Brainy Quote

Sunday, December 26, 2010

A New Year & a New Beginning- Start with a New Year Resolution

Hi Friends,

Do you want to start 2011 on the right note? If "Yes",  here is a suggestion: write down your New Year Resolutions before the year starts and set some targets for yourself to achieve for the year. You are the Captain of "YOUR SHIP". You need to have a "Map" so that you can pilot your ship as you sail along the passage called "Life".

Do not listen to "nay-sayers". Just because they could not achieve their goals does not mean you can't achieve yours. Prove them wrong. 

Your resolutions have to be specific and also have a deadline by which you hope to achieve it. It does not have to be specific to 2011. You can have a 5 Year Plan that starts from 2011.

Here are some suggestions:

1) Weight Management -Lose 5 kg by end of 2011 and reach my ideal weight of 72 KG.

2) Save & Invest- Save S$10,000 by cutting off unnecessary expenses and invest the money in high dividend paying stocks. Do your research before you invest.

3)Long Term Plan- e.g. Retire by 2015 with enough money in the bank. Retirement Fund- S$5 million Dollars or S$10million or more.

4) Health Management- Exercise regularly- at least 3x a week.Run the Marathon (42KM) by 2013.

5) Be a better person- Kind, Loving, Caring, Understanding, Manage your Anger, be a better father/husband/wife/son/daughter/ teacher/student /boss/employee/etc.

6) Do more charity work. Help World Vision (http://www.worldvision.org.sg/st_sponsorchild.php ) or Habitat for Humanity (http://www.habitat.org/asiapacific/)

7) Reduce Drinking and Smoking- to improve health.and save money

8) Eat Healthy Food and Cook at Home more often.

9) Be a Happy Person and Smile more often even when things are not going the way you want them to- this will reduces stress and improves your health

How to make sure you succeed with your "New Resolution Goals"?

1) Write it down. You will remember better. Have notebook so that you can compare your resolutions from year to the next. Some resolutions are "work-in-progress".

2) Paste it in places you will see regularly. Keep a copy in your wallet.

3) Look at everyday before you go to bed. At least for 7 days continuously.Constantly review it on a monthly basis to monitor you progress.

4) Tell your friends (some of things you would like to share and get them to help you reach your goals).

5) Stay focused on your goals and you will achieve it.

Remember - Thoughts leads to Feeling leads to Actions leads to Results.You need to take Massive Action by which I mean a paradigm shift in your thinking and "JUST DO IT!" as NIKE tag line states.

I have achieved a number of New Year Resolutions. I have a notebook where I write down my resolutions and goals I want to achieve. For example, at the start of 2010, I weighed 79kg. Now, I weigh 75kg. That was the weight I was targeting for 2010. If you have a problem with achieving your New Year Resolutions than just focus on one or two resolutions. Get one thing done before you move on to another goal. "Success breeds Success". Before you know it you will have achieved more than one goal for that year. 

Stay positive and stay focused! Good Luck! Don't Worry Be Happy!

Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

God Bless! Remember to SMILE!

Cheers,
Mark Fernandez


Monday, December 20, 2010

More Jokes! Ha! Ha!Ha!

Have fun! Laugh your heart out! Relax! Enjoy! Share this with your friends.

-----
One day, a man came home and was greeted by his wife dressed in a very
sexy
nightie. "Tie me up," she purred, "and you can do anything you want."

So he tied her up and went golfing.

**************************************************

A woman came home, screeching her car into the driveway, and ran into the
house. She slammed the door and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Honey,
pack your bags. I won the lottery!"

The husband said, "Oh my God! What should I pack, beach stuff or mountain
stuff?" "Doesn't matter," she said. "Just get out."

**************************************************

Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the
other is a husband.

**************************************************

A Polish immigrant went to the DMV to apply for a driver's license.

First, of course, he had to take an eye sight test. The optician showed
him
a card with the letters:

'C Z W I X N O S T A C Z.'

"Can you read this?" the optician asked.

"Read it?" the Polish guy replied, "I know the guy."

**************************************************

Mother Superior called all the nuns together and said to them,

"I must tell you all something. We have a case of gonorrhea in the
convent."

"Thank God," said an elderly nun at the back. "I'm so tired of
chardonnay."

**************************************************

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband.

Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen.

"Careful," he said, "CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my GOD!

You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We
need more butter. Oh my GOD! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER?
They're
going to STICK! Careful . CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to
me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have
you
LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to
salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!"

The wife stared at him. "What in the world is wrong with you? You think I
don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?"

The husband calmly replied, "I just wanted to show you what it feels like
when I'm driving."
***************************************************
 

Friday, December 17, 2010

Asia's Biggest Loser- Part 2

Hi All,

Just a word of caution to what I wrote in my earlier article in Asia Biggest Loser. While losing weight is great, doing what Deveraj has done can be dangerous to your health. While I am proud of his determination and discipline, you must remember, he did for a competition. If you lose so much of weight in such a short time it will affect your body. If you saw his pictures, there are very bad stretch marks and skin hanging as a result of rapid weight loss.

It is possible to do what Deveraj did but is it worth the risk? You should do it little at a time. Restricting water intake is a bad idea.It will affect your kidneys. You must drink water - at least 2 to 3 litres a day. Experts advise that it is OK to lose about 3-5kg a month. Over time you will have reach your ideal weight.Remember losing weight is not a sprint. It is a marathon.

Everything in moderation is a great advise to follow whether it is for eating, drinking, exercising, shopping, etc.

Cheers,
Mark

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Biggest Loser Asia

"Where there is a will, there is a way!" V.Deveraj showed us how. He won "The Biggest Loser Asia" Season 2. The 24 year old contestant is 1.81m tall and used to weigh 144kg when he first joined the competition. He lost a total of 67kg and won US100,000 (S$130,000). He worked out from 9am to 9pm for everyday for the last 3 months. That's what you call will power, determination and discipline.

He is a "Big Winner". It takes a lot of courage to join such a competition because there are a lot of people out there who will make fun of people like Deveraj. Most of us know that we should not put on too much of weight as it is not good for your health and you may not feel good about it. But sometimes, due to health issues or eating binge and lack of exercise, the weight just creeps up. This is especially so when you get older as your metabolic rate slows down.

With will power, determination and discipline, we all can reduce our weight if we need to. This can be your New Year Resolution.

Three Prong Approach to Weight Loss:
1) Have a Plan- Lose 10 KG
2) Have a Healthy Diet
3) Exercise (2 to 5 x a week for about half an hour or more). See Doctor before you start your exercise. What exercises?-Brisk walk, slow jog, swimming or cycling are some options.

Stay Focused and you will succeed. Remember, this is not a sprint, this is a marathon.Deveraj took 3 months only because he was in a competition.. But in reality, he will have to continue working out for the rest of his life to prevent the weight from ballooning again.

See today's Straits Times (15th December 2010-Life! section) or Starhub Channel 522-DIVA Universal Channel (see program details).

With the holiday season here watch what you eat and drink!

Happy Holidays!

Cheers,
Mark

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Perils of Technology!

Hi All,

The New York Times recently reported the dangers of how technology is affecting youngsters- "Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction" (full article-http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/technology/21brain.html?_r=1 ). We know that technology has its benefits but it also has it downside. When we travel on the MRT, we see numerous people on the hand phone playing games or talking to someone on their handphone. They even ignore the needs of other passengers and most of the time are too busy to move out if there are people getting in and out of the train. Like teenagers, adults are also not spared from the perils of technology with one recent article highlighting how a women has lost her husband to of all things an "iphone". The husband is on his iphone checking out his Facebook account all the time and using other social media sites because everything is in the palm of his hands. 

It is OK to use technology as it has made a lot of things convenient. We have come to a point where technology is an integral part of our lives. We can communicate via handphones with each other instantaneously or keep tab on our kids, organize ourselves with the use of the computer. But we should not let technology rule our lives to the point where we become slaves. Man/Woman in my opinion are meant to interact with each other more face to face rather than through the use of technology. But because we rely so much on technology, we have lost touch with our emotions and reality and have become more "robot-like". We have less time for our loved ones because we are on the computer, handphone or iPad. Family members meet less often than compared to before. We depend phone-calls and emails to keep in touch with one another.This shouldn't be the case.

What is more worrying is the kids whose lives are ruled by technology. They are on their handphones, laptops, iPads, etc. They are hooked to Facebook and Video Games. This is turning them into techno-freaks with serious social problems. They tend to lose focus and are distracted by vagaries of technology. They also become violent as result of these violent video games. They are also more likely to join gangs to live out their fantasies. 

The computer has been a great help in teaching students in schools. At the same time, plagiarism has become a problem with students copying wholesale from the Internet passing off what they copied as their own or getting a ghost writer to write their project work and essays.Gone are the days where one took pride in producing original work. 

Technology is creating a real social problem among teenagers. Cyber bullying through social media sites such as Facebook is now common. There have been a number if cases on teenage students committing suicide as a result.

How to Manage Children and their use of Handphones & Computers?

1) Limit the use of the computer and handphone. Have parental control over use of computers and the sites they are able to visit especially if kids are still in primary and secondary school. Teenagers are known to clock up phones bills that amount $200 over dollars or when they don't even earn a single cent. My friends have had to confiscate the child's mobiles phone and make them pay back by working part time jobs or doing household chores. 

2) Get the children to take up some sports or hobby that takes them away from the computer. They will have a more balanced life.

3) Like the teenagers, many adults can't live without their hand phone. So, adults should to be good role models themselves for their children.

4) Connect with you children more often. Family dinners at home is preferred to eating out where there is less distractions. Family members can have decent conversation. It helps to bring a family closer. If you find cooking a chore, then order in pizza or KFC ( though these are not the best options health wise if you plan to do family dinners frequently).

5) As a last resort, bring them to a Social Counselor. They are experts and they may be able to advice parents on how to deal with the children. And parents should not live in denial. It is better to treat the symptoms so that the child can live a normal life than worry about social stigma of see a counselor. Your kids' life is more important, so pay more attention to them before its too late.

6) I am a big believer in teaching kids about doing charity work from a young age. Maybe, these tech savvy children can teach elders and less fortunate children on how to use computers.This way, these kids can learn more about the importance of thinking about others more than themselves for a change.

7) Teach children the importance of integrity and honesty. It is not only the job of teachers. Parents have to play their part.

I am not saying technology is bad. Use technology well to improve your lives and work and your kids lives but be careful not to become its slave. 

The holiday season is here. So, should you buy the latest gadget for your children as gifts? That's the million dollar question which only you can answer.

Regards,
Mark




Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Sardar Singh Jokes!

Enjoy these jokes that someone sent to me. Leave logic & common sense in the refrigerator or outside the door.

1) Manager asked sardar at an interview.
Can you spell a word that has more than 100 letters in it?
Sardar replied: -P-O-S-T-B-O- X.
 

2) One tourist from U.. S.A. asked Sardar:
Any great man born in this village???
Sardar: no sir, only small babies!!!

 
3) Interviewer: just imagine you are on the 3rd floor, it caught fire and how will you escape?
Sardar: its simple. I will stop my imagination! !!  


4)Sardar: My mobile bill how much?
Call centre girl: sir, just dial 123 to know current bill status
Sardar: Stupid, not CURRENT BILL my MOBILE BILL.  


5) Teacher: Which is the oldest animal in world?
Sardar: ZEBRA
Teacher: How?
Sardar: Bcoz it is Black & White  


6) Sardar attending an interview in Software Company.
Manager: Do U know MS Office?
Sardar: If U give me the address I will go there sir.  


7) Sardar in airplane going 2 Bombay .. While its landing he shouted: " Bombay ... Bombay "
Air hostess said: "Be silent."
Sardar: "Ok... Ombay. Ombay"
 

8) Teacher: "What is common between JESUS, KRISHNA , RAM, GANDHI and BUDDHA?"
Sardar: "All are born on government holidays...!!!
 

9) Sardar: Miss, Did u call my mobile?
Teacher: Me? No, why?
Sardar: Yesterday I saw in my mobile- 1 Miss Call". (Had never thought of it)
 


Cheers,
Mark
 

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Service.....What Service?

Hi All,

It is very difficult to get good service anywhere! It is my humble opinion that all service staff should show some empathy especially those dealing with people.

I had a bad experience in a a polyclinic where I brought my father who is 80 years old for his check up. The Doctor's first question was does my father have any vomiting problem? I was amazed at how this Doctor was like a "robot" going through a factory line of patients did not even care about asking dad "How are you today, sir?" or "how can I be of help to you today?". I had to explain that my father is here for his regular check up and that he needed to do his blood test as he had not done one for 6 months. We had waited for more than two hours and we were out in 10 minutes. My dad, despite his old age & medical problems, can be a chatty person. But on this day, he did not even utter a word to the doctor. I guess for this Doctor it is just a job that pays him a lot of money but one he does not enjoy doing because he did not seem to care much for the patient's well being. At least, that's how I would interpret it from the way he dealt with my dad.

I admire Doctors who care for the patients and who can bring a smile to their faces. The medicine only cures the symptoms some of the time but a smile on the faces of patients can make them forget their pain for that moment.Sometimes the symptoms are imaginary and they just need a listening ear.

And later that afternoon, my family and I left for a short holiday to Phuket. On that flight, I met two American ladies who had a wonderful time in Singapore. But their wonderful trip was ruined by bad service from Tiger Airways according to them. They had bought toys for a orphanage in Phuket called "Happy Homes" near Holiday Inn Hotel and they did not realize that they had to pay excess luggage fee of S$1,500 for the toys. I can't remember if they had some documentation to proof that the toys were meant for the orphanage. The Tiger Airways staff tried to help but no one could get any clearance. To top that, the credit card machine could not work at the counter. Finally, after much frustration, a Tiger Airways staff came and said that the tax will be reduced to S$500 and she manged to withdraw the amount from the ATM machine. But she was disappointed that she had to spend that money on taxes because they were planning to buy additional foodstuff for the home.

I had to sit there and defend service standards in Singapore. I told them that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. This may not have happened on Singapore Airlines. But I told them that the Tiger Airways staff were merely doing their job and that they should contact the management at Tiger Airways since they are bringing the toys for a charitable cause. I told the ladies that Tiger Airways should go out its way to help them since it is for a good cause. I wished the two ladies best of luck and hoped that they get back some of the money back from the budget airline! I wonder if "Budget Airlines" equals to "No Service" or "Canceled Flights"?

It is sad that selected individuals have no pride in their work. If you are in the service industry please pass this message to your colleagues and friends. Be nice to customers you serve and they in turn will be nice to you. And they may even leave a handsome tip.

Up Your Service!

Have a great Day!

Cheers,
Mark


Friday, November 19, 2010

The World Needs More Loving and Kind People!

Someone sent this to me. Please pass this story along to your friends & family especially to teenagers/students. There kids who want to get involved in teen gangs and not only ruin their lives but also cause real turmoil to lives of other families. Teach them the meaning of love and showing kindness towards others.

"A farmer had  some puppies he needed to sell.
He painted a sign advertising the 4  pups and set about nailing it to a
post on the edge of his yard.  As he was driving the last nail into
the post, he felt a tug on his  overalls. He looked
down into the eyes of little  boy.

"Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies."

"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck,
"These puppies come from fine parents  and cost a good deal of money."

The boy dropped his head for a  moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket,
he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer.

"I've got  thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a  look?"

"Sure,"  said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle. "Here,
Dolly!"  he called.

Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly  followed by four little
balls of fur.

The little boy pressed his  face against the chain link fence. His eyes
danced with delight. As  the dogs made their way to the fence,  the little
boy noticed something else stirring inside the  doghouse.

Slowly another little ball appeared, this one  noticeably smaller. Down the
ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat
awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others,  doing its
best to catch up...

"I want that one," the little boy  said, pointing to the runt. The farmer
knelt down at the boy's side  and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy.
He will never  be able to run and play with you like these other dogs
would."

With  that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and
began rolling up one leg of his trousers.

In doing so he revealed  a steel brace running down both sides of his leg
attaching itself to  a specially made shoe.

Looking back up at the farmer, he said,  "You see sir, I don't run too well
myself, and he will need someone  who understands."

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down  and picked up the little
pup.


Holding it  carefully he handed it to the little boy.

"How  much?" asked the little boy.

"No charge," answered the farmer,  "There's no charge for love."

The world is full of people who  need someone who understands."


Make the World a Better Place!Love All, Serve All!

Cheers,
Mark



Friday, November 12, 2010

Overcome your Advertsity!

Hi All,

Again, another Golf story (part 2-previous Golf & Mind related article on November 4th -"Your Mind is a Powerful Tool"). I was watching Golf Channel and they featured a unique Golfer. He is a one legged golfer.

Meet Manuel De Los Santos. He was once a promising 18 year old Dominican Republic Baseball player. He had been recruited by a big baseball team when he met with a motorbike accident. He lost a leg and with that his promising baseball career. His world collapsed. But he was a "survivor" and found a new passion.....Golf.
Now, if you understand the game of Golf, most able bodied amateur players are not able to master their mind to play half as good a Manuel. That's how mentally strong Manuel is. He drives his ball over 260 yards (about 250 meters) on one leg. You have to have incredible balance to do it with one leg. He refuses to use a prosthetics leg. He is a 3 handicapper. He became good at it and now conducts exhibition golf around the world. (for more detailed report you can find more information on http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/golf/article6851460.ece ).

The point is that able bodied individuals who face small but challenging problems just give up and want to take short-cuts in life. Why? We unlike Manuel have so many options and yet we refuse to explore them. Instead, we blame God, people around us, fate except ourselves. Manuel with his limited options compared to us able bodied individuals decided to use his limited options to good use and has succeeded. Put it simply, it is a case of "mind over matter". You can achieve your goals if you put your heart and mind to it like Manuel. Come up with a plan and ask for advise from people who may know more or may be able to make good suggestions.

People like Manuel and Susan Boyle are an inspiration to people who want to all of us. If they can do it, so can we!

For me, I have resolved to become a better Golf Player and reduce my handicap to below 15 by end of next year. Wish me luck!

Have a Great Weekend!

Cheers,
Mark

















Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Operation "Time Square"- Car Bomb

Hi All,

The operation "Time Square"- Car Bomb, simulation exercise is proof that Singaporeans like to complain about everything and the same time we take things for granted. Out of the, 7000 odd people who walked by only 260 people noticed something wrong and only 55 people bothered to call "999". When I read the Straits Times today, I was shocked. And I heard over the radio that people were making excuses on their blogs and Facebook pages......"like what will happen if 7,000 people call the police at the same time."

Why have Singaporeans become so complacent? We tend to take things for granted that the government will take care of us. But we can be the eyes and ears that help to detect unwarranted activities or dangerous situation, and assist the Police in minimizing the chances of such events happening. We can be safe but you do not want to be sorry because you overlooked that minor anomaly that could have saved people's life. You do not know when danger will strike but at least we should be vigilant.

A case in point, I just heard from a friend that she got robbed couple of weeks ago by 3 men near her house in Sims Drive. The robbers pushed my friend down, grabbed the bag and kicked her head. I never thought this could happen to a friend of mine even though you read about it all the time in the papers.

The point is, we need to be more careful even though we have had a relatively safe environment in Singapore for a long time. Terrorists will go to great lengths to achieve their goals which to us is a criminal act. We should not be paranoid but at the same time we should show some concern about the place we call our home. Let's help maintain the peace and tranquility that we have enjoyed so the our children will have safe environment to live in.

Cheers,
Mark

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Your Mind Is a Powerful Tool!

Hi  All,

Last Wednesday, I had dinner at one my favorite Indian restaurants with my friends from college. We met after more that 20years. We had a great time but I believe the cook put too much of "MSG" in the "fish-head" curry. I could not sleep because my throat felt dry, So, I woke up at 3.00am to watch Golf and they were showing Lady's Golf tournament. Kristie Kerr a top women's golfer was playing and she was leading the tournament with a 5 shot lead. But apparently, she hit a bad drive in one of the holes and she double-bogeyed (which is bad when you play golf). But that started playing on her mind and she lost her 5 shot lead. She started missing her putts which keeps missing the holes by millimeters. You could hear her shouting at herself and the golf ball.

I played golf on Friday, and this thought of Kristie Kerr missing her putts kept playing in my head, I don't know why. I was playing well but I kept missing some of my putts like how Kristie Kerr was. I could have"Birdied" (which a good thing in Golf) but I ended up "bogeying" a "birdie-able" hole. This happened on at least 4 of the holes. I did not let this bother me too much and I enjoyed my golf. But I wish I had better control of my mind, I would have played a great game with a few birdies.

My point is that.....be careful of what you think.Use your mind well. It may just come true.Power of "VISUALIZATION". If you can think positively, what you wish will come true. Likewise, if you this of the worse-case scenario (thinking negatively), it will also come true. If you can train yourself to be positive, you will be able to achieve what you want.

So be careful what you think and say. Like your thoughts, your words also have the power to empower or weaken you. Best of Luck!

Happy Deepavali!

Cheers,
Mark

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Look Yourself in the Mirror Before You......

.....start criticizing others. Are you being a hypocrite?

I have been following the SGX buy over of the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) with great interest. It has become highly politicized. And I was appalled by some of the statements made by some Australians especially by people in high positions in the Australian Government. The nationalistic sentiment is understandable. But of the statements are just double edged swords. They claim that Singapore's capital punishment of hanging those who committed serious crimes is in-humane. I say, its what we call it "Justice".... "An eye for an eye". What have the Australians done to avenge the precious their fellow country men's lives lost in Bali other than protesting that the terrorists be brought to justice.The terrorists are having a holiday in the prisons with probably a ten course meal.

It is because of too much of "Freedom of Speech" that you can't build consensus. It is because of liberal rules that there are a lot of Australians who live on "DOLE". Who pays for it....the hard working Australians which includes millions of of PRs and new citizens from Asia, Middle East, Europe, America and others.

They accuse Singapore of violating Human Rights laws. Look at what White Australians have done to the Aborigines. When I meet them in the streets, I feel sorry for them. They are worst off than some of the poor African- Americans in United States.The "Lost Generation" - children of Aborigines forcibly taken away from their families to work for the whites about 50 years ago....the Australian PM had to apologize for it only recently.

For a bunch of people whose forefathers who were a bunch of prisoners, these guys sit on their high horses and complain about the SGX-ASX merger is laughable. There are many things not right about Australia as well. Australia needs to address those issues. You don't see Singapore telling Australians how to run their lives. And if we did, we do it diplomatically. YES, Australia wants to become a "Financial Hub". I think Singapore is well positioned and experienced enough to assist them achieve that goal.

I love Australia and I like going to there regularly for holidays. I have met a lot of lovely Australians. But for some these highly positioned Australians to accuse Singapore of the above things is just unfair. Singapore has done what it needs to, have law & order so that we all can focus on growing the economy and well being of the nation. A friend of mine joined the Australian Police Force but he quit and came back to Singapore and this is what he had to say....the guys on the Australian Police Force are nice but the Australians by and large do not show respect to the Police. It is sad. In Singapore, people show respect to the Police because we need the Police to do their job so that we can live in peace. We can walk on the streets in the middle of the night and feel relatively safe.I don't think you can say the same about Australia.I value my family's security more than I care about freedom of speech. At least I can go out and enjoy with family without any fear of being mugged.

So the next time you want to accuse someone else of a mistake or crime, think before you speak. Ask yourself, are you being a hypocrite? Others wise, you might look like a fool.....Mel Gibson (the famous Aussie actor now infamous used to be a favorite actor of mine) comes to mind. Nobody wants to be associated with him anymore. His mouth is a "Lethal Weapon"...every time he opens his mouth, he shoots himself in the foot or his backside. Ouch!

No country can have a perfect system or government and you can't please everybody but at least Singapore has become a role-model for many countries around the world.

As for the SGX-ASX merger, I hope it goes through because I see it as "win-win" for both countries.


G'Day Mate!

Mark

Monday, October 18, 2010

Happiness...... What is Happiness?


Khushwant Singh at his best. The rationale applied to each preference is absolutely top class.

EIGHT CLUES TO HAPPINESS
By- KHUSHWANT SINGH

Having lived a reasonably contented life, I was musing over what a person should strive for to achieve happiness. I drew up a list of a few essentials which I put forward for the readers' appraisal.

1.     First and foremost is GOOD HEALTH. If you do not enjoy good health you can never be happy. Any ailment, however trivial, will deduct from your happiness. 

2.     Second, A HEALTHY BANK BALANCE. It need not run into crores but should be enough to provide for creature comforts and something to spare for recreation, like eating out, going to the pictures, travelling or going on holidays on the hills or by the sea. Shortage of money can be only demoralizing. Living on credit or borrowing is demeaning and lowers one in one's own eyes. 


3.     Third, A HOME OF YOUR OWN. Rented premises can never give you the snug feeling of a nest which is yours for keeps that a home provides: if it has a garden space, all the better. Plant your own trees and flowers, see them grow and blossom, cultivate a sense of kinship with them. 

4.     Fourth, AN UNDERSTANDING COMPANION, be it your spouse or a friend. If there are too many misunderstandings, they will rob you of your peace of mind. It is better to be divorced than to bicker all the time. 


5.     Fifth, LACK OF ENVY towards those who have done better than you in life; risen higher, made more money, or earned more fame. Envy can be very corroding; avoid comparing yourself with others. 

6.       Sixth, DO NOT ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE to descend on you for gup-shup. By the time you get rid of them, you will feel exhausted and poisoned by their gossip-mongering.


7.     Seventh, CULTIVATE SOME HOBBIES which can bring you a sense of fulfilment, such as gardening, reading, writing, painting, playing or listening to music. Going to clubs or parties to get free drinks or to meet celebrities is criminal waste of time. 


8.     Eighth, every morning and evening, devote 15 minutes to INTROSPECTION. In the morning, 10 minutes should be spent on stilling the mind and then five in listing things you have to do that day. In the evening, five minutes to still the mind again, and ten to go over what you had undertaken to do. 

RICHNESS is not Earning More, Spending More  Or Saving  More, but ... 

"RICHNESS IS WHEN YOU NEED NO MORE"