cancer), when you're not doing so well. Friends are great, but friends are not going to be here on a night when you're coughing and can't sleep and someone has to sit up all night with you, comfort you, try to be helpful."

Morrie:"There are a few rules i know to be true about love and marriage: If you don't respect the other person, you're gonna have alot of trouble. If you can't talk openly about what goes on between you, you're gonna have alot of trouble. And if you don't have a common set of values in life, you're gonna have alot of trouble. Your values must be alike."

This reminded me of one of the great people i've met, Mr. Nicholas Chia. He got married at the age of 21!! Why did he choose to get married at such a young age?

He mentioned that he wanted to settle down in a stable relationship, so that he can focus on his career and he knows that his wife, knows what she wants in her man. He said, "This woman knows what she wants, and i am gonna get her before she runs away." Oh that was humorous of him. =) That's speaks much more than just knowing what he and she wants. That spells committment. A huge committment level, requiring both to undestand what it needs to come together...and together they have been for over 27 years...and still going on strong. That's simple amazing, in this culture of the present times.

Losing energy lately...feeling tired all on my own..energy from family and friends are simply fantastic, but i know that i need something more than that. Someone committed to me, committed to our future. Someone to look forward to in life, A support, energy-giver,someone to share my daily joys with, someone i can motivate as well. A committed, responsible man who knows what he wants. And that we know what we both want.

When that brillant man comes by, i will cherish him. Hope that person comes by soon, and i'll move on together with him...

Cynthia's 24th Birthday

This year Oct 13th was Cynthia's Birthday and she turned 24! And we went to Lao Di Fang, a Vegetarian restuarant at Apollo Centre to have dinner (we always loved the food @ Lao Di Fang!!) i really missed having a full gathering...so long..aaahaAHhaH~~* Pple there were: Cynthia, KL, James, Ming Jian, WeiJie, WeiLin, Gavin, Me and special guest...Wilson!! He's quite a fun guy and will definitely remember him for the next one. Pin couldn't make it, but hers will not be forgotten..(coming 31st October!) =)

We walked by Central© just above Clark Quay MRT station and towards Clark quay and settled at Coffee club and here's Cynthia's cake....

A gigantic mudpie!!! Definitely worth the money and needs at least 3 pple to finish!! (That was KL's desert lah...ahhaaAH~)

We didn't prepare a cake, so this is a make-do version lah. ;) And this is Cynthia's new hairdo, so dolly...

Anyway, we went on to catch a midnight show @ Grand Cathay, Resident Evil: Extinction. Cynthia was quite...hmm..horrified during the movie. ahaAHAa~~* So funny when she scream beside me.

.......... Cynthia's Past Birthday!!!
I can still remember Cynthia's 22nd Birthday, where our whole team gathered @ Swensen at Marina Square. Had a great time back then too. ;) Cynthia's 23rd was singing at KTV after dinner... My memories quite good at remembering pple's birthday events. :)

Since planning for this yr's bday wasn't too well-planned, i'll make my wish list for next yr's here now!! hahaAH~~*

The standard SOP....

• Dinner @ Lao Di Fang Vegetarian Restaurant or Ling Zhi Vegetarian Restaurant or Indinine Cafe!!
• I don't mind a movie to relax...(provided there's good movies then)

But...

• No KTV after dinner!!!! Too standard...and i think the guys dun really enjoy that....
• I don't mind a afternoon trip to Sentosa or ECP for a good cycle and go bowling after that! (These are things which are nice and simple, but dun have the luxury time to do...)
• I'm actually hoping for an overseas trip! (But without friends along i wouldn't go...)
• I'm actually quite onz about chilling out @ a games cafe like Settler's place! hahaAH~*
• Last but not least.... i still want the same old friends around with me for my next birthday. ;) ( I still do love my family also, alright?! :P )

Wealth Creation Program

A prestigious private group session with multimillionaire, businessman, investor and ex-banker CEO Mr. Nicholas Chia. He is currently CEO of WBG and chairman of DSAS.

Wealth Creation Program is a 2-year program that handholds you towards having wealth running in your blood.

AN AMAZING FIRST SESSION [14 October 2007]...Jet has prepared a brief summary of the important points and ideas mentioned by Mr. Nicholas Chia during his 3-hour long session. My advice is to hear it direct from Mr. Chia himself during Wealth Circle Program.

Around thirty qualified people from all walks of life have the luxury of being up-close and personal with Mr. Nicholas Chia on Sunday. Mr. Chia spoke of 3 major topics todayduring his first session, namely (i) wealth is about spending, (ii) discipline, and (iii) the structure of wealth. He repeatedly emphasized that we should understand his logic of thinking and not just tend to his answers to various questions. The framework of thinking is critical. This dictates everything we will become.

Topic 1: Wealth is about spending
Wealth is about spending and not saving! He advised us to chart out on how we investour (i) time and (ii) money on separate sheets daily. Money sheet indicates where our money goes to. Money=soldiers, they should help work for us.

On the topic of spending money, he shared with us why he sits First Class and why he must be seen at Ritz Carlton once every few months. Why First Class? Because deals are made at the Solitaire Lounge which one can go when one flies First Class! E.g. For a S$8,000 ticket, he got offered a directorship which pays S$80,000 p.a. and only has to attend 3 meetings.That’s good spending! Why Ritz Carlton? “You go Ritz Carlton, you get Ritz Carlton deals; you go coffeeshop, you get coffeeshop deals!” Plus Mr, Chia wants to ensure that he injects a culture of wealth for his kids while they are young. In summary, smart people are smart spenders.

Wealth is not just about being rich, it goes much deeper than that. Wealth is about money, but not all about money. He added that the spouse is utmost important on the path towards wealth. Why? Because we need the right environment to rest, to retire into after a hard day's work and we need to get the energy, support from the spouse and also the family. Hence it is crucial that we develop a strong bond with our family such that they can support us better.

Get a good tax consultant! Bill Gates spends millions hiring good tax consultant and other consultants. Pay the expert to do what they are expert in. But don’t believe them entirely,you still gotta decide on your own and trust your gut.

Rich people don’t save. They EARN.How? They SELL (ideas etc). Sell what? Sell YOURSELF first. Then whatever you sell later,people will buy. Wealthy people are “dai feng (generous)” versus most others who are “siew feng"(stingy).

Someone asked Mr. Chia which are the top areas that he spends time on. He replied
(i)time with family, God, rest/holidays
(ii) time with friends and consultants in the industry he is in so that he can learn from them; as chairman of DSAS, he would meet up with each member at least once a month
(iii) time with business leaders and people from the ground. He added that everything is about sales. Use ears to sell. Listen to them. His son wanted to be the greatest salesman, i.e. a doctor! Because they sell by listening to their patients and then, just writing! And they don’t get rejected!

On the virtues and values that wealthy people have, he mentioned
(i) generosity
(ii)mutual respect
(iii) faith
(iv) hope and
(v) love.
(vi)Hope. Hope is something we should cling on to, until we die. Life isn't worth living if we lead a hopeless life.

Topic 2: Discipline
Discipline is all about how we run our lives. If you are your own boss, you must have the same discipline as if you are still working for someone else!

Topic 3: Structure of Wealth
Incorporate a company for tax advantages.Build a tax efficient structure. Be a boss, not an employee because of obvious tax benefits.

(Topics 2 & 3 are not elaborated as it is quoted with examples of reputable people, personal friends of Nicholas Chia)

On a side note, Mr. Chia encouraged us to go feel our dream car and house. Do not just look at the brochure but physically go test drive that porsche, rev the engine by stepping on that accelerator, and go visit the show-flat. He was already driving around in porsches at a very young age! I believe with him as our mentor in wealth, we will be there one day.

Remember, this is just an introduction by Mr. Nicholas Chia. I don’t think he has even started yet, do you?

Timelines and Decision making

[A reminder note from Long Sheng]
Timeline is, sometimes, more important than results.(during our learning curve)
When we are set to achieve a goal, usually a timeline is attached to it. Many atimes, we may not be able to achieve them and along the way, we may start giving up. However, we forgot that the result may not be as important as the timeline, the process. It is because as we experience more things which drives us to hit targets by the dateline, we are faced with numerous rejections, which builds the numbers which moves us towards success. (SO, if we know we are still not making up the numbers, DO HARDER instead of giving up!! You know ur potential is not maximised!!)

Why do i say during the learning curve? Generally, normal poly/university grads are not able to accept failures (notice most pple do not like sales, because we are not willing to face rejections, even if it brings us good money). which is why i'm complainig abt myself now. ahahAHa~~*

Action plan: stick to the timeline, do whatever things that i need to do. Shut up and dun complain abt not achieving results. Failures are bound to be met, so, have constant REVIEWS what i did correct and what went wrong. Seek constant and never-ending IMPROVEMENTS!!

And also...

Decision making is one of the essential skills that differentiates successful pple and normal pple. That's what made one of the difference from my leaders and i.

So Annie 加油!! Long way to go!~~!~*

The grass is always greener over the graveyard

The grass is always greener over the graveyard speaks about the conspiracy the ego has for us, how it tries to trap or delay us.

There are two common traps with this conspiracy, both of which have us believe our happiness lies elsewhere. The first is where we are with a partner that we have been in relationship with for awhile, and all of a sudden, we see someone new coming along who seems much more attractive to us. Now, if we have been in a power struggle with our partner, or working through the Dead Zone, anyone will look more attractive. After all, the first stage of a relationship is the romance stage, so anybody new will look more attractive. Of course, if we went on with the new person, we would eventually reach power struggle and the Dead Zone with them, too.

The second common trap is when we are in a relationship with someone and our mind begins thinking about someone we were with in the past. We dream about them and, consequently, make our present relationship tasteless, in which case, we move on, and later end up fantasising about the relationship we just left, as well as the one before.

The key to both traps is that we think our happiness is some place other than where we are. The ego works to trap us out of our present, possible happiness.

Today, appreciate the situation you are in now. Really appreciate your partner and everything about your life. With integrity, you can enjoy the connections with everyone who is attractive around you, without losing your present happiness. Do not fall into the trap of thinking the grass is greener some place else.

This Lesson is from If It Hurts, It Isn't Love - a book by Chuck Spezzano.
Posting grabbed from Veronica Lim's blog, Founder of Growth Vision.

Mid Autumn Festival @ WBG

中秋夜，月圆圆，人团圆，心相连
Although its a very heart-warming mid autumn festival @ WBG, it didn't feel the same...without the same group of people i loved dearly that night =( However, it was encouraging that my bro took the effort to chiong cab from Yishun camp, just to attend this casual event. Thx bro! You're the BEST! =)

*By the way, i draw that whiteboard! ;) Simple and quite nice to me. hehe~~*

Our Emcee's for the night, YingYing and Nick, in their very "china" attire! ahhaAH~* Handsome guy and sweet lady~ ;)

That's our crowd for the night. And they're having a pomelo-peeling competition!

That's my bro (on the left) and Ee pin's (on the right) team! For the pomelo competition ;)

The pomelo's ended up..hmm..still quite edible after all. haaHAa~*Awesome...That's the main feature of the night, "VP Mooncakes"!!! With black lotus, pumpkin, snowskin and traditional baked skins. Tasted like...green tea, i think(never tried green tea mooncake b4 leh). The taste is simple FANTASTIC!~!~~**

We were thinking whether to sell it next year..hahaAHA~*

The crowd inside the comfy room, getting entertained with games and prizes!

Dear Alice from the Management team, spending her last day at WBG with us.

*She's gonna be full-time baby sitting her girl!! So lovely... will miss her...

And this is our committee for making this Mid Autumn Festival celebration a SUCCESS!! Thx to all! And i pray for next year's Mid Autumn Festival to have ALL MY LOVED ONES with me @ WBG!!~~~*